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The Shattered King #1
The Shattered King
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.
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.
333 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2025
1527 people are currently reading
15360 people want to read
About the author
Charlie N. Holmberg
53 books8,802 followersCharlie 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.
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Facebook: Facebook.com/cnholmberg
Twitter: Twitter.com/cnholmberg
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 705 reviews
October 17, 2025
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.
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.
June 27, 2025
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.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and 47North for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
September 2, 2025
♾️/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!!!
⠀⠀:¨ ·.· ¨:
⠀⠀ `· . 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!!!
November 24, 2025
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.
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.
May 17, 2025
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.
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.
July 7, 2025
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
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
October 8, 2025
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.
September 4, 2025
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.]
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.]
October 10, 2025
review coming soon.
June 4, 2025
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!!
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!!
August 11, 2025
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.
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.
October 12, 2025
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)
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)
June 30, 2025
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.*
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.*
June 22, 2025
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.
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.
September 2, 2025
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.
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.
September 29, 2025
To quote KPop Demon Hunters, "Now I'm seeing all the beauty in the broken glass." Anxiously awaiting the next installment because that ending shattered all of my expectations... (pun intended)
October 16, 2025
Nym is a healer struggling to care for her siblings after her brother is sent to war. Summoned by the queen to heal the chronically ill Prince Renn, Nym hopes to fail like other healers so she can quickly return home. Unexpectedly, her touch improves a small part of his illness, forcing her to stay as his official healer until he recovers. As Nym treats Renn, she unravels deeper mysteries behind his sickness and navigates complex court politics and unexpected feelings for the prince.
I love Holmberg's writing, so I was looking forward to picking this one up. I did enjoy it, but I think my expectations were just a little too high. I liked Nym as a main character. She was headstrong, a little stubborn, and had a big heart. The magic system and the way Nym healed were interesting. There are other forms of magic throughout the land that were briefly touched upon, but I'm hoping to learn more as the series progresses. Since the majority of this was just Nym dowsing into Renn to try and heal him, the plot did feel repetitive, but I liked watching them grow closer. However, the romance felt forced. There was zero chemistry between them, so it didn't feel believable. The cliffhanger also felt like it came out of left field, but I'm intrigued enough to pick up the next book.
I love Holmberg's writing, so I was looking forward to picking this one up. I did enjoy it, but I think my expectations were just a little too high. I liked Nym as a main character. She was headstrong, a little stubborn, and had a big heart. The magic system and the way Nym healed were interesting. There are other forms of magic throughout the land that were briefly touched upon, but I'm hoping to learn more as the series progresses. Since the majority of this was just Nym dowsing into Renn to try and heal him, the plot did feel repetitive, but I liked watching them grow closer. However, the romance felt forced. There was zero chemistry between them, so it didn't feel believable. The cliffhanger also felt like it came out of left field, but I'm intrigued enough to pick up the next book.
September 2, 2025
"My body for the crown. My blood for the Phoenix."
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.
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.
HOLY WOW, I NEED BOOK TWO IMMEDIATELY.
This has become my absolute favorite of Holmberg's. It has everything: captive healer, recalcitrant prince, magical healing, a mystery illness, forced proximity, snobby royal to considerate friend, and BAM! WAR CONFLICT!
It has hints of To Poison a King and even a beauty and the beast-esque let-her-visit-family-even-though-he's-afraid-she-won't-come-back that brings them closer together and made me squeal but don't for a minute think it doesn't stand on its own.
Nym is down-to-earth, having been forced to grow up too soon. She takes care of her younger siblings and has since she was sixteen. I practically laughed maniacally whenever she would lose her temper, pointing out LOGICAL THINGS to the ridiculous demands of the nobility. She did get thrown into the dungeon for her troubles but honestly they needed a little lip. I enjoyed discovering more of her scars as she and the prince got closer. I rejoiced and was filled with happiness when she got to go home to see her family. I sighed dreamily when he confessed and wept with sympathy when she fought against herself. I would die for Nym.
