Series: Healer #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 18th 2012
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback
Hunted, Killed—Survived?
As the last Healer in the Fifteen Realms, Avry of Kazan is in a unique position: in the minds of her friends and foes alike, she no longer exists. Despite her need to prevent the megalomanical King Tohon from winning control of the Realms, Avry is also determined to find her sister and repair their estrangement. And she must do it alone, as Kerrick, her partner and sole confident, returns to Alga to summon his country into battle.
Though she should be in hiding, Avry will do whatever she can to support Tohon’s opponents. Including infiltrating a holy army, evading magic sniffers, teaching forest skills to soldiers and figuring out how to stop Tohon’s most horrible creations yet; an army of the walking dead—human and animal alike and nearly impossible to defeat.
War is coming and Avry is alone. Unless she figures out how to do the impossible … again.
Maria freaking V. Snyder does it again! Scent of Magic is another excellent book in the Healer series, which I am totally in love with. Maria V. Snyder does fantasy so perfectly–if you’re looking to read a fantasy book, you must read Maria V. Snyder. And oh my, Scent of Magic was just too good.
To be honest, I was a bit worried, because in the blurb, it says “And she must do it alone, as Kerrick, her partner and sole confident, returns to Alga to summon his country into battle.” When I saw that, I went NOOOO, because I adore Kerrick, and I wanted more of him and Avry. They FINALLY got together at the very end of Touch of Power, and it made be so happy. But it’s not only the romance I love about them. The author writes them in a way that is so perfect–it’s the way they work together, how they’re so kickass and strong independently and together that really appeals to me. The Healer series is not a romance, but a fantasy book with romance in it. Which is perfect for me!
Okay, okay, back to me being worried. Was I worried? Yes. Did I need to be worried? Absolutely not. Imagine my surprise when I saw after chapter one the word KERRICK at the top of the page! Yes, we get Kerrick’s POV! Technically, it’s third person, but who cares? We get to see Kerrick’s side of the story, since he and Avry don’t get to physically be together. Avry is believed to be dead by everyone, and only Kerrick knows differently. And they have to use this advantage to fight against Tohon, the evil, intriguing megalomaniac. Avry must go back to find her sister while Kerrick must go to meet up with Prince Ryne to make battle plans.
I loved reading Kerrick’s POV, and learning more about him since we didn’t get very much in the first book. I like the way he thinks, the clever way he plans everything. He’s a very straightforward man, and his top priorities are Avry and helping Prince Ryne defeat Tohon. He makes me swoon so freaking hard. Love this man.
Avry is equally fantastic as well. While trying to make amends with her sister, Avry disguises herself and joins Estrid’s army (who is an ally of Ryne). She integrates herself into the soldiers’ lives, becoming familiar with them, and even developing friendships. Avry also has to teach these soldiers how to successfully move about silently while out on the battlefield. I was glad to see that Avry and Kerrick still managed to be grow independently, and does a lot of growth in this second novel. I admired her even more–she can heal people and fight people with her swords!
Scent of Magic is just divine. But fair warning, there is a KILLER cliffhanger at the end! Other than that, this book is definitely not a disappointment for fans of the first book. It’s an excellent sequel, and the plot is just brilliant! Twist after twist that I did not see coming, and there’s non-stop action. 4 hearts!
Reading Order: Healer series
#1 ~ Touch of Power: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Scent of Magic: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Taste of Darkness: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
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