Set in an alternative-reality Victorian England, where magic rules [though typically only by rich men], Spellbreaker tells the story of Elsie Camden, an orphan who is also an illegal spellbreaker [which means she knows of magic but cannot perform spells, only break them], unregistered and working in the shadows. Aided by a group she has labeled "the cowls", she works in the shadows, breaking spells and making life better for those who have been trapped by said spells. Then she is caught by Bacchus, [who is in England to gain his Master title in Physical Aspectorship (Physical magic)], who lives at the Squires house that Elsie is at to break a spell and in exchange for his silence, she is required to work for him [along with her regular work for the stone mason/painter Ogden]. And in doing so, opens a can of worms that leaves you guessing throughout the whole book and wondering just what is right, wrong and true. 
A great start to what is a duology from Charlie N. Holmberg [who I am a huge fan of], I am really looking forward to book 2! 

Thank you to NetGalley, Charlie N. Holmberg and 47North for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a review for both Spellbreaker and Spellmaker: The first book, Spellbreaker, has thousands of helpful reviews already, so I'll simply add my recommendation for fantasy fans. Spellmaker of course include the same main characters, and both books are quite engaging and imaginative. Once again, the author's talent shines thru -- She knows how to effectively tell an interesting tale with well written characters, which is why she has a large following. Good stuff.

I really appreciate the review copies provided!!

I had the pleasure of working on this wonderful book and loved it in all its cozy, sweet glory. Charlie is the master at cozy fantasies and romance and if you're at all a fan of Howl's Moving Castle, you need this one in your life.

In Victorian England, the wealthy can obtain and practice magical abilities by paying for spells. Those who show promise can work towards the coveted title of “Master.” Elsie Camden is a teenager with a unique ability to break spells cast by others; But since she is unregistered, practicing her gift is a crime. Nevertheless, guided by an underground group of rebels she calls the Cowls, she uses her abilities for what she believes to be the greater good. 

Eventually, stonemason Ogden hires Elsie and becomes a pseudo-father-figure for her. While on another mission for the Cowls, a foreign yet very handsome magic user Bacchus Kelsey catches her in the act. In order to avoid persecution by the authorities, she must assist Bacchus with his own projects until he decides that her debt is paid. 

Additionally, someone is murdering Master Magicians and stealing their extremely valuable books of spells. Whoever has these spells at their disposal arguably become more and more powerful each time they commit another murder and theft. Elsie is extremely curious to find out the motivation and perhaps even to solve the crime – until she realizes she might actually be unknowingly involved somehow. 

In Spellbreaker, Holmberg wonderfully presents a story that is part budding romance and part mystery/suspense, while weaving in details of a world where people openly practice magic. Furthermore, the magic system benefits day-to-day living (e.g. the post office using magic to communicate with and train dogs to deliver mail). While we mostly follow the story from Elsie’s point of view, we get some sections from Bacchus’s perspective as well. I felt Elsie’s confusion as Holmberg dropped details that indicated things weren’t what they seem, and foreshadowed big reveals later on. 

If I had to nitpick for any downfalls in Spellbreaker, some parts were slow-paced and some reveals were a little predictable. Nevertheless, Holmberg has a talent for developing well-rounded characters that readers will root for, and events that transform this book into a page-turner. I would say readers can comfortably and casually enjoy up until the last quarter of the book – then the pace picks up and a couple of cliffhangers leave us truly wanting more.

Another wonderful story packed with everything you would expect from the author. 

A world of magic and mysteries to solve made this another page turner for me.  
As Elise follows the instructions left for her she believes that she is helping when she uses her magic powers. However between her not being registered as a magic using person and then being caught by a powerful man, Bucchus, her life feels like it is spinning out of control. Add in murders and the two start a path of pure adventure. The story flows and once you start you can not put it down. The mystery sucks you in, but you stay to see the bond between the two grow.

I do like the author. 
The plot of the story is magical. It is kind of unique magic that you would not expect. The book was a great read but it did not sweep me out of my feet quickly. It took some time. When I reached to about half of the read - it was a fast and wonderful ride with adventure and magic! 
As always - the book and author - highly recommended!

Once again Charlie N. Holmberg has charmed this reader with her particular brand of fantasy and romance.

