The conclusion to SPELLBREAKER, by Charlie N Holmberg, SPELLMAKER is a satisfying conclusion to an imaginative tale.
Opened ended, Holmberg left the world available to play-in come the future.

While all major plot points were solved, the main focus was on the romance rather than the mystery, which was quickly resolved in a convenient package. Loveable characters old and new join in on the adventures, with quite a few shockingly fun twists.
3.5/5

If you read Spellbreaker (which, if you haven't yet read Spellbreaker, why are you looking at this, its sequel!?), or for that matter if you've read some of Charlie Holmberg's other writing such as The Paper Magician series, you'll know more or less what to expect here. In Spellmaker, Holmberg has written another fast-paced easy reading fantasy, set in Victorian (I think, not quite sure about the year) England...with magic.

Spellmaker picks up right where Spellbreaker left off, with the story of Elsie Camden, an unregistered (illegal) spellbreaker who was abandoned as a child, and who found herself being used as a pawn...though she has no idea what goal she was being used for. The investigation into that plot, plus Elsie's romance with master spell caster Bacchus Kelsey, forms the core of this novel.

As I mentioned, Spellmaker is fast-paced and easy to read. Most avid readers will get through it in just a handful of sittings (if not a single go), and it's not terribly challenging, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Although it lacked the punch (and the twist) of Spellbreaker, this is a worthy sequel and quite enjoyable. I see this marked as a young adult novel (which is normally age 13-18), and I think it's generally suitable for readers on the younger side of that range -- I think my 12-year-old daughter would enjoy these books -- but it provides a fun, quick read for adult readers as well!

Readers who enjoyed the first book in the Spellbreaker duology will relish sinking their teeth into its sequel, Spellmaker, which proves to be another thoroughly fun and frothy treat. It picks up a week after the conclusion of the previous book with our heroes in a state of limbo after the villain absconded with no obvious recourse for them to seek justice. Going to the authorities to turn in the murderer would only incriminate Elsie and Ogden for their unregistered magical abilities, leaving them at loose ends – but then the matter is taken out of their hands as Elsie is reported as a spellbreaker and promptly arrested.

The details in the blurb may seem juicy, particularly regarding Elsie’s imprisonment and seduction to the dark side, but for better or worse, Spellmaker is cut from the same cloth as its predecessor which means that this is a cozy, comfortable read and not one that will mire the audience down in angst and thorny moral quandaries. There are some darker angles that could have been explored, but the author makes a very deliberate choice to steer the story down a safe, easy path with minimal heartache to the main characters and a happily-ever-after dawning on the horizon. And that’s not a criticism at all! Personally I’m fond of feel-good stories where you don’t have to fret that some horrible fate is about to befall your favourite characters, so this book was immensely satisfying on that front. However readers hoping for plot twists and less predictable story beats may feel let down at the prospect of more complex storylines that are dropped too soon. There are some contrivances that are a little hard to swallow and characters who are too readily cooperative, becoming staunch allies with unrealistic ease, but that is the charm of the Spellbreaker world.

One change from the first book is the prominence of the romantic arc as the relationship between Elsie and Bacchus dominates the storyline this time around. They are such an adorable pairing and supremely shippable with fantastic chemistry, genuine affection and unshakeable loyalty built on a solid partnership that brought them safely through murder, mayhem and magic battles. The best thing about these two characters is that their delicate dance around each other never supersedes more important matters of life-and-death and they are both mature enough to stow their feelings away in a crisis so they can face each obstacle as it comes. It heightens the juicy tension of the fake marriage trope which is all the more enjoyable here when it’s employed with a couple that believes in clear communication to avoid silly, contrived misunderstandings that often plague a relationship purely for drama. Bacchus and Elsie’s courtship is a pure delight and utterly swoonworthy.

The found family aspect is expanded upon in this book, with the bond between Ogden and Elsie explored further as we see more of their father-daughter dynamics. Ogden also benefits from greater character development as he deals with the aftermath of the trauma he suffered and even receives his own point-of-view chapter so readers can relate to him more personally than before. Emmeline is still present as a supporting character without being fleshed out further, but her sweet uncomplicated friendship with Elsie is very welcome and poses an interesting counterpoint to Elsie’s interactions with Irene, a new prominent female character who is introduced as a foil to Elsie. The first book was very much focused on Elsie and this one benefits a great deal from fostering a fun team dynamic and allowing all the different personalities to play off each other.

