Alyce Caswell - Author - Book Reviews

Alyce Caswell - Author

Consider Me Wooed

10/6/2025

Wooing the Witch Queen (Queens of Villainy #1)
by Stephanie Burgis

Felix has escaped the clutches of his in-laws and has sought sanctuary with their enemy - Queen Saskia, the witch queen of Kitvaria, whose powers and nonhuman friends make her dangerous. Felix doesn't expect a case of mistaken identity to land him as her librarian. Saskia believes she's hired a dark wizard, not her magic-less foe. Very soon it's not just Kitvaria at stake but her heart as well.

*flailing*

It's been ages since I accidentally read a book in one sitting. I had meant to do things today (dang it!), but obviously this book was just too good to put aside. The Hidden Identity trope is my weakness in romance. Just add a fantasy setting and I'm done for! (Side note: No, I can never say "romantasy" with a straight face, because fantasy/romance has existed for decades without needing a portmanteau). Ahem. Did I mention the library featured in this book? Who doesn't love a library - especially when it's full of books about magic? And yay! Bi rep. Which makes my bi heart so happy.

Wooing the Witch Queen should just be called "these are a few - A LOT - of my favourite things".

Averageness Masked as Greatness

8/6/2025

Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear (Star Wars Disney)
by Alexander Freed

The war has been won. The Empire has ascended and with it an Emperor. But it is early days and perhaps there is still a chance to reveal atrocities, compromise, or fight back. Mon Mothma seeks to hinder Palpatine with a bill, Bail Organa seeks to prove that the evidence damning the Jedi is false, and for Saw Gerrera the war never actually ended. But is it too late to do anything? Anything at all?

It's always frustrating to read a story in which none of the characters know they are doomed to failure in particular quests. Because we know. I really had hoped to be won over by Freed, whose writing has become elevated to excellence over the years and whose video game background is evident in his (I'm assuming) creation of Eyo-Dajuritz - which is now one of my favourite locations in Disney canon. Unfortunately, I wasn't completely impressed by this book.

Bail Organa did not act like the Bail I know. Maybe I've been overly influenced by the Legends canon or my own headcanon. But it... just wasn't him. Other characters did sound like themselves, but then there were the OCs who didn't feel necessary or relevant (even Soujen, I'm afraid to say). So many pages and so little said!

This is presented as a political thriller, but its inferiority to Andor is glaringly obvious. And how can we not make comparisons between them? This book was obviously meant to cash in on the show's popularity. Ah well. But at least there were some genuinely good bits.

Seeking but Not Quite Finding

1/6/2025

Wayseeker (Star Wars: The Acolyte)
by Justina Ireland

Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh has spent years as a Wayseeker, going where the Force guides her and avoiding the Jedi Temple on Coruscant as much as possible. But now she is needed. Jedi Knight Indara has been chosen to retrieve her. Indara has been hiding in the archives and is reluctant to do so. The Force has a way of ensuring that certain paths meet...especially when the fate of the galaxy is at stake.

When I was watching The Acolyte, I thought "this is not Vernestra, not the one from the books", but why would she be the same a century or so later? Still, it was so jarring. Wayseeker fills some of the gaps in her characterisation (although greater gaps are notably left alone, presumably because the show was expected to continue...oops). Vernestra's portrayal makes a little more sense to me now and I admit to enjoying her interactions with Indara (who got such a raw deal on the show - one reason I nearly quit at the first episode).

I'm trying to decide if the shorter length of this book is a good or a bad thing. On the one hand, too many recent Star Wars novels have been unnecessarily bloated - but on the other hand, the plot and the ending don't feel particularly satisfying. Perhaps because the book is more of a glorified epilogue to the High Republic project? An old plot thread. Name dropping. Descendants with familiar surnames. And so on.

Ultimately, I think I'll hang onto this paperback copy (many High Republic books are on my "to donate" pile) because it's an interesting book set in a time that hasn't been covered by lots of other media. For now, anyway.

Letters from the Heart

30/5/2025

Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop by Kenji Ueda
Translated by Emily Balistrieri

Healing fiction is probably my favourite genre at the moment. Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop is yet another entry in an increasingly crowded market, but its gentle rhythm and exploration of the most momentous moments in the character's lives will still win you over. By the time you reach the last page, you will not view writing as merely an art - you will realise it's also one of the greatest gifts we can give others.

