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Spellmaker

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Loved the sequel! But I am also so sad I will not be able to visit these characters again.

Expertly written follow up to the hit Spellbreaker. Indeed, read these books in order as there are many clues and background from Spellbreaker that you’ll need in Spellmaker. I found the transition from book 1-2 easy to follow with the authors fluid, but not over digressing, recap of necessary events.

I love her fast paced footing as I read my way though this very fun story. I very much appreciated the “wrap up” at the end as there were no loose ends to ponder about.

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4/5

I received this book in exchange of an honest review, from the lovely people at 47North and Netgalley.

"Spells are like any form of knowledge - they can be forgotten."

Spellbreaker was a fun read and when I saw Spellmaker available for request on NetGalley I knew straight away that I can't start 2021 without reading it. I did not regret my choice, in fact, Spellmaker makes everything that I had issues before in Spellbreaker. That's what I love about sequels you know? They can be better then the original and add so much needed appraisal for me to continue a series. Charlie N. Holmberg takes us to the exact moment where we left off, Elise has her happy ending, right? They thwarted the evil plot, Bacchus is healed from the siphoning spell, Ogdan, Elise's employer and father figure is free. Everything is solved! Truly... Except that Elise carried away by the police after a tip that expose her secret identity as a spellbreaker. Not only that, but the leader of the Cowls is still out there and its none other then Lily Merton one of the biggest and stronger Magister's of London and she has her sights on acquiring Elise's service once more and bring her plot to full motion. 

"She wanted to hold on to this intoxicating bliss for as long as the universe would allow it."

Elise is a changed woman compared to her first appearance in Spellbreaker. She no longer has to hid away her identity thanks to the intervention of Bacchus on her behalf, she never been this close before to Ogdan, and she feels competent with her abilities and satisficed with her life for the first time ever. It's so inspiring to see that the most disastrous of events can accelerate the growth of a person even if it includes small terrorist acts unknowingly, lol. I was also thrilled for her relationship with Bacchus compared to the first novel, which a bit... shoehorned at my face but in here it felt so natural their evolution in the grand scheme of things. Fake marriage to actual marriage purpose, the two becoming vulnerable to one another, the endurable lust for one another, should  I go on or is it enough? ;p

"Elise," he said, nodding as another servant opened the gates for them. "When you are an outsider, you do what you have to do to fit in, or people will ostracize you. Sometimes without even realizing it."

If we are discussing about Elise's progression as a character I can't stop the praise just here because I have to congratulate everything in this book. Every character became a far more memorable to me thanks to their exposure and relevance to Spellmaker's bigger plot line. Ogdan's finally free and being paranoid not knowing that he is overbearing the use of his mental magic, Bacchus coming to the shocking truth of the result of the siphoning magic that practically robbed him most of his life and his constant struggle to fit in London and even our villain who's motivations are not but surprisingly admirable but flawed with its usage of violence and extortion. The major theme I've gotten from Spellbreaker earlier was the struggle of being the other, be it your social coming, the origins of your birth and gender but with Spellmaker I've witness that various characters are facing this inexplainable dread of this hopelessness of their lives. Sure, Elise's anxiety and self hatred is a prime example but we do see others dealing with such issues like Ogdan's endeavor with his magic and sexual orientation, Bacchus title as both a bastard and a half Bajan who will never be accepted even with his love ones, and even Lily who's the suppose antagonist of our story and her drive to destroy the royals and influence the working class and achieve true equality.

I can shower Spellmaker with thousands of flattery but it's not a total perfect book. It is as expected with sequels that are to tide up all loose ends. Elise finding her long lost family, Lily's fiendish plans are stopped, Bacchus and his sweet heart living happily after, even the supporting and minor characters are getting full proper conclusion. Sounds too perfect right? Yeah, it's exactly as it sounds and for that I feel that there's no flaws that I can poke at except for the pacing of the story. It felt too fast, like a speedy car ride that no one is pushing on the brakes but that's fine, some stories need to be throttled to their endings and I can't imagined Spellmaker ending any other way. The book is fun, sizzling and thought provoking about one's ambitions and inner personal demons. You want a good book for your weekend? Spellmaker is the one for you :)

Is it Diverse? A bi-racial Bajan love interest, Gay supporting character.

