A Heart Torn Asunder: The Tragedy of Sir Naoise and Maid Ina

by K.H. Nelson

Naoise and Giaven McManstair are the twin sons of a traitor. So say the history books, that is.

After the Queen’s merciful intervention, and decades of proving their loyalty through their fierce military prowess, they have nearly escaped the shadow of their father’s treason. At least, until Naoise sets his eyes upon the one woman who can bring about his Ina O’Halloran, the Handmaiden of the Queen.

With the rising threat of The Dark through mortal-elf hybrids and the the genocidal warmongering of the forest’s King, Naoise finds himself negotiating a fragile peace that will save millions of lives. All the while, the woman he loves carries his an act of treason in itself. Now, Naoise must make the impossible choice between his loyalty to Ina and his loyalty to the very Queen who saved his and his twin brother’s lives all those years ago. To live in the agony of his grief over Ina’s inevitable execution, or to die alongside her as a traitor like his father.

When darkness prevails, would death be merciful, after all?

DISCLAIMER

This tale contains material that may be disturbing to some readers. Such material includes, but is not limited

Graphic ViolenceSexual EncountersDepictions of Mental IllnessFoul LanguageAttempted Self-Harm and SuicideReader Discretion is advised.

214 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[Kaylee J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was a tad hard for me to get into but once I got into it, I was fully immersed. The book leaves you with a lot of feeling and emotions towards the characters and its world. Overall I would definitely recommend it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

'A Heart Torn Asunder' combines elements of an ill-fated love story with a politically charged plot.

The love story was fast-paced and dominated a lot of the MMC's inner monologue. The plot itself was enjoyable and, at one point, had me on the edge of my seat. However, I found the political and military elements of the plot to be the most interesting aspects of the book.

K. H. Nelson has created a stunning fantasy world, which wasn't difficult to imagine whilst I was reading. It took me a few chapters to get used to the writing style, but I quite liked that it was written in the main character's accent.

If you're looking for a shorter fantasy read with a forbidden love story and political sub-plot, I would recommend you check this one out!

Thank you to Bookworm Books PR and K. H. Nelson for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Reader_for_LifeTLG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite like Romeo and Juliet - A magical world of elves, gnomes and wizards that borders that of the red-bloods. Two brothers - wards of the Crown's highest knight, orphaned sons of a traitor - one destined to act against the Wizards' will. Naoise finds a forbidden love with the queen's closest servant, an act of treason. Hearts steadfast despite decades kept apart by war, their one demonstration of their feelings results in the unthinkable - a child whose very existence is a crime. Naoise and Ina's very lives are in peril as they and their small circle of trust scheme to maintain the lovers' secrecy and secure their futures. A task not for the faint of heart. Overall a good fantasy read with an unexpected twist ending that Shakespeare would applaud.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Journey Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, reading this after The Grim, it fills in a lot of the blanks of why certain characters are the way they are. Is this story wumpy? It's a tragedy what did you expect now? The props I give this story is the amount of world building oozing out of the elven world. Just wishing I could have more, but that's for me to yell at the author to keep writing.

But if you are looking for something breaks from mainstream fantasy mold, I whole hearted say that read this first before The Grim, only if you love your heart torn asunder.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was interested from the cover and description and this did not disappoint, it had that tragedy element that I was expecting. The characters were beautifully created and how they worked in the story. K. H. Nelson was able to create a unique story and enjoyed the overall story going on, I hope to read more from K. H. Nelson as this was really well done.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.