Book Review: Magic Study (Study #2)

 

Magic Study

Maria V. Snyder

Overall: 4/5

Plot and themes: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 4/5

Magic Study is the sequel to Poison Study, the second book in the Study trilogy and the second book in the Chronicles of Ixia that run as simultaneous series. Yelena has defeated all her demons and has returned to her homeland to train the magic which threatens her sanity and life if she fails to control it. She leaves her captors and horrible memories behind but also her friends and Valek to join the people who are supposed to be her family. While some praise her return, she's treated with a lot of suspicion as one raised in a foreign nation. She has to figure out her magic and her place all the while dealing with a new and powerful adversary. 

I know I discussed the placement of sexual abuse and age gaps and power dynamics in the review for the last book, and that remains a topic for consideration here. I think that it shouldn't be read without reflecting on the presentation of such significant issues, and that it could've probably be written with a bit more consideration. 

That being said, I'm totally biased towards loving the characters. I still hold onto the biases from the first time I read them when I was 12-13 years old and didn't consciously understand everything that was going on. Again, I understand the damage and pain that can cause to readers and do feel like it should probably be provided as a TW. But I just love their dynamics. Valek is some all-powerful assassin who has spent the last 15 years besting nearly every adversary, but he isn't afraid to be powerless to provide Yelena a better chance of survival. I think their romance is a great element but it's also not all-encompassing, they have their separate loyalties to their friends and those that they serve. While it could definitely be perceived in a different way because of the power dynamics, I think they work wel together. 

Yelena's powers are a little OP and difficult to follow at this point, but I do like how they thread into her narrative and upbringing. I have always loved the original trilogy for a reason and though there are different issues to consider in the re-read, I still believe it to be an exciting and enjoyable read.