Review: Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Taste of Darkness
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Genre: fantasy, young adult
Series: Healer/Avry of Kazan #3
Pages: 464
Published: expected December 31 2013
Source: publishers via NetGalley
Rating: 1.5/5

She's fought death and won. But how can she fight her fears?

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.

The Maria V. Snyder Fantasy Trilogy Curse is alive and well. Following in the sad and disappointing path of the Study series before it, Snyder could never again capture the magic that made Touch of Power so much fun to read back in 2011. Each successive installment in the series has seen a marked downgrade in plotting, character consistency, and creativity. Too much is magicked away, too many characters are returned from death... it all adds up to a novel without any bite and a story without a clear focus. Like Scent of Magic before it, Taste of Darkness ruins any chance of a series redemption and a return to greatness, but this time, it's for forever.

The holding pattern of "Kerrick is dead and Avry doesn't know what to do" that we got to know so well for so long in book two shows up again. For nearly two hundred pages, readers are deprived of what largely drew them to this series in the first place: Avry and Kerrick. Together. In the same place, at the same time. Synder apparently doesn't realize that her novels always work better when the main characters have a chance to show off their banter and chemistry. She made us like the two love interests with the first book, only to keep them apart and dangle their happiness like a carrot at the end of a stick.The same issue can be used for the "group"at large; the first book introduced this great group of characters only to split them up once we cared about them. It makes no sense.

Part of the big issue with this series is, besides how lazy the writing and plotting can be (see also: extended training/travel passages that have little impact on the overall plot), but that Snyder takes so little risk with characters or story. If DEATH itself, you know, Old Inevitable, the Universal Truth, the Only Certainty in Life, holds little sway over your characters, where's the suspense? Where's the fear? How can I care what happens if there are no repercussions to anyone's actions? It's no fun if you know that the good guys will always live and the bad guys will always die. Because justice. Well, sure, justice would be nice and fair -- but is it authentic? Especially when it involves characters coming back to life not once but TWO times?

I've always disagreed with Snyder's decision to add a second POV --- LATE in the game. While Kerrick's POV has been around now for two books now, it still brings little to the table. Not only that, but the switch from Avry's first-person to his third-person is never smooth and only serves to remind readers how artificial the narration of the entire novel feels. Not only that, but the book feels scattered -- exchanging one antagonist for another only to go back to Tohon as the main villain. It's just unfocused and unclear, when a final novel should be crisp and focused.

Snyder can write great characters, but she just doesn't know what to do with them once the first novel is over. Taste of Darkness just couldn't measure up and it didn't even really try. Perhaps this author should stick to standalone novels because her series seriously suffer the longer they run. My friend Christina from A Reader of Fictions has the best way to read these books: buy book one. Read it. Pretend it is a standalone and ignore the last few pages of the last chapter. It's better that way.

Review: Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Scent of Magic
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Genre: fantasy
Series: Avry of Kazan #2/Healer #2
Pages: 416 (Nook ARC edition)
Published: expected December 18 2012
Source: publishers via NetGalley
Rating: 2.75/5

Hunted, Killed—Survived?

As the last Healer in the Fifteen Realms, Avry of Kazan is in a unique position: in the minds of her friends and foes alike, she no longer exists. Despite her need to prevent the megalomanical King Tohon from winning control of the Realms, Avry is also determined to find her sister and repair their estrangement. And she must do it alone, as Kerrick, her partner and sole confident, returns to Alga to summon his country into battle.

Though she should be in hiding, Avry will do whatever she can to support Tohon’s opponents. Including infiltrating a holy army, evading magic sniffers, teaching forest skills to soldiers and figuring out how to stop Tohon’s most horrible creations yet; an army of the walking dead—human and animal alike and nearly impossible to defeat.

War is coming and Avry is alone. Unless she figures out how to do the impossible ... again.

