The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson - non-spoiler review

Hi booklovers

I know it's been a while since I did a book review (over a year :-s ) but I don't always find the time to properly write down my thoughts on the books I've read. (I first write them by hand and then type them and since English isn't my native language, this can be time consuming :-s )

The book I'll be reviewing today is a book I've read twice in the last two years: 

Title: The Final Empire

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Genre / audience: High fantasy / adult

Format: paperback

Pages: 647

Release date: July 25th 2006

Story:

In a world where ash falls from the sky, and mist dominates the night, an evil cloaks the land and stifles all life. The future of the empire rests on the shoulders of a troublemaker and his young apprentice. Together, can they fill the world with color once more?

Characters:

Vin: she's a Skaa girl who knows she has powers, but at the same time doesn't know the full extent of them. Vin is one of the characters that goes through a huge character-growth, going from a shy and scared girl to a confident Allomancer. But even though she becomes more confident, she is still flawed: she doubts herself, she makes mistakes... We also get to see her in different settings - Vin the street urchin, the Allomancer and Valette the young courtier.

Kelsier: he's a flamboyant Skaa who wants to overthrow the Lord Ruler. He's also an Allomancer and Vin's mentor. From the moment we meet him, all his plans seem to be crazy. But when it comes to it, he is actually a master strategist. It was very interesting to see what drives him to do the things he does. I love how we also got his backstory. At the same time we also see how he mentors Vin and prepares her for the future he has set in motion.

Sazed: he is a very intriguing character. At first you think he is an Allomancer but he's actually a SPOILER Feruchemist. Sazed is one of my favourite characters from this trilogy. He's always so calm and always wants to help. I love how he is Vin's second mentor and how he basically plays the part of the father she never had.

Elend: he is not your typical nobleman. He doesn't enjoy all the balls and social gatherings he has to attend. He shows defiance by reading during those gatherings, which I thought was great. He also dares to question things. He wants to know more about the Skaa because he doesn't want to follow the mainstream opinion about them blindly.

The Lord Ruler: We only get a glimpse of him but from that glimpse we can tell that he is a very complex and multilayered character.
SPOILER I never realized the servant is actually the Lord Ruler himself.

Crew members:
I'm not going to go into detail about the other crew members, because there are quite a few of them. What I will say is that I love how they each have very distinct personalities. Even though they sometimes seem to be one anothers opposites, they complement each other as well. Every single one of them has a role to play and each one is a piece of the puzzle.

Plot/worldbuilding/overall rating:
I have to admit that I was really daunted by the size of this book and I was afraid that this would be a slow read. The book proved me wrong on both things. It is so well-written and the worldbuilding is so good that it actually reads fairly easy and fast. Alternating between the physical book and the audiobook also helped speed up my reading.

I did find the magic system a bit confusing at first, but once I got the hang of it, it was more comprehensible. That being said, it was also unique and intriguing. Allomancers can burn metals in their stomach and use the powers associated with the metals (there is actually a whole description of the metals and their allomantic use included in the book). 

SPOILER An Allomancer can only use one kind of metal, but a Mistborn can use all ten metals.

The story was very action-packed and fast-paced and the action scenes were so well-written that you actually felt like you were in the middle of it all.

The worldbuilding is phenomenal, the amount of details that Sanderson provides us with is unbelievable. The way he describes the cities, the Skaa plantations, the noblemen's houses, the caves, the constantly falling ash, the mists at night...

There is a budding romance in the story, but it definitely isn't the main focus of the story.

Needless to say I loved this book and I rated it 

both times I read it.

Have you read this? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies

Air and Ash by Alex Lidell - non-spoiler review.

Hi booklovers

I know everybody and their mother - almost everybody - was eagerly awaiting the release of ACOWAR yesterday, but I want to review a different book that also came out yesterday: Air and Ash by Alex Lidell. I received this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This will not affect my opinion of the book.

Title: Air and Ash

Author: Alex Lidell

Genre: YA,fantasy

Format: e-arc (provided by the author)

*Story:
Nile Ash - the princess of the kingdom of Ashing - has been at sea since she was 8 years old. But when the ship she was on - the Faithful - sinks she is taken back home. Not content with the next role she has to play she runs off to find a new ship. The only problem is that she will have to start at the bottom of the hierarchy again and work her way up.
 
