After finishing the Spellbreaker series, I realise that what I now need to do is to get hold of Charlie Holmberg's other books and read them as soon as possible.

Spellmaker by Charlie N.Holmberg is available now and a great book that I’ve devoured in a few hours.
The second novel in the duet is available now, and I’m very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley. 

I loved it even more than the first one. It picks up exactly where the first book left and while we already know half of the conclusion; it develops much more regarding the overall view of the world build around the magic and cruelties done by the enemies. It also bounds Elsie and Ogden, they have to go with a plan for unveiling the truth and keep them safe. 

I loved the historical romance part with all the banter and suspense, twisted moments and whimsical elements. 

I’m not a big fan of fantasy books, but this one was one of my favourites and will recommend the duet on any occasion

Do I dare say it?! I dare … I enjoyed Spellmaker more than Spellbreaker. There I said it. And I didn’t think it was possible.

What I loved about this book can be summed into 4 points.

1) The magical fueled fights. The scenes are written so well. They’re intense, I’m immersed, and the dynamic between the Spellmakers and the Spellbreakers have you routing for the whole team.
2) The characters. Elsie, who has been struggling to come to terms that she’s got no family, learns that she does in fact have a family. Friends who support her, care about her well-being, and are willing to fight beside her.
3) Elise is still healing from Alfred, who we learn about in book 1. The man we hate for hurting her and breaking her heart but in book 2, the second love teaches you to believe in love again and it’s beautiful.
4) Which leads me to the last thing, the romance. Chapter 10 had me screaming, OMG FINALLY!

I’m sad that I won’t be in Elise and Bacchus’s world anymore but I’m satisfied with how it ended. I can’t wait to read what Charlie is going to come out with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This duology was quite enjoyable. I was intrigued by the unique twist on magic, spellbreakers and spellmakers. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

This book was received as an ARC from 47North in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was so mesmerized by the plot of this book. It's like my eyes were glued and didn't come unstuck until the book ended. This book is the ultimate mystery and sci-fi smashed into one. I have read Spellbreaker and really loved the book and I believe Spellmaker was even better and I could not be more happy about that. We have been looking to grow our Sci-Fi collection and this book will be the perfect fit. I can see a following for this series and I hope another installment is in the works. I can imagine being Elsie and discovering powers I never knew existed and meeting someone who tells you you're in danger and not knowing why is a scary thought. The imagery was so brilliant that I was along for the ride with Elsie and felt such a rush when I finished the book.

We will consider adding this title to our Sci-Fi collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

This is book two in the Spellbreaker duology and it picks up right where book one ended. If you haven't read book one yet I highly recommend reading it first so you won't be lost. For me this one had quite a bit more action than the first book which did an amazing job of building the world and characters. I honestly couldn't put this one down once I started it. I was so happy to see Elsie and Bacchus's relationship grow as well as get to know some of the other characters like Ogden better. We really get to see how much they all mean to each other and consider each other family. I felt that the ending to the duology was perfect and everything was wrapped up very nicely. I'm definitely going to go back and read more from this author, I love her writing style and the worlds and characters she creates.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished the first book in this series and rushed to read the second, Spellmaker as I could not wait to find out what happened next.

The world that this author has created is really intricate, set in 1800's England. In this world, magic is performed by registered Spellmakers who can specialise in different types of magic. There are also Spellbreakers who can break spells with training. Not as highly sought out as Spellmakers but still important in the grand scheme of things.

There are also those who are unregistered, such as the female protagonist of this book, Elsie. If a person is unregistered, they can suffer dire punishment, even the death penalty. The story picks up when Elsie, her protector Ogden and her one-time antagonist, now attractive friend, Bacchus, are hot on the trail of a Spellmaker who is murdering other magicians for ultimate power. However, Elsie's unregistered status lands her in jail and it is up to her friends to get her out so they can continue their hunt for the killer.

Elsie has to get over some abandonment issues, find her family and get married before all can be well again. This is an unexpectedly moving and entertaining series which I thoroughly enjoyed, even though it was a little predictable. If you like a historical mystery wrapped up with a bit of romance and humour, then this is the book for you. Rounded up from 4.5 stars.

A fun sequel to Spellbreaker! It has just the right amount of magic, adventure and of course, romance. Extremely fun series that I would recommend to others!

I received this ARC through NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you!

Spellmaker by Charlie N. Holmberg is the conclusion of the duology Spellbreaker and is the continuation of Elsie and Bacchus's story.

In this book, Elsie's secret was exposed and she is thrown to jail and Bacchus is trying to find a way to save her from jail. Bacchus finds a way to help her but for Elsie to be truly free, they must marry. They weren't sure of their feelings for each other, but after they spent time together and worked together they fell in love and were happy that they would get married.

While they were planning their wedding, they worked to find the killer and they found more things about Elsie's family and Bacchus had to resolve a problem with his family.

"I love you more than Barbados, more than magic, more than myself. You are all I think about. And now you are mine. I love you, Elsie."

Spellmaker was a wonderful conclusion to the duology of Spellbreaker. I loved the relationship between Bacchus and Elsie. I loved that Elsie becomes more confident in herself and the people around her. I loved the magic system in this book and the world build by this author. I'm glad that I decided to read this duology and I recommend this duology to all fantasy lovers.

Blog review: 3/29/2021
Goodreads post: 3/20/2021

A review of Spellbreaker from an ARC.

I was very excited by the premise of this book, though I didn't realise it was the second in a series until I began reading. I wish I had read the first because Spellbreaker was a great fantasy novel. The concept involves the two kinds of wizards, those that can cast spells, and those like our protagonist Elsie, who can break them. Wizards must be registered, which opens up a level of fantasy oppression for those who aren't. I always like to see novels shine a new light on "real world issues".
The writing style was great, it was easy to read and captivating. The character development was exciting as was seeing the relationships between characters grow. I will definitely be going back to read the first book, Spellmaker, and then re read Spellbreaker with the background of the characters and world in mind.

This is the second half of the Spellbreaker duology. In the beginning, our Super Villain (revealed at the very end of the first book) turns in Elsie for illegal spellbreaking. Bacchus helps get her out by telling the authorities they’re engaged. So they go from crushing on each other pretty bad to madly in love. With the “arranged” marriage situation, each is worried that the other doesn’t like them back.

Meanwhile they have to foil the Super Villain’s plans until the Ultimate Showdown. It felt like it didn’t have one big climax but instead several big scenes along the way (and there’s nothing wrong with that). The issues with with Elsie’s missing family and Bacchus’s spell that was placed on him are resolved pretty simply.

The magic duels are pretty cool. Overall, a satisfying story.

Very satisfying end for these characters and their world. As always with Charlie’s worlds, I could always use MORE! Perfect for fans of Paper Magician!

Arc from the publisher via NetGalley, but opinions are my own.

The author does a great job of creating a magical world that fits right in with our existing world. I enjoyed this world where certain people could cast spells while others could break them. The author has included minor details like depicting side-effects on people when they use magic extensively and has tried to incorporate elements of 1895. While I felt the book was lagging initially, the plot does pick up. However, I found the ending to be disappointing. It seemed as if the author invested elaborate efforts in building the story and was tired while writing the climax.

Spellbreaker does answer several questions that were raised in Spellmaker. However, it also does create additional questions, some of which never get answered. It does mention on Goodreads that while the author began this as a two-book series, she may consider converting this to a trilogy. As a reader, it terribly disturbs me that not all is clarified, hence leaving behind plot-holes in the story.

So first, a confession: when I requested a review copy of Spellmaker I thought it was the first in the series, rather than the sequel. I quickly read Spellbreaker in order to pick this one up, and I’m in fact glad I read them in succession: Spellmaker picks up almost immediately following the action of Spellbreaker, and the two books work really well together as a complete story.

The Spellbreaker duology is a historical fantasy/mystery/romance hybrid centred around Elsie Camden, an unregistered spellbreaker (someone who has the ability to undo magical enchantments) and part-time viligante on behalf of England’s less well-off demographics. Her work throws in her into the path of Bacchus Kelsey, a magician recently returned from Barbados, and also sets off a chain of events that cause Elsie to question everything she thought she knew about her past and the mysterious group she’s been working for. Spellmaker sees Elise and Bacchus grow closer together, as they seek to finally solve the mystery of the missing opuses (spell books) stolen during Spellbreaker and expose the criminal that’s put both their lives at risk.

My overall impression of the duology was simply: it’s a lot of fun. Holmberg does a really good job at integrating the various genres she works with into a fast-paced, cohesive story with plenty of twists and turns. There’s a few laughs along the way, but also some more sombre moments of reflection on issues including racism and the treatment of the poor in Victorian England. Bacchus’ struggle to integrate with British aspectors (magicians) due to his Carribbean heritage was particularly well portrayed. The magic system in this story isn’t particularly complex or unique, but it works well as a framework for the broader story, which is really one about Elsie learning that she’s worthy of love and respect, despite being abandoned by her parents as a child. While I don’t want to provide spoilers, I will say that Spellmaker also contains one of my favourite romantic tropes: a marriage of convenience.

If you want an easy, lighthearted read that still packs the occasional emotional punch, the Spellbreaker duology is a great fit.

