Night Study (The Chronicles of Ixia, 8)

Yelena and Valek are back! I first fell in love with these two over eight years ago. With each book since Poison Study, I have fallen in love with them more and more. I love how each book feels like first one. Every time I jump into reading one of Maria's newest releases featuring Yelena and Valek, it's like coming home. Reading their stories, and getting to jump right back into the world of these characters is like reuniting with family and old friends. The story of Yelena and Valek has progressed so beautifully! There's so much to their story that I want to say, but I'll keep this spoiler free. Let me just say that long time fans of Yelena and Valek will love the newest revelations, and developments between this all time favorite literally couple. It's so hard not to swoon with the way these two are when they are around each other. I love seeing that tender side of Valek, a highly feared assign, when he's with Yelena. Getting the story from his point of view of fabulous. I love how protective of her he is, while at the same time he respects the missions she has to go on. Despite his wanting to lock Yelena in a tower to keep her safe, I love how he has always allowed her to be her own person, and has supported her in her quests. Yelena has always been, and will always be one of my favorite heroines. I have always admired her strength, her intelligence, and her duty. She is the perfect match for Valek. The love, respect, and desires they have for each other are perfectly written. *sigh* One of the things I've always loved about this series, and the books that center o the world of Sitia and Ixia, are the relationships. Two of my favorite characters (aside from Yelena and Valek) are Janco and Ari. Not only do they bring the humor to the right parts of the story, I have long admired their loyalty to Valek, as well as Yelena. They are the characters who long ago started out more like side kicks, and quickly morphed from being secondary characters to main characters. I love these two. The best thing about Night Study, aside from the magic, romance, and action packed scenes, is this book is written from four points of views! The story is told from Valek, Yelena, Janco and Lief's points of views and it is AWESOME! Maria is one of the few authors who can write a book from multiple points of views and do so effortlessly. I loved getting to know Lief more. He continues to surprise me. Night Study is a fantastic addition to a continued series I can't get enough of. I love the complexity of the plot line, the continued storyline of many of the characters fans have previously met, and the shocking twists and secrets that are revealed. There's a lot that happens in this book. I loved that the depth of some of the relationships really makes the betrayal and shocking discoveries that much worse. I definitely was not excepting some of the plot twists to go in the direction they did, and I love that Maria still has that element of surprise. This book is the perfect continuation of the previous book in this series, and the series before it. If you haven't picked up those books, I highly recommend that you do!

This is not my favorite book in the series, but I love the series so much I'm committed! Yelena and Valik are one of my favorite literary couples--there's not all the drama involved. They really do love and respect each other. I've finished the series and I feel like this could have been a couplet, not a trio. There's a lot of redundancy in what happens to the characters, but the story is still great!

Love this book and the story line is amazing! Great book for so many ages ~ check out the other books in the series.

there was so much intensity in this novel, and many reveals,i have to day it the best one in the Ixian series and I enjoyed all but this one the most.

