January Wrap – Up

Hey guys!! I feel like January went really slowly… almost like it didn’t want to end AT ALL!!! Or is that just me? I have been ill for the most part of it, which is probably why it went so slowly for me! Anyway, because I was ill for the beginning of January (like couldn’t get out of bed ill), and I fell ill again, and my son was ill and my husband fell ill (with the man flu), I didn’t have such a great month reading. However, I did get through some books, and here they are…

Read:

The Accident Season by Moira Fowley – Doyle – 3/5 stars – This was my first read of 2017 and I was pretty disappointed…

Wanted by Betsy Schow – ARC , 5/5 Stars– This is by far one of my favourite series out there so far! This is the second book and I LOVED it

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare – 4/5 stars – This was my first time reading Clare and I had a ball!!

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare – 4/5 stars – Again, I had a great time reading this!

The Lost Girl by Candy Atkins – 5/5 Stars – I was sent a signed copy of both the first book in the series and this one as well… and ironically enough it got lost in the post. They had to send it again!!

Last Stand by Rachel. E. Carter, ARC – 5/5 stars – This was the final instalment in the series… and it was everything I wanted and so much more!!

Books Started:

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare – I did start this book, and then I stopped about 1/4 of the way through to beta read something. When I came back to it, I found I was no longer in the right mood for it. I didn’t want to force myself to read through it when I was enjoying it because I know I won’t like it if I do! I will come back to this when the mood takes me 😀

A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess – I am currently reading this and, whilst I am enjoying myself, it hasn’t blown me away.

Book Haul:

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin – Illustrated Edition

The Lost Knight by Candy Atkins

The Lost Girl by Candy Atkins

Heir of Thunder by Karissa Laurel – The author actually approached me with a review request for this one 🙂

Last Stand by Rachel E. Carter

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

Special Blog Posts:

Roseblood by A. G. Howard – Release Day Blitz

The Black Mage Series by Rachel E. Carter – Cover Reveals

Goodreads Monday:

This is a weekly meme that I host on my blog, so I am going to add this section to my monthly wrap up!

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins – January 2nd

The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin – January 9th

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven – January 16th

Proof of Lies by Diana Rodriguez Wallach – January 23rd

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth – January 30th

*phew* finally got to the end of this post!! Unfortunately I didn’t have a great reading month, but I am hoping the February will be better!!

How was January for you guys? Let me know in the comments!

Last Stand by Rachel E. Carter

Last Stand by Rachel E. Carter

Expected Publication: February 7th 2017 – Self Published

He’s the Black Mage and she’s the traitor to the Crown.

Ryiah’s world was shattered the night she discovered King Blayne’s nefarious plans. Now, she has to betray the one she loves most in order to save the realm from war. Torn between love and duty, Ry finds herself on a perilous mission to help the rebels and convince the kingdom of Pythus not to honor its pact with the corrupt king of Jerar—all the while deceiving the most powerful mage in the realm, the very man sworn to protect the Crown and hunt the rebels at all costs: her husband.

She’s one step ahead, but sooner or later the curtain will fall.

Sooner or later, she’ll have to fight.

Witness the epic conclusion of The Black Mage series, and see just how far one girl will go to save her kingdom and the boy she loves—even when that boy has become the enemy.

Note: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my opinion.

Firstly, can we just comment on how beautiful that cover is!!! I mean, that is #coverlove right there. Secondly, the story within… it was the perfect finale to this series! This entire series has been absolutely brilliant and I was so excited about picking up this last book because i have been hibernating for ages!!

The book basically starts where the previous one left off. I wasn’t left scrambling trying to remember anything that had happened in the previous books because the author made it extremely easy to remember, without being repetitive – even though it has been an age since I read Candidate. I definitely loved the fact that I wasn’t forced to go and read my reviews or a brief summary of the previous book because it saved me time and it meant that I had gotten into the story quickly. I was completely absorbed by the story and that remained throughout the entire of this book. I think hooked is an understatement. I was seriously questioning whether sleep is needed because… I just HAD to know what was going to happen next!!

I loved Ryiah as much in this book as I did in the previous books. She definitely changes as a person throughout this book and I feel extremely sorry for her throughout! However, it was understandable considering everything she went through and everything she was still going through. She remained strong, even when everyone was against her and she had lost everything. She is definitely a female MC that I will always look up to and aspire to be as strong as her mentally (because… lets face it, I will never be that strong physically!) and She has definitely made my list of top female MC’s!

Darren bugged me as much in this book as he did right at the beginning! If we remember, I really didn’t like him at the beginning because he was a complete jerk, but he began to grow on me as I learned more and more about him. However, he was ok for the first part of this book and then bam! I disliked him all over again! I began to question everything I knew about him and his personality because he was a complete douche! I suppose I could see the events from his perspective, but come on!! He definitely should have known better and he needed to learn a little thing called trust, that is all I am saying!

Also, that ending!! I finished the book and I did not even know how to function properly! It was the most perfect bittersweet ending and I am actually really sad to see this series end! I don’t want to leave Ryiah and Darren and the rest! Especially because I will never be able to read these book in the sense of reading them for the first time! I just… need a lot of chocolate!

All in all, I absolutely loved this book and, for me, it was definitely the perfect ending to a fantastic series! I cannot wait to see more from this author in the future! I gave this book 5/5 stars!!

The Black Mage Series by Rachel E. Carter – Cover Reveals!

Hey guys!! So, this post is a little different because there will be multiple cover reveals in one post! The Black Mage series is getting a whole new make over; in the new editions there will be fresh edits, updated content and new covers… which I think are just divine!! I love them so much! I will also be including the cover reveal for Last Stand which is the final book in the series and releases February 7th! The pre order for Last Stand will go up on the same day that the new editions will become available (26th January) and all the old editions are being pulled from vendors between now and 23rd January. So if you would like copies of the book with the old covers, best get a shimmy on and get ordering!! Anyway, without further ado, here is the new look for The Black Mage series…

First Year – Book one

Apprentice – Book two

Candidate – Book three

Last Stand – Book four

Non – Heir – Prequel Novella

The Prequel Novella is only available to subscribers of Rachel’s Newsletters – so if you would like a copy and would like to hear the newest information about her books, giveaways etc. You can join up HERE

Aren’t these covers just so dang beautiful!!!! Lets just stop what we are all doing and look at all the pretty colours (especially the blue of last stand because… what is love if it isn’t that colour?!?)…

If you guys would like to keep up to date for when these books become available, you can do so here:

Amazon/BookBub – or, of course, through her newsletter!

I hope you love these covers as much as I do, and I am going to go off and bask in the blue that is Last Stand!! Enjoy, people!!

October Wrap Up

Hey guys!! So, I’m coming to you with this wrap up post a little late – but better late than never!! I had a bit of a slower month this month because of the alternating illnesses between me and my son!! So, hopefully November will pick up again!

Read:

The Girl with all the Gifts by M. Carey – 4/5 stars

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas – 5/5 stars

Everlasting Flame by Katelyn Anderson – Review copy received from the author, 4/5 stars

Water’s Wrath by Elise Kova – 4/5 stars

Crystal Crowned by Elise Kova – 4/5 stars – full review still to come!

These Great Affects by Andrew Toy – 4.5/5 stars (there is no goodreads page for this book! Also, the full review is to come!), ARC copy received from the author

Acquired:

A Bond of Venom and Magic by Karen Tomlinson – Physical Copy gifted to me by the author

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake – My pre order copy decided to show up a month later

Non Heir by Rachel E. Carter – This is not available for purchase anywhere, you must sign up for the authors newsletter if you would like a copy!

The Crown’s Dog by Elise Kova (ARC) – I received an ARC of this from Elise, and I am currently reading it!

The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury – I bought a copy of this from Amazon 😀

Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes – Again, I bought myself a copy from Amazon

Special Posts:

A Bond of Venom and Magic by Karen Tomlinson – Release Day

Fall Activities Book Tag

That’s it for me!! Like I mentioned earlier, it was a bit of a slower month, so I’m hoping that November picks up for me! Especially because I don’t have long left to complete my Goodreads Goal!!

I also ordered the October box from Meraki Candles, however they had some issues with postal service, so I am hoping it arrives soon!! As soon as it does, I will be posting my very first unboxing! 😀

How did October go for you guys?

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys! This weeks theme for TTT is top ten most anticipated releases for the second half of 2016. Can you actually believe we are halfway through June already?!? Where is this year going?? Without further ado, and in nor particular order:

10.  Heartless by Marissa Meyer. Despite the fact that I still need to read Winter (I know, I am so behind!) I absolutely love the Lunar Chronicles!! So, I obviously cannot wait to see what this author is going to do with Alice in Wonderland! Publication Date: 8th November 2016.

9.  Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas. I am currently reading Queen of Shadows and, whilst I am not that far into it, I am still loving it! Sarah J. Maas is an automatic buy for me! Besides, who can resist a cover like that??? Publication Date: 6th September 2016

8.  One was Lost by Natalie D. Richards. I have never actually read a book by this author, although I have at least one more on my TBR! This book likes the perfect mystery thriller to keep me turning the pages at night! Publication Date: 4th October 2016

7.  Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi. I adored the Shatter Me series by this author and I have been waiting for something new from her ever since!! I literally cannot wait to get my hands on this book! Plus, the cover is gorgeous! Publication Date: 30th August 2016

6.  Last Stand by Rachel E. Carter. This book sadly has no cover yet and also no definitive release date. I do, however, love this series and I cannot wait to see what Carter does with our characters in this final instalment! Publication Date: 2016 (May be a hit or miss…)

5.  A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir. Whilst I was a tad bit disappointed with An Ember in the Ashes, I am still intrigued to see what comes next for our characters!! Publication Date: 30th August 2016

4.  Winning by Lara Deloza. I saw a review of this by Khanh (The Grinch) on Goodreads and for anyone who has ever seen one of her reviews, she is difficult to please. She seemed to enjoy this book, though, plus it looks like such  fun read! Publication Date: 28th June 2016

3.  Shiny Broken Pieces by Sona Charapoitra and Dhonielle Clayton. I was addicted to Tiny Pretty Things and couldn’t put the book down! I literally cannot wait for this book because I need to carry on my addiction! Publication Date: 12th July 2016

2.  Nice Girls Endure by Chris Struyk – Bonn. This book tackles a really difficult subject and I am interested to see what the author has done with it. I have never seen this author before, so there is a first time for everything! Publication Date: 1st August 2016

1.  Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst. I think this book is pretty self explanatory because I do not know a single blogger or reader who doesn’t want to read this book! Publication Date: 22nd November 2016

So, thats it! I cannot wait for all of these books! #Problemsofabooknerd! What books are you guys all anticipating? Are you waiting for the same books, or are there others you are waiting for? Feel free to let me know and leave links!

Candidate by Rachel E. Carter

Welcome to the Candidacy. Where dreams go to die. 

Twenty-year-old Ryiah is a black mage of Combat, but she is not the Black Mage. Yet. She’s had her eyes on the legendary robe for as long as she can remember, and in just one year she will have a chance at her country’s prestigious – and only – tourney for mages… Too bad she is going up against a certain non-heir. The one person she has yet to beat. 

Meanwhile Ry has a year to prove herself in her new role as a war mage and the prince’s betrothed. Neither is quite what she expected and complications arise on both fronts. War is on the horizon, and with so many enemies the kingdom of Jerar’s fate is more than ever at risk. 

The Candidacy finally arrives, but it’s only the beginning. Nothing can prepare her for what comes next. (Goodreads)

Again, this book I bought as soon as I had finished the last because I just had to know what would happen! Boy am I glad that I did buy it! I LOVED it! I pretty much spent all of my time reading and snarling when someone tried to take me away from my kindle! I warn you, there are spoilers ahead.