Renn originally wasn't anything more than an unhappy and snobby prince with a hellish helicopter mother. But as he begins to see Nym more as a person rather than a tool, his personal growth is ASTOUNDING (but believable). He's smart, bookish, pretty, teasing, considerate, kind. He respects her boundaries. He isn't afraid to confess his feelings. He does the hard things and feels the good feelings. He shares in her wonder and enjoys being able to provide for her. He appreciates the sacrifices she makes and he tries to support her as much as he can. HE EVEN THROWS HIS MOTHER OUT OF HIS ROOM. The mama's boy! I WAS SO PROUD. YOU GO, RENN!
Outside of just loving the two of them, I was constantly fascinated by the craftlock of this world. Healing craftlock works by dowsing into a person's lumis (a magical manifestation of the body), each person having a different looking lumis with a different fix to their ailments. Nym is unique in that she can see death lines, making her a far more effective healer since she won't accidentally off someone. Renn is unique in that his lumis is (or at least, would have been) a kaleidoscope of color with various blown glass balls and baubles. I can just imagine just how beautiful it would be, even in its shattered state.
While war is an afterthought that's mentioned in the background most of the book, it hits hard in the last quarter and boy do things heat up quickly.
I cannot wait to see more of the other two craftlocks in book two: soulbinding and mindreading.
"I would worship you until my last breath."
"You owe me no promises."
"I would give you every oath, Nym."
Healer-centric fantasy lovers will eat this one up.
Major thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC! I've already pre-ordered this baby since I liked it so much.
September 2, 2025
This book follows Nym (FMC) and Prince Renn (MMC), two deeply broken souls, one struggling mentally, the other physically, as they embark on a journey of healing. It’s a slow-paced story, weaving together several tropes:
✳️healer/patient
✳️MMC younger than FMC
✳️forbidden love
✳️forced proximity
The magic system in this book, Craflock, is absolutely stunning. It introduces healers, soulbinders, and mindreaders in a way I haven’t seen in any other story.
I’m not usually a fan of slow-paced books, but this one was so beautifully written and had such a unique magic system that I didn’t even notice the lack of action for most of the story. I was completely captivated by the world-building, and honestly, I didn’t even care that “nothing” was happening in terms of plot, action movement. Then, around the last 20%, the pace picked up, launching into a whirlwind of emotions, non-stop action, and a breathtakingly conclusion.
However, that cliffhanger? Crazy and now, I have no idea how long I’ll have to wait for the next book!
Thank you NetGalley, North47 and author for this book for review. All opinions are my own.
✳️healer/patient
✳️MMC younger than FMC
✳️forbidden love
✳️forced proximity
The magic system in this book, Craflock, is absolutely stunning. It introduces healers, soulbinders, and mindreaders in a way I haven’t seen in any other story.
I’m not usually a fan of slow-paced books, but this one was so beautifully written and had such a unique magic system that I didn’t even notice the lack of action for most of the story. I was completely captivated by the world-building, and honestly, I didn’t even care that “nothing” was happening in terms of plot, action movement. Then, around the last 20%, the pace picked up, launching into a whirlwind of emotions, non-stop action, and a breathtakingly conclusion.
However, that cliffhanger? Crazy and now, I have no idea how long I’ll have to wait for the next book!
Thank you NetGalley, North47 and author for this book for review. All opinions are my own.
September 10, 2025
This is not my typical genre...but I enjoyed it immensely. Can't wait for the sequel.
September 19, 2025
4.5 stars that I will very happily round up!
What a SURPRISE!
Y'all. I picked this up merely because it had the Audible-Kindle readalong whatever and I was craving fantasy. But this worked!!
I almost abandoned it towards the beginning because it does start quite slow. Nym is a magical healer forced to leave behind her family to go to court to heal the sick Prince. She is forced to work long hours healing for little progress (more than any healer before her) but for no pay. Nym though, is so sassy and stupid towards the Queen, she deserves her spot in the dungeon, even though she is exhausted from healing Renn, the ill and ailing prince. She is treated like absolute crap for years and they even complain that she smells - hm, wonder why, when she isn't afforded wages or actual living quarters?! Finally the Renn begins to improve enough to attend social functions and do light physical training and he realizes that Nym is an actual person and should be thanked and paid for her work.
