Spellbreaker
Charlie N. Holmberg
4/5
Set in an alternative Victorian era London, magic is the method of the wealthy and those who can pay and who are capable can create amazing and terrifying things. Elsie Camden is a spellbreaker, she can see the magic and unravel it so that it no longer functions. She is unregistered though and if she is caught she will be arrested and possibly executed. When Bacchus Kelsey finds her undoing one of his spells, he threatens to expose her if she doesn't assist him with breaking a few spells around his friend's estate.
I know it's a little niche, but I love Victorian/regency era fantasy books. It's kind of like paranormal but without the added stress of the real world. Elsie is a pretty good protagonist, she has trauma but can't help being a little gullible just like all good protagonists. There's also the mystery of the extent of her powers which is set up to be a point of interest in the second. I honestly can't understand how this is going to end in a duology because there's so much going on.
I wouldn't really call this a romance. There are romantic elements and an obvious romantic subplot forming between the protagonists in the expected way but it's not really a huge part of the story. I'm looking forward to it being developed a little more in the next book but I'm also scared because I read the description and it seems like a lot is happening all at once. I still found it to be a highly enjoyable read though and would recommend it for fantasy fans who like a bit of a historical twist. It's not super historical at all aside from the clothing and the customs and lack of technology, but it really adds to the ambience of the story.
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