The Shattered King

The Shattered King #1

by Charlie N. Holmberg

A captive healer and a mysterious prince are drawn to each other in the midst of war and magic in a beguiling dark fantasy by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

The kingdom of Cansere is on the brink of war. Young men are conscripted from their homes, and a royal decree from the queen has made healing the only legal form of craftlock. Nym, a healer and beekeeper, is the sole provider for her family of seven now that her younger brother has been sent to the warfront. But when a letter comes from the queen, summoning Nym to the palace to heal Prince Renn, the kingdom’s ailing shut-in, Nym finds herself making the tumultuous journey from her family’s apiary to the capital city. Nym is determined to fail the queen’s mission and return to her younger siblings as soon as she can.

But escaping the castle’s hold isn’t as easy as failing a simple test. Prince Renn is cold and distant, and his illness is nothing like Nym has ever seen before, nothing she could ever imagine treating. In a moment of connection with Prince Renn, Nym manages to remedy the faintest symptom of his ailment―only to discover that no healer before has made such progress. Forced to become the prince’s official healer and a ward of the castle, and with her only hope of returning to her family hinging on the prince’s recovery, Nym must navigate the castle’s cruel and twisted court and uncover the haunting truth behind Prince Renn’s illness―even as she finds herself irrevocably drawn to him.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Magic, Fantasy Romance, Audiobook, Fiction

333 pages, Hardcover

First published September 2, 2025

About the author

Charlie N. Holmberg is a Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of fantasy and romance fiction, including the Paper Magician series, the Spellbreaker series, and the Whimbrel House series, and writes contemporary romance under C. N. Holmberg. She is published in over twenty languages and is a Goodreads Choice Award, ALA, and RITA finalist. Born in Salt Lake City, Charlie was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters who also have boy names. A BYU alumna, she discovered in her thirties that she’s actually a cat person. She lives with her family in Utah. Visit her at www.charlienholmberg.com.

Amazon: amzn.to/2BXoQNZ
Instagram: Instagram.com/cnholmberg
Facebook: Facebook.com/cnholmberg
Twitter: Twitter.com/cnholmberg

Reviews

[Mai ༊*·˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0 ★— I’m honestly quite… shocked at how much this book consumed me, but it did. And it’s not even like much of this book has the most exciting plot in the world. No, the majority of this story focuses on Nym, a beekeeper responsible for her numerous siblings, and her stumbling into becoming the Prince’s personal healer after miraculously managing to heal some of his mysterious, supposedly incurable illness.

Nym is one of those main characters I love. She’s quietly competent, focused and smart, observant. She’s MaoMao from The Apothecary Diaries if she had an empathy chip and wasn’t so obsessed with poisons.

The book trails along, showcasing the slowly unfurling connection between her and the prince, and it succeeds in making their relationship naturally evolve from complete strangers, both forced into this slightly awkward patient-healer dynamic, into genuine friends and then more.

And in this, the book got me good. THIS IS THE YEARNING AND PINING I look for in books. Quiet, soft, unendingly there and mostly unspoken until the two open more up to each other. Nym and her own struggles and past, mixed with Renn’s, were so fascinatingly complex and well portrayed.

Renn is such a refreshing character. A smart man, yes, but also someone who’s cold and quite callous, unthinking at first, before you get to see more of his other sides. His progression was just as intriguing to witness health-wise as it was seeing his character open up.

Nym’s healing powers were fascinating! Getting to see her use them never got old, never got boring, and they captivated me over and over again. I’ve never seen healing powers depicted the way they are here, with Nym basically being able to look into people’s internal health plane, a lumis (which is as individual as a person), and having to adjust her healing to that plane. It’s such a simple but effectively executed idea, and I just totally adored that power in her.

The book handles the slowly building political intrigue that mostly stays in the background of the story well, as Nym’s a healer and doesn’t understand all the nuances of it. As a reader, you get glimpses and tidbits that you try to piece together, but the book does a good job of letting this only gradually come to the forefront. Alongside that, you also have the mystery of Renn’s condition, of Nym’s past, and so much that’s left unsaid and in the dark. Some of it the book clears up, and some still isn’t resolved, which kept me in a state of constantly trying to figure things out, to get ahead of all these aspects.

Honestly, I could gush more and more, because I think this was the perfect mix of slice of life, political intrigue, drama, pining, YEARNINGGGGGG, and mystery to really resonate with me and set off the dopamine in my brain. I loooveeed this. That's it.

[Ricarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

By now I've read over 10 books by Charlie N. Holmberg and I always admire her many cool ideas and ever solid execution. It's been a while since I picked up a new release by her, and I'm actually very pleasantly surprised how her stories developed even further. The Shattered King is the story of Nym, a 24-year-old healer who is called to court to care for the sick prince. Prince Renn is plagued by a mysterious and seemingly incurable disease, and only Nym's magical healing made him a little better. Now she lives at court and spends all her time with a pretty prince, but Nym is far from being swept up in the typical romantasy tale. She was forced to leave her family, works to exhaustion every day and isn't even paid for it. The royal family feels entitled to her magical abilities and demands everything from her while also ignoring most of her advice and even treating her cruelly. But Nym is there to do her job and it's not like she has much of a choice anyway. The prince eventually warms up to her, and Nym gains one ally at court. I really liked both characters, but it was a bit weird how Renn changed his whole behavior after Nym lost her patience with him once. That was surely not enough to shatter his entire world view. But anyway, I liked Nym and Renn because both were not the stereotypical romantasy characters that you read endlessly about. First things first: the female main character being four years older than her male counterpart? Basically unheard of and thus very refreshing. Nym really felt like an adult, and she's very capable without being forcedly badass. She often speaks her mind and gets in trouble for it, and she has a million problems that are not simply solved by romance. Renn's not dark and brooding and all-powerful and hot, but a character shaped by his sickness. He is calm and smart while also being frustrated by his poor health. And it was so great to see that not every connection has to be built on lust. It's a true slow burn, and it worked really well for me. By the time the characters started to like each other, I liked both of them as well. The fantasy aspect was intriguing too. It was all about different magical abilities with healing being the only legal one (because it benefits the royal family). The healing was described as a craft and the process was about fixing one's personal inner space. It's a unique way of portraying healing, but it also felt a bit too easy in most cases. Nym usually just has to find the broken area of a sick person and apply magic and everything is fine again. The magic can't repair lethal damage and Renn's disease is an exception anyway, but it was still a very powerful ability. Still, it added an interesting element about why Nym is more powerful than other healers and about the mystery of Renn's sickness. Not all questions were answered in this first book and I'm quite interested in continuing. The story wasn't cozy but mostly calm, except for the ending that got very intense all of a sudden. Book 2 will probably be very different, because the situation shifted entirely in the end. With this book and T. Kingfisher's Hemlock & Silver we get two solid fantasy books about healers facing incurable diseases this year. They are not too similar overall, but I think if you enjoyed one you will probably like the other as well. That's how I feel, anyway.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and 47North for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[♡Naz♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

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⭐ 4 STARS ⭐

Prince Renn tested every ounce of my patience in The Shattered King. The man strutted through the first half of the book like a certified pompous ass, completely oblivious to the fact that Nym was literally draining herself dry to keep him alive. I wanted to shake him. Hard. But the moment Nym collapsed from exhaustion and he finally snapped out of his royal delusion? That was the turning point I needed. Watching him realize the cost of her sacrifice added a layer of emotional weight that hit surprisingly hard.

What really stood out, though, was Nym herself — steady, selfless, and quietly powerful in a way that made her impossible not to root for. The ending was sad, yes, but honestly? I didn’t expect anything less from Charlie N. Holmberg. She always threads heartbreak and hope together with this delicate precision that leaves you staring at the last page in silence. And the best part? Her books never feel recycled. Every story is its own creature, its own world, its own emotional punch to the gut.

All in all, The Shattered King is a beautifully crafted fantasy with sharp character arcs, emotional depth, and a plot that keeps you hooked even when you want to throttle the hero. Renn may have started as an insufferable royal, but the growth was worth the journey. A strong, satisfying 4‑star read that reminds me why Holmberg’s work always feels fresh.

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[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were many things wrong with this book. Let’s bullet point.

1. Holmberg is too creative. Yep. This is the second book of hers I’ve read, the other was Still the Sun, where the author creates this elaborate magic system which I just could not visualize. The FMC, Nym, spends endless hours in the MMC, Renn’s, ‘Lumie’ doing magical… stuff. By the end of the book, I still only vaguely understood what she was doing.

2. Sorry, it’s Stockholm Syndrome. The “romance” goes like this: Nym is called to the castle away from her family, which is not a minor plot point, then congratulations, Nym is able to heal Renn slightly (“Mom, I can wiggle my toe!”). She’s then basically taken captive and abused by the evil queen for several cringy and brutal chapters. The phrase, “Take her to the dungeon!” was actually spoken. Nym is forced to attempt to heal Renn all day every day for several weeks. The turning point only comes after she’s worked to exhaustion and almost dies.

3. Why the hell is Nym falling for this guy? After Renn starts to get better, he turns out to be a decent bloke, so Nym falls in love with him, I’m assuming because she spends 24/7 in his head, or soul, or the magical manifestation of his body. Sorry, but isn’t that sort of the definition of Stockholm Syndrome?

4. Zero chemistry. Zero. Nym spends 95 percent of the book rejecting Renn’s advances, so when they finally have that fateful first kiss, it feels more cringy than swoony.

5. There is repeated reference to some past sexual assault that is never fully explained, and some veiled references to Nym losing a baby that assumingly was a result of the sexual assault that was never explained. UPDATE: This was all explained and I missed it, probably because I was listening to the audiobook while driving. See Cheyenne’s Comment below

6. (What felt like) endless chapters of Nym just hanging out in Renn’s head/soul/body—whatever—trying to fix his lumis.

7. Why was the wicked queen and lecherous older brother basically given a free pass for abusing Nym?

8. WTF with that cliffhanger!? Right at the very end, some character who we see onscreen only briefly, captures Nym in an icky invasive way and suggests he’s going to do bad things to her. Roll credits. Talk about being left with a bad feeling. I didn’t even know this book was part of a series!

I don’t understand Holmberg. She’s been one of my favorite Romantasy author for years, consistently delivering wonderful stories, but these last two books were just duds.

