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.

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 became a huge Charlie Holmberg fan after reading the Paper Magician series. I was very excited to receive a copy of Spellmaker. Filled with magic, suspense and romance this is a story you will not want to put down.

I had only previously completed Holmberg’s Paper Magician when I got into this duology (I will be getting back into that series soon), which I quite enjoyed. It’s dynamic and protagonist are of a type with said series, and my highest praise for both is their equally unique magic systems. It is high praise to put the originality and thoroughness of both on a level with the systems of Sanderson. In this case, I dug the four aspects, colleges, whatever of Spellmaking, balanced with our protagonist Elsie’s covert Spellbreaking abilities. Excellent pacing and surprises continue from volume one, with the introduction of some also surprising new characters. I really enjoyed this novel!

This title was an ARC provided by NetGalley. I certainly appreciate the opportunity for the early read.

*This book was received as an Advanced Reviewer's Copy from NetGalley.

I'm not sure what's with these books and the fast paced endings. They go by a little too quickly for my liking, with all the excitement happening at once. While I'm glad there was a resolution, I can't say I enjoyed this book as much as the first because of the pacing.

This book takes off pretty much where the last one left off. Only, this time, Elsie finds herself in a bit more trouble. Bacchus offers her a way out though, in the form of marriage to him. But with everyone having left her in her past, Elsie isn't sure she can muster the trust she needs to believe in Bacchus.

The characters were a little flatter this time around for me. The only one that really seemed to have any sort of development was Ogden. I enjoyed finding out more about him and his abilities and his relationship with Elsie. Elsie was pretty solid through the book, but didn't really grow or change in too many ways. She pushed the plot forward. And Bacchus, he was in this book, but I felt like he was more an afterthought and didn't seem to have as commanding of a presence. He had some questions raised that were specific to him, but even with the dialogue and situations that happened, I felt as if they were never truly addressed in the same fashion Elsie's issues were.

I know it seems as if I'm being rough in this critique, but it's because the first book was so good and engaging. This one just didn't hold on to that energy for me. A lot of it centered around Bacchus and Elsie's relationship and all the real action primarily came at the end. Regardless though, the magic concepts and world are pretty interesting in this book, and that makes the duology worth reading in itself. Although with some questions raised at the end, is this truly a duology?

Review by M. Reynard 2020

I was sad that Ms. Holmberg made this series only a dualology as I would love at least one more adventure with Elsie, Bacchus, et al. Much like her Paper Magician series, she has a very unique way of making magic even more magical. In both the Spellbreaker and the Spellmaker, her fresh take on what magic and its gifted magicians can and cannot do is exciting, enticing, and creative. With Spellmaker, she neatly wraps up Elsie's story, that began in Spellbreaker, with enough satisfaction for its readers, but...oh man, I could go for one. more. book. Spoiler: I got on that boat with Elsie and Bacchus and now I want to arrive in Barbados with with them and have an island adventure.

This book is fantastic. It is so interesting and the characters are extremely deep and complex. It creates very vivid imagery and transports you to that world. I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to anyone.

I am a huge fan of the author’s and I absolutely adored the first book in this series so I was really looking forward to this book but I’m sorry to say it lacked the magic of Spellbreaker. From the Author’s Acknowledgments at the end it looks like this was planned as the end of this series but to me it felt too rushed. It felt like a tying up of the story from the first book without giving those storylines enough time. Elsie and Bacchus are forced together in a way that ruined what they had in the first book. The villain felt over the top and the crimes were barely acknowledged in what felt like a rush to the end. New characters were added and again not given time to develop while conveniently appearing to help tie things up when in actuality one of those characters leaves a lot to question but that never happens. I don’t feel the characters were given a proper send off unfortunately. I wish this had been a three book series with the pacing from the first book continued. If you loved the first book as I did lower you expectations before beginning this one. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Spellmaker follows the continuing story of Bacchus Kelley & Elsie Camden from the book Spellbreaker. Else is determined to solve the mystery of the stolen opuses & murdered magicians. She risks exposing her illegal gift of being a spellbreaker in the process. She & Bacchus decide they must marry as part of a cover story. Romance ensues, mysteries are solved, bad guys are discovered.

I just finished Part 2 of the Spellbreaker duology and I must say I feel like it was left unfinished. A couple of things were introduced in the last chapter and were left unanswered. I want to know what happens... but it's a duology. I wouldn't complain if a third book was written though.

Part 2 follows Elsie and Bacchus as they try to determine the motives of the "bad guy" from the first book and put a stop to the misdeeds. However, no one can seem to locate this person anywhere. There are some little adventures along the way, but most of the action happens at the end of the book. Most of the story focuses on Elsie and Bacchus as they further develop their romance but Elsie questions EVERYTHING, which gets to be a bit annoying after awhile. There's a few new characters but the roles are very minor. All in all, I thought this book concluded the story nicely but it seemed a bit more focused on the romance instead of the magical aspects that I enjoyed from the first book.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC of this book!

This was a delightful conclusion to the duology. I enjoyed Elsie's growth and her character development. Bacchus is so sweet and encouraging with her. I liked that Elsie is portrayed as being competent while still retaining her femininity and poise. I think the magic system was fairly well developed and fit nicely with the setting. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.