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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
This story and it's prequel, in style and pacing, reminds me of Tamora Pierce's Lioness series. I mean this in the best possible way, as I was quite absorbed by this book. It's young adult, but still an increasingly epic fantasy with a strong, stubborn heroine, supportive friends and family, and many battles to win.The plot spans years without feeling rushed, focusing instead on key pivotal moments. This allowed the characters to really grow, experience, and change their minds without seeming hypocritical or flighty.
Each book so far has quite thankfully ended not with a cliffhanger, but with the characters closing one chapter of their life, the apprenticeship in this case, and looking forward to the next.
The author did introduce some romance drama in this volume, but it seems like it is mostly tied up, rather than leaving our heroine vacillating back and forth for multiple books. I do appreciate that closure.
I look forward to learning more about the missions that were accomplished/fought in the next book, as there were several puzzling events that were not fully explained (hard to mention them with spoiling anything), but I am hopeful that they will not be forgotten, that our team just wasn't important enough to know the details yet.
I'm excited to see what happens next!
Each book so far has quite thankfully ended not with a cliffhanger, but with the characters closing one chapter of their life, the apprenticeship in this case, and looking forward to the next.
The author did introduce some romance drama in this volume, but it seems like it is mostly tied up, rather than leaving our heroine vacillating back and forth for multiple books. I do appreciate that closure.
I look forward to learning more about the missions that were accomplished/fought in the next book, as there were several puzzling events that were not fully explained (hard to mention them with spoiling anything), but I am hopeful that they will not be forgotten, that our team just wasn't important enough to know the details yet.
I'm excited to see what happens next!
3 stars
So it didn't get worse. Phew.
Now, I'm not going to go into much detail, but I will say this: I enjoyed the formatting of this book more than that of the last book. I liked how all of her apprenticeships happened in this book, rather than just one year. It was refreshing.
The romance was about the same, but I will note that if the romance in the first book would have been better than the romance in the second book wouldn't have been as bad. So basically, the romance wasn't all that bad. In the second half of the book.
However, I'm confused. This book felt like the end of the series. I think it would have actually been a good ending. (besides the whole underlying plot of the rebels, which I felt was unnecessary but whatever.)
Question:
This really has me confused. At the end of the first book, one of the reasons that they decided to take the main character on as an apprentice was because she could "pain cast," something that they also told us in the first book was a rare talent.
So why, in the first five seconds of the second book, is the whole class of apprentices learning how to pain cast?
I guess it's not that rare?
Second Review(?):
HOLD UP. I FORGOT.
There was a...a LoVe TrIaNgLe.
Oh no.
And to be honest, I liked the other romantic interest. Enough that I actually remember his name. (Ian, in case you're wondering.)
I'm changing my review from 3.5 stars to 3 stars because of this.
So it didn't get worse. Phew.
Now, I'm not going to go into much detail, but I will say this: I enjoyed the formatting of this book more than that of the last book. I liked how all of her apprenticeships happened in this book, rather than just one year. It was refreshing.
The romance was about the same, but I will note that if the romance in the first book would have been better than the romance in the second book wouldn't have been as bad. So basically, the romance wasn't all that bad. In the second half of the book.
However, I'm confused. This book felt like the end of the series. I think it would have actually been a good ending. (besides the whole underlying plot of the rebels, which I felt was unnecessary but whatever.)
Question:
This really has me confused. At the end of the first book, one of the reasons that they decided to take the main character on as an apprentice was because she could "pain cast," something that they also told us in the first book was a rare talent.
So why, in the first five seconds of the second book, is the whole class of apprentices learning how to pain cast?
I guess it's not that rare?
Second Review(?):
HOLD UP. I FORGOT.
There was a...a LoVe TrIaNgLe.
Oh no.
And to be honest, I liked the other romantic interest. Enough that I actually remember his name. (Ian, in case you're wondering.)
I'm changing my review from 3.5 stars to 3 stars because of this.
