Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

A final book that does this wonderful series justice.

Leviathan Falls (The Expanse, #9) by James S.A. Corey

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I cried, because I am nothing if not predictable. This was a good ending, but I’m not sure five stars worth? Also, I’m not sure what exactly happened there at the end. Mostly, I’m even more excited to do my full-series re-read in 2022. I did all of these except #4 on audio the first time through (because Jefferson Mays didn’t originally record that one) so I spent 2021 slowly collecting the paperbacks in preparation for my re-read (I also will be purchasing the 10th […]

A slightly happier ending to this story of fatal foes than Romeo and Juliet

Fated Blades by Ilona Andrews

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4.5 stars This was an ARC from Netgalley. My views and opinions are my own. On the alien planet of Rada, most of the powerful families have genetic abilities in some way or another, but the ones born with lethal combat abilities are the fiercest of rivals, and none more so than the Adlers and the Baenas. They are constantly vying to be the most dominant, and now both families are close to discovering the secrets behind their genetic abilities. Matias Baena, head of his […]

The most bland doomsday ever

Slaves of the Switchboard of Doom: A Novel of Retropolis by Bradley W. Schneck

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Slaves of the Switchboard of Doom: A Novel of Retropolis feels somewhat familiar, even though I’ve never read one of these novels; I’m pretty sure given the series/setting name (Retropolis), that’s intentional. If you think about one of those 1940s-ish era sci-fi or “world of the future” images or stories, you’ve basically got this novel, both in terms of written content and visuals (there are occasional full and partial page illustrations. Everything looks and sounds (word and image again) vaguely cartoony, kind of familiar, and […]

Won’t be reading the sequels, thank you.

Rendezvous with Rama (Rama, #1) by Arthur C. Clarke

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This one didn’t work out for me so much. And it tricked me! I was really into it for like the first twenty pages (hard not to pay attention when a giant asteroid pulverizes Italy), but once the crew of the Endeavor were introduced, this book became pretty dull for me. Rendezvous with Rama, which is a Hugo award winner, was published in 1973. I can see how something like this published fifty years ago would have been a big deal. But there are just so many […]

“Well someone has to marry him, said the Emperor.” Part space opera, mystery, and romance, all of it captivating.

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell

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Winter’s Orbit came on to my radar through Cannonballers and then I noticed my independent bookstore featuring it as a staff pick for Pride month.  It went on my book wish list and I got it for my birthday! In the far distant future there are multiple galactic civilizations and they are all connected through ‘the link network’ governed by the Resolution.  Trade happens through the link and having the Resolution in place means that no invading force can use the link to attack another […]

“Old people, young people. Everybody needed a cup of tea sometimes. Just an hour or two to sit and do something nice, and then they could get back to whatever it was.”

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

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I had just finished A Closed and Common Orbit and was eager to read another book by Becky Chambers.  Fortunately, my family gave me A Psalm for the Wild-Built for my birthday, so another one was on hand to be immediately dived into.  In A Closed and Common Orbit, Chambers dwells on purpose.  In a APftWB, she dives deeper into understanding what it means to have a purpose, why even have a purpose at all, and to not have a purpose, as well.  I had been delightfully […]



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