What can I say? Touch of Power is powerful! It has a little bit of everything for the reader that likes to dabble in, but isn't wed to, different genres: magic, romance, suspense, mystery, and action. As my first Maria V. Snyder novel, it really packed a punch for me and I can confidently say I will be back for more.Touch of Power follows after a terribly plague has swept across the lands of the Fifteen Kingdoms, for which the healers, like Avry of Kazan, are blamed, and thus extinguished. She's remained in hiding for the last three years, desperately trying not to give herself away until the compulsion to heal is too much, sending her packing before she can be caught once again. Her luck runs out however, when she's captured and forced on an unwelcome journey to heal the very man she despises.I really enjoyed Touch of Power. I love the fantasy genre in general, but this novel is exceptionally well-done. Maria V. Snyder has built a vivid, fascinating world, with flowing descriptions of the lands and people within it. It's a book I hope never makes it to the big-screen, because anything Hollywood comes up with can't possibly match what Snyder has created within her pages and my imagination. Her characters are simply amazing and full of life. Avry is our smart, spunky heroine, without having too much of both. She's got her sarcasm down pat, and I loved that. She's also very strong and smart (I really hate having to root for the dumb guy). Kerrick is sexy and brooding, and I know that sexy and brooding is overplayed right now, but hey, when something fits, it fits, and nothing else would have fit Kerrick. He was also loyal to a fault, determined and and damned pain in the ass and I loved him for it. Tohon is an excellent "bad guy." He's sinister and sweet in that sociopathic kind of way that leaves Snyder's readers guessing what he'll do next, which tickled my fancy quite a bit. I think beyond any personal vendetta, he actually does like Avry quite a bit, in his own way.In short, Touch of Power is awesome and I am so glad I saw it in another blogger's IMM and nabbed it, because it was a blast to read. For MVS fans, you'll love it; for Fantasy fans, you'll love it!
