Member Reviews

Maria V Snyder has been a long time favourite fantasy author of mine for some time now. I thoroughly enjoyed being transported back to her world with her beloved characters!

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Dawn Study was a very flat and the plot felt very repetitive.

This is the ninth book, a lot of characters from the earlier books come and go. POV switches between these characters, often in short chapters that don't allow you to really settle into who your with. This also breaks up the narrative so it didn’t flow, giving it a dragging on feel.

I loved Valek and Yelena in the original trilogy, but somehow they both seemed less faceted and more single minded here, and the dialogue felt a bit stilted.

It was good but not great. Everything ties up pretty neatly.

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Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for giving me this book to review.

Dawn Study is the brilliant final novel in the Soulfinders series, which is well written and action-packed but a bit slow. I also found it a bit repetitive and I did not fear that the main characters were ever in danger.

Yelena disappointed me a bit with her lack of trust and being self-destructive despite being pregnant. Valek is feeling very protective of Yelena and I felt it changed him from the stealthy and calculating Valek we know and love.

The ending was bittersweet as it is the last book in the Sitian and Ixain world. I would recommend Dawn Study to fans of Maria’s previous Study and Glass books.

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Dawn Study is a thoroughly satisfying end to the series, with its twists and turns and beautiful world building, it was everything I wanted and more.
Now to see what's next for Maria V. Snyder.

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I loved the end of this story arc and reading this book is like meeting up with a pair of friends that you love to bits but are really pleased they are the ones living through it as you look on from the sidelines in your comfy seat. Valek never disappoints but really comes into his own in this book, I'm really hoping I get to visit these characters again

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I finished Night Study in 6 days. In comparison, Dawn Study took me twice as long, and sadly I didn’t feel it lived up to the previous books. Having really enjoyed every other Maria V. Snyder book, I went into this one with pretty high hopes, especially since it was the final book in the series, but Dawn Study wasn’t quite the epic, dramatic, characters-all-come-together finale I expected.

I mostly liked the characters – Yelena, Valek, Onora, Janco, Ari and Fisk are still characters I really like, but the inclusion of various other characters, just didn’t work for me. Maybe it’s because I just finished Assassin’s Fate, which does a very similar thing in terms of bringing in old characters and tying up loose ends, and it’s hard not to compare the two. Whilst I loved the way Hobb did it in Assassin’s Fate, sadly it just fell a little flat for me in Dawn Study; instead of feeling epic and Avengers-like it just felt a bit forced. I didn’t always have 100% clear recollections of the characters from previous series, and their portrayals in Dawn Study didn’t seem to refresh my memory: Kade for example seemed soft, and I found Devlen’s dialogue consistently distracting, like it just didn’t fit.

The ending felt a bit too easy, and a bit too rushed, which was disappointing. I think what made it especially frustrating was that Dawn Study, just like Night Study felt slow at times, like there was a lot of running-in-place in the build-up to the finale. I wonder whether perhaps I would have preferred this trilogy if it had been written as a duology instead, as that would have cut a lot of the pacing problems. Having said that, it’s still a Snyder book, and so I still enjoyed it; I like the way she writes and I liked the main characters. If you’re a die-hard Snyder fan, I imagine you’ll still really enjoy it, and it is worth picking up for the continuation of Valek and Yelena’s story if nothing else, just be prepared that it may not live up to her previous books.

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It was a while since I had read Maria Snyder, but I really enjoyed this series (not a fan of the glass one), I love the characters (his mum) and the chemistry between them and I didn't realise that this was the last one, so I started expecting another like stream for another book and it just ended which was a bitter sweet deal for me. Great series and going to have to read them all again.

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I'm in two minds about the entire Soulfinders trilogy of the Chronicles of Ixia to be fair. And it's definitely been better than the god awful Glass series. Still this was just such a weird note to end on. And what happened to the characters? Why is Valek suddenly an undynamic whiny boy band member? Why has Yelena lost her agency? And Ari and Janco? I've never cared for Ari's pov because it felt unnecessary but this episode just sees them all divided. And it really is repetitive plot wise. Maybe I just need to reread the chronicles of Ixia from the beginning at some point and it'll all fall in to place. But for now this was a disappointing conclusion.

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I adore this series and my love for Yelena, Valek, Ari, Janco and the gang is endless. I really wasn’t ready for this series to end (again).

I took Dawn Study so slowly at first that I almost felt like something was missing from this last instalment. And then I starting bingeing it, just like I have every other one of Maria V Snyder’s books, and I fell back under it’s spell.

It’s impossible to talk about the plot of this book without ruining the rest of the series, but I loved the way the threads were all drawn together, the reunions between beloved characters, the new connections formed and the way that everything turned out. It was a perfect finale, and one that I think definitely leaves it open to go back to this world.

Dawn Study was a totally perfect ending and I loved it. Though I’m still not sure these characters are completely finished with. Well, I hope not anyway.

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This has been my favourite series for a very long time. Yelena and Valek are quite possibly my favourite literary couple ever.