A swing and a miss for veteran fantasy author Maria V. Snyder. The first novel, Touch of Power, was a great introduction to the newest series by this prolific writer, but much like what happened for me with her Study series, the sequel left a lot to be desired. It took me a while to sort out how I felt about this novel after finishing it, especially deciding on the rating. 3 stars? 2.5? I just split the difference and settled with 2/75. What I have decided is that this is a far cry from its action-packed predecessor. All the key elements are here - Avry, Kerrick, their chemistry [for the 30ish pages they're together...], the monkeys, the new spin  on magic. Where Scent of Magic fell apart for me was the slower pace, and the complete and utter lack of any actual plot momentum. I was bored for a lot of this read - and for a novel that clocks in at a hefty 416 pages, that's a lot of time to be bored.

I had to sit and think on this, but I seem to see a pattern with Snyder's inability to follow-up awesome first novels. It's a shame, because this series, with these likeable, usually interesting characters, have a lot of potential. I was frustrated with so much of what doesn't happen over the duration of the book. There's a lot of Kerrick missing/worrying about Avry, and her the same about him. EVERY CHAPTER, it must be stated how worried one is about the other - give me a break. It feels like filler, and it doesn't help that in the first 120 pages, nothing important happened. I distinctly remember thinking, "C'mon, Snyder, you're better than this." Another irk for me was the POV shifts from Avry's first-person to Kerrick's third person. They go their separate ways early on, and while I can see why Snyder's used multiple POVs to show the larger story at play, I will never be a fan of such rapid, and vastly different POV styles.

For all the POV headjumping, all the trekking around from one place to another, the endless woods-traininf and all the hidden identities and secrets and foul play, not much of note happens in Scent of Magic. While the characters can pick up some of the slack, there isn't a whole lot of evolution going on for them, either. It's unfortunate, but it doesn't seem like Avry or Kerrick or anyone else really grew or changed from the version shown of them in the first novel. Avry is well-written and a strong female character in a fantasy world (which are few and far in between), but her trials and tribulations seem small - except in the case of her sister. Kerrick, whom I loved in the first book, was somewhat..... wooden and flat in this. He had moments of brilliance and interest, but I didn't invest in him the same way I had before.  Sequel syndrome struck with a vengeance here, for both plot, characters, pace, and momentum. It's a shame, because this series (still) has the potential to be awesome. I'll hold out hope for book three - Taste of Death - but not my breath.

I always want to like Maria V. Snyder's novels, but I can't help but see patterns and similarities the more of them I read. Even characters can read reminiscently of ones from before (like the "monkeys" from this series and Ari and Janco from the Study series, or Valek/Kerrick). Snyder really seems to struggle and end up disappointing with sequels after a promising first novel (see also: the Study series rapid decline from awesome to blah to baaaad). With so much potential and so many plotlines to engage with, it's a shame that Scent of Magic fails to live up to it's predecessor and fails to advance the plot in any meaningful way. So - 2 stars for fun, interesting - if stagnant - characters, and .75 for all the mess rest.

Review: Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Fire Study 

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Genre: fantasy, young-adult

Series: Study #3

Pages: 445 (paperback edition)

Published: March 2008

Rating: 2.5/5

Source: Bought

The apprenticeship is over—now the real test has begun.

When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder—able to capture and release souls—spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena's unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena's fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before....

Honor sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies, enemies, lovers and would-be assassins, each of questionable loyalty. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself—and save the land she holds dear.

Well, I'm really sad to say I found the finale to a series that started so originally and strongly to be quite a disappointment. Yelena herself felt off to me in a way during Fire Study not seen in the first two books and there was just so so much unnecessary goings-on and fights and betrayals and traveling... it got a bit old round about the 250 page mark. I was actively waiting for the end of this drawn-out escapade to mercifully come something interesting to happen and I got more back-and-forth, more Yelena making harebrained decisions (pushing Valek away, her "plans") and less of what I loved so much from the first novel.