*Characters:
-Nile Ash: She is one of the few princesses I've read about that actually isn't content with the new role she has to play. But instead of whining about it, she actually takes matters into her own hand. I loved how decisive she could be, while still remaining a young girl as well. Granted, she did make some stupid decisions every so often, but she did so for the good of the ship and the crew. I also liked how she cared about her Gifted brother Clay and about some of the crew abourd the Aurora.
SPOILER:
She is also Gifted and I'm curious to see how her wind-calling will develop.


-Domenic Dana: When we first meet Domenic, he seems to be an ordinary young man who has taken on his father's debt but can't pay it back. But he actually turns out not to be so ordinary SPOILER: because he is the Aurora's first officer. He is a completely different person aboard the ship than he was on the beach when he first met Nile.
I found him to be both intriguing and infuriating at times.
 
-Catsper: He is a Spade officer who trains young men. He has a rough 'exterior' but he's actually a good man who - once you earn his trust - will help you in any way he can. I liked him very much as a character, sometimes even more than Domenic.
 
-Captain Rima: This is one of the most infuriating characters I've ever come across in a book. I wanted to strangle him every time he opened his mouth. He is such a biased man who only thinks about his own profits and saving his own hide.
 
*Plot/worldbuilding/overall rating:
I found this book to be very refreshing. Also, I don't think I've ever read a story set aboard a ship before. I have to admit I found the nautical terms to be a bit confusing at times, but not so much that it hindered my reading.
What I found especially interesting about this story is that woman are allowed aboard a ship and are mostly tolerated and even sometimes appreciated. 

Another very interesting part of the story is the magic system: the ones who can wield magic are called Gifted and are mostly shunned and even conceiled. Where in other sotries magic wielders are either praised or feared, here they are considered as less because their magic causes them harm. Clays has lost his mind since his metal-calling awakened.
SPOILER:
Nile suffers from convulsions and nauseousness. I wonder what else she will suffer from and if she'll ever be able to control her wind-calling.

Since most of the story takes place aboard the Aurora, we don't get much worldbuilding except for the nautical terms.

Like I said, I really enjoyed how Nile doesn't meekly follow what her family has planned for her but she tries to stand her ground and follow her own path in life.
SPOILER:
Even though we know from the first time we meet Domenic that he'll become Nile's love interest, I like how it's a slow burning love. Admittedly, sometimes it's infuriatingly slow and I wanted to kick their butts so they would get together already. I know it's against navy policy, but it's going to happen anyway!!

I really liked this book and the cliffhanger ending - Alex Lidell sure knows how to write a cliffhanger ending! - has made me very eager for book two.

If you like a kick-ass female character that doesn't whine about the cards that she is dealt with, a brooding male character and a slow burning romance, you should definitely pick this book up.

Bye for now

Annelies

Champion by Marie Lu - non-spoiler review.

Hi booklovers

 
This is my review for Champion, the third book in the Legend trilogy by Marie Lu.
This will contain spoilers for Legend and Prodigy (click on the titles to read my non-spoiler review).

Title: Champion

Author: Marie Lu

Genre: YA, sci-fi, dystopia

Format: paperback

*Story:

In this conclusion we follow June, Day and Anden in their battle against the Colonies.
 

*Characters:
-June: I liked her better in this book because although a lot of things happened to her that could have brought her down, she held her head high as best as she could. She isn't whiny like she was in the previous book.
 

-Day: His character also goes through a lot of changes and character development. I liked how he kept putting others above himself even though he knew he was dying.
 

-Anden: Even though he's starting to look more like his father as a politician, he is still very much a young man bearing way too much responsibility.
 

-Eden: I really liked Eden, he is such a fighter, despite everything he's been through.

 
*Plot/world building/overall rating:
I really liked the worldbuilding in this one: the contrast between the Republic of America and Antarctica was well explained. I also enjoyed that we got to see how the facade the Republic has put up is nothing more than that: a facade.
Even though the epiloque left me wanting I still gave this book 4.5 stars. This book was a lot more emotional than the previous two. It was also even more action-packed and fast-paced.
SPOILER:
My heart was trampled on when Day didn't recognise June and she decided to let him go.

 
Overall I really loved this trilogy and I really want to get Marie Lu's The Young Elites trilogy.

 
Have you read either of these trilogies? What did you think of them?

 
Let me know in the comments.

 
Bye for now

 
Annelies

Prodigy by Marie Lu - non-spoiler review.

Hi booklovers

After finishing and really enjoying Legend (click on the title to read my non-spoiler review), I decided to pick up Prodigy and Champion from Fnac when they were having a 'buy 3 books, pay for 2' sale - the third book was Passenger. (I read this book in October 2016, I know, I'm so behind on posting reviews :-$)

Beware this will contain spoilers for Legend.

Title: Prodigy

Author: Marie Lu

Genre: YA, sci-fi, dystopia

Format: paperback

*Story:

The story of Prodigy picks up where Legend left off. June helped Day escape and now they are on their way to meet up with the Patriots. We follow their journey to the Patriots and everything that happens when and after they find them.

*Characters:

-Day: I liked Day even more in this story, he seems so much more human. He goes through a lot of changes and he even needs to start trusting people he always considered to be enemies.

-June: Opposite to Day, I liked June a bit less in this book. To me, she seemed, not really whiny, but still not the strong girl she was in Legend. True, she has to sacrifice a lot, but still.

-Tess: I liked that we got to see more of Tess in this book. I thought she was a very strong character. Day still feels the need to protect her, even though she is more than capable of taking care of herself.

SPOILER:

I really felt for her when her feelings for Day remained unrequited.

-Kaede: Another character I was glad to see more of. I like how honest she is in admitting that at first she worked with the Patriots just for the money.

-Razor: I never quite fathomed that character.

-Anden: He is the new Elector who came to power after the death of his father. He is a figure rising to power, struggling to be different from his father, but most of all he's a young man dealing with a whole lot of emotions.

*Plot/worldbuilding/overall rating:

Because the story doesn't solely take place in the Republic, it was nice to see the worldbuilding of the Colonies and the underground tunnels too.

I enjoyed this book, but it's wasn't until the last part that it really grabbed my attention and it became a 4 star read.

SPOILER:

One thing I didn't like was the love triangle or even the love square. This has become so cliché and I know it's part of the story, but I still didn't like it. That's why I was leaning towards 3.5 stars. The square becomes a triangle again when Tess decides to stay with the Patriots.

What really got to me was how in the end Day discovers that he is dying. When he says goodbye to June, my heart got ripped out of my chest.

Because of the cliffhanger ending I was really, really happy that I could immediately pick up Champion.

Have you read this book? Did you like/dislike it?

Bye for now

Annelies

Winter by Marissa Meyer - (mostly) non-spoiler review.

Hi booklovers

Today I'm going to review a book I've actually only recently finished :-) *pats herself on the back*: Winter by Marissa Meyer. I read this for the March theme of the #OWBookclub on Goodreads: retellings.

Winter is the conclusion to the Lunar Chronicles - I know, there's also Stars Above, but that's a collection of short stories. Beware this will contain spoilers for Cinder, Scarlet and Cress (click on the names to read my non-spoiler reviews.)
 

Title: Winter

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy-tale retelling

Format: paperback

*Story:
At the beginning of the story we find ourselves aboard the Rampion where Emporer Kai is still being 'kidnapped'. We folow the gang trying to stop Levana from becoming Empress of Earth and even stop her reign altogether so Cinder - Princess Selene - can take her rightful place on the throne. They also try to rescue Scarlet and save Winter from the clutches of her evil stepmother.
 

*Characters:
-Cinder: She really comes into her own in this story. She has grown so much mentally and she is really ready to take her place on the throne. Although I do have to admit that at times I thought her 'rallying of the troops' went a bit too easily. I really liked how her struggle not to become like her aunt was portrayed.
 

-Kai: Again he finds himself torn between his love for Cinder and his need to obtain the Letumoses antidote. I loved how he stood up to Levana and didn't even hide how proud he was of Cinder.

