Review: The Poison Study Short Story Collection by Maria V Snyder

I recently had the chance to go listen to Maria V Snyder speak at an event about her books and her writing. It reminded me how much I loved the Study series and needed to get back into it. Prior to going to listen to Maria, I went onto her website and read the three free short stories that are available there. These are the reviews for all three of them.

  

The Poison Study Short Story Collection by Maria V Snyder
Purchase link: Amazon (audiobook)

Overall series rating:   

Heat rating:  NO HEAT

Assassin Study (Study #1.5)
This free short story which is available on Ms Snyder's website is a fun, short glimpse back into the Study world. It shows us the importance of Yelena to Valek and what he would do to ensure her safety, even when she is unaware of it.

I really enjoyed this small glimpse back into the world. It was a great refresher for me since it's been a while since I've read the series.

The interesting thing about this story too is the fact that each chapter is reader driven. I'm assuming at some point Ms Snyder released each chapter separately and asked at the end of each chapter what Valek should do and then wrote the next chapter accordingly. This was fun. I reminded me of my younger days when they used to publish those "make your own story" books where you get to choose where each story goes.

This certainly whets my appetite for continuing with Yelena and Valek's story.



Power Study (Study #3.5)
What a fun short story! Again, this is a short story which is available to read from Ms Snyder's website. Simply head on over there to read it online.

I loved this story because it gave me a little adventure with Ari and Janco. I had forgotten what fun these two were and how they complemented each other.

The best part was Janco. It's always a bit of a mystery trying to predict what will come out of his mouth and what craziness will ensue. He's such a character. So much fun.
This is a short adventure of a young man with an enchanted blade on a quest for revenge. He leaves a path of blood behind him as he works towards his ultimate goal. Ari and Janco, suspicious after encountering him for the first time set off after him. Mayhem ensues ... well, you know Janco!

It's another great installment for a glimpse into the Study world and a reminder of its characters.

Some of my favorite moments in the story includes a comment from Ari about Janco:

Ari sighed. "Just what I need. A variable-speed genius."

 ... which by the way, describes Janco to a "T".

And Janco complaining about Valek:

"That's not fair," Janco said. ... "Valek gets everything. Immunity to magic, Yelena, super assassin skills_"

... Yeah, Valek rocks!

If you haven't yet, do read these short stories. They are hella fun.

Ice Study (Study #3.6)
This is a free short story which is available on Ms Synder's website.

Once again, I love the small glimpse back into the Study world and most of all the connection between Valek and Yelena and how important she is to him. The glimpses to the intimacy and depth of their relationship are short but meaningful. Any fan of Valek and Yelena would appreciate the connection.

In this story, Valek and Yelena are once against separated as Yelena is forced to do something against her will as her brother is hold hostage for her good behavior. Valek races to help Yelena in any way he can while distance and lack of communication does him no favors.

This is another fun adventure for the reader and certainly a good snippet to keep the reader going until the next book comes out.


View all my reviews


About the author

Meteorologist turned novelist, Maria's been writing fantasy and science fiction since she was bored at work and needed something creative to do. A dozen novels and numerous short stories later, Maria's learned a thing or three about writing. She’s been on the New York Times bestseller list, won a half-dozen awards, and has earned her MA degree in Writing from Seton Hill University where she's been happily sharing her knowledge with the current crop of MFA students. She also enjoys creating new worlds where horses and swords rule, 'cause let's face it, they're cool, although she's been known to trap her poor characters in a giant metal cube and let them figure out how to get out. Readers are welcome to check out her website for book excerpts, free short stories, maps, blog, and her schedule.

Author links: Website - Facebook - Goodreads






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