I LOVED this book! This was my first experience with Maria V. Snyder and I instantly fell in love. She has this amazing ability to describe everything so well. The people, the exotic places, the awesome plants- everything! I found myself so absorbed in the world that she created that I wanted to learn more about it. I was fascinated by all the plants and people, and I can't wait for the second book to learn more. This is odd for me; normally I am mainly concerned with the characters in a book. And while I loved the characters in Touch of Power, I was equally, if not more, interested in the surroundings. That is pretty impressive to me. I can't wait to learn more about the nine mountains. 
 Maria's Characters are as wonderfully complex as her scenery is vivid. Avery is strong willed and pretty awesome. Everyone knows I love my spunky girls. I had a lot of respect for Avery. She had a really long and tough journey in front of her and she never backed down. She stood up for what she believed in. I loved that about her. 
 I also really liked Belen. I was on team Belen for the longest time. It took forever for me to Like Kerrick. But I think that is the brilliance of Maria V. Snyder's writing. Everything is so real, so complex that it takes a while to get to know some of the characters. Just like real people, it takes time for them to grow on you. By the end I was HUGE Kerrick fan. He is so loyal. I feel like every time I describe someone that I like, I use the word loyal. But I put such stock in loyalty that it's no surprise that most of my favorite characters are fiercely loyal. 
 Overall, Touch of Power was an amazing book. One that has made it's way to my favorites shelf. The healer series is going to be magnificent. I cannot wait for the second book! Maria V. Snyder is a phenomenal writer. I need to go read everything else she has written ASAP! Great book, go read it now!