Scent of Magic: A Fantasy Adventure with Magic, Romance, and Undead Soldiers by Maria V. Snyder
Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder: A Review
If you are looking for a fantasy adventure with magic, romance, and undead soldiers, you might want to check out Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder. This is the second book in the Healer series, which follows Avry of Kazan, a rare healer who can cure diseases by taking them into herself. In this book, Avry faces new challenges and dangers as she tries to stop a tyrannical king from conquering the Fifteen Realms with his army of zombies.
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In this review, we will explore what makes Scent of Magic a captivating and enjoyable read. We will look at the genre and plot summary, the characters and setting, the writing style and structure, and the critical reception and popularity of the book. We will also provide some FAQs for those who want to know more about the book.
Introduction
Scent of Magic is a fantasy novel written by Maria V. Snyder, an American author who has published several books in different genres, such as science fiction, dystopian, and historical fiction. She is best known for her Study series, which features a young woman who becomes a poison taster for a powerful commander.
Scent of Magic is the sequel to Touch of Power, which introduced Avry of Kazan, a healer who can transfer illnesses from others to herself. In Touch of Power, Avry was hunted by both sides of a war that ravaged the Fifteen Realms, a land divided into different kingdoms with different cultures and magics. She was rescued by a group of rebels who wanted her to heal their leader, Prince Ryne, who was infected by a deadly plague. Along the way, she met Kerrick, a forest mage who became her love interest, and learned that she was not only a healer, but also had other abilities that made her unique.
In Scent of Magic, Avry continues her mission to stop King Tohon, a cruel ruler who has created an army of undead soldiers by using his necromantic magic. Tohon wants to control all the Realms by using his influence over people's emotions. Avry decides to infiltrate Tohon's army as a spy, while Kerrick returns to his homeland to rally his people against Tohon. Along their separate journeys, they face many obstacles and enemies, as well as discover new allies and secrets.
The book belongs to the fantasy genre, which involves elements of magic, supernatural phenomena, or imaginary worlds. The book also has elements of romance, as Avry and Kerrick's relationship develops throughout the story. The book is suitable for young adult readers and above, as it contains some violence, death, and sexual references.
The main themes and messages of the book are about courage, loyalty, sacrifice, friendship, love, trust, identity, and destiny. The book explores how Avry and Kerrick overcome their fears and doubts, how they stay loyal to their friends and causes, how they sacrifice themselves for others, how they form bonds with new allies, how they express their love for each other, how they trust their instincts and abilities, how they discover their true identities and purposes, and how they face their destinies.
Characters and Setting
The book has a large cast of characters, each with their own personalities, backgrounds, and roles. The main characters are:
Avry of Kazan: The protagonist and narrator of the book. She is a healer who can cure diseases by taking them into herself. She also has other powers, such as sensing magic, communicating with plants and animals, and disguising her scent. She is brave, compassionate, clever, stubborn, and loyal. She joins Tohon's army as a spy under the name of Avry of Fleche.
Kerrick of Alga: The deuteragonist and love interest of Avry. He is a forest mage who can manipulate plants and trees. He is also the prince of Alga, a kingdom that has been isolated from the other Realms for centuries. He is serious, protective, determined, honorable, and caring. He returns to Alga to summon his people to fight against Tohon.
King Tohon: The main antagonist of the book. He is the king of Sogra, a kingdom that has been corrupted by his necromantic magic. He can create undead soldiers by reanimating corpses and control people's emotions by using his enhanced scent. He is ruthless, ambitious, manipulative, charismatic, and sadistic. He wants to conquer all the Realms by using his army and influence.
Belen: A secondary character and friend of Avry. He is a former soldier who joined the rebels to fight against Tohon. He is a giant of a man who is strong, loyal, gentle, humorous, and fatherly. He accompanies Avry to Tohon's army as her protector.
Flea: A secondary character and friend of Avry. He is a former thief who joined the rebels to fight against Tohon. He is a young man who is agile, clever, mischievous, sarcastic, and loyal. He also accompanies Avry to Tohon's army as her spy partner.
Quain: A secondary character and friend of Kerrick. He is a former soldier who joined the rebels to fight against Tohon. He is a skilled archer who is brave, loyal, friendly, humorous, and optimistic. He follows Kerrick to Alga as his supporter.
Loren: A secondary character and friend of Kerrick. He is a former soldier who joined the rebels to fight against Tohon. He is a skilled swordsman who is brave, loyal, serious, respectful, and stoic. He also follows Kerrick to Alga as his supporter.
Ryne: A secondary character and leader of the rebels. He is the prince of Estridore, a kingdom that has been devastated by the plague. He is a strategist who is intelligent, cunning, charismatic, ambitious, and ruthless. He was healed by Avry in the first book and now leads the resistance against Tohon.
Noelle: A secondary character and ally of Avry. She is a healer who was trained by Avry in the first book. She is a young woman who is sweet, innocent, naive, curious, and eager to learn. She stays with Ryne as his personal healer.
Writing Style and Structure
The book is written in the first-person point of view, alternating between Avry and Kerrick's perspectives. This allows the reader to follow their separate journeys and experiences, as well as their thoughts and feelings. The writing style is simple, clear, and engaging, with a balance of dialogue, description, and action. The author uses vivid imagery, sensory details, and metaphors to create a rich and immersive world. The author also uses humor, sarcasm, and banter to lighten the mood and add personality to the characters.