[Lucie V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

✅ Captive FMC
✅ Unique magic system
✅ Characters
✅ Good character development
✅ Forbidden romance (nothing insta & he falls first)
✅ Politics in the background, twists in the last part
✅ Character-driven (I didn’t mind, but the plot and politics take the backseat for most of the book)
✅(🆗) Plot & politics
✅(🆗) Pace (slow in the first half)
❗️❗️Cliffhanger
❗️❗️Trigger warning: mention of past attempted suicide (not graphic), death of loved ones (past), rape (past, not graphic), stillborn baby
🔥 Spice level : 🌶️ / 5

Wow. I devoured this book.

It’s been a while since I was that invested in a book. Since I couldn’t put it down and ended up reading way too late, and it feels so good to find a new gripping and addictive series. It is not perfect, but its addictiveness makes up for the few minor points that could have been better.

I love the world-building, and the healing magic was so original! There are many Gods, but they don’t take up too much room in the book. Just enough to show us the different belief system in place, and how important religion is to the people of Cansere. The one jarring thing, though, is the fact that they use the same month as we do, despite having different Gods (and knowing that many of our months’ names come from old Roman Gods, it is weird). There is also a map at the beginning of the book, and the names of the countries and cities are not too complicated or hard to remember.

The Shattered King is character-driven, not plot-driven. The pace is slow until the last 30%, but I still devoured this book. It focuses on Nym and Renn, and how they get to know each other through the hundreds of hours Nym is forced to spend healing him as best as she can. There is politics in the background, but it only becomes more relevant in the last part of the book, and what an explosive ending! Seeing as we follow Nym, who is sequestrated in Renn’s room most of the time, and does not have any opportunity to learn about the palace’s politics, it also makes sense that it remains in the background of the story for so long. It slowly becomes more important and moves to the forefront of the story as Nym starts to care for Renn, too, and talks more with him. The pace definitely picks up in the last 25% of the book, and I am very happy I have the second book already, because the wait would have been cruel.

I am not complaining, though, because the characters are great. Their development centers around their healing journey and the gain of self-worth. Nothing is rushed, but nothing is dragged on either. The pacing was perfect, even if it feels like not much happens in the first half.

I was a broken healer, a woman whose craft would become illegal the second he was whole again. A woman too shattered by men to allow another to break her.

Nym is awesome. She is driven, brave, and very competent at healing, making her a unique asset. She is clever and observant, noticing details others do not, and it allowed her to show more empathy than most people toward Prince Renn. She’s had a tough life, riddled with tragedy and trauma, and she was forced to keep it all inside and remain strong since both her parents died, and she ended up becoming the mother for all her younger siblings. I loved seeing her resiliency and strength, and how, despite her trauma, fears, and bitterness at times, she remained a kind soul, always willing to help.

“But you’re hurting right now. The lens through which you see the world is cracked.”

Renn grows a lot, and I loved it. It is refreshing to have a cold, and even callous at times, character that actually has a good reason for it, and is not simply being a snob because of their station. Renn changes, softens, and starts to care about Nym once his reason for being cold at first is not there anymore, and once he is forced to spend hundreds of hours with Nym and sees that she is kind and does not lie to him or treat him like less than. Renn is not afraid to apologize once he realizes how badly Nym was treated, and he also does his best to redeem himself and show Nym that he truly is sorry. His change is not only physical, as Nym heals him, he also grows and opens up a lot, and I am eager to see how he will handle his new responsibilities in the next book.

The romance is slow and sweet. Nym pities Renn at first, while he dislikes her, simply because he is fed up with healers touching him and trying and failing to heal him. They are forced into an awkward patient-healer dynamic that slowly evolves into tentative friendship as they get to know each other, and eventually, all this pinning becomes forbidden love. I loved the pinning (and yes, he falls first), but I also absolutely adored how mature and level-headed Nym remained. She always kept in mind the reality of her station and the fact that she needed to go back to her family as soon as possible. She didn’t delude herself into believing a fairytale was possible between Renn and her, and she refused to become a shameful secret as soon as he showed some interest in her.

The “who did this to you” is a popular trope that I enjoy. It was not there in this book, but we get something similar. Nym is mistreated as soon as she arrives at the palace: getting no pay, no clothing, no time to bathe, and barely any time to rest and eat. She was taken from her home and family, and while Renn knew that she came to the palace simply because she received a conscription letter, he had no idea how badly Nym was treated. I loved seeing his honest reactions every time he learned a new piece of information about Nym’s circumstances, about her horrible life at the palace, and about how her family was probably doomed, too, because of her absence.

I wish we could have seen more of Nym’s siblings. Nym became their mother when she was 16, after the death of both their parents, and she’s been acting as their mother for the past 8 years. I feel that this is such a central part of who she is, yet once she arrives at the palace, she does not see them, nor does she have the means to care for them, and it feels as if such a crucial and central part of her life should have had more room in the book. On the other hand, this distance allowed her to focus on herself and her own healing journey, because the past 8 years left many psychological scars, so her time away from them is not all bad either.

The plot is not the most original, but I recommend this book to any and every romantasy lovers out there. I know there have been many other books about a girl with unique healing powers, roped into helping a prince or a King, and ending up falling for him even though he is a grump and their station does not allow them to be together. Still, I am impressed with how much I enjoyed this book. The combination of well fleshed and layered characters with the unique take on healing magic and the slow development of the romance made it a great book to read devour.


