Review: Taste of Darkness - Maria V. Snyder (+ UK Giveaway)

The final battle begins . . .

Powerful healer Avry knows hardship and trouble. She fought a plague and survived. She took on corrupt King Tohon and defeated him. But now her true love, Kerrick, is missing and Avry fears he's gone forever.

Yet she faces a more immediate - and deadly - threat. The Skeleton King plots to claim the Fifteen Realms for his own.

With the territories' armies in disarray and the dead not staying dead, Avry's powers are needed now more than ever.

Torn between love and loyalty, she must choose her path carefully. For the future of Avry's world depends on her decision . . .

Healer Series:
Touch of Power
Scent of Magic
Taste of Darkness

Visit Maria V. Snyder's website or the Touch of Power website for more information

Review:
I have been a huge fan of this series ever since I read Touch of Power two years ago so I was eagerly waiting for the final instalment in the trilogy. It's always a bit scary seeing a favourite series come to an end though, you have all those fears about whether it will live up to expectations and you'll be pleased with the way things turn out and you have to prepare to say goodbye to the characters you've come to love. I'm happy to say that Taste of Darkness was worth the wait and was a fitting end to the series.

Maria V. Snyder has really upped the stakes in this last book, not only is Kerrick missing and presumed dead by everyone apart from Avry but they are also facing a new enemy who seems even more powerful than Tohon. As if that wasn't bad enough Prince Ryne's soldiers are getting sick and it looks like Avry has a new version of the plague on her hands. There is so much going on and the story is pretty much non-stop action as the characters push forward from one disaster to another trying to save the Fifteen Realms.

I was very happy to see that Avry and Kerrick spend more time together in this book than they did in the last one, if I'm honest I still wanted to see more of them as a couple but every interaction between them is just so good that I can't complain too much. They really are so perfect together and I love the fact that even though Kerrick's instincts are to protect Avry and keep her out of harms way he knows that she'd never be happy if she didn't play her part and he doesn't try to stop her from doing what she needs to. Avry is a fabulous heroine, one who constantly puts herself at risk to protect others, she has such strong instincts to take care of others even when it costs her a great deal of pain and I've always been in awe of the way she is so willing to use her healing abilities. She uses her wits, intelligence and instincts to keep herself and her friends safe and she always keeps her promises no matter how hard that may be.

As much as I'm going to miss Avry and Kerrick I was also sad to say goodbye to the other characters I've come to love throughout the series. Flea, Belen and the monkeys have all played such major roles and I've also grown really fond of Odd since the last book. The interactions between all of the characters always leads to some light hearted moments which was desperately needed since this book was quite dark in places. I'd say this is easily the darkest of all the books in the trilogy and while I loved that I enjoyed the light hearted banter even more because of it. Having read both Maria V. Snyder's Healer series and her Study series I have to say it's very hard to pick a favourite but I'm tempted to say that this one wins out slightly. They are both wonderful series with strong, kick ass female characters which seems to be a trademark of this author and I'd highly recommend both of them. I'm quite pleased that I still have the Glass trilogy to dive into - I'm hoping it will help me get over my withdrawal symptoms from this one!

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

Other Reviews:
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Giveaway Details:

Thanks to Mira Ink I'm very excited to be able to give away a copy of Taste of Darkness to a lucky UK winner. To enter just fill in the rafflecopter form below.

• One winner will receive a paperback copy of Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder.
• This giveaway is open to UK entrants only and the winner's prize will be sent out directly by Mira Ink so by entering the giveaway you are agreeing that I can give your address to my contact if you are the winner.
• To enter please use the rafflecopter widget below, there are optional extra entries for following or tweeting about the giveaway but these are not required to enter.
• Duplicate and invalid entries will be deleted and the winners will be chosen at random from all remaining entries.
• The giveaway will close at Midnight GMT on the 2nd of February 2014 and the winner will be contacted soon afterwards with their prize.

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Review: Scent of Magic - Maria V. Snyder

The army of the dead are coming . . .

Avry of Kazan, the last Healer of the mystical Fifteen Realms, has a power that can't be matched. But in the minds of her friends and foe alike, Avry no longer exists.

Now, as the psychotic King Tohon builds an army mightier than any that has ever been seen before - a league of undead soldiers - Avry must face her toughest, most terrifying battle alone.

Fighting to be reunited with her family and her lover Kerrick, Avry must infiltrate Tohon's troops.

But does she have the power, the rare magic, to do what legend says is impossible?

Healer Series:
Touch of Power
Scent of Magic
Taste of Darkness

Visit Maria V. Snyder's website or the Touch of Power website for more information

Review:
After using her healing abilities to cure Ryne Avry came very close to death, in fact most of the world believe that she did die so she decides to use that to her advantage. Kerrick is the only one who knows the truth and Avry has sworn him to secrecy. While Kerrick must return to his homeland to rally more troops for the war against Tohon Avry heads straight into the danger zone determined to do what she can to train the soldiers to fight Tohon's army of undead. Neither of them are going to have an easy time of it, they will both face shocking betrayals and also find unexpected allies but can they survive long enough to meet again before Tohon really raises the stakes?

