Review: Fire Study

Title: Fire Study (Study, #3)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Release Date: March 1, 2008
Publisher: MIRA
Cover Designer: N/A
Age Audience: YA
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. 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.

My Review:
★★★★★

Fire Study, the final installment of the Study trilogy, was better than Magic Study, but still not as good as Poison Study.

First of all, I like that Valek was more of an important character here than in Magic Study. Valek is awesome. All the other characters are great too, and not even the insignificant characters are flat or boring. And over the course of three books, you get to see the characters developing and maturing while still staying the same people. Character development is rare in YA books nowadays, so I'm happy whenever I find it.

One of the things I liked the most about this last book is that we finally learn about the Commander's "mutation"! I finished Magic Study feeling very confused about him, and thought that the author would decide to keep the truth about the "mutation" a mystery. So I was very thankful that we were given an explanation!

I also loved the suspense. I had to pull a caffeine-fueled all-nighter for this book because I HAD to know what would happen next! And my efforts were not in vain. The twist at the end was unpredictable and completely original! I found the concept of putting souls inside glass fascinating.

My only criticism is that it would have been nice to learn more about the Fire Warper, half the book long I was confused as to who he even was! 

But other than that, Fire Study was a great ending to a great series! I'll be looking forward to reading Opal's story (the Glass series).