Ryiah is finally a mage! She is also engaged to Darren – so all of the school girl mooning and moping can finally come to a stop! She seems to get stronger and more determined in this book than she was in the first two – especially after she is faced with a few impossible situations. I think that is my favourite characteristic – sure, she has her flaws, but she is, in general, a very strong female lead and some that women could look up to and aspire to (apart from the whole magic thing!).

The Candidacy!! Who knew it was going to be so cruel and violent and just so damned epic! I was expecting something big, especially since it is the most talked about thing in the book and considering who the king is – but somehow, I wasn’t quite expecting that! The Candidacy had me feeling feels for certain characters (*ahem* Alex) and I was shocked to my core. I was also not expecting the outcome of the combat candidacy!! I mean, c’mon! I knew it was going to boil down to Darren and Ryiah, that much was clear, but seriously!! You couldn’t let Ryiah win even once, Rachel! even if it is the most important role – you couldn’t humour your readers just this once! The outrage I felt was just… Let’s not go there.

Blayne is a sneaky little snake! I was starting to believe that he was/has changed. I wanted to give him a second chance, I wanted him to be the character that he was pretending to be – but it turned out that he wasn’t! How could you to this to me, Carter?!? Do you not have any sympathy for your readers whatsoever! I just … I am lost for words. I think I need a 5 minutes sit down… even though I am sat! This book just isn’t what I was expecting and I just loved it!

How could Derrick be so danged stupid?? Did he really think he could get away with what he was doing?? Seriously? You’re in the heart of the capital, in the same place as the king and the three most talented mages there are plus the kings guard etc, Did you really think you could get away with spying and live to tell the tale? Plus, how unfair was it to put his sister in the position that he did?!? If my brother had done that to me, I am pretty sure I would have gone mental… and then probably refused to talk to him again!! What kind of a jerk is he – I thought he was better than that!

This book was amazing and has had me feeling so many different things throughout! I gave this book 5/5 stars. Rant over.

Apprentice by Rachel E. Carter

She survived a trial year at the Academy, but that was just the easy part… 

Now sixteen-year-old Ryiah is an apprentice of Combat, her school’s most notorious faction of magic. When she finishes she will be a mage, but in order to do so she has to survive four years with a training master she hates and her old nemesis, Priscilla. To make matters worse the unwanted attraction Ry feels for her sometimes-friend-sometimes-rival Prince Darren is at an all time high – even though he is betrothed to the very girl she can’t stand. 

Really, the only bright spot to Ryiah’s new life is the time she spends with her friends, including an older apprentice named Ian, who she finds herself thinking about quite often. 

Just when things start to get comfortable they take a turn for the worse. An apprentice is killed in a rebel attack and several mages end up dead. Unwittingly, the apprentices find themselves in the midst of a budding unrest between Jerar and its northern neighbor, Caltoth. For Ryiah the impending conflict means many things, but as her apprenticeship draws to a close she finds her biggest problem at home. 

Unfortunately for her, Darren’s not going anywhere.  (Goodreads)

I literally went and bought this book as soon as I had finished the first instalment. I had to find out what happened next! I liked this book as a whole, but there were minor disappointments – namely the fact that it should have been split into a least two books!

I think I admired Ryiah more in this book than I did in the first – if that is even possible! She was faced with more problems and a teacher who despised her and was intent on making her life hell. She stuck with it, though. She tried to be the best that she could be, even if that wasn’t the best in her class – but the effort is all that matters. What bugged me about Ryiah is the way in which she started to treat the people around her. It was almost like she was better than they are and no amount of description could change that. I also hated the way in which she treated Ian. Especially because I feel like he was the better of the two!

I did begin to like Darren, and then I didn’t. This seemed to last throughout the book – moments when I hated him and moments when I liked him. I think it hung on when he was nice to Ryiah and when he was acting like a jerk. It also bugged me that no matter what Ryiah did, Darren was always better than she was in magic. I wanted her to win at least once – I was rooting for her, but Darren always bested her. I understand that there will always be people who are better than you, but this seems to be taking it to the extreme!!

