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Review by Lora Friedenthal
Summary: Now living in Sitia, Yelena Zaltana, once a food taster for the Commander of neighboring Ixia, tries to learn what it means to be a Soulfinder. Her magic is unlike any other’s, and the likes of it has not been seen in Sitia for decades. Soulfinders are feared, because theirs is the power to twist minds and extract souls. Soulfinders, she is told, always seek power. And for this reason the ruling Council is unsure of what it should do. Roze, First Magician of Sitia, believes execution the only safe route. She will do whatever she must to protect her land, even if it means putting Yelena to death for crimes she has not committed. But Yelena’s education comes to a halt when she is implicated in a plot to overthrow the Sitian government. Only her closest friends believe that she is innocent, and even they are not so sure. To clear her name, to save her new-found home from a very real coup, she must learn what it is to be a Soulfinder and embrace the powers she has been given.
Commentary: Oh, Yelena. You crazy, headstrong, impulsive, bleeding heart, acrobatic trickster, I have missed you. I hope Ms. Synder takes it as a compliment that I have read each of her books in no more than two days. For all the work that goes into them, part of me feels that I should somehow be savoring them more. But if I did, then I wouldn’t find out what happens next as quickly as I need to.
I am pleased to report that Fire Study is just as good as Poison Study and Magic Study. It is no small achievement to write a trilogy in which each book is unique from and yet equal to the others. All three having twisting, luscious plots that are as much intrigue as they are action. And each has a cast of characters who are instantly realized as whole, real people. Old favorites like Ari and Janco return in Fire Study, as much to remind me what I loved about the first books as to advance the plot.
And, of course, there is Valek. Swift, mysterious, calculating, seductive Valek. I think I missed him nearly as much as Yelena did, although there was barely enough time to take a breath during all the action to wonder when he would show up before he was already there. He is patient when Yelena probably doesn’t deserve it and compassionate when she doesn’t expect it.
However, my favorite character, I feel silly to admit, is actually Kiki the horse. Yelena has the unique ability to communicate with horses, and she does so often. She consults Kiki for information about their surroundings. She gives her directions to help with escape plans. But she also, amusingly, will ask her for advice. And Kiki is always there to respond with her extremely dry, simple horse humor. It’s nothing short of delightful. (When is Kiki getting her own children’s series?) And I was impressed at how much Yelena’s ability to talk to the horses was actually used in the plot. It wasn’t just a side show act or a comedy sketch. In trying to save herself and her loved ones, Yelena truly makes use of everything at her disposal. Even the horses.
I don’t want to say too much about the plot, because everyone should really be picking up the whole series to read. But essentially, Fire Study starts where Magic Study left. There are rogue magicians using blood sacrifices to increase their magical abilities. Through masterful and sometimes confusing deception, they attempt to manufacture a war with neighboring Ixia, a war the Sitians have always feared, but not a war that the Commander is actually looking to start. The threat, though, is enough to turn Sitia into a military state. And Yelena and her comrades are the only ones who can stop the militarization before there is no turning back. As if that weren’t hard enough, the First Magician, Roze, has put a price on Yelena’s head. The only good Soulfinder is a dead one, in Roze’s opinion. And the Sitian Council eventually agrees.
With few friends and enemies just about everywhere, Yelena is in for a hard fight in Fire Study. Perhaps more action-oriented than Poison Study, this book set a quick pace from the start and never slowed down. Like the others in the series, I highly recommend this book. I do, however, suggest reading the first two before picking this one up. I think readers would be a bit lost otherwise, and I certainly think they’d be missing out on a lot of references that are truly necessary to get the most out of the experience. The story feels finished now, so I’m not sure if there will be another in the series, but I look forward to whatever Ms. Synder has in store for her next outing.
Lora Friedenthal
Fire Study (Study, Book 3) by Maria V. Snyder
Published by: Mira (March 1, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0778325342
ISBN-13: 978-0778325345
Genre: Fantasy
