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Maria V. Snyder

Touch of Power (The Healer Series, 1) Paperback – December 27, 2011

by Maria V. Snyder (Author)

4.4 2,671 ratings

Book 1 of 3: The Healer

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Magician, heal thyself.

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life....“Maria V. Snyder makes readers believe in her world and the characters she creates, a writer’s form of magic.” —The Best Reviews

Book 1 of 3

The Healer
Print length

400 pages
Language

English
Publisher

MIRA
Publication date

December 27, 2011
Dimensions

5.37 x 0.95 x 8.19 inches
ISBN-10

0778313077
ISBN-13

978-0778313076
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Fans of high-spirited adventure, intrigue and romance will celebrate."

-Publishers Weekly on Fire Study

"This is one of those rare books that will keep readers dreaming long after they've read it."

-Publishers Weekly Starred Review on Poison Study

"The rare sequel to live up to the promise of its predecessor, Magic Study is a wonderful combination of romance and fantasy."

-Audible.com (Editor's Pick: Best of 2006-Romance)

"Snyder delivers another excellent adventure."

-Publishers Weekly on Fire Study

"...a compelling new fantasy series."

-SFX Magazine on Sea Glass

About the Author

Maria V. Snyder is the New York Times bestselling author of the Study series, the Glass series, the Healer series, Inside Out, and Outside In. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Meteorology from Penn State and a Master of Arts degree in fiction writing from Seton Hill University. Unable to part ways with Seton Hill, Maria is currently a teacher and mentor for the MFA program. Find her on the Web at MariaVSnyder.com.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The little girl wouldn't stop crying. I didn't blame her. She was dying, after all. Her lungs were so full of fluid she'd drown in another few hours. Tossing and turning on my thin mattress, I listened to her cries as they sawed through the floorboards and through my heart, cutting it in two.

One piece pleaded for me to save her, urging me to heal the girl with the bright smile and ginger curls. The other side pulsed a warning beat. Her family would thank me by turning me in to the town watch. I'd be hanged as a war criminal. No trial needed.

The horrors from the dark years of the plague were still fresh in the survivors' minds. They considered those times a war. A war that had been started by healers, who then spread the deadly disease, and refused to heal it.

Of course it was utter nonsense. We couldn't heal the plague. And we didn't start it. But in the midst of the chaos, no one listened to reason. Someone had to be blamed. Right?

The girl's screams pierced my heart. I couldn't stand it any longer. Three years on the run. Three years of hiding. Three terrible years full of fear and loneliness. For what? My life? Yes, I live and breathe and exist. Nothing else.

Flinging my blankets off, I hurried downstairs. I didn't need to change since I would never sleep in nightclothes or without my boots on. When you were on the run, the possibility of being surprised in the middle of the night was high. There was no time to waste when escaping, so I wore my black travel pants and black shirt to bed every night. The dark color ideal for blending into shadows.

Another trick of being on the run involved finding a second-floor room with both front and back doors and no skeletons. They were hard to find as most towns had burned the plague victims' homes in the misguided attempt to destroy the disease. And many victims died alone. My current hideout was above the family with the dying child.

I knocked on my downstairs neighbors' door loud enough for the sound to be heard over the child's wet wails. When it opened, her mother, Mavis, stared wordlessly at me. She held the two-year-old girl in her strong arms, and the knowledge that her child was dying shone in her brown eyes. Her pale skin clung to her gaunt face. She swayed with pure exhaustion.

Underneath the sheen of tears and red flush of fever, the little girl's skin had death's pale hue. In a few moments, she wouldn't have the breath to scream.

I held out my arms. "Mavis, go to sleep. I'll watch… Fawn." Finally, I remembered her name. Another rule to being on the run was to avoid getting close to anyone. No friends. But I needed to earn money, and I had to make a few acquaintances in order to keep up with the gossip. I'd stayed with Mavis's children on occasion, which helped with both.

Panicked, Mavis pulled Fawn closer to her.

"The rest of your family needs you, as well. You should rest before you collapse or get sick." She hesitated.

"I will wake you if anything changes. I promise."

Mavis's resistance crumpled and she handed me Fawn. Well beyond lucidity, the little girl didn't notice the change in the arms around her, but my magic sprang to life at the touch, pushing to be released from my core. Fawn's skin burned and her clothes were damp with sweat. I cradled Fawn as I sat in the big wooden rocking chair in the living room. The lantern burned low, casting a weak yellow light over the threadbare furniture. This family hadn't looted from their neighbors, which said much about them.

