Category: LGBTQIA+ Representation - Alyce Caswell - Author

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...

Not At All Level

9/2/2023

Path of Deceit (Star Wars: The High Republic)
by Tessa Gatton & Justina Ireland

Padawan Kevmo Zink arrives on Dalna as part of an investigation into missing artefacts and quickly encounters the Path of the Open Hand, which is definitely not as chill and peaceful as they appear. Marda is a devout follower of the Path and her beliefs bring her into instant conflict with Kevmo. She likes him...but how can she befriend a Jedi who abuses the Force?

The most important aspect of this book is the introduction of the Leveler. It is also the only interesting aspect. I was not interested in meeting Marchion Ro's relatives and I'm finding that I'm just not interested in seeing how the whole shebang began. Most of Path of Deceit is an unimportant snorefest. The delightfully dark ending...was a brief glimpse into this book's potential. Alas, it was a potential that was not lived up to.

Simply Wonderful

6/2/2023

Can I Steal You for a Second? (Marry Me Juliet #2)
by Jodi McAlister

I received this ARC from Simon & Schuster Australia (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.

Mandie is a longtime watcher of reality show Marry Me, Juliet, but she would never have applied to be on it - before she got dumped by her toxic girlfriend, that is. She's not even sure she has the courage to go through with it. But then she meets Dylan, another romantic hopeful - who should be her competition, not her new obsession! After all, they're on the show for a chance at love - with a man.

How can you not love that premise? Two contestants on a Bachelor-style show falling in love (which has actually happened IRL!)? Sign me the heck up! To say I enjoyed this would be a vast understatement. There was plenty of delicious drama to be had, so much heart-twisting angst, and a strangers-to-friends-to-lovers tale that had me up past my bedtime.

But the best part? Representation. Oh my gosh. YES.

I don't usually see myself in romcoms. I will devour ALL the sapphic romances, but I'm always keenly aware that bisexual women like myself are generally not going to be the heroines. Unicorns are more visible than us lol. So imagine my delight to discover that both heroines were bi!

And pandemic fiction is my biggest weakness atm, so I ate up that aspect of the story. xD

Back to the Past

22/12/2022

Convergence (Star Wars: The High Republic)
by Zoraida Córdova

Eiram and E'ronoh are two worlds locked in a Forever War and the representatives of the Republic that have been sent to interfere in this conflict don't quite know what they are wading into. Peace might be possible, if the heirs of Eiram and E'ronoh are able to convince their families and planets. But the real villains in their way are not the ones they expect.

I loved this so much. I was getting Melida/Daan vibes from the get-go and was so pleased to see actual references to that planet (which, of course, makes it canon again). Look, I'll admit it. The way to this Star Wars fan's heart is through the Jedi Apprentice series. Zoraida Córdova's aim was true.

My old biases aside, I finally got the story I've been craving. I have disliked most of the other High Republic books for being so convoluted and so overblown to the point of being boring. Convergence strips things down, jumps back into the past (thus freeing the narrative of most of the crap), and actually makes me give a damn about the characters and their lives. My favourite High Republic novel (so far...and I have a feeling that won't change).

The End.

4/10/2022

The Highwayman's Bite (Scandals with Bite #6)
by Brooklyn Ann

After challenging a handsy member of society to a duel, Vivian Stratford is sent to cool her heels at her great-uncle's estate. Her journey is interrupted by a handsome highwayman - Rhys Berwyn, who is in fact a vampire and trying desperately to help his family keep their farm. When he discovers that Vivian is his enemy's kin, he hatches a ransom plot - but he never expected to fall for his captive.

I need to stop saying things like "this might be my favourite of the series" too early, because inevitably I'll get to the last book in the series (ahem, case in point - this book) and realise that my favourite was waiting for me to reach it all along. I loved The Highwayman's Bite so much I had dreams about it and I felt utterly bereft when I flicked away from the last page on my Kobo. Alas, the series is also over. What do I do with myself now?

The Force is Not Strong with This One

14/9/2022

Star Wars: Padawan by Kiersten White

Obi-Wan Kenobi feels like he's failing his Master, the Order and himself at nearly every turn. When Qui-Gon fails to show up in time for a mission, Obi-Wan impulsively leaves on his own, chasing a planet that seems to have been lost in the days of the High Republic. He will either find his way - or become even more hopelessly lost if he doesn't centre himself.

