This book was so interesting I would get irritated each time there would be interruptions to my reading. It was that good. I had to keep reading until the final page. I just had to. If you thought Poison Study was good, Magic Study gets even better.
Yelena is thrown into a brand new situation, and now has to re-adjust accordingly. This brings about a new set of characters, a good solid character development within Yelena, and more Valek (my favorite part!). As in the previous novel, there's mystery and intrigue thrown into the story but the mystery aspect of the book is more violent and much darker than Poison Study. The romance between Yelena and Valek is still there, and it was nice to see them together as they do compliment each other well as a couple. There was an interesting chemistry between Yelena and Cahil - although Cahil acted like a spoiled selfish brat in the end and that does pave the way towards the third book.
It was nice to see Ari and Jaco back, and while they were out of the picture, Yelena's horse Kiki provided some of the comic relief. It was also nice to see Yelena hasn't really changed, although I did notice she had really great comebacks and her wit was still there, sharp as ever. I enjoyed the connection between Kiki and Yelena. Better yet, Kiki's requests for peppermints and apples always generated a smile from me.
I'm not sure if I like Leif or not. I hated him at first because of his treatment of Yelena, and once you found out his dirty little secret, I still hated him even more. As his behavior changed, I'm still not sure what to think about him. I'd have to say, all the characters in the books are very well done and each one memorable so they're not just any character that you'll forget later as you progress further into the book. They had distinct personalities which helps to memorize who is who (as the cast in this book is a bit big).
The fantasy aspect of the book is good and the magic is easy to understand. I liked how characters had a specific specialization in a certain aspect of magic - in that way they're not too overpowered and they have their weaknesses as well. Yelena seems to be the jack of all trades when it comes to magic but her talents also has risks and consequences as well.
Magic Study did live up to its predecessor and achieved more. It had an interesting plot filled with mystery, fantasy, and intrigue but it also featured well written memorable characters (horses included!). The ending prepares the reader for the third book and I'm definitely going to be reading that one soon.
