--- product_id: 12788853 title: "Shadow Study" brand: "maria v. snyder" price: "€ 33.76" currency: EUR in_stock: false reviews_count: 7 url: https://www.desertcart.at/products/12788853-shadow-study store_origin: AT region: Austria --- # Shadow Study **Brand:** maria v. snyder **Price:** € 33.76 **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Shadow Study by maria v. snyder - **How much does it cost?** € 33.76 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.at](https://www.desertcart.at/products/12788853-shadow-study) ## Best For - maria v. snyder enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted maria v. snyder brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![Shadow Study - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41AhtJpEThL.jpg) ![Shadow Study - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51XHTOZTy7L.jpg) ![Shadow Study - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31L-U7UVFeL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars Politics, intrigue, and the next generation in this sequel to the first story arc *by K***S on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 4, 2017* How time flies. Just in the last novel, we saw Yelena come into her own to become one of the most powerful Magicians of the millennium and the Liason of two countries rather suspicious and distrustful of one another. And what does she have to show for it? Not much. Despite the 6 year fast forward, we see Yelena is still kicking as Liason though many people have tried to kill her. And Valek hadn't proposed. (Stupid man!) It made me sad that she hadn't actually accomplished very much in 6 years politically. The Commander is ever distrustful of Sitia and Sitians on the Council couldn't make a decision if their lives depended on it. Some characters have disappeared (Cahil) and people who were supposed to be dead (no one we knew to begin with) are not quite so dead (the Big Bad of the story arc).I'm not sure how I felt about this next book. Six years have passed since Book 3, and Yelena has plenty of stories and scars to prove it. Unfortunately, I have not been along for the ride and the names of people, places and other stories we are not familiar with are told in passing as the author situates us around Yelena's world again. Without reading the spin-off Glass series about Opal Cowan, I felt a little lost and left out for 1/4 of the story. I was at a serious disadvantage not having read the Glass Series.Intriguing is that the Commander, someone whom I respected in the first three books, may have made a very bad choice that sets Yelena and Valek on a very hard journey and may undo both Ixia and Sitia in the end. Disappointing is that Bain and Irys have no control over the Council and the idiot Council's greed and mistrust will be the end of Sitia. Though I still don't believe the gender bending Commander is evil, some of his choices are questionable and he's been keeping too many secrets, even from Valek.I would say there is no main character in this story arc. I didn't know how I felt about that. Yelena is no longer center stage as a very unfortunate/fortunate accident has rendered her magically useless. The chapters are narrated like a Fallen Kingdom's novel from multiple perspectives with cliff hangers galore for each chapter. A bit unnerving is that the third-person switches to first person when Yelena is narrating, which throws you off even more as the reader. I'm sure there was a reason for it but I still don't know what it was. I don't recall having so many perspectives in the first story arc, but since we have expanded Yelena's world and her circle, we now follow different story arcs from Janco, Yelena, Leif and Valek's perspective. They all come together in the end anyhow.Most delightful is Valek's perspective, which we have never been allowed to see. Maybe his age is catching up with him, since he must be pushing 40 now. He's reminiscing about his training, his old mentor and how he gained his reputation as the King Killer. We see a bit of how he mastered his emotions, how all those carved rocks came to be, and how he avenged his family. That was a great study in the assassin's background. We don't see the point in it until Book 7 but there is a point to all this reminiscing. We then come to realize he did not always do what the Commander ordered if his moral compass told him it was wrong, so the big bad assassin is really a nice guy underneath. We understand now that his holding Yelena for a year in the Commander's prison was just another side of Valek; a guy who wouldn't kill anyone if there didn't seem to be a good reason to. We all know how much he likes puzzles, his heart mate being the puzzle that saved his soul. We also see how the center of his universe gradually shifted from himself, to his Commander, to his Yelena. That journey alone was worth reading about.Like Cahil in the first 3 books, I'm not sure what the point of Onora was, and I couldn't like or connect to her, but I get the distinct feeling that if Valek and Yelena are ever to find their true happiness together, the Commander needs to replace Valek, needs Ixian magicians on his side, the Council needs to find its spine and Yelena and Valek need to find a nice cottage in the middle of nowhere so they can finally have some peace and quiet. Then a new generation of crime fighters needs to rise in these next three books to help the oppressed and downtrodden, and to sustain that uneasy peace between Ixia and Sitia.This story arc is not as dark as the first, but it's politics and intrigue galore. Twists and turns lead you into blind alleys, dead ends, and a deep dark maze of treachery. The never-ending danger of the Big Bad is kind of tiresome and our heroes are always one step behind the bigger plot. Frustrating but entertaining enough to make you buy the next two books without even sampling. You're in it deep by now, and if you're like me, you won't stop until you find out what becomes of our favorite Soul Finder