Book Review: Fire Study (Poison Study #3) by Maria V. Snyder

Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: New adult Fantasy
Length: 441 pages
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Publisher: Mira
Release Date: February 26th, 2008
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The apprenticeship is over—now the real test has begun.

When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder—able to capture and release souls—spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena’s unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena’s fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before…

Honor sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies, enemies, lovers and would-be assassins, each of questionable loyalty. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself—and save the land she holds dear.

IT WAS FINE.

Not gonna lie. I’m glad I can be finished with these books (yes, I know there was more added and a spin-off series as well, I’m stopping here though). I just, struggled with these y’all!? It’s okay, it happens.

I fell more out of love with Yelena this time. Her character growth happens so late in the book that I’m no longer enamored with the concept. I was tired of her shoving others away to “protect them,” instead of allowing them to help her. Yelena also continually ran off to danger without a second thought. There comes a time to be brave and then just reckless and repetitive.

But don’t worry, our elusive love interest shows up in the nick of time to save her time and time again. Yet also, where was he for the first 200 pages again?! I hate that. Don’t introduce a love interest and then not even utilize him for the story. Ugh.

I enjoy the writing and the world itself. The plot may still be confusing to me (where’s the endgame here?), but there’s a lot here about recovering and working towards a place a peace after awful things have been done to them. I liked these aspects and how it was approached.

Maybe this series wasn’t for me, but I know plenty who enjoyed them. They’re a bit older, so could be a good backlist title!

Overall audience notes: