Cursebreakers

Cursebreakers, Book 1

By: Madeleine Nakamura

Narrated by: Tim Lounibos

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 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.

©2023 Madeleine Nakamura (P)2025 Tantor Media

Really brilliant, no notes!

I picked this up because a friend of mine read the book and warmly recommended it, I'm really happy I listened!
The narration was perfect, I could hear the dry wit from Adrien oozing from the voice actor they choose!

The story is solid, really funny at times in a dry humor kind of way and it got me emotional out of nowhere!
Adrien is very particular as a protagonist, intelligent, but he deals with mental health issues to the point of having hallucinations, and I really appreciated the way it was depicted, especially in a fantasy heavy book as this!
Something else that I appreciated is how his relationships were depicted, and how characters interact with each other. It feels heartwarming and painful and just really human.
I don't want to give examples, I really believe you want to experience these on your own, I'm sorry if it's not very helpful.

The book ends on a very satisfying note by the way, I did see that there was a sequel, so I'm definitely picking that up, but if you're in the mood for a one and done book, this one can fit the bill.
I'm only getting the second one because i actually really had tons of fun!