and her heart mate Assassin. ### ⭐⭐ 2.0 out of 5 stars Falls way short of expectations *by Y***I on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 13, 2015* https://theinkgobbler.wordpress.com/Sometimes, disappointment is a jarring, crushing feeling, the kind that hits you in the chest and forces the breath out of you. Other times, it's a subtle, sly thing, sneaking up behind you but never surprising you, lingering just out of conscious reach. When I found out that Maria V. Snyder's "Study" trilogy, which had originally come to a close seven years ago, was being revived in the new "Soulfinder" series with "Shadow Study," I think I must've peed in my pants a little. I remember falling head over heels in love with the characters and the world of the story, lying in bed well past midnight as I breezed past the pages, engrossed. But we all know that with the greatest anticipation, can come the greatest disappointment. In this case, the subtler, second kind. This is not to say that I hated the book, not at all, but rather that I found myself out of sync with the characters and the story that I once loved, most likely because too many years have passed since I said goodbye, and I, as a reader, have changed. And really, that's perfectly okay.I know I began this review on a somber, unpromising note, but "Shadow Study" is still a pretty entertaining read, and most especially because of its cast of characters. Reading this book was like being reunited with old friends, from Yelena and Valek to Janco and Ari, not to mention Kiki, Yelena's trusty steed. Admittedly, it was a little strange considering that the story takes place quite a few years after where we left off in the "Study" trilogy, though I suppose it's only fitting considering the time lapse between the books' actual publications. Plus, it made the reunion all the sweeter. I really appreciated the way in which Ms. Snyder brought back her old characters, like Leif and Opal, which subtly interconnects the two series in the reader's mind, prompting them to dig up memories of what had happened in the previous novels and altogether creating a richer, deeper reading experience. What's more, I especially enjoyed the development of Yelena and Valek's relationship, as it's undoubtedly matured a great deal, which we see in the way they've begun to reconsider what they want out of their individual lives (after all, they're kind of old now, too). It was great to see all of the characters we'd already seen grow so much develop even more, rendering them engaging to read about throughout the story, as well as see new characters added on to the dramatis personae to keep things fresh.That being said, it's also important to keep in mind that "Shadow Study" is the beginning of a new, separate series, with a new plot to follow with each installment. I do have to say, however, that this was one point toward which I found myself a little disappointed. While the premise of the storyline does sound promising, with Yelena finding her magic mysteriously blocked and political dissent rearing its ugly head once again, it ended up a little dull and too drawn out. The development of the plot was fairly predictable - in fact, the whole question of "who dunnit" was rather explicitly hinted at from the very beginning, leaving the so-called big reveal toward the end of the book more of a dud than anything. While there were a few unexpected twists in the storyline, they themselves failed to elicit much surprise from me, perhaps owing to the fact that everything was kind of drawn out. By the end of the novel, I found that what really kept me going till the final pages were the characters that I'd become attached to in the past, rather than anything new that was going on in this new installment.Another thing that was pretty disappointing was the execution of the narrative and dialogue. I don't know whether it's something that I just failed to pick up on in the past, or whether it's because the book is meant to be geared toward younger readers, but the writing was almost simplistic and even clumsy. For instance, many of the sentences lack commas and other punctuation that could help with the flow of the narrative; instead, clauses are jumbled together in a way that make the narrative voice seem forced and unnatural. Some questions don't end in question marks, but end in full stops instead, and there are some exclamations that sound a little childish, especially considering the fact that the characters are in their late twenties or thirties. What especially did it for me was when Janco, who seems to have much more of an enthusiastic tone of voice, kept calling people "newbs." Do people still use that word? While it would make sense if the story is, indeed, meant for younger readers, I was thrown off by the fact that there were quite a bit of sexual innuendoes sprinkled here and there with regard to Yelena and Valek, suggesting a somewhat older target audience instead. It seems that the writing style of the book is incompatible with its content, not quite striking a working balance between audiences.Overall, I have to say that "Shadow Study" fell short of expectations. While the cast of characters are as vibrant and as engaging as always, the storyline and the technical execution of the novel left a lot to be asked for. Maybe this is a sign that some books ought to stay closed, even if they're full of promise and potential.Rating: 2/5 ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Esse livro é incrível! *by I*** on Reviewed in Brazil 🇧🇷 on August 10, 2018* Shadow Study vem pra dar continuação à vida de Yelena Zaltana. E agora podemos entender bem mais tudo o que estava se passando e criar uma relação de amor com ela e outros personagens nesse mundo, ainda maior. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.at/products/12788853-shadow-study](https://www.desertcart.at/products/12788853-shadow-study) --- *Product available on Desertcart Austria* *Store origin: AT* *Last updated: 2026-05-02*