Category: US - Alyce Caswell - Author

Alyce Caswell - Author

Slow and Steady Nearly Loses the Race

12/1/2023

When a Duke Loves a Woman (Sins for All Seasons #2)
by Lorraine Heath

Thorne, Duke of Thornley, is jilted at the altar and follows his wayward bride into Whitechapel, only to be set upon and robbed for his trouble. Gillie Trewlove has a tavern to run and she would never take time off for any man - except one who is in need of medical attention. Once he's well enough to leave, everything will go back to normal. But maybe his bride isn't who Thorne really needs in his life.

Once again, an enjoyable read from Lorraine Heath. I'm always impressed by how a story that doesn't seem so great at first glance can develop into something wonderful at her hands. But that's also the drawback with When a Duke Loves a Woman. The start is quite weak and slow, almost to the point of me losing interest. But my perseverance did pay off. Eventually.

Beyond Revenge and Cliché

10/1/2023

Beyond Scandal and Desire (Sins for All Seasons #1)
by Lorraine Heath

Mick Trewlove was born on the wrong side of the blanket and has had to watch his father's legitimate son squander the family fortune, all while the duke refuses to acknowledge him. Mick has a plan to ruin the family he has been denied and that includes stealing away Lady Aslyn Hastings, his brother's betrothed. But he didn't intend on actually falling in love with her...

Who doesn't love a tale of revenge? Despite my initial misgivings about the hero, I really enjoyed this novel - but it didn't become truly exceptional until the end, when the author surprised me by delivering a more mature and nuanced ending than I was expecting. I'm glad I discovered a book in this series via a bargain box last year. I also find the name "Trewlove" quite amusing!

Quest for a Better MG Novel

7/1/2023

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

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.

Expanded Universe Round-Up

30/12/2022

Force Storm (Dawn of the Jedi Vol 1)

There was a little too much going on in this TPB, with a few too many characters mixed in amongst the chaos. That said, it was a very solid start that drew me in immediately. Great potential in this series, I sense.

Prisoner of Bogan (Dawn of the Jedi Vol 2)

There were parts of this second TPB that were quite good and the momentum from the first TPB was maintained, but Daegen Lok is...not an interesting character. And it's kind of annoying how easily he was able to get where he wanted to go.

Force War (Dawn of the Jedi Vol 3)

Whoa, what happened here? The series wasn't great but it wasn't terrible - until suddenly we hit the third TPB. What a mess! In fact, this is so messy it almost reached the point of being unreadable. I really liked the Xesh/Shae stuff, but they were a tiny eye in the middle of a craptastic storm. This arc feels horribly rushed.

Tales of the Jedi (Vol 1)

This collection is nothing short of epic. Naga Sadow, Nomi Sunrider and Ulic Qel-Droma all appear in these pages, characters that were like real legends to me as a child - especially since I was not able to get my hands on the comics until adulthood. Myths threading their way through the prose books until I finally found the source. The Tales of the Jedi comics were - still are - so iconic. They will always represent the Republic's ancient history to me, even now in the Disney era.

Tales of the Jedi (Vol 2)

Reaching the end of the Tales of the Jedi run is like saying goodbye to old, cherished friends. I wouldn't say it doesn't have it flaws (particularly in this second collection), but the stories therein truly deserve the label of "saga". I could definitely have kept reading - if there had been more to read. Unmissable, formative, outstanding, and a treasured relic of the 1990s.

Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories

I remember being rather disinterested with this book the first time I read it, but perhaps those memories were tainted with how tired I was with the EU in general by that point. But on my second reading of it, many years later, I really enjoyed myself. John Jackson Miller made the Lost Tribe far more fascinating than they appeared to be in the Fate of the Jedi books. The novella is the weakest story of the bunch. I'd have appreciated more stories in and after that timeframe...but all in all? A great collection.