Spellmaker picks up where Spellbreaker left off: Elsie Camden knows who is behind the murders of the spellmakers and the thefts of their opuses. She just can’t do anything about it or risk being exposed as an unregistered spellbreaker. But when she refuses to join forces with the assassin, her secrets get out anyway, and Elsie is thrown in jail. Bacchus Kelsey is willing to do whatever it takes to get Elsie out of jail. He succeeds, helping Elsie become registered, but there’s one caveat: they need to get married to prove the story Bacchus made up. Between faking her lessons and questioning Bacchus’s true feelings for her, Elsie still plans to bring down the assassin who put her in jail. She needs to thwart the plans of the criminal. But she needs to be careful, or she might play right into the assassin’s hands.

I loved the sequel to Spellbreaker. The story’s really kicked up a notch with Elsie being thrown straight in jail. How can things get any worse?

Well, they do.

But there are also good things, as Elsie and Bacchus are now getting married. I really loved Bacchus here; he was so sweet to Elsie, really trying to make her see that his feelings are genuine, even if she thinks she’s not worth it to be loved.

The ending was great, and everything really came together. It’s pretty obvious from the start that Elsie will use the opus spell she kept, but the question is: how and on who? A lot happens in the story, and it’s certainly never boring.

The only thing that I missed is that we still don’t really know by the end why Elsie is special, how she’s a powerful Spellbreaker, and what actually happened to her parents. So not all tied endings, but it didn’t feel unresolved somehow. Who knows, maybe we’ll get another series starring Elsie and Bacchus.

It would be cool, cause I’ve really come to love this world and the magic system!

The spellbreaker duology is definitely worth a read if you enjoy a good murder mystery, an original magic system, and a slow-developing, blooming romance.

Spellmaker picks up where Spellbreaker left off. Elsie and Bacchus have discovered who is behind the Cowls and the murders and the thefts. However, they have no proof and no idea where to find the fiend. The fiend, however, sets up Elsie by reporting her as an unregistered spellbreaker. In good Regency romance fashion, Bacchus claims they are engaged. Along with trying to protect their friends and reveal the culprit, Elsie and Bacchus must plan a wedding.

This is just as enjoyable as Spellbreaker. There is a lot more clean romance in this one but still a lot of magic and mystery. There is also a strong undercurrent of trying to shrink the wealth divide.

Family friendly.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I want to say upfront that I tried to read this book and for whatever reason I could not get into it. This is not to say that it was in any way related to how the book was written, or about the story itself. For the past year I've been even more of a mood reader than I normally am, and I couldn't get into this book because of that.

Normally, I think this book would be right up my alley, because the story seems like everything I would enjoy! For those reasons I'm giving the book 4 stars since this is my issue and nothing about the book. I look forward to giving it another go in the future.

The second story in the Spellbreaker duology, Spellmaker, was a fast paced, delightful read. I would absolutely recommend this for fans of Holmberg’s The Paper Magician series and Patricia Wrede’s Cecelia and Kate series.
After the revelations and the changes at the end of the first book, we return to our main cast of characters and follow them as they discover new intrigue and uncover a dangerous new complication. The world of this series is enchanting and the magic system is rich and complex. I very much enjoyed the romance between the main characters, and The conclusion to the story it was very satisfying.

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

For those who have read the first in this duet, the story continues shortly after in the timeline. For those of you who have not read the first, you won’t understand much of anything. So go read it, as it was really good, and explains how this world and its laws work. This part is very important as in the beginning of this book, she’s arrested and relies on those laws (and some creativity) to get out.

Once she’s out though, the romance with Bacchus jumps ahead at lightning speed, and so does their investigation. We still have people and opuses to protect, and an evil mastermind to catch.

In the end though, it all gets wrapped up very nicely. Though I feel these characters could easily fill a number of stories, this tied up their romance well as a duet. However, I would happily read more in this world, say of Irene or Alice?

I was so excited to read this book, and that carried through the first half. Unfortunately, I think the latter half ended up a little... flat. Let's break it down. The first book of the duology, Spellbreaker ends on a cliffhanger. That indicated to me that resolving that problem would be the primary focus of this book. While this book did resolve that storyline, it felt to me like the focus shifted to be much more romance-oriented. I thought the romance was great in the first book, and I was initially excited about it within this book too (fake dating! enemies-to-lovers!) but I think the shift in focus ended up making the pacing feel very weird, as Holmberg failed to juggle the two storylines effectively. I also didn't find the eventual conclusion of the novel to be particularly compelling or satisfying. It just felt was too easy after the stakes were shown to be so high. On the romance front, I was initially really excited about the romance, but the fake dating thing mostly ended up muddying the waters, and the weird division of time between the high-stakes plot and the romance in a 300-page book meant there just wasn't enough time to develop the relationship. While I have these complaints, I still really enjoyed it and was definitely compelled to keep reading. The Victorian/Edwardian setting remained really fun and had interesting effects on the plot, and I liked pretty much all of the characters. I just think the first book of the duology was stronger.