Next to the window I had a clear view of the street. A half-moon illuminated the burned ruins of buildings huddled along a dirt road. Rainwater had filled the holes and ruts. The plague had killed roughly six million people—two-thirds of the population—so there was no one left to attend to minor tasks like fixing the roads or clearing away the debris. The fact that this town.. Jaxton? Or was it Wola? They all blurred together. Either way, having a local government town watch, basic commerce, no piles of skeletons and a tiny—a few hundred at most—populace was more than many other towns could claim.

I rocked Fawn, humming a tune my mother had sung to me years ago. Tendrils of my magic seeped into Fawn's body. Her cries lost the hysterical edge.

Mavis watched us for a few minutes. Did she suspect? Would she take her child back? Instead, she heeded my advice and went to bed. Waiting for Mavis to fall into a deep sleep, I rocked and hummed. Once I was certain enough time had passed, I stopped the chair. Concentrating on the girl in my arms, I allowed my full power to flow into Fawn until she was saturated with it. The release of magic sent a ripple of contentment through me. This was my area of expertise. What I should be doing.

Then I drew it back into me, cleaning out the sickness inside Fawn. My lungs filled with fluid as hers drained. I broke into a fever as hers cooled.

She hiccupped a few times, then breathed in deep. Her body relaxed and she fell into an exhausted sleep.

The sickness nestled in my chest, causing me to suck in noisy wet breaths. I couldn't pull enough air into my lungs. Goose bumps raced across my skin as a sliver of fear touched my heart. I hadn't healed anyone this sick before. Would I be strong enough? Had I waited too long to help Fawn? My own cowardice would kill me. Fitting.

The effort to breathe consumed my energy. Black and white spots swirled in my vision as I fought to stay conscious. Even though my body healed ten times faster than a regular person's, I was quite aware that it might not be fast enough.

Luckily, this wasn't that time. The crushing tightness around my ribs eased a fraction. I concentrated on the simple act of breathing.

Mavis woke me in the morning. I had fallen asleep with Fawn still in my arms.

"How did you get her to sleep? She hasn't stopped crying in days," Mavis said.

Still groggy, I searched for a good explanation. "My tuneless humming must have bored her." My voice rasped with phlegm and set off a coughing fit.

"Uh-huh." She peered at me with a contemplative purse on her lips.

"Her fever broke last night," I tried between coughs.

Unconvinced, Mavis gently lifted Fawn and transferred the girl to her crib. "You should rest, as well. You look…"

I waved off her concern. "Nothing a couple of hours of sleep won't cure." But my legs betrayed me as I staggered to my feet. Moving with care, I headed toward the door.

When I reached for the knob, Mavis said, "Avry."

I froze and glanced over my shoulder, waiting for the accusation.

"Thank you."

Nodding, I hurried from the room. The climb to my place drained all my strength. I hacked up blood as the sweat poured from my body. I needed to grab my escape bag and leave town. Now. But when I bent to retrieve the knapsack from under the bed, a wave of dizziness overwhelmed me. Instead of fleeing, I collapsed on the floor.

A part of my mind knew I only required a few hours of sleep to recover, while another part planned the quickest route out of town. A third part still worried. With good reason.

A fist pounded on the door hard enough that I felt the vibrations through my cheek. Waking with a jolt, I scrambled to my feet. A male voice ordered me to surrender. Darkness filled the room and pressed against the windowpane. I had slept all day.

Unfortunately, this situation wasn't new to me. I scooped up my escape bag and exited through the back door. Pausing on the landing, I scanned the area. Moonlight lit the wooden steps. No one blocked them. Hurrying down, I shouldered my pack and ran through the empty alley that reeked of cat urine.

A figure stood at the alley's southern exit so I turned around. Except the northern route was also blocked. The only way out was through the tight space between buildings to the street where there would no doubt be more town watchmen.

The crash of a door echoed off the bricks. Upon my landing, a man called, "Do you have her?"

The two in the alley closed in. Guess I would take my chances. I darted through the narrow opening and right into a waiting town watchman's arms.

Voices yelled, "Don't touch her skin."

"Take her pack."

"Cuff her quick."

The drowning sickness had rendered me too weak to put up much of a fight. In mere seconds, my hands were manacled behind my back. My three years on the run had ended. It was hard to tell if fear or relief dominated. At this point, both had equal sway.

The captain of the watchmen yanked my shirt off my right shoulder, exposing my healer tattoo to the crowd. It appeared as if the entire town had gathered to witness my arrest. As expected, they gasped at the proof of the monster in their midst. And to think, I had once been proud of the symbol of my profession—a simple circle of hands. From a few feet away, it resembled a daisy with hand-shaped petals.

I scanned faces as the watchmen congratulated themselves on their catch. Mavis and her husband stood among the gawkers. He glared and approached me, dragging Mavis along. She wouldn't meet my gaze. Little Fawn clung to her mother's leg.

"It doesn't matter that you saved my girl's life," the husband said. "Your kind is responsible for millions of deaths. And the gold your execution will bring this town is sorely needed."

True. Tohon of Sogra placed a bounty of twenty golds for every healer caught and executed. I suspect the plague killed one or more of his loved ones. Otherwise, why would a powerful life magician care? The disease certainly didn't care, eliminating people without rhyme or reason.

Right before I was escorted to the jail, Fawn waved bye-bye to me. I smiled. My empty, pointless life for hers. Not bad.

Inside the town watch's station house I endured endless rounds of questions. They wanted me to turn over my healer cohorts. I almost laughed at that. I hadn't encountered another healer in three years. In fact, I'd guessed they had been smarter than me and had found a nice refuge to hide in while they waited for this current madness to pass.

I refused to answer their ridiculous queries, letting their voices flow past me as I concentrated on Fawn's healthy face. Eventually they removed the manacles, measured me for my coffin and locked me in a cell below ground level, promising tomorrow would be my last day. I had an appointment with the guillotine. Lovely.

At least the guards left a lantern hanging on the stone wall opposite my cell—a basic cube with iron bars on three sides and one stone wall. Equipped with a slop pot and metal bed, I had the space to myself. And no neighbors in the adjoining cells. The bedsprings squealed under my weight. My lungs wheezed in the damp air thanks to Fawn's stubborn sickness.

I wasn't as terrified as I had imagined. In fact, I was looking forward to my first solid night's sleep in three years. Ah, the little things in life.

Too bad, I didn't even get my last wish.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ MIRA; Original edition (December 27, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0778313077
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0778313076
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.37 x 0.95 x 8.19 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #751,528 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #10,072 in Romantic Fantasy (Books)
- #17,936 in Fantasy Romance (Books)
- #19,355 in Epic Fantasy (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 2,671 ratings

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Maria V. Snyder

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When Maria V. Snyder was younger, she aspired to be a storm chaser so she attended Pennsylvania State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology. Much to her chagrin, forecasting the weather wasn’t in her skill set so she spent a number of years as an environmental meteorologist, which is not exciting ... at all. Bored at work and needing a creative outlet, she started writing fantasy and science fiction stories. Over twenty 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 dozen awards, and has earned her Master of Arts degree in Writing from Seton Hill University, where she is now a faculty member for their MFA program.

When she’s not writing she’s either playing volleyball or traveling (she's been to 65 countries so far and has no plans to stop!). Being a writer, though, is a ton of fun. 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 attend Astronomy Camp and call it research? Maria will be the first one to tell you it’s not working as a meteorologist. Readers are welcome to check out her website for book excerpts, free short stories, maps, blog, and her schedule at www.MariaVSnyder.com.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5

2,671 global ratings

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3 star		9%
2 star		2%
1 star		1%

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Nori's Closet

My favorite Snyder book so far!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 8, 2012

Verified Purchase

The book starts with immediate action (my kind of beginning). It begins with Avry healing a little girl (with her special healer abilities), and knowing immediately that she must run away. In her world, there aren't many healers left. They've all been rounded up and killed for their supposed reluctance to heal plague victims. What the populace doesn't know is that healers couldn't help plague victims without dying themselves. One letter was misinterpreted and the whole world thinks healers banned together and just decided not save plague victims. People always need someone to blame.

