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The Cursebreakers #1
Cursebreakers
Adrien Desfourneaux, professor of magic and disgraced ex-physician, has discovered a conspiracy. Someone is inflicting magical comas on the inhabitants of the massive city of Astrum, and no one knows how or why. Caught between a faction of scheming magical academics and an explosive schism in the ranks of the Astrum’s power-hungry military, Adrien is swallowed by the growing chaos. Alongside Gennady, an unruly, damaged young soldier, and Malise, a brilliant healer and Adrien’s best friend, Adrien searches for a way to stop the spreading curse before the city implodes. He must survive his own bipolar disorder, his self-destructive tendencies, and his entanglement with the man who doesn’t love him back.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 12, 2023
26 people are currently reading
972 people want to read
About the author
Madeleine Nakamura
2 books41 followersMadeleine Nakamura is a writer and editor based in Los Angeles and the author of the fantasy novel Cursebreakers. A lifelong fantasy devotee, she began writing her first novel the day she realized a computer science degree wasn’t happening.
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April 29, 2024
If I could see through walls, I could see you're faking / If you could see my thoughts, you would see our faces (Ivy – Frank Ocean).
The thing about loving a book is that it always has me on the cusp of saying something weird. I honestly couldn’t count the number of times I stopped mid-chapter, thought for a second, and was like, “Man, I want to eat this book.” Odd thing to think, huh? Good thing I never said it aloud or put it in writing, because that would be pretty embarrassing. Besides, that’s probably the wrong turn-of-phrase anyway, because this book was thoroughly heartbreaking. Not overly dour or cold, but rather, raw and emotionally devastating… in a cleansing kind of way. Like I was scrubbed clean. Seriously though, I ache just thinking about it. This was a fantastic book, and due in no small part to the fact that Adrien was one of the most fully fleshed out main characters that I’ve ever encountered in a long, long time. In many ways he reminded me of Mordin Solus from Mass Effect (Warning: nerdy info-dump incoming), who is an alien scientist living in quiet regret for his part in working on a bio-weapon called the Genophage; its sole purpose being to sterilize another race (the Krogan) and effectively force them to live on the brink of extinction. Similarly, Adrien and Mordin are both wholly unapologetic about their insufferable genius. They know they're the smartest in the room and want everybody else to know it too. They also both constantly prattle on and on about how the ends justify the means. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t change the fact that they’re constantly wondering at how important the ever elusive “greater good” even is when looking at how darkened their souls have become. I painted him in a rather bad light, but I promise that Adrien garners a fair bit of sympathy immediately just by how depressing his life has become. He lives his days consumed with the guilt at his own sordid and unethical experiments that continue to haunt him to this day. I know it's hard to love a superior know-it-all... but the thing is, I honestly liked him from his first words spoken. He's got this muted politeness that I usually only see in classic fiction, giving this book a wonderful juxtaposition in how the terrible events happening on the page are presented. But ignoring his Edgar Allan Poe-esque narration style for a moment, I need to point out that this book really isn’t an endless, depressing slog about people feeling sorry for themselves. Sure, it’s messy and ugly at times, but I like to see it as being about the process of freeing yourself and finding the strength to move forward, despite the past, or maybe because of it. I also appreciated that Adrien is never fully let off the hook either. Empathy alone doesn't equate to absolution. He knows that there are no such thing as halfway crooks and that he’s done terrible things, but he doesn’t know how to fix it other than hate himself for his past mistakes. What more is there to say or do?
Well, as it turns out, there’s plenty. Ch-ch-changes! For one, he could try again. Maybe you can’t make it right, but you can do better. What I found the most interesting (and refreshing), is that... this is a book full of cowardice. From every side-character to even Adrien himself, an inescapable fear seeps its way through every page. I feel it's important to mention this because it's what drives every character's actions throughout. It's all filtered through their fear! And because the novel is written this way, it only helps to highlight their acts of bravery all the more and makes them shine that much brighter. We watch as this story goes into painful detail on how inaction to injustice has only ever allowed problems to fester and get worse. Is it that people can’t do anything, or that they simply won’t? You know, “Get up, Stand up!” Even though Adrien is unwell and has to fight because his mouth’s too slick, I was surprised at how relieved I found myself when he was finally able to do the right thing in the end. In his own way. Was it to assuage the guilt eating away at him or because he was basically forced into a situation where he has to confront his naked complacency headlong? Probably both. But, I think a more important question to ask is… does it even matter in the end? I'm generally of the mind that a good deed is a good deed, regardless of intent. There’s something about following reluctant heroes that always inspires me. When danger comes, every fiber of their being tells them to run, to save themselves, but then a much smaller, stronger, part of them makes them stay. Ahh, that's the good stuff. I could cry. Yeah so, this was an incredibly powerful read. The way it manages to create a sensitive dialogue around mental illness, addiction, and societal corruption all within a detailed and complicated fantasy world was a wonder to behold. It's nothing short of a miracle that it worked at all! A lot of fantasy stories like to fall back on tried-and-true and inherent shared knowledge that we all seem to have about fantasy worlds (here are the elves, here are the orcs, etc.), so it’s nice to see one that’s not only immersive in its world-building, but also sets out to say something. I tend to overuse passive voice, but I can say with my whole heart that this book is categorically excellent. Had to bold it to really get my point across. Anyway, I think it’s safe to say that I read a lot, and every now and then, I sometimes find myself speed-reading, skim-skimming, just so I can find out what happens next quicker. Like I’m trying to win the book, or something. Whatever that means. It takes a book like this to knock me back into my senses. Cursebreakers dared me to keep turning the page, and yet, demanded my patience all the same. While I wish the ending chapters showed the aftermath in more clarity, I think all I really wanted was more. More of this world, more of these characters, and more from this author. Either way, all I can say is... I’m ravenous.
“I’m tired of my life being about better soon.”
The thing about loving a book is that it always has me on the cusp of saying something weird. I honestly couldn’t count the number of times I stopped mid-chapter, thought for a second, and was like, “Man, I want to eat this book.” Odd thing to think, huh? Good thing I never said it aloud or put it in writing, because that would be pretty embarrassing. Besides, that’s probably the wrong turn-of-phrase anyway, because this book was thoroughly heartbreaking. Not overly dour or cold, but rather, raw and emotionally devastating… in a cleansing kind of way. Like I was scrubbed clean. Seriously though, I ache just thinking about it. This was a fantastic book, and due in no small part to the fact that Adrien was one of the most fully fleshed out main characters that I’ve ever encountered in a long, long time. In many ways he reminded me of Mordin Solus from Mass Effect (Warning: nerdy info-dump incoming), who is an alien scientist living in quiet regret for his part in working on a bio-weapon called the Genophage; its sole purpose being to sterilize another race (the Krogan) and effectively force them to live on the brink of extinction. Similarly, Adrien and Mordin are both wholly unapologetic about their insufferable genius. They know they're the smartest in the room and want everybody else to know it too. They also both constantly prattle on and on about how the ends justify the means. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t change the fact that they’re constantly wondering at how important the ever elusive “greater good” even is when looking at how darkened their souls have become. I painted him in a rather bad light, but I promise that Adrien garners a fair bit of sympathy immediately just by how depressing his life has become. He lives his days consumed with the guilt at his own sordid and unethical experiments that continue to haunt him to this day. I know it's hard to love a superior know-it-all... but the thing is, I honestly liked him from his first words spoken. He's got this muted politeness that I usually only see in classic fiction, giving this book a wonderful juxtaposition in how the terrible events happening on the page are presented. But ignoring his Edgar Allan Poe-esque narration style for a moment, I need to point out that this book really isn’t an endless, depressing slog about people feeling sorry for themselves. Sure, it’s messy and ugly at times, but I like to see it as being about the process of freeing yourself and finding the strength to move forward, despite the past, or maybe because of it. I also appreciated that Adrien is never fully let off the hook either. Empathy alone doesn't equate to absolution. He knows that there are no such thing as halfway crooks and that he’s done terrible things, but he doesn’t know how to fix it other than hate himself for his past mistakes. What more is there to say or do?
Well, as it turns out, there’s plenty. Ch-ch-changes! For one, he could try again. Maybe you can’t make it right, but you can do better. What I found the most interesting (and refreshing), is that... this is a book full of cowardice. From every side-character to even Adrien himself, an inescapable fear seeps its way through every page. I feel it's important to mention this because it's what drives every character's actions throughout. It's all filtered through their fear! And because the novel is written this way, it only helps to highlight their acts of bravery all the more and makes them shine that much brighter. We watch as this story goes into painful detail on how inaction to injustice has only ever allowed problems to fester and get worse. Is it that people can’t do anything, or that they simply won’t? You know, “Get up, Stand up!” Even though Adrien is unwell and has to fight because his mouth’s too slick, I was surprised at how relieved I found myself when he was finally able to do the right thing in the end. In his own way. Was it to assuage the guilt eating away at him or because he was basically forced into a situation where he has to confront his naked complacency headlong? Probably both. But, I think a more important question to ask is… does it even matter in the end? I'm generally of the mind that a good deed is a good deed, regardless of intent. There’s something about following reluctant heroes that always inspires me. When danger comes, every fiber of their being tells them to run, to save themselves, but then a much smaller, stronger, part of them makes them stay. Ahh, that's the good stuff. I could cry. Yeah so, this was an incredibly powerful read. The way it manages to create a sensitive dialogue around mental illness, addiction, and societal corruption all within a detailed and complicated fantasy world was a wonder to behold. It's nothing short of a miracle that it worked at all! A lot of fantasy stories like to fall back on tried-and-true and inherent shared knowledge that we all seem to have about fantasy worlds (here are the elves, here are the orcs, etc.), so it’s nice to see one that’s not only immersive in its world-building, but also sets out to say something. I tend to overuse passive voice, but I can say with my whole heart that this book is categorically excellent. Had to bold it to really get my point across. Anyway, I think it’s safe to say that I read a lot, and every now and then, I sometimes find myself speed-reading, skim-skimming, just so I can find out what happens next quicker. Like I’m trying to win the book, or something. Whatever that means. It takes a book like this to knock me back into my senses. Cursebreakers dared me to keep turning the page, and yet, demanded my patience all the same. While I wish the ending chapters showed the aftermath in more clarity, I think all I really wanted was more. More of this world, more of these characters, and more from this author. Either way, all I can say is... I’m ravenous.
“I’m tired of my life being about better soon.”
May 5, 2023
“In my greater and lesser moments, I fear that I must be fated for sainthood.”
Holy crap this book was so good. I don’t know how else to put it, just wow. Everything I love about dark academia and adult fantasy was laid out in Cursebreakers so masterfully. The mental health representation across the board—particularly when it comes to our lead character—was so well done it had me in tears; Adrien has got to be one of my favourite protagonists ever. Thus is a truly impressive debut by Nakamura.
~★~ Characters ~★~
Cursebreakers follows Adrien Desforneaux, a magics professor with a dark past. Ridiculed by both his peers and students for a mistake he can never forget, Adrien’s mental health begins to fail him, with fits of akrasia and his ‘daemon’ tending to control him at the worst of times. When the military starts surveilling the academy on orders of a witch hunt, it becomes apparent that people across the city are falling mysteriously comatose. Adrien becomes immediately caught up in the conspiracy, with only Gennady—a young and broken soldier—posing as his reluctant ally.
────── {⋆★⋆} ──────
You know those books that hook you from the first line? This was definitely one of them. That quote above is the opening line of Cursebreakers, and in my opinion it establishes both a great sense of anticipation for the plot to come, and immediate intrigue towards the protagonist. I adored the almost pretentious quality to Adrien’s internal monologue, eloquent even when he felt like crumbling from the inside out. His self-destructive tendencies—paired with a keen sense of self-awareness—made it impossible not to root for his happiness and ultimate recovery. Nakamura does a spectacular job representing his mental health struggles (I was in so much pain) while leaving room for hope in the small moments that Adrien finds solace in friends like Gennady and Malise.
Characters are the lifeblood of every story I read. While Adrien alone was enough to maintain my interest, I was almost equally as enraptured by Gennady. Having a young solider (who’s ideals should oppose yours) follow you around and pretend to hate you? While they’re actually kind of eager to be your friend? It is such a sweet dynamic. The initial hostility between Adrian and Gennady dissipates into a really beautiful friendship, like a platonic enemies to lovers!!
Speaking of lovers….. there’s no real romance in Cursebreakers, but the unrequited love Adrien feels for his best friend is a constant throughout most of the story. It hurts so good, I felt tiny swoops in my stomach at some of the offhand lines Adrien thought towards him. The yearning. Wanting someone with your whole heart, knowing you’ll never have them…. I never knew the trope would hit me so hard.
This is an unexpected favourite for sure, but a new favourite nonetheless. Nakamura really did her thing… I’ll be looking out for her future works for sure!
Thank you to Netgalley and Red Hen Press for the arc!
June 1, 2023
OH. MY. GOD.
you guys, it aggrieves me that this book doesn't come out until september, because it was so fucking good, and i desperately need to talk about it; i picked this up on edelweiss because it looked interesting and found one of the top two favourite books of the year. thank you to edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy. cursebreakers is vivid, deeply character-driven, intensely atmospheric, and an emotional rollercoaster of the best kind.
we focus on adrien desfournaux, a professor of magic. he's immensely flawed but also immensely likable and endearing to the reader - yes, he's smarter than everyone, somewhat of a narcissist, needy, and prone to poor decision making, all of which he readily admits. adrien is also bipolar, which factors heavily into the plot and his character. nakamura writes his voice and narration masterfully. adrien has a keen awareness of how his illness affects him and others, but he can't always follow through on what's best for him, and you see how his struggle with mania and depression affect his actions throughout the plot.
there's also gennady, the rude, impulsive, and angry young lieutenant who manages to endear himsef to both adrien and the reader, who's trying his best to be a better person, even if he doesn't always succeed. i loved their dynamic so much - it's two people who, despite their best efforts, end up caring deeply for one another, even if they're Bad at showing it.
one standout relationship was that of adrien and casmir, which at one point made me scream through my teeth. their heartbreaking dynamic and often tummultuous relationship isn't the focus of the story, and it's not really romantic, but god, i adored it so much, it hurt so good, and adrien's character development surrounding casmir and the complexity of that relationship was so well written.
the worldbuilding is so thorough and vivid as well -- it feels fantastical and familliar at the same time. i do wish there was a glossary at the end because i had trouble remembering the government system and everything, but figuring out what the fantasy counterpart to our real-world terms is fairly intuitive in the end. the plot comes at you with full force, bar some quiet moments of calm before the storm, and it's incredibly engaging; i couldn't stop reading, and when i was forced to stop reading, i couldn't stop thinking about this book.
if you liked witchmark by C.L. polk or borderline by mishell baker, cursebreakers shares a lot of similar elements with both books, or if you like dark academia and strange and sometiems painful but oddly endearing character dynamics. please read this book because i need to scream at someone about it. thank you
we focus on adrien desfournaux, a professor of magic. he's immensely flawed but also immensely likable and endearing to the reader - yes, he's smarter than everyone, somewhat of a narcissist, needy, and prone to poor decision making, all of which he readily admits. adrien is also bipolar, which factors heavily into the plot and his character. nakamura writes his voice and narration masterfully. adrien has a keen awareness of how his illness affects him and others, but he can't always follow through on what's best for him, and you see how his struggle with mania and depression affect his actions throughout the plot.
there's also gennady, the rude, impulsive, and angry young lieutenant who manages to endear himsef to both adrien and the reader, who's trying his best to be a better person, even if he doesn't always succeed. i loved their dynamic so much - it's two people who, despite their best efforts, end up caring deeply for one another, even if they're Bad at showing it.
one standout relationship was that of adrien and casmir, which at one point made me scream through my teeth. their heartbreaking dynamic and often tummultuous relationship isn't the focus of the story, and it's not really romantic, but god, i adored it so much, it hurt so good, and adrien's character development surrounding casmir and the complexity of that relationship was so well written.
the worldbuilding is so thorough and vivid as well -- it feels fantastical and familliar at the same time. i do wish there was a glossary at the end because i had trouble remembering the government system and everything, but figuring out what the fantasy counterpart to our real-world terms is fairly intuitive in the end. the plot comes at you with full force, bar some quiet moments of calm before the storm, and it's incredibly engaging; i couldn't stop reading, and when i was forced to stop reading, i couldn't stop thinking about this book.
if you liked witchmark by C.L. polk or borderline by mishell baker, cursebreakers shares a lot of similar elements with both books, or if you like dark academia and strange and sometiems painful but oddly endearing character dynamics. please read this book because i need to scream at someone about it. thank you
December 29, 2023
Welp, I have a massive book hangover now.
Cursebreakers is the story of a conspiracy between a group of magicians and a subset the military force that oppresses them. It's also the story of Adrien, a magician, professor and disgraced physician as he tries to navigate his akrasia (this world's equivalent to bipolar disorder), his guilt over the failed experiment that cost him his job and reputation and the complex relationships he has with the people around him.
I found this book to be, at times, emotionally devastating. And that's saying something with me - I got through the entirety of The Song of Achilles with barely an emotional flicker. There were some scenes that made me unbelievably sad and angry on Adrien's behalf, particularly when it comes to his relationship with Casmir, his "keeper" (a figure who takes care of him and has legal power over him during his episodes) and the man he's in unrequited love with.
While I appreciate that the author makes Casmir a complex character with both his flaws and his virtues, and while Adrien is certainly not without his faults, I have to admit it's been a while since I loathed a fictional character quite this much. He's a spineless, self-important coward and quite honestly I had more respect for some of the villains than I had for him.
Instead, I loved Adrien as a protagonist. He's an unconventional choice for the protagonist of a fantasy novel. He's neurodivergent, he's in his forties, and, despite being a very skilled magician, he's a non-combatant and never really learns to fight over the course of the novel. He's not equipped to deal with the situation he finds himself in, and he acts like it. He spends most of the book terrified. And this makes him one of the bravest fictional characters I've encountered in a while - he's scared, he's aware of the danger he's putting himself in, but he acts anyway.
The rest of the cast was similarly great. I adored Gennady, the young soldier who is Adrien's primary ally in unraveling the conspiracy. His relationship with Adrien is fascinating - they start out as natural enemies, and then slowly come to rely on and trust each other. Adrien eventually becomes something in between a mentor and almost a father figure for him.
Cursebreakers delivered on something I really wish we saw more of in fantasy: it's a story largely set in a magical school told from the point of view of one of the professors, and also depicts an (unconventional) mentor-pupil relationship from the point of view of the mentor.
There are some aspects of the book that might not be for everyone: I found the prose to be gorgeous, but it is archaic, which might put some people off, and the world-building, while complex and fully realized, only delivered enough exposition to allow the reader to follow the story, and no more. This didn't bother me, as I'm not someone who primarily reads fantasy for the world-building, and what we saw was fascinating enough for me. I particularly loved the approach to magic, which is treated as a science to be studied.
It's also not a flawless book. The pacing, in particular, was at times both too fast and too slow, with the intrigue/conspiracy plot not always merging perfectly with the character-driven aspect. However, I was enjoying the story and the characters too much to really be bothered by the occasional pacing issue. It's a stunning debut and will probably be one of my favorite books of the year.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Cursebreakers is the story of a conspiracy between a group of magicians and a subset the military force that oppresses them. It's also the story of Adrien, a magician, professor and disgraced physician as he tries to navigate his akrasia (this world's equivalent to bipolar disorder), his guilt over the failed experiment that cost him his job and reputation and the complex relationships he has with the people around him.
I found this book to be, at times, emotionally devastating. And that's saying something with me - I got through the entirety of The Song of Achilles with barely an emotional flicker. There were some scenes that made me unbelievably sad and angry on Adrien's behalf, particularly when it comes to his relationship with Casmir, his "keeper" (a figure who takes care of him and has legal power over him during his episodes) and the man he's in unrequited love with.
While I appreciate that the author makes Casmir a complex character with both his flaws and his virtues, and while Adrien is certainly not without his faults, I have to admit it's been a while since I loathed a fictional character quite this much. He's a spineless, self-important coward and quite honestly I had more respect for some of the villains than I had for him.
Instead, I loved Adrien as a protagonist. He's an unconventional choice for the protagonist of a fantasy novel. He's neurodivergent, he's in his forties, and, despite being a very skilled magician, he's a non-combatant and never really learns to fight over the course of the novel. He's not equipped to deal with the situation he finds himself in, and he acts like it. He spends most of the book terrified. And this makes him one of the bravest fictional characters I've encountered in a while - he's scared, he's aware of the danger he's putting himself in, but he acts anyway.
The rest of the cast was similarly great. I adored Gennady, the young soldier who is Adrien's primary ally in unraveling the conspiracy. His relationship with Adrien is fascinating - they start out as natural enemies, and then slowly come to rely on and trust each other. Adrien eventually becomes something in between a mentor and almost a father figure for him.
Cursebreakers delivered on something I really wish we saw more of in fantasy: it's a story largely set in a magical school told from the point of view of one of the professors, and also depicts an (unconventional) mentor-pupil relationship from the point of view of the mentor.
There are some aspects of the book that might not be for everyone: I found the prose to be gorgeous, but it is archaic, which might put some people off, and the world-building, while complex and fully realized, only delivered enough exposition to allow the reader to follow the story, and no more. This didn't bother me, as I'm not someone who primarily reads fantasy for the world-building, and what we saw was fascinating enough for me. I particularly loved the approach to magic, which is treated as a science to be studied.
It's also not a flawless book. The pacing, in particular, was at times both too fast and too slow, with the intrigue/conspiracy plot not always merging perfectly with the character-driven aspect. However, I was enjoying the story and the characters too much to really be bothered by the occasional pacing issue. It's a stunning debut and will probably be one of my favorite books of the year.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
January 2, 2024
2 leaning towards 2.5. I think my biggest issues with the book stem from the world building because everything hinges on understanding it’s function and social structure but it’s like … not ever clearly explained . Or maybe it is and I missed it IDK. The stakes were functionally nonexistent . Why is this happening who are these people what even is this curse and what does it do and why should we care anyway. Also the actual building of the world is just .. hand waved . I mean Adrien is driving around to all these places but I literally have no concept of where any of it is in relationship to each other ? Was it an hour ? Two hours? How do you have the time to do all these things ?? It doesn’t feel plausible . Plus people are literally fighting and killing each other right in front of him and he just doesn’t care? I feel like seeing piles of dead bodies including those of people you worked with might have lasting effects . Everything was so rushed but also shallow but also slow as hell idk okay rant over . Just I feel like this book had a lot of potential and fell really short
April 29, 2025
✧₊‧˚⁀➷ 4.0/5 .ᐟ
❝ “Great,” he said, and stood up, uncomfortable with the effort of holding a sincere conversation for more than five seconds. “I’ve got to leave now.”
❝ “Great,” he said, and stood up, uncomfortable with the effort of holding a sincere conversation for more than five seconds. “I’ve got to leave now.”
September 16, 2023
I read an advanced copy of this book, so the final edition of the book might be slightly different. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.
I’m honestly struggling with how exactly to review this, because I loved it and yet it seems so incomparable to other books I’ve read and loved. There is just something extremely unique about this book that I can’t really explain, but it just felt very fresh.
At its core, Cursebreakers is a blend of dark academia and fantasy, with a strong focus on mental health. It takes place in a society that both covets magic and the progress it can bring, while also cowering from it. There are three main branches of power in society, one of which is focused on expanding magic, while the other two are focused on controlling it. I think a lot of this book’s uniqueness comes from this precarious balance the society seems balanced on. Magic is not outlawed or shackled entirely, but it is also far from free. Magicians are taught to fear the Vigil and witch hunters, but yet still have power of their own. It means that magicians, such as our main character Adrien, spend their lives walking a tight rope between learning about and using their magic, and being thrown in jail for it. This potential danger seems to be the driving force for most of the plot of this book, and yet it’s never actually as simple as that either. There’s always more going on than we originally think, and it leads to some interesting dilemmas as the story unfolds further and further. There are unlikely allies on all sides, and so much scheming and politicking that it makes for an extremely captivating read.
However, even though the plot was enthralling, it actually wasn’t my favorite part of the book. I found the characters, and their specific struggles, even more interesting. Adrien especially grew on me rather quickly, and I ended up really enjoying the way he saw the world and spoke with others. I also loved watching him grow as the story went on, even as he struggled with his mental health (bipolar disorder). His internal struggle and story blended extremely well with the overall plot, and I loved watching him work through his confidence and guilt about his past while trying to stop all these terrible things from happening again. His partnership with Gennady, one of the Vigil that is always supposed to be his enemy, was specifically my favorite part of this book. Their conversations (and arguments) were always so fascinating, and I enjoyed reading them go back and forth. Their personalities are also very distinct from each other, so it made for interesting scenes and conversations as the story went on as well. There was also a quality to the characters that I really only find in a few stories, like Natasha Pulley’s, though Adrien and Gennady are still very much their own people. It’s hard to explain, but it’s just a combination of depth and humanity that the characters seem to have, a feeling of realness that’s often hard to accomplish.
Overall, I thought every part of this book was extremely well-done. I was surprised this book was only actually 280 pages, as it felt like such a deeper story than that page count usually allows. Everything that was introduced is explored well, from complex family relationships and friendships to struggles with mental health. It felt like everything was handled with care as well, and finding books that manage to both introduce difficult topics and explore them sufficiently is often quite hard!
Cursebreakers is definitely worth the read, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more books by Madeleine Nakamura in the future!
I’m honestly struggling with how exactly to review this, because I loved it and yet it seems so incomparable to other books I’ve read and loved. There is just something extremely unique about this book that I can’t really explain, but it just felt very fresh.
At its core, Cursebreakers is a blend of dark academia and fantasy, with a strong focus on mental health. It takes place in a society that both covets magic and the progress it can bring, while also cowering from it. There are three main branches of power in society, one of which is focused on expanding magic, while the other two are focused on controlling it. I think a lot of this book’s uniqueness comes from this precarious balance the society seems balanced on. Magic is not outlawed or shackled entirely, but it is also far from free. Magicians are taught to fear the Vigil and witch hunters, but yet still have power of their own. It means that magicians, such as our main character Adrien, spend their lives walking a tight rope between learning about and using their magic, and being thrown in jail for it. This potential danger seems to be the driving force for most of the plot of this book, and yet it’s never actually as simple as that either. There’s always more going on than we originally think, and it leads to some interesting dilemmas as the story unfolds further and further. There are unlikely allies on all sides, and so much scheming and politicking that it makes for an extremely captivating read.
However, even though the plot was enthralling, it actually wasn’t my favorite part of the book. I found the characters, and their specific struggles, even more interesting. Adrien especially grew on me rather quickly, and I ended up really enjoying the way he saw the world and spoke with others. I also loved watching him grow as the story went on, even as he struggled with his mental health (bipolar disorder). His internal struggle and story blended extremely well with the overall plot, and I loved watching him work through his confidence and guilt about his past while trying to stop all these terrible things from happening again. His partnership with Gennady, one of the Vigil that is always supposed to be his enemy, was specifically my favorite part of this book. Their conversations (and arguments) were always so fascinating, and I enjoyed reading them go back and forth. Their personalities are also very distinct from each other, so it made for interesting scenes and conversations as the story went on as well. There was also a quality to the characters that I really only find in a few stories, like Natasha Pulley’s, though Adrien and Gennady are still very much their own people. It’s hard to explain, but it’s just a combination of depth and humanity that the characters seem to have, a feeling of realness that’s often hard to accomplish.
Overall, I thought every part of this book was extremely well-done. I was surprised this book was only actually 280 pages, as it felt like such a deeper story than that page count usually allows. Everything that was introduced is explored well, from complex family relationships and friendships to struggles with mental health. It felt like everything was handled with care as well, and finding books that manage to both introduce difficult topics and explore them sufficiently is often quite hard!
Cursebreakers is definitely worth the read, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more books by Madeleine Nakamura in the future!
July 5, 2024
sometimes, I pick up a book off the carts only because I don't recognize it and it looks like it could be gay. sometimes those books turn out boring, sometimes they're fascinating. this one was fascinating!
I do tend to veer more precious in my reading habits, so sitting with these deeply flawed and broken characters made me feel so tense. The magic here is interesting, the world is big and we only see little parts of it (reminds me of reading Martha Wells fantasy novels). so so many made up magical words.
SO NICE to have 40 something characters! Adults!!!
I do tend to veer more precious in my reading habits, so sitting with these deeply flawed and broken characters made me feel so tense. The magic here is interesting, the world is big and we only see little parts of it (reminds me of reading Martha Wells fantasy novels). so so many made up magical words.
SO NICE to have 40 something characters! Adults!!!
August 7, 2023
In my greater and lesser moments, I fear that I must be fated for sainthood. Martyrdom, then, as they're so often one and the same.
★★★★★
Sometimes you read the first chapter, or dare I say even the very first line of a book, and you just know that it's going to have a death-grip on you from beginning to end. After finishing the little prologue to Nakamura's debut Cursebreakers, I felt that exact way. This book is a wholly unique concoction - a fantastic amalgamation of mystery and steampunk, sprinkled with a dash of dark academia conspiracies and mental daimons. I loved every second of it.
➺ The plot: magic, mind control, and militarism
All is not right at the Pharmakeia, one of Astrum's foremost schools for the education of magicians. More and more of the Pharmakeia students are disappearing from its halls, only to show up again with a mysterious curse that leaves them in a comatose state. Meanwhile, the Vigil is becoming an increasingly overbearing military presence at the institution given the current tensions.
Adrien Desfourneaux is a Pharmakeia professor who is trying to run from the mistakes of his past while struggling daily with the precarious nature of his mental health. When the curse becomes increasingly entangled with his history as a disgraced ex-physician and the events that led to his downfall, Adrien becomes an unwitting participant in a struggle between forces much bigger than himself.
Cursebreakers is an engaging mystery. I did think the story was, however, more about the journey rather than the actual "whodunit" aspect. You get to know kind of early on who is partly behind the curse. It's really this gradual unraveling of events and the breadth of their reach that kept me hooked on the core plot.
➺ The setting: steampunk adult fantasy meets dark academia
The world of Cursebreakers is divided by those who possess magic (which is based on the elements) and those who do not. This is by no means a novel concept. It is, however, a lot less straightforward than it sounds. One of the big reveals in the book is that the people behind the Pharmakeia "curse" are experimenting on students and soldiers in an attempt to impart magic on them by breaking down the barriers of the mind. I found this interesting, as it implies that all people may be capable of magic. Various concepts related to the "mind" are also prominent themes throughout the book.
You get the sense that there is so much more to this universe outside of our little view of the Pharmakeia. That is always an impressive achievement for an author - to make a larger world feel expansive and lived in even though we are only shown a small glimpse of it. There are two empresses, complex tensions between opposing military and magical factions, brainwashed child soldiers who are mind linked to these canine-like beings called "raches," and witchfinders with mekhania eyes. Everything was so vivid even though Nakamura doesn't spend page after page on worldbuilding.
➺ The characters: peak enemies-to-frenemies
One of the greater ravages of my daimon is that I can never trust myself. My judgement is worthless. My instincts are perennially suspect. Every emotion is a potential mirage; my basic self is pathologized.
But when all's said and done, for me at least, a good setting and magic system can only get you so far. It's really the characters that elevate a story, and the characters in Cursebreakers were glorious. I absolutely loved our narrator, the magician Adrien Desfourneaux. It's been a while since I was this invested in a protagonist, and I liked that the POV character was a professor rather than a student in a magical school setting. Adrien is such an atypical and flawed hero. He's in his 40s, an academic professor rather than a fighter, and a man who struggles continuously with what appears to be bipolar disorder. His narrative voice is very distinct - rich in witty sarcasm but also with this underlying sense of crushing self deprecation. Adrien is fascinating in all his contradictions. He views himself as cowardly, but his actions continually speak otherwise. He views himself as solitary and aloof, but we see just how much he cares for the wellbeing of his students and his closest friends.
Adrien is also an unreliable narrator. We reach a point in the story where the people around him question whether or not the things that transpire are real or a fictitious byproduct of his illness, and even we begin to doubt how much of what he is conveying to us is not clouded by his state of mind. Seeing how the spiraling events takes a toll on Adrien's mental health and the way in which his friends and even the reader doubts him because of his illness was particularly devastating.
"So? How are you, Gennady?"
Lady put her head down on the floor, gazing up at me. "I don't know," Gennady said. "I never know. It's always a mystery to me."
The other character we spend a lot of time with is the bloodthirsty Vigil soldier Gennady Richter. Like Adrien, he also is an incredibly fascinating individual. Gennady is rude, impulsive, and extremely unpredictable. Also a little bit too eager to solve problems through
He had imprinted on me, I realized with despair: I'd shown him some modicum of attention, and I was now his favorite magician. He was bizarre and unlikable - but he'd listened to my lectures, so he was half a student...
Honestly, Nakamura really hits it out of the park with the interactions and the bond that develops between Adrien and Gennady. Their friendship was 100% the highlight of the book for me, and I'd say that it's one of the best "enemies-to-frenemies" I've read in a while. The way they balance each other out and their searing quips were all at once fascinating, entertaining, and surprisingly...heartwarming. In the first half of the book Adrien is constantly reeling in Gennady and his violent tendencies, but by the second half when Adrien is the one about to do something unwise Gennady is just like "whatever" *eye roll* but then immediately goes to stop him out of concern. Peak platonic mentor-student relationship, I love them both, A+++ 👌
The side characters also were so good. Malise is Adrien's best friend and doctor, a literal angel, and just a genuinely good person. We could all use a Malise in our lives. Casmir I wanted to punch in the face. His dynamic with Adrien was so toxic and there were just too many red flags. He kept accusing Adrien of being cruel to HIM when honestly I think Casmir was the cruelest character in the story. Even more so than some of the villains. Casmir definitely gave me those gaslighting vibes and he was seriously a load of ICK. I'm very glad Adrien was starting to move on by the end of the book, as he deserved so much better.
All this to say that the incredible cast of characters really makes this book special. Cursebreakers is an impressive debut and standalone fantasy that likely will be one of my top reads of the year.
[Thank you to the publisher for the arc which I received through Netgalley. My review and thoughts on this book are entirely my own.]
— ♩♫♩ ~ The Truth
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2023
4.5/5, rounded down. I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley, admittedly about two minutes before I realized it was also available at my local library. Regardless, thank you to NetGalley and Red Hen Press / Canis Major Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Short version: Cursebreakers is a neat cross between urban-ish and gaslamp fantasy with cool quasi-dystopian vibes. Adrien is a disgraced physician-turned-professor who struggles with magical bipolar with psychotic features, a toxic relationship with his "keeper," and gets involved with solving a conspiracy with the help of a child soldier. He has a lot of trouble being believed due to his history of delusions. Very fun unreliable narration, particularly once I picked up on the unreliability having less to do with the bipolar and more with the history of medical gaslighting, and overall a book that I did not so much read as swallow.
Long version: As someone slated to receive my medical doctorate in about 5 months, I'm always a little bit too excited to read SFF books where major characters are (or, in this case: were) physicians; not for any reasons involving the nitpicking of various accuracies (or lack thereof), but just because I think it's fun and relatable.
Cursebreakers was an absolute breath of fresh air and I greatly enjoyed it. Even aside from its length, it read very quickly and I swallowed it all in a few hours. Adrien's internal narration is opinionated about everything he encounters, and characterizes himself and his surroundings extremely vividly. It's a joy as a reader to pick it apart. We are told he is an unreliable narrator, both by himself and by the people around him, but what really struck me is that we're told this because he has a magically-managed version of bipolar disorder with psychotic features... but in reality, a lot of his unreliable narration comes from being gaslit: by the people around him and also by himself, because he's been called unreliable so frequently that he's been trained into affirming even to himself that he's prone to delusions (and also unpleasant, and a bad friend, and overly snappish, and many more unkind things that he matter-of-factly asserts internally and which are not contradicted on the occasions that he asserts them out loud), nevermind that the very definition of a delusion is that one is incapable of being convinced that their beliefs are wrong.
I think there is a lot to be said for how Adrien is treated by his friends, and also how unfortunate it is that his two closest friends at the start of the book are also people who are medically responsible for him. There is a reason that our modern world has fairly strict rules about doctor-patient involvement, and as someone who has worked in inpatient psychiatric facilities with people experiencing psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations, there were many parts of Cursebreakers that struck me as a painfully accurate depiction of the trauma associated not just with being bipolar and psychotic but specifically with being profiled as a person who experiences psychosis, as well as the medical gaslighting that occurs when a person is decided to be "unreliable". The level of dismissiveness and active resentment disguised as beneficience that is directed toward Adrien by one of the people responsible for his wellbeing is so palpable (even as Adrien justifies it to himself via self-blame and claiming it's for his own good) that it did not surprise me when it came to a head.
Adrien is a very active character in terms of plot autonomy, but his self-perception is just extremely beaten down in a way that screams 'learned helplessness'. He is grateful for every tidbit of decency he receives from the person ("keeper") with power over him, as if it is a gift and not basic human respect; he rolls over with acquiescence any time he is blamed or disapproved of, his thoughts spiralling into self-deprecation even when he knows he is right; and especially telling, when he regretfully snaps at Gennady it is in a dehumanizing way that he immediately identifies as reminiscent of ways that he himself has been treated before.
Speaking of Gennady: I have less to say about him, other than that I loved him from the bottom of my heart. I love his enemies-to-mentor-and-student relationship with Adrien, I love the struggles he has with every relationship in his life and his issues with expressing himself, and I love how all of that happens despite his overt, rude straightforwardness. He is a fantastic foil to Adrien, who is tangled up in his own self-aggrandizing and self-deprecating thoughts. Also, I would like to pet Lady. I loved the concept of daemons from His Dark Materials way too much not to love weird soul-linked catdogs that can both howl and purr. Also also, as a small aside, having recently read Six of Crows: It is so damn refreshing to see someone get Russian naming conventions right with Genya and his sister. It really added a lovely layer of meaning to the familiarity he does or does not have with other characters.
My only quips with Cursebreakers are about plot plausibility. It seems like a lot of the plot progression, on the sides of both the protagonists AND the antagonists, happened due to willful inaction and lack of care on the part of basically every system of authority in the novel. Perhaps that was intentional (and after doing clinical rotations I'm certainly familiar with how weirdly easy it is to just walk into secure parts of the hospital if you look like you're supposed to be there), but after a certain point, it started feeling a little bit weird that 1) Adrien could basically go anywhere he wanted, whenever he wanted, and 2) that not one of the several different individuals of organizational leadership seemed to be willing to give a damn about what was happening until it escalated to a point way beyond what was necessary. That said, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story and I was willing to suspend my disbelief.
Anyway, there is a great deal more that goes on in this book apart from what I've talked about, but I am trying not to be here all day. Overall, it was a lovely book that I would highly recommend!
Short version: Cursebreakers is a neat cross between urban-ish and gaslamp fantasy with cool quasi-dystopian vibes. Adrien is a disgraced physician-turned-professor who struggles with magical bipolar with psychotic features, a toxic relationship with his "keeper," and gets involved with solving a conspiracy with the help of a child soldier. He has a lot of trouble being believed due to his history of delusions. Very fun unreliable narration, particularly once I picked up on the unreliability having less to do with the bipolar and more with the history of medical gaslighting, and overall a book that I did not so much read as swallow.
Long version: As someone slated to receive my medical doctorate in about 5 months, I'm always a little bit too excited to read SFF books where major characters are (or, in this case: were) physicians; not for any reasons involving the nitpicking of various accuracies (or lack thereof), but just because I think it's fun and relatable.
Cursebreakers was an absolute breath of fresh air and I greatly enjoyed it. Even aside from its length, it read very quickly and I swallowed it all in a few hours. Adrien's internal narration is opinionated about everything he encounters, and characterizes himself and his surroundings extremely vividly. It's a joy as a reader to pick it apart. We are told he is an unreliable narrator, both by himself and by the people around him, but what really struck me is that we're told this because he has a magically-managed version of bipolar disorder with psychotic features... but in reality, a lot of his unreliable narration comes from being gaslit: by the people around him and also by himself, because he's been called unreliable so frequently that he's been trained into affirming even to himself that he's prone to delusions (and also unpleasant, and a bad friend, and overly snappish, and many more unkind things that he matter-of-factly asserts internally and which are not contradicted on the occasions that he asserts them out loud), nevermind that the very definition of a delusion is that one is incapable of being convinced that their beliefs are wrong.
I think there is a lot to be said for how Adrien is treated by his friends, and also how unfortunate it is that his two closest friends at the start of the book are also people who are medically responsible for him. There is a reason that our modern world has fairly strict rules about doctor-patient involvement, and as someone who has worked in inpatient psychiatric facilities with people experiencing psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations, there were many parts of Cursebreakers that struck me as a painfully accurate depiction of the trauma associated not just with being bipolar and psychotic but specifically with being profiled as a person who experiences psychosis, as well as the medical gaslighting that occurs when a person is decided to be "unreliable". The level of dismissiveness and active resentment disguised as beneficience that is directed toward Adrien by one of the people responsible for his wellbeing is so palpable (even as Adrien justifies it to himself via self-blame and claiming it's for his own good) that it did not surprise me when it came to a head.
Adrien is a very active character in terms of plot autonomy, but his self-perception is just extremely beaten down in a way that screams 'learned helplessness'. He is grateful for every tidbit of decency he receives from the person ("keeper") with power over him, as if it is a gift and not basic human respect; he rolls over with acquiescence any time he is blamed or disapproved of, his thoughts spiralling into self-deprecation even when he knows he is right; and especially telling, when he regretfully snaps at Gennady it is in a dehumanizing way that he immediately identifies as reminiscent of ways that he himself has been treated before.
Speaking of Gennady: I have less to say about him, other than that I loved him from the bottom of my heart. I love his enemies-to-mentor-and-student relationship with Adrien, I love the struggles he has with every relationship in his life and his issues with expressing himself, and I love how all of that happens despite his overt, rude straightforwardness. He is a fantastic foil to Adrien, who is tangled up in his own self-aggrandizing and self-deprecating thoughts. Also, I would like to pet Lady. I loved the concept of daemons from His Dark Materials way too much not to love weird soul-linked catdogs that can both howl and purr. Also also, as a small aside, having recently read Six of Crows: It is so damn refreshing to see someone get Russian naming conventions right with Genya and his sister. It really added a lovely layer of meaning to the familiarity he does or does not have with other characters.
My only quips with Cursebreakers are about plot plausibility. It seems like a lot of the plot progression, on the sides of both the protagonists AND the antagonists, happened due to willful inaction and lack of care on the part of basically every system of authority in the novel. Perhaps that was intentional (and after doing clinical rotations I'm certainly familiar with how weirdly easy it is to just walk into secure parts of the hospital if you look like you're supposed to be there), but after a certain point, it started feeling a little bit weird that 1) Adrien could basically go anywhere he wanted, whenever he wanted, and 2) that not one of the several different individuals of organizational leadership seemed to be willing to give a damn about what was happening until it escalated to a point way beyond what was necessary. That said, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story and I was willing to suspend my disbelief.
Anyway, there is a great deal more that goes on in this book apart from what I've talked about, but I am trying not to be here all day. Overall, it was a lovely book that I would highly recommend!
June 11, 2023
"It's a wonderful feeling when the daimon cooperates with me. The sharpest joy in the cosmos, and a rage fit to kill."
Sometimes, you're lucky enough to know you're going to love a book from the very first paragraph. It's a rare feeling – especially when you can't know if the plot won't take any turns that will ruin the experience by the end of it. However, i got very lucky with "Cursebreakers".
Adrien Desfourneaux is a former healer with a dark past – his youthful experiments in attempts to eradicate akrasia, a mental illness he himself lives with, led to tragedy and destroyed the minds of his many patients. Having barely evaded witchcraft charges, he now teaches other young magicians how to hone in their talents. As he feels another episode build up and his daimon awaken, the institution he has dedicated his life to appears to be overtaken by a curse, as more and more students and soldiers fall into a comatose state, not unlike those adrien hurt years ago.
The build-up is slow. Nakamura takes care to establish the rules of the universe, the border between magic and technology, and build on the interpersonal relations. The world feels lived-in, revealing only bits and pieces of Adrien's past when he—as the narrator—sees it fit.
Speaking of Adrien himself, he is a wonderfully tragic protagonist. While there is a layer of unreliability, it's far more heartbreaking watching as the people he loves refuse to believe him based solely on his condition. While I can't say for certain whether this is good representation of bipolar disorder, Nakamura's depiction of akrasia and Adrien's shifts between manic and depressive states were convincing. The limitations of magic also made the universe's rules feel more realistic.
One thing I would've loved more of was the interpersonal relationships between Adrien and Malise and, particularly, Casmir. while this works perfectly as a standalone, part of me would love a prequel or a short story that delves more into the complicated feelings between Adrien and Casmir, especially given some of the things left unsaid in their fights.
The flowery prose and the archaic vocabulary won't work for some, but it's precisely the kind of writing style I love. It's a captivating mystery, with a painfully human cast of characters. September can't come soon enough so I can get my hands on a physical copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Red Hen Press for the arc.
