Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Search

| Log in
  1. Follow us on Facebook
  2. Follow us on Instagram
  3. Follow us on Bluesky
  4. Follow us on Goodreads
  5. RSS Feeds

  • Home
  • About
    • Getting Started in CBR18
    • Rules of Respect
    • Cannon Book Club
    • Diversions
    • Fan Mail
    • Holiday Book Exchange
    • Book Bingo Reading Challenge
    • Participation Badges
    • AlabamaPink
    • About Cannonball Read
  • Our Team
    • The CBR Team
    • Leaderboard
    • Recent Comments
    • Participant Interviews
    • Cannonballer Location Maps
    • Our Volunteers
    • Meet MsWas
  • Categories
    • Review Genres
    • Tags
    • Star Ratings
    • Featured Review Archive
  • Fight Cancer
    • How We Fight Cancer
    • Donate
    • CBR Merchandise
  • FAQ
  • Contact
    • Contact Form
    • 2026 Registration
    • Suggest a Review
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Social Media

There are no distractions from you. You’re every idea I’ve ever had.

The Roots that Clutch by TheCryingClub

December 4, 2023 by carmelpie Leave a Comment

The Roots that Clutch ― TheCryingClub (A Normal People AU) I’ve taken a liking to Hozier’s music lately and I can trace the origin back to when I read this fic for the first time. I think what keeps pulling me back to it, and what resonated with me in Normal People, is the feeling of bittersweetness that lingers, mellowing from a sharp pain to a dull throb. It’s this gorgeous aching that pulls my mind back to this story again and again. The title […]

Filed Under: Fanfiction, Fiction Tagged With: Adolescence & Coming of Age, alternate universe, fanfiction, gay romance, growing up/coming of age, Maggie Stiefvater, Normal People, queer romance, Sally Rooney, The Raven Cycle, TheCryingClub

carmelpie's CBR15 Review No:73 · Genres: Fanfiction, Fiction · Tags: Adolescence & Coming of Age, alternate universe, fanfiction, gay romance, growing up/coming of age, Maggie Stiefvater, Normal People, queer romance, Sally Rooney, The Raven Cycle, TheCryingClub ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

All for the Game: Obsession and its Russian fanbase

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic

The Raven King by Nora Sakavic

The King's Men by Nora Sakavic

December 3, 2023 by carmelpie Leave a Comment

It’s hard to kill a man when everyone’s eyes are on him. Make them love you, make them hate you. I don’t care. Just make them look at you. ― Nora Sakavic, The King’s Men “The court doesn’t care what my name is or where I’m from or where I’ll be tomorrow. It lets me exist as I am.” ― Nora Sakavic, The King’s Men “Everything I needed, you already gave me. You let me stay.” ― Nora Sakavic, The King’s Men The name of […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Sports Tagged With: abused children/teens, brothers, child abuse, childhood sexual abuse, College sports, enemies to lovers, found family, gay romance, graphic violence, LGBTQ, mafia, Mafia Dynasty, Mafia Prince, nora sakavic, not ya, queer love, torture

carmelpie's CBR15 Review No:72 · Genres: Fiction, Sports · Tags: abused children/teens, brothers, child abuse, childhood sexual abuse, College sports, enemies to lovers, found family, gay romance, graphic violence, LGBTQ, mafia, Mafia Dynasty, Mafia Prince, nora sakavic, not ya, queer love, torture ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

This isn’t an eighties sitcom. I can’t casually accept an orphan into my house for comic relief.

The Sunken Mall by K.D. Edwards

Scenes from Quarantine by K.D. Edwards

Scenes from the Holidays by K.D. Edwards

The Great Atlantean Battle Royalchemy by K.D. Edwards

November 28, 2023 by carmelpie 2 Comments

These are a series of novellas meant to fill in gaps between the three books in the Tarot Sequence. I’m reviewing them because it gives me an excuse to share more epic quotes from my favorite new characters. The Sunken Mall I had started to pull on my magical sight when Ciaran spotted a convenience store pharmacy combo behind us called CVS. He pointed and said, “You will leave that store alone in particular. I called dibs. Anything with a -cet after it goes in […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction Tagged With: brothers, coming home, cozy urban fantasy, found family, gay romance, ghosts, K.D. Edwards, non-binary character, old trauma, queer romance

carmelpie's CBR15 Review No:69 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction · Tags: brothers, coming home, cozy urban fantasy, found family, gay romance, ghosts, K.D. Edwards, non-binary character, old trauma, queer romance ·
Rating:
· 2 Comments

Damen’s understanding of Laurent rearranged itself, in order that he might despise him more accurately.

