Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

The Territorial Lecherous Moth and The Dangerous Marshmallow

Proper Scoundrels by Allie Therin

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Proper Scoundrels is a spin off from Therin’s Magic in Manhattan series. The adventures of Sebastian and Lord Fine won’t make much sense if you haven’t read the series, but you should read the series. It is excellent and Therin built a wonderful world while writing it. I’m so glad she’s writing past Arthur and Rory, and that we get to spend more time with Jade and Zhang. Wesley, Lord Fine, feels separated from the world by his title, and by his experience as a […]

“Choose a new path, a new adventure.”

Wonderstruck by Allie Therin

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I have loved this Prohibition-era paranormal series since the moment we first met Rory, and I was a little worried going in because I knew this was the third and final book. How would the entire situation with Baron Zeppler be taken care of? Whose side are Gwen and Ellis really on? What about the relationship hiccups between Rory and Arthur? And, most importantly to me, would Arthur ever take Rory to his beloved Italy? And yes, all these questions are answered and more. “It’s […]

A strong finish to a nicely done series.

Wonderstruck by Allie Therin

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Wonderstruck is a strong finish for Allie Therin’s historical urban fantasy series, Magic in Manhattan. To recap, Arthur “Ace” Kensie is the younger son of a wealthy and politically powerful New York family. As a lieutenant in the army fighting in WWI, he discovered that magic exists. Though he has no magic, he becomes part of an unofficial group of magic users trying to protect the world from paranormals who want to use magic for evil reasons. Theodore “Rory” Brodigan (not his real name) is […]

I wish this had been longer and more fleshed out. #CBRBingo – Cannonballer Says

Spellbound (Magic in Manhattan, #1) by Allie Therin

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This was a solid first novel, and a good start to this fantasy/romance series. This is paranormal/fantasy romance set in 1925, where some people have paranormal powers but most don’t, and magic is a well kept secret. Our main characters are Rory Brodigan, a scryer, who can see the history of any object, and Arthur Kenzie, a politician’s son who fought in WWI, and who uses his wealth to employ paranormals to keep the world safe. Rory is caught up in their net when a […]

Does the Actual Plot Feel a Little Secondary to the Romance? Yes. Does that Really Matter? Mileage May Vary, but It’s Fine by Me!

Spellbound (Magic in Manhattan #1) by Allie Therin

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As I continue my journey with audiobooks (a new development for me over the past couple of months), my enjoyment of them has varied considerably depending on the narrator. In this case, it was a mixed bag: for the most part it was good but as the reading went on it’s as if more quirky inflections and voices were being out on to differentiate characters and moods, and honestly I’m learning that I hate the addition of silly voices to distinguish the characters. I can […]

Ace and Rory Return

Starcrossed by Allie Therin

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Starcrossed is a sequel to Spellbound and in no way stands on it’s own. We dive right in to the continuing adventures of Rory and Arthur (aka Ace). As the book opens, they have left Manhattan and are spending time at Ace’s brother’s family home, where Rory and Ace can’t let anyone know they are a couple. As much as they were able to resolve in Spellbound, they live in a world hostile to gay men. Ace has too high a social profile to be even […]



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