There is so much happening in this book and yet it is kinda boring, I am a bit curious about the plot (which we got very little of so far) but I don't know if I can stand anymore drama. Also the magic system is explained very poorly and it drives me crazy
This review was originally posted on Books and Ladders
I absolutely adored The First Year and immediately knew I had to read this one. The story picks up almost immediately where the last one finished off and I was happy to see that Ryiah was still having issues with those in power but still being herself. I was also super excited that there was more Ian because I loved Ian for the brief moments we saw him in The First Year. I did have some issues though.
The plot was very good. I liked that we saw all of Ryiah's apprenticeship in this one and that the whole book didn't take place over two months like the last. It made it fast paced and fun to read without it getting bogged down with day to day ramblings. I also really liked the new and improved training sessions that focused on expanding the magic rather than creating it. This really helped the world building and it was nice to get a taste of all of the country rather than just one place.
The overarching conflict of the brink of war was more prevalent this time and it made everything so much more tense and exciting. Until that first patrol battle, Ryiah (and the readers) were seeing the training as fun and exciting, but didn't see the consequences. I think this served as a good reminder that anything could happen to anyone at anytime. But I was saddened by the turn of events at this one. I think it served to grow Darren as a character, but it was also just sad.
Ryiah tried to come into her own, but I felt she was kind of static in this one. There was the ever present wit and snark that is her trademark, but she didn't seem to really grow as a person as much as she did with her magic and training. I think part of that was because of my biggest problem -- the love triangle.
Every young adult book seems to have them now, but this one irritated me. I think it as because I like Ian so much as a character and it felt like wasted potential for him to serve as Ryiah's other love interest and then barely be talked about after she chose Darren. And really, was she ever going to choose anyone other than Darren. I think what really irked me about this one was that to even start dating Ian, Ryiah had to steal him from Lynn. And she saw Lynn as a friend and still did this??? I was not impressed by that.
The worst part was the constant back and forth. One minute she loves Ian, the next she is kissing Darren, but can't because she is with Ian. I loved Darren and Ryiah in the last book and was wholeheartedly cheering for them, but adding Ian into the mix made me wish that Ryiah and Darren would go jump off of a cliff. I feel like I would have liked this book more had it only been the "forbidden romance" aspect of it and not the love triangle that ended in breaking Ian's heart and therefore writing him out of the novel basically.
Overall: 4/5. This one was SO good. I loved it but I was disappointed by some things. I would definitely recommend checking this series out though.
I absolutely adored The First Year and immediately knew I had to read this one. The story picks up almost immediately where the last one finished off and I was happy to see that Ryiah was still having issues with those in power but still being herself. I was also super excited that there was more Ian because I loved Ian for the brief moments we saw him in The First Year. I did have some issues though.
The plot was very good. I liked that we saw all of Ryiah's apprenticeship in this one and that the whole book didn't take place over two months like the last. It made it fast paced and fun to read without it getting bogged down with day to day ramblings. I also really liked the new and improved training sessions that focused on expanding the magic rather than creating it. This really helped the world building and it was nice to get a taste of all of the country rather than just one place.
The overarching conflict of the brink of war was more prevalent this time and it made everything so much more tense and exciting. Until that first patrol battle, Ryiah (and the readers) were seeing the training as fun and exciting, but didn't see the consequences. I think this served as a good reminder that anything could happen to anyone at anytime. But I was saddened by the turn of events at this one. I think it served to grow Darren as a character, but it was also just sad.
Ryiah tried to come into her own, but I felt she was kind of static in this one. There was the ever present wit and snark that is her trademark, but she didn't seem to really grow as a person as much as she did with her magic and training. I think part of that was because of my biggest problem -- the love triangle.
Every young adult book seems to have them now, but this one irritated me. I think it as because I like Ian so much as a character and it felt like wasted potential for him to serve as Ryiah's other love interest and then barely be talked about after she chose Darren. And really, was she ever going to choose anyone other than Darren. I think what really irked me about this one was that to even start dating Ian, Ryiah had to steal him from Lynn. And she saw Lynn as a friend and still did this??? I was not impressed by that.