The book is structured into four parts, each with a different focus and setting. The first part introduces the main conflict and the characters' goals. The second part shows Avry and Kerrick's challenges and discoveries in their respective missions. The third part reveals some twists and secrets that change the course of the story. The fourth part brings the climax and resolution of the story. The book also has a prologue and an epilogue that provide some background and foreshadowing for the story.
The writing style and structure of the book are effective and enjoyable, as they create a fast-paced and captivating story that keeps the reader interested and invested. The book also has some flaws, such as some inconsistencies, repetitions, and clichés that might annoy some readers. Some readers might also find the romance too predictable or cheesy, or the plot too convenient or unrealistic.
Critical Reception and Popularity
The book received mostly positive reviews from critics and readers, who praised the author's creativity, imagination, and storytelling skills. The book was also appreciated for its strong female protagonist, its diverse and likable characters, its thrilling action scenes, its emotional depth, and its satisfying ending. Some of the positive reviews are:
"Snyder delivers another excellent adventure." - Publishers Weekly
"Fans of Snyder's Study books will find plenty to love in this exciting sequel." - RT Book Reviews
"Scent of Magic is a compelling read with a unique magic system that readers will love." - Fantasy Book Critic
"Scent of Magic is a fantastic addition to an already amazing series." - The Book Smugglers
The book also received some negative reviews from critics and readers, who criticized the author's writing style, structure, and plot. The book was also disliked for its weak villain, its confusing magic system, its lack of originality, and its cliffhanger ending. Some of the negative reviews are:
"Snyder's prose is pedestrian at best." - Kirkus Reviews
"Scent of Magic suffers from a lack of focus and direction." - Fantasy Literature
"Scent of Magic is a disappointing sequel that fails to live up to its predecessor." - All Things Urban Fantasy
"Scent of Magic is a boring and predictable read that offers nothing new or exciting." - Goodreads reviewer
The book was popular among fans of fantasy and romance genres, especially those who enjoyed the author's previous works. The book was also popular among young adult readers who liked stories with magic, adventure, and love. The book was a bestseller on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. The book also received several awards and recognitions, such as:
The 2013 RT Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Epic Fantasy Novel
The 2013 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Fantasy
The 2013 Aurealis Award Finalist for Best Fantasy Novel
The 2014 Audie Award Finalist for Best Fantasy Audiobook
Conclusion
In conclusion, Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder is a fantasy novel that follows Avry of Kazan, a healer who can cure diseases by taking them into herself. She tries to stop King Tohon, a tyrant who has created an army of undead soldiers by using his necromantic magic. She infiltrates Tohon's army as a spy, while her lover Kerrick returns to his homeland to rally his people against Tohon.
The book is a captivating and enjoyable read that offers a rich and immersive world, diverse and likable characters, thrilling action scenes, emotional depth, and satisfying ending. The book also has some flaws, such as some inconsistencies, repetitions, clichés, weak villain, confusing magic system, lack of originality, and cliffhanger ending.
The book is suitable for young adult readers and above, as it contains some violence, death, and sexual references. The book belongs to the fantasy genre, with elements of romance. The book is the sequel to Touch of Power, and the second book in the Healer series. The book received mostly positive reviews from critics and readers, and was popular among fans of fantasy and romance genres. The book also received several awards and recognitions.
Some of the reasons to read the book are:
If you like fantasy stories with magic, adventure, and love
If you like strong female protagonists who can heal and fight
If you like diverse and likable characters who have different personalities and abilities
If you like thrilling action scenes that involve undead soldiers, magic battles, and forest skills
If you like emotional depth that explores themes of courage, loyalty, sacrifice, friendship, love, trust, identity, and destiny
If you like satisfying endings that wrap up the story and leave some room for the next book
Some of the reasons to not read the book are:
If you don't like fantasy stories with magic, adventure, and love
If you don't like strong female protagonists who can heal and fight
If you don't like diverse and likable characters who have different personalities and abilities
If you don't like thrilling action scenes that involve undead soldiers, magic battles, and forest skills
If you don't like emotional depth that explores themes of courage, loyalty, sacrifice, friendship, love, trust, identity, and destiny
If you don't like cliffhanger endings that leave you hanging for the next book
FAQs
Here are some of the frequently asked questions about the book and their answers:
Q: Is Scent of Magic a standalone book or part of a series?
A: Scent of Magic is part of a series called the Healer series. It is the second book in the series, after Touch of Power. The third and final book in the series is Taste of Darkness. Q: Do I need to read Touch of Power before reading Scent of Magic?
A: It is recommended to read Touch of Power before reading Scent of Magic, as it introduces the main characters, the world, the magic system, and the conflict. However, Scent of Magic does provide some recap and explanation for those who have not read Touch of Power or need a refresher. Q: How does Scent of Magic end?
A: Scent of Magic ends with a cliffhanger that sets up the next book. Avry and Kerrick reunite after their separate missions and face Tohon in a final showdown. However, they discover that Tohon has a secret weapon that could change everything. The book ends with Avry making a shocking decision that could save or doom everyone. Q: Is there a movie or TV adaptation of Scent of Magic?
A: There is no movie or TV adaptation of Scent of Magic as of now. However, there are some fan-made trailers on YouTube that show how the book could look like on screen. Q: Where can I download Scent of Magic in epub format?
A: There are several websites that offer Scent of Magic in epub format for free or for a fee. However, some of these websites may be illegal or unsafe. It is advisable to download Scent of Magic from reputable sources such as Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.com. 71b2f0854b