Book: Touch Of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Published January 2012 by MIRA|Pages: 400

Where I Got It: nook store

Series: Healer #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

You can find Touch Of Power on goodreads & Maria V. Snyder on Facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary:

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life…

What I Thought:

It was only a matter of time before I started Snyder’s Power series, because I’m such a big fan of her other series.  So, here’s the thing: I liked it, but not as much as I liked her other series.

There’s something interesting about a plague that led to healers being hunted.  And all of the lilies!  I liked how they were introduced and what they do and even some of the studies done on them.  The history of the plague and everything that unfolded after it started popping up was really interesting and one of my favorite parts of the book.

I also liked the boarding school for nobles, and the histories between all of them.  Oh, and how magic worked in this world!  I really liked all of the different abilities the magicians had.  There are so many different kinds of magic, and it’s really cool that there’s such a range in magical abilities.

The characters were fine, but I didn’t feel as connected to them the way I feel connected to the characters in her other series.  And while I liked this world, I also wasn’t as pulled into this world as I was with her series.

Let’s Rate It:

I liked Touch Of Power and the different kinds of magic we see in the book.  I also liked the plague and it’s history (and consequences).  It’s definitely my least favorite book of Snyder’s, but I still am curious about what will happen next.  Touch Of Power gets 3 stars.