Sometimes, you're lucky enough to know you're going to love a book from the very first paragraph. It's a rare feeling – especially when you can't know if the plot won't take any turns that will ruin the experience by the end of it. However, i got very lucky with "Cursebreakers".
Adrien Desfourneaux is a former healer with a dark past – his youthful experiments in attempts to eradicate akrasia, a mental illness he himself lives with, led to tragedy and destroyed the minds of his many patients. Having barely evaded witchcraft charges, he now teaches other young magicians how to hone in their talents. As he feels another episode build up and his daimon awaken, the institution he has dedicated his life to appears to be overtaken by a curse, as more and more students and soldiers fall into a comatose state, not unlike those adrien hurt years ago.
The build-up is slow. Nakamura takes care to establish the rules of the universe, the border between magic and technology, and build on the interpersonal relations. The world feels lived-in, revealing only bits and pieces of Adrien's past when he—as the narrator—sees it fit.
Speaking of Adrien himself, he is a wonderfully tragic protagonist. While there is a layer of unreliability, it's far more heartbreaking watching as the people he loves refuse to believe him based solely on his condition. While I can't say for certain whether this is good representation of bipolar disorder, Nakamura's depiction of akrasia and Adrien's shifts between manic and depressive states were convincing. The limitations of magic also made the universe's rules feel more realistic.
One thing I would've loved more of was the interpersonal relationships between Adrien and Malise and, particularly, Casmir. while this works perfectly as a standalone, part of me would love a prequel or a short story that delves more into the complicated feelings between Adrien and Casmir, especially given some of the things left unsaid in their fights.
The flowery prose and the archaic vocabulary won't work for some, but it's precisely the kind of writing style I love. It's a captivating mystery, with a painfully human cast of characters. September can't come soon enough so I can get my hands on a physical copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Red Hen Press for the arc.
November 21, 2023
Absolutely satisfying. I'm in love with this was written. I couldn't pronounce most of the magic system but that didn't matter to me at all, it just added to the story for me frankly. Madeleine's writing was rich and fun and bittersweet.
June 22, 2024
I often read fantasy books with mental health representation in it - most of the time it is anxiety, ptsd or possibly depression. Curse breaker is the first book I've read with Bipolar representation- including mania with paranoia, delusions, and pressured speech and drug addiction. It is fanatic- it brings a whole new element into the story. I was really intrigued by the idea of a keeper. It's someone who supports someone with mental health issues - they take over as a rep payed, a guardian, and much more. It was an interesting way to show how mental health impacts relationships. It can be hard to mix friend and provider, and that was a constant theme of the story.
In CurseBreaker, there is a plot underway and Adrian finds himself pulled into the lines. But with his mental health, those around him doesn't believe him. And he feels an episode coming on. And he's dealing with a complex relationship with his keeper and a soldier who for some reason keeps following him
This book had me captivated from page one. Highly recommend
In CurseBreaker, there is a plot underway and Adrian finds himself pulled into the lines. But with his mental health, those around him doesn't believe him. And he feels an episode coming on. And he's dealing with a complex relationship with his keeper and a soldier who for some reason keeps following him
This book had me captivated from page one. Highly recommend
December 21, 2024
1.5/5
Adrien's character is a compelling exploration of bipolar disorder in a fantasy setting, but the worldbuilding was so poorly explained and integrated into the story that character motivations and plot decisions were nigh incomprehensible.
Adrien's character is a compelling exploration of bipolar disorder in a fantasy setting, but the worldbuilding was so poorly explained and integrated into the story that character motivations and plot decisions were nigh incomprehensible.
September 1, 2023
3/5 Stars
TL;DR - An interesting and intimate look at bipolar disorder through the eyes of the scholarly magician that lives with it. Complex, flawed characters in a magical and highly political world. Sadly lacking in world-building, but intriguing nonetheless.
Big thanks to Red Hen Press/Canis Major Books and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!
***Trigger warnings for deep POV of a character with bipolar disorder, suicidal ideation, and drug use.***
‘Cursebreakers’ by Madeleine Nakamura is the story of Adrien Desfourneaux, a professor of magic trying desperately to outrun the mistakes of his past, while trying to contend with the struggles of bipolar disorder. He narrates to us - with wit and dry charm - his journey from mild-mannered professor minding his own business to unwitting pawn in a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of his city’s government. There's magic, there’s mystery, and a whole lot of deep POV that tackles the ups and downs of living with a mental illness.
I’m all here for magical academia, that is, when there’s actual collegiate academics involved and not just magic high school. I was excited and intrigued by the blurb, but honestly, I came away with mixed feelings.
First, the good:
The prose is clean and concise, and there are a lot of really good lines that I highlighted and thought about before continuing. Nothing especially groundbreaking, but many of them were reflections on mental illness that really resonated with me.
Adrien is an interesting and complex character, who also happens to fill out one of my absolute favorite archetypes - the sad, soft magic boi. I don’t know much at all about bipolar disorder, so I can’t comment on the accuracy of the depiction, but I do struggle with some of the other things he does, like depression, shame, and suicidal ideation, and I found that representation relatable. He makes dumb choices, he can be prickly and cruel, but all around, I found him endearingly human.
Gennady happens to be another of my favorite archetypes, the golden retriever himbo who can break spines with his bare hands, and I enjoyed him whenever he was on page. I’m not sure exactly what flavor of neuro-spicy he’s supposed to be, but I empathized with his struggles, at least what little we got to see of them.
Malise and Casmir are equally as interesting, if a bit less fleshed out, and I really appreciated that Adrien had such good friends to fall back on, even if their relationships are strained at times.
Most of the main cast is queer and I’m always here for that, especially the gay/lesbian solidarity between Adrien and Malise. It’s treated as no big deal within the world, and there was no homophobia I could see, and I really appreciated that the author let queers be queers. More of that, please!
Those praises aired, I have a few main complaints:
There is very little world-building. A lot of names and terms are thrown at us, and while many are explained, it’s only in passing and we’re left to glean a lot from context clues. And honestly, I had the hardest time imagining the world. There are few descriptions that give a real-world parallel to draw from, and I found it frustrating when trying to get a feel for the world. If I was hard-pressed to nail it down, I would cautiously say it’s Victorian-era inspired, what with carriages and electric lights being relatively new. Other than that, there’s not a whole lot to go on, which is a real shame, because the book could have been so much more atmospheric if it was more fleshed out.
In the same vein, there’s very little explained about the magic system. It’s roughly elemental in nature, with the main characters having domains over electricity, ice, earth, etc, and it seems like most magicians can heal people if properly trained, regardless of their domain. We know that there are those with magic and those without, that magic users have to attend school before they’re legally allowed to practice magic, and that there’s a whole branch of the government dedicated to keeping them in line. That’s really it. Adrien has a lot of extra abilities that we get little explanation for, and even the magical curse doesn’t get explained in any satisfying detail.
Overall, the plot is engaging at surface level, but it really feels devoid of tension. Yes, there are personal stakes for Adrien and his friends and those for the world at large, but even the ever-present danger doesn’t feel all that dangerous. There’s a big battle at the end, but it’s really not all that big, and it’s over in a few pages without much satisfying buildup or falling action. The pieces were all there, but they weren’t arranged in a way that made for a satisfying plot arc for me.
The antagonists are pretty one-dimensional, and while their cause is understandable, there’s not a lot of build-up or justification for why they’re taking such drastic measures. We’re told why, but we’re never shown in a way that makes their grievances anything more than the surface-level “non-magic users treat us bad so we want revenge” trope. A missed opportunity for a deeper discussion on fear and othering within governmental and societal structures, in my opinion.
Final Thoughts:
This book had so much potential, but it ultimately didn’t live up to it. I really would have read another 100-200 pages if it meant the world and the secondary/tertiary characters were more fleshed out. It’s a solid 3 stars, better than most but not quite good enough for me to add a physical copy to my shelf.
TL;DR - An interesting and intimate look at bipolar disorder through the eyes of the scholarly magician that lives with it. Complex, flawed characters in a magical and highly political world. Sadly lacking in world-building, but intriguing nonetheless.
Big thanks to Red Hen Press/Canis Major Books and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!
***Trigger warnings for deep POV of a character with bipolar disorder, suicidal ideation, and drug use.***
‘Cursebreakers’ by Madeleine Nakamura is the story of Adrien Desfourneaux, a professor of magic trying desperately to outrun the mistakes of his past, while trying to contend with the struggles of bipolar disorder. He narrates to us - with wit and dry charm - his journey from mild-mannered professor minding his own business to unwitting pawn in a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of his city’s government. There's magic, there’s mystery, and a whole lot of deep POV that tackles the ups and downs of living with a mental illness.
I’m all here for magical academia, that is, when there’s actual collegiate academics involved and not just magic high school. I was excited and intrigued by the blurb, but honestly, I came away with mixed feelings.
First, the good:
The prose is clean and concise, and there are a lot of really good lines that I highlighted and thought about before continuing. Nothing especially groundbreaking, but many of them were reflections on mental illness that really resonated with me.
Adrien is an interesting and complex character, who also happens to fill out one of my absolute favorite archetypes - the sad, soft magic boi. I don’t know much at all about bipolar disorder, so I can’t comment on the accuracy of the depiction, but I do struggle with some of the other things he does, like depression, shame, and suicidal ideation, and I found that representation relatable. He makes dumb choices, he can be prickly and cruel, but all around, I found him endearingly human.
Gennady happens to be another of my favorite archetypes, the golden retriever himbo who can break spines with his bare hands, and I enjoyed him whenever he was on page. I’m not sure exactly what flavor of neuro-spicy he’s supposed to be, but I empathized with his struggles, at least what little we got to see of them.
Malise and Casmir are equally as interesting, if a bit less fleshed out, and I really appreciated that Adrien had such good friends to fall back on, even if their relationships are strained at times.
Most of the main cast is queer and I’m always here for that, especially the gay/lesbian solidarity between Adrien and Malise. It’s treated as no big deal within the world, and there was no homophobia I could see, and I really appreciated that the author let queers be queers. More of that, please!
Those praises aired, I have a few main complaints:
There is very little world-building. A lot of names and terms are thrown at us, and while many are explained, it’s only in passing and we’re left to glean a lot from context clues. And honestly, I had the hardest time imagining the world. There are few descriptions that give a real-world parallel to draw from, and I found it frustrating when trying to get a feel for the world. If I was hard-pressed to nail it down, I would cautiously say it’s Victorian-era inspired, what with carriages and electric lights being relatively new. Other than that, there’s not a whole lot to go on, which is a real shame, because the book could have been so much more atmospheric if it was more fleshed out.
In the same vein, there’s very little explained about the magic system. It’s roughly elemental in nature, with the main characters having domains over electricity, ice, earth, etc, and it seems like most magicians can heal people if properly trained, regardless of their domain. We know that there are those with magic and those without, that magic users have to attend school before they’re legally allowed to practice magic, and that there’s a whole branch of the government dedicated to keeping them in line. That’s really it. Adrien has a lot of extra abilities that we get little explanation for, and even the magical curse doesn’t get explained in any satisfying detail.
Overall, the plot is engaging at surface level, but it really feels devoid of tension. Yes, there are personal stakes for Adrien and his friends and those for the world at large, but even the ever-present danger doesn’t feel all that dangerous. There’s a big battle at the end, but it’s really not all that big, and it’s over in a few pages without much satisfying buildup or falling action. The pieces were all there, but they weren’t arranged in a way that made for a satisfying plot arc for me.