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I adored reading this book just like I had the paper magician trilogy the author wrote. That said I somehow thought this was the first book in her duology rather than the second book so I missed the first half of the story. Overall she still had enough backstory in it that I was able to catch-up and once I got into the story I couldn’t put it down.

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Spellmaker
Spellbreaker, Book 2
by Charlie N. Holmberg
This is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. A word of warning, read book one first! It has spoilers in it of book one. This is a world of complex magical systems. There are four types of magic and training needed to become a master. There is also Spellbreakers, which are gal Elsie is. All Spellmakers and Spellbreakers must be registered. Elsie is not nor has she been since age 11 when she accidentally unraveled a spell keeping the workhouse she lived at safe from fire. Since then, she has been a pawn to a mastermind that tricked her into believing she was helping the poor. Her luck runs out and she is caught and sent to jail. This could mean death or her hand removed.
Bacchus, the rich and handsome man she worked to pay off a debt to, helps her get out of jail but lies and tell the judge they are to be married soon.
Meanwhile, someone is killing off master Spellmakers. They leave an enchanted artifact when they die. Their special magic. Someone is killing for those.
Elsie and Bacchus get in the middle of it along with Else's teacher and boss.
Exciting, great mystery, complex plot and characters, and sweet romance! Very enjoyable read and duology.

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<i>** I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is scheduled to be published on <u>March 9, 2021</u>** </i>

<b>Summary</b>
The second book in the Spellbreaker Duology. The story continues a week after the events in the last book left off. Following the two main characters, Elsie and Bacchus, as they navigate through the repercussions at the ending of book 1. This book is a fantasy romance with a bit of a mystery thrown in (emphasis more on the romance).

<b>Characters:</b>
I really enjoyed the continued evolution of the two main characters' emotional growth towards each other. Their discussions and actions in this installment were believable and well paced; nothing that would suspend disbelief.

<b>Positives:</b>
+ The magic system in this duology is wonderful. It’s not overly complex and lends itself really well to the light refreshing writing style. I particularly enjoyed the ways that Elsie described how the various branches of magic differed for her. It was also super interesting to me how the magic users in this world attained new spells.
+ All the characters in this book had neatly resolved endings. It felt like there was enough of an opening that there COULD be further books in this world, if not of the same main characters, maybe one of the side ones.

<b>Negatives:</b>
- There was 1 chapter that followed a character that wasn’t the main two, for some reason it felt weirdly jarring. After sinking into the mind set of only the other two characters in this book, that one chapter felt really off. I didn’t think the chapter was unnecessary but it was a noticeable change in the “flow”; kinda like a random stranger interjecting in a convo you are having with two good mates.
- The fight scenes were a little difficult to follow, especially the very last one. Seeing as the overall story isn’t specifically a battle oriented one, it doesn’t take away from the story as a whole. It does dampen my personal enjoyment a little bit though; epic fight scenes are absolutely my cup of tea.

<b>Final Thoughts:</b>
If you enjoy a light, feel-good, slow-burn romance with a nice dash of magic and the occasional “who dun it” tossed in; this is probably the book for you. This book was just the palette cleanser (something less dark and gritty) that I needed right now.

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In this duology, Charlie N Holmberg gives us yet another unique & imaginative system of magic. Set in Victorian England we find ourselves amongst those that can cast spells & those that can break them. Elsie, Bacchus & Ogden join forces to continue the hunt for the elusive assassin who has been killing Spellmakers for their spell knowledge. A thouroughly enjoying read.

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I’ve enjoyed a number of Ms. Holmberg’s books, and Spellmaker did not disappoint! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion. This book starts off a little after the events in the previous book, Spellbreaker, and the mystery/action still resolved around the master opus murders from the first book. Given pretty much everything in this book depends upon the first, I definitely recommend reading Spellbreaker first. That also makes it difficult to discuss much about this novel without giving things away...I wish there was more insight or detail about the villain, and given that Ms. Holmberg refers to this series as a duology, I’m worried we won’t get resolution of some of the lingering storylines presented. However, as always, the story and writing are delightful and charming. A perfect antidote to stressful times!