A thoroughly entertaining read that transports the audience to a reinvented London with a unique and clever magic system, featuring a wonderfully nuanced villain, heroes you’ll enjoy spending time with and exciting action scenes galore! If you haven’t yet discovered Charlie N. Holmberg, treat yourself to this witty, polished duology for a satisfying back-to-back reading experience.

As soon as I finished the first book, Spellbreaker, I immediately dove into this one. I seriously couldn’t put it down and finished Spellmaker in less than 2 days! I just HAD to find out what was going to happen with Master Lily Merton!

I loved all the characters in the first book so I was glad to see them return in this one as well. I was happy to see Elsie and Bacchus grow closer all while learning about themselves and each other. I will say that I’m still not quite sure how I feel about the new characters—their storylines felt a bit rushed.

Being a duology, I felt that the story came to good ending. But I wouldn’t turn away from a spin-off or even another addition (hello trilogy!) because I’m not quite ready to say goodbye to this interesting world of spellmakers and spellbreakers.

A huge thank you NetGalley and 47North for this eARC that I received in exchange for an honest review.

The second book in the Spellbreaker duology begins with Elsie's arrest. Unregistered spellbreakers are horribly illegal and can even be put to death. However, she has new Master Bacchus Kelsey on her side. He manages to free her from jail by swearing that her gifts are new and also that he intends to marry her.

While Elsie suffers from her low self-esteem and abandonment issues, the major villain of the story is not letting up on her so far undetermined goals. Master Lily Merton is still trying to gather opuses and accomplish some mysterious goal. Elsie, Bacchus, and Ogden are busy trying to figure out what she wants and how they can keep her from accomplishing her goals.

Meanwhile, Elsie is saddled with a new teacher to help her learn about her abilities as a spellbreaker. Irene Prescott spends way too much time teaching Elsie things she already knows but can't tell anyone she knows. But when Elsie's skills are outed, Irene becomes a colleague who is willing to help in defeating Master Merton's plans.

The worldbuilding is intriguing in this story. I enjoyed the setting and the time period. I liked the growing relationship between Elsie and Bacchus once they stop acting at cross purposes and begin to believe and trust each other.

Fans of historical fantasy will enjoy this duology. But be sure to read SPELLBREAKER first!

I loved this close to Holmberg's duology! Since the first book did all the work of introductions, this book was really able to focus on Elsie and Bacchus as she works to grow her magical skills and their relationship blooms. The pacing was great; I think the length of these books are perfect and it allows you to get really invested in the story quickly. I think Holmberg writes in a way that makes her books very readable and accessible to readers and this book is no different.

This book was the perfect mix of romance, lots of mystery, and the tie-up of our questions which means we're not left confused but there still feels like the possibility of more to this story.

Loved this book and can't wait to read more from Charlie Holmberg!

Every time I read one of Charlie’s books, I have so much trouble reviewing them. That’s because I get drawn into the story and forget the world outside exists. In the second book of the duology, I got everything I hoped for and so much more than I could have dreamed. The cast of characters we have come to love still needs to figure out who is killing magicians for their opus. As they draw in more people to their quest, things get complicated and riskier for everyone involved.

I love all the characters. Elsie is insecure in herself, and it makes sense considering how far she has come to get here. She has a great team to support her, and it’s allowing her to continue to grow and learn. I love how they come together, how they all relate to each other in a delicious storyline that doesn’t let you put the book down.

It is my not-so-secret hope that we can get a third book, and I have read that the idea is not completely off the table, which gives me hope because I am not ready to let any of them go. I cannot recommend this book, duology, or author enough. Thank you, 47North, for sending this along!

The complexity of the magic system in this book, along with its predecessor is one of beauty. There is so much to learn and uncover and it is all done with such detail and depth.
The book flows in a way that makes it easy to connect to the characters, as you move with them through their stories at a wonderful pace; You feel as though you are growing with Elsie.