The antagonists are pretty one-dimensional, and while their cause is understandable, there’s not a lot of build-up or justification for why they’re taking such drastic measures. We’re told why, but we’re never shown in a way that makes their grievances anything more than the surface-level “non-magic users treat us bad so we want revenge” trope. A missed opportunity for a deeper discussion on fear and othering within governmental and societal structures, in my opinion.
Final Thoughts:
This book had so much potential, but it ultimately didn’t live up to it. I really would have read another 100-200 pages if it meant the world and the secondary/tertiary characters were more fleshed out. It’s a solid 3 stars, better than most but not quite good enough for me to add a physical copy to my shelf.
October 19, 2023
07/28/2023 || Cursebreakers by Madeleine Nakamura || I just reviewed Cursebreakers by Madeleine Nakamura. #Cursebreakers #NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley, Madeline Nakamura, and Red Hen Press, Canis Major Books for making this ARC available!
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author and myself.
Hard to rate. 1/5 for using AI generated/stolen art to make the cover - 4.5 plot/story - 4.5 characters
CW/TW: semi graphic drug use, violence, domestic violence, mental health issues, death, parental neglect, grief
I have to be completely honest, I originally was very turned off by the cover and couldn't figure it out. Then I came back to this ARC and grabbed it up anyways - the plot / description had a choke-hold on me to be honest. Anyways, after sharing my excitement for this ARC, an online reading group member pointed it out to me that the cover is completely AI generated. Which now explains why I was originally put off by it. I am very much so against AI generated anything. Looking online I cannot figure out if it was the publisher or author, or both, who decided to us AI, but either way its extremely disappointing.
AI use aside, this book is phenomenal. I am truly torn on how to rate this book because the story was good but yeah, ugh.
I loved the raw, genuine insight into the mind and POV of someone with Bi Polar Disorder and how having a favorite person can be extremely toxic, how the highs and lows can rule your life, and just in general how tiring it is to never be healed and never be believed. And that is just the personal struggled the main character, Adrien Desfourneaux, experiences. This is a dark academia, fantasy realism, with an air of mystery involved.
I really fell in love with Gennady and Lady. Adrien was great in his own way, but he was sometimes difficult to like at time, and I appreciated that the POV kept acknowledging that he was being so. The rest of the supporting cast were well fleshed out as well and easily predictable, which helped propel the plot along.
My only complaint was how quickly everything sort of wrapped up for the ending. I felt the book quickly and abruptly came to the climax of the plot and everything sort of dully fizzled out. I didn't expect anyone to be healed, fixed, changed, but I was hoping for something more. Something more profound?
All and all, this is a very good book that follows a familiar formula but throws in mental health representation. Again, just very disappointed and unhappy with the use of AI generated images for the cover art.
Thank you NetGalley, Madeline Nakamura, and Red Hen Press, Canis Major Books for making this ARC available!
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author and myself.
Hard to rate. 1/5 for using AI generated/stolen art to make the cover - 4.5 plot/story - 4.5 characters
CW/TW: semi graphic drug use, violence, domestic violence, mental health issues, death, parental neglect, grief
I have to be completely honest, I originally was very turned off by the cover and couldn't figure it out. Then I came back to this ARC and grabbed it up anyways - the plot / description had a choke-hold on me to be honest. Anyways, after sharing my excitement for this ARC, an online reading group member pointed it out to me that the cover is completely AI generated. Which now explains why I was originally put off by it. I am very much so against AI generated anything. Looking online I cannot figure out if it was the publisher or author, or both, who decided to us AI, but either way its extremely disappointing.
AI use aside, this book is phenomenal. I am truly torn on how to rate this book because the story was good but yeah, ugh.
I loved the raw, genuine insight into the mind and POV of someone with Bi Polar Disorder and how having a favorite person can be extremely toxic, how the highs and lows can rule your life, and just in general how tiring it is to never be healed and never be believed. And that is just the personal struggled the main character, Adrien Desfourneaux, experiences. This is a dark academia, fantasy realism, with an air of mystery involved.
I really fell in love with Gennady and Lady. Adrien was great in his own way, but he was sometimes difficult to like at time, and I appreciated that the POV kept acknowledging that he was being so. The rest of the supporting cast were well fleshed out as well and easily predictable, which helped propel the plot along.
My only complaint was how quickly everything sort of wrapped up for the ending. I felt the book quickly and abruptly came to the climax of the plot and everything sort of dully fizzled out. I didn't expect anyone to be healed, fixed, changed, but I was hoping for something more. Something more profound?
All and all, this is a very good book that follows a familiar formula but throws in mental health representation. Again, just very disappointed and unhappy with the use of AI generated images for the cover art.
July 1, 2025
Sometimes I get lucky and stumble into books that challenge me, entertain me, scare me, and make me feel smart- and Cursebreakers is one of them.
TW: dr^g use, suicidal ideation, mental illness, ableism, violence, bigotry. I think that’s it (but no promises).
A masterful show of mental illness in a highly reflective, highly intelligent, dramatic MC. Adrien Desfourneaux is frustratingly clever and intrinsically motivated- this is constant throughout his life. He’s a professor and a magician (a licensed magic practicer) living in Martyr’s Reach. He’s afraid of everything and sure of nothing. He’s hopelessly in love, he’s prone to outbursts, he talks a lot, he’s gay. I sort of liked him at the start, but honestly the fact that he’s so real and irritating really endeared him to me by the end of the book. His best friend Malise is a healer (also gay), and worries for Adrien’s constantly yo-yo-ing mental health and addiction struggles (he is hinted to be bipolar, though it isn’t named outright). We love Malise!!! His friend Casmir is…an interesting guy. I won’t go further than that to avoid spoilers! He makes a new friend named Gennady who is a big jerk, but also has a really endearing redemption arc. Lady is the best character (next to Malise).
This is a great narrative about how bravery and courage are not reserved only for those who are highly ranking or likable. This is also a story about how intellectualizing your feelings and your struggles can lead to chaos and pain. This is also a story about mental illness and neurodivergence are NOT indicators of evil, or of intent to harm.
I sincerely liked this book. I feel like Nakamura’s writing style is really academic and unique. I would recommend this to you if you like fantasy, highly detailed worlds/people, dark realism, and if you don’t mind anything mentioned in my TW at the beginning of my review. I would not recommend this to you if you often label books “pretentious”, if you don’t like very complex plot/morals, or if you’re an impatient reader.
Big thanks to Red Hen for gifting me this copy! I can NOT wait to dive into Angel Eye!!
TW: dr^g use, suicidal ideation, mental illness, ableism, violence, bigotry. I think that’s it (but no promises).
A masterful show of mental illness in a highly reflective, highly intelligent, dramatic MC. Adrien Desfourneaux is frustratingly clever and intrinsically motivated- this is constant throughout his life. He’s a professor and a magician (a licensed magic practicer) living in Martyr’s Reach. He’s afraid of everything and sure of nothing. He’s hopelessly in love, he’s prone to outbursts, he talks a lot, he’s gay. I sort of liked him at the start, but honestly the fact that he’s so real and irritating really endeared him to me by the end of the book. His best friend Malise is a healer (also gay), and worries for Adrien’s constantly yo-yo-ing mental health and addiction struggles (he is hinted to be bipolar, though it isn’t named outright). We love Malise!!! His friend Casmir is…an interesting guy. I won’t go further than that to avoid spoilers! He makes a new friend named Gennady who is a big jerk, but also has a really endearing redemption arc. Lady is the best character (next to Malise).
This is a great narrative about how bravery and courage are not reserved only for those who are highly ranking or likable. This is also a story about how intellectualizing your feelings and your struggles can lead to chaos and pain. This is also a story about mental illness and neurodivergence are NOT indicators of evil, or of intent to harm.
I sincerely liked this book. I feel like Nakamura’s writing style is really academic and unique. I would recommend this to you if you like fantasy, highly detailed worlds/people, dark realism, and if you don’t mind anything mentioned in my TW at the beginning of my review. I would not recommend this to you if you often label books “pretentious”, if you don’t like very complex plot/morals, or if you’re an impatient reader.
Big thanks to Red Hen for gifting me this copy! I can NOT wait to dive into Angel Eye!!
June 7, 2023
A rare full five star rating!!
Cursebreakers is dark academia on point! Our lead, Adrian Desfourneaux, is the protagonist I didn't know I needed so badly in my life. A professor of magic who basically has the magic equivalent of BPD gets roped into a magic conspiracy. The poor thing is also dealing with unrequited love from his sponsor and has to wade through that, plus teaming up with his "enemy." Pile on a nice dose of drug addiction and Adrien is beautifully imperfect. I must also add extra kudos for having an adult, queer protagonist!!
The author has done a fantastic job of writing a mentally ill character with a complex diagnosis, and gives the reader an in depth view and understanding of his thoughts processes and the temptations around him. This is especially compelling as he walks the knife's edge between mania and depression, and I loved how the depression was represented with the daimon like it is a physical being (which is how my own depression feels).
This book is not for the faint of heart but it absolutely worth a read.
Cursebreakers is dark academia on point! Our lead, Adrian Desfourneaux, is the protagonist I didn't know I needed so badly in my life. A professor of magic who basically has the magic equivalent of BPD gets roped into a magic conspiracy. The poor thing is also dealing with unrequited love from his sponsor and has to wade through that, plus teaming up with his "enemy." Pile on a nice dose of drug addiction and Adrien is beautifully imperfect. I must also add extra kudos for having an adult, queer protagonist!!
The author has done a fantastic job of writing a mentally ill character with a complex diagnosis, and gives the reader an in depth view and understanding of his thoughts processes and the temptations around him. This is especially compelling as he walks the knife's edge between mania and depression, and I loved how the depression was represented with the daimon like it is a physical being (which is how my own depression feels).
This book is not for the faint of heart but it absolutely worth a read.
January 15, 2024
TLDR; I wished this book had said ACAB with its chest, and it didn’t even bother to whisper it.
This is an excellently written book from a technical perspective, but I’ve got some narrative foibles, namely that despite the seemingly political nature of the story, it is not a narrative story. It’s a character exploration about an incredibly broken man. Though it does that excellently, the story itself initially appears to making overtures about policing and police violence, but ultimately upholds a corrupt and broken system that it names as such. And truly what is the purpose of writing a dark academia novel if it’s only going to play at the aesthetic of politick and dismantling corrupt systems but fail to actually leverage any criticisms. I wish I could’ve loved this more than I did.
This is an excellently written book from a technical perspective, but I’ve got some narrative foibles, namely that despite the seemingly political nature of the story, it is not a narrative story. It’s a character exploration about an incredibly broken man. Though it does that excellently, the story itself initially appears to making overtures about policing and police violence, but ultimately upholds a corrupt and broken system that it names as such. And truly what is the purpose of writing a dark academia novel if it’s only going to play at the aesthetic of politick and dismantling corrupt systems but fail to actually leverage any criticisms. I wish I could’ve loved this more than I did.
September 4, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and Red Hen Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Cursebreakers has an interesting premise and is a promising debut novel from Madeleine Nakamura. Adrien Desfourneaux is a professor at the local magic school who is riddled with guilt from past mistakes and stumbles his way upon a conspiracy among his colleagues. Adrien also struggles with a magic equivalent of bipolar disorder which causes his friends to disbelieve him when he tries to share what he has discovered.