The worst part was the constant back and forth. One minute she loves Ian, the next she is kissing Darren, but can't because she is with Ian. I loved Darren and Ryiah in the last book and was wholeheartedly cheering for them, but adding Ian into the mix made me wish that Ryiah and Darren would go jump off of a cliff. I feel like I would have liked this book more had it only been the "forbidden romance" aspect of it and not the love triangle that ended in breaking Ian's heart and therefore writing him out of the novel basically.
Overall: 4/5. This one was SO good. I loved it but I was disappointed by some things. I would definitely recommend checking this series out though.
I really enjoyed this book, I really did but oh sweet Universe I hate, hate a love triangle. I figured out the love triangle plot twist at the beginning of year 3. I was enjoying the battles and the training scenes. I'm so thankful that this was the rest of this Mage school. I don't know if I would be able to continue if it was just year by year, so YAY! I love that the world of this series expanded in this book as well. Even though the love squabbles were just not to my taste the book was still very readable and it's definitely thanks to the great way with words that Ms Carter has. So readable, and flows so well. I loved the different mock battles, and loved seeing Ry grow smarter and stronger in her abilities as a Mage. I already started book 3, can't wait to read what kind of trouble Ryiah will get herself into next.
I loved this one even more than the first one. Yep, that's possible :D. I loved learning about the world, the magic, the development of the characters, the twist and turns... And, all the surprises along the way, when I wasn't expecting them :P
I'm really looking forward to knowing where the story goes from here :D
I'm really looking forward to knowing where the story goes from here :D
Rating: 3.5/5
I absolutely love love this book! This book was better than the first book in my opinion as well. I just loved that Rachel made the characters better by making them worse. By that, I mean that the characters went through situations that were really hard for the characters. I think that's a good way to get your characters to develop even more and get wiser.
Now, for the bad part of this review: the stuff I didn't like. One thing I don't like is all of the time skips. In parts of the story, I got really confused because there was nothing that mentioned (or gave clues) a time skip until the middle of a chapter. For example, in one chapter, Ryiah is a second year, then in the next, apparently a few months have gone by and Ryiah is a third year. I think that there could be something that made the time skips a bit more noticed because I was seriously confused every time that happened. Or, maybe more time could be spent on the time during each year? Ryiah starts out as a second year, and by the end, she became a mage. Although, I guess it makes sense because in the third book, [b:Candidate|27307561|Candidate (The Black Mage, #3)|Rachel E. Carter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1446012380s/27307561.jpg|44382088], it says that Ryiah is twenty.
I've got one other thing I hate, but not everyone hates 'em. Love triangles. (Ugh, stupid teenage drama...) I just can't stand them! It makes me want to rip out my hair in frustration how a character can't pick one person to like and just has to fall in love with two! (Word of advice characters! Just don't fall in love! That way, you won't be tasked to choose one person, and you can also focus on whatever shenanigans you need to.) But again, that's only my opinion :) Also, the way Ryiah had this indecisiveness on who to chose just made me wanna knock some sense into her.
On a brighter note, I loved how the plot thickened even more. I especially loved the ending! (Oops, I shouldn't say any more!) Also, you get to know more about Derrick, and Ryiah and Derricks bond between each other. But (uh oh, bad is invading the good!) I wish their bond could be explored a bit more (cause brother-sister relationships where they like each other is something I love to read about).
I've read some of the reviews earlier and now I don't know if I should read [b:Candidate|27307561|Candidate (The Black Mage, #3)|Rachel E. Carter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1446012380s/27307561.jpg|44382088] because apparently there is a bit cliff hanger. Should I? Or no?