This was a fantastic end to a series I adore. I fell straight back into the world with ease and I quickly caught up with the characters and plot – even though I didn’t re-read anything prior to Dawn Study. The characters still interested me and I was still on the edge of my seat worrying about the outcome of most situations. The world building is still strong and after so many books and such a long time the world is still fresh and not confused in any way.

Dawn Study wrapped up most loose ends, and those that it didn’t were discussed and the outcome in the future is known.

I still champion this book to everyone. I love it and I’m so sad that there will be no more Yelena/Valek centred stories.

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From beginning to end, I have loved this series. All nine books of it! However while this final book wasn't without it’s flaws, it still brought everything to a satisfying conclusion. All the characters (both new and old) came together for one last adventure, and together they helped put the world to rights.

Ixia is preparing to invade Sitia with a weapon created to wipe out magic. Yet with the magicians under the influence of Theobroma, their minds controlled by the cartel - Yelena and Valek find themselves trapped between their two fighting nations. Now with Yelena heavily pregnant, they are determined to bring about peace before their child can be born, but they will require the help of their friends if they are to defeat old enemies…

This book is told from several character view points, however Yelena’s POV remains my favourite. For all her trials, she is still very much the same girl we all came to know in Poison Study, and I especially like that without her magic, she is back to relying on her initial wit to survive.

Valek’s POV though comes in at a close second, and I love the emotional insight we’ve had into his character. Getting Valek’s backstory was one of the best things about this series - along with meeting his family. As strange as it sounds, its also nice to see him getting older. Unable to rely on his physical abilites, he wins his battles through strategy and skill, unlike the previous books where he was just an awesome, “I can conquer all” assassin.

I guess my biggest nit-pick with this book though was how the plot fell into a repetitive, characters captured/characters rescued sort of pattern. We went through so much of this in the previous book and I felt it got a little silly. No one learned from their mistakes! I kept feeling all “I’ve read this before”, however the dialog and humour (generally supplied by Ari and Janco) stopped me from getting bored.

This book also offers a lot of insight into the commander and the ending scene between him and Valek blew my mind. I would have read through even more capture/rescues scenes so long as I ended up with that same finale. It was grand!

Otherwise everything wrapped up very smoothly. However I feel there is plenty potential for a spin off featuring the next generation of trouble makers. I would really love to see this happen, because saying goodbye to this world and characters is truly heart-wrenching. All in all - while I only give this book 3 stars, I would give the Soul Finder Trilogy as a whole a solid 4!

It’s been an awesome magical journey! I cant wait to see what Maria. V. Snyder will write next!

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I fell in love with Yelena and Valek in Poison Study and have been a devoted fan of this series ever since then. Maria V. Snyder has created such a wonderful world along with so many favourite characters and I just devour each new instalment so I'm pretty heartbroken that Dawn Study is the final book. If you're going to end a series then it has to be on a high note though and she has definitely achieved that goal here. This book was action packed from beginning to end, we get a chance to catch up with all our favourite characters (old and new) and I don't think there could have been a more fitting end to the series.

This is the conclusion we've been building up to, the final showdown between Yelena and her herd and their longstanding enemies, and it was well worth the wait. Owen Moon thinks he has everything planned down to the tiniest detail, he has the Commander brainwashed, the Master Magicians and the Sitian Council are under his control and he is about to start a war between Ixia and Sitia to destroy the magicians once and for all. Unfortunately for him Yelena, Valek and their allies are determined to stop him at any cost. They're short on manpower, they're up against weapons they have no idea how to counter and they are still trying to figure out all of Owen's backup plans but they're fighting for their lives and they're aiming to win no matter what it costs them.

I'm not going to say anymore about the plot but just when you think you have everything figured out Maria V Snyder throws another curveball to change the game completely. Our team are hit with one thing after another and the danger has never been greater so it's genuinely an edge of the seat read that leaves you praying everyone you love will make it to the end. If I have one complaint it's that I'd have liked a longer epilogue but that's only because I'm not ready to say goodbye to these characters and I wanted to spend more time with everyone, not because the book actually needed any more. I can't help it, I'm greedy when it comes to this world! In reality I actually think the author was right to end Yelena and Valek's story here, it's about time they found some peace and are able to focus on themselves and their growing family.

That doesn't mean I'm not hoping for more in the future though, I'd be happy to read extra stories about ANY of the characters in this world but what I'm really keeping my fingers crossed for is a spin off set a few years down the line starring some of the younger characters. I'd love to see more of Reema and Teegan as they grow into their powers and just imagine how much they could achieve if you had them working alongside Fisk and his helping hands or Valek's younger siblings. Onora would be another interesting character to follow and I'd be happy to spend more time with Ari and Janco too. There are so many options for expanding this world and of course if we could get a glimpse into Yelena and Valek's future too that would just make things even sweeter.

This is without a doubt one of my favourite series and it's one I can't recommend highly enough. It has been excellent from beginning to end and Maria V Snyder continues to be an auto-buy author for me so no matter what she decides to write next I'll definitely be reading it.

Source: Received from Mira Ink in exchange for an honest review

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I received a free E-Arc via Netgalley of this book.

