Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

The Poppy War (Not Your Parent’s Light Fantasy Escapism)

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

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The Poppy War is a hard book to say you recommend. It’s well written, for sure. But the last few chapters are, without giving anything away, excruciating. I had been warned this was the case, but yet I still found myself staying up one night, and reading the final section with increasing horror. Reader, be warned, this is a wonderfully written book, with one hell of a trigger warning. The start of the book is classic enough. Rin is a poor orphan girl from the […]

Side Story that Works

RWBY After the Fall by E.C. Meyers, Kerry Shawcross, Miles Luna

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For various reasons, I have gotten a little behind with some animated shows I follow, especially RWBY (pronounced ‘Ruby’). I had to pause the series mid-way through season 3, and haven’t been able to pick it back up. I’m now multiple full seasons behind, and I’ve found out via social media etc that there’s some big changes at the end of season 3. Here’s why that matters: RWBY: After the Fall is a light novel side story of sorts that takes place after the events […]

Picture, If you will. . . .

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

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All right, I know that is not a legit Twilight Zone quote, but it is the perfect intro to this book.  This was a ride.  Great mystery and ghosts, how can you go wrong?   Young Viv Delaney, on her way from Illinois to New York City, ends up at a rundown motel, just off the main road, in Fell, New York. You know the kind of motel, mid-century, pull your car up to the door of your room, and the power tends to dramatically […]

She came to him toward morning.

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski

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I haven’t seen The Witcher tv series, but I have played through The Witcher 3, and I went into it completely cold. I didn’t know the history, the mythos, the world, or the characters. That experience was actually mostly fine except I allowed a character to die who I didn’t realize was a big part of the series, and well they don’t come back. But something I’ve been curious about with the show is how much of it makes any sense to a brand new watcher. […]

Last book of the best dang series I’ve read this year

Warrior of the World by Jeffe Kennedy

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I love this series. I *love* this series. When I sat down to write this review, I thought I have probably run out of things to say about this series. I reviewed book one and book two with an almost embarrassing amount of gush about the pacing of the story and character development. This is the final book in this series, though the whole story is set before the stories in the Twelve Kingdoms which I will be picking up after (and have vague recollections of?). All […]

Delightfully dark (though perhaps not for the current situation?)

The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht

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I read The Monster of Elendhaven (listened to it, actually) months ago, but never got around to reviewing it. It’s more of a novella than a novel, and was marketed as horror but I think the fantasy elements come through more strongly at times. It revolves around “Johann”, the titular monster who cannot be killed and loves killing others, and his relationship with the young, handsome, and equally monstrous Florian, the last surviving member of a rich and powerful family in Elendhaven. Together, they plot […]



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