Friday 22 February 2013

Review + Giveaway - Touch of Power (Healer #1) by Maria V. Snyder

Touch of Power (Avry of Kazan, #1)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Series: Healer / Avry of Kazan
Pages: 39
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Amazon: Touch of Power – (Kindle)

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

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.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

Touch of Power is the very first book I have read by Maria V. Snyder and certainly won’t be my last; I devoured this book and was so thankful I had the sequel, Scent of Magic ready and waiting to be read just so I could continue on with the story.

20 year-old Avry of Kazan is a Healer and is able to take into herself injury, diseases and ailments of others, but it doesn’t come without pain and sacrifice. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague which is destroying the Fifteen Realms so she flees from execution with the help of a group of rogues’ who value her ability and wish to use it to heal a Prince in exchange for her freedom. I loved Avry as a character; she wasn't without her flaws but I adored her for her strength and her ability to actually stand up for herself and make her own choices.

Kerrick of Alga is the leader of the band of rogues, he was such a mysterious character and got on my nerves initially but he was a great love interest, he was stoic, protective and loyal; I enjoyed the slow building progression of the relationship he had with Avry, it didn't feel forced or fake but came quite naturally.

The plot is filled with intense action scenes and is full of drama, adventure and mystery that keeps you entertained and yearning for more; I love books about magic and enjoyed the way it was used and described in Touch of Power. I also liked learning about the death & peace lilies, very interesting and creative.

I found the secondary characters to be real stand-outs, I had an immediate connection to each of them; the banter and dialogue made for a really entertaining read and I found the bad guys were written to perfection, there seemed to be someone after Avry at every turn all wanting to use her for their own political purpose.

Ms. Snyder’s storytelling and writing is flawless, I loved the imaginative and mesmerizing world she has weaved; the vivid detail of the fantasy setting and the well-developed, likable characters kept me entertained throughout.

Overall, Touch of Power is a great start to the Healer series; it is fraught with danger as they travel through the lands, has a really enjoyable romance and wonderful action scenes; I am definitely eager to get started on the sequel!

A very BIG thank-you to Mandee from Vegan YA Nerds for sharing with me her copy of Touch of Power xx


Giveaway

Morey Media/Harlequin Teen are kindly offering one (1) x copy of Touch of Power and Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder to a resident of Australia/NZ.

To enter, complete the rafflecopter form below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

11 comments:

  1. I really loved the plot for this novel-so action packed and a nonstop thrill ride!

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    1. I agree! I am reading Scent of Magic at the moment and its just as good.

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  2. I really loved this one too! I got the second one ages ago now and really need to pick it up! I agree that the secondary characters were really fantastic. Glad you loved it so much too!

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    1. Thanks Candace! I hope you enjoy the sequel as much as I am :)

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  3. What an interesting ability and she absorbs them..hmm I wonder what effect it has. I am so glad you enjoyed and hope to add it to my list.

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    1. I hope you get to read these Kimba! I loved the magic abilities and the way they were all used, Avry's ability was certainly unique.

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  4. OOOPs! I'm so sorry, I entered before I noticed that it's for Australia and NZ only, could you please delete my entry?! :) So sorry sweetie! I got so excited after reading your review, I pretty much stopped paying attention! *forgive me!*

    Evie Bookish

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    1. No worries Evie <3 I am constantly entering giveaways that are US only not realising ;)

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  5. A friend of mine has raved about these, so they are on my list of books to get! Thanks for the giveaway, fingers crossed :-)

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    1. Thanks Liz! It is a great series & you are welcome :) good luck!

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  6. I had no idea what this one was about. To be honest, I just hadn't read even a synopsis, despite seeing it around. But I trust your reviews, so I wanted to see what you thought. I like that it had in impact on you, and that you know for sure you'll read more by this author! It sounds like a really cool concept, and not something that's been done to death. Nice review, Sharon!

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