Reviews

Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg

ali_james's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

pennyhyde's review

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medium-paced

3.0

midwifereading's review against another edition

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4.0

I really enjoyed this one! It's a light, easy read, but with a satisfying dose of magic and intrigue, and a smidgen of romance.

I almost didn't finish it, because I thought it was getting predictable, but there some pretty fun twists that threw me off and delighted me. The story is actually fairly simple, but very well executed, with good pacing and characters you can root for.

I enjoyed Elsie's naivety, kindness, and spunk. She seems to have the "how-hard-could-it-be" gene, and that is how she moves through this story as an unwitting heroine.

Loved it, and can't wait to read the second!

linzthebookworm's review against another edition

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4.0

It took me a little bit to get into Spellbreaker, but I was hooked once I did. I love the magic system used in this story. I thought it was creative and different from other magic systems in fantasy books. Some interesting plot twists left me surprised and a massive cliff-hanger that makes me not want to wait to pick up Spellmaker. I felt like I needed a bit more from the characters, but overall I enjoyed it, and it's a quick read.

For my full review, check out: https://linzthebookworm.blogspot.com/2021/01/book-review-spellbreaker-by-charlie-n.html

bargainsleuth's review against another edition

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4.0

To read this and other book reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com

Spellbreaker was an Amazon First Reads selection a few months ago, but I didn’t pick it at the time. Then, it was offered as a Goodreads Kindle giveaway and I won. So yay me–free book! This book is part of a duology.

Holmberg creates another world parallel to one in Victorian England, where magic is commonplace. The magic intrigues and so does the spellbreaking, the plot just dances off the pages, the characters are fully fleshed out. I especially liked the fact that Elsie is a strong female lead with smarts as well as her spellbreaking ability, even though she is a little naive. There were so many twists and turns, I had no idea what direction this book would take me. This made for a delightful read.

The only complaint is that the book ends on a cliffhanger, which is a method that authors use that I hate, but at least I knew a second book was in the works when I picked this one up. I can’t wait to read the sequel.

mienreads's review against another edition

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2.0

DNF at 25%. At this point in the book I could already predict where this was going. I don’t mind if a MC is a bit naive, but Elsie is at a level of stupidity that’s unforgivable to me. Her recklessness and way of taking things at face value without question leads to the murders of others. It’s a no for me.

dwhito's review

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adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

amylozz's review against another edition

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4.0

Last quarter of the book saved it from a 3 star rating, enjoyable concept but a bit difficult to understand in the beginning. The first part feels a bit like information overload both character-wise and explaining the magical elements, would love to re-read that part now I understand it more to see if my mind changes. Looking forward to the second half of the duology.

reinedumonde's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring medium-paced

3.0