Alyce Caswell - Author - Book Reviews

Alyce Caswell - Author

Far From Aced

19/3/2023

This Doesn't Mean Anything
by Sarah Whalen

Content warning: sexual assault

Spencer has just entered college and wants to spend her time working hard, though she often has to share her favourite quite spot in the library with Nicholas, a student and barista - and one of the few guys she can stand to have in her personal space. As they continue to grow closer together, Spencer realises it might be possible to be asexual and still get the guy.

It is obvious that This Doesn't Mean Anything is a first novel - unfortunately, it also reads like a draft. A brutal edit (cutting about 25%) would have done wonders, because there is potential inside these pages. The hero is quite unlikeable and toxic - and his main character trait seems to be that his presence is required to stop any sexual assault from occurring. I'll stop here, since there are a litany of issues with this novel and I don't have time to write an essay lol. But I will say that there is a decent foundation here that can be improved upon, if the author is willing.

I was actually quite excited to read this initially, since ace romances are underrepresented in the market. Alas...

Sometimes I Read Non-Star Wars Books

16/3/2023

Fae's Alpha (Fated Mates of the Fae Royals #3)
by Helen Walton

Briana heads to Earth against her father's wishes to assist her sister. But first she runs into Sledge - a strong, sexy Alpha who just happens to be her fated mate. Briana doesn't want to risk her heart again. Sledge will do anything to win her over - even promise not to touch her until she asks him to.

What's not to like about firefighter wolf shifters? Especially one who rescues koalas! Another enjoyable steamy PNR from Walton, with the added bonus of a slightly more intriguing plot than the previous two instalments.

Dynasty of Awesome

15/3/2023

Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil (Star Wars Legends)
by Drew Karpyshyn

Darth Bane is growing weaker and his apprentice, Darth Zannah, still has not challenged him - will his dynasty of evil (badumtsh!) end with her? Or must he take drastic action and betray his philosophy by discovering the secret to living forever? Zannah knows she needs to challenge Bane, but she yet to find a worthy successor of her own. Time is running out. Only one Sith will prevail.

The previous instalment in the Darth Bane series was good, but it was rushed out as a replacement for another book and suffered because of this. Dynasty of Evil benefits from a longer publication timeline. The characters are better developed this time and they all contributed to an absolutely fascinating plot. Master vs master...apprentice vs apprentice...I honestly didn't know who was going to come out ahead until the end - and what an ending it was! It seems that my understanding of the outcome of Zannah and Bane's final battle matches what the author intended, though I will admit that it is a bit vague.

Put simply, this is the sequel we've been looking for. It's a pity there wasn't another.

Always Two There Are

12/3/2023

Darth Bane: Rule of Two (Star Wars Legends)
by Drew Karphyshyn

Darth Bane continues to train Zannah, his apprentice - and he continues to grapple with his failure to create a holocron. His activities are veiled in secrecy, but there are still many ways that they can be brought to light. A figure from Zannah's past may expose them. Or perhaps it will be another figure from the past, a Jedi who can't shake the feeling that the Sith may not be as extinct as they seem.

The epic feel of the previous novel is notably absent here, but I would still say that it's a decent sequel - much better than I expected it to be. And yet it still falls short. Karpyshyn likes to use time jumps - I don't like the effect they have on pacing. But I appreciated the return of Farfalla and Darovit, just as I appreciated the use of locations introduced in other EU works. This really helped to make Rule of Two feel like it belonged in a galaxy far, far away (well, the pre-Disney version anyhow).

But I just...wasn't as enthralled with this book as I wanted to be. It needed more development in some areas and Bane needed to be a lot less passive.

Bishop Takes Inquiry Agent

11/3/2023

The Counterfeit Scoundrel (The Chessmen: Masters of Seduction)
by Lorraine Heath

David Blackwood, AKA Bishop, has caused many a divorce by cavorting with married women and Daisy, AKA Marguerite Townsend, is posing as a maid after being hired by a suspicious husband to find proof of his wife's infidelity. Bishop is drawn to his new maid, he's well aware of his reputation - and even though it's all a performance, it won't help him when he's accused of murder.

In The Counterfeit Scoundrel, Lorraine Heath serves up a fascinating tale of divorce, inquiry agents, family secrets and unresolved trauma. There's a lot going on inside these pages. I was swept up by it all and I did enjoy the mystery, but I felt like it overwhelmed the romance at times. Happily, Bishop and Marguerite were such likeable characters that I didn't mind too much.