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[Livlyy ⭑.ᐟ · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️/5 ⭐️



⠀⠀:¨ ·.· ¨:
⠀⠀ `· . 𐙚“𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡.”
“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬.”
“𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐡,𝐍𝐲𝐦.”



「 ✦ 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 ✦ 」 In the war-torn kingdom of Cansere, healing is the only legal craft, and Nym—a young healer and beekeeper—is thrust into royal intrigue when she’s summoned to treat the mysterious illness of the reclusive Prince Renn. Hoping to fail and return to her struggling family, Nym instead becomes entangled in palace secrets when she unexpectedly succeeds where others have not. Trapped within the castle walls, she must unravel the dark mystery behind the prince’s condition and navigate a dangerous court—where every cure comes at a cost, and her heart may be the most vulnerable of all.


𝑷𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆 : 2nd September, 2025


⋆.˚✮ 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 ✮˚.⋆ Wow this is such an amazing book! I LOVE the concept of this book like the healer enters the lumi of another person and also that the FMC is older than the MMC which is VERY rare.This book reminds me of “Bewitched” By Laufey and omggg it’s my fav song!! I enjoyed and loved the first half but the second half ? I ABSOLUTELY DEVOURED IT!!!! I CANNOT wait for the next book to drop !! I wish I had someone to discuss the book’s ending 😫


————————-🌷𝐂ɦα𝗋α𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌🌷—————————————-

⋮ ⋆˚࿔ 𝓝𝔂𝓶 ⋆𝜗𝜚˚⋆

“𝑰 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏. 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒑𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 . 𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒘.”

She is such a strong FMC and I really like her boldness and thoughtfulness . She’s quiet but focused and quite likeable . I cackled every time she lost her temper at the nobles, firing back with pure logic against their absurd demands. (Yes, she got thrown in the dungeon. Yes, they absolutely deserved it.) She’s such a Diva 💅 Would I die for Nym? Duhhh Absolutely Without hesitation 🙄



⋮ ⋆˚࿔ 𝓡𝓮𝓷𝓷 ⋆ 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

“ 𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅.”

He had my heart from the start! You could see him express his feelings towards Nym through actions and most of all , I melted when he confessed. The best thing ? Instead of being a mama’s boy , he took Nym’s side in front of his mother !! Like I just know he’s gonna be the best book bf( Marry me already 🛐) I can’t wait for this book to be famous and see Renn’s Fanart!!


┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ⋆.˚✮🎧✮˚.⋆ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈


˚⋆𐙚｡𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔 / 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𖦹.ᡣ𐭩˚: Slow burn romance , No spice ( YA), Healer x Patient , Forbidden romance , Forced proximity !!


┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ♡˚ 🦢・✧ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈


「°•`୨𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍!•°ৎ 」 This is THE BOOK OF THE YEAR for me!! I’d recommend it to anyone who likes to read fantasy or who liked the stolen heir duology ! Alsoooo HATS OFF TO THE AUTHOR for writing such an amazing and creative book! I can’t wait for it to be published and see its fanarts because I know it’s gonna be amazing!

╰┈➤ Thanks a lot to 47North and Net gallery to provide me an e-arc in exchange for a honest review !




💗𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐝𝐚𝐲 ( 𝟎𝟐/𝟎𝟖) 💗 HAPPY PUBLISHING DAY TO THIS AMAZING BOOK!!!! Absolutely cannot wait for everyone to devour this book!!!

[M Gregs · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was shockingly bad. I have read multiple Charlie Holmberg books to date, and while I didn’t love them, I couldn’t have called any of them bad, just not for me. But this book? What happened here‽

The Shattered King is purportedly about a young peasant, Nym, who is able to heal any wound or illness with magic. She is summoned to heal a prince (Renn) who has been sick his entire life, and unlike every healer who has come before her, she is able to actually make him better, even if the relief she provides is only temporary. Oh, and as she heals him, they fall in love. Of course.

On the surface, that’s not a bad plot. Trite, perhaps. Predictable, certainly. But not actively bad.

Let me tell you what this book is actually about though, broken down by a rough estimate of the number of pages devoted to each plot point:

- 30 pages of Nym worrying about her family, whom she has had to leave to heal the king.
- 50 pages of Nym being inexplicably abused by Renn’s family and the castle physician. There is literally no reason for this abuse. The Queen physically beats Nym and treats her like a slave for absolutely no reason. Nym is healing Renn! She does everything she is asked to do! And the Queen mentally and physically abuses her anyway. The castle physician hates Nym and attempts to assassinate her because he’s jealous of her or something? And the older prince (Renn’s brother) literally grabs her crotch as he passes her in the hallway FOR NO REASON, and then somehow gets redeemed by the end of the book and it’s like the whole sexual assault thing never happened.
- 15 pages of Nym speaking to someone no one else can see, who is revealed in the middle of the book to be her twin sister??? Whom she accidentally ingested or something in a near-death experience and now lives inside her mind?
- 40 pages of Renn professing his love for Nym with absolutely no reciprocation on her part, and no chemistry whatsoever between the two of them.
- 180 pages of Nym “dowsing” into Renn’s “lumis” to heal him. This was far and away the most interesting part of the book… for about 20 pages. But then it became unbearably redundant. Nym spends at least half the book talking about repairing and stringing glass baubles. The word “bauble” is used forty-six times and when she got tired of saying “bauble” she switched to “orb,” which is used another twenty-five times. The repetitiveness made something that should have been interesting and unique into something that was utterly, devastatingly boring.
- 18 pages of some sort of war that is apparently taking place but is never explained and only alluded to when it’s convenient to mention that Nym’s brother has been conscripted to fight. Who is the war with? Unclear. What is the war about? LITERALLY NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW. This is not hyperbole. No one—not even the royal family—has any idea why the war is being fought. But by the end of the book, it becomes a Major Plot Point that is deployed to set up a totally unnecessary sequel.

