Category: Sci Fi/fantasy - Alyce Caswell - Author

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.

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.

Shadow Games

18/3/2021

The Heart of a Shadow (Merged Worlds #1)
by Samantha Marshall

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

Liria Atlannon is a shadow and is bound to the will of Princess Ione, who has travelled to Egypt to marry its pharaoh. Liria will always remain Ione's shadow...or she's supposed to. But the pharaoh's brother, Prince Raiden, sees her for what she is and what she can be. Unfortunately, anything that grows between them will have to survive the gods turning Egypt in a battleground.

This was a delightful dark fantasy novel with an Ancient Egyptian bent - I have always had a soft spot for those gods and any book that makes use of them. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and felt like I had to fan myself even when Liria and Raiden were sharing innocuous scenes! And Ione is one of the most complex characters I've ever encountered. I kind of wished I could dive right into this book and live there, though obviously I'd prefer not to encounter someone like Set...!

Still Smitten

11/3/2021

Smoke Bitten (Mercy Thompson #12)
by Patricia Briggs

Mercy has problems - well, how could this be a Mercy Thompson novel without problems! - in the form of a nefarious jackrabbit, an invading pack, a gate to Underhill appearing in her yard, and something weird going on with her alpha husband. Any one of these problems could be dealt with on their own. But together, they have the potential to bring Mercy and the pack to their knees.

There's something comforting about reading these books. Mercy and co feel like old friends and Briggs somehow keeps the rhythm going so well. I was pleased with Smoke Bitten. It was exactly what I wanted and needed. And this time I could enjoy it without interruption - there are no more photos of me passed out with a baby passed out on top of me, a Mercy Thompson novel hanging from my hands (2020 was A Year, for sure). Briggs is still in fine form here.

Vampires and Superheroes oh my

16/1/2021

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

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.

Solid but Same-y

6/1/2021

The God Tattoo (Twilight Reign)
by Tom Lloyd

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.