Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honoured 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, the 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.


Rating: 1/5 Stars


I... I don't know what happened.

I loved Poison Study, and when I read about Touch of Power I was in love.

I mean a story by an author that I loved with that amazing premise?? Bring it!

But as soon as I began reading, I knew that there was something off about the story. We meet the main character yes, and we are told about her story, how she's a healer but has to hide it or she'll be executed... But it was all so rushed! The writing style was simple, there was no depth, no passion in it.

It felt a little like reading My Immortal.

Right off the bat, Avry heals a dying little girl and because she's consumed by the desease she can't run away and hide, so she's caught by the law inforcement after the girl's parents rat her out.

The monologue is so infantile I can't even form a coherent review!!!

When the girl's father confronts her, you know what he says?

"I don't care that you saved my daughter. You are a healer and you deserve to die." Like, what??

And Avry is like "Yeah I know, I totally deserve it!" *Hides face for being such a monster*

By chapter two, she's already rescued and the plot develops with no subtlety or grace, it's like the action starts there and then… that's it.

I didn't like it. At all. Avry wasn't a character, I don't know what the hell she was, a machine that nodded, felt sorry for herself and was for some unexplained reason super in love with a guy that hated her and who would rather she died instead of his friends?

No, no, NO.

Terrible, that's all I'll right about it. I'm gonna pretend this book never existed.