So. If all of the above sounds interesting to you, then you will love this book. If, however, like me, the most interesting thing about my review is the name Nym, then I encourage you to skip this book and spend a few hours nostalgically watching The Secret of NIMH, instead.

[Erin Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨✨✨Unique and refreshing!!✨✨✨

Ahhh my 🫀😍!! I absolutely LOVED this one!! It captured my attention right away and kept me so engaged in the story. I was CONSUMED. The writing is very well done and I love how unique and refreshing the story is. Absolutely love the magic system and super happy there wasn’t any insta love. The YEARNING!! I really liked both Nym and Renn and found their characters super refreshing as well. The end left off crazy so I gotta go start book 2 RIGHT now…! ✌️

[Fariha Taskin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Such an unique plot, very different from your usual fantasy book.
Older woman supremacy 🫦🫦🫦. Don't get me wrong, Nym and Renn is cute but Nym with King Adoel Nicosia?? Just so hot and mysterious ✨

I hate the queen so much. She treats Nym like a literal slave. She has done more than any other healers in the past 20 years yet the queen won't acknowledge her work. She won't pay her a single penny, won't give her clothes, she barely gets food. She not even getting a bath. She works 20-22 hours per day. The almost paralysis bed ridden prince Renn can now walk and talk properly yet his healer is getting treated like an animal. The queen makes my blood boil so bad. She wouldn't even let Nym write a letter to her family. This is sick
Like mother like son, Renn was cruel to her a few times as well. They worked her so bad she got sick and fainted. It was inhumane. But I'm glad she was treated better in the end.
The emotional depth from this book?? Hello this is just amazing. I hated Prince Adrinn since the beginning and the fact he assaulted Nym? I was so satisfied when Renn broke his brother's nose after that. Poor Nym , she got deceived by two men, lost her babygirl. She had to mother 7 of her siblings as well. Assassination attempt. Give her a break I beg you. I'm kinda glad prince adrinn is dead.
Okay the plot twist??! Never in a million years I would have guessed what Renn is ?

King Adoel Nicosia is so daddy 🫦🫦🫦, Imma crash out if they don't end up together. Going finish the rest of the second book now!

[lookmairead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welp- this is an extremely tough book to review.

First off, I’d like to thank NetGalley for the “read now” option. This was my first time trying it and I am grateful for the extended functionality.

3 “Tough Love” Feedback Points:

- “This one is terrible, but the ending is worth it” and “Start from the middle. You won’t miss anything.”

Sometimes I think authors write what the devil on their shoulder whispers to them. But in this case… this feedback felt accurate.

- I know we are reading fantasy- it’s fiction- but you must make your characters set up believable. The queen & many side characters scenes fell oddly flat and it didn’t feel like escapism. It felt predictable kids movie. Like the queen in Alice in Wonderland. 😅

- The magic system felt oddly suppressed until the last leg. It felt like whiplash as it was introduced. I wish it was woven throughout stronger.

3 Potential Wins going into Book 2:

- I think knowing the world building is more intricate- I’ll be curious how things work together or against each other.
- 1/2 a heart- the romantic needs to know what happens when you give that.
- The FMC’s family… I think they are key in adding more depth to this series. 🤞


2.5-3/5

[Elisabeth Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I flew through my ARC of this and now I am Very Sad because I have to wait HOW long for the sequel?!

As per usual, Charlie’s worldbuilding and magic systems are just so cool. I loved this concept of healers and how vivid the imagery was. And the characters sucked me right in and had me laughing and crying by turns. The gasp I gasped at the ending though 😩

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC; this review was voluntary.

[Lana C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually did enjoy this overall… but I’m still a little torn on it. The writing is solid, it’s easy to read, and the magic system is really interesting. In this kingdom, only healing magic is allowed, while neighboring nations allow all kinds of magic. We only really see healing in this book, but I’m definitely curious about the rest because the concept has a lot of potential.

I went in pretty much blind, just knowing a healer gets called to try to save a sick prince. Nym is the oldest of seven and basically raising her siblings on her own, so being forced to leave them is a huge deal. It’s not some exciting opportunity for her, it’s a sacrifice. And when she gets to the palace, things are not great. She doesn’t know how to act around nobility, she’s mistreated, her basic needs aren’t even met at first, and she’s working nonstop. You can really feel how trapped she is.

Her dynamic with Prince Ren starts off tense, which I liked. They’re forced to be around each other constantly, and there’s definitely a power imbalance that makes everything awkward. Over time, they do find some common ground. Ren has spent most of his life sick and unsure of himself, and Nym treats him like an actual person instead of something fragile. It makes sense that he’d fall for her.

But this is also where I start to hesitate. Ren develops feelings pretty fast because she “sees him,” and while Nym pushes back for most of the book, her switch feels sudden. She goes home briefly, one of her brothers tells her he knows she’s in love with the prince, and that’s basically what makes her decide she’s ready to love him back. I just wanted a little more build-up there, especially with how much trauma she’s carrying.

Nym even questions whether Ren loves her or just her magic, and honestly… I kind of agree with her. It’s hard not to wonder if he’s in love with what she represents for him rather than who she actually is. I almost think it would’ve been more interesting if they’d stayed close friends supporting each other instead of going full romance. It felt a little predictable when it could’ve been something deeper.

That said, I still had a good time with it. The world is interesting, the magic system has room to grow, and I’m curious enough to pick up book two. I just wish the relationship had felt different and deeper than what it is.

[Evelyn220 · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️ Great concept, terrible execution.
As another reviewer said it best, this book is a heck of a long walk for only a drop of water.
The plot moves at a glacial pace, extremely repetitive with very little romance. I loved the innovative magic system, and that’s about it.

The MCs had zero chemistry. The MMC was 20 years old and seemed like a child as he’d been sick in bed his whole life. He had almost no personality, like a wet blanket. The FMC was 24 and worldly/has been through so much, and she’s held captive to be his healer. Hundreds of pages of this book was her magic diving into his soul to heal him. They felt like they had a little brother/older sister dynamic. So much so that I thought another MMC would be introduced up until 60%. Disappointing.

[ishraq ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars !!

okay actually such a good read and i loved the writing style so much

thank you so much aanz for reccomending this xx

[Hailey Stalter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new author to me and I was concerned I wouldn't enjoy this as that unfortunately seems to be the play with books I find on Kindle Unlimited these days. I was very glad to have those fears unfounded. This was a SOLID romantasy. While it wore on a smidge long, it never got to feel too lagged out in its pacing. There was enough happening with the characters' development and the action in the world around them that I never felt bored. I actually felt compelled to devour it. The language used made sense - there wasn't any inconsistency with use of modern phrasing which made me love it even more as that is a huge pet peeve of mine. The world building was wonderful and not overdone. The magic system was genuinely unique - the idea of healing someone based on individualized mental/soul-like idols/scenes was insanely cool. There was nuance in the supporting characters that always felt just right. Sometimes authors force things and this felt like it flowed naturally and was truly a pleasure to read.

[Lizette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommend-O-Meter: God yes, as long as you’re prepared for some darkness

I love fun magic systems. So when this book started talking about healing magic being done through a liminal space inside a person’s mind/soul/whatever that presents itself differently for every individual, I was absolutely hooked. But the narrative is what kept me up at two in the morning, reading even through the night.

This story follows the perspective of Nym, a magical healer who is conscripted to help the insanely sick Prince Renn of her country. Given that she is at first wholly unpleased to be there, and how horrid their treatment of her is, I was honestly thinking at first that I couldn’t see how this could realistically develop into a romance. But oh, how it had. Nym was always a lovely character, but I found myself falling for the prince right alongside her. Both of them carry so much baggage and mystery that it was almost inevitable that they found their way to each other. It’s as if their jagged edges somehow fit together, turning them into something better as a unit than apart.

Anyway, I am clearly so invested now (especially with that ending!). Apparently this is part of a duology, which I didn’t realize at first, so now I’m twiddling my thumbs waiting for the second book to drop in a few months. And I think I’m gonna check out some of Holmberg’s other books, because I would love to read more of their work.

Fair warning though, this is not a light story. It may seem so at times, but there are some very dark themes—both implied and explicitly, excruciatingly described—that permeate through all of it. Definitely just something to note for sensitive readers, but utterly captivating nonetheless if you can handle it!

Audio Assessment: To me, it was quite perfect actually! The narrator was able to convey emotion and intensity while still maintaining a clarity of speech. And the voice quality felt super appropriate for Nym’s point of view.

[I received an ALC of this book from the publisher on NetGalley. This does not in any way affect the contents of my review.]

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

The first 75% didn’t really have any plot arc or suspense, making it feel like a trudge to keep reading.

And the romance just wasn’t there. There was no real personality or development given to Prince Renn, which left much to be desired in terms of any chemistry between him and Nym.

Now I will say the last 40 pages or so picked up in pace and action, and hinted at interesting things to come in the sequel, if one is willing to wait it out.

For me, this book was disappointing, and I mostly just toughed it out for the sake of writing a holistic review. Others might find more suspense and intrigue in places I did not.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

review coming soon.

[Phoebe ❀ ✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the first books I've read of Charlie N. Holmberg, and I'm now convinced I have to go back and read all of her work. This book was so, so unique - particularly the magic system and how the healing worked!

Nym is a healer, and the concept here is unlike anything I've read. In order to heal people, she is able to enter their "mindscapes" which differ from person to person. The ailment that needs to be healed will manifest as clutter or something that has been damaged, which she then works meticulously to put back into place or repair. How cool is that?

