Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


A Memory Called Empire- the next great space opera

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

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Plot: Ambassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in the center of the multi-system Teixcalaanli Empire only to discover that her predecessor, the previous ambassador from their small but fiercely independent mining Station, has died. But no one will admit that his death wasn’t an accident—or that Mahit might be next to die, during a time of political instability in the highest echelons of the imperial court. Now, Mahit must discover who is behind the murder, rescue herself, and save her Station from Teixcalaan’s unceasing expansion—all while navigating […]

Space opera binge – “Nothing touched by empire remains itself”

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie

Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie

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              ** Some spoilers for the plot of Ancillary Justice in the review of later books in the series ** Space opera can definitely be big, loud and dumb and that can be fun and exciting.  But I love my space opera to be populated by complex, conflicted people (and other beings) living in intricate worlds with a deep culture and history.  Add beautiful writing, and big questions about identity and ethics, and I am in heaven. So I […]

“We’re both exiles, she’d thought, right then, and had hated herself for thinking it. She’d been gone a few months. She had no right to the name. She was home. She wasn’t, and she knew it. (There was no such place any longer.)”

A Desolation Called Peace (Teixcalaan, #2) by Arkady Martine

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What a great series, top to bottom. I don’t even want to talk about it. (Or, I want to talk about it for five hours straight.) I kind of already want to re-read. If you like science fiction, this is a must read. It’s so self-assured, so smart, so well put together, so full of heart and yet also full of thinking. It’s so hard to find an author who can stimulate both my thinking brain and my feeling brain, and Arkady Martine is a […]

This was the only book I was able to write a mini-review through my massive anxiety attack!

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine

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Reader’s Choice/Sports Ball: because that’ll probably be my waterloo, otherwise! Will write a better review in a bit but just a quick one off–is this as good as A Memory Called Empire? Perhaps not, there is a bit of impenetrable language (DO YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE, FOR YOU, THREE SWEETGRASS) that seems difficult for the sake of being difficult BUT I just loved it so much, okay? I missed two buses because I was so wrapped up in this book, and for the second […]

‘The spook and her pet’ take on an alien empire in this amazing sequel – and Bingo #2!

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine

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CBR 13 Bingo: New Series – This is the sequel to A Memory Called Empire which was published in 2019 and completes my second bingo. I loved A Memory Called Empire , in my review said it was deserving its spot on the Hugo nominee list and I was delighted when it won!  The follow up, A Desolation Called Peace, is similarly incredible.  In preparation for reading this, I found an excellent recap that goes over individuals and factions, and their motivations.  I highly recommend it. The […]

A Memory called Empire – Arkady Martine (2019)

A Memory called Empire by Arkady Martine

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CBR13Bingo – New Series You’d have to tell me if my perception of this book is correct, but I read this book as an outsider looking into human culture as an empire and seeing it from this perspective. It’s the future, and it’s maybe a future version of earth or a future of humanity. We are following a new ambassador making her way to the head of this empire from her native Lsel station, a non-planetary, science-heavy but small civilization. This new arrival loves the […]



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