Alyce Caswell - Author
  • 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

Book Reviews

Quest for a Better MG Novel

7/1/2023

0 Comments

 

​Quest for the Hidden City (Star Wars: The High Republic)
​by George Mann

Picture
Rooper Nitani is a Jedi Padawan on the frontier and now she must investigate the disappearance of another Pathfinder team with her Master. Her journey will lead her to Gloam, a planet of creatures that came out at night and who carry a secret that will affect an entire civilisation. But only if the truth becomes known. And only if Rooper and her companions survive.

This was a pretty basic MG adventure that managed to be fun at times and I appreciated the horror vibe. But the writing...alas, not that great. I also didn't feel like Rok was a real character at all - he was very two dimensional and I really couldn't care less if he lived or died. This all said, the book will no doubt be enjoyed by its target market, despite its deficiencies.
0 Comments

The BEST Kind of MG Adventure

2/3/2022

0 Comments

 

Star Wars: Mission to Disaster (The High Republic)
by Justina Ireland

Picture
Jedi Knight Vernestra and her Padawan Imri are back with another adventure. After Avon is abducted by Nihil and put to work by them, Vernestra and Imri must investigate other disappearances before they can make any progress towards rescuing their friend. It would be nice if people seemed more willing to help them!

Jedi and seismic activity in the same book? Kid!me would have loved the heck out of this. Who am I kidding? Adult!me also loved it. Ireland is one of two authors who makes reading the High Republic worthwhile. The excitement that her previous MG novel lacked is here in spades - along with great pacing and superb handling of characters I care about a lot.
0 Comments

A Less Enjoyable MG Adventure

2/3/2022

0 Comments

 

Star Wars: Race to Crashpoint Tower (The High Republic)
by Daniel José Older

Picture
Ram is a Jedi Padawan who would rather tinker with machines than deal with other beings, but he needs to get out an urgent message about the Nihil on Valo - before it's too late! Meanwhile, Zeen and Lula (an unaffiliated Force sensitive and another Padawan respectively) are racing to Valo to help out. What can they do together that they can't do apart?

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that I didn't like this - I already disliked the first volume of The High Republic Adventures, which introduced Zeen and Lula - but I am a completist, alas. As for Ram, his POV was too chaotic and I didn't really get a sense of him as a character, so it was hard for me to feel anything about him being in danger. The Drengir, usually my preferred villains, were used poorly. At least the next MG novel in the series is by Justina Ireland. Whew.
0 Comments
    Picture

    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.

    Picture

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Alt Hist
    Anthology
    Ashley Poston
    Australia
    Australian
    Book Review
    Canada
    Chicklit
    Classic
    Collection
    Comedy Of Manners
    Community Unravels
    COVID-19
    Crime
    Denmark
    Diversity
    Emma Baird
    Fantasy
    Female Relationships
    Harlequin
    Historical Romance
    History
    Hugo Award Winner
    Irish
    Jack Campbell
    Julia Quinn
    Kim Harrison
    Korean
    LGBTQIA+ Representation
    Literary Fiction
    Lynsay Sands
    Malaysian
    Memoir
    Messy Family
    MG
    Mills & Boon
    Netgalley
    New Adult
    Non Fiction
    Non-fiction
    NOPE NOPE NOPE
    Novella
    Paranormal Romance
    Patricia Briggs
    Paula Quinn
    Prequel
    Queer Romance
    Romance
    RUBY
    Rural Romance
    SA
    Sarah J Maas
    Sci Fi/fantasy
    Sci-fi/fantasy
    Scottish Romance
    Sequel
    Sophie Barnes
    Space Opera
    Star Wars
    Suspense
    Tea
    Television
    The Epic EU Read Through
    TW: Suicide
    UK
    Urban Fantasy
    US
    Vampires
    Video Games
    Wattpad
    Werewolves
    Witches
    YA
    Zimbabwe
    Zombies

    RSS Feed

  • 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