-Scarlet: I loved how resilliant and strong she was throughout this story despite everything that happened to her.
SPOILER:
I also loved how she wasn't scared of the changes Wolf had been put through by Levana. She just continued to see the man he used to be, not his current exterior.
 

-Wolf: He is still one of my favourite characters. I liked how we got to know more about his past and his family. I found him to be incredibly strong, especially mentally.
SPOILER:
He doesn't succumb to the physical and mental changes that were done to him. I love how he still remains so shy, careful and even a little clumsy around Scarlet.
 

-Cress: I remember thinking in the previous book that she was a bit naive and whiny, but she really comes into her own in this story. She really goes from this shy, insecure girl from the sattelite to playing an important part in the revolution.

-Thorne: There were times I wanted to strangle him SPOILER: I know he was being glamoured when he kissed that Lunar, but still!!, but I liked how we get to see his softer side and his feelings for Cress.

-Winter: She is such an whimsical girl, although she has a great sense of humour as well. I loved her teasing Jacin and the way she cared for her wolf and Scarlet.

-Jacin: He is such a sweet guy whilst always remaining the loyal guard.
 

*Plot/worldbuilding/overall rating:
I found this to be a very good conclusion to the series even though I wanted there to be more emphasis on Winter and Jacin. I know there has to be a lot of emphasis on the revolution and Cinder overthrowing Levana, but some more of Winter's story would have been nice.
SPOILER:
Theirs was the relationship I found the least satisfying, because you don't really know where they will go from here.
I really enjoyed that we got to see more of Luna; the working sectors and the outside of the domes. I also liked that we got see how the Lunars percieved Earth.
 

*Physical book / audiobook:
At first I only read the physical book but I didn't have that much time to read for longer periods on end. So I decided to get the audiobook from audible and I really enjoyed it. The narrator did all the voices really well. Listening to the audiobook also helped speed up my reading.
 

Even though it's bittersweet because it concludes a great series, I'm still very happy that I finally tackled this monster of a book.

4.75 stars

I'm not going to read Stars Above right away, I think I'm going to spread it out and read one story at a time.

Have you read this book or the series? Let me know in the comments what you think of it.

Bye for now

Annelies

Fairest by Marissa Meyer - non-spoiler review.

Hi booklovers

Continuing with my reviews of the Lunar Chronicles, today I'll be reviewing Fairest, book 3.5 in the series. Because this is a novella, this review will be rather short.
 

Title: Fairest

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy-tale retelling

Format: paperback

*Story:
This is the story of how queen Levana came to be the evil person that we know from the other books in the series. We get to see Levana from her childhood through her teenage years and early adulthood.

*Plot/overall rating:
I went into this book not expecting to like Levana better/more afterwards and I didn't by the end of the book. I did, however, understand better why she is such a bitch, but that didn't make me sympathise with her. On the contrary, I disliked her even more. Granted, she hasn't had an easy childhood and her sister Channery is so cruel to her, but that doesn't justify the things Levana has done.
SPOILERS:
I can't believe how she manipulated her husband into loving her and then in the end killing him because of her plans to rule Earth. The way she held him prisoner for ten years, not even giving him time to mourn the loss of his wife is just so cruel.
The way she planned to kill princess Selene so she could be the true queen of Luna and she thinks she's being merciful by letting Selene die - something Channery didn't do for her - is so twisted.
 

Is this a necessary read: not really, but it does give you a great insight into Levana's character. It didn't make me sympathize with her, on the contrary, it made me hate her even more. This, to me is testament of the great and wonderful writing style of Marissa Meyer.

3.75 stars to be precise

Have you read this novella? What did you think of it?
 

Bye for now
 

Annelies

Cress by Marissa Meyer - non-spoiler review.

Hi booklovers

I'm continuing to play catch-up with my bookreviews of the Lunar Chronicles. This time I'll be reviewing Cress.

Beware, this may contain spoilers for both Cinder and Scarlet. (Click on the names of the books to read my non-spoiler reviews.)

