Last Stand

*****

5 Stars/5

Thanks to Rachel E Carter for giving me this book to review.

Last Stand is the brilliant final book in The Black Mage series. It is fast paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat with all the twists and turns. This story is an emotional rollercoaster and is the darkest story of the series with some very dark points.

Ryiah is determined to stop Blayne even though it will cost her everything, and she is a good character who is selfless even though she doesn’t see it herself. This is the first book where I truly understand Darren (probably because I have read Non-Heir) and I really liked his character, especially in the first third of the book, as he is so understanding and caring despite him being under so much stress. I felt very sorry for both Ryiah and Darren as they are both caught in situations they cannot escape no matter how much they want to.

I love this book and this series, and I cannot wait to read Rachel’s next book. I really recommend Last Stand and The Black Mage to anyone as they are excellent Fantasy books. 

Non-Heir

****

4 Stars/5

Thanks to Rachel E Carter for giving me this book to review.

Non-Heir is the prequel novella to The Black Mage series, in which we discover how Darren and Blayne became the people they are in the series. It is really well written and has a dark tone.

We get to understand Darren’s motives and why he acts so cold and competitive, also why he is so protective of Blayne. Darren is complex and, despite everything that has happened to him, he still has goodness in him and he is really lonely. I was not expecting how sorry I felt for Blayne and I understood how he turned into a monster after everything his father put him through, this doesn’t mean I agree or in anyway like him, apart from when he was young, but he is also a victim.

This novella is a great addition to this series which really adds to the story. I would recommend Non-Heir to fans of The Black Mage series.

Rhodi's Light

**

2 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Patchwork Press for giving me this book to review.

Rhodi’s Light has an interesting story idea but I found it severely lacked world building. I could not tell if this book was a fantasy or dystopian novel as it had magic and swords but also cars and phones, which made it a confusing read. It also didn’t grab me as I was not at all curious about what was going to happen next.

I felt sorry for Dylan but mostly I didn’t really like her as she was a brat, immature and not at all likeable, I preferred her brother Devin. I didn’t care both of those and their masters Tavana and Talidin, especially Talidin who a day after learning that Dylan and Devin’s parents died in a car crash drives them around fast and very recklessly.

It had potential but I was just too confused with the lack of world building and DNF at 39%.

The Secret City

***

3 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for giving me this book to review.

The Secret City is an enjoyable paranormal sequel to The Secret Fire which is fast paced. There more romance in this book and more action but I never felt worried about whether Sacha and Taylor would survive. One touch in this book I liked was the use of different symbols at the start of each chapter to show whose POV it is, out of Taylor, Sacha and Louisa.

Taylor is struggling to learn control of her powers but is more confident than she was in the last book; however, I still found that she was just too perfect. Sacha feels useless and is unsure how he can be helpful in stopping his curse, which he is growing more fearful about as it draws closer. I like how sweet the romance between Sacha and Taylor is and how they would do anything to keep each other safe. We get to learn more about Louisa and her past in this book which I liked.

I found the ending anticlimactic and I cannot tell if this book is the end of the series. I would recommend The Secret City to fans of the first book The Secret Fire.