Book lovers discussion

I haven't started this yet, but for those of you have read or are reading it, please feel free to discuss it here.

I really loved this story...I flew thru it! I enjoyed the setting and the storyline of the food taster....I liked Yelena ok, but my favorite characters were Valek, Janco and Ari. The whole deal with the commander was interesting as well as the "candy" made from the beans.....and the magical aspects.

Sounds interesting - can't wait to read it!

It's a good quick read....since I had read 3 BIO already, I immediately bought Magic Study on my Kindle....I'm so bad!

My copy finally arrived on February 7th - so much for the "good sign"! I started reading it immediately and waws struck by the mixture of "Gothic novel" and fantasy experiment - very successful I think. I am currently starting chapter 25. I have found it rather a slow read with relatively dense prose in my opinion but I am enjoying it and finding it utterly fascinating. Thank you group for introducing me to this book.

Glad you are enjoying it Bernard...I loved it and am about halfway through the second book Magic Study.

I started Poison Study this morning after finishing The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Only up to page 35, but am enjoying it so far - almost "light relief" after my last book!

I am really enjoying this now. I started reading it when I still had quite a few books on the go at the same time. Now I have given my full attention to Poison Study, I'm finding it compulsive, a real find since I would not have picked this book for myself.

I love when that happens Chris....I had wanted to read this for over a year and kept putting it off...so glad I got the nudge too!

I'm enjoying the book too. It's quite a light read, but is a good story - looking forward to picking it up again!

I really liked Valek, Ari and Janco....they were my favorites....many people not to like also!!!

So far, I'm quite taken by Valek - an intriguing character!

Wow...the second book Magic Studyreally picked up and I like it as much as the first...maybe because my favorites are back....I'm on the edge of my seat though...lol!!!!

I'm nearly three quarters through Poison Study and loving it....feel another book buying session coming on!!!

Angela wrote: "I'm nearly three quarters through Poison Study and loving it....feel another book buying session coming on!!!"

Oh Angela - I'm the same, I have a couple of chapters left (to savour after the kids have had their tea) and I'm thinking that the next in the series will be on my kindle by the end of today!. I have not read anything like it before. I'm quite taken with Valek too!

It reminds me a bit of a trilogy I read a while ago by Robin Hobb, the first of which was called Assassin's Apprentice I think. I really enjoyed them.

Angela wrote: "I'm nearly three quarters through Poison Study and loving it....feel another book buying session coming on!!!"

I'm almost done with Magic Study and feel like I will need to get Fire Study right away...lol!!!

Angela wrote: "It reminds me a bit of a trilogy I read a while ago by Robin Hobb, the first of which was called Assassin's Apprentice I think. I really enjoyed them."

Angela....going to go put this on my wishlist at paperbackswap!

Did I miss something, or did Valek keep Yelena in the dungeon for so long waiting for her to be the "next in line for execution" for a specific reason. He suggests that he did this but the reason is not explained!? Had they met before?

Spoiler***** This is what I got....Valek pretty much knew everything that was going on in Ixia...so he knew what Yelena had done to go to prison...he knew she was "special" and could "sense" her...so yes....he made sure she was next in line after the other food taster died.

Oh my, I'm a third way through Magic Study and I'm really quite enjoying it. I don't think I've been this obsessive since I read the first of the Stieg Larsson books, then I read all three in about 10 days! Fire Study might well be ordered before the weekend is over!

I finished Poison Study this morning and have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Quite light fantasy, but engaging all the same. Went out yesterday to trawl through some charity shops and second hand bookshops in Hitchin - found a good copy of Fire Study! Think an Amazon visit is called for, for Magic Study!

Go for it Angela...I just finished Magic Study and loved it too!!!

Also finished Magic study. Just as entertaining but different! Lots of new interesting characters. I loaded the Fire study onto my kindle last night, but now this morning, I think I'll read something else before re-entering the world of Ixia and Sitia!

Ok, I succumbed; I started the Fire Study before finishing the other books I’ve got on the go. A bit compulsive don’t you think? I’m hoping for a happy ending!

I'm on about page 50 Chris! The cave is freaking me out!

Chris wrote: "Ok, I succumbed; I started the Fire Study before finishing the other books I’ve got on the go. A bit compulsive don’t you think? I’m hoping for a happy ending!"

There are just some books/series that "grab" you. Have requested "Magic Study" on a swap site - if there's no luck with that, I'll have to buy it!

Angela wrote: "Chris wrote: "Ok, I succumbed; I started the Fire Study before finishing the other books I’ve got on the go. A bit compulsive don’t you think? I’m hoping for a happy ending!"

There are just some b..."

I have never read this type of book before, but I’m really grabbed by this series!

Thing is, I don't think they're even well written; there are holes in the plot and it's repetitive, the behavior of some of the characters is inconsistent and in some cases really annoying, and yet the story-telling prevents me from putting the books down! Gotta go, Valek has just made an appearance, gotta read this chapter now!

It's odd how compelling some books can be, even with recognisable flaws.....just like people really!

Chris wrote: "Angela wrote: "Chris wrote: "Ok, I succumbed; I started the Fire Study before finishing the other books I’ve got on the go. A bit compulsive don’t you think? I’m hoping for a happy ending!"

Ther..."

Ha....I love Valek!!! Yelena gets annoying...but gotta read her story to get to Valek!!!!

I just finished all three books.....really liked Poison Study (fascinating and creative), really liked Magic Study...maybe even more than Poison Study (full of suspense) and liked Fire Study, but probably liked it the least of the three.

I find it odd that I liked all of these characters, but didn't necessarily ever feel super attached to any of them. I was absolutely attached to the storyline for the first two books....the third book dragged quite a bit for me and just didn't seem as intriguing (although....I didn't put it down and kept turning the pages...I really needed to know how the series ended). I did like how everything tied up at the end though and answered lots of questions.

I find it very odd that this series is shelved in the romance section at Barnes & Noble. There were hints of romance in Poison Study, but nothing really happened between Yelena and Varek until 5/6th of the way through the story. Pretty much the same with Magic Study. There relationship was a little more prominent in Fire Study, but it was very sporadic. I would have shelved it in "fantasy" or "fiction," but maybe that's why I don't own a book store! For me, these books seemed more about Yelena and her relationship with everyone....not just Valek....and especially her relationship with her magical abilities and the magical world. Her romance with Valek was nice, but definitely not the main storyline....at least in my opinion.

Kerri wrote: "I find it very odd that this series is shelved in the romance section at Barnes & Noble. There were hints of romance in Poison Study, but nothing really happened between Yelena and Varek until 5/..."

I agree with you Kerri - much more fantasy than anything else, I would say!

Just finished Fire Study, and although it's my least favourite of the series, it's still pretty engrossing. It stalled in a few places and the repetetive use of "getting ambushed" grated on my nerves, but I was still determined to find out if there was a "happy ever after" - not that I'm going to tell you if there is!

Kerri wrote: "I just finished all three books.....really liked Poison Study (fascinating and creative), really liked Magic Study...maybe even more than Poison Study (full of suspense) and liked Fire Study, but p..."

I love Valek, but agree about the other characters....I really like Ari and Janco, but they aren't major players and we never to get to know them to much. Totally agree about the Fire Study storyline...I'm trying to finish it up...it is dragging for me.

Kerri wrote: "I find it very odd that this series is shelved in the romance section at Barnes & Noble. There were hints of romance in Poison Study, but nothing really happened between Yelena and Varek until 5/..."

Kerri that is so funny....at my library they are shelved as Science Fiction. I got Fire Study through the library system and at the library it came from...it is shelved as Fantasy....I think adult fantasy is where they should be shelved....

Completely agree, Shelli!