Title: Cress

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy-tale retelling

Format: paperback

*Story:

In this book we are introduced to the character of Cress. This is a Rapunzel retelling. Cress - a shell - is thaumaturge Sybil's 'protégé' and personal hacker who lives in her own satellite. Contrary to her 'assignment', she actually helps Cinder to stay off the radar. We got a 'glimpse' of her in the first book, when she warned Cinder about Levana's plans to assassinate Kai once she becomes empress. With the introduction of Cress' character we get a whole new storyline that intertwines perfectly with the excisting storylines.

The plot remains fast-paced and action-packed.

*Characters:

-Cress: At first I thought she was a bit of a naïve girl, but once you get to know her, you realise her behaviour is actually quite normal. Imagine being locked up and isolated from the rest of your planet for so many years. That also explains her infatuation with Thorne. It turns out that even though she is a bit socially impaired, she still has a very important role to play in the story.

-Dr. Erland: In this story we get to know a lot more about him and his backstory.

SPOILER:

Maybe it was a bit predictable that Cress is Dr. Erland's daughter, but this is also a nice example of how well Meyer can weave storylines together.

Also, the way she potrayed how Wolf felt after Scarlet was taken by Sybil was very well excecuted.

*Overall rating:

I like how we get to see earth from Cress' POV. Just like we look at the moon and are mesmerized by it, Cress is fascinated by earth.

We also get to meet Winter, a very intriguing character and the protagonist of the final book. We only catch a glimpse of her, but from her interactions with Scarlet we find out there's more to her than meets the eye.

Have you read Cress? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer - non-spoiler review.

Hi booklovers

This is my review of book two of the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer: Scarlet. (Again, I've read this book in 2015, but never got around to posting my review :-$)

Beware this may contain spoilers for Cinder. I also have a review for Cinder here.

Title: Scarlet

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy-tale retelling

Format: paperback

*Story:

Scarlet is a red riding hood retelling. Scarlet is a French girl looking for her grandmother who went missing. Scarlet, however, is convinced her grandmother was kidnapped. On her search she crosses paths with Wolf, a 'professional fighter' with wolflike features, incredibly strong and fast. In this story we also meet Carswell Thorne, a 'captain' who was imprisoned for stealing a ship. He escapes jail together with Cinder.

*Characters:

-Scarlet: She is a sassy, readhaired girl who is used to being independent while still very much caring for her grandmother. I like how she doesn't believe her grandmother went missing. She instinctively knows something is wrong.

-Wolf: He's a very silent, brooding character. We as readers only get to know him gradually, which makes him all the more intriguing. At first he's not the most likeable character, but he grows on you, just because he is so mysterious.

-Thorne: He is such a cocky, arrogant, funny and charming character. At times you want to smack him on the head because he is so infuriating and at times he is the sweetest.

*Plot/Worldbuilding/Overall rating:

This story is very fast-paced and action packed. At first, you don't really know why Scarlet and Wolf are introduced to the story, but it was really nice to see the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

We get to know more about New Bejing, but also about other places in this 'new' world. We also find out more about Lunar and Cinder's backstory.

SPOILER:

I like how the romance between Scarlet and Wolf is sort of slow burning. I know some of the events take place over the course of a day and that there is a sort of instant attraction, but still...

I like how we get to know what Michelle Benoit had to do with Princess Selene and what Levana is trying to do with her canine army.

I also like how we still get glimpses of Kai and how he still thinks about Cinder a lot while struggling to 'stand up' to Levana.

Have you read Scarlet? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies

Last Stand by Rachel E. Carter - non-spoiler review

Hi booklovers

This is my spoiler-free review of Last Stand, book four - the final book - in the Black Mage series by Rachel E. Carter. This book was kindly sent to me by the author - I'm a part of her review team - in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book.

This will contain spoilers for First Year, Apprentice and Candidate. Just click on the title to read my reviews. I read this book for the Of Wonderland Book Club on Goodreads. February's theme was 'badass females'.

Title: Last Stand

Author: Rachel E. Carter

Genre: YA, fantasy

Format: e-book (provided by the author)

*Story:
Darren has become the Black Mage and he's married to Ryiah. What he doesn't know is that Ryiah is going to betray him because she wants to reveal what a villain Blayne really is. We get to see the whole process of Ryiah trying to get to the point where she can reveal who Blayne really is whilst still playing the 'happily' married girl, up until she has to convince Darren she's telling the truth.

