Fire Study (Study, Book 3) [Paperback]

Maria V. Snyder (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2008

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fans of high-spirited adventure, intrigue and romance will celebrate the third book (after 2007's Magic Study) in the saga of reluctant mage and diplomat Yelena Zaltana. The news that Yelena is a Soulfinder, able to manipulate the spirits of the dead and the living, hasn't made her popular with the inhabitants of Sitia's Magician's Keep, since the last Soulfinder turned people into mindless slaves. First Magician Roze Featherstone's hostility toward Yelena increases until the Sitian Council decides to send Yelena north as diplomatic liaison to the rival nation of Ixia. When Roze takes over the council, imprisoning her rivals and driving the nation to the brink of war with Ixia, Yelena is caught between her duties as liaison, her love for Ixian intelligence officer Valek and her fear of her own power, which she must embrace fully to defeat Roze and restore the council. Snyder delivers another excellent adventure, deftly balancing international and local hostilities against Yelena's personal struggles. (Mar.)
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Review

"This is an impressive debut and a strong start to what should prove to be a compelling new fantasy series." - Rhianna Pratchett, SFX Magazine" --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Mira; Original edition (March 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778325342
• ISBN-13: 978-0778325345
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1.2 x 7.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (109 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,122 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

When I was in sixth grade, I learned about meteorologists and decided I wanted to be one. My visions of chasing tornados throughout the Midwest and flying through hurricanes didn't pan out. Mostly because I wasn't good at forecasting, and my grades weren't exactly stellar. Let's face it, I'm a daydreamer--always have been, always will be.

I did graduate from Penn State University and was hired as an environmental meteorologist--try and say that five times fast ;) and I started writing when bored at work. It's never a good idea to get caught just staring out the window, so I wrote my daydreams down. After fooling around with short stories, I wrote my first novel, Poison Study. It was published sixteen years later. A lesson in patience and persistence! I had caught the writing bug and Magic Study and Fire Study soon followed.

Even though I went on to earn a Masters degree in writing from Seton Hill University, I never lost my fascination with storms, which is evident in my Glass Series (Storm Glass, Sea Glass and Spy Glass), and I still consider myself an environmentalist. The green part of me comes out in both Inside Out and Outside In. Trella's world is contained inside a big metal cube and they must reuse and recycle everything. One thing they got right in one otherwise messed-up world!

My latest series is about a healer and I happily let my nurturing side take over. Touch of Power starts the series with Avry on the run in a world recovering from a devastating plague. Scent of Magic is the second book and the third, Taste of Death will be out December 2013.

Aside from a writer, I'm also a teacher and mentor for students enrolled in Seton Hill University's MFA program in Writing Popular Fiction. I enjoy working with aspiring writers and helping them complete their novels. I've won a half dozen awards and been on the New York Times bestseller list, but nothing compares to being the proud mentor come graduation day!

Other things I enjoy are playing volleyball, photography and traveling. I'll go anywhere at anytime - much to my mother's dismay since my husband and I frequently bring along our son and daughter on our adventures.

I love my job. Where else can you take fencing lessons, learn how to ride a horse, study martial arts, learn how to pick a lock, take glass blowing classes and get a personal tour of a maximum security prison and call it all research? I'll give you a hint--not working as a meteorologist.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

87 of 94 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars too much going on, not enough really happening March 14, 2008

By Madame X TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

From an author like Snyder, who showed us all in POISON STUDY that she has a true gift for subtle, ingenious plotting FIRE STUDY is a tragedy.

It careens at a breakneck pace from one crisis to the next, and nothing is developed fully. Endless summaries of earlier events drag FIRE STUDY down like concrete shoes. The plot is full of holes (Leif, for example, can detect lies...yet his ability is conveniently forgotten when it would be most useful).

Snyder makes a serious mistake by changing all the rules of magic we have come to know in previous books. In POISON STUDY magic is a power blanket lying over the earth, and magicians manipulate its "threads". In MAGIC STUDY, we find out about the Shadow World and the strange magic of the Sandseeds. In FIRE STUDY, we learn about the "Fire World," although it's never quite clear why or how this world exists, and about blood magic.

It's just too much.

The sad thing is, FIRE STUDY could have been great, if Snyder had just gotten rid of all the clutter and focused on the important things. We do find out exactly what the purpose of a Soulfinder is at the end, and it's an incredibly elegant and satisfying answer. Too bad this key storyline gets so little attention. The question of Yelena's dual loyalty is a key dilemma in FIRE STUDY, but it is never adequately resolved.

The language of FIRE STUDY really shocked me. It's written in the sassy, snippy bantering tone found in contemporary-set urban fantasy novels. There's a lot of modern day slang, and characters have become flippant in a way that rings very false.

There's also an odd kind of writerly indulgence in FIRE STUDY.... In POISON STUDY and MAGIC STUDY, Snyder's characters were more complex - all done in shades of grey - and she held their competing motives in dynamic tension. There's very little grey in FIRE STUDY. Characters are black or white, and Snyder coddles Yelena - protecting her from harm and leeching dramatic tension from the story.

I think Snyder is just not the kind of person who can crank out a novel a year. Read more ›

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars May contain spoilers March 9, 2008

By Margaret S.

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Fire Study the final book in Snyder's trilogy was the weakest link of all three books. The series began very strongly with Poison Study and went downhill from there.

