Maria V. Snyder

Touch of power

★★★★★
5.00 STARS 

I LOVED THIS SO SO SO SO MUCH!! I loved every part of this. The premise of the story and how the journey unfolds. I so loved the characters so much. Avry and Kerrick. Belen, the monkeys and Flea. Every single one of the them. It was so amazing how the gang's personalities greatly complements each other. 

I also loved the hate-turns-into-love kind of relationship between Avry and Kerrick. There's an evident sexual tension revolving around them, even when they're bickering. Their romance was slow yet well-developed over the course of time, as their relationship showed a progress at the far end of the story. Yet it was probably necessary to develop that way because it somehow worked well. I'm actually excited to see more of them in the next books.

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honoured 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, the 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.

Touch of Power

I've read this a few years back but I recently reread it so I guess now is the perfect time to write a half-decent review.

Touch of Power is the book that started my Maria V. Snyder craze, thanks to Ms. Condra referring it to me. I was so impressed with this book, as well as the ratings the other series' received, I started all the other series' as well. 

Summary:
Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honoured 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, the 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.

First of all, I really loved the characters so much. They were excellently portrayed. Avry is an excellent protagonist, very straight forward and just good to the core, but also a bit of sass here an there made her seem less goody two shoes. Kerrick is also a very interesting love interest, and one that I did not expect for a change.

I found the plot really unique and well written. The names, the settings were clear signs of excellent world building. Even if the setting is very pre-industrial, some aspects still give the book a sharp edge to it. Maria V. Snyder writes in clear yet beautiful prose, and her style is different from the usual that I come across. Her writing is soothing yet so addictive. The way magic was explored and organized in such intricate detail is so expertly done here. A thumbs up to Snyder! Seems to be truly in her element here. I hope I get to read the second installment soon!

Mark-Olivier

The more I re-read it, the more difficult it becomes. The story is really great, I love Avry. 
The story line, though... Some much thing is happening but nothing is really described? It is like, sometime, the author is enumerating facts and not feelings, etc. <spoiler> "He is now dead and everyone is grieving. We walk for 7 days without talking" I didnt really feel any emotion </spoiler>. I just wished thing would have been more feeling-described.

Leonor Ribeiro 

THEY DESTROYED HER WORLD. BUT SHE'S THEIR ONLY HOPE... Avry's power to heal the sick should earn her respect in the plague-torn land of Kazan. Instead she is feared. Her kind are blamed for the horrifying disease that has taken hold of the nation. When Avry uses her forbidden magic to save a dying child, she faces the guillotine. Until a dark, mysterious man rescues her from her prison cell. His people need Avry's magic to save their dying prince. The very prince who first unleashed the plague on Kazan. Saving the prince is certain to kill Avry yet she already faces a violent death. Now she must choose use her healing touch to show the ultimate mercy or die a martyr to a lost cause?

Menna Khaled

i can't believe how u do it maria u r an awesome writer u make fantasy so simple that somehow in the middle i start to believe it could be real . at first i read the story because i adore ur writings but i thought that it would be boring and a repitation of study series but u proved me wrong from the first chapter u made it so different but not different in a simple way i know i don't make sense but this is the truth. u continue to amaze me maria and i am one of ur biggest fans for sure.

Sandra Tammaru

I absolutely loved this. It was something different and had for me all aspects which make a good book. Ecstatic to continue this series whenever I manage to buy the other parts

Alexandra Mellas

Raiding Bookshelves is hosting an INTERNATIONAL GIVE AWAY and you can win a SIGNED copy of TOUCH OF POWER: http://raidingbookshelves.blogspot.co...

Originally published on Raiding Bookshelves

Publication Date: 20th December, 2012
Publisher: Mira Ink Books
ISBN: 0778313077
Original Language: English
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Adventure
Source: Library
Buy the Book: Amazon 
Lootability: Grab it and go.

Was everyone else as excited as I was for another Maria V Snyder novel? I've been in love with her since I first picked up Poison Study early last year. Luckily for me, as I read through her collection, everything so far had been published and completed. It's already killing me that Touch of Power is the start of a new series and I can't immediately start reading the next book!

Touch of Power is the story of Avry, the last surviving healer of the Fifteen Realms, a world in pieces after its population has been decimated by a magically resistant plague. Living on the run hasn't been easy for Avry who is itching to heal those in need, and when she reveals her powers by saving the life of a two year old girl, Avry is sent to the gallows...only to be abducted to cure their Prince of the plague.