*Characters:
-Ryiah: I really loved Ryiah in this story. She has grown so much throughout this series, she has really come into her own. You know bad things are going to happen to her, but still she carries on, despite knowing she'll probably lose everything. Sure, she almost changes her mind a couple of times, but who wouldn't hesitate to carry on in her situation?! Her story is so heartbreaking in this book, I actually cried a couple of times.
 

-Darren: Wow, we really got to see two different sides of him. One is the loving, understanding husband - Ryiah keeps her distance when they are first married - and the other is this coldhearted, blinded-by-the-love-for-his-brother kind of guy. Even though this switch is very sudden it was written in such a good way that it was still believable.
SPOILER:
When he finally does believe Ryiah it goes over maybe a bit too easy, but that's something I'm willing to overlook.
 

-Blayne: I hated him with such a passion. He is actually an even bigger monster than his father! (A very well-written monster, mind you!)
 

-Priscilla: Finally, she showed her true colours and I have some new-found respect for her. She becomes a totally different person, but again, it's written in such a good way that it's believable.
 

*Plot/worldbuilding/overall rating:
As far as the worldbuilding goes, not many new places were introduced, but that's okay, we already know the setting.
I thought the previous book was an emotional rollercoaster, but oh my, that was nothing compared to this book. This one ripped my heart out, broke it into a million pieces and put it back together again.
After I finished reading it, I literally stared at the last page for ten minutes. There were so many feelings I had to process, it was rough.
I'm very glad that Rachel ended up deciding to write an epilogue, because it wrapped things up nicely. Otherwise, I might have been a little annoyed!

I adored this series and I can definitely see it ending up in my top 10 books of 2017.

I want to thank Rachel for giving me the chance to read, review and fall in love with the books.

I give this series an overall rating of 4.5 stars and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves to read about kick-ass female characters and a unique magic system.
 

Have you read this book or any of the other books in the series?
 

Bye for now
 

Annelies

Candidate - Rachel E. Carter - non-spoiler review

Hi booklovers

This is my non-spoiler review of Candidate, book three in the Black Mage series by Rachel E. Carter. This book was kindly sent to my by the author - I'm a part of her review team - in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book.

This will contain spoilers for First Year and Apprentice. Just click on the title to read my reviews. I read this book for the Of Wonderland Book Club on Goodreads. February's theme was 'badass females'.

Title: Candidate

Author: Rachel E. Carter

Genre: YA, fantasy

Format: e-book (provided by the author)

*Story: 
This story takes place after Darren announced that both his and Blayne's engagements were off and that he wanted to marry Ryiah instead. It goes without saying that the road to their marriage isn't without obstacles. This book also deals with the upcoming Candidacy, in which the three new coloured Robes will be chosen. Of course, both Ryiah and Darren want the Black Robe, but only one can win and the competion is very brutal. Meanwhile, the rebels also gain strength. During the year leading up to their marriage, Ryiah discovers that not everything is what it seems.

*Characters: 
-Ryiah: After the previous book I had almost given up on liking Ryiah, just because she was so fickle in that story. In this book, however, she totally redeems herself. She again goes through so many changes and emotions it's a miracle she doesn't (completely) crumble.
SPOILER:
Two events made me really feel sorry for her, the first one being when Derrick dies at the hand of Mira. The second one was when she discovered who the real villain is, i.e. Blayne.

-Darren: I really liked how he finally stood up for himself and his love for Ryiah. But true to his nature, he still did things I wanted to strangle him for; like being a very stubborn mule!
 

-Derrick: He really plays a very important part in this story, but I was surprised to see where the storyline eventually took him. We also get to see a totally different side of him during the events of the Candidacy and it wasn't a pretty one.

SPOILER:

What the hell was wrong with him, reacting like that towards Ryiah during the trials. It wasn't her fault what happened to Alex.

-Alex & Ella: We don't get to see all that much of them, but when we do get their story it's packed with - sometimes very raw - emotions.
 