The book could have easily removed 200 pages and would have been better for it. I felt the author lost the passion for the storyline and was just rushing to finish it off.

Snyder left her roots of interweaving a story of magic and a fantasy world where Yelena learns to adjust to her increasing powers and removal from Ixia. Instead we have a repetitious action adventure plot missing the magical world the author had previously created.

Any magic that was used was extremely repetitive (Curare and Theobroma) and the fight scenes which were easily over half of the book were very repetitive. The main characters are out numbered, rendered paralyzed with Curare, captured, escape, Kiki needs to kick someone to save Yelena, and they all meet at the rendezvous point about 20 times. This followed with around 20 pages of repetitive bow staff fighting amongst friends. Not exactly exciting stuff there.

The rogue Warpers motivations seemed disorganized which proved to be a very serious failed opportunity to add a very interesting component to the story.

The main characters did not grow or form closer bonds with each other. Holes within their personal history were not filled in. I did not learn anything new about the fascinating people, history, or culture of Sitia or Ixia. The plot also follows the same line as the first books, children of children being harvested for the power of others. Yelena coming into her own to harvest and control her powers seemed improbable as the challenges put before her were more physical in nature.... I did not see a personal growth that brought the story together for me.

The ending was decently strong although it was rushed. Ironically, it opened me up to wanting to know more about Sitia, Ixia, Yelena, and the supporting characters. Had the book started out with the same passion it ended with the trilogy would have ended with a great success. Read more ›

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Big dissappointment March 22, 2008

By HHK VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I just forced myself to finish Fire Study, and I can't believe how let down I am. Poison Study is on my Listmania list of all time favorite books. Magic Study was a good follow-up. I have been eagerly awaiting this book for years and rushed out to buy it the day it was released. My thoughts mirror those of the other negative reviews. It felt that the book was a collection of action scenes strung together with no direction. The focus was action driven not character driven. I wanted more meaningful interactions between Yelena and Valek. Overall the book lacked the depth of character development that we had in Poison Study. Fire Study was a let down, but Poison Study remains an amazing book, which is why I am giving this two stars. I know this author has the capability of writing incredible stories, so I will still be reading her next novel Storm Glass which will apparently be focusing on Opal and glass magic. According to an interview with the author, it should be releasing this December.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fire Study concludes the Study trilogy with a highly emotional story April 23, 2008

By Kelley Hartsell VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

A CK2S Recommended read!

Please note I am reviewing the audio version of this book. So I cannot guarantee all of my spellings are correct.

When word got out that Yelena Zaltana was a Soul Finder, the magicians in Sitia start to worry. (See Magic Study) Sitian history has only recorded one other case of a Soul Finder and that one had created an army of zombie warriors to take over Sitia. It's only natural they fear Yelena would be corrupted and attempt the same.

It's not long before Yelena uncovers a plot to force Sitia and neighboring country Ixia into war. The leader of the plot is the same magician, a Soul Stealer, that Yelena defeated once before. He escaped with the help of Cahil who has his own plans to take over Ixia. He also has the Daviian Clan who use blood magic to increase their powers and a mysteriously powerful Fire Warper, behind him.

It's up to Yelena to defeat her enemies once more. With the help of her loyal friends it should be easy, but who is friend and who is enemy? When the lines begin to blur, Yelena is in for the greatest magical battle of her life.

In Fire Study, the conclusion to the Study trilogy, we find Yelena really come into her own in the magical community. Be forewarned, this is not a series easily read out of order. Each preceding book leads into the next one and with each book, we learn many more intricacies about the lands of Ixia and Sitia, but especially about the magic that Sitia thrives on. Yelena continues to grow and adapt and learns how important it is not to abuse her gifts. Her fears are very real as she understands the immense responsibility she has to wield her powers appropriately....

All of our beloved friends from Ixia are back, from Ari and Janco to Commander Ambrose and of course, Valek. Iris is back too of course, Yelena's mentor and one of the few people in Sitia who truly understand Yelena. We are also introduced to more of the Zaltana clan, as well as visiting with those we've already met. One of Yelena's greatest strengths is the love and loyalty she shares with her friends and family and in Fire Study she needs them more than ever.

Fire Study is a highly emotional read. Yelena is really put through the paces and has to reach deep down inside herself to find her true power. She has several very difficult choices to make and as she struggles to weigh what must be done against what she wants. These struggles provide some very poignant moments, especially when she fears she may very well lose Valek and all she holds dear if she hopes to defeat the Fire Warper. I had tears in my eyes more than once, sometimes sad tears, other times joyful ones. As Yelena finally comes to understand what magic is capable of, we find some very powerful scenes. Be forewarned too, there are some mind blowing surprises revealed. A few you may have already guessed, but let me tell you, even the ones you think you know will shock you.

Make sure you have plenty of time to spend with Yelena and company. Once you start Fire Study, you won't want to stop until the final page is turned. What's so wonderful about this book is that while it is an ending of sorts, it is an even greater beginning... to the rest of Yelena's life.

Once more, Gabra Zackman has done an incredible job performing Yelena's story. As many different players as we find in the Study series, Zackman never ceases to amaze me with the depth of her talent. She brilliantly portrays each and every person in the story and the voices are distinct enough that you're never in doubt who is talking.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, April 2008. All rights reserved. Read more ›