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Maria V Snyder Biography
Maria V. Snyder is an American fantasy and science fiction author best known for her Study Series.
When Snyder was younger, she aspired to be a storm chaser in the American Midwest so she attended Pennsylvania State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology.
Much to her annoyance, forecasting the weather wasn’t in her skill set so she spent a number of years as an environmental meteorologist, which is not exciting…at all. Bored at work and needing a creative outlet, she started writing fantasy and science fiction stories. Her first novel, Poison Study, was published on October 2005, won the 2006 Compton Crook Award for Best First Novel, and earned a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly magazine.
Her next two books in the series are Magic Study and Fire Study, which continued to follow the adventures of Yelena and Valek. Snyder then released another trilogy of books, the Glass Series. following the character Opal Cowan from the Study Series. The books in the series are Storm Glass, Sea Glass, and Spy Glass respectively. Many of the characters from the Study series are also involved in the Glass books. For this series, Snyder enjoyed using her Meteorology degree to create magicians called Stormdancers who can harvest energy from storms.
Her environmental meteorology experience is most evident in her Insider Duology: Inside Out and Outside In. In this science fiction series, the people are living inside a giant metal cube and have lost track of what’s outside their world. In order for the people to survive living inside a closed environment, Snyder used her knowledge of air scrubbers and waste-water treatment plants to create a world that is scientifically accurate.
As a mother of two children, Snyder hates when her kids are sick and wishes she could heal them with a touch. This desire led to her Healer Series, where Avry of Kazan can heal people by touching them, however the injury or sickness transfers to Avry, who heals at an accelerated rate. The Healer Series has three books, Touch of Power, Scent of Magic and Taste of Darkness.
In February 2015, Snyder returned to the main characters of the Study Series and released the first book of her next trilogy, the Soulfinder Series. The books in the series are Shadow Study, Night Study, and Dawn Study. Her newest series is the Sentinels of the Galaxy Series. The first book, Navigating the Stars was published in December 2018. The second book, Chasing the Shadows is due out in December 2019, and the third, Defending the Galaxy is set for a December 2020 release.
Aside from writing, her interests include “traveling, photography, making jewelry, playing the cello, and volleyball.”
Maria V. Snyder PhotoMaria V. Snyder Age
Maria V. Snyder was born on April 15, 1973, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. She is 45 years old as of 2018.
Maria V. Snyder Books
Study Series
The first book in this series introduces the reader to Yelena, a young woman who committed the murder of her torturer. It starts off in the Ixian dungeons where Yelena is having trouble stopping her gruesome memories from coming back to her. She is then taken to Valek, Commander Ambrose’s Chief of Security, to await her execution. She is given a choice of execution or becoming the Commander’s food taster. Yelena accepts becoming the food taster and the book continues the adventure Yelena has to oblige to, it eventually leads to the killing of Mogkan – Kangom, a dangerous magician – and Valek admitting his love to her.
The second book in the series continues with Yelena’s life, she is taken by a Master Magician to find her family in the Southern lands of Sitia. Yelena reunites with her mother, father and an untrusting brother who is determined to obtain the information that would make Yelena guilty of being an Ixian spy. Yelena is taken to the Keep to learn more about her magic and how to control her unique powers. An Ixian Delegation arrives and Yelena is reunited with her lover, Valek and they form a plan in which Yelena can obtain more information about certain people(s).
The third study book is the last in the series and follows the task to silence all Sitians who have knowledge of blood magic. Yelena’s magical abilities lead to the truthful rumour of her being a soulfinder, this rare type of magician with the power to stop the Warpers and Roze Featherstone. Yelena is reunited with her lover once more and almost loses him midway through the book. Valek survives the flames of the giant fire and comes back to Yelena where she is working out a very shaky plan with Ari, Janco, and Leif. The war ends up coming to an end and Ixia and Sitia are saved from blood magic once Yelena uses Opal’s unique magic to entrap the Warper’s souls in glass prisons that Valek later hides.
- Poison Study (2005)
- Magic Study (2006)
- Fire Study (2008)
There are currently three short stories in this series as well; they are listed in the Short stories section, below, with links to on-line copies.
Glass Series
Many of the characters from the Study Series of books returned in Snyder’s follow up series of three. These books are best read after Fire Study and before Shadow Study.
They follow protagonist, Opal Cowan, a glass magician who can trap magic inside glass. She crafts glass messengers for Sitia and helps with a glass crisis. Until the Stormdance clan’s orbs shatter, killing Stormdancers and leaving the coastal residents in life-threatening danger. Opal must find the true recipe for the orbs and fix them. However, Opal is kidnapped trying to rescue Kade, a Stormdancer captured by Warpers. Trapped on the northern ice sheet of Ixia, with a huge storm close behind them Opal comes to terms with her death. She is prepared to sacrifice herself to save Kade. The second in the Glass series, Sea Glass follows Opal as she defies the council of Sitia and journeys to free her lover from a Warper. With more Warpers after her and a warrant for her arrest being made public, Opal has to fear for her life as she sacrifices more than she realizes to save one she loves.
Soulfinder Series
- Shadow Study (2015) – also considered as book 4 in the Study series
- Night Study (2016) – also considered as book 5 in the Study series
- Dawn Study (2017) – also considered as book 6 in the Study series
Insider Series
- Inside Out (2010)
- Outside In (2011)
- Inside (Collection of both novels in one book)
Healer Series
- Touch of Power (2011)
- Scent of Magic (2012)
- Taste of Darkness (2013)
Short Stories
- Godzilla Warfare, a short story in No Man’s Land, Dark Quest Books, 2011
- Sword Point, a short story in The Eternal Kiss (2009)
- Assassin Study (2009) [Study series #1.5] is a short story about the trouble Valek is involved in while Yelena is in Sitia.
- Power Study (2008) [Study series #3.5] is about Ari and Janco as they deal with a Sandseed Magician and a cocky young soldier.
- Ice Study (2010) [Study series #3.6] is a prequel to Shadow Study and has a timeline of Yelena and Valek at the end. Yelena and Valek race to stop Owen Moon from stealing the Ice Moon from the Commander’s diamond mine.
- E-Time
- The Wizard’s Daily Horoscope Black Gate Magazine Issue 11 (Summer 2007)
- Protect the Children Eye Contact Seton Hill University’s literary arts magazine
Maria V. Snyder Awards
- 2005 – October Book Sense Pick for Poison Study
- 2005 – Locus Magazine’s Recommending Reading list for Poison Study
- 2006 – Compton Crook Award for Poison Study
- 2006 – Reader’s Choice Award for Poison Study
- 2006 – RITA Award Finalist for Poison Study
- 2006 – ALEX Award Finalist for Poison Study
- 2006 – Editor’s Pick Award from Audible.com for Magic Study
- 2006 – October Book Sense Pick for Magic Study
- 2007 – RITA Award Finalist for Magic Study
- 2008 – New York Times Bestseller for Fire Study
- 2009 – Wirral Paperback of the Year Award for Poison Study
- 2009 – Golden Leaf Award for Storm Glass
- 2012 – Golden Leaf Award for Touch of Power
- 2012 – Prism Award for Outside In
- 2013 – Golden Leaf Award for Scent of Magic
- 2014 – Golden Leaf Hall of Fame Award
Maria V. Snyder Website
http://www.mariavsnyder.com/
