Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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“You are the most fascinating thing in this beautiful house. I’d like to introduce my fists to whoever taught you to stop talking about the things that interest you.”

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

May 27, 2026 by Malin Leave a Comment

4.5 stars Sir Robert “Robin” Blyth ends up in a civil service position he is vastly unprepared for, as it turns out, he is supposed to be a liaison between the secret magical world and the more mundane regular world. Usually, the post is held by an individual from a magical family just unlucky enough not to have any magic of their own (seems like there are quite a few such “duds” in the magic-wielding families of society). Robin, on the other hand, is both […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, History, Mystery, Romance Tagged With: alternate history, Buzzwords 26, Buzzwords cover 26, cbr18, curse, edwardian, Freya Marske, historical fantasy, keyword 26, LGBTQIA, magic, Malin, Nowhere Bingo 26, paranormal romance

Malin's CBR18 Review No:33 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, History, Mystery, Romance · Tags: alternate history, Buzzwords 26, Buzzwords cover 26, cbr18, curse, edwardian, Freya Marske, historical fantasy, keyword 26, LGBTQIA, magic, Malin, Nowhere Bingo 26, paranormal romance ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Elastic tension lashed their cars together across space, alone on the road, nothing in his head but grief and freedom.

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo

February 26, 2026 by carmelpie Leave a Comment

Andrew held the clutch and eased onto the gas, pushing revs while the digital readout reminded him to hold it, wait for the right moment to explode. Sam’s fingers touched the rim of the moon hanging in the sky. A shudder ripped across the bones of Andrew’s forearms, terror and delight and the promise of risk bringing him to life. ― Lee Mandelo, Summer Sons For fuck’s sake Andrew. Is there anything in this scenario that feels heterosexual or well-adjusted to you? ― Lee Mandelo, […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery Tagged With: American History, angst, Classism, curse, dark academia, drug use, Fighting, gay awakening, gay romance, Ghost Stories, homoerotic behaviour, Lee Mandelo, LGBTQ author, LGBTQ romance, murder mystery, Nashville, psychic abilities, queer romance, self-destruction, sexual tension up the wazoo, street racing, Tennessee, toxic friendships, toxic relationships, Toxic Romance, transgender characters, transgender main character, trauma bonding

carmelpie's CBR18 Review No:9 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery · Tags: American History, angst, Classism, curse, dark academia, drug use, Fighting, gay awakening, gay romance, Ghost Stories, homoerotic behaviour, Lee Mandelo, LGBTQ author, LGBTQ romance, murder mystery, Nashville, psychic abilities, queer romance, self-destruction, sexual tension up the wazoo, street racing, Tennessee, toxic friendships, toxic relationships, Toxic Romance, transgender characters, transgender main character, trauma bonding ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

A twist on Beauty and the Beast in this start to a romantic fantasy duology (I refuse to accept romantasy as a genre, you can’t make me)

Silver & Blood by Jessie Mihalik

January 23, 2026 by Malin 2 Comments

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this ARC. It has not affected my opinions or my review. About a year ago, the small village where Riela lives alone after the death of her father was threatened by a flood. Riela unlocked magical powers and managed to divert the water and save the village. Now one of the villagers has been savaged by a monster in the woods, and the mostly hostile villagers insist that she go into the forest and dispatch the monster for […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, History, Mystery, Romance Tagged With: #fantasy, ARC, beauty and the beast, cbr18, curse, duology, fairy tale, Jessie Mihalik, magic, Malin, mystery, NetGalley, Romance, Silver & Blood

Malin's CBR18 Review No:3 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, History, Mystery, Romance · Tags: #fantasy, ARC, beauty and the beast, cbr18, curse, duology, fairy tale, Jessie Mihalik, magic, Malin, mystery, NetGalley, Romance, Silver & Blood ·
Rating:
· 2 Comments

Not sure if the curse was worse for Helen or the reader …

A Witch in Time by Constance Sayers

December 28, 2025 by Jen K Leave a Comment

The description of this novel does it a complete disservice because it makes it sound like a much more interesting novel than it is. “Passionate, doomed romance?” “Star-crossed lovers reincarnate across history” – this all sounds interesting but it’s also completely inaccurate because the “doomed romance” that starts it all? It’s a middle aged man taking advantage of a 16 year old girl – like literally, it starts on the day of her 16th birthday. It doesn’t clarify Marchant’s age but he is an established […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, History Tagged With: Constance Sayers, curse, reincarnation, supernatural

Jen K's CBR17 Review No:140 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, History · Tags: Constance Sayers, curse, reincarnation, supernatural ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

“Death is boring. Life is much more fun. Things happen in life all the time. Unexpected things.” (Quintuple Bingo)

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

November 8, 2025 by Malin Leave a Comment

4.5 stars Nowhere Bingo 25: A middle-grade book CBR17 Bingo: N (a book starting with the letter N) Morrigan Crow is a cursed child, born on Eventide (think New Year’s Eve, but unlucky) and as such, is due to die at midnight on her 11th birthday. She keeps being blamed for everything bad that happens in her surroundings and spends a lot of time writing apology notes. However, before she can meet her doom, a mysterious stranger called Jupiter North appears and takes her away, […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery Tagged With: #fantasy, cbr17, cbr17 bingo, curse, found family, friendship, Jessica Townsend, magic, Malin, middle grade, Nevermoor

Malin's CBR17 Review No:67 · Genres: Children's Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery · Tags: #fantasy, cbr17, cbr17 bingo, curse, found family, friendship, Jessica Townsend, magic, Malin, middle grade, Nevermoor ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

A very sweet adventure story, gorgeously packaged

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

March 26, 2025 by Malin 3 Comments

4.5 stars Buzzword Cover Challenge 25: Celestial (there is a big moon and several stars on the cover) What if in The Princess Bride, Buttercup didn’t sit at home and mourn for Westley when he was captured by pirates, but instead went off to try to rescue him? Of course, that would mean Buttercup had any agency at all in either the novel or the film, and she really doesn’t. But if Buttercup was a young woman named Tress, from a barren and fairly desolate […]

Filed Under: Audiobooks, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Tagged With: #fantasy, #Science Fiction, adventure, audiobook, brandon sanderson, cbr17, curse, dragons, magic, Malin, michael kramer, quest, Secret Project, the cosmere, the Dark Corner, The Princess Bride

Malin's CBR17 Review No:18 · Genres: Audiobooks, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction · Tags: #fantasy, #Science Fiction, adventure, audiobook, brandon sanderson, cbr17, curse, dragons, magic, Malin, michael kramer, quest, Secret Project, the cosmere, the Dark Corner, The Princess Bride ·
Rating:
· 3 Comments
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