Spellbreaker

I had just started reading book one in this duology when I was struck down with my first case of Covid-19, that or a nasty strain of flu, either way, these books were a great tonic during this period, being a relaxing, engaging easy read, that has main characters, Elsie and Bacchus, who just sparkle with personality.

The plot is very well crafted and delivered, and because of the threat's nature, you could never quite discount a theory or fully trust a character. I was still expecting some sort of final twist to the tale as I finished each book.

Though the writing style is relaxed and engaging with a gentle lightheartedness to it, it also deftly handles its more serious themes of murder, betrayal and deception along with the subtle racial and class bigotry that pervaded Victorian times. I found the second book to be even more enjoyable than the first, with some good emotionally charged scenes.

Hopefully, the Author will revisit this series in the future as it has the potential for many more rich and interesting adventures for Elsie and Bacchus.

Spellbreaker: Spellbreaker: Book 01

by Charlie N. Holmberg.

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?

Format

Kindle Edition

Date Acquired

27th November 2022

Retail Price

£1.99

Number of Pages

331

Year Read

2024

Spellmaker: Spellbreaker: Book 02

by Charlie N. Holmberg.

England, 1895. An unsolved series of magician murders and opus thefts isn’t a puzzle to Elsie Camden. But to reveal a master spellcaster as the culprit means incriminating herself as an unregistered spellbreaker. When Elsie refuses to join forces with the charming assassin, her secret is exposed, she’s thrown in jail, and the murderer disappears. But Elsie’s hope hasn’t vanished.

Through a twist of luck, the elite magic user Bacchus Kelsey helps Elsie join the lawful, but with a caveat: they must marry to prove their cover story. Forced beneath a magical tutor while her bond with Bacchus grows, Elsie seeks to thwart the plans of England’s most devious criminal—if she can find them.

With hundreds of stolen spells at their disposal, the villain has a plan—and it involves seducing Elsie to the dark side. But even now that her secret is out, Elsie must be careful how she uses the new abilities she’s discovering, or she may play right into the criminal’s hands.