Spellbreaker

Written by Charlie N. Holmberg

Narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden and Joel Froomkin

A world of enchanted injustice needs a disenchanting woman in an all-new 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?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Nov 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781713502401

Charlie N. Holmberg

Charlie N. Holmberg is the award-winning author of the Numina series, The Fifth Doll, and many other books. Her Wall Street Journal bestselling Paper Magician series has been optioned by the Walt Disney Company. Charlie’s stand-alone novel, Followed by Frost, was nominated for a 2016 RITA Award for Best Young Adult Romance. Born in Salt Lake City, Charlie was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters who also have boy names. She is a proud BYU alumna, plays the ukulele, owns too many pairs of glasses, and finally adopted a dog. She currently lives with her family in Utah. Visit her at www.charlienholmberg.com.

Reviews for Spellbreaker

[Susie Reed · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Slow start, but good story.
I've been trying to read this book since it came out and I struggled. Even starting the audio version multiple times, only to stick it back to the bottom of the list. Having the same experience with other books by this author, I knew that if I could just get into the story, I wouldn't be disappointed.
I think the issue is that all of her books are built on the same formula. Strong heroine with some power that even she didn't know she possessed, male love interest that she feels she has no right to be attracted to and he for some reason is attracted to her even though she's beneath him, and eventually they fall in love. Weave in some magic and spells and murder and plot twists and you've got a decent story even though you know they'll end up together.
I will read the rest of her books, but I would really like to see a different type of heroine.

[vinniewaffle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting story with lovely characters. Can't wait for part 2!

[Curley Arrington · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I came to this novel by searching for the audio actress Elizabeth Knoweldon. She is fantastic. I am a cozy mystery reader. This was the closest I could find of hers. I now have a new author I will check out.
Just the right amount of detail to visualize and enter into the world and fast paced enough not to make me anxious for too long. Definitely, going to check out more by this author.

[miranda · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This seems cute enough and an interesting premise but the male narrators accents are absolutely bizarre and grating. Why does all dialogue done in an accent need to be shouted on top of everything else?

[safehavensystem · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It seems like a good story but I cannot stand the male narrator: every sentence he speaks follows the exact same pattern of intonation and it rarely makes sense to what the sentence is actually about. It grated on me so much I couldn’t keep listening to the book. The female narrator was fantastic though!

[AJ Jaegli · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

While this book is well written and has similar charm to other novels by this author, the romance really left a sour taste in my mouth this time around. Its a classic "dark and handsome stranger" type.. Except it approaches it literally with the male lead being a POC and the female lead thinking he's just so EXOTIC and looks so DIFFERENT that she's drawn to him. I know it's set in the 1800s, but it's published in the modern day and to me it just went too close to racist with its fascination on his exotic looks crap and I won't to be reading the next books with these characters.