The mother of the saved little girl catches on to what happened and helps to turn Avry in. Avry has been running for years, always having to leave town when she slips and saves someone (usually a child). Parents of these children are never as grateful as they should be. But more than the town's government (which will be rewarded in gold for the capture of a healer), others take notice of Avry's arrest. And soon everything is reversed. Avry turns from running away, hoping no one will notice her abilities, to running away from people who want to use her for her abilities.

She might be the last healer alive, and all the major kingdoms are soon to be at war for dominance of the post-plague world. They could all use Avry's help. She's resuced from her prison cell by a group of men (she soon starts to call monkeys), who want her to heal someone for them. She agrees, but soon learns they want her to heal a royal who has the plague. She doesn't say what that healing will do to her, but refuses to heal the royal because of his involvement in the destruction of all healers.

She goes along with the men any way, partially because when she tries to escape, Kerrick and his earth magic and can track her down faster than she can get away. She also kind of loves the guys. She teaches them about finding plants for medicine, about cooking with spices, and even how to juggle. They in turn teach her to throw knives and how to walk quietly in the forrest. There's a lot of hiding, fighting, healing, and laughter on this journey. Avry saves their lives and they save hers. And they all try to persuade her to save the king.

It becomes almost painfully apparent to readers how much Avry and Kerrick love each other, though they are both so stubborn that nothing happens till the end. And that's the best romance, the kind that builds and begins with friendship. Though, technically theirs started with hatred. There's hidden archives, underground prison cells, plenty of magic, zombies, economic downfall, family hardships, society dinners, man-eating flowers, plotting royals, and the only awesome fantasy element that was missing I think was dragons (and elves).

I loved Avry. She was just enough martyr, and just enough selfish to be truly believable. Her weakness was children because of the little sister she left behind to become a healer. She had to make a lot of decisions about who was worth saving (and running for), and who was worth giving up her life for. And the healing was awesome! She would take whatever anyone was suffering from and transfer it to herself. She would then take half as long to heal as the original person would have. And I like that it wasn't all magic. During one of her captures, she takes charge of the enemy's infirmary, and it's clear that a lot of her training was also in plants, medicines, and hygiene. It's not just about magic and the power of her touch.

Though, I wish I got more description for the magic part. It was always very brief, sometimes too brief. When she heals a friend toward the end, she just touches him for a second and that's it...I feel like that was almost too easy and anti-climatic. I want to know what it feels like to heal someone like that. I see how Avry suffers every time she heals someone, but I'm more interested in the healing itself. I also wish I got to know some of the monkeys better. I got to know about two of them, but the others were sort of just names, and I wanted more character development for them.

I loved the politics, all the double-crossing, the strategy, etc. And I really love the death lilies and learning about the plague that killed so many people. I found the story very believable. A sequel is in the works and I'm glad because I want to learn more about the plague, about what happened to Avry at the end, about the death lilies, and about the future of Avry's people (aka: who will win this war?).

24 people found this helpful

Helpful

Takahisa Ayame

Things You Should Know

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 19, 2014

Verified Purchase

So, I am a lover of fantasy. I am also a lover of romance. And, I happen to very much enjoy this author. I love it when worlds and rules are created, and I love when you spend a decent chunk of time identifying with the struggle of the MC and learning about them. I love it when romance takes a while to build, and can be seen throughout the pages as they go on. After reading some rather critical reviews, I decided I should add my own two cents, even if no one may read it.

1) If you have never read a book by this author, be aware that you probably will not see any "romantic" action until the near end of the novel and that any XXX scene will most likely go by in three sentences and you most likely won't realize what just happened till you think about it. So if you are gunning for some stolen kisses here and there, you're better off picking up a different series or just waiting for the next book because once they are together and actually together, then you will get your romantic moments. Otherwise you'll need to be satisfied with catching minor details here and there about jealousy, or stolen smiles, and changes of heart.

2) If you do not like fantasy, you probably will not like this book.

3) Her books tend to be a bit of "slow cookers." If you want your action and you want it now, head for a different series.

4) If you are not a fan of having to learn about a new world and how it operates, then you will not enjoy the book.

Otherwise:

This first book was great. I personally found it difficult to put down. It was different from her Study series which made me happy, but still familiar at the same time. The character is very different from Yelena but like Yelena, she has a situation that requires being overcome and the solution is not an easy one. The love interest is slightly jerky, but we love him for it. Kind of like Valek, but this one isn't an assassin or a poison master. He has a trick of his own though.