Holmberg does such a great job at crafting her characters. The main character in this story, Elsie, is at once sympathic and a bit frustrating. She’s someone who has been backed into a corner most of her life due to 1) the particular brand of magic she was born with and 2) being essentially blackmailed into some kind of secret service ever since her family abandoned her as a child. She’s come to see, over time, the acts she does for this secret society as acts of benevolence. She compares herself to Robin Hood. So even though it’s something she’s being forced to do and she fears not being able to follow through on any tasks set before her she sees nothing wrong with the tasks themselves. Her unwillingness to question this may leave a reader irritated if it weren’t for empathizing with her plight and her search for her missing family. It’s been years but she hasn’t given up that hope. And that’s what keeps her going every day. She’s overall a very positive character despite the tragedy of her childhood. But then when she meets Bacchus, through one of the tasks the Cowls assigned her, things begin to turn a bit sideways for her. He catches her doing something she shouldn’t and now he’s also using that to blackmail her into a set of tasks. Because, you see, it’s very useful to be a spellbreaker. Bacchus made a good counter to Elsie. He’s someone who is a little more cynical about the world but he’s also ambitious and has his own goals that he’s looking to accomplish. And although at first he’s fine with using Elsie as a means to an end, he quickly realizes that she’s not what he first thought and feels regret for his initial actions. Ultimately they’re both good people although they approach the world from two very different perspectives.

Although I do feel that the characters are always Holmberg’s strength, she also always has interesting magic systems in her books and Spellbreaker is no exception. There are always very specific rules to how magic works or who can wield it so readers who love a more rigid magic system may be keen to check this one out. In Spellbreaker, Elsie is a spellbreaker, that is a person who has the ability to to undo other magician’s spells. The spells are described as if they are threads knotted together and only spellbreakers have the ability to detect these spells once they’re in place. As you can imagine, spellbreakers are both extremely useful and extremely problematic to the regulatory body of magic users if their powers aren’t registered. Rogue or unregistered spellbreakers are rare and in constant danger of being discovered with the threat of dire consequences looming overhead. So of course this puts Elsie in a precarious position just for being born with this power. The other magic users who aren’t spell breakers also seem to be born with an ability to do magic. They have various levels of strength and some of the magic spells are quite mundane which I appreciated! Love a practical application to magic!. There’s also an interesting thing where spells aren’t learned in a typical way but rather they are acquired, like an object, and then that spell becomes part of a magician. Except some spells only have a one time use! And that’s because they’re acquired from books that….used to be other magicians. Because when magicians die they kind of turn into a book of all the spells they had learned. It’s really quite fascinating and I’m usually not super into magic systems but Holmberg always makes them fun and interesting so that I want to learn more about them.

As for criticisms, I do wish a couple of things had been touched on more. I feel like Bacchus had some rather interesting opinions about life in Barbados and I would have loved to have seen him talking more about that and what his hopes for the future are in regards to the people there. I feel like his character is a person of many worlds and it would have been great to see that further explored, but then I’m not sure if Holmberg is the author to be taking that on either so I have mixed feelings about what I wanted out of his background–which is more on me than the author, however, his background did seem very deliberate on the author’s part so I feel like it’s a relevant point to raise. I also found that while I did enjoy this book very much, as it’s definitely my type of book, within a few days of reading it I found it difficult to remember much about it and had to dig into my memory to write this review. So while I did enjoy it at the time of reading, it just wasn’t a standout book for me. That’s really a minor thing as well and probably also particular to this reader. 🙂

As for the plot, I thought it moved along nicely and there were several mysteries to solve regarding both characters and other, larger, events happening around the country such as the deaths of several mages. Here, the magic system works nicely in furthering the plot along so I thought that was a nice touch. Because of course if when you died you turned into a book of spells…why isn’t everyone murdering magicians? I liked that the villain here was also a little more complex than Holmberg’s previous works as well. I won’t say much about them though because I don’t want to give things away. You’ll have to read and find out.

Overall, I had a lot of fun while reading this book! I wish maybe that it had stuck with me a little more afterwards, but I have no major complaints about it and found it to be a bit of a step up in some ways from some of the author’s previous work. 4/5 stars.

3.5 
This book took me by surprise. At first, I was annoyed by the little things. By the inconsistencies, the repetitions, the endless repetitions, the random descriptions of the random people, and did I mention the repetitions?
The author explained everything at least twice. 
But then something strange happened. 
Things started happening. And I loved that. 
The plot of this book (without going into spoilers) revolves around a spellbreaker Elsie and a spellcaster Bacchus. She is on a mission to help the underdogs of Victorian England, and he is on a mission to become a Master Spellcaster. After a chance encounter one night they (reluctantly on her side) join forces. At the same time there is a series of murders across England where spellcasters are murdered for their spells. And all hell breaks loose. 
The magic system here is interesting, really. It involves spellcasters who are taught and who require teaching and money to advance and to learn new spells, and spellbreakers who are born. All practicians need to register with the government, which of course our protagonist doesn't do. 
The story kept me hooked from the end of the first third of the book. And now I want to know what happens next! That is a good sign I'd say.

