Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Audiobook Review: Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

PJV Quickie: I highly enjoyed TOUCH OF POWER from Maria V. Snyder, but what else can be expected with this author. Synder has a way of building tension, creating characters and painting a picture with every sentence.

Review: Avry of Kazan is a healer, by placing her hands on an injured or sick person she assumes their sickness, and her own advancing healing system heals her. It was once a respected profession, until the plague. Now, because of the devastation of the plague  assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Avry is left to live a half-life, where she has to hide what she is and watch as people die around her. Unable to watch the young die from something that she could save, Avry gives in and the parents of a girl she saves turns her in. Healers are hated and feared. The regent of the territory has also put a big reward on a healer’s capture. But, before she can be killed she is “saved” by a group of men, who insist that she has to save their “friend.”

TOUCH OF POWER was a fun and fantastical listen. The narrator Gabra Zackman was very talented and unobtrusive. The book was classic Synder. Both Avry and Kerrick were characters that will resonate with me for a long time to come. The most poignant point of the novel is the transition of Avry, she is a great character. She goes from scared but still courageous to empowered and willing to take on the world for her new friends.

Then there was the world-building, a fantasy mixed with a dystopian, it was great. Plague destroyed world with rogues and magic. I was also a big fan of the relationship dynamic between the characters and the mystery surrounding the mission of the rogues and Avry. Everything was laid out perfectly. From Avry’s point-of-view the information was revealed as she discovered it and any withholding made sense and was expected.

How can I describe this perfectly? The story just unfolds as you read it. It lays before you, every little piece something to be appreciated. Kerrick the secondary character is the puzzle that is most intriguing and his character’s transition within the eyes of Avry is the reason I read books. I read to experience characters like this. But, don’t take my word for it. This is a highly recommended book and I urge you to experience it for yourself.

But, I know what you are thinking. Why only 4.5 stars PJ? Where did the but…come in? And quite frankly, it is because I read POISON STUDY. One of my all time favorite books. And in fact, I read POISON STUDY right before listening to TOUCH OF POWER. It is one of my favorite books to re-read and I wanted to experience it on audiobook, so I downloaded both POISON STUDY and TOUCH OF POWER. Because of this, I noticed similarities between the characters of Avry and Kerrick and Valek and Yelena. Mostly in the transition of the characters. While the similarities were annoying it did not distract from the overall story. If you’ve read both books, go ahead and check out the spoiler…

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Parajunkee

Rachel, whom you might know as Parajunkee, is the blog owner of parajunkee.com and the design blog parajunkee.net. Rachel has been blogging for close to four years, designing / web programming for over twelve, but her real love, reading, has been her favorite hobby since childhood. Rachel has won numerous awards for her writing, the blogs she has created and her design work.

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