February YA Releases

As we near the end of February, I have rounded up some February YA releases that I am super excited for; February has been an awesome month for YA novels! Since there are so many February releases, I decided to stick to only the new series/first-in-series.

 I had the opportunity to review some of these early, so be sure to check out my reviews.


Red Queen (Red Queen Trilogy #1) by Victoria Aveyard
Released February 10th 2015 by HarperTeen

This is Victoria's debut novel and has made the New York Times Bestselling list already, which is pretty awesome!









The Sin Eater’s Daughter (The Sin Eater’s Daughter #1) by Melinda Salisbury
Released February 5th 2015 by Scholastic Press

I reviewed this earlier early on in the month an gave this a solid five stars - you can read my review here. It definitely has one of the most unique plot lines in YA lit and some pretty interesting and twisted characters.






Seeker (Seeker #1) by Arwen Elys Dayton
Released February 10th 2015 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

The title, cover, and premise reminds me so much of the TV show Legend of the Seeker! I'll be reading and reviewing this later in the year.







Shadow Study (Soulfinders #1) by Maria V. Snyder
Will be Released February 24th 2015 by Mira INK

Depending on how you look at it, you may or may not consider this a new series. Although it is officially listed as the first in the Soulfinders series, many, including myself, see it as the fourth book in the Study series. However, I had to include it as it's one of my favorite series ever and I am so excited that Maria is bringing it back after six years.
I reviewed this all the way back in December, so check out my five star review here.



Do you plan on reading any of these? What are some of your favorite February releases? Let me know in the comments!

[Review] Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder

Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder

Rating: 5 Stars

Series: Study #4 / The Chronicles of Ixia #7

Release Date: February 2015

Goodreads synopsis:

Once, only her own life hung in the balance.
Oddly enough, when Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. But she'd survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia. Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands and protect her relationship with Valek.
Suddenly, though, they are beset on all sides by those vying for power through politics and intrigue. Valek's job - and his life - are in danger. As Yelena tries to uncover the scope of these plots, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked. She must keep that a secret - or her enemies will discover just how vulnerable she really is - while searching for who or what is responsible for neutralizing her powers.
Yes, the days of tasting poisons were much simpler. And certainly not as dangerous.



Where do I even start? I had very high expectations for Shadow Study since the moment I found out Maria was going to continue the series. In one word, Shadow Study was spectacular. I finished it in under two days, and my only regret is not savoring it longer. It not only met my expectations, but rather it far exceeded them.

One of the most notable differences between this and the first three Study books is the different POVs; Yelena, Valek, and Janco's. I really liked hearing the inner thoughts of the other characters as opposed to just Yelena's, and I found myself favoring Valek's chapters. The alternation of chapters also created a lot of suspense and mini-cliffhangers, which I really liked since it gave the book a nice pace. Through Valek's chapters, we also find out a lot more about his past and his relationship with the Commander. The more I learn about him, the more I just want to give that man a bear hug (provided he doesn't shoot me with his darts if I try to get close)!

As previously demonstrated, Maria is an excellent an talented storyteller and I felt as if I was in Ixia and Sitia along with the characters - I sympathized with them during the bad times, laughed with them whenever Janco was around, and was happy when something went right for our favorite heroines and heroes. Although there were some interesting new characters introduced, Valek and the Commander remain two of my favorites despite some of the conflicts... and since I want to make this as spoiler free as possible, I won't say any more. ;)

The ending is satisfying, but there are still a lot of questions left unanswered, which will probably be resolved in the next two books. Maria definitely kept me surprised and on my toes throughout!

Well now I'm off to reread the entire series for the umpteenth time as I wait over a year for Night Study, but if you get one thing from this review, it's to go pre-order the book now!

Waiting on Wednesday (9) - Shadow Study

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder

Series: Study #4 / Soulfinder #1
Publisher: Mira

Publication Date: February 25th, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

Once, only her own life hung in the balance.

Oddly enough, when Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. But she'd survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia. Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands and protect her relationship with Valek.

Suddenly, though, they are beset on all sides by those vying for power through politics and intrigue. Valek's job - and his life - are in danger. As Yelena tries to uncover the scope of these plots, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked. She must keep that a secret - or her enemies will discover just how vulnerable she really is - while searching for who or what is responsible for neutralizing her powers.

Yes, the days of tasting poisons were much simpler. And certainly not as dangerous.

Why Shadow Study?

Maria V. Snyder has been one of my favorite authors since Poison Study, so I am absolutely elated that she is continuing the series! I actually wanted to make Shadow Study my WoW shortly after Maria announced it, but there wasn't a cover. I am delighted to make this my first WoW since returning from my blogging hiatus. :P Poison Study is also my favorite book in the series, and this one seems much more like Poison than Magic & Fire, so I have very high hopes for this one.