Get PDF The Candidate ( Book #3): A Novel

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I am truly honored to have received an ARC of the third book of the epic fantasy series called The Black Mage and to be one of the first lucky people to have read this. Carter , I will be forever grateful for this series and for the friendship you so humbly and willingly offered despite your grand awesomeness. First Year The Black Mage 1 introduced us to Ryiah, a young heroine who dreamed of becoming a warrior by enrolling at the Academy, a School of Knighthood giving students a chance for apprenticeship in preparation to becoming a mage.

A mage is someone capable of summoning different sorts of magic and casting spells and is meant to serve and protect the Kingdom of Jerar. The students selected their factions- Restoration, Alchemy and Combat through different tests and challenges. Of course, our heroine is a certified kick-ass and wanted to be trained for Combat. The tone of the story was playful and even a bit flirty especially with the adorable jerk of a prince called Darren. What are you thinking? Go read this now! Apprentice The Black Mage 2.

The few carefully selected students from the School of Knighthood who passed the trial year moved on to apprenticeship which meant four years of hard and rigorous training under strict and harsh masters. The plot became more intense and action-packed not only because of the difficult training and the impossibility of becoming an actual mage, but also because of the brewing conflict between the Kingdom of Jerar and its neighbor, Caltoth.

Add to that the really cute love triangle and rumors of rebellions. Candidate The Black Mage 3 is by far, in my personal opinion, the best book in the entire series. The turn of events in the story made me want to beg for oxygen. The themes on politic s have become so strong; it has become the core of the plot.

It was fascinating to witness how the characters even the bad ones develop and completely mature here. Brienne is one hot momma! The first two books have already made me a fan of this author but after reading the shocking plot twists and surprising every other element in this installment, my respect and awe for the author went way up to a different level especially with her emphasis on girl power. Commander Nyx-woman, Paige who is a guard-woman, one of the best combat mages-woman!

Perhaps my only complaint is my lack of preparation for the tragedies that happened in the story. Oh my fragile heart! I was gutted really hard. My heart shattered to pieces and I was so not ready for that. There is a fourth book! I have never been more grateful for a cliffhanger! What in the world are you thinking? Sorry for sounding like a bully. I'm just really, really enthusiastic.

View all 39 comments. I mean First Year was awesome and then Apprentice came rolling along blowing second book syndrome out of the water with its freaking awesomeness, so you can imagine me, the pessimist that I am, waiting for the shoe to drop. It's not that I don't trust Rachel, it's that no matter how much I love series there is always that one book to bring down the parade.

Candidate blew my freaking mind. As a whole, this series gets more complex and daring as it progresses. Each one able to stand in it's own light and right.

Amazing characters developed with actual depth. Twist and turns you will not see coming. Literally, Candidate mocked my attempts at guessing any outcome. Just when I thought I knew what would come to be, Rachel pulled the rug from under my feet and showed me a chasm I couldn't even begin to fathom. This book had me: My shock, my glee. Will these books ever cease to amaze me? Remember how I said Apprentice overshadowed its predecessor by miles on end. Well, Candidate blew those two to bits. I will no longer doubt the epicness you can bring to life and I will never hesitate to read anything you write.

This has undoubtedly become one of my favorites YA fantasy series. Hands down, no competition. My words have been immortalized! P Also arc was provided by the author but that in no way swayed my opinion. Trust me, I would have been the first to point out that it sucked if it had. She knows that very well. How dare you end just like that? View all 20 comments. October , first reread: I just finished this book I am just so I am seriously at a loss for words. I am both elated and traumatized, and in total disbelief about a few different things that came to light during this third book in the series.

Just look at my status updates, haha first read: Just look at my status updates, haha. This book made me bipolar.

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I am totally serious, I can't wrap my head around it all View all 6 comments. Este libro estuvo del carajo. I may be a little late with writing this review, but never any less enthusiastic. First of all, I have received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. Add a shitload of battle scenes, which are written brilliantly, and some really strong side characters, and this is what you end up with.

Only one of them is prepared to fall on its blade. First of all, she works her butt off to get where she wants to be. And then the story punches you in the face. And laughs at you.

Then laughs at you some more. But overall, Candidate works excellently as a story in itself, while also building up for the awesome badassery that will be Last Stand. View all 4 comments. I won an ARC of this book from the author! The first book made me want to tear my hair out in frustration and punch certain characters in the face. All punching would've been done lovingly The second book did indeed rip my heart to shreds and scream a bit more. This is the book where we get into the nitty-gritty political details and learn what Ryaih's and Darren's world looks like.

