The second half of Poison Study is full of a lot of action, a lot more than the first half. If you got started on the book, you will have learned that the Commander has an extreme dislike of magicians. You do find out why, and the reason is much more than just being the sort of things they had done in the past under the rule of the former King. I like how the big reveal at the end of the book makes parallels with a certain issue that is becoming very prevalent in society today.
You also get to see Yelena evolve into a very capable individual, gaining skills and showing talents that go far beyond her post as the food taster. She’s a very likeable character, strong, but she knows her weaknesses and can admit to them, she expresses doubt and can lack confidence. I think overly strong female characters are becoming a little too trendy. Yelena’s slightly less forceful character feels more believable when you factor in all the things she has gone through and the changes that happen during the months after her release from prison. I do love a strong female lead, but I feel like lately I’ve been reading a lot of books that have an almost too able young woman starring in the pages.
Next week I will begin the next book in the series, Magic Study, which I am really looking forward to, as we will follow Yelena to Sitia as she begins to learn how to hone her magical skills. There is also hope that she might be reunited with her family that she was most likely stolen from when she was a child.
Nonfiction and Nonsense 