Is it worth paying for? I think so. It's the kind of book I can go back to and read again and again finding something new or catching a hint I missed the first time around without it becoming dull. The first book is not necessarily about romance, and I'm okay with that, because I was able to invest myself with the characters. In these kinds of times, there really isn't much time for some good old fashioned snogging in a corner. However, even with my three sentences of muted passion, I was very much satisfied because she writes it in a way that you can understand it's more emotional than physical, and any more descriptions could ruin the beautiful simplicity of it.

All that said, to me at least, this series is not as gripping as her Study Series. When I read Poison Study, I went on a rampage trying to get the second and third book. It helped that I got into it after the third book was released. With this series, the pull to get to the second book was there, but I'm not going to lie, I didn't buy it, nor have I bought the third book. I haven't picked up this book since I read it, though I have designs to reread it once the second and third book arrive on my doorstep. I have definitely found other series that I have become addicted to and have the "need-to-know" virus from, but this one is mellow in comparison.

So I give this book 4 stars. It's a good read. It's descriptive in terms of the world and the characters. It's got snatches of romance. It's unique in it's plot. But If you can't grip me enough that I pre-order the second and third book, then I can't give you 5 stars. Instead I decided I could wait till 2 and 3 came out before I continued with this trilogy. It's been six months since the third book came out. Even with work and school, I can still finish a 500 page book in two days if I put my mind to it, so there is a missing element here that makes me unable to call this book a gem for your library.

But once again, I'd recommend you read it. It's not bad. It's not a waste of your time. This review is probably confusing but sometimes it's hard to convey why a book is good to others and where and how it is lacking.

This book isn't perfect. Anyone in search of hardcore romance, will probably not enjoy this book. If you love fantasy, this book is unique, even when it brings in an old concept. Don't ignore the critical reviews, but don't be fooled by glowing ones either.

5 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Naomi

Please read this

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 11, 2023

Verified Purchase

Snyder does such a good job of this. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve read this over the years. The story, the character development, the concept are all excellent.
Main character- on point. Clever, funny, resourceful, smart with a great POV.
Friends - diverse, supportive, fun.
Villain - brilliant! Sexy and sickening. You’ll get it.
Love interest - ick.. His actions make him rather undesirable in my opinion. He could have been such a better man so easily.

Great thing about those other characters? They don’t carry this story. Avry is a strong, powerful woman and the plot supports her and the magic Snyder has built. I love fantasy, and it’s so cool to have a great book with a killer female protagonist. I find it empowering, and I want more books like this.

That being said, I would not recommend the rest of the series, it’s a big let down. I find i can treat this like a stand alone and just use my imagination to fill in the rest, much more satisfying.

Please do yourself a favour and read this book though.

susan mckenzie

A magical touch, with consequences.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 7, 2021

Verified Purchase

I love this storyline, it's so full of unique things. The setting sounds beautiful, the lore is written in great detail. The characters are diverse and interesting, I absolutely love Avery. She's everything a healer should be, and a morally good person. Merrick at first seemed grumpy and slightly hostile, but he shows a more compassionate softer side throughout the story. And Flea, omg I love the little guy. Such a great character, I'm probably the only person who even loves Tohon. I can't recommend this series enough, it's a fantastic series.

Clive Butterfield

Disappointing! In parts its like reading someone else's diary.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 1, 2014

