Maria V. Snyder
Poison Study (2005)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Plot Summary:
Condemned to be executed for murder, Yelena is given a choice: hang in the morning, or become the food taster for the Commander of Ixia. Any chance at life is one she would gladly take, so Yelena is soon under the tutelage of the stony, remote cheif of security, Valek. Constantly tested in both her knowledge of poisons and her temper, she must endure the distrust of all those who label her a criminal and the malevolent presence of General Brazell, father of the man who still haunts her (literally). Yelena must also avoid a southern magician who wants to either kill her or kidnap her for her latent magical talent, a talent whose discovery would mean yet another, more immediate, death sentence. Yet the danger to herself is soon overshadowed by deadly treason, and Yelena must piece together how an intoxicating dessert and her own tortured history connect in a plot to overthrow the Commander - and also convince Valek of it, who still does not trust her. Even as her abilities grow in strength and number, Yelena seems to leap from disaster to disaster until she can hardly imagine how she will survive the next. SPOILER: Being the first of a series, the romance is not fully resolved; though Yelena and Valek are united in love, they are must part ways at the very end with a promise of reunification.
Geographical Setting: Imaginary world
Time Period: Indeterminate/roughly medieval
Series: First of an untitled series, continued in Magic Study (Oct 2006)
Appeal Characteristics:
This medieval fantasy world is unusual in its structure of a militaristic, almost fascist society that does not allow for human error, which the characters must work around. A warning for readers expecting romance: though the tale is highly character-driven, there is little to no descriptive passages in the traditional bodice-ripping style. The main relationship is developed in extremely subtle ways and is really secondary to the plot, an intrigue in castle politics, and Yelena's personal growth. The narrator, Yelena, is emotionally traumatized from brutal torture and rape, but blossoms under the comparative freedom of the castle into a capable, intelligent, agile, and quite mouthy heroine. Secondary characters are also dealt with at length, though the enigmatic Valek is almost neglected in comparison. The narrative takes its time, letting events unfold unhurriedly and giving Yelena a long time to prove herself (and insinuate herself into Valek's heart).
Read-alikes: Readers will probably want to pick up the sequel when it comes out, but for now, there are many fantasy stories with similarly subtle romantic storylines. Cast in Courtlight (2006) by Michelle Sagara continues the story a often-sarcastic heroine who unintentionally involves herself in the court politics after saving the son of a Lord, and struggles to contain the wild magic imbued by her tattoos. For those that enjoyed the first person narrative with an enigmatic hero, The Magician's Ward (2002), Patricia C. Wrede's second novel in a Regency London where magic is real, stars an orphan girl and her magical tutor who must stop the plot of some nefarious magicians. For another magical character trying to clear her name, try Ill Wind by Rachel Caine (2003), the first the Weather Wardens series. Accused of killing a senior warden, Joanne must track down allies both magical and mundane to expose a string of corruption among the senior wizard
s. Anne Bishop's Dark Jewels trilogy (1998) is much darker, in which another girl with growing magical ability must save two realms ruled by decaying twin matriarchies. The narrative is slightly more unusual in this one, as it is told through the eyes of the three men who love her (father, brother and lover). Also in the saving-the-kingdom vein, Sharon Shinn's Summers at Castle Auburn (2002) follows the life of the illegitimate daughter of a lord whose summers away from home turn from innocent flirtations to the realization that the prince is unfit to rule and the faerie servants are actually slave-hostages.
Red Flags: some short passages indicating rape and torture, one paragraph of (consensual) sex, non-descriptive deaths, one transgender person
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