Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Please, Re-read the Previous Book First

Queen Demon by Martha Wells

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So, I did mention I had more than one Martha Wells book to attend to today, and this is the tricker one to write about. I read Witch King  earlier this year, and while I very much liked it, there were, I thought, some notable flaws. Witch King had a dual narrative, with each of the two branches separated by over fifty years. And within these fifty years, there have been some significant political changes that are sometimes a little hard to grasp because of […]

It’s not over until we win

Royal Assassin: Book 2 of The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb

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The thing about second books in trilogies is that they have to do a lot of work developing conflicts and characters. Second books tend to be where the bad guys are ascendent and our heroes seem to be losing. They provide critical information and often are kind of depressing. Royal Assassin, the second volume in The Farseer Trilogy, is such a book but I am completely invested, as well as devastated, by what is happening to our main characters and the kingdom where they live. […]

I Love October

Silver And Lead by Seanan McGuire

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Toby life hack #19- no one can tell if you’ve gotten covered in blood again if you’re already covered in blood! Life has been pretty uneventful since the end of Titania’s hijacking of faerie reality. Everyone’s just quietly trying to get over their well earned PTSD. Toby herself is about two weeks from giving birth and has been sitting at home enjoying the pampering that Tybalt and her housemates have been smothering her with without going insane at all… Hahahahaha yeah she’s about ten seconds […]

The novel doesn’t quite live up to the magic of the setting

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

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CBR 17 BINGO: “N” (for Night) Double BINGO! Across: B, I, N, G, O, Down: Black, TBR, N, Family, Citizen The Night Circus is a much beloved novel that, on paper, seems like it has everything that should appeal to me: a Victorian timeframe, a magical setting, an air of mystery, an understated romance. I admired the author’s creativity, particularly in the way she weaves fantastical elements into the circus; yet, I felt a bit let down by the fact that I wasn’t eager to […]

Fantasy with less romance but more dogs

Assassin’s Apprentice: Book One of the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb

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I’m on a fantasy kick recently, this time without the romance but with plenty of court intrigue, magical powers and violence. Trigger warning for abuse and death (including animals). Assassin’s Apprentice is the first book in Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy, which has been reviewed favorably several times on CBR. Add this one to the favorable reviews. Hobbs includes two very compelling storylines and a cast of interesting characters whose personal motivations and abilities create some thrilling and suspenseful scenes. I tore through this 400+ page […]

Insubstantial Fluff

A Fellowship of Librarians & Dragons by J. Penner

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Bingo 21: Review I may have already had A Fellowship of Librarians and Dragons on my TBR before looking up reviews, but turns out I had a pretty similar reaction to Bjornsnipe: https://everyday-offershub.com/2025/10/a-fellowship-of-librarians-dragons-adenashire-book-two-bjornsnipe/ This series, not totally surprisingly, appears to be let’s take a core group, and then pair everyone off, one novel at a time. There’s not a lot of substance, and no attention to realism. This is pure wish fulfillment, where everything turns out  fine in the end, romantically, family-wise, dragon baby-wise, friend-wise, […]



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