Overall- I enjoyed the novel and its unique point of view of magic school stories. I think it very much feels like a debut novel- the first few chapters all feel like info dumps and yet there is a lot of the world and the magic system that still feels unfinished. Plot wise - the conspiracy that Adrien discovers is about the Vigil (cops) trying to obtain magic to further their power. This makes sense- what doesn't make sense is that other magicians are helping them out with this. It never quite clicked why other magicians wanted to help make cops more powerful. This gap in the plot made me go "okay but why" for a lot of the story.
Other thoughts:
-Liked the concept of the rache - which were parts of the Vigil's soul in animal form.
-Liked Adrien's friendship with Malise and wanted her warm character to play more of a part
-Wished the side characters like Malise, Gennady, and Casmir to be more fleshed out.
-Could not figure out at all why Adrien was in love with Casmir- he was mean and treated Adrien like an annoyance even when they were supposed to be friends. But this also could have been because the character was not completely built out.
Overall 3/5 stars. A solid debut story!
Cursebreakers has an interesting premise and is a promising debut novel from Madeleine Nakamura. Adrien Desfourneaux is a professor at the local magic school who is riddled with guilt from past mistakes and stumbles his way upon a conspiracy among his colleagues. Adrien also struggles with a magic equivalent of bipolar disorder which causes his friends to disbelieve him when he tries to share what he has discovered.
Overall- I enjoyed the novel and its unique point of view of magic school stories. I think it very much feels like a debut novel- the first few chapters all feel like info dumps and yet there is a lot of the world and the magic system that still feels unfinished. Plot wise - the conspiracy that Adrien discovers is about the Vigil (cops) trying to obtain magic to further their power. This makes sense- what doesn't make sense is that other magicians are helping them out with this. It never quite clicked why other magicians wanted to help make cops more powerful. This gap in the plot made me go "okay but why" for a lot of the story.
Other thoughts:
-Liked the concept of the rache - which were parts of the Vigil's soul in animal form.
-Liked Adrien's friendship with Malise and wanted her warm character to play more of a part
-Wished the side characters like Malise, Gennady, and Casmir to be more fleshed out.
-Could not figure out at all why Adrien was in love with Casmir- he was mean and treated Adrien like an annoyance even when they were supposed to be friends. But this also could have been because the character was not completely built out.
Overall 3/5 stars. A solid debut story!
September 9, 2023
This is objectively a good book, there was really nothing wrong with it. I just found that it wasn't to my personal taste at all.
This is a book that seemed to be just my taste but when I was actually reading it, I only found disinterest. It was hard finishing this book because the majority of it didn't have my full attention, it couldn't because I just really did not care for the plot at all. Which was confusing because I did enjoy the writing, I felt and saw what was being described clearly in my mind. So I would absolutely pick up another book by Madeleine Nakamura in the near future because I see the potential but with Cursebreakers, it didn't really give me the excitement I wanted.
But I can't deny that Adrien was a great main character, there is something deeply sad about him that captivated me. It was a ride reading his point of view, his interactions and his relationships with all the people he came across. He is such a well-written character that I feel bad not getting into this book as much as I hoped I would.
This is a book that seemed to be just my taste but when I was actually reading it, I only found disinterest. It was hard finishing this book because the majority of it didn't have my full attention, it couldn't because I just really did not care for the plot at all. Which was confusing because I did enjoy the writing, I felt and saw what was being described clearly in my mind. So I would absolutely pick up another book by Madeleine Nakamura in the near future because I see the potential but with Cursebreakers, it didn't really give me the excitement I wanted.
But I can't deny that Adrien was a great main character, there is something deeply sad about him that captivated me. It was a ride reading his point of view, his interactions and his relationships with all the people he came across. He is such a well-written character that I feel bad not getting into this book as much as I hoped I would.
October 23, 2023
Cursebreakers begins as our professor protagonist, Adrien Desfourneaux encounters Gennady, a young, angry solider lurking outside of his lecture hall. Gennady, a member of the Vigil, the military/police force, is patrolling the halls of the Pharmakeia (magical educational institute) after several members of the Vigil wind up mysteriously comatose.
Things unfold quickly from there, as Adrien and Gennady, enemies-to-frenemies, team up to discover a conspiracy that includes powerful members of both their respective institutions.
Adrien, our hero, is utterly charming, with a wry, distinct narrative voice. Our hero is in his forties, has made some serious mistakes in his professional career, and struggles with bipolar disorder, which leaves his friends sure that the conspiracy is all a part of a bipolar episode.
Adrien and Gennady are both well-realized characters and their interactions are one of the joys of the book. The Vigil is composed of indoctrinated former child soldiers and it’s painful to see Gennady wrestle with the betrayal of its higher-order members.
I think the weakest aspect of this story is a tendency to show, not tell. It occurs early on with some info dumping, which I felt fairly forgiving of, given that this is a standalone fantasy that’s less than 300 pages.
Other areas that felt lacking to me included Adrien’s relationships and backstory. Such as, Adrien has a “Keeper”, someone who helps him manage his finances and mental and physical health when he’s having a bipolar episode. His Keeper is also the fellow professor he’s been desperately in love with for many years. Casmir, Adrien’s unrequited love interest, is one of the weaker characters. I never have a sense for why Adrien loves him, beyond the fact that Casmir is handsome and Adrien feels beholden to Casmir for caring for him despite his battles with what he calls his demon even as he fears that his struggles make him ultimately unlovable to Casmir. But why Casmir in the first place?
I felt similarly about Adrien’s friend, Malise. We know a little bit about her: she’s a doctor, she and Adrien completed their medical training together, she "prefers women", she suffers from depression, she cares for Adrien. Only the last thing is portrayed on page, though, and even on page, read as surface level to me.
I’d like to understand more about Adrien’s past beyond the fact that he was a healer whose experimental treatment damaged his patients (leaving them comatose much like the new victims appearing) and altered his career. We read a few interesting allusions to his parents, but don’t have much detail on his background other than that. Why did he grow up in a military section of his city, for example?
That said, everyone is queer, the mental health rep is amazing, and the world building is strong despite the info dumping in the early chapters, so really hope this finds a wide audience!
Thank you to NetGalley and Red Hen Press for the ARC.
Things unfold quickly from there, as Adrien and Gennady, enemies-to-frenemies, team up to discover a conspiracy that includes powerful members of both their respective institutions.
Adrien, our hero, is utterly charming, with a wry, distinct narrative voice. Our hero is in his forties, has made some serious mistakes in his professional career, and struggles with bipolar disorder, which leaves his friends sure that the conspiracy is all a part of a bipolar episode.
Adrien and Gennady are both well-realized characters and their interactions are one of the joys of the book. The Vigil is composed of indoctrinated former child soldiers and it’s painful to see Gennady wrestle with the betrayal of its higher-order members.
I think the weakest aspect of this story is a tendency to show, not tell. It occurs early on with some info dumping, which I felt fairly forgiving of, given that this is a standalone fantasy that’s less than 300 pages.
Other areas that felt lacking to me included Adrien’s relationships and backstory. Such as, Adrien has a “Keeper”, someone who helps him manage his finances and mental and physical health when he’s having a bipolar episode. His Keeper is also the fellow professor he’s been desperately in love with for many years. Casmir, Adrien’s unrequited love interest, is one of the weaker characters. I never have a sense for why Adrien loves him, beyond the fact that Casmir is handsome and Adrien feels beholden to Casmir for caring for him despite his battles with what he calls his demon even as he fears that his struggles make him ultimately unlovable to Casmir. But why Casmir in the first place?
I felt similarly about Adrien’s friend, Malise. We know a little bit about her: she’s a doctor, she and Adrien completed their medical training together, she "prefers women", she suffers from depression, she cares for Adrien. Only the last thing is portrayed on page, though, and even on page, read as surface level to me.
I’d like to understand more about Adrien’s past beyond the fact that he was a healer whose experimental treatment damaged his patients (leaving them comatose much like the new victims appearing) and altered his career. We read a few interesting allusions to his parents, but don’t have much detail on his background other than that. Why did he grow up in a military section of his city, for example?
That said, everyone is queer, the mental health rep is amazing, and the world building is strong despite the info dumping in the early chapters, so really hope this finds a wide audience!
Thank you to NetGalley and Red Hen Press for the ARC.
October 10, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!
I liked this! I'm not in any position to judge so idk how accurate the Adrien's depiction of bipolar disorder is, but I thought his perspective was very interesting! For all that the he talks about not being able to control himself, he seems rather self-aware to me, although he doesn't always make the best decisions, which, same.
I didn't care for Gennady at first, but I liked reading how he and Adrien's dynamic changed throughout this book. Also, despite whatever's going on with him, I love that he's trying to become better.
I also liked Adrien's friendship with Malise, which I thought was very sweet and genuine.
However, I didn't like Adrien's relationship with Casmir, not because it's badly written or whatever, it just made me sad. Adrien deserves so much better than whatever "care" Casmir gives him.
I found the setting to be rather interesting, and I'm sad we didn't get to explore it more. For starters, what's the system of governance? What's the education system like for regular people? What jobs do magicians have other than teaching? It's mentioned that the country is ruled by two empresses, and the citizens venerate them like gods, but this is only mentioned once. How much control do they have over law-making and does this mean this country is a monarchy and how much power do they share between them?? etc etc.
But these questions are really not important to the plot at all, its just stuff I'm curious about.
Edit: fixed spelling for Adrien😭
I liked this! I'm not in any position to judge so idk how accurate the Adrien's depiction of bipolar disorder is, but I thought his perspective was very interesting! For all that the he talks about not being able to control himself, he seems rather self-aware to me, although he doesn't always make the best decisions, which, same.
I didn't care for Gennady at first, but I liked reading how he and Adrien's dynamic changed throughout this book. Also, despite whatever's going on with him, I love that he's trying to become better.
I also liked Adrien's friendship with Malise, which I thought was very sweet and genuine.
However, I didn't like Adrien's relationship with Casmir, not because it's badly written or whatever, it just made me sad. Adrien deserves so much better than whatever "care" Casmir gives him.
I found the setting to be rather interesting, and I'm sad we didn't get to explore it more. For starters, what's the system of governance? What's the education system like for regular people? What jobs do magicians have other than teaching? It's mentioned that the country is ruled by two empresses, and the citizens venerate them like gods, but this is only mentioned once. How much control do they have over law-making and does this mean this country is a monarchy and how much power do they share between them?? etc etc.
But these questions are really not important to the plot at all, its just stuff I'm curious about.
Edit: fixed spelling for Adrien😭
May 13, 2023
This book completely captivated me. Both the plot and the characters kept me hooked to the story. The LGBT representation is also very notable in this book, even without a more traditional romance plot. I was only let down by the world building, I thought a lot of the terms and rules of the world were quickly rushed over and I often struggled to understand how this world worked.
Mental health was a major topic throughout the book and although I don’t feel experienced to say if this was an accurate representation, it was interesting to read about in a fantasy setting.
Thanks to Netgalley for the arc!
Mental health was a major topic throughout the book and although I don’t feel experienced to say if this was an accurate representation, it was interesting to read about in a fantasy setting.
Thanks to Netgalley for the arc!
