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Fire Study (The Chronicles of Ixia Book 3) Kindle Edition
The apprenticeship is over—now the real test has begun.
When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder—able to capture and release souls—spreads like wildfire, she faces mistrust and fear in Sitia. What’s more, she keeps discovering new, unusual sides of her abilities. As the Council debates Yelena’s fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before…
The road to Ixia is fraught with peril, and sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills. But the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Along the way, she’ll encounter allies, enemies, lovers and would-be assassins, each of questionable loyalty, and be forced to confront an impossible choice as whispers of war emerge.
Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself—and save the lands she holds dear.
Previously published.
The Chronicles of Ixia Series by Maria V Snyder
Book One: Poison Study
Book Two: Magic Study
Book Three: Fire Study
Book Four: Storm Glass
Book Five: Sea Glass
Book Six: Spy Glass
Book Seven: Shadow Study
Book Eight: Night Study
Book Nine: Dawn Study
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherMIRA
- Publication dateSeptember 14, 2020
- File size1245 KB
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Poison Study | Magic Study | Fire Study | |
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Customer Reviews |
4.3 out of 5 stars
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Price | $1.99$1.99 | $14.49$14.49 | $14.99$14.99 |
The Chronicles of Ixia | Book 1 | Book 2 | Book 3 |
Choose: a quick death…or slow poison… | Beyond Ixia, the roots of magic run deep… | The apprenticeship is over—now the real test has begun. |
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
"That's pathetic, Yelena," Dax complained.
"An all-powerful Soulfinder who isn't all-powerful. Where's the fun in that?" He threw up his long thin arms in mock frustration.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not the one who attached the 'all-powerful' to the title." I pulled a black strand of hair from my eyes. Dax and I had been working on expanding my magical abilities without success. As we practiced on the ground f loor of Irys's Keep towerwell, mine too, since she has given me three f loors to useI tried not to let my own aggravation interfere with the lessons.
Dax was attempting to teach me how to move objects with magic. He had rearranged the furniture, lined up the plush armchairs in neat rows and turned the couch over on its side with his power. My efforts to restore Irys's cozy layout and to stop an end table from chasing me failed. Though not from lack of tryingmy shirt clung to my sweaty skin.
A sudden chill shook me. Despite a small fire in the hearth, the rugs and the closed shutters, the living room was icy. The white marble walls, while wonderful during the hot season, sucked all the heat from the air throughout the cold season. I imagined the room's warmth following the stone's green veins and escaping outside.
Dax Greenblade, my friend, tugged his tunic down. Tall and lean, his physique matched a typical Greenblade Clan member. He reminded me of a blade of grass, including a sharp edge his tongue.
"Obviously you have no ability to move objects, so let's try fire. Even a baby can light a fire!" Dax placed a candle on the table.
"A baby? Now you're really exaggerating. Again." A person's ability to access the power source and perform magic manifested at puberty.
"Details. Details." Dax waved a hand as if shooing a f ly. "Now concentrate on lighting this candle."
I cocked an eyebrow at him. So far, all my efforts on inanimate items were for naught. I could heal my friend's body, hear his thoughts and even see his soul, but when I reached for a thread of magic and tried to use it to move a chair, nothing happened.
Dax held up three tan fingers. "Three reasons why you should be able to do this. One, you're powerful. Two, you're tenacious. And three, you've beat Ferde, the Soulstealer."
Who had escaped, and was free to start another soul-stealing spree. "Reminding me of Ferde is helping me how ?"
"It's supposed to be a pep talk. Do you want me to list all the heroic deeds you've"
"No. Let's get on with the lesson." The last thing I wanted was to hear Dax recite the latest gossip. The news about my being a Soulfinder had spread through the Magician's Keep like dandelion seeds carried by a strong wind. And I still couldn't think about the title without a cringe of doubt, worry and fear touching my heart.
I pushed all distracting thoughts aside and connected to the power source. The power blanketed the world, but only magicians could pull threads of magic from it to use. I gathered a strand to me and directed it to the candle, willing a f lame to form.
Nothing.
"Try harder," Dax said.
Increasing the power, I aimed again.
Behind the candle, Dax's face turned red and he sputtered as if suppressing a cough. A f lash seared my eyes as the wick ignited.