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Spellmaker is the second entry in the Spellbreaker duology. Unfortunately, I found it to be not quite as magical as the first entry. Though I said in my review for Spellbreaker that author Charlie N. Holmberg’s romance is always perfect, with just the right balance, I sadly found that Spellmaker was the exception to this rule. Other developments in Spellmaker, mostly those that did not immediately pertain to Elsie, felt rushed and I found myself a bit disappointed.

“It was just that, when Bacchus found a way to untangle himself from her mess and sailed home, leaving her behind in England, the gossips would know all about it. Their snickers, whispers, and rumors would only be an infection to Elsie’s broken heart, and she dreaded that.”


The thing that I disliked the most about the novel, was undoubtedly the contrived turn the romance took. When Elsie is arrested for illegal and unregistered spellbreaking, thrown into prison, and is at risk of being executed, Bacchus acts quickly to save the woman he secretly loves. To my dismay, that means the two must get married, as his elevated status as a Master Aspector, along with his avowed testament that Elsie only recently discovered her spellbreaking abilities, is the only thing that can save her from the noose. It’s great from the standpoint that it saves Elsie’s life, but it certainly doesn’t do the poor girl any favors in fearing she’s unlovable.

“You’ll have to make the best of it,” she said into the pillow. “Make him regret it as little as possible. Be the best forced spouse you can be.”


I really don’t think this forced marriage in Spellmaker did the romance itself many positives either. It robbed the budding relationship of its tentative, but heartfelt sincerity, and made it feel forced. I was disappointed that rather than a romantic courtship and a proposal with actual feeling, we got a marriage out of desperation to save Elsie’s life. Not to mention the fact that it certainly rushed their relationship, which was somewhat hindered by class divide and repressed feelings, instead of it progressing naturally and sincerely in due time. Elsie and Bacchus agree to stampede down the aisle within the span of a month, despite the fact that there is a mind-controlling killer still at large who wants Elsie on their team. The whole thing felt very disjointed. I’m sure the author made the decision as a way to move their relationship forward in such a short series, but I personally didn’t care for it, as it put the couple’s feelings on the back seat. I have read this trope of arranged marriage in fanfiction many times, and I was surprised to see it in a novel where it wasn’t written as well, let alone in one of Holmberg’s.

“Miss Prescott was going to cover every single basic premise of spellbreaking, and Elsie would have to take it all in without complaint. Because if she complained, then her story was flawed, and she would go to prison.”


What’s more, is that there is barely any time spent on other developments in Spellmaker either. Elsie is in and out of prison in the blink of an eye, engaged to be married the next, then signed up to train as a Spellbreaker (even though she’s far more advanced than her new instructor knows), and then suddenly reunited with a long-lost member of her family out of the blue—and after an entire life searching in vain for any of them—and who just so happens to be able to help her in her quest to stop the murderer of the Aspectors and the thief of the opuses. It was all a lot to wrap my head around. It also seemed a little too perfect that Elsie’s newly discovered brother just so happened to have use of a Printing Press when they needed it, and that Elsie’s new Spellbreaking instructor, Irene Prescott, so readily joined their cause.

I supsected that Spellmaker would obviously focus more on Bacchus due to the name—Spellmaker, not Spellbreaker—but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Bacchus’s feelings and perspective seemed to get put on the backburner in the rush to conclude the duology. Though he comes to the traumatic, but obvious to the reader, discovery of who exactly placed the siphoning spell on him, he isn’t given much page space in order to deal with the truth (view spoiler) I felt that this was a very big disservice to his character and his relationship with Elsie as well, as she didn’t really provide a whole lot of comfort to Bacchus in this time. Granted, there is a homicidal maniac on the loose, so I guess that kind of thing takes priority to personal feelings. However, I found it sad that the two weren't given more time to support one another, and that Bacchus especially was given the short end of the stick.

“That was how rational magic worked--it affected the mind. Mind reading, telepathy, the dampening or surging of emotions…”


Despite the rushed nature of Spellmaker, I think my favorite part of the novel by far was when all of the members of the team were working together to get to the bottom of the mystery. I was especially delighted by Cuthbert Ogden’s point-of-view and the chance to see his rational aspecting in action. I also enjoyed the final magical showdown of Spellmaker and thought that the true mastermind of everything got their fitting retribution. And I was very pleased by Elsie’s happy ending with Bacchus, even if the journey to their destination didn't play out exactly how I would’ve wished it.

Though I didn’t quite like Spellmaker as much as its predecessor, Spellbreaker, due to the contrived nature of the romance and the rush to the conclusion, I did really enjoy the duology as a whole. It was a lot of fun, Elsie was a very likable heroine, and I found the mystery, especially in Spellbreaker, very intriguing. I would certainly read any other entries in this series, if the author chooses to write one, which honestly, seems like a possibility from the ending of Spellmaker. As always, I remain a fan of Charlie N. Holmberg and look forward to reading more of her interesting and magical works.

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ARc Copy...Just the rest of Holmberg's repertoire, alot of complex and well built magical systems going on here, and a very intrigue Victorian mystery is a foot. Enjoyable read.

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This story picks up just where Spellbreaker left off: Unwittingly controlled by dark magic, Elsie and Ogden had perpetrated crimes they never would’ve condoned on their own accord and aided a murderer. Now, their ultimate goal is to stop any further damage to the magical community and bring that murderer to justice. The stakes are high for this endeavor because bringing down the culprit might also incriminate themselves.

If you’re expecting a dark, gritty chase to bring down a heinous assassin, you won’t find it here. The main storyline takes a backseat to the most powerful of magical spells- love. As the chase for the culprit unfolds, so also does the romantic back and forth between Elsie and Bachus.

The author has created an interesting, well developed magical world that is believable, and the idea of a murderer devastating that community is compelling. Partnering that with the likeable characters should have made for a successful duology. But regrettably, that is not the case. What this author succeeded at in character development and creation of a magic world, she equally failed at in execution of the plot. The potential of this book, ultimately, fell flat.

For one, I found the pacing of this book to be completely off. Important scenes that would’ve benefited from vivid detail were quickly wrapped up while scenes that were minuscule in importance droned on. Also, I found this book quite repetitive (both of itself and of the previous installment). Why tell the reader something once when it can be repeated over and over and over?

This duology would’ve been better served as a single, lengthy novel. Splitting it into two books made the storyline less inviting, more convoluted, and leant itself towards boring repetitions. Condensing the superfluous, repetitive material would have allowed the core plot to shine. The charm I found in the first installment was unfortunately lost in this one.

Many thanks to Charlie N. Holmberg, 47 North, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

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Thank you NetGalley, 47North, and Charlie Holmberg for an advanced reader's copy of Spellmaker. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Spellmaker is the second book in the Spellbreaker Duology. Before reading this book, I re-read Spellbreaker (#1) to ensure that I remembered all details of the previous story. After reading Spellbreaker, I found myself so excited to see how the Elsie's and Bachhus's story would finish as I gave Spellbreaker 3/5 stars. This book was even better than the first book in the series. I feel like it was better edited and the mystery was fun enough to keep your attention without becoming convoluted. The magic system is interesting

The story begins with Elsie in prison whens she refuses to join forces with an assassin. Bacchus plans a way for her to get out - only it involves marriage to cover their story. While Elsie's powers grow, they work to try to thwart the devious criminal's plan before more magicians are murdered. This book was great - if anything, I wish it was a little longer as the ending felt a little rushed. Another solid 3.5 (rounded to 4)/5 stars!

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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.

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Much like the first one, this a very quiet book. The story takes off right after the ending of the previous installment quite seamlessly. I read both titles back to back and if I didn’t already know it was a duology I think it could pass a one (albeit long) book.

As a sequel it introduces new characters and clarifies some of the mysteries left from Spellbreaker. My thoughts from the first book pretty much carry over to this one, it’s a very simple story, especially for a YA book, which tend to lean on the dramatic side. I didn’t think they plot was that well executed, but the characters are definitely nice enough to keep you interested.

Elsie continues to be charming and Baccus continues to be brooding. I’m still not sure how I feel about them as a couple though. Their romance felt a bit rushed, which is something the author was aware of I suppose, since the characters comment on it themselves.

The climax felt a bit… underwhelming I guess it’s the word, there was little excitement, but I guess that since it’s on brand with the rest of the story I can’t fault it too much.

Overall I think it’s a nice read, especially for a younger audience, but I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who reads a lot of fantasy. I think it might be appealing to someone who enjoys Jane Austen and is looking for something more on the romance side than the adventure one.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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