I will right away admit I'm very happy with the direction of Cahil's storyline. I was interested in the Wannabe King from the start (uninherited claimants are so medieval history) and was glad he wasn't just foisted off as easily as say, Ferde. While I love that Ferde wasn't a repeating villain for the last two books as I had initially feared at the conclusion of Magic Study, I did dislike his easy, unremarkable demise.  Quick, and almost glossed over in the narrative, I was pretty disappointed by the lack of resolution that came with the end of a major antagonist for the company. I had hoped for a little more to Ferde's end as an active player in the novels and Yelena's story - what happened seemed too easy and lacked satisfaction for such a gruesome plot-line as his was. I was disappointed with the turns the relationship between Yelena and Moon Man takes: she is only further encouraged by their poor communications that only Yelena knows best or can ever do anything to help. I also admit that the magic aspects of these novel continue to evolve and change in an unpredictable manner: Opal's magic (and the revelation's about the Commander) were both interesting and handled well. I appreciate the imagination and thought that went into crafting the magic aspects/details (the bit at the end with the 'blanket' and the souls? Brilliant twist!) is consistent and never content to rest on the creations of the previous novel.

But most importantly and constantly in my mind were these thoughts: Where were Ari and Janco? Where was Yelena's mentor and friend Irys? Where was Valek, for the last two books? And while we're on that subject, what happened to Valek's individual personality and fire? He went from being just as much of a main character as Yelena to a backup singer in a chorus of dozens, if one that is immune to magic. I missed the rounded characters I met in the first book, Poison Study. Largely gone for much of this third and final novel, I missed the power twin's lively additions and dialogue. (Thank goodness the short story Power Study [Study #3.5] is pretty much just the two of them in fine fettle!) The personalities introduced in the later books (Cahil, Goel, Tauno, Star) feel much shallower than their earlier, much more interesting predecessors. But seriously: what the hell happened to the charming, devious, rounded personality that Valek had at the beginning of his relationship with the Soulfinder? Poison Study-era Valek was in command, intelligent and not just used as a blue-eyed deadly deux-ex-machina for all so many of Yelena's mishaps/miscalculations. I missed that first Valek, the one who stood toe-to-toe with Yelena instead of hastening to do her bidding; I think I'll pretend these later novels never happened to my cool-eyed Assassin. Through the last two books in this fantasy series, I've learned I like Yelena much better with a company of characters than on her own - she is much more likeable in a cast.

I'm very conflicted over this series. The last two books leave so much to be desired after the fun and inventiveness of the first novel. While each novel in this series successively in turn degraded in quality, I still mostly liked what I was reading; I just wanted more depth to the later characters, more ingenuity like what was shown in the first novel with the Districts, the poison-taster position, etc. Just less typical fantasy elements (constant traveling and bickering between Leif and Yelena, the betrayals, the hidden pasts of villains) would've been appreciated; it's not that I don't like all those things, but that they were so overdone and that this series started off very well without such. I've recently read and enjoyed Maria Snyder's latest novel, Touch of Power, but now I find I'm very wary for the following sequels, if they trace the same trajectory as this series.

This series does have a lot of covers for each novel, so here are two more of the covers for Fire Study:

Top Ten Fantasy Novels of 2011

I didn't read as much fantasy as I usually do this year (I blame my recent and often looooong forays into good YA).  I did manage to read more than a few impressive examples of my favorite genre when I wasn't distracted by another market.

1. The Crippled God by Steven Erikson

(The Malazan Book of the Fallen #10)

Some might be surprised that the long-anticipated A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin isn't in my top spot for how much I waited and loved it when it came, but this novel takes the cake. One of the most impressive. sprawling, imaginative, creative, unique fantasy series out there, Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series does not disappoint with its 10th and final volume. One of the few authors that hasn't let me down with epic series finales, I am eager for more books from Mr. Erikson.

My advice: 

 If you have trouble with the first novel Gardens of the Moon, as so many new readers do, just stick it out. It's a rewarding series to pursue to the finish.

2. A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin

(A Song of Ice and Fire #5)

 

You knew it was going to be in here somewhere: I loved and absorbed the most recent novel from Martin. Long anticipated and awaited since the arrival of A Feast for Crows nearly 6 years before, I was one of the few fans A Dance with Dragons did not disappoint. While my opinion is far from universal and Martin is wearying on even my patience, I was grateful for such a long, complete trip to Westeros. Not the most exciting novel to date (but hey now, will anything in this series ever top the Red Wedding?), A Dance with Dragons is a solid offering in my still-favorite on-going series.

My advice: 

Don't expect Red Wedding-esque events but you will be engrossed and entertained in the continuing tale of the Lannisters, Starks and Targaryens.

3. Heartless by Gail Carriger

(The Parasol Protectorate #4)

Gail Carriger's lively and imaginative books consist of my favorite steampunk series and one of my all-time favorite heroines in Alexia Maccon. Heartless is another on-point addition to the three-book tradition established: funny, inventive, unique, and a race to the finish. I loved Heartless from start to its all-too-soon-finish: full of Carriger's trademark humor and wit, tea,  researched thoroughly for an authentic and real feel, I defy anyone's inability to be charmed by Alexia's latest escapades.

My advice:

Go to your nearest bookstore/favorite online retailer. Order Soulless, the first in the series, and don't look back. Be prepared for cleverness, wit, and humor in a familiar-yet-foreign locale peopled with drones, werewolves and preternaturals. Continue reading until reaching book four, whereupon you must wait impatiently for the fifth and final book, Timeless, due out February 2012.

4. The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

(The Kingkiller Chronicles #2)

Second in a planned trilogy, The Wise Man's Fear delivers what so many fantasy fans were craving after The Name of the Wind. Like denner resin, Patrick Rothfuss world is easily addictive and immensely colorful. The mysterious, aloof but incredibly alluring Kvothe is back, with more of his mysterious past and tale to unravel at his Waystone Inn. More answers are provided from events in book one, though not as much action takes pace during this sequel.   

My advice:

The strength of this second novel is in the rich, developed characters at the heart of the story. Kvothe, Bast, Tempi, etc. fill in the black and white of Kvothe's tale. Don't get frustrated that not all answers are provided, that Ambrose and Kvothe's rivalry isn't as engaging as before: focus on the characters and Rothfuss great talent for telling a compulsively readable tale.

5. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

(Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1)

My love for this book is far and wide and often shown on this blog. It's made two of my "Top Ten" lists for the year (Best Young-Adult Novel #1, Best Covers #2) and my love for it is totally warranted. Karou is strong, independent but not perfect: she's relatable and grounded in a world of magic and teeth. Taylor earns major major kudos for her intelligent treatment not of only her female protagonist, but for her handling of the
romance angle to her novel. The love story isn't overwhelming or saccharine for a change. This novel has many nice twists on many of the prevalent tropes seen in YA novels: angels, devils, seraphim, forbidden love... all receive new ideas and representation in Taylor's evocative novel.

My advice:

If you're a fan of great visual description, beautiful prose, a teenage romance that feels genuine and appropriate,  pick this up the first chance you get. I think this is a nice segue for readers who love YA but haven't read much fantasy: Taylor has a great blend of genres at work within Daughter of Smoke and Bone - it's never boring!

6. The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

(The Inheritance Trilogy #2)

Though the first in author N.K. Jemisin's fantasy trilogy does appear in this Top Ten list, it is surprisingly after its direct sequel here at #6, The Broken Kingdoms. With less of the pacing and plotting issues that the first had, The Broken Kingdoms is an exciting and new addition to this series: gone is the first main character but a just as strong and even more likeable one has replaced her. So much of the typical fantasy structures are just a little different in this series; it's one of the reasons I rate them so highly and eagerly await a new release.

My advice:

Do yourself a favor and break from the old fantasy standbys like Cook, Wolfe, Lackey, etc. Give this newish series and author a try with the first novel, but if it's not precisely to your taste: keep going. The second is even better than the first and I have very high hopes for the conclusion to this creative and individual fantasy series. 

7. Stardust by Neil Gaiman

 One of the few books that I saw the movie before buying and reading, Stardust is a delight. Though oftentimes quite different from the on-screen version I loved, Gaiman's tale is just as charming and engaging when on the page. Inventive, quirky and engrossing, this was my first thought surely not last foray into Mr. Gaiman's bibliography.

My advice:

Read this is you're searching for a bit of fun and don't need dragons to enjoy your fantasy. Be prepared to want more than is there, as this is quite a short little novel filled with lovely and lively people.

8. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

(The Inheritance Trilogy #1)

The introduction to Jemisin's exciting and fresh series, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is a very strong beginning and a solidly entertaining fantasy novel. With new ideas and magics and Gods, Ms. Jemisin's world is indelibly her own and very interesting. Reminiscent of fantasy great Roger Zelazny with its familial internecine intrigue, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms does so many things right and uniquely.

My advice:

This is another must-read for any fantasy fan that likes unique and creative magic with their dose of escapism. Much like Brandon Sanderson, Jemisin doesn't rely on old hat tricks and ways of magic: her methods and ideas are unique to her novels and people. 

9. Enchantment by Orson Scott Card

A time-traveling tale of faeries, Baba Yaga and love across time, Enchantment is a one-off and sadly so since I'd love to continue . Though I despise its author, this was a charming, whimsical and all-around fun read. A nice mix of folktales and myths from Russia and other places keep it fresh and less fantasy than other entries, but hey this is my list and blog, I can do what I want.

My advice:

Read if you're looking for a fun, easy read with creative twists and turns. Some readers may have issues with the religion aspects to the novel and characters, but they were easily dismissed by my liking for the plot and characters, especially the villains.

10. The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Fourth and final novel in the much loved and read Iron Fey series, The Iron Knight is a change from the first three and refreshingly so. Not told from Meghan Chase perpective, this is a close look at Ash of the Unseelie Court. Long my favorite character of these books, I loved this trek from his mind: a nice contrast from Meghan's usual views. Conclusing a well loved series with aplomb and some serious twists, The Iron Knight is a winner from beginning to end.

My advice:

If you don't like fae/fairy novels give this series a try. The first is the weakest by far, but hold out for the better, stronger novels further down the line.

Honorable Mentions:

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick

Theft of Swords (The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha) by Michael J. Sullivan

Review: Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Touch of Power

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Genre: fantasy, young-adult

Series: Healer #1

Pages: 396 (Nook NetGalley ARC edition)

Published: expected December 2011
Source: publishers via NetGalley

Rating: 4/5

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life.

Though I've often heard Maria V. Snyder's name bandied about as an author to watch out for in both fantasy and young-adult genres, Touch of Power was my first novel from the author. I did not immediately fall in love with this novel - it took about seventy-five pages before I entrenched in Avry's story, with no urge to extricate myself. I have to admit I was so taken with this young-adult fantasy novel that the day I finished it, I went out and bought Ms. Snyder's entire first published series, and by far the most popular of her four. Touch of Power does have a few minor and not-so-minor problems that keep it from my "best-of-2011" lists and from being "great" instead of just "really good", but this was a thoroughly delightful fantasy read. Touch of Power is definitely a young-adult fantasy novel: the themes and "magics" used are basic, if interesting, though I can see easily that this would be a novel that held appeal for other, older fantasy-genre lovers out there.

Avry of Kazan is the main character, and while she may not top my lists of all-time favorites for characters (or even favorites for this novel itself coughBelenFleacough), she is genuine and occasionally very likeable. Her reticence to ever explain her motivations/beliefs got wearying, especially when it was revealed Avry was justified in said action/nonaction/thought- it just took too long to explain why and ended up costing the character some affection from me. In particular, I think that her reasons, besides health-wise for her aversion to Ryne, in particular, felt like they should've been divulged much earlier in the narrative. Avry's hounded life for the three years since the devastating plague that ruined the Fifteen Realms is left largely to the imagination, but what details are supplied only add more valid reinforcement to Avry's world-weary attitude. She might veer into misery and self-importance a bit too often for me to love her, but as the last Healer in her world, it's not un-understandable. She's a fairly grounded character, for all the guilt, worry and fear stacked upon her shoulders. If I didn't exactly love her, I certainly felt more than a semblance of a rapport with the dry, wry twenty-year old. 

The supporting cast is what got to me first, before Avry or Snyder's deceptively readable prose. From the bear-like Belen to the, well, flea-like Flea, this varied group were lovable, amusing and perfect comedic timing for Avry's downcast perspective (the monkeys!) I defy you not to find either Belen or Flea or Quain or Vinn at least mildly amusing. This is a group with definitely chemistry and the book works best when all the gang, with leader Kerrick of Alga, is together. While Kerrick took longer than the others for me to invest in as a character, especially with his overdone and sadlyy obvious Mystery Man Who Is Clearly More Than He Seems act, but I liked the no-bullshit attitude he had, as well as his harder-to-find gooey center. I also liked the dynamic between Kerrick and Avry: two supremely stubborn, smart people refusing to give into the other - it allowed for some amusing and revealing dialogue, especially on the long treks the company partook. Belen is definitely my over-all favorite; Poppa Bear may not be the most developed character, but what is shown is more than enough to cement me in his fanbase. I did wish there was more than one female character traveling in the marauders, in order to contrast with Avry, but this a very male dominated novel.

I wish that the world-building of the Fifteen Realms had been as strong, even if flawed, as Avry is presented. For a fantasy novel, I found the almost complete lack of world-building to be a major flaw in Ms. Snyder's design. Besides basic information, like the Fifteen Realms title for the continent, barely any details about the cities, history, etc. are meted out for the reader to digest. I was thoroughly disappointed in the lack of atmosphere, setting, information Ms. Snyder failed to provide - there is a lot of potential in this vibrant world with its mix of monarchies, presidencies, republics - and the grey areas are detrimental to the colorful world otherwise in existence. Thankfully for the Fifteen Realms themselves, and happily for me as an insatiable reader, there are to be sequels in this series and world, and I have confidence that the next one (Scent of Magic due out 2012), will pick up certain areas of laxity that were present in the first. I also hope that included along in the more detailed information about the realms, Scent of Magic will explain some of the seeming anachronisms present in the novel. In a novel that comes across as mostly/vaguely medieval, word-drops like "president", "syringe" ,"toxins", and "sociopath" don't seem to fit within the vernacular of the world. It disoriented me when Avry would so casually reference a scientific advancement and no explanations left me frustrated with the where and the when of the novel.

Touch of Power is  fast-paced, action adventure. It - and Mrs. Snyder - don't hesitate to throw the characters into many and varied adventures as they race the clock: events such as jailbreaks, rebellions, plagues, and a myriad of magical problems dog the heroes all the way across the Nine Mountains. Even characters beloved and clsoe to my ehart sadly weren't safe, though their losses were effecting and overall necessary to the plot. I can also say I was impressed with the seemingly-random plotlines, events, ideas that Ms. Snyder managed to pull together almost effortlessly. Everything works for this novel, plot-wise: event plants I had assumed irrelevant came back later int he novel with genuine twists and turns I never saw coming. I had no issues with Ms. Snyder's easy, readable style in Touch of Power, in particular her deft and descriptive hand for fight scenes and combat keep the stakes high without overdoing the bloodshed and deaths. 

I wished for more depth from the villain of the novel, as well. First off-screen and whispered about, then on-screen and somewhat chilling, Tohon of Sogra is a capable big bad, but I find his motivation for everything to be rather. . . simplistic. He's explained and introduced as such a smart, devious, creepy man that I expected much much more for the raison d'etre of his madness and his plans.  Like with other, previously mentioned details, it just seemed less than the potential the character had. Don't get me wrong: he's very effective and entirely believable in his role how he is presented, I just felt there was an opportunity for more. I just couldn't buy his too-easy reasons.

Touch of Power wraps up its action-packed pages with a decent, nice ending - definitely not the most riveting, but ensured my full attention and worry. Various prevalent and mysterious elements from the story were combined believably, without coming off as a deux-ex-machina. I ended this novel practically itching to get my hands on the next - and I think that is the most telling thing about this novel. As frustrated and irritated as I was over some bits and parts, I NEVER considered not continuing this series the minute the next book is available.  I can't wait to join Avry, Kerrick, Belen and the monkeys as they continue their adventures all over the Fifteen Realms.