Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

It Gives Ocean’s Eleven a Run For Its Money

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett

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Yeah, Robert Jackson Bennett is back! I originally had a delayed love his previous trilogy, The Divine Cities; but a re-read of the first book ended up setting me straight, and by the end, I was loving it. So the news that his latest book, Foundryside, is also the first of a trilogy piqued my interest. would there be a delayed response this time around? Or will it be a winner from the get-go? Part of the charm of The Divine Cities was the melding of divine magics […]

What Book Would You Try and Save?

Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation by Tim Hamilton

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I have never read Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 (long story short, I have issues with classics, which is a little ironic for a former English major). I had no interest in it, other than knowing people considered it a classic and something pretty damn special. I knew people banned it. Which, when you think about it, is terribly amusing (or at least for me). To have a book about the ultimate banning of books being challenged and banned itself? Maybe the irony drives the point […]

How to take a beloved fantasy story and ruin it

Elric Volume 3 The White Wolf by Michael Moorcock

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As I mentioned in my previous reviews, I love Elric and have read many of the stories set in his universe over the years. I have no idea who the hell this is supposed to be because this main character ain’t Elric. Sure, he is supposed to be Elric, looks like him, even talks like him on occasion, but this is not The Albino Ruler of Mlenibone. Elric is many things but dumb is not a description that would generally be applied to him (Self […]

In which side characters are the real ones

The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life, Vol. 2 (light novel) by Usata Nonhora

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  Light novel 2 in The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life really develops the world and some of the characters. Some darkness is introduced and more history about the status of alchemy and alchemists, and the Labyrinth, is really the focus of the volume. This means both more story and more world building. The biggest problem from book 1 gets a little worse in book 2 though, and that’s Mariela. She’s supposed to be the main heroine, but she’s totally […]

Well, this Elric series went bad quickly

Elric Vol 2 Stormbringer by Michael Moorcock

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I had a bad feeling about this book after finishing the last volume that was, unfortunately, proven correct. Especially with stories like Elric, I have no issue with writers taking liberties with the story t provide a new perspective on the tale. Where I have a problem is when the changes completely distort the main character to the point of  making him unrecognizable. Elric has always been a self centered, self pitying character but he was never evil, despite being the ruler of a kingdom […]

Yer a wizard, Peter…but not that kind

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch

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The plot on this one sounds pretty unoriginal – rookie London cop sees ghosts – but it ended up taking a few unexpected turns. Peter Grant is a rookie, just about to be assigned to the most boring and paperwork-heavy department, when a ghost tells him he witnessed a murder. Peter checks into the ghost’s story (very open-minded of him, I thought) and finds out that maybe he’s not going crazy. Then he gets assigned to the mysterious Detective Nightingale, and learns all sorts of […]



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