What I Liked: Snyder's characters want to be my best friends, and I want to be theirs. I think Avry rivals Yelena for my favourite Snyder heroine. Unlike Yelena, she was plucky from the beginning, and she was serious about using her magic to help.
The story was unique. I kept getting a familiar vibe from it though that drove me crazy for awhile. When I started reading I kept thinking that the idea of healers being victimised for their power was strangely similar to her other book, but when I tried to work out which one, I couldn't. Finally I realised it reminded me of Janice Hardy's Healing Wars! The idea of healers being reviled for their power and blamed for spreading disease.
Otherwise, the plot was completely new to me and I loved it! Snyder has a beautiful imagination and I wished I could have looked at the rows of Peace and Death Lilies. I even want to be friends with her abductors!

What I Didn't Like: I felt like a few of the revelations at the end, and Avry's decision about Ryne, were quite rushed. I missed one or two of them and had to scan backwards to find them.

Grab it and go!
The sequel Scent of Magic is expected out next year (a whole year!) and I look forward to running with the gang again soon.

Sinead Heffernan

This book seemed very similar to Maria's 'Study' series, which as I loved that series was a great thing for me. I cannot wait for the sequel.

Sans

2013? You mean I have to wait a full year before the next book is out? Well shit. It'll be well worth the wait though. 

This was awesome on so many levels. It resembled Poison Study a bit, but not so much that I felt like I was reading the same book with different character names. I was also reminded of Graceling in a few places, but since that's one of my favourite books ever, I didn't mind at all. 

Avry was everything a YA heroine should be: Brave, sensible, smart, compassionate, self-sacrificing without being a martyr, focused externally instead of indulging in endless hours of pointless navel-gazing, capable of thinking logically, able to stand up for herself without being a bitch, knew when to pick her battles, the list goes on. Despite his early examples of how to excel in the science of asshattery, Kerrick was a great character. It takes some time to warm up to him (especially after that backhanding incident), but once his background and motivations start to come out, I couldn't help but like and respect him. The secondary characters were rounded and well-thought out and added depth to the story.

The pacing was good, especially since it essentially takes place over four or five months. It's not all go, all the time, but the "lack" of action doesn't make for a slow story. Well, most of the time - there were a couple spots where I started to glaze over, but that could also be due to my desperate need for sleep. I'm just saying it's not a perfect book, but it's damn close.

And! No cliff-hanger! Yes, the greater story hasn't been wrapped up in a pretty bow, but there was a definite and natural stopping point at the end of the last chapter. So while I'm uber-excited about the next story, I'm not wanting to tear my hair out in frustration due to not knowing what happens to our characters.

Laura Allen

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, well the majority of it, but then I kind of lost interest towards the end. Also I had predicted the ending of the book pretty early on, so it kind of got to the point where I was just waiting for it to happen.

Leonie

Lacey

Also posted at Booklovers For Life

It’s been FOREVER since I’ve read a YA book, and a fantasy one at that, but what better way to get back in the genre than with Maria V. Snyder? I adored Poison Study, which is the only book I’ve ever read from the author, but Maria V. Snyder can do fantasy like no other. Reading Touch of Power just reminded me of how much I love fantasy books. I miss that genre!

As a healer, 20-year-old Avry has the power to take away other people’s injuries, and assume them as her own. If they have a broken bone, she can use her healing magic to fix it back, but she’ll have a broken bone herself. Even dire injuries that are fatal wouldn’t be fatal to Avry because her healing powers improve and speed up her recovery. But as miraculous as her powers are, healers like her have been hunted ever since the devastating plague broke out. Healers couldn’t heal those infected with the plague without dying themselves, which is abnormal. And so Avry has been on the run for 3 years trying to survive, except she gets caught by a group of men who want to use her powers to save a prince who might be able to save the kingdom from being taken over by an evil tyrant.

Avry is a fairly impressive heroine. She’s tough, she’s loyal, and she’s very adamant about using her powers for good. She’s not afraid to take on any illness or injury, no matter how dire, but she refuses to help save Prince Ryne for certain reasons. The gang who kidnaps her (Kerrick, Belen, Flea, Quian, and Loren) try to convince her to change her mind, but ultimately, they force her to travel with them across the land to get to the prince.

I adored Kerrick. The second I read “Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own” from the blurb, I knew there was going to be some tension going on between him and Avry. Kerrick is a cold-hearted man in the beginning of their journey, only wanting to use Avry for her powers, not even viewing her as a person, but as the group travel across dangerous terrain, fighting against enemies and creatures, and fighting for people worth saving, he lets down his defenses. He starts to have a heart (not that he’d let anyone know), but as their leader, he has to be tough and ruthless. And I loved that Maria V. Snyder was able to build up the romance without even focusing on it. And even if there was no romance, I’d still be content with the book, because the plot is just that good!

I loved the other characters as well. The six of them bond through their travels, and they end up building a camaraderie and caring for one another. And sometimes the gang is just hilarious! I admit I was chuckling at parts, because they pick on each other all the time. Their group isn’t just based on duty, but also on friendship.

There’s so much going on in this book, and there are so many twists and turns, and I highly enjoyed it! I love how even though it’s a fantasy book, and there are people with magical powers, all the characters still felt believable. I could connect with Avry, and I really admired her character. Kerrick is freaking awesome, along with the rest of the gang, and there’s a nasty villain who’s complicated and intriguing. The only thing I wasn’t too fond of was the writing. Or should I say Avry’s narration? Either way, it’s didn’t really sound like a 20-year-old woman, but the story was still able hook me in so I overlooked that. Other than that, Touch of Power is a wonderful fantasy novel that I highly recommend to fantasy lovers and non-fantasy lovers alike!

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Katerina Thorson

5/5
*Reread from 5 years ago

Wow, I forgot how much I LOVE Maria V. Snyder's writing and world creations. I read this book years ago, a recommendation from my sister, and ended up rereading the book 5 times in that year. That is how obsessed I was with this book. I can not honestly tell you why I gave this book a 4/5 stars the last time. However, I will not be making that mistake again. 


  "Why Flea?"
A full-out grin spread across Flea's face. "Cause I'm fast and hard to catch."
"Because he's a pest and hard to squash," Belen said.
"Because he jumps about three feet in the air when yo u scare him," Loren added.
"Because he's annoying and makes us itch with impatience," Quain said.
"Thanks, guys. I love you too." Flea made exaggerated kissing noises and patted his ass."


In this gorgeous written world, we follow a young healer who is on the run. Healers are persecuted for potentially starting a plague that wiped out 2/3rds of the population. Unfortunately, her past catches us to her and she is arrested. That is until a shady, yet handsome, man and an unlikely group of people rescue her, and reveal to her that they have been searching for her for 3 years. They request the impossible of her, as well a mission she wants not part of. However, she isn't escaping any time soon and thus is sent on a journey to find out what true sacrifice for love means. 

Maria V. Snyder's world building is impeccable and I always turn to her when I am in a huge reading slump. Her creations and imagery is so vivid that I could pluck them out of the pages and put them into the real world. On top of that her plot schemes always leave me on my toes, no matter how many times I have read her books. I enjoy watching her world building and plot come to life. There are always unique situations, unique characters, and unique creatures to watch for. 

Avry - our main character - is truly a miracle in this world, even though most don't see her as that. In fact, I see her as the last light that this world has. After the plague many did what they could to survive: steal, sexual assault, murder. However, Avry (whether due to her healer abilities or personality) is still naive to the world around her and is willing to help anyone. Her heart calls out to the wounded. That is what I loved about her - she is the light in the darkness and proves to be such many of times. 

Kerrick - our mysterious, moody man that seems to have it out for Avry. Yes, he saved her from a potential be-heading but does that stop him from treating her like garbage..NO. I once again realized why Kerrick was not my all time favorite character in the first 100 pages of Touch of Power. And while I am not giving him any reason to be cruel, once the reader understands his backstory and the things they we learn of him...well it makes some sense to his moodiness. Still does not give him the right to treat women the way he does. 

The Gang - oh gosh I loved Flea, Belen, Quain, and Loren. Like are like the siblings I am so grateful I don't have...cuz I have siblings that act just like them. They are the over protecting "brothers" and they too have some character development throughout the book. Which I absolutely love. Most authors put their secondary/third characters to the back burner. No, each had a part to play in the book and some even have large personality changes. I loved it! 


  I huffed. "I saved your life - aren't you supposed to be nice to me?"
" I don't cater to whiners."
Checking, my pockets, I searched for something to throw at him.


But what I loved more was the slow burn romance. It was not quick, it was not love at first sight and there was definitely no reason for the two to technically be together. It was just fate for them. After reading so many young adult fantasy books with the 1 page insta-love I was about ready to give up on all books. The plot is not focused around the love, which I am grateful for, instead it is focused around the world and what is happening politically and environmentally.

I am so grateful to hop back into this series after such a long wait and I can not wait to reread the second book Scent of Magic

Haleemah Sadiah

Petaco

Kaddi 

Navjot Ghotra

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honoured 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, the 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.

Lauren Hodson

Jacalyn Boggs

Lauren dunkley 

Avryś power to heal the sick should earn her respect in the plague-torn land of Kazan. Instead she is feared. Her kind are blamed for the horrifying disease that has taken hold of the nation.

Touch of power

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