I absolutely loved Touch of Power so I had high expectations for Scent of Magic, I was nervous that Maria V. Snyder wouldn't be able to recreate the magic of the first book but I needn't have worried because I loved this second instalment just as much if not more. Everything I loved about the first book was continued in the second, we have fantastic world building, great characters, surprising plot twists and shocking events that took my breath away. My only disappointment was that Avry and Kerrick spent so much time apart during this book, I absolutely love the chemistry between them and the dynamics between them, Belen, Quain Loren and Flea was one of my favourite things about the first book so I missed that during this one. Even though I missed seeing the pair of them together I still enjoyed following their separate journeys and I could see why it was necessary for them to take different paths. It just made the time that they did spend together that much more special too.

We get to catch up with characters we know and loved from the first book but we are also introduced to a great selection of new ones. The story moves along at breakneck pace and was practically impossible to put down, I was so immersed in the world that I didn't want the book to end. Maria V. Snyder has a way of pulling me in and making me so connected to her characters that I feel their emotions right alongside them. Throughout the course of Scent of Magic I went through a rollercoaster of fear, worry, despair, grief, anger, shock, hope, happiness, relief and love. I had my heart broken and ripped into tiny little pieces one minute only to have it stuck back together the next. Shocking twists and betrayals kept me on the edge of my seat and have left me desperate to get my hands on the next book Taste of Death.

I'm sure that anyone who has read Touch of Power has been waiting to get their hands on Scent of Magic and I'm pleased to say that it was worth the wait. I wouldn't recommend starting the series with this book though so if you haven't read the first instalment then you need to do that immediately - this is a series that high fantasy fans will not want to miss.

Source: Initially received from publisher via NetGalley but I also received a print copy from Mira Ink in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
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Review: Touch of Power - Maria V. Snyder

They destroyed her world.
But she's their only hope...

Avry's power to heal the sick should earn her respect in the plague-torn land of Kazan. Instead she is feared. Her kind are blamed for the horrifying disease that has taken hold of the nation.

When Avry uses her forbidden magic to save a dying child, she faces the guillotine. Until a dark, mysterious man rescues her from her prison cell. His people need Avry's magic to save their dying prince. The very prince who first unleashed the plague on Kazan.

Saving the prince is certain to kill Avry - yet she already faces a violent death. Now she must choose - use her healing touch to show the ultimate mercy or die a martyr to a lost cause?

Healer Series:
Touch of Power
Scent of Magic
Taste of Darkness

Visit Maria V. Snyder's website or the Touch of Power website for more information

Review:
As a Healer Avry should be a respected member of the community, someone that people turn to for help and who spends her life tending to the sick. Unfortunately the plague that killed millions of people was wrongly blamed on the Healers and Avry has to hide her gift or risk execution. She lives in the shadows, moving from village to village searching for others like her and for somewhere she can be safe. When her neighbour's child is on the verge of death Avry can't resist the call to heal her even knowing what will happen if she is discovered. When the worst happens and she is captured Avry accepts her fate but before she can be put to the guillotine she is rescued by Kerrick and his gang. Kerrick needs Avry's help to cure his friend Prince Ryne of the plague but Avry has very good reasons not to help him, the least of which is the fact that curing him will mean her certain death. Can Kerrick convince her that Ryne's life is worth more than her own?

Despite the fact that I have several books by Maria V. Snyder sitting on my shelves Touch of Power is the first one I've actually read. I really have no idea why I haven't picked up her work sooner and having loved this one I'm looking forward to reading her back list as soon as possible. Touch of Power is a fantastic start to a new fantasy trilogy and my only disappointment is that I have to wait a year for the next instalment!

I loved the world that the author has created and Avry is a fantastic heroine. I was fascinated with her healing abilities right from the start, it takes a special kind of person to willingly suffer someone else's pain to heal them. As a Healer Avry doesn't magic someone's injuries / illness away, she actually draws them into herself so someone's knife wound will appear on her body and she will be the one left with the scar to show for it. Her only advantage is that she heals faster than a normal human would but she can still die if the injury or illness is too severe.

Despite the fact that this book has nearly 400 pages I finished it within a day, I was hooked from the beginning and didn't want to put it down. I loved Avry but there is also a great supporting cast of characters. Kerrick comes across as grumpy and uncaring but deep down is a really nice guy but I think my favourite characters were Belan, a warrior who becomes very protective of Avry and Flea who was like a sweet younger brother to her. I loved the banter between Kerrick's gang and the way they accepted Avry and took care of her.

The story moves along at a fast pace, has a hint of romance and some good twists that I didn't see coming. Although we are left with questions and I'm desperate to get my hands on the next instalment this isn't because we are left with a major cliffhanger which is something I really appreciate. If you're a fan of fantasy stories then I would definitely recommend giving Touch of Power a try and I'm looking forward to reading more of Maria V. Snyder's work in the future.

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

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle: