Alyce Caswell - Author - Book Reviews

Alyce Caswell - Author

Starflight, Starbright

19/4/2021

Starflight (Starflight #1)
by Melissa Landers

Solara is desperate to start her new life on Vega, but in order to get there she must travel as a servant for Doran, the most infuriating and rude rich guy ever. He even tries to strand her! But after he loses his memories, Solara convinces him that he is her servant - right before they board a new ship with new problems and are thrown into an adventure neither of them could expect.

This was pretty fun, even if it was somewhat superficial and didn't really stack up against other sci-fi YA titles I've read since (and before) its publication. I can't remember any particular moments that stick out to me, to be honest. It had a very "been there, done that" feel to it. But hey, if you want something light (and there are times for that), then Starflight fits the bill.

A Book of Flames and Fae

17/4/2021

A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses #4)
by Sarah J. Maas

Nesta Acheron was Made into a High Fae against her will and has fallen into darkness. Cassian has been charged with her training, less a punishment and more an attempt to save her. But Nesta doesn't want to be saved - and nor does she want to search for the Dread Trove. The Cauldron has already taken too much from her. What more will it take if she scries again?

I have to be honest. I'm not a real fan and I delight in discovering the problems in Sarah J. Maas' work. But somewhere along the way, I had to admit to myself that the books are flawed but fun. I think I enjoyed this one a bit more because Nesta is far more interesting to me than Feyre ever was (the usual blueprint for a Maas heroine is just arghhh...). My favourite character, however, is definitely the house!

I liked the slower pace in A Court of Silver Flames, though it did cause everything to feel a bit rushed at the end. And I wasn't terribly keen on what happened with Nesta - mostly because she was overpowered and Maas chose the easy solution for that.

All a Flutter

11/4/2021

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Wren has a lot of things on her mind already. She doesn't need a winged assassin trying to kill her - but she does need a rescue, courtesy of Ezal, who has just jumped in from another dimension. Originally sent to Earth as a baby, Wren has become the heir of House Banae and with this positions comes new dangers. Now she is expected to either abdicate or marry a suitable husband, one who must overlook her lack of wings. But Ezal might complicate matters...

Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. I adored this book. I was sucked in so easily and I was Team Ezal from the start! The world-building was fantastic - Letharia is a world of wings and magic, as well as a world of science and string theory. A perfect, fascinating blend. It was as difficult for me to leave Letharia as it was for Wren.

Fans of Sarah J. Maas will absolutely love this winged romance.

Frae Orkney Down to Sinclair

6/4/2021

Highland Warrior (Sons of Sinclair #2)
by Heather McCollum

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

Joshua Sinclair was transformed into the Horseman of War by his father, but his warring has left him with too many scars. He intends to travel home after training the men belonging to Robert Stuart, one of the king's illegitimate relatives and the man in charge of Orkney. Kara has seen her people crushed beneath a Stuart's heel. But the only way to seek revenge is in convincing Joshua to stay and train her people. A little seduction might be involved...

I absolutely loved this! I knew I would right from the start. Orkney is one of my favourite places and I do miss it, so I was thrilled to see it as a setting here. Kara and Joshua's introduction is so playful, energetic - and dare I say it, seductive. I've rarely fallen this hard for a pairing. McCollum continues to provide the action I crave alongside my romance and I stayed up far later than I should have in my desire to finish this book. I highly recommend it.

All My Vices in One Spot

4/4/2021

Her Scottish Scoundrel (Diamonds in the Rough #7)
by Sophie Barnes

Charlotte's secret profession as a writer of slightly scandalous novels sees her travelling through dodgy places in London, so she decides to hire Blayne (who looks rather dodgy himself!) to escort her. Blayne has every intention of ending their arrangement - and yet, still finds himself pretending to be Charlotte's fiancé when she asks it of him. But more than their hearts are at risk if Blayne's past catches up with him.

I wanted this book to last forever. It combined so many of my favourite elements - Scottish scoundrel with a heart of gold, woman secretly making a living as an author, said woman owning a pistol, a shrewd opponent as the other suitor, lovable side characters, dark family past, etc. I could go on. Basically, this was exactly my kind of romance. I adored Charlotte and Blayne as characters, especially together! I will certainly be checking out Barnes' other novels.

Travel Without Quarantine

29/3/2021

Marriage Unarranged by Ritu Bhathal

Aashi should be preparing for the most exciting day of her life, but her wedding dreams are in tatters after she discovers her husband-to-be has cheated. Now she must cancel everything - except, perhaps, the trip she had planned to take to India with her best friend and her brothers. Aashi may find herself there...and she may also find true love.

I loved this!! Not only did it provide some desperately-needed armchair travel, it was a delightful read that kept me hooked way past my bedtime. Of course, I enjoyed the romantic pairings, exploring the "sights", the sprinkling of melodrama (never outstaying its welcome) - but mostly I enjoyed reading about Aashi and Arjun together. I desperately need this book to be turned into a movie.

So Much Potential

28/3/2021

The Queen's Blade
by Natasja Rose

Sayfiya al-Aziz is tired of being refused the honour becoming a true assassin because of her gender, so seeks to accomplish what male assassins have failed to do: kill Queen Alexandra. But she finds more than she bargained for on her mission.

I really enjoyed Sayfiya and Alexandra as characters - it'd have been nice for them to populate a much longer story, which I feel would have done them more justice. The condensed narrative resulted in a lot of telling instead of showing and many developments were glossed over. Definitely one of those "but this had the potential to be so good, dang it!" stories.

A Bigfoot in a Big World

25/3/2021

A Bigfoot's Gift (A Bigfoot's Journey #1)
by Mel Braxton

Alice is a Bigfoot and lives with her hidden community in the forest. One night the Fae gift her with a magical necklace that gives her the ability to walk among humans, unnoticed for what she is. The world outside her village is strange to Alice. But it may just be the place for her to find her true self.

This was a cute YA novel that served as a vehicle for Braxton to make her usual insightful commentary on human nature. Alice is a very likeable protagonist and her community is absolutely fascinating. I do think, however, that this was a bit short for YA (perhaps a length more suitable for MG, though the subject matter is certainly YA) and there was not enough conflict or plot for the intended age group. As a result, the book feels somewhat incomplete. But I did like what there was of it.

Not All That Glitters

24/3/2021

The Wild Mermaid by Mel Braxton

Cora can't wait to return to Atlantis and the dazzling future that awaits her there, among the others of her kind. If only she could remember her previous visits. If only she could remember...well, anything. Soon she will discover that Atlantis is no safe place for a mortal mermaid. And there is something sinister occurring beneath the blinding lights and beautiful music.

This is a quick, pleasant read as it is on the shorter side, with very little padding. I think I would have liked it to be a little longer. But I really did like The Wild Mermaid, especially the deeper message about how our experiences can transform us. I remember reading an earlier version of this on Wattpad and I have to say I am blown away by how well it's been scrubbed and edited. Seeing how things changed certainly added to my enjoyment of it.

Princess Switch: Geek Edition

19/3/2021

The Princess and the Fangirl (Once Upon A Con #2)
by Ashley Poston

Jessica Stone wants to leave the Starfield franchise and its toxic fans behind her. The role has been the bane of her existence - and now she's lost the script to the sequel. She needs someone to pretend to be her while she finds it... so enter Imogen Lovelace, a huge Starfield fan who looks uncannily like her. But Imogen isn't filling in Jessica's shoes just to be nice - she wants to ensure that Jessica's character makes it to the sequel and that is the last thing Jessica wants.

I loved Geekerella so this was an insta!buy for me. Once again, I threw myself into the cutesy geekiness with wild abandon and enjoyed every second of it. I am such a sucker for stories, be they books or movies, set over a short period of time. So much fun knowing there's only a weekend for everything to be resolved! This all said, I didn't fall as much in love with this one as I did the previous book - probably more to do with my not loving the tale that inspired it. But I will still inhale the next one.