"That's rude." His outraged expression was comical.
"You wanted it lit."
"Yeah, but I didn't want to do it for you!" He glanced around the room as if seeking the patience to deal with an unruly child. "Zaltanas and their weird powers, forcing me to light the candle. Pah! To think I wanted to live vicariously through your adventures."
"Watch what you say about my clan. Or I'll " I cast about for a good threat.
"You'll what?"
"I'll tell Second Magician where you disappear to every time he pulls one of those old books off his shelf." Bain was Dax's mentor, and, while the Second Magician delighted in ancient history, Dax would rather learn the newest dance steps.
"Okay, okay. You win and you've proved your point. No ability to light a fire. I'll stick to translating ancient languages." Dax made a dour face. "And you stick to finding souls." He teased, but I sensed an undercurrent to his words.
His uneasiness over my abilities was for excellent reasons. The last Soulfinder was born in Sitia about a hundred and fifty years ago. During his short life, he had turned his enemies into mindless slaves and almost succeeded in his quest to rule the country. Most Sitians didn't react well to the news about another Soulfinder.
The awkward moment passed as a mischievous glint lit Dax's bottle-green eyes. "I'd better go. I have to study. We have a history test tomorrow. Remember?"
I groaned, thinking of the large tome waiting for me.
"Your knowledge of Sitian history is also pathetic."
"Two reasons." I held up my fingers. "One, Ferde Daviian. Two, the Sitian Council."
Dax gestured with his hand.
Before he could say anything, I said, "I know. Details, details."
He smiled and wrapped his cloak around him, letting in a gust of arctic wind as he left. The f lames in the hearth pulsed for a moment before settling. I drew closer, warming my hands over the fire. My thoughts returned to those two reasons.
Ferde was a member of the unsanctioned Daviian Clan, who were a renegade group of the Sandseed Clan. The Daviians wanted more from life than wandering the Avibian Plains and telling stories. On a power quest, Ferde had kidnapped and tortured twelve girls to steal their souls and increase his magical power. Valek and I had stopped him before he could complete his quest.
An ache for Valek pumped in my heart. I touched his butterf ly pendant hanging from my neck. He had returned to Ixia a month ago, but I missed him more each day. Perhaps I should get myself into a life-threatening situation. He had a knack for showing up when I most needed him.
Unfortunately, those times were fraught with danger and there hadn't been many chances to just be with each other. I longed to be assigned a boring diplomatic mission to Ixia.
The Sitian Council wouldn't approve the trip until they decided what to do with me. Eleven clan leaders and four Master Magicians comprised the Council, and they had argued about my new role of Soulfinder all this past month. Of the four Masters, Irys Jewelrose, Fourth Magician, was my strongest supporter and Roze Featherstone, First Magician, was my strongest detractor.
I stared at the fire, following the dance of f lames along the logs. My thoughts lingered on Roze. The randomness of the blaze stopped. The f lames moved with a purpose, divided and gestured as if on a stage.
Odd. I blinked. Instead of returning to normal, the blaze grew until it filled my vision and blocked out the rest of the room. The bright patterns of color stabbed my eyes. I closed them, but the image remained. Apprehension rolled along my skin. Despite my strong mental barrier, a magician wove magic around me.
Caught, I watched as the fire scene transformed into a lifelike picture of me. Flame Me bent over a prone body. A soul rose from the body, which I then inhaled. The soulless body stood and Flame Me pointed to another figure. Turning, the body stalked the new person and then strangled him.
Alarmed, I tried to stop the fire vision to no avail. I was forced to observe myself make more soulless people, who all went on a massive killing spree. An opposing army attacked. Fire swords f lashed. Flames of blood splattered. I would have been impressed with the magician's level of artistic detail if I hadn't been horrified by the blazing carnage.
In time, my army was extinguished and I was caught in a net of fire. Flame Me was dragged, chained to a post and doused with oil.
I snapped back to my body. Standing next to the hearth, I still felt the web of magic around me. It contracted and tiny f lames erupted on my clothes.
And spread.
I couldn't stop the advance with my power. Cursing my lack of fire skill, I wondered why I didn't possess this magical talent.
An answer echoed in my mind. Because we need a way to kill you.
