3.5 stars

I absolutely devoured Spellbreaker and was so excited to be able to read Spellmaker early! While the story does pick up right where we left off, it is more so focused on Elsie & Bacchus's relationship more so than on the magic aspect. Overall, it was still a good book, I just missed the intrigue that held me enthralled in the first book.

I received #Spellmaker from #NetGalley as an ARC. Yesterday I started and finished Spellbreaker and almost finished Spellmaker as well. But sadly I had to give in to sleep.

You will like Spellmaker if you like well developed fantasy worlds, a little bit of historical fiction, a bit more romance with a heavy dollop of mystery. Which happens to be a recipe for entertainment in my mind.

I enjoyed the bit of angst between the two main characters on whether or not they would figure out how they felt about each other. I enjoyed how knowing the culprit didn’t make the book less entertaining. And I loved the different friendships laid out in the book.

The ending might have been a bit anti-climatic. But if the author were to write more with these characters. I would be one of the first to pick them up.

Spellmaker takes us to where Spellbreaker left off. Elsie and Bacchus are left to confront their feelings while also confronting Master Merton. I really enjoyed Spellbreaker but found this installment a bit of let down. This might have been my own high expectations. Spellmaker still has all the great world building and magic system. It also has the wonderful chemistry between Bacchus and Elise (and some great tropes thrown in) and a wonderful cast of supporting characters. But where the first book had twists and mysteries this one seems to plod forward to an inevitable conflict with Merton. One that is almost too predictable from start to finish. The cute scenes between Elsie and Bacchus go a long way to saving the narrative and kept me reading. I think perhaps this is the curse of most duologies (for me at least). Either the first book feels incomplete or the second book feels like it should have been part of the first. I still think it's worth the read but would ask people to lower their expectations and just enjoy the ride.

tl;dr: 'Spellbreaker'

I read 'Spellmaker' & 'Spellbreaker' back to back to ensure that I understood the entire story. Elsie's arc gets a partial conclusion in this duology. The focus in Spellmaker is the conclusion of the romance as well as discovering & exposing the villain behind the various attacks.

I liked the magic system in both the books. The classes - people who can make spells as well as people who can destroy spells - is quite unique. The way the two classes combine with each other in certain scenes is also well described. There is a also a further exploration of the sub-classes within the spellmaker class that was quite interesting too.

That said, the book is mostly focused on the romance and the 'will they, wont they' question. I found this to be quite distracting when compared to Spellbreaker. It could be that I am not the intended audience (jaded grumpy middle aged male). The tension in this book is also lesser compared to the earlier. We already know who the antagonist is as well as their motives. It just remains to be seen how and when they will captured. The climax was also a tad bit less dramatic than in the first book.

Overall, I still liked Spellmaker, with its flaws. It is an apt conclusion to the duo logy with most questions answered and plot points resolved. If you liked Spellbreaker, you will like Spellbreaker too.

I wasn't completely convinced by Spellbreaker and deducted a star because the info-dumpy worldbuilding at the beginning made it hard to become fully invested in the story. But this book got off to a running start and didn't stop until the end.

I love the characters and their troubles and motivations. I love the romance (despite a few cringe-y lines). I especially love the magic - Spellbreaking especially is fascinating, as is Master Spellmakers turning into Opuses in death - and the fast-paced plot. This duology is closer to the Paper Magician trilogy than any of Holmberg's other books, and so I liked it a lot more. Not quite as much as Paper Magician, but close. I would definitely read more books about Elsie and Bacchus and Ogden and Emmeline and Reggie.

I would definitely recommend this duology to anyone who enjoyed the Paper Magician series.

