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Poison Study

The Study Series, Glass Series and Soulfinder Series are written by Maria V. Snyder and set in the neighboring nations of Ixia and Sitia.

Study Series[]

Poison Study[]

Found guilty of murder, Yelena faces the ultimate punishment – execution. Imprisoned deep in the castle's dungeon, she awaits her fate until Valek, the security chief and assassin, offers her a reprieve. For a price.

As the Commander's new food taster, she must risk death, on a daily basis, by the most gruesome poisons. With no other options, she’d be a fool to refuse. And despite the constant danger, the more time she spends with Valek, the closer they grow.

But the new-found attraction between them is heating to a dangerous level, because Yelena is hiding a lethal secret. She's developed magical powers that she can't control. And the penalty for magic is death…

The Study of Poisons[]

Fierce, determined, dangerous. No wonder her soul called to his.

As Chief of Security of Ixia, Valek has spent the last fifteen years keeping Commander Ambrose and his citizens safe. With his complex network of spies, informers, and soldiers, it’s his job to hunt down and capture criminals, including the intriguing Yelena.

Sensing there is more to the story of why she killed a general’s son, Valek arranges for Yelena to become the Commander’s new food taster, training her in the delicate art of detecting poisons. As mysteries and a devious plot to harm the Commander unravel, Yelena’s presence becomes crucial. Will her intelligence, stubbornness, and survivor instincts be a help to Valek’s investigation, or a hinderance?

A retelling of Poison Study from Valek's point of view.

Magic Study[]

Yelena Zaltana has been found guilty of possessing magical powers. The Code of Behaviour that rules the land of Ixia states she must be executed. Escaping to the south and seeking sanctuary from the family she hasn’t seen in fourteen years could be her only hope.

But even with her family behind her, the freedom Yelena has fought for is once more in jeopardy. With only her magic to protect her, she must fight to find a place for herself in this new realm. With only one year to prove herself Yelena’s future is uncertain, when magic is involved one mistake could mean sudden death.

The Study of Magic[]

Frankly, I think death is the best cure for stupidity.

As Chief of Ixia’s Security, Valek’s work is never done. After rescuing Commander Ambrose with, Yelena, his heartmate’s, help and seeing her off to Sitia, Valek discovers the nefarious scheme to overthrow their country is far more complex and far reaching than anyone could have guessed. Valek must discover who is continuing with Brazell and Mogkan’s conniving plans, all while dealing with a tense political situation. The Ixian generals are questioning his abilities to keep the Commander safe, and whispers of a possible coup are circulating. Will Valek be able to survive a plot that seeks to sabotage all he and the Commander have worked for? Also, having opened his heart to love, will Yelena still wish to be with him when all is said and done?

A retelling of Magic Study from Valek's point of view. Expected April 19, 2024.

Fire Study[]

In the barren territory of Sitia, power comes at a price. Yelena Zaltana possesses the most terrifying magic in the district – the ability to capture and release souls. While the sinister council that rules the area meets to decide Yelena’s fate, she sets out on a perilous journey to capture a Soulstealer, her own dark counterpart…when she comes face-to-face with someone far more dangerous.

With her homeland at risk, Yelena is prepared to give everything she has to save the ones she loves. But Yelena must learn that in the war between good and evil – there can only ever be one victor.

The Study of Fire[]

A retelling of Fire Study from Valek's point of view. Expected September 2024.

Glass Series[]

Storm Glass[]

With her unique magical abilities, Opal Cowan has always felt unsure of her place at Sitia’s magic academy – but now it’s time to test her powers in the real world. Under threat from a deadly massacre, the powerful Storm dancer clan need Opal’s unusual skills to protect their people.

And their plea is impossible to resist, especially when it comes from mysterious, mercurial Kade Stormdance

Yet pulling her powers in unfamiliar directions pushes Opal to uncover a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening, with danger and deception rising around her, will Opal’s untested abilities destroy her – or save them all?