I stumbled away from the blaze. Sweat poured down my back as the sound of sizzling blood vibrated in my ears. All moisture f led my mouth and my heart cooked in my chest. The hot air seared my throat. The smell of charred f lesh filled my nose and my stomach heaved. Pain assaulted every inch of my skin.
No air to scream.
I rolled around the f loor, trying to smother the fire.
I burned.
The magical attack stopped, releasing me from the torment. I dropped to the f loor and breathed in the cool air.
"Yelena, what happened?" Irys touched an icy hand to my forehead. "Are you all right?"
My mentor and friend peered down at me. Concern lined her face and filled her emerald eyes. "I'm fine." My voice croaked, setting off a coughing fit. Irys helped me sit up.
"Look at your clothes. Did you set yourself on fire?"
Black soot streaked the fabric and burn holes peppered my sleeves and skirt/pants. Beyond repair, I would have to ask my cousin, Nutty, to sew me another set. I sighed. I should just order a hundred of the cotton tunics and skirt/pants from her to save time. Events, including magical attacks, conspired to keep my life interesting.
"A magician sent me a message through the fire," I explained. Even though I knew Roze possessed the strongest magic in Sitia, and could bypass my mental defenses, I didn't want to accuse her without proof.
Before Irys could question me further, I asked, "How did the Council session go?" I hadn't been allowed to attend. Although the rainy weather wasn't conducive for walking to the Council Hall, it still rankled.
The Council wanted me well-versed in all the issues they dealt with on a daily basis as part of my training to be a Liaison between them and the Territory of Ixia. My training as a Soul-finder, though, remained a subject the Council hadn't agreed on. According to Irys's theory, my reluctance to begin learning could be the cause of the Council's indecision. I thought they worried I would follow the same path as the Soulfinder from long ago once I discovered the extent of my powers.
"The session " Her lips twisted in a wry smile. "Good and bad. The Council has agreed to support your training." She paused.
I steeled myself for the next bit of news.
"Roze was upset about the decision."
"Upset?"
"Fiercely opposed."
At least now I knew the motive behind my fire message.
"She still thinks you're a threat. So the Council has agreed to let Roze train you."
I scrambled to my feet. "No."
"It's the only way."
I bit back a reply. There were other options. There had to be. I was in the Magician's Keep, surrounded by magicians of various skill levels. There had to be another who could work with me. "What about you or Bain?"
"They wanted a mentor who was impartial. Out of the four Masters, that left Roze."
"But she's not"
"I know. This could be beneficial. Working with Roze, you'll be able to convince her you're not out to rule the country. She'll understand your desire to help both Sitia and Ixia."
My doubtful expression remained.
"She doesn't like you, but her passion for keeping Sitia a safe and free place to live will override any personal feelings."
Irys handed me a scroll, stopping my sarcastic comment on Roze's personal feelings. "This arrived during the Council session."
I opened the message. In tight-printed letters was an order from Moon Man. It read, Yelena,I have found what you seek.Come.
Product details
- ASIN : B088BYLMBP
- Publisher : MIRA; Original edition (September 14, 2020)
- Publication date : September 14, 2020
- Language : English
- File size : 1245 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 413 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #205,896 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #2,249 in Romantic Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- #2,271 in Coming of Age Fantasy (Books)
- #4,022 in Epic Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
When Maria V. Snyder was younger, she aspired to be a storm chaser so she attended Pennsylvania State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology. Much to her chagrin, forecasting the weather wasn’t in her skill set so she spent a number of years as an environmental meteorologist, which is not exciting ... at all. Bored at work and needing a creative outlet, she started writing fantasy and science fiction stories. Over twenty novels and numerous short stories later, Maria’s learned a thing or three about writing. She’s been on the New York Times bestseller list, won a dozen awards, and has earned her Master of Arts degree in Writing from Seton Hill University, where she is now a faculty member for their MFA program.
When she’s not writing she’s either playing volleyball or traveling (she's been to 65 countries so far and has no plans to stop!). Being a writer, though, is a ton of fun. Where else can you take fencing lessons, learn how to ride a horse, study martial arts, learn how to pick a lock, take glass blowing classes, and attend Astronomy Camp and call it research? Maria will be the first one to tell you it’s not working as a meteorologist. Readers are welcome to check out her website for book excerpts, free short stories, maps, blog, and her schedule at www.MariaVSnyder.com.