This was cute! I would give it a 3.5.

Elsie is an unregistered spellbreaker, someone with a natural magical talent for removing spells, working for a secret populist activist group in magic England. She gets in some trouble on a mission, and everything she thinks she knows ends up unwinding. 

The magic system in this book is unique, not really like anything I've seen before. I liked Elsie as a character, and am still interested to find out who is behind the spell on Bacchus. Suspicious that the duke came down ill at the same time it was removed, <i>I</i> think. 

The last 20% of the book was really good. The downside of the rest of it was that this book is pretty slow. In some ways that's nice and gives it more of a "cozy" or Victorian period feel, with magic woven into Elsie's daily life. It does mean that you don't really feel the suspense or curiosity start to build until a lot later, though. 

Also, I wish I had been able to feel the importance of Elsie's relationships more. I liked Ogden especially and was glad how the book ended, so I have hope for the next one. With the slow buildup of the plot, yet little focus on anything else, it still felt a little too much like a procedural book where for the majority of the time, almost nothing was proceeding.

4.5 stars

I normally stay clear of duologies. For some reason they just feel unfinished and odd to me and historically I just haven’t enjoyed them as much as I have trilogies.

But how could I pass on this cover? There was no way I was going to pass on this one because that cover it too stunning to not pick it up and read it! Plus I know that this author has written another successful series (The Paper Magician) that I have had my eye on for so so so long.

I thought the book sounded like a quick easy read with a lot to recommend itself. I mean, how can I pass on magic during the month of October!? No way. The world sounded too rich and too interesting to pass on!

Summary
A world of enchanted injustice needs a disenchanting woman in the newest fantasy series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician.

The orphaned Elsie Camden learned as a girl that there were two kinds of wizards in the world: those who pay for the power to cast spells and those, like her, born with the ability to break them. But as an unlicensed magic user, her gift is a crime. Commissioned by an underground group known as the Cowls, Elsie uses her spellbreaking to push back against the aristocrats and help the common man. She always did love the tale of Robin Hood.

Elite magic user Bacchus Kelsey is one elusive spell away from his mastership when he catches Elsie breaking an enchantment. To protect her secret, Elsie strikes a bargain. She’ll help Bacchus fix unruly spells around his estate if he doesn’t turn her in. Working together, Elsie’s trust in—and fondness for—the handsome stranger grows. So does her trepidation about the rise in the murders of wizards and the theft of the spellbooks their bodies leave behind.

For a rogue spellbreaker like Elsie, there’s so much to learn about her powers, her family, the intriguing Bacchus, and the untold dangers shadowing every step of a journey she’s destined to complete. But will she uncover the mystery before it’s too late to save everything she loves?  (summary from Goodreads)

Review
I really appreciated the way that the author incorporated magic into her story. While it wasn’t overly complex, it was still fun to read about and I though the author did a great job with the magical elements of the story and I think fans of magic and the supernatural will enjoy this one quite a lot. While it might not be a overly complicated world of magic, it’s no less full of adventure and excitement!

I loved Elsie’s character right away and I think that many readers will connect with her and identify with her struggles and her triumphs. I really loved getting to know here character and see her evolve throughout the story. This one felt like a teenage Austen novel with magic and I am completely here for it! I loved so much about this book and even though it’s a dueology, I am hopeful that the things that I loved about this one will continue into the next book, but in all honestly, I worry that I won’t want it to end after the next book.

As I said, dueologies always feel unfinished to me and as a reader I am just never ready for the world, story and characters to come to an end when I find that I love the first book such as this one. I would be lying if I didn’t have fears about this one. This first book was so solid and I loved it, but I am worried that the second book will feel unfinished but I am willing to reserve judgement until I read it.

This book was well written with interesting characters and a rich world of magic and adventure. If you love magic with a little romance and of course the Victorian era, then look no further. I adored this book and can’t wait to continue the dueology and I think I will go and check out the Paper Magician series too because I really loved the authors writing and storytelling style in this one.

Book Info and Rating
Kindle Edition, 300 pages

Expected publication: November 1st 2020 by 47North

ASINB082HRSZKW

Free review copy provided by publisher, 47North, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Genre: magic, YA

Spellbreaker was a great historical magical fiction read.  Only the Victorian elite can do magic, but anyone can be a spellbreaker.  Elsie's character was witty, resourceful and practical.  Looking forward to the next book in the duology.

'Spellbreaker' is a magical Victorian tale about wizards who cast spells and those who break them. It follows Elsie Camden, a spellbreaker with a mysterious past who works for a secret group of spellbreakers with some suspicious intentions. She encounters Bacchus Kelsey, a dashing wizard who employs Elsie to repair some spells which brings them closer together while also implicating them in some nefarious activities. 

I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down! Holmberg created a magical Victorian world that was easy to understand but still fantastical enough to satisfy the magical genre. There was an intriguing mystery, a budding romance, espionage, murder, and magic that was unique while also fitting the 19th century world she created. 

I cannot wait to read the sequel and other works by the author!

Holmberg's latest novel, the first in a historical fantasy duology, was sweet but lacked nuance. Our protagonist Elsie is a stonemason's assistant by day but in her spare time she works as a Spellbreaker for the mysterious 'Cowls', unraveling spells to help the needy for the shadowy organization that rescued her as a child. Bacchus Kelley has just arrived in England from Barbados and is looking to acquire a Master spell and enhance his career an an "aspector", or magician. 

My favorite thing about this novel was the magic system. Holmberg excells at creating magic that feels tangible yet demonstrably unique, from the paper magic explored in her most popular, titular series, to the four dimensions or "Aspects" of magic she outlines in this one; spiritual aspectors, physical aspectors, rational aspectors, temporal aspectors, and spellbreaker's such as Elsie who defy category A major drag for me is when a magic systems lacks definition, and I felt like Holmberg deftly explored the various implications and repercussions of her different forms of magic. 

The characters themselves were less of a hit for me. While I liked fanciful but sweet Elsie, Bacchus felt a bit dry and one-note for me. It did not help that very early on he mentioned that his father was straight up a sugar plantation owner in the 1880s and there was almost no acknowledgment of this point besides a throwaway line about Bacchus not liking his father's profession, let alone acknowledging the fact that Bacchus' wealth and standing were built on slavery. This is one of my biggest issues with historical fantasy generally--it tends to gloss over massive societal problems in favor glamorizing more "favorable" aspects of history. The novel also ended far too abruptly for my taste -- I understand that this is a duology, but it feels unnecessary to spread into two novels would could essentially be accomplished in one.

In Victorian England, magic and spell making is prevalent but strictly controlled by the elite classes. For years, Elsie Camden has been like the Robin Hood of magic, breaking spells to help the poor. Until one mission she is caught by an expert magic user who won't turn her in if she agrees to help him.

Holmberg's historical fantasy was a delight to read, with intriguing world-building, a cute love story, and plenty of adventure. Elsie makes a great heroine, savvy, adventurous, thoughtful, and slightly naive. It's not top-notch literature, but it was cute and entertaining for those who want a lighter magical read. I don't think it's being marketed as young adult fiction, but it would be a good one for younger teens.

Elsie is a typical girl who likes to listen in to gossip & daydream about the latest book she read, but she also likes to consider herself like Robin Hood. A secret group of justice seekers saved her from the workhouse when she was a young girl. In exchange, they ask her to do occasional favors using her spellbreaking skills. As an unregistered spellbreaker, Elsie runs a risk every time she utilizes her skills, but her little acts as Robin Hood certainly justify the means. When a spate of odd crimes occur & Elsie is caught while spellbreaking, her life takes an unexpected turn.

This is a Victorian fantasy romance type of book. Perfect for those who enjoy slow build clean relationships set in the Victorian era. The alternate world building is pretty good. Since it's an alternate world, women don't have the same limitations they did in our world, which allows for more literary freedom, but the book did try to keep to social etiquette rules as much as possible.

I enjoyed the slow build relationship between Elsie & Bacchus. They had lots of time to get to know each other, beginning with their original mutual distrust. I also appreciated that this wasn't just a romance plot. The bigger plot focused on the secret group that ordered Elsie to do her Robin Hood acts and also spent time on Elsie's other relationships with her employer & coworker. The magic system was simplistic, but interesting, especially in the way that Elsie used it.

While there were some "duh" instances, I can't blame Elsie much for being unaware of them. Looking at it from her perspective, it's easy to see how she was deceived, especially from a psychological viewpoint. She grew up with a certain view & it was only as she matured that she began to question the inconsistencies that she noticed. 

It was a fun book. It wasn't difficult to figure out where the plot was heading, (although there was an unexpected surprise towards the end), but it was a very enjoyable journey & I'm definitely interested in reading the sequel.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m glad that I had the opportunity to read Spellbreaker because I didn’t realise how much I missed fantasy historical fiction. Last time when I read this genre was 5 years ago when I was a big fan of Amanda Quick’s books. Also, Spellbreaker reminds me of Burning Lamp by Amanda Quick, Elsie being a perfect Adelaide. She is reckless, stubborn, ambitious and compassionate.

The story is well-written, I love the idea of spellbreakers and that you can pay for the magic power. It makes the magic system pretty intriguing. I really enjoyed reading Elsie and Bacchus’ story and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen in the next book.

It was my first book from Charlie N. Holmberg and now all I want is to read more stories from her because I heard so many good things about them. Thank you Skye Book Tours and Charlie N. Holmberg for the chance to read this amazing book.

This book is full of incredible world building. Mostly fantasy, with a mystery and some romance thrown in, I was transported to a world like our own Victorian London but with an intriguing and carefully plotted magic system. 

I must admit, the first half was quite slow. However, past the halfway mark the action really picks up and I was totally gripped. I loved the characters and the relationships, and the mystery was full of twists! Cant wait for the second book!

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

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

I heard about Charlie N. Holmberg thanks to her connection to Brandon Sanderson, having been one of his students in his sci-fi/fantasy writing class at BYU. However, I was also intrigued that it was a romantic historical fantasy, one of my favorite niche subgenres and one I can’t get enough of. 

Not that the book lacks an intricate magic system. While seeming a bit vague at first, it is pretty fun, entrenched in the class structures of Victorian England, with wealthy spellmakers and the spellbreakers, the heroine, Elsie being the latter. 

I enjoyed the partnership between Elsie and Bacchus, and how they illustrated the two classes, while also showing how they interact when thrown together. The romance was sweet, although not the main part of the book.

There’s great twists and turns in the external plot that kept me engrossed in the story even in some of its slower moments. While I don’t think a more serious fantasy fan looking for epic world building and magic systems would enjoy this, it makes a charming escapist read for anyone looking for a fun lighthearted fantasy read, especially if you like a mix of the historical and the fantastic, with a dash of mystery and romance.

Initial Thoughts

I’ve been seeing this book all over Instagram lately and was super bummed when I didn’t get an ARC for it. But, thanks to Amazon’s First Reads program, I was able to read it a month before it came out. I love the premise and I love historical fantasy. This book sounded right up my alley so I’m so glad I had the chance to read it early.

Some Things I Liked

Victorian England. I loved the setting. Despite being set before Downton Abbey, the wit, humor, and language felt very Downton and I loved that so much. I loved the way Elsie mentally chastised herself for daring to think about Bacchus or the way everyone was so excited about dining with a Duke. This is one of my favorite time periods to read about.
Slow burn romance. It felt so right for the time period. I really enjoyed the friendship / mutual respect that blossomed between Elsie and Bacchus as the story progressed. Naturally, I want them to fall in love and live happily ever after but, I enjoyed the way their story developed.
Magic system. I thought the idea of Spellmaking and Spellbreaking was very interesting here and I enjoyed the visual description Elsie gives of seeing spells as knots or puzzles of a sort.
Plot twist. I honestly did not see the plot twist coming here. I loved that. It’s very hard to surprise me and I loved that this did.

Series Value

I can’t wait to read the next book. While I wait, I will definitely be working my way through Charlie’s other works. I’ve already read The Will and the Wilds and The Paper Magician.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read, is one of my new favorite genres, and had so much fun banter. I can’t wait to keep reading this series and I can totally see why this was one of Amazon First Read’s picks of the month.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith – if you enjoy historical fantasy, wit, and magic, look no further than this series. It’s a perfect fall read to cozy up with.
The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg – if you enjoyed the idea of unique magic, historical fantasy, and you liked the writing style of Spellbreaker, try Charlie’s other series.
Spellmaker by Charlie N. Holmberg – I haven’t read this one yet but you can bet I will be reading it when it comes out (or sooner if someone wants to send me an ARC, wink wink.)

I made very little notes on this one, which sometimes happens when I’m reading a book from an author that I absolutely adore. Spellbreaker is a book that drew me in and didn’t let go. Because of that, this won’t be much of a review. Elsie is a fantastic main character, and all the characters that surround her are just as wonderful. I love all the magical elements that are involved in this. I love the commentary on the various classes. The storyline is fun, addicting, and it’s absolutely magical. I’m going to need the second book, stat.