March 8, 2024
3.5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This is a peculiar book because it is a fantasy strongly centered on mental health and addiction. Sure, it’s not unique in this, but what is pretty unique is the way in which the author treats it all. Our MC is a Professor of magic with a tragic past and even more tragic present. He was a medic who destroyed the minds of some of his patients. Sure, it was an accident and it happened during experimentation, he and his team didn’t want to hurt their patients, they were trying to help but shit happened. Now he carries this burden, he renounced his practice as a healer and has become a professor. But this is not all. Because with the burden from his past, he has to carry the burden of his sickness. He suffers from what we can, in our world, call bipolar disorder. And the way in which the author portrays it is artistic, it is original (up to a point, sure, because mental diseases are often referred to as demons even in our world, but still, I think she did an amazing job with it) and it is organically inserted in the world she creates.
And, since things are never easy, our dear professor is also an addict in recovery.
This part is front and center in the narration, is constantly in our faces and you have to take it into account at every turn. I recently read Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson, and the author treats mental health in it, and it did so amazingly well, but mental health is just one of the many levels of the story, is a part of being human and as such is treated. It is more delicate, it is more sedate, while in Cursebreakers we have the exact opposite of it. It shouts in your face, constantly. And, to be honest, this is not a thing that usually works so well for me, but here it worked., mainly because it is not that we are seeing the author’s agenda but because this is the theme of the book and it is pretty clear from the start. So if you are interested in something that talks about mental diseases and that did it well, you can’t go wrong with this one.
Even more so because we don’t see only Adrien’s perspective but also the impact that his problems have on the people around him. Even if Adrien is the only POV we get, we see the relationships and the consequences that his malady has on the people around him. How it impacts the relationships and his way of being around other people. I really think that this part was well-developed and that the author put a lot of research into it.
Linked to this theme, we have the best feature of the book. Gennady. He is a Vigil. A soldier. And the Vigil is the exact opposite of the Pharmakeia, that is the ensemble of the magician. And he becomes Adrien’s reluctant ally while they try to discover why people are entering a coma and how to stop all of that. Gennady is broken. He is deeply, truly broken. And yet, he slowly becomes my favorite character and my favorite thing in the book. He and Lady, the rache, the sort of dog to whom he is linked (every Vigil person is deeply linked to a rache) become the ray of hope that the book needs, because it is, on the whole, pretty grim.
And Gennady reminded me a bit of Bothary, from the Vorkosigan saga by Bujold. Mind me, they are completely different characters, but in both cases their being broken is what saves them, in a sense. It is what made them human. And Gennady is masterfully done.
That said, there are some things that could have been a bit better. My main complaint is about the world-building. The author creates an interesting world, or better, an interesting city, because the city is all we get to see, and I am okay with that, but it is not so present in the narration. We get some glimpses here and there, and the necessary explanations to follow her along while she narrates the story and sets the stage for her characters, but just the bare minimum. It is really like the author is setting up a stage, where the place is not as important as the characters or the story. And it is a bit of a shame because it seems interesting and worth exploring, at least a little bit more.
Similarly, the plot is not as well developed as it could have been, I think that there are a couple of instances where you have to suspend your disbelief for things to work and I am not a fan of that, especially because they were things that could have been done better, or more organically, with very little effort.
If the characters and mental health are the best parts of the book, and mind me, the author did good work with them, the world-building and plot could have been better. All things considered, I enjoyed it, and if you are intrigued by it all recommend it without reserves, it was an engrossing and captivating reading, and I really think that this book deserves to be read, but I also think that it could have been even better than what it is.
Thanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This is a peculiar book because it is a fantasy strongly centered on mental health and addiction. Sure, it’s not unique in this, but what is pretty unique is the way in which the author treats it all. Our MC is a Professor of magic with a tragic past and even more tragic present. He was a medic who destroyed the minds of some of his patients. Sure, it was an accident and it happened during experimentation, he and his team didn’t want to hurt their patients, they were trying to help but shit happened. Now he carries this burden, he renounced his practice as a healer and has become a professor. But this is not all. Because with the burden from his past, he has to carry the burden of his sickness. He suffers from what we can, in our world, call bipolar disorder. And the way in which the author portrays it is artistic, it is original (up to a point, sure, because mental diseases are often referred to as demons even in our world, but still, I think she did an amazing job with it) and it is organically inserted in the world she creates.
And, since things are never easy, our dear professor is also an addict in recovery.
This part is front and center in the narration, is constantly in our faces and you have to take it into account at every turn. I recently read Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson, and the author treats mental health in it, and it did so amazingly well, but mental health is just one of the many levels of the story, is a part of being human and as such is treated. It is more delicate, it is more sedate, while in Cursebreakers we have the exact opposite of it. It shouts in your face, constantly. And, to be honest, this is not a thing that usually works so well for me, but here it worked., mainly because it is not that we are seeing the author’s agenda but because this is the theme of the book and it is pretty clear from the start. So if you are interested in something that talks about mental diseases and that did it well, you can’t go wrong with this one.
Even more so because we don’t see only Adrien’s perspective but also the impact that his problems have on the people around him. Even if Adrien is the only POV we get, we see the relationships and the consequences that his malady has on the people around him. How it impacts the relationships and his way of being around other people. I really think that this part was well-developed and that the author put a lot of research into it.
Linked to this theme, we have the best feature of the book. Gennady. He is a Vigil. A soldier. And the Vigil is the exact opposite of the Pharmakeia, that is the ensemble of the magician. And he becomes Adrien’s reluctant ally while they try to discover why people are entering a coma and how to stop all of that. Gennady is broken. He is deeply, truly broken. And yet, he slowly becomes my favorite character and my favorite thing in the book. He and Lady, the rache, the sort of dog to whom he is linked (every Vigil person is deeply linked to a rache) become the ray of hope that the book needs, because it is, on the whole, pretty grim.
And Gennady reminded me a bit of Bothary, from the Vorkosigan saga by Bujold. Mind me, they are completely different characters, but in both cases their being broken is what saves them, in a sense. It is what made them human. And Gennady is masterfully done.
That said, there are some things that could have been a bit better. My main complaint is about the world-building. The author creates an interesting world, or better, an interesting city, because the city is all we get to see, and I am okay with that, but it is not so present in the narration. We get some glimpses here and there, and the necessary explanations to follow her along while she narrates the story and sets the stage for her characters, but just the bare minimum. It is really like the author is setting up a stage, where the place is not as important as the characters or the story. And it is a bit of a shame because it seems interesting and worth exploring, at least a little bit more.
Similarly, the plot is not as well developed as it could have been, I think that there are a couple of instances where you have to suspend your disbelief for things to work and I am not a fan of that, especially because they were things that could have been done better, or more organically, with very little effort.
If the characters and mental health are the best parts of the book, and mind me, the author did good work with them, the world-building and plot could have been better. All things considered, I enjoyed it, and if you are intrigued by it all recommend it without reserves, it was an engrossing and captivating reading, and I really think that this book deserves to be read, but I also think that it could have been even better than what it is.
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June 28, 2023
4.5 rounded
I definitely want more
I definitely want more
December 3, 2023
Stumbled upon an advanced copy of this book while on a trip in Kansas City. I'm so glad I picked this up. It checks so many of my boxes. It's a beautiful, magical book where the main character isnt a teenager (and actually is an adult?!). But without all the gore and explicit material (no shade) that comes with a lot of other adult fantasy books. I also love good character development, and Gennady's, in particular, was lovely to watch unfold. But all the characters get their moments. Plus, the world building did not feel inaccessible; you can figure out what most things mean with context. Idk, it was just a nice, easy read that was both creative and nostalgic for me. :)
Picked up from Wise Blood Booksellers in Kansas City, MO.
Picked up from Wise Blood Booksellers in Kansas City, MO.
July 29, 2025
I'm not totally sure what to say about Cursebreakers...it's a bit of a mixed bag. Starting off with the positives: I truly enjoyed Nakamura's character work here. Adrien Desforneaux, our main protagonist and narrator, is a complex character to read. Her development of fantasy Bipolar Disorder and how it affects Adrien's actions and relationships was engaging to read. The secondary protagonist Gennady is equally engaging to read, as the two find a strange sort of kinship in how difficult it is for each to fit in in the world. I LOVE a character-driven story, and reading the slow development of their student-teacher relationship is easily the best part of this book.
But the rest of the book was more disappointing. Outside of the two main characters, the rest of the cast is fairly one-dimensional or feel like they only exist to add to the MC's story, not to be actual characters that stand on their own. And the worldbuilding feels much the same. Trying to figure out the world of this book was like playing a game where everything is permanently covered in a fog of war; relevant details pop into view but with no context for the world around them. Seems like the school Adrien teaches at is the main/only one, so are we in a big city? Adrien travels from point to point in the city, but is it only by horse-drawn carriages? We're in the year 3016, but is that A.D. or some other scale entirely? Where do the students stay in this giant university, and where do they come from?
On a spoilery note, the set up for the entire "mystery" makes no sense to me.
The final issue I have with Cursebreakers is the cover art. I thought it was just kinda wonky, but after looking closer and searching through the reviews to see if someone else shared my suspicions...I do think AI was used in creating the cover art. There's several spots on the cover that bear the trademark signs of AI image generattion. Weird tangent lines, fine detailing lines that have no sensible beginning or end, wiggly warping and weird translucency of lines(especially around the sword, the collar of his shirt, his broach, his GLASSES and the eyes behind them), and most damning of all- the man only has 4 fingers.
But the rest of the book was more disappointing. Outside of the two main characters, the rest of the cast is fairly one-dimensional or feel like they only exist to add to the MC's story, not to be actual characters that stand on their own. And the worldbuilding feels much the same. Trying to figure out the world of this book was like playing a game where everything is permanently covered in a fog of war; relevant details pop into view but with no context for the world around them. Seems like the school Adrien teaches at is the main/only one, so are we in a big city? Adrien travels from point to point in the city, but is it only by horse-drawn carriages? We're in the year 3016, but is that A.D. or some other scale entirely? Where do the students stay in this giant university, and where do they come from?
On a spoilery note, the set up for the entire "mystery" makes no sense to me.
The final issue I have with Cursebreakers is the cover art. I thought it was just kinda wonky, but after looking closer and searching through the reviews to see if someone else shared my suspicions...I do think AI was used in creating the cover art. There's several spots on the cover that bear the trademark signs of AI image generattion. Weird tangent lines, fine detailing lines that have no sensible beginning or end, wiggly warping and weird translucency of lines(especially around the sword, the collar of his shirt, his broach, his GLASSES and the eyes behind them), and most damning of all- the man only has 4 fingers.
August 19, 2023
DNF @20%
This may be the third ARC I've DNFed ever. All 3 stars are for the really well done portrayal of bipolar disorder. As for the rest of it - if I'm reading a shortish standalone fantasy and I'm 20% in and still have almost no idea of how the world or magic works? No. And that's with the main character as a professor who spends a fair amount of time exposition dumping in the first few chapters. Not everything needs a Greek or Latin inspired name.
Again, the bipolar portrayal was amazing from what I read but the rest of it was borderline incomprehensible. I might suggest it to someone who wants dark academia but is running out of books to read in the genre but overall not going on my list of recommendations.
This may be the third ARC I've DNFed ever. All 3 stars are for the really well done portrayal of bipolar disorder. As for the rest of it - if I'm reading a shortish standalone fantasy and I'm 20% in and still have almost no idea of how the world or magic works? No. And that's with the main character as a professor who spends a fair amount of time exposition dumping in the first few chapters. Not everything needs a Greek or Latin inspired name.
Again, the bipolar portrayal was amazing from what I read but the rest of it was borderline incomprehensible. I might suggest it to someone who wants dark academia but is running out of books to read in the genre but overall not going on my list of recommendations.
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