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We get the return of fun characters like Kiki the horse, Moon Man, an improved relationship with Leif, the funny Ari & Janco, and of course the swoon worth Valek. This story has all the best parts of a good fantasy read. I definitely recommend it for anyone who loves fantasy and strong female characters!
The first few chapters were a bit slow to start and as a result a little difficult to get into. They do pick up seamlessly though where Magic Study leaves off, with Yelena seeking out the Sandseed clan once again, whom she's related too. But fortune is ever unsmiling on this newly discovered Soulfinder (which she still has no inkling of what one can do), and her studies are exchanged for intrigue and danger-an all too reoccurring pattern. Yelena's still not completely in her skin yet, but she's as tenacious as ever and takes on challenges with the air of a natural leader that everyone around her begins to look up to. Thank goodness for her small circle of supporters too because Sitian and Ixian relation are as unbalanced as ever and a new threat is on the horizon. Outcast Sandseeds, known as Vermin, have joined forces with the villain form the last book, Ferde the Soulstealer, and Cahil, resident sorta-sorta-not-lost-heir-to-Ixia, who just won't give up the bone to rule that he's latched onto. Something stinks in the Sitian council too when Yelena and her brother are denounced as traitors, their arrests called for by Roze Featherstone, first Master Magician. Chaos ensues and suddenly Sitia is on the brink of declaring war with Ixia and as always, it's up to Yelena and her merry band of rag-tag magicians and her assassin lover to resolve the multiple dilemmas. Add in a diabolical and ancient Sandseed magic and suddenly a Fire Warper is out to make Yelena his. From the plains and Magician's Keep of Sitia, to the northern military ruled territories if Ixia, Yelena's got her hands more full than ever.
There's a lot going on in this book! There's no other way to put it and at times it was a bit confusing. Snyder's world building, while seemingly flawless, does get a bit hazy as Yelena struggles to discover her identity as a magician and Soulfinder. There's non-stop action from the first page till the last, as seems to be the norm now after two prior books, and it's not really till the end that we see once again that it's all actually vital to the climax of the series as a whole. Were there holes in the plot? Honestly - there well may have been, but this reader eventually was able to bypass the more muddled beginning and by about the fifth chapter or so, I was as hooked as I've ever been in Yelena's upside-down life. If there were holes, I blithely overlooked them in favor of a thoroughly intriguing story. At the end of Magic Study, we finally discover the driving force behind the tipsy-topsy snake path that's been Yelena's life from the moment she was kidnapped and stolen into Ixia as a young child. Snyder does an admirable job of detailing the previous two books enough so that we get a gist of Yelena's past as a child and as the former food taster to the King of Ixia, but without bogging down this latest installment with unnecessary info. It's woven seamlessly into the story...although there were a few points that were never resolved that I'd looked forward to reading.
Yelena...what can be said that hasn't been already in past reviews? She definitely experiences almost a full circle of development. Again, some of those unresolved issues might have hindered this. Her first person voice, no matter how tricksy things become, is so matter-of-fact and rational. And maybe that blunts some of the more horrific aspects that she deals with, but it also helped portray her as the leader some eventually look up to her as. I could go on and on but, well, Yelena rocks and the books are the evidence. If you enjoy first-person POVs then this here's the gal that can lead you on one interesting adventure after another through three satisfying books.
The book has a very satisfying ending, with Yelena discovering, FINALLY, who she really is and what her purpose is, but it did not really feel like the end of a series. So, good enough ending for this particular book, but I am left in major wanting of more from Yelena and her cohorts. Much more! Maybe, for a series ending, it was a tad too succinct and abrupt, not to mention too convenient. Yelena has finally come into her own, but there are too many of those unresolved issued with others like Cahil, the Sandseeds, and there's still a lot of turmoil to undo in the Fire Warper's wake. I was not ready to move on after this installment, though I thoroughly enjoyed it.
**Note** After posting a slightly different version on my blog, I received an update from a fellow blogger that Snyder has a spin off planned about Opal, the glassmaker that first made an appearance in Magic Study. Word is sometime next year.
