Maria V. Snyder

Maria V. Snyder is an American fantasy author best known for her Study Series. Her first novel, Poison Study, was published on October 2005, and won the 2006 Compton Crook Award for Best First Novel.^[1] the next two books in the series are Magic Study and Fire Study. Snyder then released another trilogy of books, the Glass series, following the character Opal Cowan from the Study Series. The books in the series are Storm Glass, Sea Glass and Spy Glass respectively. On 24 February, Snyder went back to the main characters of the Study Series and released the first book of he next trilogy, the Soulfinder Series, the first book of which is Shadow Study. Aside from writing, her interests include "traveling, photography, making jewelry, and volleyball."^[2]

Awards

• 2005 – October Book Sense Pick for Poison Study
• 2005 – Locus Magazine's Recommending Reading list for Poison Study
• 2006 – Compton Crook Award for Poison Study^[3]
• 2006 – Reader's Choice Award for Poison Study
• 2006 – RITA Award Finalist for Poison Study^[4]
• 2006 – ALEX Award Finalist for Poison Study
• 2006 – Editor's Pick Award from Audible.com for Magic Study
• 2006 – October Book Sense Pick for Magic Study
• 2007 – RITA Award Finalist for Magic Study^[4]
• 2008 – New York Times Bestseller for Fire Study
• 2009 – Wirral Paperback of the Year Award for Poison Study
• 2009 – Golden Leaf Award for Storm Glass
• 2012 – Golden Leaf Award for Touch of Power
• 2012 – Prism Award for Outside In
• 2013 – Golden Leaf Award for Scent of Magic^[2]

Bibliography

Chronicles of Ixia

Study series

The first book in this series introduces the reader to Yelena, a young woman (20) who committed the murder of her torturer. It starts off in the Ixian dungeons where Yelena is having trouble stopping her gruesome memories from coming back to her. She is then taken to Valek, Commander Ambrose's Chief of Security, to await her execution. She is given a choice of execution or becoming the Commander's food taster. Yelena accepts becoming the food taster and the book continues the adventure Yelena has to oblige to, it eventually leads to the killing of Mogkan – Kangom, a dangerous magician – and Valek admitting his love to her.

The second book in the series continues with Yelena's life, she is taken by a Master Magician to find her family in the Southern lands of Sitia. Yelena reunites with her mother, father and an untrusting brother who is determined to obtain the information that would make Yelena guilty of being an Ixian spy. Yelena is taken to the Keep to learn more about her magic and how to control her unique powers. An Ixian Delegation arrives and Yelena is reunited with her lover, Valek and they form a plan in which Yelena can obtain more information about certain people(s).

The third study book is the last in the series and follows the task to silence all Sitians who have knowledge of blood magic. Yelena's magical abilities lead to the truthful rumour of her being a soulfinder, this rare type of magician with the power to stop the Warpers and Roze Featherstone. Yelena is reunited with her lover once more and almost loses him midway through the book. Valek survives the flames of the giant fire and comes back to Yelena where she is working out a very shaky plan with Ari, Janco and Leif. The war ends up coming to an end and Ixia and Sitia are saved from blood magic once Yelena uses Opal's unique magic to entrap the Warper's souls in glass prisons that Valek later hides.

• Poison Study (2005)
• Magic Study (2006)
• Fire Study (2008)

There are currently three short stories in this series as well; they are listed in the Short stories section, below, with links to on-line copies.

Glass series

Many of the characters from the Study Series of books returned in Snyder's follow up series of three.

They follow protagonist, Opal Cowan, a glass magician who can trap magic inside glass. She crafts glass messengers for Sitia and helps with a glass crisis. Until the Stormdance clan's orbs shatter, killing Stormdancers and leaving the coastal residents in life-threatening danger. Opal must find the true recipe for the orbs and fix them. However, Opal is kidnapped trying to rescue Kade, a Stormdancer captured by warpers. Trapped on the northern ice sheet of Ixia, with a huge storm close behind them Opal comes to terms with her death. She is prepared to sacrifice herself to save Kade. The second in the Glass series, Sea Glass follows Opal as she defies the council of Sitia and journeys to free her lover from a warper. With more warpers after her and a warrant for her arrest being made public, Opal has to fear for her life as she sacrifices more than she realizes to save one she loves.^[5]

The third in the Glass series, Spy Glass was released 1 September 2010.

• Storm Glass (2009)
• Sea Glass (September 2009)
• Spy Glass (September 2010)

Maria Snyder has said that 'This is the last Study/Glass book for now. I do see potential in many characters in this world, including Heli (the young Stormdancer), Quinn and Fisk.'^[6]

Soulfinder series

• Shadow Study (2015) – also considered as book 4 in the Study series^[7]
• Night Study (2016)
• Dawn Study (2017)

Insider Series

• Inside Out (2010)^[8]
• Outside In (2011)
• Inside (Collection of both novels in one book)

Healer Series

• Touch of Power (2011)^[9]
• Scent of Magic (2012)^[10]
• Taste of Darkness (2013)^[11]

Short stories

• Godzilla Warfare, a short story in No Man's Land, Dark Quest Books, 2011
• Sword Point, a short story in The Eternal Kiss (2009)
• Assassin Study (2009) ( Online) [Study series #1.5] is a short story about the trouble Valek is involved in while Yelena is in Sitia.
• Power Study (2008) (Online) [Study series #3.5] is about Ari and Janco as they deal with a Sandseed Magician and a cocky young soldier.
• Ice Study (2010) (Online) [Study series #3.6] is a prequel to Shadow Study and has a timeline of Yelena and Valek at the end. Yelena and Valek race to stop Owen Moon from stealing the Ice Moon from the Commander's diamond mine.
• E-Time (Online)
• The Wizard's Daily Horoscope Black Gate Magazine Issue 11 (Summer 2007) (Online)
• Protect the Children Eye Contact Seton Hill University's literary arts magazine (Online)

References

External links

• Official website
• Maria Snyder at Fantasy Literature
• Maria V. Snyder at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• Maria Snyder on UK Publisher site