Category: Sequel - Alyce Caswell - Author

Alyce Caswell - Author

Split Book's Curse

7/12/2023

Wolf's Curse (Otherworld: Kate & Logan #2)
by Kelley Armstrong

Logan, Kate and some of their fellow campers are sheltering inside a cabin in the woods, which is never a safe place inside of horror movies. But outside is even worse - there's a demon hanging around and she's really pissed off about supernaturals trampling through her territory. But she's open to making deals. Because it's totally a good idea to do that.

Splitting this story into two books was such a bad idea. I let nostalgia blind me a bit during the first book, but this one has fewer redeeming qualities. The characters walk in circles. The plot follows them and also goes around and around until you lose interest. Look, I did sort-of enjoy this - mostly because of Kate - but it's hard not to be annoyed when you see so much potential being squandered.

Stars but No Wars (Mostly)

11/11/2023

Implacable (The Lost Fleet: Outlander)
by Jack Campbell

John “Black Jack” Geary and his fleet are still in alien space and far from home. Theirs is an important mission, but not all non-human species wish them well - others seek to sabotage them by releasing new technology that will endanger the entire future of humanity. Geary doesn't want to disobey his orders or fire upon other Alliance ships, but now he might have to do just that.

A marked improvement over the previous book, though that was obviously suffering from its position as a bridge between two better parts of the series. Implacable delivers exactly what you want from a Geary book and fans will find nothing new or inventive here. And yet Campbell somehow manages to keep it all interesting. I've no idea how he does that. I'm sure I'd find Geary's adventures dull in the hands of another author.

Street Library Gem

16/9/2023

Fated Blades (Kinsmen #3)
by Ilona Andrews

Matias Baena is trying to get some work done when beautiful and deadly Ramona Adler, from a family that his own has hated and competed with for generations, arrives with news of a betrayal that could destroy everything their families have built. Teaming up to retrieve their stolen property is difficult, but necessary. Resisting the pull between them might be considerably harder.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I found this book in a street library box, but gosh I'm glad that I grabbed it before someone else could. I'm very impressed with how much world-building the authors managed to fit into a book of this size, especially since the story had to keep flowing (and flow it did, thanks to the excellent pacing). This paired perfectly with my post-lunch pot of tea. It most certainly is NOT going back into the street library.

Fancy a Firestarter?

10/9/2023

Not Here to Make Friends (Marry Me, Juliet #3)
by Jodi McAlister

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

Murray O’Connell needs to produce another season of reality show Marry Me, Juliet and he has to do it without his best friend, Lily Ong. Or so he thought. After a year of silence, she's back - as Lily Fireball, not a producer and not the woman he knew, but the villain of his season. She could completely derail his plans...or help him make the most brilliant season of reality television ever.

I don't often get obsessed with a series. I'm extremely obsessed with this one.

I devoured the first two books, so of course I did my damndest to pick up an ARC of the third instalment. I was not at all disappointed! It was so much fun to read about two MCs who are such a mess - especially when they are so delightfully messier when put together. Lily Fireball is one of the most complex characters I've ever encountered and you will easily find yourself rooting for the "villain" here. McAlister has done it again - and yes, I'm still obsessed.

A Very Suitable Sequel

3/9/2023

An Unsuitable Pursuit (Sisters of the Sword #2)
by Terri Green

TW: infant death

Lucinda Evans has become an unwilling spy and must now use her talents for King and Country - she has been ordered to seduce a Spanish swordsman. It is a cruel task, especially as it's been given to her by the uncle of the man she truly loves, Robert McCrae. Her heart may be in danger, but something more important is brewing in 1605 and it involves gunpowder, treason and plot...

Having finished the first book in the series, I was keen to dive back in - and I was not disappointed. This is an excellent sequel that develops Lucinda further as a character, as well as her relationships and her position in her world. I have quickly become attached to Lucinda and the Sisters of the Sword. Unfortunately, I must now wait much longer for the next book. Alas.

Cosy Creepiness

24/8/2023

Soul Taken (Mercy Thompson #13)
By Patricia Briggs

Wulfe, the unhinged vampire that has been stalking Mercy, has gone missing and now a creature worthy of a horror movie - quite literally - is slaying people with a slight magical bent with a scy - er, a sickle. Dealing with the Soul Taker is one thing. Figuring out how to dispose of a weapon that will only create another in its place when someone's hand touches it is quite another.