Snyder’s ability for world building, plot development, character development, with a soupçon of romance make this a truly enjoyable read for people of all ages. And, then there is the that delightful addition of magic that made the Harry Potter books appealing to all ages as well. This is my third book in the series and I’ve already bought the other six, because I don’t want the fun to end. But be advised these books are hard to put down so start reading early because the author has a talent of ending chapters in a suspenseful moment that will have you saying, ,Oh, just one more chapter…’and down the yellow brick road you’ll go….
These books get progressively less good. I loved Poison Study and Magic Study to a lesser extent, but Fire Study was just okay. It didn't end up being terrible, but it wasn't good either.
There were many things that bothered me about the second and third books of the series. I really don't like the character of Moon Man; he feels cliched and he's just annoying with his deliberate vagueness. And his name; Moon Man. Really? I feel like the author could have done better than that. The magic in general in Sitia just isn't convincing at all; it doesn't make sense, and it doesn't follow its own rules most of the time. I've never really connected with that aspect, another reason why Poison Study is my favorite of the three. There's magic, but the author doesn't really attempt to explain it. When she does, it all falls apart.
I've got to say, the beginning of Fire Study was just terrible. The writing was different from the first two books, and the action just started without much explanation. The plot was so weak and shaky; the sub-plot with Ferde just annoys me. Yelena is training, and then all of the sudden she has to go visit Moon Man and go on a dangerous mission. None of it made sense, and the book got off to a discombobulated start. There were so many threads to the story, and the author didn't weave them together well at all. Roze Featherstone, First Magician, also seemed way too evil to be realistic.
Also, both Poison Study and Magic Study were really suspenseful. Not so with Fire Study. After about 80 pages, I really didn't care about any of it. With the first two books, I couldn't put them down. With Fire Study, that's all I wanted to do. But I stuck with it.
The writing was just awful for much of the book; the language also sounded way too modern, with modern expressions and modern swear words. This is a fantasy world, not 21st century America. The dialogue sounded like the real world.
The names of some of the newer characters were also just ridiculous. What happened to normal-sounding names? Instead we have names like Tauno. That was just annoying. Nothing about Fire Study's first 200 pages was convincing or compelling. I noticed that there was praise for Poison Study on the paperback edition, but none of Fire Study. That's probably because most reviewers didn't like it. I only think the book was published because Poison Study was a success, and Mira wanted the series to be finished. No publisher would ever have accepted the terrible prose that is Fire Study.
Then Valek showed up. And things got much, much better. The writing improved a lot too; apparently the author only writes well when the best character is around. Suddenly, the plot seemed more cohesive and the characters and the world were more convincing. It almost made up for the terribleness that was the first half. Almost.
Like The Candymakers, this is one of those books that I'm not sure what rating to give to. My thinking at about 190 pages was 1 star, but overall, it really wasn't that bad. It could have been much, much better, but the book could have continued in the same vein the whole way through and been terrible. It ultimately wasn't terrible, and if you want to see the series wrapped up, then you could consider reading Fire Study. It gets 2 stars. I'll definitely be considering reading some of the author's other fantasy series.
My blog can be found at novareviews.blogspot.com.
Top reviews from other countries
Yelena ist eine fantastische Heldin, die mir durchgehend sympathisch war. Sie hat sich in meinen Augen nie irrational verhalten oder mich auch nur aufgeregt, was für eine YA-Heldin ja schon außergewöhnlich ist. Ich liebe diese Reise! Sehr empfehlenswert.
Although this is still a brilliant story and series, it did not flow as easily as the other two books, but saying that it is still a very good plot and you want to find out what happens next to Yelena and her friends.
Yelena regresses back into her old self a bit in this book, running and hiding instead of taking charge, however it did seem that everyone was putting too much pressure on her as she is still a young woman. However this did make her stronger by the end of the book.
Loads of my favourite characters from both Ixia and Sitia are back in this book, but as we see them through Yelena's eyes, and because she is finding it hard to trust people in some parts of the book, sometimes the characters act differently that you think they should, but most of the time they are the character you know and love.
Yelena and Valek's relationship in this novel faces more trouble as they are both struggling to understand each other, especially when it comes to Yelena's powers, but in the end they realise that while that don't need each other that want each other. The villain was a bit obvious and you cannot understand how one person in particular did not see it all along, but overall a good ending to the series.
I would recommend this book to those like fantasy especially Graceling or the Black Magician trilogy.