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I don't like to be harsh. I have read this author's "Chronicles of Ixia" series and although again I felt it oddly written, the grammar didn't seem as annoying.
Maria V Snyder has created a fantasy world, roughly akin to medieval Earth in terms of technology. There is a badly explained magical system, with no clear information given as to why various types of mages exist or how they use, or have magic and why they are a certain type of mage.
As is often the case in fantasy, we go on a journey. This journey takes us through some of the 15 kingdoms. All used to live in relative harmony until the population was overwhelmed by a plague. Our Heroine is a healer, not fully trained as her Tutor died in the plague healing a victim. Healers take an injured persons illness, broken legs and punctured lungs, into themselves via touch. The healer then has to deal with the pain, the breaks the lacerations but heals more quickly than non-healers. Obviously this means one healer can basically heal one very injured person at a time. The story is told mainly in the first person and these parts seem to me to read like a long diary entry. Little character development or description and the language at time is more 21st century American than Fantasy Strange-world medieval. e.g. children are "kids", our heroine "Brainstorms some ideas".
Having selflessly contracted the plague herself by touching and removing it from a Prince, the only person in the world who didn't know this would be fatal to a healer is Kerrick, another main driver of the early plot. This despite the fact that we the reader know its common knowledge that the healers who have done this have all died horribly from it. Kerrick would have known, I don't care that the plot needed him to be the only adult to have missed this.
Another grating part of the book is that our now captive healer infected with this killer plague, but continues to heal severely wounded troops, taking into herself their ruptured spleens and fractured bones, add the plague and you get a sense that she's unlikely to be moving about, helping "Kids" escape from the bad guy and rescuing the good guy. I found that having set the rules in her book Maria just kept breaking them. Some writers over describe, wanting you to know everything, like Christopher Paolini in his Aragon books, but then there are others like Brandon Sanderson or Joe Abercrombie who use words sparingly but describe much. Maria V Snider has developed her own style, she uses few words to race through an event, but tells you very little.
You may have guessed by now, I was not a fan of her style, however 2 stars because the idea and the plot in general were engaging.
Having just finished and reviewed several books which I scored 5/5, maybe that is reflecting on this book unfairly. It's a quick and easy read. Will I read the rest of the series? No!

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a trips down imagination road review

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 6, 2016

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Title: Touch of Power
Series: Avry of Kazan (#1)
Author: Maria V Snyder
From: Amazon
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: 20th December 2011
Challenges: 2016 Read the Books You Buy
Links: Goodreads - Amazon
Synopsis (from Goodreads): Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honoured for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos. Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince, the leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for.

Having read and enjoyed the first three books in Snyders Chronicles of Ixia series (along with the short stories!) I didn't quite feel that I'd had my fix yet, and I am definitely in a fantasy mood at the moment, so I dived into this one, and honestly I think its even better than the Study books!

I loved Avry, she'd survived on her own for years and just because she'd found people she could let know who she really was, she didn't let anything slip. She worked at surviving still, and even though you could read her beginning to trust the people around her, and grow attached to them, she was still strong and independent.

The growing relationships between Avry and the various memebers of the group she was travelling with were a really strong part of the story to me. She built friendships with Loren, Quain, Flea and Belen, while her relationship with Kerrick was so complicated it just can't be summed up in words (but I would say that the events at the end of the book were perfect for these two).

I liked that things weren't quite black and white for Avry and the rest of the world either. A plague had decemated the population and law and order were definitely a thing of the past. She was asked to heal someone who she had heard had done terrible things, and some of the central conversations were based on Kerrick and the others trying to change her mind. It was complex and made the characters themselves more complex as a result.

The other thing that I really liked was that the main character actually got to know the main antagonist (who I suspect will play a future role too) better than just as an adversary. Avry spent time with the main bad guy and it made his actions seem that bit more chilling.

I loved this book, and book 2 is already on my kindle so it shouldn't be long until I dig into that one! Or at least I hope not!

borderstar

Pleasantly surprised

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 28, 2013

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4 stars - I really liked this

I wasn't really expecting anything much from this, so was pleased to find I really enjoyed it. I did have a few issues, such as early on I felt the dialogue was sometimes a bit simplistic and predictable, but as it went on I found the characters likeable, especially all the secondary characters along the way, and the plot was pretty interesting. Kerrick was a real arse near the beginning with what he did to Avry and it took me quite a long time to forgive that, but his magic was a bit different so interested me, and he grew on me. The romance in this is pretty non-existent until the very end, but it is at least realistic in this was due to the circumstances and it also allowed for a real relationship to develop between characters during the course of the book.

The majority of the story was travelling, hiding and fighting and it really was a loooong journey...although it was pretty well paced with quite a bit of action along the way, until Avry was at Tohon's castle around 75% in and then it slowed a bit until picking up again towards the end. I did think the very end was really abrupt too, so was a bit disappointed in how it finished up.

Snyder created an interesting world and magic system, which I would like to know more about as it seemed there was a huge amount more to it that we just touched the surface of in this book...something that I wanted to understand more was Avry's communication with the Lilys...I think the next one picks up the story after the ending, so I will definitely read the next one. Although the main elements of their 'quest' were finished up in this one, lots of loose ends were left to carry in in the second in the series.

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Touch of Power (The Healer Series, 1) Paperback – December 27, 2011

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