This book is a mess. There are too many characters, and somehow both too much plot and far too little. Not to spoil, but nothing happens in this book. The blurb doesn't even seem to relate to the actual events in the book, other than the characters share the same name. This is a real shame and having read through some other reviews, I can't even offer the hope that fans of the series will love it because it seems they don't. They're not impressed by the one-dimensional characters, the repetitiveness, the bleak writing (it's almost all directions and travelling with the odd bit of action that fizzles out because ultimately, there is no story to tell here). I imagine, that just like me, when the ending finally came, they were so used to all the back-tracking that they didn't quite believe what they were reading. I kept waiting for the latest double-cross, and you know, when it didn't come, I was bitterly disappointed and felt short-changed.

However, I will congratulate the author on one aspect of her work, she did manage to keep all the timelines of the characters in sync. I imagine this took a great deal of time and effort and yet it wasn't enough to save the book from being unimaginative and unimpressive.

With hindsight, I think the author and publisher should have either made the bold decision not to publish this book and ask for extensive rewrites, or divide it into two books and change events around A LOT. There is no peril to this story, and I think that to give the characters the send off they deserved there should have been one last big problem to deal with as opposed to something that was fabricated just to try and add another title to a very successful series. This is not the ending that fans will have wanted. A real shame as I've enjoyed the previous books and characters and was very excited to be given the opportunity to read and review the book.

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I started this journey with Yelena and Valek way back in Poison Study and although the author has fleshed out her world by shining a light on peripheral characters these two have always dominated it for me. It's with a little sadness that I realise their story is probably now told but wow what a way to end this spin off Soulfinder series .
At the end of the previous book Night Study readers were left wondering just how a peaceful life could ever be on the cards as someone pretty important to Valek was perhaps not in his corner anymore. Add in the fact that old enemies have been beavering away and the situation has just turned out to be so messed up when it comes to magic and power that war is definitely knocking at the door! Yelena has problems of her own but as usual puts the safety and of others first but it's a dangerous line she takes here as her decisions throw her headlong into the enemies sight.
I'm loathe to say too much but I've so enjoyed this world were magic can be trumped by good old botany. Throughout the reader has always been aware of the power of plants and it's no coincidence that Valek first started Yelena learning about poisons and it's a subject followed through as here we learn just how insidious homegrown drugs can really be.
As usual the author brings insight with the points of view of various characters which helps open up the story although admittedly occasionally I'm tearing my hair out wondering just how my favourite characters will get out of whatever pickle they find themselves in. The tension holds though and it's the fine details that appeal the most. Valek has been a revelation in so many ways but his love for Yelena coupled with his sense of duty has always pulled him in multiple directions. The Commander is still a conundrum to me and I don't think I will ever like that character but there are younger ones stepping up here so I wouldn't be surprised if perhaps a few years down the line we got to revisit them.
My final thoughts are I've loved everything about this particular power couple. I've always wanted them to spend more time together though and with this ending the way seems a lot clearer for them. The gang surrounding them may be a motley crew at times but even they get to 'grow up' as the final chapters unfold and yes that does include the irrepressible Janco! So even though my favourite characters are pretty spread out in this book there's still time for sweetness and surprises. A fabulous series and a huge recommendation from me and with nine books I believe well worth reading in order
This voluntary opinion is of an advance reader arc from Netgalley

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I received a free copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Protagonist/s: 5/5
Love Interest/s: 5/5
World Building: 5/5
Plot: 5/5

Overall score 20/20 which is 5 stars.

So I should probably start by saying that I'm a huge fan of Maria V Snyder and have been waiting for this book since I finished Night Study last year. So the second I had the chance to read an ARC of this book I was right on it. If you've loved the rest of the Chronicles of Ixia so far then you'll be happy with this book as it's a perfect ending for these characters.

As usual the world building was spectacular, the villains made you wonder what was going on and of course, there were funny moments and some really sad moments but at no moment do you feel the text is stagnant. The only thing is the ending which is still good but without spoiling things...the last sentence just leaves you feeling there should be more. That was my only issue in the entire book though so it's easily ignored.

If you've not started this series before now then get to it because when this book is out it needs a place on your bookshelf and let me be one of many people to say that I'm excited what Maria V Snyder does next.

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This is the final book in the 'Soulfinder' trilogy and what a final book .

Yelena and Valek now must face their final battle.........

The Magicians and Councillors of Sitia are under the control of the Cartel, held compliant under the influence of the drug Theobroma .
Yelena, Valek and their friends have until the hot season before the Commander, also under the control of Theobroma and Owen , invades .
They will need to sacrifice everything in the hopes of stopping bloodshed on both sides and of Magicians everywhere being stripped of their powers forever .

This is a wonderful final book BUT there were a couple of points I found disappointing - I wish the Author had spent a little more time with the final concerted battles to free the Councillors and Magicians as I felt that they were glossed over , the book felt a little rushed at this point .
I am also of the opinion that no book needs to know how things have played out for all the main characters .

So I feel it only warrants 4.5 stars instead of the full 5 stars

I hope this is not the end - I have loved all the Sithia/ Ixia based stories .

Please note that this particular book is advertised as Young Adult whereas all the previous books were classified as General Fiction , which might result in readers missing out on a a wonderful Author.

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