REVIEW: Taste of Darkness (Healer #3)

Taste of Darkness (Healer #3), by Maria V. Snyder
To Be Published December 31, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Format: e-galley, obtained from Edelweiss
Genre:  Adult fantasy
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating:  3.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Avry knows hardship and trouble. She fought the plague and survived. She took on King Tohon and defeated him. But now her heart-mate, Kerrick, is missing, and Avry fears he's gone forever.

But there's a more immediate threat. The Skeleton King plots to claim the Fifteen Realms for his own. With armies in disarray and the dead not staying down, Avry's healing powers are needed now more than ever.Torn between love and loyalty, Avry must choose her path carefully. For the future of her world depends on her decision.

Cannibals, misogynists and plagues - oh my! Once more, Maria Snyder has weaved a tale of intrigue, mystery, suspense and love in the final book in her Healer series. 

Avry's, Kerrick's and their friends' lives are in danger as both the nasty Skeleton King and the evil Tohon are trying to conquer their world and subsequently turn them into either dinner or worm food. Then the plague that decimated so many of their world's population resurfaces to complicate matters even more. They must pool their resources and abilities to defeat them both and keep everyone they care about safe.

I'm not sure what it was, but I wasn't quite feeling the magic in Taste of Darkness. Quite literally. The magic was what made this series so unique and awesome from the start. Kerrick's forest magic, Avry's healing magic, Noak's ice magic, Flea's death magic and Tohon's life magic was what drew me in. The world that Maria created is fascinating. Add in the peace and death lilies and their properties, and you have all the ingredients for a fantastical, interesting story with ribbons of romance woven throughout. 

For some reason, though, the focus in Taste of Darkness wasn't really on the magic, but rather on military tactics, strategy and subterfuge. I missed the parts that make Maria's books wonderful - magic and mysticism. I would've loved a lot more about Avry's, Kerrick's, Flea's and Noak's magic, how it's all interconnected and what exactly they all could do with it instead of whose forces were moving in from the west to cut off the other forces looping around from the south. Prince Rhyne, Tohon, Cellina and the Skeleton King are all pieces on this chess board, and we spent so much time hearing about what they were all planning to do with their troops, that I felt a little bereft. 
 
Despite that, I still love Avry and her spunk and ability to piss off every male she works with, yet endear them to her so that they'd lay their lives down for her. Her relationship with Kerrick is so sweet and supportive. And, as in previous books, the side characters of Loren, Quain, Flea, Belen and Ryden were very nicely fleshed out and so easy to love. 

There were a few action-packed scenes, and I loved those. Seeing Kerrick demonstrate how he uses his forest magic to turn the tide and how Avry's come to use her passive healing touch to bring down her adversaries were the best parts.    

The series comes to a nice and satisfying close at the end, and even though I had issues with the plot, I'm still glad I read Taste of Darkness and look forward to adding it to my bookshelf when it hits stores later this month.

Book #141 - Scent of Magic (Healer #2)

Scent of Magic (Healer #2), Maria V. Snyder
high fantasy
400 pages
Started 12/28/12
Finished 12/30/12
4 STARS

Do you like a good mystery? Intrigue? Mistaken identity? Romance? Ooooooh yeah - I thought so. So, why haven't you read Scent of Magic yet?

Avry has cheated death, and she wants to take her second chance and do something with it. Help people. Save them. But, in order to do that, she needs to be separated from her love and her friends. She has to go back to being alone again.  But, while Avry is fighting the good fight and missing Kerrick, he is trying to do the same in his own home land.

I've been reading a lot of books lately with dual POVs, and I realized something - I REALLY love them. Most books are told from the female character's POV, and I'm often times left wondering what is going through the guy's head. Scent of Magic is a dual POV book, and I'm so, so glad. I loved knowing what was going on with Kerrick and what he was thinking. Especially since he and Avry were separated for nearly the entire book. 

Avry is one ballsy chick. She's willing to stick her neck out in order to try and take out the big nasty bad guy. She's protective of her friends and her family and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. And, Kerrick is the same. Those two really were made for each other.

This was a really captivating book! The mystery is a good one, keeping me interested and involved at all times. The supporting characters are some of the best I've ever seen - Belen, the monkeys, Jael - bad or good, they are interesting.

So, what do you think of dual POVs? Do you like high fantasy? If so, then you should start the Healer series today!

Book #137 - Touch of Power (Healer #1)

Touch of Power (Healer #1), Maria V. Snyder
high fantasy
390 pages
Started 12/20/12
Finished 12/22/12
4 STARS

I read Maria V. Snyder's Study series back in the spring of 2012, and hadn't read anything of hers since then. It seems a bit like blasphemy, since she's a local author and I've met her twice since then. At one of the book signings I attended over the summer, I had her sign my copy of Touch of Power. And, as of this past Saturday, I now have a signed copy of Scent of Magic (Healer #2). I decided it was high time I get started on this series

Avry is the last healer in existence, which means she's highly sought after. Some want to kill her, some want to possess her. So, she gets lucky when Kerrick and his merry band of men free her from a difficult situation. In return they ask that she heal a friend of theirs - who is NOT a friend of hers. During the journey to find this friend, she grows to love this rag-tag group of guys. Perhaps even enough to die for them.

Maria sure knows how to weave a good story. My favorite part is the world these characters live in. The rules, the history, the characters - they all weave together to make this magical place that is very easy to lose yourself in. Books that you lose yourself in are the best kind.

Avry is a strong woman. As the last healer left, she has to be. Yet, the reason I love her is because she's not strong 24/7. She has a few moments of weakness where she breaks a little, and those glimpses into her less confident side makes her more real to the reader. Because, let's face it, no woman - heck, no person - is strong all the time. Those types of characters seem like bad caricatures of what the author intended.

Kerrick is awesome - he's mean and cranky and stoic and yet he grows to care for this pure person. But, I gotta say, my favorite characters in this story are Kerrick's men - Belen, Loren, Quain and Flea. They are definitely the comic relief in this story. Also the heart of it.

If you haven't tried a Maria V. Snyder book yet, I definitely recommend that you do. Strong women, loyal men, and fantastic worlds - what do you have to lose?