Cursebreakers
Adrien Desfourneaux, professor of magic, must survive his own failing mental health and a tenuous partnership with a dangerous ally in order to save the city of Astrum from a spreading curse.
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.
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Madeleine Nakamura is a writer, editor, and lifelong fantasy devotee. She began writing her first book the day she realized a computer science degree wasn't happening. Her debut novel, Cursebreakers, was awarded a Kirkus Star. She is based in Los Angeles, California.
"..the intimate representation of bipolar disease and addiction, the normalization of queer characters, and the nuanced depiction of aromantic male-female friendship make this an exciting read."--Melinda Liu, Booklist
"A tightly plotted conspiracy novel that blends seamlessly with its superbly developed setting."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred
"Adrien's narration was vivid, prickly, and compelling, and I loved the world she built around him, especially the beautiful names and terms, but also the institutional history of Pharmakeia and Curia (and Chirurgeonate), with the occasional, tantalizing glimpses of the wider world. And I admired the way she hung the plot together on the dual armatures of that institutional history and Adrien's deeply flawed character."--Katherine Addison, author of The Goblin Emperor
"An absorbing meditation on curses and blessings, martyrs and saints--and a rare fantasy that recognizes that the mind is more mysterious and more vital than any spell. It is writers like Madeleine Nakamura who are going to bring us all into the next age of the world."--Brian Conn, author of The Fixed Stars: Thirty-Seven Emblems for the Perilous Season
"Cursebreakers is outrageously good--phenomenal, even. This is a novel as electric as the lightning-bolt magic its protagonist wields, filled with curses, destruction, and piercing heartache. It's an ode to true, enduring friendship and a call to believe in our capacity for good."--Andrea Marks-Joseph, Independent Book Review
"Nakamura has created an impressive cast of characters in this action-packed thriller..."--Authorlink
"I can say with my whole heart that this book is categorically excellent. Had to bold it to really get my point across. . . Cursebreakers dared me to keep turning the page, and yet, demanded my patience all the same. . . all I can say is... I'm ravenous."--Noah, Goodreads
"Cursebreakers is a stellar debut written in tight prose that paints an image in one's mind with select, striking details. Its honest portrayal of mental illness through the creative lens of magic and a strong running theme of platonic friendship gives the story a deep sense of heart. At less than 300 pages long, it is a quick read that I am sure will charm you, whether you are a die-hard fantasy fan or not."--Sinclair Adams, Soapberry Review