Hope Springs Eternal

1/5/2025

Fae's Fate (Fated Mates of the Fae Royals)
by Helen Walton

The Spring of Life is dying and the Fae will not be far behind it. Princess Ciara and her best friend, Malachi, travel to Earth in an attempt to find a cure inside a magical library. But the answers may not be there. And they may need to make a great sacrifice in order to put things right. Ciara will do what she must; Malachi will support her. They've always been friends. Just friends. Never anything else...

I love this series... it's like a warm cup of tea, which is especially appreciated now that the weather is getting colder! Ciara and Malachi did frustrate me a bit (lol just figure your feelings out already!!) but they are so sweet together and you can't help but cheer when they finally stop dancing around the issue. I am so keen for the next - and last - book. But I don't want it to be over. Nooooooooo!

Return of the Novelisations

24/4/2025

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (novelisation)
by James Kahn

Han Solo is still in carbonite and now in the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, a grotesque gangster who keeps his base on Tatooine. But there is a plan to rescue him. A gambler, a Wookiee, a princess, two droids and a Jedi enter Jabba's palace. Hopefully they'll return. Because the Rebel Alliance is going to need every body it can get - the Empire has built another Death Star. The time to strike is now.

Most movie novelisations from last century are pretty ordinary. Run of the mill. Authors are pretty much dressing the skeleton that is the script. This novelisation on the other hand... Kahn did not have to make it so damn good, but I definitely appreciate his efforts. His prose draws you in, pauses and dwells in all the right places, and yet it still moves fluidly. Characters feel like themselves, even when there's no script dialogue for Kahn to use. All the little extra insights in the text ring true.

There are some canon issues of note (eg. Owen Lars is Obi-Wan's brother for some reason), but they don't spoil the experience. Or at least, they didn't for me. Such a short adaptation can't really be compared with the beefier prequel novelisations that came later... but this is excellent for what it is.

EDIT: Before I forget... I loved the dig at "jaded critics". Still relevant.

The Bad Guys Fight Each Other

19/4/2025

Shadows of the Empire (Star Wars Legends)
by Steve Perry

Content warning: sexual assault

Han Solo has been frozen in carbonite and is the prisoner of Boba Fett. His Rebel friends won't let that stand - but this won't be an easy rescue. Darth Vader wants Luke Skywalker alive. Therefore, Prince Xizor, current head of the criminal organisation Black Sun, wants him dead. Only one of them will prevail. Fortunately, Luke has friends - and a new companion by the name of Dash Rendar.

How do I review this? Just as a book - or the entire multimedia campaign? Well, I suppose this isn't the place to exalt about the accompanying soundtrack (go find it on Spotify!) - or to lament my inability to progress through the game without cheats. But it's worth mentioning the sheer excitement I had for Shadows of the Empire at the time, which ramped up a LOT after I saw the ads on TV.

I remember this book being muuuuch better when I was a kid. But in 1996, I only had the junior novelisation (I was restricted by my meagre pocket money and the meagre offerings at the local K-Mart) and that was a tight story. As an adult novel, which I think I've only read a handful of times, it's not tight enough and wanders all over the place. I now understand the general complaints about Dash Rendar - and have just realised that the version of this character I loved only existed in the adventures I created with his action figure (yes, there were action figures!). Perhaps Perry's over-reliance on cringeworthy comedy was also more palatable when I was younger.

Xizor could have been a really interesting villain. Unfortunately, in order to make him Totally Super Bad We Swear, he was written as a sexual predator who sexually assaults (and no doubt rapes) his conquests. There's no discussion about consent...I mean, this was a different time, but it's reaaaaally not great to read in 2025. The junior novelisation was the best option for me as a child, so I'm thankful I happened upon that first. I wish I still owned a copy.

Also, why was Leia given nothing to do? Arrghhhh. And don't get me started on the almost complete absence of the actual Rebel Alliance in the storyline.

In short, I no longer love this book. But it did evoke some pleasant childhood memories.