Sooooo frustrating that Yelena still doesn't have any powers. Of course that would make this hostile world take-over too easy to combat. So much pain and so much trouble over the Big Bad in this book. Yelena and her crew are still a step behind, and Valek's quest takes him farther away from her with no way to communicate while his heart mate's magic is still bound. The Council needs to see its ineptitude and the Commander needs to understand his error before Yelena and her friends can kick the enemy's butt, I'd imagine. Constant nail-biting moments of "OMG are they gonna make it? Who is Snyder gonna kill off?!" riddled these chapters. We still have that curious narration of third-person, first-person switch and a few typographical errors in the Kindle version, which is uncommon in this series. Editor must have been asleep or skipping ahead to see how it all plays out. This is the first Soul Finder book where I found myself skimming chapters to get to the good parts again and lot of the chapters were necessary to build up the plot, and yet unnecessary except to lead the reader down another dead end the Big Bad had set up. We realize the Big Bad is ten times more clever than that silly Fire Demon in the first arc that wanted to take over the worlds, even though this human villain's goal of taking over the world is a bit cliche. We don't even know why he's doing it; he just is because he can. It's a bit unnerving how he mind rapes people and the characters just kind of wearily laugh at it afterward. If it's anything as traumatic as actual rape, then I would have imagined them to be more devastated and slightly numb, but if we've learned anything, our heroes have mastered the "stiff upper lip" approach to life these past 6 years. We still don't have a clear vision of the end game in this novel; and we have no idea what's going to happen by the next festival that the Commander is planning. We seriously hope the Big Bad won't uncover any of the villains from the first arc, but who knows. The reader will notice also the use of modern terminology in the story telling, and it gives you pause since you thought you were in a whole other world. I had to get used to the use of "okay", which has distinctly American etymological origins, so I suppose the word "nun-chuks" isn't that extraordinary (despite the fact the word nunchuku is distinctly Okinawan). When you consider that the Unity Fountain back story in the first arc uses distinctly Chinese words to describe the first Master Magicians, you'll probably just shrug. Though distracting, like the typos, it's not that bad. We finally see Cahil again, though only in passing, but we don't know whose side he's on. We don't know if the Commander is playing a dangerous game or if he's royally screwed. We don't know if the Big Bad has any weaknesses; so far he's been three steps ahead of everyone. Sometimes it feels like the author is just toying with our emotions by giving our heroes a break or a leg up, only to take it away again. We have no idea if Yelena will come out of this alive. Valek also has a surprising talent which both makes sense and yet is kind of thrown at us. The reader has to understand that the events of the past have led Yelena and Valek to this point, and his big reveal was really a long time coming. I've invested too much time and money to stop now. Just take my money, Ms. Snyder.... on to Book 6!!

A great deal was happening in this second book of the new trilogy. However, most of the book Yelena and Valek had their own storylines, which was disappointing, the first half was a bit slow and some of the action seemed somewhat unnecessary. But the pace picked up towards the end and there are also huge changes in their lives that will make things interesting for them in the book to come.

This installment of the Ixia series holds many surprises for the characters (and the readers). These surprises bring danger, and trust and loyalties are tested. Fisk and his street crew play an important role in this story as well. This story kept me on the edge of my seat and demanded my full attention. I keep thinking my friends (the characters) will finally catch a break…maybe in the next book!

Maria V. Snyder has a knack for writing stories that grab your attention. Night Study, the fifth Study book in her Chronicles of Ixia series is no exception. Once I read the first page, I couldn’t put the book down. Yelena and her heartmate, Valek, once again find their worlds turned upside-down as tensions mount between Ixia and Sitia. Their list of who can be trusted dwindles as they try to stop their enemies and unravel the mystery of Yelena’s absent magic without escalating hostilities. This exiting story with its rich world and fascinating characters does not disappoint.

I love this series right from the first book Poison Study - I was ordering the next one before I'd even finished the first -kept me interested all the way - a great adventure

Mais um acerto da autora. Muitas coisas acontecem sem que ela perca o ponto. Amo o universo criada pela Snyder!

Maria is one of my all time favorite authors! This book was amazing!

Well it's 4am and I have to get up early, that should say it all. These wonderfully written stories will have you captivated from start to finish. The characters are relatable and the story will make you gasp and smile in equal measure. I have no hesitation in recommending this series to anyone who loves fantasy fiction. Readers of the Green Rider series would enjoy this series.

I'm still shook. Like I'm literally shaking. That book was a lot of ups and downs and now I need a glass of wine. I laughed, I cried and screamed at the book. It was amazing! It played out like an epic film. There was some serious closure that happened that I didn't know I needed. The introduction of characters I didn't know I would fall so deeply in love with. That especially snuck up on me. Maria out did herself! I always like to believe I can guess I know where the author is going with a story/character arch. But this one is truly out of this world! I'm excited and yet terrified to start the next book 🤣 it's amazing!