While this one seems more romance heavy than the first book, I definitely felt as though it complimented the rest of the story and the world.

I have love C. Holmberg since she wrote the Paper Magician. The magic, the world-building, the delicate balance between good and evil, I was a fan of it all and I became a fan of the author then too. I have read all her books since and I can say while there were some I like, there were none that have me that same feeling I got with the Magician. I told myself it was because I just enjoyed that world so much and that could be. But my friends, if you are reading this review then that means you read the first book and you too found the magic.

Ms. Holmberg is an Ace when it comes to creating not only a world but finding a unique new way for magic to be used. This delightful book isn't too be compared to other books about magic (you know which ones I referencing) because it's in a league of it's own. It has gentle romance and the fight against a foe that seeks to do harms that is reminiscent of the Night Circus (another favorite of mine).

At first, I thought the ending of this book was rushed. It was all over so easily. I wanted more.. It ended too quickly. I later thought over it. I really appreciated Ms. Holmberg for not necessarily dragging out the books into a third just to get more money and ruin the story line. I really second books that are just filler books in story that should be duets instead of trilogies.

Overall, I think this book really reminded me why I love reading Ms. Holmberg 's' books. While she is great at creating any style of world and writing within it, I do love when she writes about magic because it truly is in a word, magical.

** I am grateful for the the opportunity to receive an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. The above opinions are my own**

Thanks so much to NetGalley and 47North for letting me read and review this intriguing and wonderful story. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I have liked Charlie Holmberg and her writing ever since the first story of hers I read and she continues to get even better and have more awesome stories.
This is the second book in a duology with Spellbreaker being the first book and I think it might be possible to read this without having read the first book, but it would be best to read the first book before reading this one to understand and enjoy all the book and wonderful, enjoyable story.
This is a great story with a unique and very interesting world and magic system very different than any others I have read or heard of before. This second book seemed to focus more on figuring things out with picking up where things left off at the end of the first book and finding who is behind the Cowls and the murders and stolen Opuses and along with going along to solve the mystery was the more intense focus on the relationship and its development between Elsie and Bacchus with one of my favorite tropes in there, but I don't know if I should say much about it because it might be kind of a spoiler and I don't want to ruin anything here.
I love, love, LOVE the relationship between Elsie and Bacchus and it's so swoon-worthy and so well developed and wonderfully done. I'm not usually big on relationships or romances in stories, but I was very invested in this one and found myself focusing on it more than on the mystery with the murders and magic, which was also very interesting, but I was more drawn to the amazing romance between those two.
It's also great seeing the other relationships evolve and develop and such between Elsie and Odgen, who is like her father, and between Elsie and when she finds her brother and then they discover they might have found their sister as well at the end of the story. There are a lot of twists, turns, mystery, romance, adventure, and figuring things out for Elsie and her place in the world, life, her feelings for Bacchus, about her family, and finding where she fits with her magical abilities. It's a very well-written and amazing story that I would highly recommend everyone go out and read the first book, Spellbreaker and then get ready to read the great conclusion with this book when it comes out!

I thought the concept of this book was really interesting, but the book is missing that spark that makes you want to keep reading. With both books in this duology, there were long periods of the book that made me want to snooze and then a chapter of excitement that was over before I even had the chance to enjoy it.

The story is there but struggled with creating a complex magic system that was both easy to follow as a reader and interesting when put into action. Each of the smaller problems introduced seemed to be fixed too easily, only to be followed by larger problems that were brushed away in a line or two after so much build-up. Despite having interesting interweaving storylines in theory, there was no real urgency or conflict in the tone of the storytelling. And personally, I found the dual perspectives (occasionally three?) unnecessary. This was Elsie's story and I think her point of view was much more important than Bacchus's. (I'd love to hear the perspective of someone from Barbados on his portrayal because it felt half-assed.)

I prefer duologies to longer series, but really struggled to differentiate between the two books in this series. I might be convinced to pick up another book from this author, but am happy to be done with this story.

This book is FABULOUS! It does not suffer from second book syndrome that I’ve noticed other books do!! I am obsessed!! The perfect fantasy world :) I cannot wait to order a million copies for everyone I know!!

After reading the first one i could wait to get my hands on Spellmaker. I loved the fairytale inspired story, it really stood out against other ya books right now that almost don’t convince me of the story they are trying to tell. This was everything I could have wanted in a conclusion to the character’s stories

I'm surprised how fast I was able to breeze through the Spellbreaker books! Although I enjoyed the first book more, Spellmaker still manage to tug on my heart from the wholesome family moments between Ogden and Elsie to the romance with Bacchus. This book was pretty fast paced and at times felt a little yielding and rushed but easy to follow. The concept of the magic system is what drew me in and the use of Ogden's powers was interesting but made getting the necessary information too simple. I wish the marriage wasn't such a priority as I wanted Elsie and Bacchus to get to knew each other more so I could experience more of Elsie's sharp banter. The characters this time round were a tad underdeveloped and the sides characters were just that- side characters. They readily joining the cause but we didn't get to fully explore them as individuals. Despite all that I really enjoyed my read through an am hoping that another book finds its way to this series.
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NetGalley provided me with an ARC in exchanged for an honest review.

Duologies always have a special place in my heart because they’re face paced and don’t leave many questions left unanswered. Holmberg didn’t disappoint! I devoured every line of this book.

One of the things I love most of about this book is it’s layers. It’s easy for a book to fall into a strict genre. Spellmaker has fantasy, romance, mystery, and action. You never fall into monotony, and you never get bored.

Overall, this was the perfect conclusion. I couldn’t have asked for more.

Definitely read Spellbreaker first! Elsie, Bacchus, and Ogden adjust to their lives as public spellmakers and spellbreaker after a climactic run-in at the end of the first novel. But the master spellmaker got away, and the trio continue to chip away at her skills and prevent her evil deeds. There is more romance in this book, as Elsie and Bacchus are forced to marry to maintain her cover as a newly-evolved spellbreaker. The pace is quick and engaging with a satisfactory ending that brings Elsie her longed-for family, in more ways than one.

If you enjoyed the first book in this series, than you’ll love this one! A great way to get back to some characters you’ve become attached too! A fun, enchanting read, with enough darkness to keep people riveted! Well written, fast paced, unputdownable, and unique, but could be unique to me since I normally read another genre. The character and world development was done flawlessly, which made it much easier to get into this fantasy. Do highly recommend, as even though it’s not my normal genre, I was able to read it and be completely captivated by it!

And the second book is just as great (if not better) than the first! This rarely happens for me!

I normally fall in absolute love with the first book and then dive into the second novel in a series and don’t love it as much. This time, I loved it!!!! In fact, I want another in this series!!! Pretty please?

The characters stayed true throughout the second novel and we got a little more in depth perspectives from the main character as her and her Scooby gang continue their mission for stolen opuses and mystery sleuthing in formal attire.

The author end the novel in such a way that opens up the series for another novel (wishful thinking on my end) or for a happy ending.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

And honestly, I loved it. Although major plot points were murder and mayhem, this duology still managed to be sweet. It made for a nice change, considering all the true crime I consume.

I very much enjoyed this. I loved reconnecting with these characters and was glad to visit the Spellbreaker world again. We get return appearances from most of the characters and meet a few more friends along the way, although at the time I was thoroughly paranoid about which new acquaintances were truly friend and which were foe. As with the first book I thought the premise was fun and something I haven’t read before. This being the second book in a duology I don’t want to give too much of the plot away to those who haven’t read the first book, suffice it to say the story picks up nicely where the first one left off. Only now we start to really get some answers. And luckily the reader doesn’t have to wait until the end to get some of the answers we were all itching for. The climax is satisfying and believable, I was very happy with it.
I was a little sad we didn’t get as much spell breaking in this book. A lot of the book was dedicated to the hunt for the master spellmaker who was wrecking havoc all over England. Throw in a unexpected arrangement and the time for actual spell breaking is actually very little. I also wanted more about the nature of Elsie’s superior abilities. It seems she is quite talented but we never really get any answers about that. All in all it was a very good conclusion to the duology. Well done Charlie Holmberg.