Where do I even start? I had very high expectations for Shadow Study since the moment I found out Maria was going to continue the series. In one word, Shadow Study was spectacular. I finished it in under two days, and my only regret is not savoring it longer. It not only met my expectations, but rather it far exceeded them.

One of the most notable differences between this and the first three Study books is the different POVs; Yelena, Valek, and Janco's. I really liked hearing the inner thoughts of the other characters as opposed to just Yelena's, and I found myself favoring Valek's chapters. The alternation of chapters also created a lot of suspense and mini-cliffhangers, which I really liked since it gave the book a nice pace. Through Valek's chapters, we also find out a lot more about his past and his relationship with the Commander. The more I learn about him, the more I just want to give that man a bear hug (provided he doesn't shoot me with his darts if I try to get close)!

As previously demonstrated, Maria is an excellent an talented storyteller and I felt as if I was in Ixia and Sitia along with the characters - I sympathized with them during the bad times, laughed with them whenever Janco was around, and was happy when something went right for our favorite heroines and heroes. Although there were some interesting new characters introduced, Valek and the Commander remain two of my favorites despite some of the conflicts... and since I want to make this as spoiler free as possible, I won't say any more. ;)

The ending is satisfying, but there are still a lot of questions left unanswered, which will probably be resolved in the next two books. Maria definitely kept me surprised and on my toes throughout!

If you get take one thing away from this review, it's to go read the book (or start the series) now!