Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“Let it be my ambition and not my fear that seals my fate”

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

by 4 Comments

I’ve had a bit of mixed experience with Leigh Bardugo’s books. I thought the Shadow & Bone trilogy was generic and bland but loved the follow up duology set in the same universe, consisting of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. I loved Ninth House, but felt somewhat let down by the sequel, Hell Bent. I’m currently in the middle of reading several long series and wanted a bit of a palette cleanser (without starting another series), so I started reading Bardugo’s latest release, The […]

Historical Fiction With Fantastical Flair

Babel by R. F. Kuang

by 1 Comment

This is definitely more historical fiction than it is historical fantasy, though the fantasy elements are integral to the story. In this way, Babel is similar to Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell, to which it’s hard not to make comparisons as both are set in England in the 1800s and involve magic. It was a good book but not the 5-star read I was expecting after having heard so much about it. Babel tells the story of Robin Swift, who was born in China and […]

Faerie Lore, Dangerous Quests, and Romance

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

by Leave a Comment

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries I am impressed by the breadth of research and creativity that went into this adventurous fantasy. There is so much information about faeries from all over, and some of it is provided almost as an aside, like a mention that Maltese fae are “more troublesome than average, having an unfortunate habit of creeping into houses at night to feast upon slumberers’ vital organs.” This kind of knowledge being tossed off in such an offhand way fits with the main character […]

Intriguing Beginning, Lukewarm Follow-Through

The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

by Leave a Comment

I don’t have much to say about this book. It was fine. I liked it enough to finish reading it but probably not enough to bother with the sequels, especially since it doesn’t end on a cliffhanger. The pacing is too slow and there isn’t enough character development to justify that pace. Spoilers ahead. We follow Ceony, a new graduate of a magic school. Magicians bond to specific man-made elements and she wanted metal, but due to a lack of paper magicians, that’s what she […]

Academia, Fae, and Falling In Love

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

by 4 Comments

Emily Wilde has come to Hrafnsvik in order to finish her book.  A researcher of the Faerie, Emily is good at research, less so with people.  But this book will make her academic career, and she is determined to finish it.  Of course, that means dealing with the local villagers as well as her acadmic rival Wendell Brambleby, who she’s almost certain is one of the Folk himself, who has showed up.  But even as Emily gets closer to discovering the secrets of the Hidden […]

Witchy Sisters Fighting for Women’s Rights

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

by Leave a Comment

This resonant novel is about sisterhood, both the familiar bonds and the ones forged with other women fighting for the same cause. It’s mostly about the three sisters of Juniper, Agnes, and Bella as they work towards the rights of women and witches in 1893. I loved all of these characters in different ways and for different reasons and felt that had each had a distinctive voice: Agnes is prickly and wary, Juniper is headstrong and willful, Bella is cautious and nerdy (I mean that […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo