SPOILER ALERT
The final book in the Yelena Zaltana series, as the young magician tracks down the elusive Soul Stealer, whilst battling the Fire Warper.
Yelena’s time in Sitia has not been the return to her homeland she wished for. Instead, she has been traipsing across the land in search of baddies, whilst facing the harsh scrutiny of the magicians at the Keep. Only her gung-ho attitude and ferocity have kept her alive so far, along with a handful of trustworthy companions. However, this final instalment will see her take on her biggest foe yet: magicians using Blood magic in order to harness greater powers to take over Sitia.
Friendships and loyalties will be put to the test, whilst Yelena must face her own destiny as the Soul Finder, and all that it entails.
Arguably the most frenetic of the three books, Fire Study is attempting too much in this story. The character of Yelena is sent through an endless string of punishing tasks, without any rest bite, seeing her in battle upon battle, fight upon fight. Her pursuit of Ferde and Cahil seems based on very little information, and yet she stumbles upon most of their plans with ease, making the plot seem a little thin.
This being said, Fire Study still embodies the thrilling aspects of Snyder’s writing: the wonderful fantasy, the captivating magical elements which seem original and heartfelt. Yelena’s journey, whilst mostly physical, also sees a lot of character development for herself, in particular about her fate, which adds depth to this book. Thematically, the story is quite unoriginal: a girl becoming an adult, the importance of friendship, courage versus cowardice.
Throughout the series, the bonds between the characters have strengthened, something which is important within fantasy literature. Also, Snyder has raised a larger question about societies: how the governing of a nation will inevitably be flawed. The two nations Sitia and Ixia are governed with extreme polarity: the former being a magical land with separate tribes/clans who make their own rules for their own people, whilst the latter is a military country, where a strict code of behaviour is followed. Rather than promoting one style of leadership, Snyder finds flaws and strengths within both, an admirable achievement.
An pleasurable series of books for those requiring a fantasy trilogy which will not keep you bogged down for months. The pages are turned fast, the twists and turns come quickly, and the story moves with increasing amounts of danger and peril.
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