Kidnapped at age six and taken north to Ixia, Yelena is
finally on her way home to the Zaltana Clan after 14 years.
Sitia may be the home of her birth, but Yelena has no
memories of the place and couldn't feel more alone.
Although her parents immediately recognize and accept her
as their own, things are very different with her brother.
Leif is angry and still feels guilt where his sister's
disappearance is concerned. He loudly and unabashedly
spreads rumors to the effect that she is not his sister but
an Ixian spy.
Yelena is slated to return to her mentor in a few weeks
time and Leif is chosen to accompany her to the Citadel.
Understandably, she's not at all comfortable with this
plan. Yelena's worst fears are realized when she and Leif
are ambushed. Initially, Leif feigns surprise at the
attack, but it soon becomes apparent that he's well
acquainted with the enemy. By all outward appearances, it
would seem her loving brother has set her up.
Yelena's captor turns out to be King Cahil Ixia,
presumptive heir to the throne, who unsuccessfully
interrogates Yelena, and then threatens to destroy her mind
with magic to get the information he needs to guarantee him
his realm. Yelena journeys with Cahil and his men to the
Magician's Keep where Yelena is anxious to prove once and
for all she is not a northern spy.
Once in the Keep, Yelena's mind is violated by Roze, the
First Magician, who is unhappy to confirm Yelena's
innocence. Wishing she were anywhere but the Keep, Yelena
nonetheless settles into her studies. Cahil is assigned to
be her riding instructor and a tenuous and superficial
relationship is born. Petty jealousies erupt within the
Keep's walls, her magic is still a bit unfocused and it is
not clear what her gift is to be. Time is running out for
Yelena, who must find her gift and rely on her natural
strengths to face down a killer harvesting souls and who's
now targeting her.
MAGIC STUDY is a strong follow up to last year's POISON
STUDY. There is one more book due out in the series in
October 2007, FIRE STUDY. Snyder's descriptions of her
world and the people bring her story to life. Her
characters, compelling and multidimensional, come across as
real people and carry the well-plotted story along to a
satisfying conclusion. Yelena finds her strength and her
gift and is still the strong, practical girl, now woman,
we've grown to know and admire.
Yelena is on her way to be reunited with the family she'd
been stolen from long ago. Although she has gained her
freedom, she can't help feeling isolated in Sitia. Her
Ixian background has changed her in many ways, and her
newfound friends and relatives don't think it's for the
better. Despite the turmoil, she's eager to start her
magical training. But her plans take a radical turn when
she becomes involved with a plot to reclaim Ixia's throne
for a lost prince, and gets entangled in powerful rivalries
with her fellow magicians. If that wasn't bad enough, it
appears her brother would love to see her dead. Luckily,
Yelena has some old friends to help her with her new
enemies.
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