Author: Charlie N. Holmberg
Series: Spellbreaker Duology #1
Publisher: 47North
Released: November 1^st, 2020
Received: Goodreads Giveaway

I received a copy of Spellbreaker in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The author that brought us The Plastic Magician, Charlie N. Holmberg, is back with another series, and I for one could not be more excited about that fact. Spellbreaker is the first in what is set to be a duology, and it is also a world full of magic and more.

Elsie Camden was orphaned at a young age, sent to live at a workhouse, and could easily have been forgotten. If not for her most unique trait – her innate ability to break spells. As an unregistered Spellbreaker, Elsie faces a lot of risks in life. So far, she’s felt that it has been worth it.

She used her gift to help others, following the orders of those she believed in, with the hopes of fighting back against a broken system. Then along came Bacchus Kelsey into her life. What starts out as a few tasks (to save her skin), quickly turns into something so much more.

“Spellbreakers were born with the ability to dis-spell magic, and it didn’t cost them a farthing.”

Guys, I can’t tell you how much I loved Spellbreaker. I devoured it in hours, and was left desperately hoping for more (luckily for me, the arc for the sequel is available on NetGalley, and I jumped on it!)

Spellbreaker was a fun and thrilling magical read, one that was utterly unique and fascinating. I love how complex it was, and how determined Elsie is, despite how hard the world worked to bring her and hers like her down.

Honestly, part of me is almost sad that there’s only going to be two novels in this series, as I absolutely adore the world. I also adore the concept of spellbreakers, who are naturals at what they do, and yet highly controlled and monitored (with a few shining – and illegal – exceptions).

“A spellbreaker, born with one kind of magic instead of taught a hundred.”

There are two dominant plots running through Spellbreaker, making it feel like an even faster read than normal. One was driven by Elsie’s life, and the other by the intrigue surrounding Bacchus. Both were fascinating, and I can’t wait to see how it all develops further.

I should probably have mentioned this sooner, but Spellbreaker is pretty perfect for those that love Victoria era magic and love stories – as this is a blend of all three. Yes, it really is perfect. Now it’s time to dive into Spellmaker!