All Categories - Alyce Caswell - Author

Alyce Caswell - Author

Prima Donnas of the Opera

9/10/2026

Shadow of the Ghost Light (The Calicas Chronicles #1)
by T.J. Johnson & Imogen Elvis

The Angel Theatre was destroyed by a devastating fire, but now it's rebuilt and about to open for shows for the first time in years. But ghosts and bad luck are treading the boards. Mae, who has hopes of improving her dancing career, suffers an injury - and her friend Carina has to quickly step in as lead singer when the prima donna is found dead. Turns out that putting on a show can be both magical and deadly... and maybe it's not just bad luck to blame.

Confession time. I've never seen any iteration of the Phantom of the Opera. I have no idea what happens in it. Shhh. Don't tell anyone. Anyway, I can't really comment on the retelling side of things, but I can say this: I was completely mesmerised from the early chapters and couldn't stop myself turning the pages at times. Johnson and Elvis have delivered an engrossing, intriguing fantasy with a smattering of romance and tension. These authors make a great pair.

Murder She Eventually Wrote

7/10/2026

The Final Chapter by January Gilchrist

With dense snowfall looming, five writers have come to Rhamnusia, a secluded house in the Blue Mountains where week-long residences are meant to involve writing and the sharing of writing. But they're going to be sharing a lot more than that. Explosive secrets and oodles of drama are just the start - because by the end, they're going to know a lot more about murder.

When I pick up a book in this genre, I expect the murder and/or mystery to occur a lot earlier than in the last quarter of the book. Instead, the bulk of these pages are taken up with squabbling and drama that might’ve fit a different genre better, though I will say that this section showed promise of a much tighter story that we didn’t actually get. With a bit more time and guidance, Gilchrist may yet match Benjamin Stevenson, to whom she will inevitably be compared. But she has some way to go.

Content warning: sexual assault, rape

Cheaters & Fake Daters

6/10/2026

Heartbreakers and Fakers by Cameron Lund

Penny had the perfect senior year planned. The most popular guy in school is her boyfriend and the most popular girl in school is her BFF. So why did she apparently cheat by kissing Kai, her BFF's boyfriend, at a party? Penny is hungover and confused. Worse still, everyone KNOWS what she did. Her reputation needs salvaging STAT - and it turns out that people think she and Kai were destined anyway. The solution? Fake date Kai for a while. He seems keen. What could go wrong?

Oh this was so messy. But it was delightfully messy. I say this is someone who normally has no patience of FMCs who cheat. Somehow, Lund made it work. I'm seriously impressed! She understands how teens can be so stupid but are learning and growing, that teens make bad choices but should be allowed to improve themselves instead of wearing a negative label forever. I did see a certain plot development coming early on, sure. Except I was like "oh this is BRILLIANT I love it bring on the extra mess". Anyway, Lund did the impossible and made me enjoy a storyline featuring a cheater. Damn, she's good.

The No-Thanks Project

5/10/2026

The Meet-Cute Project by Rhiannon Richardson

Mia desperately needs a date to her bridezilla sister's wedding or she'll be forced to spend the night with a horrible boy. So Mia's friends come up with a plan. They'll arrange a series of "meet-cutes" with random boys and whoever's ploy works wins a gift card. But Mia quickly discovers that love can't be forced or tricked into being. Will she managed to land a date in time? Especially with so much else going on in her life?

I've read many traditionally published debut YA novels in my time and few are as half baked as this one. It needed some serious reworking. However, I doubt this would've made me like the book. All of the characters are seriously unlikeable, though I will give Mia a pass for being a tween (yes, I too have met a complete stranger for a date at that age - and it was a terrible decision lol. My point is, it's a good plot point for a YA novel). The big issue for me was the family dynamics. It made me incredibly uneasy the whole time.

Spoilers ahoy. Mia's sister expects her to help her with a wedding (why? you've got bridesmaids who are adults and actually want to help you?) and puts Mia in a terrible position. Dude. This boy she was going to be forced to go to the wedding with keeps sexually harassing her and it's not mentioned how bad this is??? Mia is also forced to go to a bachelorette party where all the adults get drunk and somehow it's her responsibility afterwards to fix her sister's fuck up?? I just. No. And I won't get into how neglectful Mia's parents are. Sheesh. I mean, maybe if this had been called out more... anyway, no wonder Mia is so grumpy and stressed all the time. None of the adults in her life are decent role models or bother to understand her.

Oof. Didn't mean to rant that much. In a nutshell, this YA novel was not for me.

A Little Bit of Luck

30/9/2026

Every Bookshop Needs a Cat by Takuya Asakura
Translated by Yuka Maeno

Amane Morikawa lost her beloved job in publishing but seemingly cannot escape books, as she has just inherited a secondhand bookstore in Onomichi from a grandfather she never met. The store is filled with cats, empty shelves, secrets - and perhaps a new path for Amane to follow, but not one completely outside her comfort zone. Slowly, she begins to reimagine her life...with the help of some cats, of course.

I suppose it's no surprise that I enjoyed this book, given my reading history. Sure, I have a weakness for Japanese healing fiction involving cats, but when you add in a literary mystery? I'm a goner! The pacing is also perfect, with the book set across a year with each month given its own chapter. As I kept reading, unable to put the book down, I realised I was running out of months. This was a moment of much dismay. I would happily read the whole year through again and maybe I will...

