Magic Study invokes a whole new world of Sitian customs, lost family ties and new challenges. Completely opposite from the harsh almost socialistic Ixia, Sitia breathes in a new spirit of fiery tradition, equality and magic into Yelena's life. 
 It's always difficult to rate sequels, because any reader is left with a strong craving for the same elements that made the first novel shine. I read Poison Study with no awareness of its popularity or its greatness, and by god, I was proven wrong on that point! However, my expectations for Magic Study were high, and sometimes that just cripples a reading experience. Magic Study is indeed a wonderful book on its own, but compared to Poison Study, it's just not up to par. 
 Magic Study starts succinctly on where Poison Study left off, Yelena is off to Sitia to look for her family, possibly the highly regarded Zaltana clan. All the while, Yelena is yearning for her home, Ixia, and her old friends - Valek, Ari, Janco..most importantly Valek. Yet the pace of the novel is just as tight and fast as Poison Study, as Yelena learns how to control her magical powers and murders litter the Sitian landscape. 
 However, there were some flaws in Magic Study that I couldn't help but feel annoyed at. Poison Study was very self-contained, very conclusive - in some regards it didn't need a sequel (much less two), but I'm glad there are two! Magic Study changes the direction of such, and opens questions and lingering problems to be solved in Fire Study. Also, Yelena seems a lot more unlikeable in Magic Study - she sorta charges headfirst into situations and gets tangled up in things; I suppose the whole trust issue as well as sense of community idea is being put into practice, in contrast to the every-man-for-yourself attitude of Ixia. On the other hand, as they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder, and Yelena is constantly thinking of Valek, the romance seems to escalate into something more serious and a bit head-over-heels love. It's cute though. 
 Jam packed with new enemies, mysteries and challenges along every step of the way, Magic Study proves to be a wonderful sequel to Poison Study albeit with its own share of small flaws. The atmosphere, the hot tropical Sitian jungle is vibrantly imagined here, with a host of new animals and social customs. The magical world, Yelena's own family ties, are two new realms that need to be explored and Magic Study is the book to do it. Just as riveting, just as addictive as its predecessor, Magic Study is a great new novel to the Poison Study universe, and once again affirms Snyder's easy yet rich prose.