The Expanded Universe Begins

27/12/2022

Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void (Star Wars Legends)
by Tim Lebbon

Lanoree Brock is a Je’daii Ranger who has avoided going home because of bad memories involving her brother's death. But now is being recalled to Tython for a mission that requires her skills - but mostly Lanoree, because her brother is alive and his actions could lead their system into chaos. He has always looked to the stars. To the mysteries of the past. Who brought them all to Tython - and why?

So begins my epic read through of my vast Expanded Universe (aka Legends canon) collection. The first chronological, novel-length story in the EU isn't fantastic by any means, but I did like Lanoree and I did enjoy exploring the galaxy as she knows it. However, the ending was quite underwhelming, spoiling the fun. The flashbacks also didn't help, hindering the flow of the book and just generally being unimportant. This isn't a terrible entry, just meh (with some redeeming qualities).

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).

Duck for Cover

18/12/2022

Resolute (The Lost Fleet: Outlands #2)
by Jack Campbell

Admiral John Geary has been sent on a diplomatic mission to a species that remains guarded in their interactions with humans, but the dangers Geary faces are not just in the vastness of space - some of them are on his very own ships. His enemies want him to fail. His death is one way to achieve that. But he isn't called Black Jack for nothing.

I know what I'm getting when I pick up a Geary book - and that's exactly what I got. For the most part. Other books in this universe have dragged at times, but Resolute seemed to last an eternity. Frankly, this was a slog. A lot of the story seemed to be taken up with repetitive intrigue and the more interesting stuff was crammed into the last couple of chapters. This all said, Ensign Duck is freaking awesome.

The Rise of Explanations

3/12/2022

Shadow of the Sith (Star Wars Disney)
by Adam Christopher

Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian are on separate quests until their paths converge, thanks to the discovery that a family is on the run - possibly in danger from the Sith - and they need help. But if that help doesn't arrive in time, then drastic choices will have to be made. Especially when it comes to the fate of the girl, Rey.

This is a much better story than The Rise of Skywalker and it's unfortunate that a book was needed to better explain aspects of the film. This is hardly the first time it's happened in the franchise, except that Darth Plagueis is from an older, separate canon.

I read more slowly than usual because I didn't want Shadow of the Sith to end - it was so well written and had me hoping for a different ending (despite what I already knew). I am amused that Adam Christopher somehow guessed that some of us would read the acknowledgements first and totally called us out for it. How did he know!?!?!?

Two Become One

8/10/2022

Every Rogue Has His Charm (Love and Let Spy #4)
by Susanna Craig

Maxim "ruined" and married Caro to help her escape her father - and then he almost instantly fled to France for six years, to escape his demons. But now his grandfather is dead and he's a duke. Which means he must return to England...and the bride he abandoned. Caro has decamped to Brighton where she be can alone with her thoughts. But she won't be alone for much longer!

There were two excellent books here...what a pity they were forced to jockey for space in the cramped pages of this one. I had waited eagerly for Mrs Drummond's story and was so disappointed to see it intruding upon - and being intruded upon by - the main story. As a result, I didn't buy the hero and heroine falling in love at all and Maxim was not given the time to earn Caro's forgiveness. Arghhh. This is so average when it could have been awesome as separate books, dang it.

You've Got Fail

6/10/2022

Mr Wrong Number by Lynn Painter

Olivia is a complete dumpster fire, so naturally Colin, her brother's best friend/roommate, has reservations when she moves in for a month while she gets herself sorted. But when it turns out that the wrong number Colin's been sending flirty texts to is also the aforementioned dumpster fire? He now sees Olivia in a completely different light. But how can he convince her he's actually into her?

Oh man, I am such trash for anything that has a whiff of You've Got Mail about it. And I always appreciate a dash of Pride and Prejudice. So the question wasn't "will I enjoy this?" but "how MUCH will I enjoy this?". An average amount is the answer, apparently. This was a pleasant enough read, but I know it will quickly fade from my memory.