And I won an ARC of this book from the author! And, as a bonus to us readers, Ry and Darren are actually together. And it's time for the Candidacy!!! The big tournament to choose the next top mages and naturally Ry and Darren both want to be the Black Mage. That's as far as I'll go into that , but know it was Boy did stuff happen. Cause and effect, people. Now, I don't want to give anything away, so just know it was amazing.

A little quote for you before I go My father was first to break the silence. Unfortunately for me it was in the most embarrassing way possible.

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Thank God the next book is already released or I would've died from anticipation! Do they go down together? I can't even say anything or I risk ruining the story, so I leave you with this line: However, the naval officer's character was inconsistent in many ways, perhaps due to her unhappy. The problem is that when each achieves the next position, the other's identity will become evident. Kindle Edition , pages. Yet he was like the male equivalent of a Sparrow in America.

She certainly has a type. Not even Darren was prepared for my father. OK, this book snuck up on me , i didn't anticipate those series of unexpected events: Jun 30, Dannii Elle rated it really liked it Shelves: I had wrongly assumed my adoration for this series would nose-dive once it was removed from its magical academy setting, but boy was I wrong! Ryiah's character arc throughout this series has been momentous, and it is heartening to still share her journey even after her school days are over.

She continues to learn and continues to grow, just as this series continued to evolve from strength to strength. Her ambition and her desire to succeed made this book an inspiring one and althou Wow! Her ambition and her desire to succeed made this book an inspiring one and although I may have not been finally convinced of this series romantic focus I am sold on the badass female this centres around.

The Kremlin's Candidate

I'm sorry, that was unclear. Allow me to rephrase that You see that read blob over there on the floor? The one that has been torn to pieces? Yeah, that's my heart! Throughout reading Candidate I was thoroughly enjoying myself. I wasn't unbearably in love, but I was hooked and wanted to know what the hell was going to happen.

And then the Candidacy took place and everything beyond that point You know how people say "be careful what you wish for"? Yeah, I found out the hard way! I'm not typically an emotional person when it comes to reading books. Yeah I get fangirly and excited, but by "emotional" I mean crying. I do get sad and feel for the characters, but I don't often feel the need to cry. Unfortunately for me, this book happened. And I was sitting among my family members, so I had no choice but to sit there, holding my tears at bay and silently suffering at the hands of Rachel E.

I will also add that the most magical books aren't the ones with magic, but rather those that can cause real emotions in a reader. The exact opposite of indifference. Candidate was pretty magical! I shall not divulge the secrets of this book because 1 spoilers suck, 2 You need to read it! The characters are truly amazing, as much as I hate some of them! They are all dynamic and multi-dimensional.

One of the greatest parts of this whole series is Ryiah and Darren's relationship. And it's not because of the romance. I mean, let's be honest here; the romance is pretty awesome! But I say that because of their flaws. Darren and Ryiah are both seriously flawed. Like normal humans except for, you know, the magic and stuff! They are both prideful and they both make mistakes. But their love for each other prevails because they both sucked it up and tried to work it out! I also have a younger brother, and the mere thought of having something terrible like that happen to him As much as I love you guys, I have to ask I haven't cried that hard since the Clockwork Princess Epilogue With snot dripping and snorting and loud keening.

I couldn't even look at another book for a week after I finished Candidate. Rachel played with my emotions. But it's ok, she's just such a great writer that I'm ok with it. Candidate was compelling and so much more. I'm scared to see what happens in Last Stand, but we all know I'll pre-ordering it the first o I haven't cried that hard since the Clockwork Princess Epilogue I'm scared to see what happens in Last Stand, but we all know I'll pre-ordering it the first opportunity. Rachel as done it again! And soon, because I need to fangirl with someone okay?

In this instalment tensions are rising throughout the world, revealing secrets and characteristics people would prefer to be kept quiet. True colours are starting to come through… My non-spoiler low down of characters: Just as good as the last read. I had totally forgotten Ryiah's terrible epiphany at the end so I got to experience that agin and it broke my heart.

I really wanted to write this review the moment after I finished it, but I was so overwhelmed I had to let myself think about it for a couple days, or my review would have seemed like 10 year old fan-girl gushing. This is by far the best book in the series thus far. Ryiah is now reread thoughts: Ryiah is now Darren's betrothed. But, before they get married, she wants to get away from the castle and work for Commander Nyx in the north. She and Darren separate for a while, but are brought together again by the Heir's marriage plans, mutiny, love, rebellion Let's not forget the pending Candidacy where Ryiah, Darren, and others will fight for the esteemed position of the Black Mage.

Candidate really gave us a good look at who Darren was and how he got to be the person he was today. It's not secret that though Darren and Ryiah love each other, they are stubborn and fight like there is no tomorrow. This book gives some back story that helps Ryiah and Darren's relationship mature. Candidate is also by far the best written book by Carter, in my opinion. We have watched Ryiah, Darren, and the others go from clueless students-to apprentices-to full fledged mages.

