Shadow Study is the first book in the Soulfinders series by Maria V. Snyder. This is actually a continuation of the Study series as it features Yelena and Valek. I thought Shadow Study was a good book but overall, I was disappointed. There wasn't as much excitement or adventure as the previous series and I didn't care for the direction of the plot. It's heavy on deception, political maneuverings and intrigue. 
 Yelena's magic becomes blocked shortly into the story. I came up with a theory for the reason for this early on and after finishing it I'm sticking to my original theory. I felt bad for Yelena. Not having her magic was devastating to her. She didn't realize how much she relied on it until it was gone. But it doesn't stop her from doing everything in her power to find out the cause and to search for a solution. This brings about much danger and Yelena is vulnerable without her magic. 
 Valek and Yelena are apart for most of the story and it seems to be the norm for their relationship. I got the impression that Valek's primary focus is his job which makes me question where his true devotion lies. In Shadow Study he takes a trip down memory lane and has flashbacks of his past, beginning when he first decided to kill the King. I enjoyed learning his history. It was interesting but once he joined up with Ambrose I lost interest. I've never been a huge fan of Ambrose and this book didn't change my option. I don't like how Valek is almost blindly loyal to him. 
 In Shadow Study, the story alternates between Yelena, Valek and Janco. One thing that was jarring to the flow of the story was the change in perspective from first person to third person. Yelena's point of view is told from the first person perspective while everyone else's is third person. I think it would have been much better to have a single perspective. 
 Shadow Study is a good book but not great. There are parts that I really enjoyed and others that were just okay. It held my attention but I was glad when it was done. The story is filled with danger, misdirection and adversity. There wasn't much to lighten it up so it had a slightly negative tone. 
 Shadow Study ends in a teaser. There is a conclusion to one storyline but plenty is left untold. To get a satisfactory conclusion you'll have to keep reading. I haven't decided if I want to read the next book but curiosity will probably push me to it. 
 *ARC (Advanced Review Copy) received from the publisher, Harlequin - Mira, via NetGalley.