Sea Glass[]

Student magician Opal Cowan’s newfound ability to steal others’ powers makes her too powerful. Trapped under house arrest, Opal dares to defy her imprisonment, searching for Ulrick, the man she thinks she loves. Thinks because she is sure another man – now her prisoner – has switched souls with Ulrick.

In hostile territory, without proof or allies, Opal isn’t sure whom to trust. She doesn’t know the real Ulrick’s whereabouts and can’t forget Kade, the handsome Stormdancer who doesn’t want to let her get too close.

And now everyone is after Opal’s special powers for their own deadly gain…

Spy Glass[]

After siphoning her own blood magic, Opal Cowan has lost her powers and been separated from Kade and Ulrick, the two men who divide her heart. Now an outsider looking in, Opal spies through the glass on those with the powers she once had.

Until spying through the glass becomes her new power.

Suddenly, the beautiful pieces she makes flash in the presence of magic. And then she discovers that some of her blood has been stolen – and that finding it may let her regain her powers for good. Or learn if they’re lost forever.

Soulfinder Series[]

Shadow Study[]

When Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. She survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia.

Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands—and protect her relationship with Valek.

Suddenly, though, dissent is rising. And Valek’s job—and his life—are in danger.

As Yelena tries to uncover her enemies, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked. And now she must find a way to keep not only herself but all that she holds dear alive.

Night Study[]

Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana's life has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia are safe for her anymore.

Dawn Study[]

Despite the odds, Yelena and Valek have forged an irrevocable bond—and a family—that transcends borders. Now, when their two homelands stand on the brink of war, they must fight with magic and cunning to thwart an Ixian plot to invade Sitia.

Yelena seeks to break the hold of the insidious Theobroma that destroys a person's resistance to magical persuasion. But the Cartel is determined to keep influential citizens and Sitian diplomats in thrall—and Yelena at bay. With every bounty hunter after her, Yelena is forced to make a dangerous deal.

With might and magic, Valek peels back the layers of betrayal surrounding the Commander. At its rotten core lies a powerful magician… and his latest discovery. The fate of all rests upon two unlikely weapons. One may turn the tide. The other could spell the end of everything.

The Study Chronicles: Tales of Ixia & Sitia[]

Short fiction collection containing the following:

Diamond Study[]

Short story telling the true story of Ambrose and the Ice Cats.

Assassin Study[]

Yelena, the heroine of Maria V. Snyder's stunning debut novel Poison Study, is on her way to her ancestral homeland of Sitia to be reunited with her family and to learn more about her magical powers. An order of execution hangs over her head should she ever return to Ixia. But her true love, Valek, quickly learns that an assassin has taken it upon himself to make sure Yelena doesn't reach her destination….

As Ixia's chief of security, and a highly skilled assassin himself, can Valek track down the killer in time to save Yelena's life?

Power Study[]

Ari and Janco deal with a Sandseed Story Weaver and a cocky young soldier while Valek is off helping Yelena.

This story is set after Fire Study.

Ice Study[]

Yelena and Valek's sabbatical is cut short when they become entangled in a plot to prevent the Ice Moon from falling into the hands of a rogue magician.

This story is a prequel to Shadow Study.

Shattered Glass[]

While trying to teach her adopted daughter, Reema, how to work with molten glass, Opal receives a letter from Master Magician Zitora Cowan requesting Opal's immediate help. Zitora resigned from the Sitian Council over two years ago to search for her lost sister, and no one has heard from her since. The letter is probably a trick, but Opal refuses to pass up the opportunity to help her mentor, who may be in genuine trouble. Good thing Opal isn't that easy to fool. With her two soldier friends Nic and Eve providing backup, the three travel to a small town in the Jewelrose Clan. But can they rescue the Master Magician without being caught in the same trap?

This story takes place at the end of Night Study and overlaps with the first half of Dawn Study.

Diaper Study[]

Janco baby-guards Liana.

This story is set after Dawn Study.

Wedding Study[]

Yelena and Valek prepare for their wedding ceremony.

This story is set after Diaper Study.

After Study[]

Fisk and Reema work together.

This story is set several years after Wedding Study.

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