Nym is summoned to the palace to heal the second son of the King, Prince Renn, who is chronically ill with a "shattered", broken body. He has almost no quality of life and has all but given up since no other healers have been able to help him, but after being able to fix one small thing after first seeing to him, Nym is then forced vehemently against her will to stay and demanded by the Queen to toil away for grueling hours to heal the Prince. The prince is initially cruel and distant to Nym, and Nym is equally resentful to him, hating him for being the reason she was ripped from her younger siblings and leaving them to attempt to survive without her. However, the two of them eventually begin to form an interesting and touching bond.

Nym quickly figures out that his physical ailments extend far beyond just a shattered body, and the dynamics in the palace grow increasingly sinister. The mysterious illness of Prince Renn's was so fascinating to me, and my mind was spinning trying to figure out what the root of it could be. The relationship between Nym and Renn sort of reminded me of "Me Before You", in that Renn was relegated to being a jaded, rude recluse with no hope for his life. But as Nym begins to heal him, he truly opens up and is so tender and gentle with Nym. His character development is top-notch and the romance that blossoms between them is so touching because Nym begins to fall for him even when he is weak -- he doesn't fit into the traditional romantasy male archetype of being muscular, strong, etc. We see Renn at his weakest, most vulnerable moments, which I think is so special and unusual.

The plot in this book was full of twists, though it did lag a bit at times. For me, this book is more character-driven and its strengths lie in how the characters evolve and grow. There is a sense of resolution at the end of this book, but I am so excited for the sequel to come out.

Thank you so much to 47North and NetGalley for this ARC!!

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars ✨

Fantasy Romance

“I would let the gods shatter me every noon and midnight. I would worship you until my last breath”

📿No Spice
📿Illegal Magic
📿Slowest of Burns
📿Forbidden Romance
📿Forced Proximity
📿Unique Magic

📚 Book Source 📚
Kindle Unlimited ebook
(read along Audio included)
Audio 🎧 5/5 ✨

A healer bound by duty. A prince cursed by secrets. A kingdom teetering on the edge of ruin.

Nym is the caretaker of her many siblings, since her parents passing. She is the oldest and spends her days beekeeping to provide to them. She also has healing craftlock, which is the only kind of magic still allowed since all other magical craftlocks have been forbidden in her kingdom. She does everything she can to take care of her family.

One day she is summoned to the palace by the Queen, to heal Prince Renn, who has had a mysterious illness most of his life. No other healers have been able to help him, so Nym hopes that she also fails and can return home quickly to her family. She didn’t plan on succeeding- which ends up changing her plans and binding her to the Prince and thrusting her into a whole new world of secrets and court politics.

This was my first book by this author, and it will not be my last! From the minute this book began, I had trouble putting it down. It does start a bit slow, but the authors writing, captivated my attention.

Nym was so relatable and likable as a main character, and I enjoyed getting to know her and her unique magic. There was a mystery about her and I couldn’t wait to unravel it . Renn also grew on me over time, and by the end , he had stolen my heart. This was by no means a perfect book, I have a lot of questions, (especially about something that happened in Nyms past that was never really fleshed out) but I am hoping the author explains it in the next installment.

Overall I enjoyed the magic system, internal conflicts, mystery behind Nym and the emotional tension between the main characters. After that cliffhanger- I am looking forward to the next book.
Would recommend.

Content ⚠️
-no language
-kissing
-Chronic Illness
-Suffering
-Emotional Abuse /Grief
-one character is grabbed inappropriately (not graphic)

[Kalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE ANGST!!!!!!!

[Jeni—Bookish.Bestie.909 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okayyyy. It’s no secret I’m a Charlie Holmberg fan. So I did go into this assuming I would love it (but still worried I may not). But wow. It was better than I could have imagined! The MAGIC. I loved the incredibly unique take on healing magic. I was so engaged and invested from page one. The female main character, Nym, had a story I couldn’t wait to see unfold. And Renn, our shattered prince, the male main character, was such a mystery and I couldn’t help to root for him (even though he is blonde 😆). I needed answers and didn’t want to put the book down. The story was such a delicious slow burn, the perfect balance, never boring me. I just wanted more and more.
Charlie has mastered “closed door” romance tension. A brush of the fingers has me giddy. She really created the perfect blend of political intrigue, slow-burn romance, and mystery. The ending has me desperate for March to get here sooner…I need the second book!

Thank you Charlie, NetGalley, and 47North for the Advanced Copy.

[Doxie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF’d at 75%.

The entire portion of the book went as follows:
Someone treats FMC poorly
FMC heals MC
Someone treats FMC poorly
FMC heals MC
And continue that about 10 more times.

That’s it. Seriously, nothing else happens. No action whatsoever. I was super interested at first but without any love or action, what genre even is this book? Maybe the last 15% have action and romance, but I’m past the point of caring. So far it’s just been two weak characters whom I pity.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

This was such a pleasant surprise.

Nym‘s a healer and gets drafted to heal the country‘s sickly prince. She‘s planning on failing so she can get home to her family asap. Unfortunately for her she manages to accomplish what others could not and is forced to stay. Cue: budding romance!

Both MCs were great. I LOVED that the FMC is 4 years older than the MMC and just so much more experienced and frankly interesting. That doesn‘t come as a surprise as Renn, the MMC, spent all his life bedbound and sheltered. He‘s such a bristly and privileged dude at first because he just hates life. But he learns, changes and grows, and that‘s just so refreshing. Nym tries to protect her heart at all cost because she‘s deeply traumatised be men but in the end she falls for the human green flag. We don‘t know Renn‘s thoughts that well because this is written in single POV, but my god does this man yearn! He‘s such a sweetheart.

Slow(er) burn, forbidden romance, yearning.. I ate it up!

I must say though that I would have wanted more world building and perhaps a more plot than just mainly… healing? But that‘s honestly such a minor qualm.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so different from other romantasy books. I didn't predict where this was going. I can't wait to read book 2.

[Jessica ❥Chatterbooks Book Blog❥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Minni Mouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

1) The Shattered King: ★★★★★
2) The Half-Hearted Queen: ★★★★

In short, I loved this book. It had 80% of the same plot as one of my other favorite books, To Poison A King , so I could tell almost by the description this was going to be a winner.

THE GOOD
1) Character-driven. Slow-burn and yearning romance. A gentle but strong main female character.

2) Adult fantasy = adult characterizations. Violence without gratuitous, graphic descriptions. Romance without sex scenes. Some political scheming that I hope will get further explored in the next book.

THE BAD
You know...with a strong, character-driven approach, you often sacrifice a fast-moving, compelling plot. I do wish there was more to the plot, particularly with getting to know the royal family and Prince Andrinn and the mythology.

FINAL THOUGHTS
This book was just spot-on book chemistry. To Poison A King had a stronger romance and a stronger plot, but it also had quite a weak ending. This book was more steady and probably will benefit from being a planned duology. I'm looking forward to the next book in a few months!

[elizabeth rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

A healer bound by duty. A prince cursed by secrets. A kingdom teetering on the edge of ruin. 👑

If you love slow-burn romantic fantasy with dark magic, court intrigue, and quietly powerful heroines, The Shattered King might just be your next read.

Nym, a beekeeper and healer just trying to keep her siblings fed during wartime, is summoned to treat a mysterious illness plaguing the reclusive Prince Renn. Her plan? Fail the assignment and go home. But when she unexpectedly makes progress no other healer has managed, she’s trapped in a palace of secrets and shadows — with a prince who’s colder than ice... until he’s not. 👀

✨ The vibes:
- Slow burn romance
- Rich magical worldbuilding
- Claustrophobic castle intrigue 🏰
- Stoic hero + practical heroine energy
- Themes of sacrifice, duty, and hidden power

✨ What I loved: Nym’s no-nonsense attitude, the mystery of the illness, and the cursed prince who slowly starts to crack open.
⚠️ Heads-up: pacing is sluggish early on, and the big twists feel slightly rushed when they finally hit — but the final few chapters do stick the landing.

Would I recommend it? Yes — if you enjoy a slower paced fantasy.

[Cathy | A Case Full of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOLY. MOLY.

and also

OH. MY. HEAVENS.

This book was INCREDIBLE! I always love Charlie Holmberg's books, but this may just be her best work yet. The magic was FASCINATING. I could have read pages and pages about the different lumies people had and not gotten tired of it. Plus Nym was a perfect main character. She had grit and worked hard for every little thing. I also loved Renn and seeing his character growth.

I will be recommending this book to literally everyone while impatiently waiting for the sequel.

Trigger warnings: minor sexual assault occurring briefly on page; more major sexual assault in the past recounted vaguely.

*Thank you to Charlie Holmberg for an ARC of this amazing book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

[tjthebooknerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your new Romantasy obsession? 🤩

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Our FMC Nym has a lot on her plate, the eldest and carer of her 8 siblings, she is whisked away to heal the ailing Prince Renn with her usually forbidden magic. However, Renn is quite distant until after she begins to progress on his illness like no one has before… Will she successfully heal the Prince without getting entangled with him and return home to her family?

This was such an easy to follow magic system and had small bits of the belief system interspersed which really allowed the time to focus on the characters' personalities and relationships. It packs in a lot of information with it being under 350 pages too!

Nym gives hard working eldest daughter vibes and is not afraid to back down when it comes to the queen. She is dedicated to her work as healer, getting satisfaction from seeing a job through!
HOWEVER, it is the slow burn romance that takes centre stage and the character development of those involved that had me not wanting to put the book down!

Also a quick mention to the eldest prince Adrian, I feel like we are not to trust him but at the same time is there anything good behind his facade?

ALSO this is a soon to be completed fantasy series with the last of the duology to be released on March 3 2026!

Favourite Quotes ♥️
‘Should I let them starve while trying to coax a monster to take meat from my hand?’
‘Like a bird in a cage watching other flocks forming shadows against the sun.’
‘So obsessed was this family with the guise of power they even had noble in their surname.’
‘Milk bees? For how educated you are, your highness was rather obtuse phrasing.’
‘You look entranced when you douse,’ he explained, ‘like you are asleep but with your eyes open, hooded like you are staring into something none of us can see but it's absolutely hypnotised you.’
‘“Even real people have happy stories," he considered this a moment. “I suppose I always strayed from the happy ones, I never related to them.”’
‘He smelled like honeysuckle and pinewood’