Alyce Caswell - Author
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Book Reviews

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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A Little Bit of This and That

1/11/2020

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Warlords, Witches & Wolves by Various

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I received an ARC of this book, but only after I'd already preordered it so I'm not sure what disclaimer to put here! I'm definitely going ahead with the preorder though.

This anthology collects romantic fantasy stories involving characters that are at least one of the promised "warlords, witches and wolves". There are magical lands to discover and pockets of our own world to revisit with new eyes.

I was a little daunted by the size of this anthology (14 hours to go, or so the Kindle informed me at the start), but each novella is just the right size for someone who's about to fall into bed. Unsurprisingly, the authors I already like were behind he novellas I enjoyed the most. My favourite novellas, however, would be Daniel de Lorne's (I always enjoy an exploration of the power dynamics in a relationship) and Claire Boston's (Mongolian fantasy!).

Less enjoyable were the novellas that stopped before reaching a conclusion. I think a novella should have a fully realised story - prequels and spin-offs are fine, but cutting the story off is less preferable to me.

All in all, a fine collection that lets you dip your toes into the work of various authors. I found at least one new author that I'd like to investigate further.

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Don't Judge a Book by Its Predecessor

26/7/2020

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Burn Bright (Alpha & Omega #5)
by Patricia Briggs

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Someone is hunting the wildings, the most dangerous and broken werewolves that are currently under Charles' protection. There are unpredictable wildlings to meet, curses to break and traitors to reveal. It might just cost the Aspen Creek pack more lives than they can spare.

I have been hungering after an Aspen Creek-set novel since the first book in the series ended - and this definitely delivered. The stakes are much higher when the Big Bad is in Charles and Anna's home territory and I really, really enjoy hearing every individual tale about the random werewolves there. Even Leah is a fascinating character. I'm thrilled to see that these books are now (maybe?) getting an arc instead of directionless episodic books.

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Horsing Around

24/7/2020

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Dead Heat (Alpha and Omega #4)
by Patricia Briggs

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​One of Charles' greatest friends is now an ailing old man with very little time left, so Charles takes Anna to meet him. But instead of enjoying their holiday, Anna and Charles find themselves aiding the FBI in hunting down a High Court fae. They also look at horses. A lot.

I can't help but feel that this is a novella that was heavily padded out. There are SO many unnecessary scenes featuring horses. I'm not a horse fan, but I can definitely appreciate them when they're used in the plot - but not when they're trotted out endlessly and for seemingly no purpose. The plot itself doesn't start until halfway through the book. I do love Anna and Charles, but I definitely won't be reading this one again.

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With A Bang

22/7/2020

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Fair Game (Alpha and Omega #3)
by Patricia Briggs

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Anna and Charles join the FBI on a hunt for a serial killer who has been working their way through minorities for decades, switching it up to fae and werewolves while getting steadily more violent. It's harder to tell what's more dangerous: working with witches or working with the government.

Not as good as the previous book in the series, mostly because it was less tight and seemed to be playing second fiddle to Mercy's books again. However, the serial killer storyline was interesting and Leslie was a fantastic character. I really hope to see more of her. But what was responsible for turning this from an okay book into a great one? THAT ENDING.

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Standing on Its Own Four Feet

19/7/2020

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Hunting Ground (Alpha & Omega #2)
by Patricia Briggs

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​Anna and Charles are sent to a summit to discuss the terms of werewolves going public - this isn't a popular decision, so it's no surprise that danger stalks them almost immediately. But they have more enemies than they realise.

A tight storyline and loveable leads make this an excellent book. It was so hard to put down. I really don't know how Patricia Briggs makes me accept the dominant dude thing, but it really works. This sequel really outshines its predecessors - probably because it's the first story in this series that manages to stand on its own. I'll say it's my favourite so far. I hope I can say that again!

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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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