Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

This series by Maria Snyder has been on my reading for about a year now and I never got a chance to actually read them. However, since Maria was coming to the B&N where I work to sign her newest book I decided it was finally time to start reading.

I absolutely loved Poison Study. I think it only took me about 2 days to read this book. The book takes place in a country called Ixia, which is ruled by a military government. The main character, Yelena, is imprisoned and sentenced to death for murdering the son of a general. On the day of her execution she is given a choice: hang, or become the food tester for the country's Commander. Yelena accepts the job offer and begins training with Valek, the Commander's chief of security. This book contains a mixture of action, intrigue romance and magic.

Snyder's writing style is similar to Stephenie Meyer, however I believe these books are much better than the Twilight series. I loved the main characters, Yelena and Valek, as well as Ari and Janco, two soldiers who become like big brothers to Yelena.

I would highly recommend this series to anyone interested in fantasy, or any Stephenie Meyer fan who may be looking for something a little more mature than the Twilight books.