Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Some books possess the ability to draw you into a new world, create characters so real you would swear they exist, and capture your interest from the very first page only releasing it at the last. Maria V. Snyder created just such a world with her debut novel, Poison Study. The intrinsic tale of a an orphaned and abused girl turned murderer turned foodtaster turned confidante feels natural through the entire book, skipping those awkward connections that cause so many authors to stumble. Snyder aptly details her novel appropriately, fills in every gap and ties her novel up in such a way that the reader begs for more, but doesn't lose sleep with a nasty cliffhanger.

At the heart of the novel is the character of Yelena, a girl who has much to learn about herself and the world around her. The character development of Yelena is slow and sudden all at once. Instantly likable, the reader finds themselves yearning to know more of her history and hoping for her success. Narrated exclusively by Yelena, her personality shines through on every page with the stubbornness that one would expect from a strong female character. Her ability to eloquently speak with those in positions of power as well as those who are her equals do credit to the character that Snyder has created.

Maria Snyder's writing style through the whole of the book is quite elegant. The story is told in such a way that the reader does not feel that it is being forced, chopped up and hastily reassembled, or abbreviated for space. Despite coming in at a hefty 409 pages (paperback) no place in the storyline could have been sacrificed and the end product have resulted as well. The The smooth writing style, the authors knowledgeable descriptions, and complete story leave little up to chance and make each action and reaction of the characters natural.

Lastly, the action sequences in the book deserve recognition. Within the story exist many fight and action sequences, each detailed with obvious firsthand knowledge of hand to hand combat. This addition to the story invigorates this fable out of the world of sappy, drippy fairy tale and into a full fledged enjoyable fantasy. Rarely do female writers of fairy tales put their heroines in such harrowing, dangerous positions and expect them to fight their way out on their own. Even more rarely to the authors of those fairy tales put much punch into the fight scenes. In Poison Study, Yelena has her saviors, but many times she picks herself up, uses her skills and vividly fights for her life.

As a debut novel, Maria Snyder should be quite proud. Few writers have the skill and aptitude that she demonstrates as she puts her words to work to creatte a fine fantasy story. Unique and original, this story does indeed keep the reader thinking about Yelena, Valek, and her other characters long after the last page has been read. While checking this one out at the library might be a good introduction, it will most likely earn its place on your bookshelf and demand to be reread.