EDIT 25/04/25: I do feel I need to add, given recent canonical events in the IP, that I don't necessarily object to sexual assault and rape being on the page/screen in Star Wars, but I do object to it not being named for what it is. This book failed to do that.

The Bad Guys Win

14/4/2025

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (novelisation)
by Donald F. Glut

The Rebel Alliance are hiding out in a new base on the frozen world of Hoth, but they won't stay hidden for long. Darth Vader wants Luke Skywalker and he'll destroy everything in his path to do it. The battle that follows sends our heroes out on separate paths - Luke to a Jedi Master for instruction and the rest on a desperate flight to freedom. But this time the Empire might win the day.

The Empire Strikes Back is often considered the best Star Wars film. The novelisation is not the best one on offer, but neither is it wholly.terrible. Glut's writing is tight and manages to echo the fast pacing of a film. Even the additional scenes of Luke on Dagobah don't slow things down too much. But the Han/Leia interactions were incredibly lacking, especially on Leia's side. Glut didn't seem to know how to properly complement their dialogue with his prose and he didn't make their budding relationship feel believable at all. He handles it very clumsily. I guess this kind of problem was normal for a male author in 1980.

Since this was based on a script rather than the film (due to print publication lead times), there are some notable differences (eg. Yoda is blue). Potentially distracting, but not all that important in the long run. This is an adequate adaptation for the time.

Impostors Among Characters

12/4/2025

Honour Among Thieves (Star Wars Legends)
by James S. A. Corey

A Rebel spy needs urgent extraction from an Imperial world and Han Solo will regret accepting this mission. The spy - Scarlet Hark - isn't particularly competent and she's also a thorn in his side. But he'll have to work with her if the Alliance has any hope of survival. The Empire has made a crucial discovery and if they aren't stopped they will truly control the galaxy. Forever.

If this book had been written and released in the 1980s, I think I might have given it a pass (the way I did Splinter of the Mind's Eye - this book feels very similar to that one, actually and I'm wondering if that's not a coincidence). But it was published in 2014. A very different time.

Scarlet Hark is less a character in her own right and more a two-dimensional cardboard cutout that, for no discernible reason, seems to replace Leia. I will say that Han was mostly in character, as was Chewbacca, but Luke and Leia were a little off. While I'm on the topic of things that don't feel quite right... the conference. With a big public hall. Leia, one of the Empire's Most Wanted, standing in there and giving a speech to hundreds of people without any loyalty to the Alliance. And the Empire didn't show up earlier. As opposed to only showing up when a McGuffin was at stake. Yeah. Surrrre.

Hmm. What did I like about this book...oh, the blink-and-miss-it reference to the Katana fleet. If that's what it was. The pacing and flow were also fairly decent.

My copy of Honour Among Thieves came with a short story called "Silver and Scarlet". Not a particularly memorable story, but if you pretend it's not starring Scarlet Hark (ugh) then it's a decent read.

The Rebel Diaries

8/4/2025

Razor's Edge (Star Wars Legends)
by Martha Wells

The Rebel Alliance needs supplies to set up Echo Base and it also needs to source said supplies in a discreet way. Princess Leia Organa joins a mission to do just this, except things immediately go awry - thanks to some Alderaanian pirates. In her attempt to sway them to her side, Leia ends up trapped in a clearinghouse with no seeming way out. It's a good thing Han Solo is stuck there with her.

I've owned this one a while, but I can't honestly say I've cracked it open before. I'll admit I was excited to read a Star Wars novel written by Martha Wells. I knew she'd nail the characters and their dialogue because I've read novels of hers set in another IPs (Stargate Atlantis, if you're wondering). She's also since become a true sci-fi queen because of the Murderbot Diaries (go read that series nowwww) but I digress.

Wells' writing is always very tight, which I like, and she left no room for plotholes or continuity errors in Razor's Edge. Everything is well thought out - though perhaps too well thought out at times, since some of the pacing is thrown off by her meticulous planning. I liked how she handled Han and Leia's interactions, since so many authors go too hard in the bantering department, which often makes them act like toddlers. Wells avoids that. She did so well with characterisation that it's a pity the plot fell a little by the wayside (i.e. event after event after event). But it's still a good read.