Author Spotlight: Maria V. Snyder

So this is a new feature I had been debating doing for a while and I’m finally sitting down to write something! So these posts are going to be spotlights for authors that I adore that I maybe don’t see much about or if I do it’s a single series or something. These are all going to be authors I like myself so I’m not being sponsored and these authors aren’t being requested or anything.

I just really love them.

And who better to start with than Maria V. Snyder.

You may have heard of one of her series and that’s the Chronicles of Ixia. Or, part of that series at least. The Chronicles of Ixia consists or three trilogies with the original Study trilogy, the Glass trilogy and then a second Study trilogy. I’ve seen people post box sets of these books but they only ever consist of the Study books which…means you’re missing a lot. If you own the Study books but not the Glass books then make sure you get them to read between Fire Study and Shadow Study! You’ll miss a lot of story otherwise!

These aren’t the books I want to focus on though. Instead, I want to share three other series that I’ve at least started by them that I really think you should check out

Inside Out

This part-dystopian, part-space opera YA duology is probably not one you’ve come across unless you’re a massive Maria V. Snyder fan like me. I searched this out when looking for more of her work and my goodness. The first book was just…So. Good.

I will admit to not liking the second one so much due to it being more space opera than dystopian like the first book but this series was so fun.

It follows a girl called Trella who lives in the bottom rungs of her society. As someone who works as a cleaner she’s learned her way around the pipes and when someone claiming to be an oracle comes down and starts questioning their society she winds up involved whether she likes it or not.

I’ll be honest, it’s been a while since I reread these books and I need to pick them up again soon. But I loved this society she came up with and the world building she’s thrown into this sci-fi setting. I liked it enough I tried to make an rp based off this world in another fandom and I just know that I really loved it.

Plus it’s only a duology so if you’re not sure you want sci-fi from Maria then why not check this out before Navigating the Stars (which I also recommend).

This book is available on Kindle Unlimited so it’s the perfect time to check it out!

Amazon UK (Kindle)

Touch of Power

Back to the genre Maria is more known for and we have another fantasy series heavy on the romance. This is an adult fantasy series though it might be worth noting that technically the Chronicles of Ixia were an adult fantasy series too. They just got moved to YA possibly due to writing style though that still makes no sense to me.

Touch of Power is set in a fantasy world where magic is limited to certain elemental abilities among other things and the main character Avry is the last healer. After a plague decimated the population of the world, healers were blamed and Avry has been on the run ever since. One day she runs into a band of guys led by Kerrick who offer her the chance to live provided she travels with them so they can convince her to heal Prince Ryne.

Like the Chronicles of Ixia this book very much uses the found family trope. There’s a lot of fun romance even if the love interest is questionable at first but I loved all the other characters so much from the beginning. I loved this world, this story and Avry was such a good main character.

If you love the Chronicles of Ixia then this series has a lot of things you’ll have loved about it too and it’s on sale for 99p in the Kindle shop so grab it while it’s cheap!

Amazon UK

The Eyes of Tamburah

This is going to be the most difficult book to get in this post at least until next year when it finally gets a release outside of Aus/NZ. Yeah, I imported my copy of the first book. Luckily the second one is coming out internationally a few days before the Australasian release this time.

Once again this is an adult fantasy series but one that in a lot of ways has more similar to the ongoing Navigating the Stars series than her other adult fantasy. There’s a focus on archaeology and artefacts which were a lot of fun to read about but this time within a fantasy world with magic.

Shyla is sun-kissed which makes her stand out within their underground society. However, she’s skilled at uncovering hidden burials from maps and research. When an archaeologist she’s working for gets taken in by the terrifying water prince she has to work for him to try to release her friend and winds up stumbling on some secrets she never expected.

This book was a little different to what I expected when I read it but I really enjoyed it. This book is a prime example of how Maria’s writing is changing and I’m so excited to see where she’s going to go next.

This book will be difficult to get your hands on until I believe February 2021 but it’s available if you look hard enough already and definitely worth the money.

The Book Depository

Your Thoughts

Have you read any Maria V. Snyder before? Are you a fan or interested in checking any of these books out? If so, let me know down below as I’m hoping to find some people to talk about her work with as it’s so awesome and well worth it!