Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Cornwall – the unchanging landscape

Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

by Leave a Comment

Many years ago I wrote a review for The Dark is Rising which is the 2nd book in the sequence of the same name by Susan Cooper. This book is the first in the sequence but as I recommended then often better to be read second. I reread this on a recent holiday to Cornwall because in visiting the Cornish fishing villages/towns I immediately felt that sense of place I have with this book. If The Dark is Rising is a book that takes you […]

I’m crying because I was just in a bloody battle. I hated every second of it and I would not recommend it to a friend.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

by Leave a Comment

“Studying for what?” “Um. Everything? My future,” Gabriel said. Arthur’s instinct was to laugh, but he managed to keep himself in check. “You’re studying for life? For your life? Is there a—is there a how-to guide for monarchs? Tips and tricks for subjugating the masses? Prevent a revolt in ten easy steps?” ― Lex Croucher, Gwen & Art Are Not in Love “If you wanted to come and find me, I’ve actually been pretty stationary. You know. Nearly dying.” ― Lex Croucher, Gwen & Art […]

An Excellent Heist

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

by 1 Comment

An Arthurian heist novel featuring a tea shop by day and a blood bar by night? I’m in, I’m hooked, let’s gooooo! Arthie Casimir owns Spindrift, the aforementioned tea shop, collecting secrets from the aristocracy while serving tea while also providing a safe haven for vampires and her ragtag band of orphans. She is infamous for literally pulling her pistol from a stone. Jin Casimir is her adopted brother and right hand man. All is going well for the dynamic duo until Spindrift is threatened […]

The meter of the poem fired his blood until he was a molten core. The hammer’s song was a charm for living, a way to keep singing himself into existence.

The Winter Knight by Jes Battis

by 2 Comments

The word eôel meant home turf. People trust home. Through years of investigation, her grandmother had learned that what people told you depended on where you talked to them. Lies for every space, but occasionally a truth snuck its way in.” ― Jes Battis, The Winter Knight When she had interviewed him, she’d traced a discreet rune on his phone case. It was sketchy magic, but it should have given her access to the phone’s GPS. The problem was that it wasn’t working. His location […]

Arthurian Legend, Feminist Perspective

Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian

by Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of re-imagined classics: Achilles, Circe, the Trojan women — I love a take on a well known tale from a marginalized perspective. Of course, all of those that I mentioned are Greek myths, with which I have quite a bit of familiarity. On a recent trip to the bookstore I found Half Sick of Shadows, which really piqued my interest — the story of King Arthur and Camelot from the perspective of Elaine Astolat, Lady of […]

A love letter to Arthurian legend told through inclusive re-imaginings

Sword Stone Table: Old Legends, New Voices by Edited by: Swapna Krishna and Jenn Northington

by 6 Comments

Thank you, llamareadsbooks for gifting this book to me in the CBR Book Exchange! CBR14 Bingo: “Time” – This anthology moves through time, from the ancient past to the far future. Sword Stone Table first came to my awareness through emmalita’s review.  When narfna reviewed it a few weeks ago, it prompted me to move it to the top of the read pile.  I have a deep affection for stories about King Arthur and Camelot that probably started with the Disney animated version, was strengthened by […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo