New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder brings her Poison Study series to its exhilarating conclusion
Despite the odds, Yelena and Valek have forged an irrevocable bondâand a familyâthat transcends borders. Now, when their two homelands stand on the brink of war, they must fight with magic and cunning to thwart an Ixian plot to invade Sitia.
Yelena seeks to break the hold of the insidious Theobroma that destroys a personâs resistance to magical persuasion. But the Cartel is determined to keep influential citizens and Sitian diplomats in thrallâand Yelena at bay. With every bounty hunter after her, Yelena is forced to make a dangerous deal.
With might and magic, Valek peels back the layers of betrayal surrounding the Commander. At its rotten core lies a powerful magician...and his latest discovery. The fate of all rests upon two unlikely weapons. One may turn the tide. The other could spell the end of everything.
Praise for the novels of Maria V. Snyder
âPoison Study is a wonderful and lively read. Highly recommended!â
âWorld Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott
âSnyderâs clear, straightforward, yet beautifully descriptive style is refreshing, while the story itself is completely engrossing.â
âRT Book Reviews on Magic Study
âSnyder delivers another excellent adventure.â
âPublishers Weekly on Fire Study
âSnyder deftly weaves information about glassblowing into her tale of magic and murder.â
âLibrary Journal on Storm Glass
âA compelling new fantasy series.â
âSFX magazine on Sea Glass
âSnyderâs storytelling skills continue to build an involving story line.â
âLibrary Journal on Spy Glass
âFilled with Snyderâs trademark sarcastic humor, fast-paced action and creepy villainy, Touch of Power is a spellbinding romantic adventure.â
âUSA TODAY
âThe action in this book is nonstop, with many twists and turns to keep the reader guessing about whatâs in store on the next page.â
âExaminer.com on Scent of Magic
âSnyder draws us in with her excellent, efficient storytelling, amusing dialogue and distinctive characters, all set within a well-crafted plot. A delight of a read!â
âRT Book Reviews on Taste of Darkness
Dawn Study
Maria V. Snyder
Copyright
An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2017
Copyright © Maria V. Snyder 2017
Maria V. Snyder asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the authorâs imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Ebook Edition © December 2017 ISBN: 9781474060691
Version: 2018-01-23
To my husband, Rodney. You were there in the beginning when Yelenaâs story was just an idea. Thank you for enduring the countless revisions, writing retreats, conferences, extended travel, bad reviews, strange visitors and the million other things that come with living with an author!
1
YELENA
I ghosted through the quiet Citadel streets well after curfew. Dressed in black from head to toe, I stayed in the shadows to avoid detection and lamented the necessity of having to skulk about like a criminal. The row of Councilorsâ houses appeared to be desertedâweâd received intel that the Cartel had ârelocatedâ the Sitian Council for their safety. Not trusting the darkened windows or the info that the houses were empty, I looped around to the back alley and waited. No signs of movement. Were the houses vacant, or did a professional ambush wait inside?
If I still had my magic, there would be no need to guess. But the baby in my belly was blocking my powersâor, at least, that was the current theory. My pulse skittered with the thought of the baby. Valekâs request that I be very careful echoed in my mind. I drew in a breath to steady my heart as I approached Councilor Bavol Zaltanaâs home, located in the middle of the row.