Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

A Good Story Marred By One Of My Least Favorite Tropes

Starcrossed by Allie Therin

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Arthur and Rory are both figuring out their relationship as well as the magical relic that has fallen into their hands.  Arthur is also following up on some loose ends related to the magical relics.  However, when a new threat arises, their fragile start of a relationship leaves them both vulnerable, and the stakes are rising with a new relic now in play. Have you ever wanted to reach inside a book and just shake a character?  Sometimes multiple characters?  That’s how I felt for […]

Murder, Magic, and Mischief On a Boat

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

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Maud Blyth wanted an adventure as well as to help her brother unravel a magical conspiracy.  She may have gotten more than she bargained for though when the elderly lady with a magical artifact that she’s escorting across the Atlantic is murdered.  With a surprising ally in Violet Debenham, a magician and actress who’s returning to England to claim her inheritance, the two of them tackle a ship full of suspects with them hope of solving the murder and finding the artifact without ending up […]

Compelling Characters and an Interesting World

Spellbound by Allie Therin

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Rory Brodigan’s gift comes at a cost, and he’s done his best to keep his head down and finding counterfeit antiques pays the bills.  However, when Arthur Kenzie waltzes into his life with a job, things get much more complicated.  Arthur and his team of paranormal friends do their best to protect the world from supernatural relics, and they need help with this latest one.  Arthur’s hoping that Rory can help them with the latest one that has wandered into their hands, but Rory’s reluctant […]

Time Travel, Court Intrigue, and Revenge

A Bright Heart by Kate Chenli

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Betrayed by the man she loved and who she helped gain the throne, Mingshin faces her death wishing for a second chance.  Then she wakes up two years in the past and is determined to get revenge on Prince Ren and foil his plans.  And to never risk her heart again.  But as Mingshin makes new plans and allies, she finds herself working closely with Prince Jieh.  And finds herself torn between keeping her heart safe or taking a chance that this time she won’t […]

“Never before have so many been threatened with so much…Never has so much been promised to so many.”

The 9th Annual of the Year's Best SF by Judith Merril (Editor)

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This is a pretty long and comprehensive collection of good SF from 1963 (384 pages, so you’re definitely getting a lot). I enjoyed most of these stories and breezed through this on the Amtrak to and from visiting home. My mom also enjoyed the chunk she read while I was home, so it’s intergenerationally approved. However, nothing in here really blew me away and it all felt pretty standard and not hugely boundary pushing or subversive. Sometimes you do just need to read some classic […]

Sibling Rivalry and Royal Romance

Princess of Air by Natalie Cammaratta

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“[Air] can’t be seen, so it’s underestimated. Like me.” So says Arabella, the narrator of this character-driven romantasy. She is one of four magical royal siblings in the kingdom of Alchos. Each of them controls one element, air in the case of Princess Arabella. Their mother broke with tradition by having multiple children and dividing control of earth, air, fire, and water among them, and now they must enter a series of trial to determine who will become the heir to the throne. Ara, like […]



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