Book Review: Cursebreakers
CURSEBREAKERS BY MADELEINE NAKAMURA
Enthralled isn’t a strong enough word!
This book had its fangs in me from the first page. I am fully confident in saying that Madeleine Nakamura is the future of fantasy writing.
This book managed to tie in: mental health issues, substance-abuse issues, interpersonal relationship issues, romantic relationship issues, LGBTQIA+ community issues, academic issues, boundary issues, communication issues, and so much more! Not only that, it was an action-packed adventure that was enthusiastically told by a very flawed leading character (one that couldn’t help but to irritate you).
I generally have a 10-page rule: if the book doesn’t grab my attention in the first 10 pages then I’m not reading it. This book didn’t even need two pages to capture my full attention and keep it.
Because I’m big on relationships, both interpersonal and romantic, I want to start there! Word of warning: spoilers are coming.
“Paranoia may be a symptom of an unwell mind, but a guilty conscience will do it too”
Relationships
Because characters have the insane power and ability to drive any and every story, I continue to place the utmost importance on them and the relationships that they display. Relationships have the power of showcasing life views and thoughts, morals and restraints, and weaknesses altogether. We get all of this from things like conversations between characters, closeness, looks and touches, and all of the adjectives surrounding that character’s movements in and around the relationships. If you can’t already tell, relationships in stories are big to me, so let’s get into these characters and their memorable relationships:
The bond that I didn’t think I’d need ended up being the one between Adrien and Gennady!
As we got into the later chapters and their moments of gentleness or protectiveness were shown, I couldn’t help but to smile! These two characters who started out with a palpable disgust for each other ended up on the same team, fighting the same fight, and liking it(?)!
It was the slow burn that I thought I’d watch play out between Adrien and Casmir but instead I got it with Adrien, Gennady and Lady — an even better trio for surviving the slow burn. This presents a perfect example of, “the person that you least expect ending up being the person that you need the most”, and I loved it.
Also, I love when good writers can display different types of love within different types of relationships. What do I mean by that? I mean the relationship between Adrien and Malise. This was a friendship where two parties are afraid of disappointing each other to the point that it makes them both want to be better for each other, and I think that that’s exactly what Adrien and Malise had. It was as close as an interpersonal relationship can get before becoming romantic, and I think that that was it’s saving grace.
In stark contrast to this, Adrien’s character showed the irresponsibility that came with feelings of desire within a relationship (between him and Casmir). It created a clumsy and dangerous relationship where anything could have sent Adrien off of the deep end which means that one party would forever have to walk on eggshells to save the feelings of the other.
While on the other hand the bond between Malise and Adrien was so riddled with respect that that was the first thought on both of their minds. So a conscious effort to be good to each other was always present with these two whereas a conscious effort to not annoy each other was the only thing present with Adrien and Casmir.
Seeing an author prioritize and showcase healthier interpersonal relationships can truly be game-changing for readers today who wouldn’t otherwise get a close look at true friendships and relationships in a world with waning values and inabilities to compromise!
“I don’t need to be liked, really. I prefer to be, but I can get along without it. What I need most is respect.”
The Writing
I love reading a well-written book that teaches me new things.
This book used fresh and elevated language to paint, vividly, a fantastical world that even I wanted to be a part of and to know more about.
As a writer myself, I have always had an active imagination, but I promise you I did not need to dig deep into my own magical thinking to picture the world that Madeleine, the author, was able to write here. It practically jumps off of the pages and materializes in front of you. That takes such skill, as a writer, to accomplish.
Again, Madeleine has such a way with words and it truly seemed like every word ended up exactly where it was supposed to be in this story. When action was being conveyed, we understood every move (even in a fantasy realm). When we needed to feel something like sadness, or pity, or an overall loss of control, we did because the writing was so well able to convey those things.
To prove my point here I have to pick at least two standout instances where I could read a sentence, and understand exactly what was being conveyed, the feelings to be felt, and even the next thoughts of the characters in the story just based on how well it was written (this is even true when conveyed to and by a complicated character):
A display of unrequited love but also duty: “He treated me like a person rather than a menace: he showed me how to survive the academy’s intricacies. I fell in love, and he did not—although he never took his leave of me. Eventually, I asked him to be my keeper, and he obliged.
A display of restraint for the sake of a close friendship: “I always saved all of my self-control for her.”
Powerful sentences in a story are quite difficult to achieve as a writer, especially when each sentence serves a purpose to the larger story. To jump out of this world for a little while and jump into the world of screenwriting, ideally, each scene has a purpose. Otherwise you take the scene out of your screenplay and this is so similar to how the author here has been able to write throughout this book because each sentence truly does have a space and a purpose in the larger story.
Mental Health
Giving mental health issues another name but describing it the same happened to be a genius idea for this book. Down to the overpowering and uncontrollable nature of many disorders, to include addiction, this book gave another perspective on a pervasive human struggle.
“Akrasia is, in the original, nonmedical terms, the abandonment of good judgment because of a lack of willpower. I can think of no better example, I realized, finally, that the daimon was here. It had turned. I’d been right: something was coming… ”
Adrien struggled with many things throughout the book, the largest in my view being, self-confidence and forgiving himself which led to many of his more painful moments within the story. He questioned his own abilities multiple times throughout the story which led to a ton of self-loathing and disparagement about his actions, his thoughts — it made him question every move he made and every good thought that he had.
I’d say that Adrien’s battle with Adrien was the bigger battle in this book.
This is true for so many living today which is another reason why this book resonates so well with me. These struggles were amazingly real. In areas where we may have read the book and been completely annoyed with Adrien’s lack of confidence in himself, we could have easily turned that same mirror onto our selves at some point in our lives and seen our own struggles within this character.
The Author’s Corner:
“Cursebreakers takes you on an exciting journey to an intricate fantasy setting using dark academia accents, magic, and conspiracy. The novel subtly represents the reality of mental illness and explores queer identity in an escapist way… My goal for the book is to portray characters that are flawed just as we are in a way that destigmatizes mental illness as this queer fantasy novel blends mystery and painfully human characters.”
I love the way that this description was written because I think that it hits the nail on the head. The book truly presents you with a wild twist-and-turn of a ride through this fantasy land where you get into the mind of a Professor at the Pharmakeia or a healer at the Chirurgeonate. We even get a taste of the bonds between Vigil and rache, the stressors between daimoniac and keeper, and even best-friend and best-friend.
To say that I had a blast with this book wouldn’t be saying enough. It’s been a while since I had a book that I couldn’t put down, but this one went with me wherever I went and was pulled out whenever I had free time (which is rare these days).
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I am a newly converted fan of fantasy, but, if this were a series, I certainly wouldn’t mind dipping my toes into the next book immediately.
To read more from this author, click here: https://madeleinenakamura.com/
-RELEASE DATE: September 12, 2023
-ISBN-13: 978-1939096128
-PUBLISHING COMPANY: Canis Major Books
-GENRE: Fiction, fantasy, sci-fi
-PURCHASING INFO: "Cursebreakers" is available to order on Amazon.
Best,
Bree (@brianna_jay)