Alyce Caswell - Author
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Book Reviews

Worth the Wait

29/6/2022

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Black Sun (Between Earth & Sky #1)
​by Rebecca Roanhorse

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The Convergence is coming to Tova, a city ruled over by its priests - and a city due for upheaval. The Sun Priest, Naranpa, is too busy to do anything about it, as she must outmanoeuvre her political enemies of risk losing her title. Elsewhere, Xiala is given a ship, a crew, and cargo due in Tova before the Convergence. But that cargo includes Serapio, a blind man whose destiny is steeped in blood.

I really enjoyed this, for the most part. Roanhorse has created some fascinating, flawed characters that I didn't know what to make of - which usually would bother me, but didn't on this occasion. Roanhorse's writing is impeccable and perfectly fits the epic fantasy genre here, showing just how much range she has underneath the sci-fi/fantasy umbrella. Overall, an excellent book, but it stumbled at the last hurdle. Novels like this one obviously need to set up the sequel - however, it was done at the cost of this book's climax.

Note: I first preordered this on Kobo back in 2021, only for the preorder to fail when the publisher (presumably) yanked it and then went radio silence for months, before throwing it onto Kindle only. I was very annoyed by this, which delayed my reading of this book. But it was worth the wait.

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Far From A Frosty Reception

26/6/2022

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Frost Hands (The Mutation Files #1)
​by Imogen Elvis

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Tensions are rising while a new law requiring mutants to register themselves is being discussed. Eric wants to protect other mutants, but maybe there's a wrong way to go about it. He'll have to choose between betraying his stepfather or doing what might be the right thing. But can he trust mutants who are being deployed against their own kind?

I would have loved the heck out of this as a teenager - okay, adult!me still loved the heck out of it. Frost Hands ticked all the boxes for me: likeable characters finding their way in the world, said characters actually acting their age, cool powers, incredibly tense scenes, a villain who isn't hokey. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

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Until the Soul Singer Sings

25/6/2022

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The Shattering Song (Song Magic #2)
​by Imogen Elvis

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Briar and her friends have already sacrificed much in trying to stop Lord Sachio from taking over the kingdom, but they have not yet succeeded. A dangerous trip to Mizra, the capital, may yield the allies and resources they need - or it may result in even greater sacrifices, if they can't avoid the punishment for so-called treason. Either way, this is the end of their journey.

While this is an excellent and satisfying conclusion to the story, I do feel that it might have worked better if it had been expanded over a trilogy. That said, I very much enjoyed spending time with Briar, Kade and Lara once more. I became attached to them so quickly! Elvis masterfully creates characters that you want to root for and protect as soon as you meet them.

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This is the YA Fantasy You're Looking For

20/6/2022

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The Crystal Tree (Song Magic #1)
by Imogen Elvis

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​Briar is a soul singer, a magician who can heal. But her magic offers no protection when the Nameless Ones come to her new home and abduct her sister. Briar immediately wants to rescue her - though this will mean travelling and joining forces with strangers who have secrets that can endanger their lives, as well as the entire kingdom.

For a while now, I've felt that something is missing from trad published YA fantasy. I can't say exactly what it is, but I guess I'll be cliche and say they're missing...the magic. The Crystal Tree brought back the magic for me. It threw me right back to my childhood in the 1990s and was the comforting blanket that I very much needed. This is a brilliant indie YA fantasy - and beautifully written too.

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A Fun, Flirty Fling

19/6/2022

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The Highland Fling by Meghan Quinn

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Bonnie is feeling directionless and unsuccessful in life, so obviously the solution is to agree to her friend Dakota's mad plan - respond to an ad requesting people to look after a cafe in the Scottish Highlands for six months. Leaving LA was the easy. Surviving the Scottish roads AND surviving Rowan MacGregor's grumpiness and disdain for her? Not so much.

I had an absolute blast reading this, even if it did have its flaws. The first half was fun and fast paced, though I found Bonnie to be somewhat irritating (and the "American in Scotland" thing was played a bit OTT for my liking), and then I was pleasantly surprised by just how many FEELINGS Quinn managed to evoke in me during the second half. This is a good book, but a good book with a rather dislikable heroine.

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A Match Made in Island Isolation

14/6/2022

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A Laird for the Governess (Lairds of the Isles #1)
​by Catherine Tinley

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Lydia has lost decent governess positions due to the lewd behaviour of men in the households that hired her and now the only posting she can take is on a remote island in Scotland. Alasdair needs a governess for his sickly daughter and will suffer no fools, even if they are exceedingly beautiful. But though she is an outsider, Lydia may be exactly what Alasdair and his people need.

This was a very sweet story, punctuated by heartbreaking tragedy and a surprising amount of historical detail, given the length. I would have liked Lydia and Alasdair to have a bit more time together, but I do understand that this romance hinged heavily on Lydia connecting to Alasdair through his daughter. All in all, quite a solid story.

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Blossoming

13/6/2022

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Paperbark Hill by Maya Linnell

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One family tragedy set Ned Gardiner on his wandering path and now another has brought him home to his father's farm in Bridgefield. He doesn't usually keep his family in the same place long, but this time he might find a reason to stay. Diana McIntyre is trying to make her flower farm successful - no mean feat while grappling with loss and four boys. But help may have just arrived...

What a lovely slice of life this was. While Paperbark Hill had lower stakes than the previous books, I quite enjoyed the slow, believable build up of a relationship between two very real people - and of course it's nice to keep up with the McIntyres. Linnell has created a family (and a town) populated with characters that you always look forward to spending time with.

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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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  • Home
  • Books
    • The Galactic Pantheon >
      • The Tortured Wind
      • The Twisted Vine
      • The Flickering Flame
      • The Shifting Ice
      • The Whispering Grass
      • The Creeping Moss
      • The Galactic Pantheon Novellas
      • The Adventures of Grace Pendergast, Galactic Reporter
    • The Shadow of the Gods
    • Dealing with the Demon
    • Love and Lockdown
    • The Eyes of Charon
    • Sweet Delights
  • Other Works
  • Book Reviews
  • Contact