Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder (Healer #3)

3 Stars

This is the last one in this series.  I didn’t know that when I started and when it ended it was kind of like, “Oh…well…I guess that is that.” 

Since the last book Kerrick was found, but he was infected with death lily toxin.  Avry tried to save him but when she wakes up he is gone.  She spends quite a bit of time looking for him with her team (the monkeys and Flea, Belin is still missing).  Prince Rhyn wants her to quit looking and start working.   A lot of small things happen with mostly Avry rescuing a variety of people.  Her character was a bit annoying in this installment and I didn’t feel the connection between her and Kerrick as much.  The whole book can be described as “meh” and “blah” for me.  It was mostly well written and I enjoyed the storyline, until the book ends and you realize this is how you feel…

 

Scent of Magic (The Healers #2) by Maria V. Snyder

4.5 Stars

This is the second book in this series.  The first is Touch of Power.  I positively loved Touch of Power! Review: Touch of Power  This book takes up right where the first book left off.  Avry and Kerrick have just left Tohon’s castle where Avry had destroyed his garden of Death Lily’s and taken two of the children (Danny and Zila) who had survived injection of Death Lily serum.  Avry wants to find her sister again and Kerrick needs to check in with Ryne.  This means they split up and as others have said, they spend the entire book apart.  The only thing that saves this from being unbearable is that we get dual POV from Avry and Kerrick throughout the book.  Usually I find only one of the main characters narrative is interesting enough for me to want to continue and I will be disappointed with the switch.  However, everytime we switched from Avry to Kerrick and back again the author managed to create mini cliff hangers that I was loathe to leave but then within a few sentences I am sucked back into the next person’s dilemma. 

Avry infiltrates Jael/Estrid’s army and teaches them how to move silently in the forrest.  She manages to keep her identity hidden and gains the trust of many of the officers.  I couldn’t tell from what direction the betrayal would come from.  Those that I suspected of treachery ended up proving themselves loyal to Avry and those who I thought loyal proved their betrayal.  I kept guessing and I was wrong. 

Kerrick meets up with Ryne and spends time training his troops to move silently as well.  This is important because Tohon’s Dead Army is silent and deadly.  Soon they learn that the tribes from the Wild Lands have invaded Alga Realm (Prince Kerrick’s realm) and so Kerrick must go investigate.  The rest of Kerrick’s time is spent with this situation.  I did appreciate that the author didn’t try to insert a love triangle in here.  I HATE (and by hate, I mean I will stop reading an otherwise good book because of a love triangle) love triangles!  Blech!

We meet so many new characters and Avry makes some new friends, but the author definitely does not shy away from killing off those close to Avry.  This makes it a much more realistic war time/zombie story, but it is a bold move. 

Favorite Quote:

Ursan remained quiet until we reached his tent. "Prince Kerrick's a forest mage.  Which means his eyes change color with the seasons.  Right?" he asked.

"Yes."

He stared at me for a moment.  "Lucky guy."

Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

I have read all of the "Study Series" by Maria V. Snyder and loved it. So when I saw this book coming out a couple of months ago, I was waiting on pins and needles. I kept checking back to make sure that the release date wasn't sooner than I remembered :)

Maria V. Snyder does an awesome job of world building and this book was no exception. It takes place in an area called "Fifteen Realms" in a world where the technology of phones, cars etc. does not exist. The heroine is Avry and she is a healer which is like a dirty word in this world. Avry has been on the run for 3 years and has to hide the fact that she is a healer. Being a healer means that Avry needs to lay her hands on the hurt/sick person and then her healer magic pulls the injury or sickness into her own body where she then has to heal herself from the same disease or injury, but she heals much faster.

Avry was caught in the act of healing a child and was in jail to be executed when she is busted out by a cantankerous man (Kerrick) who remains cantankerous mosto of the time. Kerrick didn't save Avry's life just to be nice though, he wants something in return. He wants Avry to heal a prince. But not just any prince, a prince that Avry doesn't think should live and should Avry heal this prince it would cost Avry her life as this is one sickness that she can't heal herself from.

A lot of the book is about the travels to the Nine Mountains where the sick prince is, the trouble to get there (as Kerrick isn't the only one who wants Avry), and Kerrick and his band of merry men trying to convince Avry to heal the prince.

I read this book in a day and a half (granted I had off work and was able to spend a large chunk of that day reading), but I couldn't put it down!