Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

The End (for now).

The End of All Things (Old Man's War #6) by John Scalzi

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The End of All Things by John Scalzi wraps up several threads from the later books, while still leaving plenty of room for more entries in the series. This series tells one long story and should not be read out of order as there is no way to discuss the plot without getting into spoilers. If you have not read this series, starting with Old Man’s War, I highly recommend it. The first three books especially are outstanding. The most recent entry in the Old […]

There will be a reckoning.

The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie

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The Raven Tower, Ann Leckie’s first fantasy novel, uses the framework of Shakespeare’s Hamlet to create an enthralling new tale. A king is dead, an uncle has usurped a throne, and a prince is going mad with the injustice. If you squint you can see Ophelia, and Rosencranz & Guildenstern, and Horatio among the other expected players. Yet, there is more going on in the kingdom of Iraden than a simple coup. The mystery starts from the first sentence directed at “you”. The entire book […]

…but the past ain’t through with you.

Broken Harbor (Dublin Murder Squad #4) by Tana French

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Broken Harbor, by Tana French, is not a book. It is a jagged ball of glass that dazzles the eyes but draws blood as deftly as a razor blade. Detectives Mike “Scorcher” Kennedy, lead investigator of the Dublin Murder Squad, and his rookie partner Richie Curran are assigned a high profile murder case. A family of four, including two young children, have been brutally attacked in their home in the housing estate of Brianstown. Swift justice is called for and Kennedy’s close rate is the […]

Lucky #13

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Writing a mystery with no solution is an easy thing to do. All you need is some inscrutable pieces of information and no way for a reader, or the characters, to be able to piece the whole thing together in a way that brings satisfaction. Bad writers do this kind of thing all the time and try to pass it off as enigmatic. It takes a master to write a mystery with no solution and still make the journey feel worthwhile to the reader. That […]

Like hope, stupid also floats.

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Quite possibly the stupidest, most aggravating character in recent memory blunders her way through a mystery like an amateur Inspector Clouseau. It’s staggering how many poor decisions our hero Laura “Lo” Blacklock makes on a minute to minute basis. I had to keep checking that the author wasn’t actually a man writing under a woman’s pseudonym because this is one of the most misogynistic books I’ve read in some time. Sample dialogue: “I groaned at my own stupidity…” “Why didn’t I listen to…” “How could […]

Anosche.

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If there was any confusion that this series could be filed under YA, A Conjuring of Light obliterates that idea swiftly. The first book introduced the world and characters, the second made us care about them, and the third puts them through absolute hell. But in a good way, closing out the Shades of Magic trilogy and earning its place as one of the greatest fantasy works of all time. Yep, it’s that good. When we last left Kell, Lila, Rhy, and all the rest […]



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