Alyce Caswell - Author
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Book Reviews

Alice + Aaron = <3

21/1/2021

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The Alice Equation (Laws of Love #1)
by Davina Stone

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Vampires and Superheroes oh my

16/1/2021

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The Labyrinth Index (The Laundry Files #9)
by Charles Stross

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The United Kingdom is currently being run by an elder god, but it seems things are worse across the pond because most people there have forgotten the President exists. Enter Mhari, a vampire(?) who is being sent with a bunch of her colleagues to see if they can't help out the stricken US of A. Very weird things happen. Cthulu is involved.

I never, in my life, expected to stumble across a book that was a chaotic merging of Doctor Who, James Bond and Lovecraft. But it's definitely the most entertaining book to have emerged from that bargain box I bought last year. I did find it a little too choppy though, since the scenes were all arranged out of order (which can be a fun literary device, but I am so very tired and that state of being isn't likely to change soon). Jim and Mhari were a delight. This whole thing felt like a fever dream. I do think I liked it, however.

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Up to Scratch

8/1/2021

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Starting from Scratch by Penelope Janu

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I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sapphie Brown found sanctuary in Horseshoe Hill as a troubled teen and is now the local school teacher, with dreams of buying a farmhouse. Her quiet life becomes abruptly complicated with the arrival of Matts Laaksonen, the man from a past Sapphie would have preferred to keep buried. Can she keep avoiding him - and her heart?

I'm warming up to these small town romances and the idyllic life inside them. I did enjoy Starting from Scratch, but I chose to read it before bed so I could relax and therefore found it difficult to muddle my way through unexpectedly science-heavy scenes. That aside, I found Sapphie's father to be a perfectly vile villain and I liked Matts (probably because I love Finland and could easily "hear" his accent). This was a nice, pleasant read. But maybe don't try to read it when you're tired!

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Solid but Same-y

6/1/2021

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​The God Tattoo (Twilight Reign)
by Tom Lloyd

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This is a collection of stories set in the Twilight Reign universe, dodging through genres including fantasy, crime drama and gothic horror.

Admittedly, I'm not familiar with the series or the author, this being yet another book from the fabled bargain box that I bought. I think this is a pretty solid collection, but I'm not tempted to try out the rest of the series - mostly because I am so very tried of fantasy novels set in a male-dominated society. Given the lack of decent female characters in his collection (and the way they were written), I don't think I would enjoy Lloyd's other books.

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Post-Apocalypse Now

5/1/2021

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Mara and Dann (Mara and Dann #1)
by Doris Lessing

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Mara and Dann are taken from their family and are then rescued, but danger from those who know them better than they know themselves continues to stalk them throughout their lives and the great journey North. Marching at their heels is swift, cruel and unrelenting climate change. Thousands of years in the future, some things change - but most things stay the same.

What a fascinating book this was. At first I thought "oh dear, this was in that bargain box for reason", but then I got used to the style of writing - which befits the type of book this is. Part epic, part folktale, part philosophical (mostly about civilisation and human nature), part mystery, part love story, part adventure... it really transcends the post-apocalyptic genre. I don't think any other book I've read set in humanity's future is anywhere near this good or this thoughtful.

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Gladiator: Scots Style

3/1/2021

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Highland Defender (Scots and Swords #2)
by Kathryn Le Veque

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I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bane Morgan has hit rock bottom when a chance encounter with Lucia, a lady's maid, turns his life around. But with no way to pay the debt that keeps her shackled to an increasingly dangerous situation, Bane must enter the Ludus Caledonia and survive not only battles but the jealousy of Lucia's lady.

A gladiatorial arena in medieval Scotland? With our heroes pitted against other fighters as well as the obstacles between them and true love? What a fascinating premise! I love reading the same Scottish romance story over and over again, don't get me wrong, but this was such a refreshing take on the genre. I blitzed through this because I was just so keen to see how things would end. The pacing was pretty good too, allowing the relationship to develop realistically (despite the short timeframe).

Change is definitely a good thing here.

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Some decades ago, in our own galaxy...

2/1/2021

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Second Stage Lensmen ​(Lensmen #5)
by E.E. 'Doc' Smith

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​Kim Kinnison (often referred to as THE Lensman) just wants to settle down with his lady love, but first he must defeat Boskone through a variety of physical and mental force. Infiltration is his weapon. Getting married is his goal (well, among many things!).

It's hard to rate something like this, especially since this is the only Lensmen book I've managed to read so far. The series' impact on 20th century science fiction is undeniable. Kinnison is, to me, a very recognisable blueprint for many characters that came after him - and his adventures are so familiar as well. I usually have trouble reading older sci-fi titles, but this one was a nice surprise. The writing drew me in immediately, even in that opening recap of the previous goings-on. The part I enjoyed the most was Kinnison masquerading as a criminal with his own racket, in order to take out another racket (a la Britt Reid).

The flaws of this book primarily arise from its episodic nature (it was originally serialised) and the sexism of the time. But I'm honestly still quite impressed with it.

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Up in Smoke

30/12/2020

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Dreaming in Smoke by Tricia Sullivan

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​Kalypso was bred to assist colonists from Earth who came to T'nane, thinking that the atmosphere would be stable and habitable. To fix what they call the Oxygen Problem, they use Dreaming to sort through data and come up with conclusions - but so far to no avail. Kalypso's assistance in a Dreaming gone wrong will... result in stuff. I don't know.

Lately I've been disappointed by books that have a great premise, but suffer from poor execution. This is one of those. The world-building was chaotic, confusing - and just boring. The writing itself wasn't fluid or decent, so I wasn't able to power through the worst scenes. As a result, this might be one of the worst novels I've ever forced myself to finish. And I did want to like it when I first cracked it open.

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This Girl is on Fire

29/12/2020

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Heiress on Fire by Kellie McCourt

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I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Heiress Indigo-Daisy-Violet-Amber Hasluck-Royce-Jones-Bombberg (*draws breath*) married a man who was supposed to be her boring, reliable "Bran Muffin". But after her clumsiness inadvertently leads to his death in an explosion, she begins to unravel her Bran Muffin's secrets - and must somehow clear her name by venturing out into a world she has been sheltered from.

This was a somewhat amusing romp and I'm rather impressed that McCourt made someone who should have been unlikeable into a main character who I might follow into the sequel. You'll have to suspend disbelief a lot with this book and you really need to be in the mood for a vapid MC in the midst of a vapid plot (there are definitely times for this!). I'm not sure I liked how achingly obvious this book was as a setup for a series. It felt a little unfinished because of that. But I am like a moth to the Heiress on Fire and will probably pick up a sequel if there is one.

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Hol' Up

27/12/2020

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​The Bushranger's Wife by Cheryl Adnams

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​Jack the Devil is a bushranger who's in it for the thrill - he's definitely not looking for a wife or anything resembling a settled life. Prudence Stanforth is from a family of title and means, so the very thought of running off with the man who held her up and stole from her should be out of the question. But the heat building between them has nothing to do with the harsh Australian climate.

I intended to read a chapter before bed, but whoops! I ended up far deeper into this story and far more enamoured of it than I had expected. Sure, this was the night before the baby woke up ridiculously early but I have no regrets (okay, maybe I have a few). I was a little worried this would be one of those depressing colonial tales with few glimmers of light - I needn't have worried. It's a lovely, fast-paced romance that is all light and all enjoyment.

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    About

    Alyce Caswell, when she isn't buried in a book or drinking her way through a giant pot of tea, is a keen writer of science fiction and romance. She has published two novels and four novellas in her space opera family saga, The Galactic Pantheon Series.

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