I absolutely love love this book! This book was better than the first book in my opinion as well. I just loved that Rachel made the characters better by making them worse. By that, I mean that the characters went through situations that were really hard for the characters. I think that's a good way to get your characters to develop even more and get wiser.
Now, for the bad part of this review: the stuff I didn't like. One thing I don't like is all of the time skips. In parts of the story, I got really confused because there was nothing that mentioned (or gave clues) a time skip until the middle of a chapter. For example, in one chapter, Ryiah is a second year, then in the next, apparently a few months have gone by and Ryiah is a third year. I think that there could be something that made the time skips a bit more noticed because I was seriously confused every time that happened. Or, maybe more time could be spent on the time during each year? Ryiah starts out as a second year, and by the end, she became a mage. Although, I guess it makes sense because in the third book, [b:Candidate|27307561|Candidate (The Black Mage, #3)|Rachel E. Carter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1446012380s/27307561.jpg|44382088], it says that Ryiah is twenty.
I've got one other thing I hate, but not everyone hates 'em. Love triangles. (Ugh, stupid teenage drama...) I just can't stand them! It makes me want to rip out my hair in frustration how a character can't pick one person to like and just has to fall in love with two! (Word of advice characters! Just don't fall in love! That way, you won't be tasked to choose one person, and you can also focus on whatever shenanigans you need to.) But again, that's only my opinion :) Also, the way Ryiah had this indecisiveness on who to chose just made me wanna knock some sense into her.
On a brighter note, I loved how the plot thickened even more. I especially loved the ending! (Oops, I shouldn't say any more!) Also, you get to know more about Derrick, and Ryiah and Derricks bond between each other. But (uh oh, bad is invading the good!) I wish their bond could be explored a bit more (cause brother-sister relationships where they like each other is something I love to read about).
I've read some of the reviews earlier and now I don't know if I should read [b:Candidate|27307561|Candidate (The Black Mage, #3)|Rachel E. Carter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1446012380s/27307561.jpg|44382088] because apparently there is a bit cliff hanger. Should I? Or no?
I have a lot of things that I hated in this book, and a lot of thing that I loved so I'm rounding up the rating to three stars for that.
THINGS I HATED
-The fucking stupid love triangle. I mean,poor Ian. He's so precious and at some point I felt like Ryiah was using him just because her one true love was betrothed to another girl. . It wasn't necessary to the story at all.
-I don't know if it is only me, but the story in this book happens in four years, and I feel it was kind of weird. So I don't understand why this is considered a YA series, when at the end of this book the protagonist is like...20 years old. And because it was a huge amount of time in 400 pages, sometimes I had problems trying to understand what year of the apprentice was.
-But it could be just me.
-a LOT of unnecessary angst and trouble and lies. WHY, Darren, why.
THINGS I LOVED
- Darren.
-ALEX AND ELLA RELATIONSHIP. Seriously, those two are adorable and so perfect together, my heart ships them so hard. (And Alex wants to marry Ella, I mean... YES, PLEASE)
Yep, that's me with those two.
- Freaking PRINCE DARREN.
-The magic school is amazing as well, I love all of the training scenes and the mock battles.Why can't I study in a magic school. *sobs*
-DID I MENTION I LOVE DARREN SO MUCH? DARREN, MARRY ME.
-The final scene in the book. I was fangirling so freaking hardbecause Darren told her father to go fuck himself (in a polite way, of course) and then told in front of all the court and the mages, that he is going to marry Ryiah, no matter what they think about it . OH MY GOD. the final scene. THE BEST.
THINGS I HATED
-The fucking stupid love triangle. I mean,
-I don't know if it is only me, but the story in this book happens in four years, and I feel it was kind of weird. So I don't understand why this is considered a YA series, when at the end of this book the protagonist is like...20 years old. And because it was a huge amount of time in 400 pages, sometimes I had problems trying to understand what year of the apprentice was.
-But it could be just me.
-a LOT of unnecessary angst and trouble and lies. WHY, Darren, why.
THINGS I LOVED
- Darren.