My main gripes with this book are pretty much the same gripes I have with the other titles in the Disney canon. Not everything needs to have connection to the High Republic! Geez! I mean, yeah, I liked Orla but they did her so dirty and this book just reawakened my anger. I'm also getting very tired of standalone titles that terminate without much growth or anything new said. Could we perhaps have more serieses? To allow the characters and plots some breathing room?

Full disclosure: I'm a diehard fan of the old Jedi Apprentice series and yes the bookmark I used while reading Padawanwas carefully excavated from my copy of The Mark of the Crown back in 1999. So... this book was never going to match up to the Legends canon for me. Which is fine. Padawan even managed to catch an echo of what I enjoyed about JA every now and then... but Obi-Wan acted like a tween instead of a teenager, I started twitching every time he "laughed" (WAY too many times and often on the same page - was the editor really tired or something?), and there was none of that breathing room I was talking about.

And then there was that weird freaking moment. You know the one. Before it happened, I was quite pleased by the inclusion of a non-binary character who felt like an organic part of the the story. In contrast, the exploration of Obi-Wan's possible sexuality was not organic in the slightest. It was so awkwardly done and didn't feel true to his character.

Ahem. That all said, I'm still going to think of this book fondly because I'm just jazzed to have some Obi-Wan content. And that's a great cover. And the pages smell nice. I'm grasping here, aren't I?

Tea and a Good Book

3/9/2022

Tea Set and Match (Tea Princess Chronicles #2)
by Casey Blair

Miyara has settled into her new life, but she could lose it all if she's not careful. Her sister, a princess who has not ceded the title, is determined to take her home. Now Miyara must prove herself worthy of the title of Tea Master in a tea tournament in order to stay in the one place where she feels she belongs. But the tournament is the perfect staging ground for some illicit activities...

I'm really enjoying this series - it's cosy, cute and uncomplicated. Which means these books are basically the text version of a really nice cup of tea. Book #2 certainly benefited from not having to spend time on introducing Miyara and her world to us, but some of the same issues from book #1 carried over (mostly editing). That said, I'm still rating this highly because it was still a lovely and comforting tale.

Oh No Never Again

13/8/2022

Vows of Empire (The Bloodright Trilogy #3)
by Emily Skrutskie

Separated, the heirs of opposing blood lines, Gal and Ettian would rather this whole galactic war thing went away so they could be together without A) weakening someone or B) killing several someones. But what they want won't be possible...without a heck of a lot of manoeuvring and a buttload of shenanigans.

...oh dear. Vows of Empire never stood a chance with me. I really hate these kinds of "hehehe we're unfolding a big damn plot that we've kept hidden from the reader/viewer" storylines. I find them sloppy and boring. This was no exception to the rule. Where was the momentum of the previous two books? Where was the delicious pining? We didn't get a real ending...just a cop out. I wish I'd never bothered with this trilogy in the first place.

Short but Sweet & Sexy

8/8/2022

His Lord's Soldier (Great War #4)
by Renée Dahlia

James has pined away for his best friend, Rafe, for years and knows there is a very low chance of Rafe having the same inclinations as he does. But when Rafe returns from the Great War broken in more ways than one, James wants to take care of him...even if he can't have more.

Well, it's easy to see why this is a Ruby finalist! A lovely novella full of heat and heart - and an excellent addition to the series. I admittedly have a weakness for the grumpy one/sunshine one dynamic, but even discounting that this is really well done.

Anticlimax

7/8/2022

Her Lady's Fortune (Great War #3)
by Renée Dahlia

Women of means, Priya and Rosalie, had a passionate fling before the Great War and then certain misunderstandings stopped them pursuing anything further. But now, six years later, they must work together for a charitable purpose and their past might complicate matters - or they may realise that there are significantly fewer barriers between them than there were.

Well, that started with a bang. Heh. The prologue was exquisite and gave me great expectations - which weren't quite met. I didn't really feel that there was much of a barrier between Priya and Rosalie...and an antagonist was introduced but hardly used. Not as good as the other two F/F romances in the series, but still a pleasant read.