Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

D is for Disappointing

D (A Tale of Two Worlds) by Michel Faber

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Here’s the thing, I read a lot of books! I read a lot of genre fiction in particular, the sort that has set tropes and predictable story beats. The joy in reading a book whose overall plot I can guess based on the cover is the ways the author takes those expectations and subverts or enhances them. I love “through the door” stories!! I love how we get to explore our own worlds and beliefs when confronted with a topsy-turvy dimension. Which is why I […]

“We’ll drag this country into fairness and justice”

Witchmark by C.L. Polk

Stormsong by C.L. Polk

Soulstar by C.L. Polk

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  Long time, no reviews. Time to tackle the backlog! I came about this series in a very arse backwards manner. I was given a copy of the book Soulstar sometime last year and I got about a quarter of the way through before I gave into the feeling that something wasn’t right… The funny thing about ebooks is that looking for the blurb is not as simple as with a hardback. So I had missed it—and because of that, also missed the fact that […]

Tea Isn’t Strong Enough for This One. Bring Out the Whisky.

The Falconer by Elizabeth May

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Aileana Kameron only looks the part of a proper Scottish debutante.  For the past year the only thing she’s cared about is vengeance on the faery that murdered her mother.  She spends her night hunting with the help of a pixie and Kiaran MacKay, a faery who hunts his own kind and has taken Aileana under his wing.  When the aftermath of a hunt leads to her being engaged against her will, Aileana doesn’t even have time to really process that when Kiaran informs her […]

Can a Cup of Tea Save the World?

Royal Tea Service by Casey Blair

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Mireya has plans.  She’s just moved in with Deniel and is looking forward to starting their lives together.  And then her oldest two sisters show up on her doorstep.  The Crown Princess wants Mireya to host a summit involving all of the nations involved to deal with the Cataclysm once and for all as it’s clear that if they don’t figure out how to, they’re all doomed.  So, Mireya will have to gather both her families, the one she’s made in Sayorsen and the one […]

When the map matters more than the people there will be murder

The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

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I really like the premise and general scenario of The Cartographers; you’ve got a good dose of real historical and practical map-making details along with a dose of “magical realism”. I also didn’t realize that this author was relevant to AAIPI month which May is. The general premise is that former whiz kid map scholar Nell Young who was dismissed from the famed NYPL (New York Public Library) in disgrace by her own father must now solve the mystery of her father’s murder which turns […]

An Immersive World

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

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I love a good immersive world in fantasy and speculative fiction, where you feel like you could be in the setting. The Monsters We Defy takes place in Washington, DC in 1925, and Clara Johnson, the main character, can communicate with spirits. I listened to the audio book of this, and Shayna Small does an exceptional job with the voices and the setting and making you invested in the story. I am not surprised to see this won the Audie award for best audio book […]



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