Dominika and Nash were that kind of story. This third and final book in the trilogy continued a lot of those same excellent qualities. But it also included a couple of surprises. Two primary plot twists — one somewhere near the middle of the book and the other at the end — surprised and bothered me. My guess is they will cause the same reactions in others. I will not give away any crucial plotline details in my reviews. Spoiler free is my philosophy. However, the second one left me with a high level of emotional impact. It was not something I saw coming nor expected.

I even spent most of last night after finishing the book pondering my feelings about it and whether I agreed it was the right thing for Matthews to do. I have seen a variety of reactions on the bulletin boards ranging from one end of the spectrum to the other. I will leave each reader to decide his or her own thoughts and feelings. Either way, it was a strong ending that will leave the reader reflecting for months to come. Overall, this book is almost as awesome as the first two. Although it comes up a bit short, I absolutely think it is worthy of a 4.

Thank you -Jason Matthews - for writing it… Another excellent thriller to conclude this trilogy. I think the first and third books were best, but I powered through all three. The author is a legit former spy, so this series felt very realistic from the spy side, and then wove a nice love story in too.

And the descriptions of Putin and how he operates Russia were fascinating. Jul 24, Corinna rated it liked it. A brief synopsis of this trilogy: I ate the crap up, let me tell you. I feel like I have the edge on Russia. I know their game.

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And I can never look at Putin's doughy face the same way, that's for darn sure. This genre isn't my comfort zone, so maybe that's coloring my view of the plot since I don't have a lot of prior material to reference in this area , but I thought it was original and well done. The accuracy breathed off the pages. The reader is invested and wants to know what happened to the characters, while wading through a lot of work to get there.

Which leads into the cons The lazy side of me is glad they're over! I can rip through books like no one's business, but these. Unless this is your field, I have a feeling anyone reading these books could start to feel like they were a lot of work. This series serves up a hearty helping of alphabet soup- so many acronyms. The terminology had me flipping back the pages a few times trying to remember what that meant again?

I wanted to challenge my comfort zone, and that mission was accomplished without sacrificing a great plot or characters. One thing I didn't care for on a personal level was Nate [see also: Neyt, Nash, and that-guy-who-always-has-an-excuse-to-screw-the-girl-at-his-work] and his proclivity towards infidelity. Your tortured and horny. But for all your supposed love for Dominika, you certainly don't seem to have an issue making rounds at the office.

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It kind of started to feel like Matthews was looking for any corner of the plot to squeeze in another steamy scene. Which wasn't actually necessary in a book all about honey-traps and Sparrows. But hey, what did I expect? Domi did too, but that was somewhat to be expected given her profession And honestly, the ending felt entirely appropriate to me. Personally, given what the other ending would have had to have been, I was satisfied with how it left off. I would actually give the last third of the book a four star rating.

In conclusion, it deserves a higher rating, but I'm giving it a 3. He wasn't supposed to be the Sparrow. Yet he was like the male equivalent of a Sparrow in America. I'd rate this book an R for violence and gore, thematic elements, swearing, scenes of torture, and sex. Not for young readers. Or tender adults either.

Mar 05, Pamela rated it it was amazing. I savored every word! This trilogy depicts 21st century spy craft in all its intrigue, dangers, and suspense. The author has nailed it! This series is complex; the language and vocabulary is complex. Yet, if you enjoy a deep spy story with espionage, chills and thrills, it is a must read.

I was engaged with the characters and immersed in the storyline. Matthews is a superb author with his ability to elicit such an emotional response from this reader. It was a sad yet satisfactory ending, but very realistic. View all 3 comments. Feb 22, Nick Sanders rated it did not like it. Not out with a bang, but with a whimper After two thrilling parts of the trilogy, the third part is a vast disappointment.

It's written as if Matthews had a thesaurus for breakfast each morning, and the plot develops in an alarmingly predictable way. And then, in just a few pages, it ends. Disappointingly, I must say. May 29, Jill Mackin rated it really liked it Shelves: You can certainly tell it was written by a former CIA Operations officer.

Lots of twists and turns. Jul 06, Elizabeth added it Shelves: I really enjoyed this trilogy. Matthews does a good job of weaving romance with all the trappings of a spy novel: I powered through all three books and would probably read more of them. The first and the third novels in the trilogy were the best. Apr 07, Michael Martz rated it really liked it. I'm sad to see this series end but getting there has been very satisfying. The plot involves a bit of a race to see which spy, Russia's or our's, ascends to the top spot in their respective country's spy organization first.

