Spellmaker Spellbreaker #2

All over the place.

First things first, the fact that we get a reminder of what happened in the previous book- 10/10! Most books I've read just pick up from where the previous one left, so you are so lost unless you are reading them back to back.

Honestly, if I did not have to sleep and work I probably would have read it in one go!

This magical mystery duology was so cute! The characters were endearing, the world building and magic was creative and the audiobook was so well done I feel like I could re-listen to it again almost immediately! I'm hoping her Paper Magician series is just as fun

This magical mystery duology was so cute! The characters were endearing, the world building and magic was creative and the audiobook was so well done I feel like I could re-listen to it again almost immediately! I'm hoping her Paper Magician series is just as fun

I was sent a copy of Spellmaker on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Despite not reading book one, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was a little lost, but once I went and read a detailed review of book one, I felt at home with Spellmaker and am dying to read book one just for the atmosphere. One book I would recommend to those who enjoy fantasy. It flowed beautifully, I loved the characters and the story moved quickly with just the right amount romance!

This was a good conclusion to the story but I did worry when I was still waiting for so many answers at the nearly 90% mark. The ending felt rushed. That’s not to say the series felt like it should be a trilogy, but just that there could have been a touch less of Elsie feeling sorry for herself at the start and worrying about being unloveable. I still enjoyed the book. 3.5 stars

** spoiler alert ** Thank you to Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Spellmaker continues in the mystery from Spellbreaker, we now know who is behind the murders but they are missing. Our two main characters have to figure out how to get to this person all while navigating their feelings for one another. The writing was detailed and the magic system was explained a bit more. The romance was very well written and I loved the mutual pining for each other. There was a lot of tension between Elsie and Bacchus since they both thought their feelings were one-sided, and it was gratifying once they finally communicated and revealed their feelings. I think there should have been more focus on the side characters, especially Reggie. It was hard to know his motivations, and for most of the book, I thought he was playing Elsie and working for the villain. The ending felt somewhat anti-climactic after waiting almost the entire book for the main villain to show up, but it did have a good conclusion and I like where all the characters ended up.

This is my favourite duology ever! The only thing I didn't like about the series was that is has only two books. But I must admit that the two books fit each other perfectly. Anything left open in the first book is reseloved in the second one. The story picks up only a few weeks after the events of the first one. Elsie is trown into jail for unregistered spellbreaking and struggles with the events of the last half of the fist book. The real criminal is still at large and Elsie teams up with her friends and aquaintances to catch them. The book held some really unecpected plot twists and the mystery aspect did not fall short for me. Elsies internal struggles (the feeling of being unlovable and her involvement in the events of the last book) make her a relatable, kind and caring person. Bacchus is as lovable as Elsie, since he also is kind, caring and compassinate. The love story between him and Elsie is so sweet (I gasped at their cuteness on more than one occasion) and I was so glad to see it resolved happily. The worldbuilding and magic system are immaculate. The magic is different from other books I've read so far which was very refreshing, and I have recently found to enjoy the setting of victorian England immensely. I can't help but praise this book in every aspect. If you are a fan of Jane Austen and fantasy (and don't mind the two of them combined) I suggest you read this book.

I didn’t simply read this book, I inhaled it. Objectively, I preferred the first volume, but I was too excited and it is indeed quite the page turner. With almost all the major revelations taking place a the end of the first book, there is not much mystery in this one. It’s more action packed and it has its share of exciting twists. This being said, the budding romance between Elsie and Bacchus shifting to light speed with a rather common trope, I didn’t like very much. In my opinion, the fake-marriage-but-not-that-fake thing is better left to fanfiction. I was a bit disappointed because I’d have preferred their relationship to evolve more naturally and I’m convinced that we’ve been robbed of what could have been quite the proposal! The subplot centered around Elsie’s origins also felt a little rushed to me, but it does leave an open door for further exploration in a potential third book (fingers crossed!). I did like this novel, but I think it could have been a little more realistic if all the plots didn’t have a somewhat easy happy ending with a bow on top. It’s frustrating because I really enjoyed this universe, the atmosphere and the characters of this duopoly, but to me it was missing a little something extra to make it truly gripping. It was nonetheless a very pleasing read and definitely what I needed to finish the year on a high note!