Spellmaker by Charlie N. Holmberg is a Fantasy novel set in the late 1800s with a prominent evil-doer chase and a central romance. The book is a very fast read with action keeping you on your toes and a pace driven by lots of writing experience.
This is a Second volume to a duology, but the previous plot is explained very well all throughout so I never needed to have read the previous volume to know what was going on. In fact I even felt some of it was a bit repetitive in some of the middle chapters and I fear this must be a bit heavy for people who read the first book.
This is a very light read, fast paced, cute, a clean romance for people who are into that and generally a good entertainment. The magic world is perfectly oiled and makes total sense, everything in it has a place. The characters are nice, the evil schemer has a good enough motivation, but none of the characters really pop out. No one had much of a personality, and the abandonment issues of the main character felt a bit heavy.
There wasn't much mystery in this novel sadly enough, and I feel like the first volume would have been more centred on a mystery with a splattering of twists. In this second volume everything was already in the open so we are just left with the “but where is the bad guy and how do we catch her?”.
That’s not to say the book is bad, like I said the plot and pace is perfectly oiled. The author knows her craft beautifully and many people will love those 2 books. They are very sweet and do throw a nice touch of magic in the world. I just feel that I like more personal and unconventional characters. I recommend this book to people who obviously like the author, it reads as smoothly as the Paper Magician series, and to people who are stepping out of Young Adult fantasy into adult literature but are not ready for something too gritty, dark and controversial yet.

3 stars

I barely remember the full plot first book if im completely honest but what i do remember is that it was more enchanting and enjoyable than this one. I didn't really like that it felt like Bacchus and Elsie's relationship became the center of the book and we only got some sort of the real action at the end. I did enjoyed the magic and the world building but this time around the characters felt a bit flat -sometimes- and there wasn't so much growth. Still this duology was very fun, interesting and it was worth reading it.

Now... there were a lot of questions left unanswer so... does this mean a third book will come?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Just six months after publishing Spellbreaker, Charlie Holmberg is back with the sequel in her Victorian Fantasy series. After discovering the mastermind to the deaths of spellmakers around London, Elsie Camden is thrown into prison for illegal spellbreaking. To get her out, Bacchus must pretend they are engaged. This super cute Victorian Fantasy series would be perfect for teens or any reader who enjoys an adorable little story.

Spellmaker is a really solid ending for this short duology by Charlie Holmberg. Picking up where the first book, Spellbreaker, left off, we follow our heroine as she continues to unwind the secrets she uncovered. However, her enemy is canny and manages to get Elsie thrown in jail. The only way out is through a faked engagement with Bacchus. With their wedding looming close and the enemy slipping away, will Elsie and Bacchus manage to unveil the truth? Can they find a way through the lies and deceit to their happy ever after?

Holmberg doesn't disappoint readers with the resolution in this novel. I found myself happily reading through meals to complete the book. I found Elsie to be a little bit annoying, she is both a strong character and a dithering girl at times. As a heroine I wanted her to be a little less of a damsel in distress, but considering the time period of the novel, it was in line with the societal expectations. The plot is well-paced and the conclusion feels only a little forced and easy. If you are looking for a historical fantasy set in the time of Queen Victoria with a mostly charming heroine and a satisfactory ending then this duology is for you.

I enjoyed the first book, but didn't love it. There were quite some things that didn't work so well for me, but here... here things get better. Way, way better.
First thing first, the characters really came alive in there. Elsie felt more real here, and I could relate to her way more. And Bacchus and Ogden? Oh my! They finally found some backbone and I was so so glad! I love my characters with some backbone (ok, ok, the more the better, in my modest opinion!) and they finally get there! Also, they all become more real, more relatable and more complex.

In the first book, they were almost bidimensional, in there nope! And I was more invested in the story too. In part this is because of the characters (there were a couple of scenes that made me go fangirling around!!) and in part is for the plot. We don’t have any downtime in there. We get a lot happening, and the pace keeps up just so well!
The only complaint here is for the ending, because it was a bit rushed, again. But it is a minor thing, because I had a great time reading this second volume, and I devoured it!

So, I think that if we speak about stars (or hearts, or whatever) I would give the first book a 3 stars, and 3.75 to the second. It was mesmerizing in some parts, and I needed to keep reading.

ARC from NetGalley

I'm leaning toward 3.5-3.75 stars for this.

I quite liked the first book. I didn't dislike this one. I just found that things were a bit predictable, and there wasn't really any character growth. I found the romance to be sweet but underwhelming and not terribly exciting. The first book is definitely the better of the two. That said, I did still reasonably enjoy it.