A Little Less Magical

22/9/2026

The Magic We Made (Witches of West Harbor #2)
by Meg Cabot

Frankie wants to enjoy the peace and quiet at her home in West Harbour, but tourism has exploded in the wake of a storm that everyone is attributing to witches - oh, and she lives next door to the rental owned by Ash, who drives an annoyingly loud car and has even louder outdoor speakers. Ash has a gift: he attracts lost things. Hopefully, that includes people because girls have gone missing, most likely in West Harbour. Frankie's presence is hard to ignore. He can't keep himself away from her... but can he convince her that magic is real before it's too late?

If you adored Jinx as a teen (also by Meg Cabot) and hoped for more overt magic, then this is the book - and the series - for you. After the first book, I was so excited to pick this one up. Perhaps that excitement was a tad misplaced. It's a fun read with amusing family dynamics and the same setting that I fell in love with before, but it didn't quite deliver on all fronts. I didn't feel that Frankie and Ash actually formed any kind of relationship (they had sex, but that was it as far as their development went!). This made it a little had to cheer them on. Anyway, I still enjoyed reading The Magic We Made, despite its flaws.

A Galaxy of Pawns

19/9/2026

The Edge of the Abyss (Reign of the Empire #2)
(Star Wars Disney)
by Rebecca Roanhorse

When an act of violence orchestrated by Saw Gerrera goes awry and one of his own is captured before he can kill her, he must move quickly. He enlists the aid of Senator Bail Organa, who still naively believes that justice can be done inside the Empire. Meanwhile, Mon Mothma is dealing with a more insidious threat - pop idol propaganda aimed at youth, including her very own daughter. There are many ways to fight an Empire; there are fewer ways to win.

I love Rebecca Roanhorse's work, both inside and outside this particular IP, and her writing always draws me in so quickly. It has such a good rhythm. Additionally, she made this instalment so much less of a slog than the previous one from Alexander Freed - and this book actually fits the <i>Andor</i> vibe much better. Possibly due to the later position in the timeline. But it isn't without its problems... various characters from other Star Wars media don't quite fit into the narrative (Jyn was poorly handled) and Mon Mothma didn't seem to have much to do, albeit act somewhat out of character. But honestly? This didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book as much as it could have. It's certainly one of the better Disney canon books we've had lately. I'd like to see Roanhorse utilised more often.

Apocalypse Future

14/9/2026

Destiny's Way (The Doomed Earth #2)
by Jack Campbell

Lieutenant Selene Genji and Lieutenant Kayl Owen are still on the run, hunted by those who'd kill to keep their activities hidden from humanity. Genji and Kayl need to save Earth from exploding in 2180. How many small changes matter in the grand scheme of things? And what must they do in order to prove that Selene is no threat? They'll have to convince billions...or maybe just a few important souls.

Undoubtedly the best instalment in the duology, since it benefits from a strong, satisfying conclusion, though it also suffers from the same repetitions that plagued the first book. I still think this should've been one novel, not two. Ah well. Selene and Kayl are so darn likeable and grow on you until you want to be fighting alongside them. I love them together. I'd happily read this again. And I do wish I could share Campbell's optimism about humanity...

A Duology It Ain't

7/9/2026

In Our Stars (The Doomed Earth #1)
by Jack Campbell

Lieutenant Kayl Owen of Earth Guard investigates a strange wreck and finds a survivor - along with her bizarre and seemingly impossible mission. Lieutenant Selene Genji just watched Earth explode forty years in the future. She's not sure how she travelled back in time, but she has to make sure that Earth survives. This isn't a simple matter. She has to change humanity itself. Will Kayl manage to help her?

There is a lot to like about this book. For one, it's hopeful and expects the best of humanity... which is less and less common in sci-fi these days. Campbell doesn't pull his punches. Sure, he's a bit heavy handed with his message, but the frustration imbued in his words is genuine. I also appreciate the improvements in his writing. The romance might be a tad clumsy (better than Campbell's other attempts! haha), but I enjoyed that aspect of In Our Stars.

In fact, it was all very enjoyable... except the book has a Very Big Problem. There's no real ending. Splitting a book into two releases doesn't automatically create a duology. What you get is dodgy pacing and an even dodgier structure. I like Campbell's work, but I can't overlook that.

The Derivative Korean Book

1/9/2026

The Seoul Letter Shop by Baek Seungyeon
Translated by Clare Richards

Hyoyoung moves to Seoul to escape the bevy of letters her sister keeps sending her, unable to find a way to reply. Ironically, she now works at a shop that's all about letters. Her boss at guelwoll runs a pen-pal service that allows customers to anonymously send their thoughts into the void - and perhaps get a reply. The words you need might just come from a stranger.

I know this is a crowded genre, with everyone writing their own take on it, but The Seoul Letter Shop felt particularly derivative - Baek sometimes drops the names of films and books that seem to have inspired her. Then I got to the back of the book and realised that she didn't even write the pen-pal letters themselves...! I think I'd have liked the non-fiction version of this, given that those letters do exist in real life. I wasn't that keen on the plot or minimal character development, either. But it's one of those "pleasant but uncomplicated reads"; they have their purpose.