Magic Study

by Maria V. Snyder

Magic Study is the second book of the Study series telling the tale of Yelena: formerly about to be executed for murder but instead offered the opportunity to become the Commander's food taster, now a newly-discovered magician, on her way into the southern lands of Sitia to practice the art of magic.

Yelena's life in Poison Study was always fraught with peril, and Magic Study is no different. On her way through Sitia, she meats her spiteful brother, gets captured by a group of soldiers who believe her a spy, is despised by First Magician, finds herself the target of a masked madman, and is captured by an equally mad and murderous woman.

The story surges from one point to the next and I found myself not able to turn the pages fast enough. The one negative thing that I can say about this book is that the author's reminders of the events that occurred in the previous book were a bit heavy-handed. I've read a few sequels lately where these hints were so seamless integrated into the story that you hardly noticed them. However, in this book they almost felt like they belonged in parenthesis. I could almost imagine the author, as if on a stage, turn her head, partially cover her mouth and whisper an aside to the audience ("This is what happened in the last book, readers. Remember it? Good.") Not a terrible problem, but something noticeable.