Elsie was starting to get to me. I feel awful, sort of, but her constant "oh god everyone is going to leave me" is getting a bit repetitive and old. Also, it just doesn't really make sense. She was left by her family when she was very young. She was left by her boyfriend. So she assumes that everyone hates her and will eventually leave her even though she has been with Ogden for 10 years, and he hasn't sent her packing. She constantly second-guesses herself. I think the author wanted her to have some flaws, but these weren't believable flaws to me, and I was starting to roll my eyes and wanted to smack her a few times during the book.

While this was a duology, they left things open for another book in the same universe with many of the same characters while still tying this story up nicely. I would be open to reading that one if/when it comes out.

Spellbreaker and Spellmaker are a fun, light duology with an interesting mystery at its heart. Thank you NetGalley and 47North for the ARC.

I do have serious issues with Bacchus Kelsey's character, as 75-80% of his character traits and personality stem from the fact that he's Other. He's Foreign. He's exceptionally tall and dark and is a bastard and has an accent and lives in the British West Indies instead of in England but we are reassured multiple times that he's European. He's written as if dealing with going about life as a person of color in England in the late 1800s but he's half British and half Portuguese and it just feels like an enormous copout. Like doing EVERYTHING possible so that he's not Really a person of color. However, since this was already an issue in Book 1, I won't dock points this time around, though I sincerely hope that the author doesn't do this again.

Putting aside the issue of Bacchus, I otherwise found Spellmaker light and entertaining. The villain is revealed at the very end of Book 1, so there isn't a ton of mystery left regarding WHO, but we are still left with questions of why and how to be explored. I thought the use of newspaper articles with a kind of code was a nice touch. I was also, I suppose, pleasantly surprised by some of the newly introduced characters - Irene and Reginald. I do wish some more time had been spent on Elsie's abilities, which we realized were unusual and advanced previously. She can break spells as they're being unfurled, but this is never really further explored, despite a character literally asking how she does it in text. I have no problem with main characters with unusual powers (I reject the idea of "Mary Sues" most of the time) but some explanation is warranted. Some more time could also have been spent on why Merton is so fixated on Elsie in particular, as it feels like it should be more than just kindred spirits.

Still, I did enjoy the read. I like Elsie, I really like Emmeline, who is adorably sweet and supportive. I did appreciate the nuance of "punishment" for actions committed by people under control of someone else (missed a chance to allegory to slavery only recently abolished in England at the time!) Ogden, for example, is redeemed despite having done bad things under influence, and I was glad to see Elsie get to keep that treasured relationship and her little found family.

You know that feeling when you finish the first book in a series on a complete cliffhanger? And really, really hope that the next book picks up with the same action? That's exactly what Charlie Holmberg did with Spellbreaker and this absolutely wonderful duology follow-up, Spellmaker.

We find Elsie, Ogden, and the dashing Bacchus right where we left them in the first installment: simultaneously attempting to track down the dastardly magician behind recent murders and opus thefts while ALSO working through the more personal issue of their ability to preform unregistered magic. Holmberg beautifully combines all of this with a very slow burn Elsie/Bacchus romance that becomes much more physical as the book progresses.

Not to be forgotten is the lovable support characters-- Emmeline, Reggie, and Irene. The fast paced plot had me easily consume the book in a single day. Highly recommended to those 13+ as the sexuality and violence are kept to a very modest level.

This second installment of the duology felt more like a return to Holmberg's 'Paper Magician' series than the first. The characters popped, the magic system was utilized more, and the romance heated up. A very satisfying end to another well built fantasy story.

When I saw this follow up to Spellbreaker (which has got to be one of the most underrated books of 2020), there was no doubt in my mind that I would be devouring it as soon as I could get my hands on it. Seriously my only complaint about this book is that it’s supposed to be the last one. I love everything about this little self-made untraditional family and I need more. Especially with some hints at future complications that come in the last few pages. If we can’t have more in this series, I guess I can cross my fingers for a spinoff. Also consider this author on my auto-buy list until I die.

Spellmarker is the exciting conclusion of the story begun in Spellbreaker. Elsieand Ogden have discovered the murderer and are desperate to find them after the first installments cliffhanger. I
cannot provide a better summary without spoiling plot points.