Captive Prince: Book One of the Captive Prince Trilogy by C.S. Pacat

November 14, 2023 by carmelpie 2 Comments

“Is there anyone at this court who isn’t my enemy?” “Not if I can help it,” Laurent said.” ― C.S. Pacat, Captive Prince Prince Damianos is having a bad time. After the king dies, Damianos’s brother Kastor claims the throne and manages to get rid of Damianos. By declaring Damianos dead, Kastor is able to guarantee his ascension to the throne. Raised in the palace, Damianos is shielded from the grim realities of the way of life he and his kingdom enable: slavery. That is […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance Tagged With: c.s. pacat, court intrigue, gay romance, queer romance, sex slave, smut

carmelpie's CBR15 Review No:64 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance · Tags: c.s. pacat, court intrigue, gay romance, queer romance, sex slave, smut ·
Rating:
· 2 Comments

I turned my worry into anger, and my anger into fuel.

The Hanged Man: The Tarot Sequence Book Two by K.D. Edwards

November 7, 2023 by carmelpie Leave a Comment

Brand closed his eyes. He kept his thoughts to himself but, in his brain, I had no doubt he was filing the swear jar like it was a slot machine. ― K.D. Edwards, The Hourglass Throne This is the second book in The Tarot Sequence trilogy, and it picks up a couple of months after the end of the first book. There is a novella, “The Sunken Mall,” which takes place between books one and two. However, since I did not learn about it until […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction Tagged With: fantasy romance, found family, gay romance, K.D. Edwards, queer romance

carmelpie's CBR15 Review No:62 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction · Tags: fantasy romance, found family, gay romance, K.D. Edwards, queer romance ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

You didn’t bring bullets to a magic fight. It bruised our sense of spectacle.

The Last Sun: The Tarot Sequence Book One by K.D. Edwards

October 31, 2023 by carmelpie Leave a Comment

“Do we need to talk about last night?” he asked. “Absolutely. That’s how I always get ready for battle, talking about my feelings” ― K.D. Edwards, The Last Sun “Oh, I get it. You think this is one of them big, fancy rescues. Boy are you about to be embarrassed.” ― K.D. Edwards, The Last Sun “You saved me,” Matthias said to me from behind Brand. I couldn’t quite identify the expression that lit up his face, but it wasn’t nearly as comfortable as plain […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction Tagged With: Atlantis, Classism, eating disorder, enslavement, gay romance, K.D. Edwards, mercenaries, Modern Fantasy, queer romance, Sexual Assault, Tarot

carmelpie's CBR15 Review No:61 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction · Tags: Atlantis, Classism, eating disorder, enslavement, gay romance, K.D. Edwards, mercenaries, Modern Fantasy, queer romance, Sexual Assault, Tarot ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • …
  • 20
  • Next Page »


Recent Comments

  • esmemoria
    on I have a new hobby
    Wow, I love the idea of nature journaling. I gave up keeping a personal journal decades ago, but I could...
  • Ellesfena
    on MI-5 with monsters!
    I LOVE this book. It's probably my favorite book that I've discovered through CBR recommendations. Things get even weirder in...
  • vega-table
    on All this gore and good for her friendship just warmed my lil heart. (The cats helped.)
    I did like Knútsdóttir’s other book, but did not like the animal death. So I'm putting this one on hold....
  • Layla
    on I feel like disposing of a body is a boyfriend-girlfriend activity and not something you do with a casual hookup.
    This is the recap I needed. I personally loved both books and didn’t realize why the 3rd got buried. On...
  • G.D. Giant
    on College Friends
    Great review and I will definitely not be adding this to my to-read pile!
See More Recent Comments »

Support Our Mission

  • Support Our Mission, Donate Today!
  • FAQ
  • Shop
  • Volunteers
  • Leaderboard
  • AlabamaPink
  • Contact

Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo

The reviews and comments posted on this site reflect the opinions of individual posters and do not reflect the views of Cannonball Read.

© 2026 Cannonball Read Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) | Log in