Spellbreaker

An enchanting criticism of British Victorian society in the form of historical fantasy.

(photo credit: Goodreads)

Set in an alternate version of 19th century London based on an elaborate magic system, Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg breaks away from typical historical fantasy by principally following a character that can break spells rather than cast them. The narration is split between the two main characters, Elsie and Bacchus. While Elsie is an unregistered—and therefore illegal—“spellbreaker” working for an underground rebel organization, Bacchus is a powerful “spellmaker” who is visiting London to pursue his mastership in magic. But when Bacchus catches Elsie breaking one of his spells, he blackmails her into working for him, thus starting a rollercoaster of a relationship.

Oftentimes, when I read books supposedly set in the 19th century, I find myself rolling my eyes at the modern mannerisms of the characters. But with Spellbreaker, I was pleasantly surprised—the characters and the world felt very true to their time. One caveat I must add, however, is that although I appreciated the references to Victorian clothing, I did not need eight sentence-long descriptions of how uncomfortable corsets are—two or three would have done the trick.

Elsie is a very well balanced main character (I say “main” as the story follows her slightly more than it does Bacchus)—she is both cautious and daring, intelligent and prone to mistakes. While she doesn’t fit into the role of a “traditional” Victorian woman, she thinks and speaks in a way that feels very well suited to the time period. For example, she is concerned with her reputation and modesty in regards to spending time with Bacchus. As an unmarried woman’s reputation was very important in this time period, it made a lot of sense that this was something Elsie worried about.

Bacchus, who lives in Barbados, is pursuing his mastership in physical aspecting (a type of magic), which can only be obtained in the London Physical Atheneum. Although he is wealthy and powerful—both in terms of magical ability and influence—Holmberg adds complexity to his character by giving him very real struggles and flaws.

Generally, I enjoyed reading from both characters’ perspectives. They are both well developed and relatable, despite their magical talents. While they are not particularly unique, and lacked a certain spice to their characterization, I found them nice to read about and easy to follow.

I also think that Spellbreaker’s romance felt very suited to the time. Bacchus and Elsie slowly develop feelings for one another, yet they do not act on them for most of the book, as was the norm in Victorian London. I also think that the subtlety made it enjoyable to read—the romance was masterfully crafted from lingering glances and heated exchanges.

My main issue with the book is the plot; the first half of the book was extremely slow-moving and the story bordered on being stagnant. I felt as if Holmberg could have easily cut most of the first half and lost little of the storyline. However, when the book bursts into action around the halfway point, its quality increases immensely. Holmberg’s plot twists are exciting and multifaceted, so, even if the reader predicts a part of the twist, they will end up being surprised in the end. Ultimately, Holmberg’s writing suits more fast-paced storylines, and if she had condensed the first half of the book, I would have enjoyed the read a lot more.

In my opinion, the best part of Spellbreaker is the world building. The magic system was very unique; it involves four different types of magic (physical, temporal, spiritual, and rational). Based on hard work and study, learning advanced magic is one of the only ways for people to join the elite class, yet most of the lower classes cannot afford the costs of study and ultimately end up unable to alter their situation. Class discrimination is a central theme throughout the book, with Elise using her spellbreaking to become a sort of “Robin Hood” figure. Holmberg also does not shy away from tough topics such as sexism and racism, both of which she weaves into what I believe to be a masterfully crafted criticism of society; the magic system serves as an interesting commentary on how a meritocracy can never truly be skill-based.

Ultimately, I think that every aspect of the book had a lot of potential—characters, romance, setting, message—but the first half of the plot really lets the reader down. They say that you cannot build a strong house without a good foundation; in this case, there is an immaculate foundation, but the house is falling over. If you’re looking for something that takes typical historical fantasy and crosses it with a complex criticism of society, Spellbreaker is a good read for you. However, if you are looking for a plot-driven page turner that you are unable to put down, I would not recommend it.