3.5 stars. The beginning got a little bit boring but the end made up for it. I enjoyed Poison Study. I loved fantasies in general, but I find it difficult to love the books specifically. This was another fantasy where it was interesting and quite well-written but it just didn't quite get there.
Yelena was a really enjoyable heroine. She appealed to me because she was smart and strong without an arrogance or any sort of special training. Other characters, such as Ari and Janco, were great. Funny and entertaining. I didn't really grow to like Valek much though. He was definitely very mysterious - I still can't picture him in my head - and he was dark (he'd killed quite a few people, and that was just not an issue for Yelena).
The plot was interesting enough though. I found it easy to understand and interesting.
I can't pin-point what was missing though. I think it just lacked a sort of shine or wow-factor that made me say 'that's cool!'