-ALEX AND ELLA RELATIONSHIP. Seriously, those two are adorable and so perfect together, my heart ships them so hard. (And Alex wants to marry Ella, I mean... YES, PLEASE)
Yep, that's me with those two.
- Freaking PRINCE DARREN.
-The magic school is amazing as well, I love all of the training scenes and the mock battles.
-DID I MENTION I LOVE DARREN SO MUCH? DARREN, MARRY ME.
-The final scene in the book. I was fangirling so freaking hard
Sypnosis
She survived a trial year at the Academy of Magic, but that was the easy part…
Now sixteen-year-old Ryiah is an apprentice of Combat, her school’s most notorious faction. When she finishes, she will be a war mage, but in order to do so, she has to survive four years traveling across Jerar, training with a master she hates, her old nemesis, Priscilla, and Prince Darren, her sometimes-rival sometimes… more?
Ry’s new apprenticeship is nothing like what she prepared for. War is on the horizon and her lessons aren’t just for practice anymore.
It’s time to fight.
Review
Wow. Just wow. This book isn't as good as the first.
It's better.
The second installment of The Black Mage series follows our dear heroine further into her apprenticeship to become a Combat Mage, in which she faces many ups and down throughout, whether it be her love life or her apprenticeship, but her being her, she survived. Her story is a roller coaster that only goes up, my friend. It gets better and better. I love the story so much! Rachel Carter never ceased to amaze me with her writing.She creates such vivid images in my mind, that I felt as if i was in the book as we went deeper into the world of The Black Mage, learning more about the Jerar and its structure as we discovered the real heavy weight of the problems.
This book is really emotionally packed. It's like riding an emotional roller coaster with so many twists and turns. Especially the romance. I felt like strangling Darren sometimes, and other times not. The book could make me soar to Cloud 9 for a moment and the next, drag me down to hell. So, i'm emotionally conflicted about my feelings for Rachel because of the emotions she brought me.
Y u do dis, Rachel?
*looks at the state of Ryiah and Darren's ship*
This book tore me to pieces and and pieced me back up in the end.
Still it did tear my heart to pieces.
*shoves book into your face*
READ IT.
Overview
5/5. Gods damn it, just read it, already! Alright?
She survived a trial year at the Academy of Magic, but that was the easy part…
Now sixteen-year-old Ryiah is an apprentice of Combat, her school’s most notorious faction. When she finishes, she will be a war mage, but in order to do so, she has to survive four years traveling across Jerar, training with a master she hates, her old nemesis, Priscilla, and Prince Darren, her sometimes-rival sometimes… more?
Ry’s new apprenticeship is nothing like what she prepared for. War is on the horizon and her lessons aren’t just for practice anymore.
It’s time to fight.
Review
Wow. Just wow. This book isn't as good as the first.
It's better.
The second installment of The Black Mage series follows our dear heroine further into her apprenticeship to become a Combat Mage, in which she faces many ups and down throughout, whether it be her love life or her apprenticeship, but her being her, she survived. Her story is a roller coaster that only goes up, my friend. It gets better and better. I love the story so much! Rachel Carter never ceased to amaze me with her writing.She creates such vivid images in my mind, that I felt as if i was in the book as we went deeper into the world of The Black Mage, learning more about the Jerar and its structure as we discovered the real heavy weight of the problems.
This book is really emotionally packed. It's like riding an emotional roller coaster with so many twists and turns. Especially the romance. I felt like strangling Darren sometimes, and other times not. The book could make me soar to Cloud 9 for a moment and the next, drag me down to hell. So, i'm emotionally conflicted about my feelings for Rachel because of the emotions she brought me.
Y u do dis, Rachel?
*looks at the state of Ryiah and Darren's ship*
This book tore me to pieces and and pieced me back up in the end.
Still it did tear my heart to pieces.
*shoves book into your face*
READ IT.
Overview
5/5. Gods damn it, just read it, already! Alright?