I enjoyed this installment much more than the first.The overall pacing was better and with the world building done the characters had time to breathe. However,this duology really could have been one larger novel. My favorite part of the story was the magic system. It is an original concept and executed well. It also really allowed the author to naturally develop the world and major conflicts.

Thanks to Netgalley and 47North for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars

Spellmaker was an action-packed sequel to Spellbreaker and a satisfying conclusion to this historical fantasy duology with a little bit of mystery and romance. I was a little worried when I got to the 80% mark and felt that a lot still had to be resolved, and although I thought the climax was a little too simplistic for the build-up, I was still enthralled by the story and characters, and ultimately thought the conclusion was done well.

The story picks up not too long after the conclusion of book one and it's basically high-intensity action from the go as we get more devious and exciting reveals and a fair bit more of the slow-burning romance between Elsie and Bacchus. I grew quite attached to both characters in the first book so I really enjoyed coming back to both of them in this story! I also enjoyed that we get to see more of Ogden and Emmeline in this story, and we're introduced to more characters, such as a new Master spellbreaker and the mysterious American that we briefly met in book one. Holmberg writes with a wit that's really enjoyable to read in the characters and I found myself laughing out loud a fair few times at the wry humour. Definitely a big plus for me! Since the magic system was already pretty well established in the first book, we don't learn much more about it here but we see more ways that it can be used and I still really enjoyed it and thought it was pretty cool!

An aspect I found a bit jarring was the inclusion of Ogden's POV that we get twice (I think), which I didn't really find added that much to the story. It was interesting to get his perspective but it was also something I gathered from his character through Elsie and Bacchus' POVs. I also thought the transition between POVs within chapters wasn't as smoothly done as in the first book, but since this is an ARC perhaps it was the formatting that made it less clear? While I loved Elsie's strength of character, there were a few times in this story where I found myself feeling frustrated with her insecurity of self--I mean, I absolutely understood it, but after the lack of communication was cleared up, there was no reason for her to doubt anymore and I found it frustrating that she still did. It wasn't that big of a deal though, I just wished that her strength of character was a bit more stable. I adored Bacchus, and he was definitely the swoon-worthy hero, although there was a subplot to his story that I felt deserved better and I was a bit unsatisfied with how it was concluded.

I had conflicting feelings about the villain and I would definitely say they're in the "grey" area although I hated them for the most part. 😂 Their motive was technically good--a fight for social justice and equality, but how they went about achieving it and how it ultimately became twisted as they grew obsessed and willing to do anything to achieve it, made them the ruthless murderer in the end. The buildup to the reveal was really strong but I felt that when it came to 'the big reveal' it was a little anticlimactic. There was some action but it just seemed so simple and easy to solve after everything the characters went through to get there! That said, it wasn't a bad ending and it didn't affect my enjoyment of the story that much.

Although I had some minor issues with the story, they didn't greatly impact my overall enjoyment of it. This had a lot of action, a few red herrings that make you question just who the bad guy is, and some exciting and devious twists and turns that keep you on your toes until the end. I do hope this stays a duology because I thought it ended well, but I wouldn't be unhappy if we got more from Elsie and Bacchus (and the supporting characters?) because they're all great characters who are so easy to root for! As I enjoyed this so much, I'm definitely keen to try more of Holmberg's work in the future.

Note: The review on my blog will be posted closer to the pub date.

A lot better and exciting than the first book, which was very good also.

What I really like is that, when the author was describing the world in the beginning of the first book, she gave us some details, which she didn't used until the end of the second book.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I had recently read book one in this series, spell breaker, on Kindle unlimited and really enjoyed it. I was excited for the opportunity to read book two from netgalley. I have quite enjoyed this series. It is so creative with the idea of some people having the talent and skills to undo spells. I like that Elsie consensus spells and undoes them like you would untie a magical knotted rope.I enjoyed all of the characters, the storyline, the talented writing. This book has it all; magic romance mystery, and even a little humor. Fun read.

I liked this one more then book 1. I liked the growing romance between her and Bacchus. I liked the way that even friends weren't really friends in this one. It was interesting to see her 'train' to become a spell breaker although she has for years to save herself from prison. I liked how Elise grows within the book and not just by admitting her feelings for Bacchus or with her magic but she seems to go from the teenager to young lady and it was nice to read.