About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace, and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.
And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.
As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear.
Don't miss Magic Study, the sequel to Poison Study.
©2005 Maria V. Snyder
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A. All characters in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
"Riveting fantasy that unites the intelligent political focus of George R.R. Martin with a subtle yet potent romance....The first in a series, this is one of those rare books that will keep readers dreaming long after they've read it." (Publishers Weekly)
"Fantasy, with a touch of romance."
I have to admit, I had some hesitation selecting this book as it was published by Harlequin (a publisher of which I am a little leery, as I expect to get something sugary-sweet and cookie-cutter). But after reading this book, I need to do some reassessment! This book was full of interesting characters, and the story was engaging and enjoyable.
What I am not so sure of, is if this novel was really supposed to be filed under "Romance"?
Sure, there is a romance, eventually, but it doesn't play a huge part of the book. Political intrigue, magic, and nefarious plots all play much larger roles in this story than romance. Overall, this book would be better classified as "Fantasy".
So if you are looking for hard-core romance, then this will be a disappointment. But if you are looking for an engaging story, with some fabulous characters (including a heroine who was no wilting wall-flower!), then this is definitely recommended.
"Not my usual type of fiction..."
Not my usual type of fiction and was pleasantly surprised how good this book was. I bought this book when it went on one of those weekend only sales because it was cheap and had high reviews. I really don't listen to fantasy type novels, and wow, I will definitely read this author again. In fact after I finished this book, I bought the next two, Magic Study and Fire Study, which were each as good as the first one. Wow, is all I have to say, this was one book I will recomend to everyone!
"Amazing story!"
This book is one of the most entertaining books I have heard in a long time! I am looking forward to the next in the series. Also, the reader was perfect for this book. I was enthralled in the story from beginning to end. I strongly recommend Poison Study.
cedison
"Great descriptions!"
My husband recommended this title to me, and he was right, it's a great story. The descriptions Yelena had for the food she was tasting and her insights into those around her were fascinating. I was sorry to see this book end -- the world it was set in was fun to explore.
(One caution: although this is part of the Harlequin Luna line, the romance is definitely a subplot rather than the main focus of the story. Also, there are some scenes of graphic violence.)
"Fantastic read/listen"
Love, Love, Love this series. This was the first book I purchased from Audible. I am hooked. I usually read, but this has changed my perfered method of reading. The characters are all likeable and well developed. The world created by Snyder is interesting and I found myself wrapped up in it. I listened to the next 2 books soon after this one. I was sorry when it ended but was satisfied with it. I am hoping for more books in this series. If you go to the author's web site she has posted additional short stories about the supporting characters. The narrator did a good job and changed the characters voices well.
"Excellent"
I normally don't like female readers as much, but this one is pretty awesome. This book flew by so fast and I didn't want it to end. They did a very good job of not exposing too much of the story at a time and kept me guessing throughout. There was also just enough touch of magic that didn't seem unrealistic. I highly recommend.
"Liked it"
Liked this story. It was a little slow to start but turned out to be real interesting. I have bought the others inthe sereis to contiue the story. Well developed characters with interesting twists.
"5 to narrator 4 to book"
The narrator's voice was good and she presented the story well.
The book itself was a good read, although it didn't quite deserve the 5 rating. Nevertheless, the author did a good job of bringing me in to her world, and I got enjoyment from the story. The whole poison aspect brought a whole new dynamic to the story, and she somehow presented the main character with a womanly strength when she at the same time required an antidote to servive daily. She had both strengths and weaknesses, as did everyone, which made things believable.
A fun read.
"Beginning of a great series"
One of my biggest pet peeves about audiobooks is the ability(or lack of ability) of the reader to play different parts(male and female). Many books with lots of characters have an entire cast. This book, and the two that follow, are read by one woman. SHE IS AMAZING.
I'm currently listening to the third book in the series and I am still wowed by her abilities.
I enjoyed Poison Study--enough to want to read the second one. Magic Study is even better. There is magic, well-described characters, lots of action(moreso in the second book), and tons of novel ideas. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a good fantasy story.
"engrossing"
My daughter and I listened to this book while we were driving from Colorado to Michigan. When we stopped for the night, we couldn't wait to hit the road the next day to find out what was going to happen next!
The story was well read, and the different voice characterizations ensured we never got confused or wondered who was doing what. Our road trip flew by. We can't wait to take the same trip this coming summer and listen to the next book, Magic Study.
I could not rate this book with 5 stars because of one thing. The descriptions included even the smallest detail and were somewhat tedious; however, had I been reading the book, I would have skimmed over most of these. I would not have been as happy with an abridged format of the book though, so just be prepared to hear some looooong descriptions!