*Plot/Worldbuilding/Overall rating:
This book was so fast-paced and action-packed. Especially the last chapters left my head spinning. I like that we got to see some new places. I also enjoyed that Ryiah gets the chance to be the Combat Mage that she's always wanted to be before she has to stay at the king's palace and her marriage to Darren. Otherwise, it would have seemed like all her training was in vain.
The book ended on such a cliffhanger that I was really happy that book 4 has already been released, otherwise I would have gone mad having to wait to continue reading.

Have you read this book or any of the other books in the series?

Bye for now

Annelies

Apprentice by Rachel E. Carter - Non-spoiler review.

Hi booklovers

This is my spoiler-free review of Apprentice - book two in the Black Mage series by Rachel E. Carter. This book was kindly sent to my by the author - I'm a part of her review team - in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book.

This will contain spoilers for First Year. You can find my review of First Year here. I read this book for the Of Wonderland Book Club on Goodreads. February's theme is 'badass females'.

Title: Apprentice

Author: Rachel E. Carter

Genre: YA, fantasy

Format: e-book (provided by the author)

*Story:
Ryiah has been chosen as the 6th Combat mage apprentice. In this book we go through her training from year 1 'till year 4 (their 2nd 'till 5th year at the Academy). In this book we mainly focus on the training, the mock battles and the relationships.
There is a lot of action but also travelling from training place to training place and of course there's love.

*Characters:
-Ryiah: In the prequel novella and the first book I wanted to strangle Darren for being so arrogant, but in this book it was Ryiah's turn to be strangled. I got so frustrated with her at times. She was so indecisive when it came to her love interests: hot - cold - hot - cold.
SPOILER:
I liked the fact that there wasn't a love triangle in the first book, so I was a bit disappointed that there was one in this book.
What I did really like about Ryiah was how she fought for everything she was worth, she didn't take anything for granted. She became an even stronger person when it came to her mage training, but she remained so fickle towards her love interests. It annoyed the hell out of me.
 
-Darren: What can I say about Darren? He continues to be his charming, pleasant self. In other words: I still wanted to smack him on the head on several occasions. We do get to see more of his personal/emotional side, though, but I still didn't like some of his decisions and actions! Although his stupid behaviour was explained in the end, in didn't redeem everything he did.
 
-Alex: This is a sidecharacter that goes through so many changes and so much growth, I really liked that. (Even though he acted like such a dick sometimes.) I loved how concerned he was about Ryiah and Ella.
SPOILER:
I wanted to strangle him for what he did to Ella, but I'm glad they got together at last.
 
-Ella: Another wonderful sidecharacter that really comes into her own. She is strong-minded and determined to succeed in her training. I really enjoyed her interaction with Ryiah. They still bring out the best in each other.

-Priscilla: She is still such an unbelievably big bitch, but at least she's an honest bitch even though she's very selfish.

-Blayne: I never thought he would be so much like his father, but he is. In fact, I think he's even worse than his father. I do not like him at all, he's such a spoiled brat and a monster.

-Ian: He's a nice addition to the set of charachters, he was funny, nice, sweet, cute :-) I felt so sorry for him when Ryiah did what she did to him.
SPOILER:
As I said, I didn't like the love triangle. Granted, most of the time we think that Darren doesn't want Ryiah anymore, but it was still a low thing of her to do.
 
-Derrick: I loved Ryiah and Alex' little brother. He was so witty and he really knew what he wanted. I hope we'll get to see more of him in book 3.
 
*Plot:
This book is again a bit heavy on the fighting and training, but that is of course still very much a part of their routines. The pacing of this story is different from the first book in the sense that we go through four years in one book. We get a lot more worldbuilding in this book since the apprentices move from place to place during their training.

I also very much enjoyed the further development of the magic system. In this book we are introduced to weather casting, a type of magic where you have to draw from a very powerful emotion to be able to cast lightning. I think this is such a cool concept. 
I also like that their magic isn't limitless. The mages have to build their stamina or their casting doesn't last very long.
 
I really enjoyed this book, but I couldn't give it a full five stars because Ryiah got on my nerves so many times with her indecisiveness it wasn't funny anymore. But I still gave it a solid 4 stars.

I'm currently reading and enjoying book three: Candidate.

Have you read this book or the previous one? Let me know in the comments.
 
Bye for now.
 
Annelies