Cursebreakers is a powerful debut novel by fantasy writer Madeleine Nakamura. Set in a magic-filled world adjacent to our own, we follow professor of magic Adrien Desfourneaux as he works to uncover a conspiracy that is splitting factions in their fragile society. There is no shortage of enemies who want Adrien to use his powers for their own gain, and even Adrien’s own allies are not always on his side. To prevent a disaster from occurring, Adrien must navigate his relationships with his closest friends, the nature of his own magic, and his struggling mental health that underpins it all.
The book’s biggest strength is in its character’s voice. Adrien is one of the most compelling book protagonists I’ve ever read. The narrative reads from his point of view as he tries to explain just how he got into this situation, and there is much brutal honesty about the events. Adrien suffers from what is cleverly referred to in the worldbuilding as “akrasia,” akin to bipolar disorder, in which he seasonally toggles between extreme states of mania and depression. The story does not shy away from displaying the struggles of mental health issues, as Adrien is aware of his own weaknesses and self-destructive habits. But the narrative doesn’t romanticize mental illness, either, as we see how it negatively takes a toll on Adrien and those around him.
Built around Adrien is a cast of equally compelling and flawed friends. Gennady is a young, troubled soldier who becomes Adrien’s begrudging accomplice in spying on a corrupted faction of magic professors and power-hungry soldiers. Malise is Adrien’s best friend and therapeutic magic healer who sometimes has difficulty toeing the line between physician and confidant. Most interesting is Casmir, a stoic man Adrien is desperately in love with, but who is also tasked with the responsibility of being Adrien’s “keeper” as Adrien swings between manic and depressive states to make sure Adrien is practicing good judgment.