Rule of One

9/3/2023

Darth Bane: Path of Destruction (Star Wars Legends)
by Drew Karpyshyn

Before the Rule of Two, there was Darth Bane. Before Darth Bane, there was an indentured miner full of deadly anger and untapped potential - and his name was Dessel. His rise within the Sith is marked with hard lessons and treachery, but Bane's path will alter the galaxy forever. Yet his biggest challenge is finding the single being who is worthy of coveting his power.

During my recent read-through of the pre-Disney EU media, I thought that some of the Old Republic novels were quite good, but it's now obvious where they drew their inspiration from! What pale imitations. Even Karpyshyn seems to have failed to recapture this magic in his later novels. See, I'm reading these in chronological order, not publication order...so I was used to some very average work from his author. Path of Destruction was nothing short of epic. I'm now quite excited to read the rest of the trilogy.

I will also add that it's extremely impressive Karpyshyn managed to take an underwhelming comic series and turn it into a story worthy of the word "saga".

A Seductive Storyline

7/3/2023

The Return of the Duke (Once Upon a Dukedom #3)
by Lorraine Heath

Marcus Stanwick lost everything when his father was hanged for playing a part in a plot to kill the queen. Marcus was meant to be a duke - and he's done playing with shadows. He wants the truth. This means confronting Esme Lancaster, his father's mistress and the woman who inflicted further pain on his family. Esme has what he needs...and now he can't seem to stop needing her.

I have to admit that when Esme first appeared, I was thinking "a dude and his dad's mistress!?! No way am I down for this". But Lorraine Heath, as always, won me over by the end. Steamy scenes and secretive spywork - most definitely my cup of tea. Just add cameos by characters I loved from previous books and stir. The Return of the Duke is a satisfying finale to this storyline.

Another Excellent Romance

6/3/2023

The Duchess Hunt (Once Upon a Dukedom #2)
by Lorraine Heath

Penelope Pettypeace has a duty to perform: find a suitable duchess for her employer. And she will do it, even if her success means a painful and inevitable departure from the company of Hugh Brinsley-Norton, the Duke of Kingsland. He requires a wife who won't fall in love with him - which, unbeknownst to him, completely rules out his secretary. But perhaps her pining is not unrequited...

Another day, another Lorraine Heath novel, another book review. This is becoming a habit! Penelope was such a genuine, realistic heroine and my heart ached for her. I was a bit anti-Hugh to start with, but as always Heath's writing won me over. This was the wonderful, heart-wrenching romance that I expected when I first started reading it, but I didn't expect to be teary-eyed by the epilogue.

Spinning Off into Delight

6/3/2023

Scoundrel of my Heart (Once Upon a Dukedom #1)
by Lorraine Heath

Lord Griffith Stanwick knows he can never have Lady Kathryn Lambert, for she needs a titled husband in order to inherit the cottage she loves and he was only ever the spare - and that was before he became the son of a traitor. He should let her marry her duke and refrain from interfering. But Kathryn is determined to enjoy the pleasures that an unmarried life still has to offer.

Oh my, how I loved this book...perhaps I should have savoured it instead, but I was unable to stop myself devouring it inside a single day. Griff and Kathryn were such wonderful characters and such a wonderful couple. Few HEAs have left me feeling this happy! Usually I get a bit annoyed when one series spins off into another - this is definitely the exception. Can't wait to read the next two.

Whose Kilt is This Anyway

5/3/2023

In Her Highlander's Bed (Highland Brides #11)
by Lynsay Sands

Allissaid MacFarlane escaped her family's enemy with nothing, not even her clothes, and her attempt to steal a man's kilt resulted in her waking up in his bed! Calan Campbell, Laird of Kilcairn, wants to protect the lass he found in a sorry state by the loch...but it's hard to do that when she has seemingly lost her memory. His bed is the safest place he can keep her. But his heart isn't safe at all.

I always enjoy Lynsay Sands' historical Scottish romances (and not just because of their fabulous covers). This was no exception! An exciting continuation to the storyline that began in the previous book, In Her Highlander's Bed offers a sweet and sensual romance that develops naturally, characters that you immediately want to befriend - and who doesn't love reading about secret passages?