Whoever 'wins' is in a position to identify and expose the biggest traitor on the other side 'The Kremlin's Candidate', the 3rd in the Red Sparrow series by Jason Matthews, is yet another intricately crafted thriller with strong writing, good dialogue, and great 'tradecraft'. Whoever 'wins' is in a position to identify and expose the biggest traitor on the other side. The American, a female USN admiral who has spied for the Russians for years, is on the short list to succeed the CIA director who had been assassinated to set up her possible promotion.

On the other side, 'our' Russian agent, an ex-Sparrow specialist in sexual 'honey traps' who has climbed the ladder in Putin's organization, is under consideration for the top spot in their version of the CIA. Whoever succeeds first will have access to information that will expose their infiltrator. A little romance, some Chinese contact, a lot of violence, tons of spy stuff, and a few 'barium enemas' ensue.

The ending is tough but you'd have to say the outcome was positive. Unlike previous entries in the series, I had a bit of a problem with a few situations that just didn't seem very believable. Almost everything in the first two novels rang true, yet the passages related to the 'Wolverines' in particular didn't pass the smell test, and several other minor sequences just didn't seem very believable. I also continue to dislike the whole 'aura' thing that our Russian agent has going- she can 'read' people by interpreting the colors she sees surrounding them All in all, a good finale to what's been a great series.

Jun 12, Patrick rated it it was amazing.

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Editorial Reviews. From the Back Cover. The campaign trail may be her most dangerous journey yet Top investigative reporter Jill Lewis is moving back to her . The Kremlin's Candidate: A Novel and millions of other books are available for instant access. view Kindle eBook .. Series: The Red Sparrow Trilogy (Book 3).

What, What, WTF just happened? It ended, that's what, suddenly and abruptly. No spoilers here, just a quick recap of the final installment of the trilogy. If selected, Rowland would learn the identity of Diva, the code name for Gen. Matthews, a year CIA veteran, provides a chilling portrait of the cold-blooded Putin, while saying almost nothing about the fictional current and previous U. Jan 10, Ron S rated it liked it Shelves: The first two books received high critical praise and comparisons to le Carre; the plot is plausible, the characters compelling.

Unfortunately, the seeming sheer implausibility of the current U. A movie version of Red Sparrow, the first book in the trilogy, starring Jennifer Lawrence will likely be more successful in delivering thrills. It's too bad, because by any normal measure, this is a solid series for those that enjoy suspense thriller espionage titles. Fantastic, surprising ending to the Red Sparrow trilogy. Early on I was worried that Matthews was stretched too thin, but as the book progressed, I found the numerous plot lines to be wonderfully executed.

I loved that actions had consequences, that just because someone's a good guy it doesn't exempt them. Didn't want it to end! Jul 23, Kathleen rated it it was amazing. Who better to write a superb spy versus spy novel than Matthews who has 33 years of experience working for the CIA Operations Directorate. This is the third installment in the Red Sparrow series and it does not disappoint. His descriptions of surveillance-detection runs have the ring of authenticity rarely achieved in other spy novels.

Dominika Egorova began her career as a sparrow, an operative trained in the sex arts. But she has risen up through the ranks of the SVR as a result of her intelli Who better to write a superb spy versus spy novel than Matthews who has 33 years of experience working for the CIA Operations Directorate. The Russians have their own mole in the United States—one that is just as well-placed as Dominika. Indeed, their mole is being seriously considered to lead the CIA. Both countries race to find out who the moles are in their respective governments.

In the meantime, there are operations in Turkey and China that are as action-packed and tension-filled as the written word can allow. Fortunately, Matthews quirkily ends each chapter with the recipe of some dish unique to that chapter, thus relieving the building tension for at least a moment or two. Highly recommend for spy novel enthusiasts. This was hands down my favorite plot line of the trilogy and is by far the most thrilling in how Matthews brought everything full circle.

Navy lieutenant Audrey Rowland and get her to agree to work with the Russians back in In addition to American and Russian spies, North Korean and Chinese spies are also thrown into the mix. Sections certainly could have been omitted for a more streamlined story. The build-up to the grand finale does, in retrospect, feel like something I should have anticipated but it still managed to astonish.

Either way, it was most convincing. In looking back on the near 60 hours I spent listening to the ordeals of Dominika Egorova and Nathaniel Nash, it was easy to lose yourself in the intricate web of the spy world. Rescued by a Stranger. Longarm and the Rancher's Daughter. Longarm on a Bloody Vendetta. The Case of the Cool-Itch Kid. Death at a Solitude Sawmill. Beauty to Die For. Settled For The Special. The Grim Reaper's Dance. Gone In A Minute. Flowers for Her Grave. The Sea Shell Murder.

Death of a Solitude African. Sins of the Holy. The Morelville Mysteries Collection. Lost Souls Of Paradise. What is Happening Down There. And Jacki, Of Course. The Train Stops Here. When the Shift Blows.