Review: Touch Of Power by Maria V. Snyder

     

Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
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Series: Healer (#1)
Pages: 394
Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia
Published: January 2012
IBSN: 9781921796494

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes 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 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—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...

The healers were renowned for their ability to relieve injuries and illnesses, until the plague broke out and it was rumoured to have started with them. Now they're being hunted down and executed and healer apprentice Avry is on the run. Her attempts to flee after using her gift to cure a child are thwarted, though, but a team of men who need her help reviving the prince that could reunite the realms.

Avry is the token Snyder fantasy protagonist. She has a coveted gift and is preternaturally good at everything she tries (how quickly she picked up fighting skills to match people who'd trained their whole lives!). The predicament of being used and targeted for her gift combined with the character's familiar voice made me constantly forget that I wasn't rereading the Study series.

The Maria V. Snyder charm is wearing off for me, with the conclusion that she has just one character, and the one journey the one character takes -- to learn it's okay to need others. That one character has the same romantic interest in each new book, the belligerent male with whom she shares no chemistry and shows no interest in her until they're both under duress.

Maria's writing style is simple and straight-forward, unembellished. This serves her well through action sequences, but less so for world-building. Descriptions are plain and too uninteresting to discourage skimming in search of the next piece of dialogue. The world-building is weak and a vivid setting -- as important as plot and characters in fantasy -- was not created. Certain elements of the setting, such as the lilies, had so much potential to be fascinating if the imagery surrounding them was stronger.

To my dismay, I couldn't even get lost in an exciting plot. Touch Of Power was a slow beginning to the Healers series, the frustrating kind of travelling fantasy where half the time is spent walking. The banter between Avry and her companions on the journey, presumably intended to make the transition scenes more engaging, was again too familiar, like a scenes lifted from the Study series only with different character names. Subplots were constantly arising, distracting the characters from the actually intriguing main story line, and then proving to have little consequence after all.

I can see the appeal this generally well-received novel has, but it is ultimately too similar to the author's previous fantasy novels for me to be at all impressed.

So the beginning to Maria V. Snyder's new series should satisfy her devout and slightly biased fans (particularly of the Study series), but more involved fantasy readers will be unimpressed with the lack of depth in world-building and a story that isn't unique to Snyder's others.

Waiting On Wednesday (42)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, in which we highlight an upcoming book release we're eagerly awaiting.

This week I'm waiting on Touch Of Power by Maria V Snyder, the first book in her new Healers series. I'm a huge fan of her other books, and this one has such a gripping premise.

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes 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 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—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...

[Synopsis by Goodreads]

Touch Of Power will be released by MIRA books (Harlequin) on the 20th of December.

Feel free to leave a link to your own Waiting On Wednesday post in the comments, and I'll be sure to have a look.

Review of Outside In by Maria V Snyder

This makes two reviews in a row of books by Maria V Snyder. She is, of course, one of my favorite authors.

Outside In is the sequel to Inside Out, and this review will, naturally, contain Inside Out spoilers.

Trella thought her part was over. She led a rebellion and won Inside back from the Travas and Pop Cops. Now she's happy to give control over to a Committee.

But The Committee can't decide on anything, everyone still harbors Scrubs/Upper prejudices, Inside is practically in anarchy, and now something from the Outside wants In.

The Inside Out series is dystopia, a genre that's increasing in popularity. It's more science-fiction-y than I'm used to, but I read it anyway, and found myself glad afterwards for doing so.

I thought Trella was a great character from the beginning, but in Outside In, she just gets better. Initially, she's content to leave everything to The Committee. After all, she's just a air duct scrub, not a leader. Her hesitancy to take control made her feel more real. Then when she finally realised she had to take matters into her own hands, she became admirable. All throughout, she proved herself a clever and resourceful protagonist.

Maria V Snyder's writing is unique and descriptive - she manages to create a far-out setting and then write it so that I can picture it clearly in my head.

The plot was constantly twisting and turning. Just when you think you had it figured out, some development you never saw coming arises. The quick-witted characters did, however, manage to overcome each problem, with no small amount of difficulty.

The ending leads me to believe there won't be another book in this captivating series. Though I wish there were more, I can honestly say I feel happy for the characters who worked so hard for their denouement.

I give Outside in a 5 out of 5, and I give NetGalley a huge thank you for the opportunity to read this.

Teaser Tuesday (3)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading, wherein we share teasers (not spoilers) from the book we're currently reading.

My teaser this week comes from Outside In by Maria V Snyder:

"Why did they exile you?"
His demeanor changed in an instant. Wrong question. "Impertinent child." Ponife twisted the X.

Comment with a link to your own Teaser Tuesday post and I'll take a look.

Review of Storm Glass by Maria V Snyder

Storm Glass has been sitting on my shelf for months. I loved the Study series - by the same author, in the same setting, just with a different character - so I'm embarrassed by how it took me to get started on this.


Opal's been training with best magicians in Sitia for years, but it's clear she'll only ever be a one-trick wonder. She's a glass maker, and created a way to communicate long distances through her magic glass.

But then she's asked to accompany the Second Magician, Zitora, to find why the Stormdancers' - magicians who trap storms to harness their energy - glass orbs are breaking and killing the Dancers. She's thrown into the middle of a conspiracy that threatens all of Sitia, and it seems that unless she can get her magic straight, she won't be able to save herself, let alone her home.

The Glass series feels more suited to the YA genre than the Study series, and also features a lot more romance.

The Glass series centers on Opal, a minor character from later in the Study series. I loved the way Opal's character developed. She was initially insecure in her abilities, but grew to overcome her limited magic and use her brain rather than rely on it. I like a character that's smart, rather than powerful.

Storm Glass's plot, I found, was incredibly unique. I've never read anything similar to it before. It's a completely new take on magicians. The world Maria sets it in is also unique and thorough. It's so different to the one in which we live, yet I still find I can imagine it perfectly.

Starting Storm Glass, I was already familiar with Maria V Snyder's writing style. All I can say is, she sure has a way with words.

I rate Storm Glass 4 out of 5, and recommend it to anyone who liked Kristin Cashore's Graceling, and also to anyone who's the read the Study series but didn't want to continue with the Glass series because they liked the way it ended.