I wanted more from this book! It took me a while to figure out that we were going through four years in one book and I was disappointed! I was enjoying the book so much that I wanted more from it – more action, events etc. I feel like this book could have easily been split into two books, if not three, which would have allowed room for more descriptions and world building. It would have allowed for more in general – which is what I wanted!

I was also a little annoyed to find typos and grammatical errors. I understand that this happens when reading ARCS, since it is not the finished version, but this book has been finished and released to the general public, aka me, I would expect not to find easy errors. I am not sure whether they would be found in a physical copy of the book, or if it is just the Kindle version, but it bugged me.

I really enjoyed this book and I was glued to it in general. I wish there was more from it, though! I gave this book 4/5 stars.

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

Hey guys! I have a few additions for you this week – but I am about to go and buy some more!

 Apprentice by Rachel E. Carter. I have already read this book, so a review will be around in the next few days.

 Candidate by Rachel E. Carter. Again, I have already read this book, so I will be reviewing it in the next few days.

 An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. I have heard a lot about this book and I am really looking forward to reading it. Plus, Elias is the name of my son 😉

 Snow like Ashes by Sara Raasch. Again, another book I have heard a lot about!

Like I mentioned earlier on, I am off to go and add some other books to my kindle! What did you guys add? Feel free to leave answers and links below.

First Year by Rachel E. Carter

Before the age of seventeen, the young men and women of Jerar are given a choice-follow tradition, or pursue a trial year in one of the realm’s three war schools to study as a soldier, knight or mage…

For 15-year-old Ryiah, the choice has always been easy. Become a warrior and leave the boring confines of her lowborn life behind. Set to enroll in the School of Knighthood on the eve of her next birthday, plans suddenly shift when her twin brother discovers powers. Hoping that hers will soon follow, she enrolls with Alex at the Academy instead -the realm’s most notorious war school for those with magic. 

Yet when she arrives, Ry finds herself competing against friend and foe for one of the exalted apprenticeships. Every “first-year” is given a trial year to prove their worth -and no amount of hard work and drive will guarantee them a spot. It seems like everyone is rooting for her to fail -and first and foremost among them Prince Darren, the school prodigy who has done nothing but make life miserable since she arrived. 

When an accidental encounter leads Ryiah and Darren to an unlikely friendship, she is convinced nothing good will come of it. But the lines become blurred when she begins to improve -and soon she is a key competitor for the faction of Combat… Still, nothing is ever as it seems -and when the world comes crashing down around her, Ry is forced to place faith in the one thing she can believe in -herself. Will it be enough?  (Goodreads)

Firstly, I just want to say happy anniversary to me! Apparently it has been two years since I first started blogging – which seems like a really long time! Anyway…

I have had this book on my TBR for a very long time. The reason why I never got around to actually reading it? I couldn’t find a copy. No matter where I looked, I couldn’t find a physical copy of this book. However, I got a kindle, so what do you think was the first book that I bought? Right you are, this book!! Boy am I glad I did. I LOVED this book! From the very beginning I felt glued to it and I just didn’t want to put it down.

I think what I enjoyed most about this book was that, whilst Ryiah was someone to contend with, she was still human and still relatable as a character. I sometimes felt like I could have been reading my own life when it came to her early mornings and how she felt about them, for example. I also think that, although it takes her a while to figure things out, she is a good example for her readers because she was a character that never gave up! She consistently tried throughout the book, no matter what she was doing and, while she had quite a few doubts about her ability, she still tried her hardest.

While there were love interests, they didn’t detract from the story itself. It flowed within the story and became a part of it, rather than separating it between the story and the love story. Having said that, I found Darren to be a pain in the bum. He rubbed me up the wrong way and just generally annoyed me. He helped Ryiah, he pushed her to be better, even if it came out condescending and arrogant, but he still bugged me to death. I just wanted to poke him constantly…

Ian, on the other hand, was someone I could see me being friends with. He was witty, funny and easy going and just someone who you would want at a party. He reminded me of a few of my friends, which is probably why he is a character I found extremely easy to connect with. Ella was also like this – I adored her!

This was a pretty fast paced book, that I was glued to from the very first page right until the very end!!! I gave this book 5/5 stars.