I champion this book series to everyone. I’ve loved this series ever since I first read the books back when I was a teenager, and this addition certainly isn’t a disappointment. Snyder immediately pulls you back into the story, and somehow creates such a feeling of comfort and familiarity (although this may be due to my long-standing love of the series). All of the characters I have grown to love and even those I haven’t make an appearance, and Snyder manages to deepen their characters even more. They become so familiar after a while and I have become so attached to them. You become accustomed to the world, the people and the story, yet every twist and turn has you on the edge of your seat. Even though you know that inevitably everything should turn out for the better, I actually doubted everything would during this book. Yelena and Valek are my favourite literary couple ever, and this instalment just strengthens this even more, with new facets of their relationship being revealed constantly.

Granted, all of the books in the series follow a similar pattern, but there is so much to love about the series that I’m more than willing to overlook this. Read this book. Trust me when I say that you will not be disappointed.

This article forms part of a series of blog posts I created surrounding this title:

I mean, if you’re not already on this band wagon… WHY THE HELL NOT?

Everyone has their reasons, sure. Mine staple is usually as good as any; there are so many books in the world that I’m always going to be ‘behind’ on something.

But seriously dudes. This is one series you need to give a fair chance. It’s freakin’ timeless. My feelings for this series can be summed up thusly:

PICTURE ON BLOG

‘Night Study’ is the second book in the ‘Soulfinder’ series but it is also part of the large ‘Study’ series too.

As I touched upon in my post last week, I feel like this is book is setting up the bigger spectacle. It’s still got all the action and drama and sweeping fantasy that I love and cherish in this series, but I can’t shake the feeling that we’re being shown the breadcrumbs that lead towards CERTAIN DEATH!

Ok, no. But we’re definitely getting ready for the big hurrah in book three, right?

What is so lovely about ‘Night Study’ is how much you get to learn about Valek. This was so beautifully done that it actually made my heart ache a little. So sweet and so poignant, and slightly painful too. I suppose you could call it a ‘bittersweet’ moment for Valek, since he has lost so much.

But as he reasons with himself, look at what he wouldn’t have been able to have or do if he had never left home all those years ago. Yelena’s story would certainly be different without Valek, true?

Careful, compelling writing. Snyder does it again. A little piece of me is dying inside with every extra day I have to wait for the next book. *sobs*

Too dramatic?

Ah hell.

Bam! And we’re back in the world of Ixia and Sitia, right where Shadow Study left off but who could forget that ending?! We’re still trying to figure out Yelenas magic and what on earth is going on with the Commander. Mystery after mystery there’s never a slow moment in this book, even when the characters separate from each other and each go on their own separate quests you’re right there with them. Having no idea how some of them will end. Each characters individual chapter still fits nicely with the others and the main plot, even when you can’t possibly see how. And the mini cliff-hangers at the end of the chapters just about kill you every time.

It’s lovely to see Yelena and Valeks relationship flourish and grow, we even get to find out more about Valek’s past in this. I will always want to see more of them together -they’re just so god damn cute- and plot twist Yelena even listens at times! I loved the new areas of each of the characters we explored as they tried to overcome the *spolier* they faced in this book.

Lots of information about the past books was given to you, so it’s easy just to pick it up. Although if you have just finished the previous books it can spoon feed you the information a tad.

To summarise its a very good book and I cannot wait a whole year for the next one, and to see more from the new characters.
100% worth a read!