Thursday, January 26, 2017

‘Last Stand’ (The Black Mage #4) by Rachel E. Carter

5 magical stars!

‘Last Stand’ is the epic conclusion to Rachel E. Carter’s fantastic ‘Black Mage’ series, wrapping up all four books and one novella.  Links to the earlier books in this series, and book reviews, are provided below.  Please expect spoilers for the series in the below review.




Read the series from the beginning:
Non-Heir’ Novella Review



‘The Black Mage’ series has pulled my heartstrings at times along the way, but this entry was by far the most emotional to read.  Carter’s writing is flawless; the challenge comes in accepting Mage Ryiah’s choices and watching the consequences play out.  As this series has advanced, the Mages have kept up with their physical training and magic casting, however, political intrigue has become an increasingly larger part of the plot.  ‘Last Stand’ puts an even larger focus on political intrigue and dealings at court, and the many battles resulting from court maneuvers.

My heart was shattered at the end of book 3, ‘Candidate,’ but the worst was yet to come.  Ryiah and Darren both make difficult choices and go through quite a lot in this book.  I wish their path could have been easier, but the end result was worth it.  Along the way, there are some lovely scenes, including a wedding, and some descriptive-yet-clean romance.  As newlyweds, the witty banter between Ryiah and Darren was a bit more personal, and the romantic teasing had both Ryiah and me blushing.  As always, Carter’s intricate descriptions were one of the high points of her novel. 

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book.  All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

‘Last Stand’ will be available on February 7, 2017!

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