Despite not being a horror fan, I quite enjoyed the horror movie inspiration in this book and felt it paired well with the cosier domestic dramas flowing alongside it. Admittedly, the latter did dampen the tension a bit too much. But it's always nice to hang out with Mercy and Adam and perhaps I did need a book that didn't induce too much anxiety or despair.

Phase II: A Waste of Money

19/8/2023

Path of Vengeance (Star Wars: The High Republic)
by Cavan Scott

The Path of the Open Hand are retreating to Dalna where they will make their final stand against the Force-abusing Jedi. Marda Ro is now the Guide and should be as faithful to the Mother as she has always been, but doubts have begun to grow. Meanwhile, her cousin Yana Ro has only ever been faithful to her family... but the Path may tear them apart for good.

I've already talked at length about the issues with Phase II and here is another prime example of it. These major plot details should have been in the adult novels, which needed to contain the main thrust of the storyline (something that would have made the Phase run more smoothly). Those books, unfortunately, added nothing truly meaningful to the arc and ought to have been the YA storyline instead. Honestly, what on Earth were these authors thinking!? It's a great way to alienate adult readers... you know, those folks with disposable income.

Another great weakness of this book is that it had to info dump the events of the audiobook. As a result, there was too much recapping, too much "telling". What a slog. Phase II is also slightly shorter, so Cavan Scott had to cram in every important detail he could into the pages of this novel. It's a bit of a mess. I will grudgingly admit that it could have been more of a mess, as Scott managed to make some of it acceptable. The Big Reveal, alas...no one could fix that.

I've disliked Phase II as a whole, but it would have redeemed itself if the climax had managed to stick the landing. It did not.

Side note - my Australian-printed copy had multiple spelling errors, though I'm pretty sure this was due to someone not knowing how to properly find/replace Americanisms in the manuscript. Oops. I actually emailed the publisher about this, because it's the 2nd recent Star Wars book to have the issue... no response, so I will assume they realised and hoped no one would notice lol

These Trending Books

12/8/2023

These Twisted Bonds (These Hollow Vows #2)
by Lexi Ryan

Abriella has been turned immortal against her will and is now forever bound to Sebastian, who betrayed her when she trusted and loved him. Now she must find a way to save the fae from a terrible fate by using the crown given to her - even if it means betraying her own heart and staying bonded to the male who ruined her life. The crown must be used. And perhaps it was always meant to be hers...

Oh dear. I did enjoy the first book, even though I knew it wasn't that great. I feel a bit like Abriella - deceived, thinking that I was getting something worthwhile when in fact I was getting something else. This book was rushed (a duology that should have been trilogy) and extremely derivative. I could overlook some of the Sarah J. Maas similarities before, since fae romance is a popular trend at the moment, but the sequel went so far into ripoff territory that it could no longer be ignored.

Lastly, I was a bit disappointed that this great thief we were introduced to never got to properly use her skillset... not to mention the fact that Abriella just had to be ~extra special~ when her humanity was what made her so likeable.

Last Book Standing

15/7/2023

Last Bride Standing (Majestic Maine #3)
by Ginny Baird

Charlotte Delaney lost the bet with her sisters and has prepared herself to enter into a marriage of convenience with Aidan Strong. But Aidan has no intention of marrying Charlotte when he can just give her half of the business, which is fair compensation for her family. Charlotte wants more than a fair, though. She wants everything...maybe even at the cost of the one person she really wants.

When you reach the end of a series with tears in your eyes, you know the author has done a good job of engaging your emotions. I was just so happy for everyone, including the supporting cast who also got their HEAs. This wasn't my favourite book of the trilogy, however. The stakes didn't seem high enough and Baird's ham-fisted use of "Britishisms" was incredibly distracting.

Anything I really liked about this book was just a leftover from the ones that preceded it.

The Excellent Ms Heath

7/7/2023

The Notorious Lord Knightly (The Chessmen: Masters of Seduction)
by Lorraine Heath

Arthur Pennington, the Earl of Knightly, has oft been called Knight, as one of the Chessmen, but now society is wondering if his latest moniker is Lord K, a character in a salacious new book that purports to be a memoir. Could the author perhaps be Miss Regina Leyland, the illegitimate woman that he jilted at the altar? And if so... what will her revenge end up costing her?

I think by now it's obvious that I'm a fan of Lorraine Heath's novels. This one delivers the usual delicious scandal, the even more delicious heat, and a romance that will linger in your memories. I also the fact that Lord K's competition in gaining Regina's hand was not some mustache-twirling villain. I will now impatiently count the months until the next book in the series is released.