Oh and by the way - his older brother is a cad.
And also - during all of this, the kingdom is on the brink of war.
The last third of the book had me on the edge of my seat, and the last twenty pages had me in tears. Nym and Ren are very different them your typical Romantasy characters, and it was very refreshing. Their romance really snuck up on me and I am really invested now! I NEED book 2! What the heck is going to happen? Who is this?? What?!?!
What a SURPRISE!
Y'all. I picked this up merely because it had the Audible-Kindle readalong whatever and I was craving fantasy. But this worked!!
I almost abandoned it towards the beginning because it does start quite slow. Nym is a magical healer forced to leave behind her family to go to court to heal the sick Prince. She is forced to work long hours healing for little progress (more than any healer before her) but for no pay. Nym though, is so sassy and stupid towards the Queen, she deserves her spot in the dungeon, even though she is exhausted from healing Renn, the ill and ailing prince. She is treated like absolute crap for years and they even complain that she smells - hm, wonder why, when she isn't afforded wages or actual living quarters?! Finally the Renn begins to improve enough to attend social functions and do light physical training and he realizes that Nym is an actual person and should be thanked and paid for her work.
Oh and by the way - his older brother is a cad.
And also - during all of this, the kingdom is on the brink of war.
The last third of the book had me on the edge of my seat, and the last twenty pages had me in tears. Nym and Ren are very different them your typical Romantasy characters, and it was very refreshing. Their romance really snuck up on me and I am really invested now! I NEED book 2! What the heck is going to happen? Who is this?? What?!?!
November 1, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, Charlie N. Holmberg, and 47North for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 12, 2025
4.5✨
I really enjoy the switch up on common tropes. There is no woman here that needs saving. Prince Renn has been plagued with an incurable disease and Nym is brought in as an attempt to find any solution. She hopes to fail in order to return back to her siblings. Miraculously she is the only one to make the slightest improvement in his disease. Nym is thrown into the palace as his personal healer. The royal family, having a hatred for magic, do nothing to make her stay comfortable. In the process, the two find common ground and thus start a budding friendship/romance.
I have never read any of Holmberg's previous works. This charmed me from start to finish. A mysterious disease, an assassination attempt, war conflict, forced proximity and a beautifully crafted magic system. A solid high fantasy with a very believable slow-burn romance. The MC's connection combined with political intrigue had me burning for more. Nothing feels rushed or overlooked. The pacing intertwines well with the plot. That intense ending has me in a chokehold!
Nym is such a well designed character. I found myself loving her even before her back story is revealed. She is relatable, headstrong and unique. It was interesting to see the way she maneuvers her magic in and out of his illness. No matter who she is speaking to she tells it how it is. Resulting in her getting well acquainted with the dungeon for it. Renn's family is beyond awful to Nym. She receives the bare minimum of necessities until a certain event. I definitely think book two will give me a better idea of Renn. He definitely starts to grow character-wise as his body heals. There is much more of him to explore. I will say though he is a hear throb even being bed ridden for twenty years.
I really enjoy the switch up on common tropes. There is no woman here that needs saving. Prince Renn has been plagued with an incurable disease and Nym is brought in as an attempt to find any solution. She hopes to fail in order to return back to her siblings. Miraculously she is the only one to make the slightest improvement in his disease. Nym is thrown into the palace as his personal healer. The royal family, having a hatred for magic, do nothing to make her stay comfortable. In the process, the two find common ground and thus start a budding friendship/romance.
I have never read any of Holmberg's previous works. This charmed me from start to finish. A mysterious disease, an assassination attempt, war conflict, forced proximity and a beautifully crafted magic system. A solid high fantasy with a very believable slow-burn romance. The MC's connection combined with political intrigue had me burning for more. Nothing feels rushed or overlooked. The pacing intertwines well with the plot. That intense ending has me in a chokehold!
Nym is such a well designed character. I found myself loving her even before her back story is revealed. She is relatable, headstrong and unique. It was interesting to see the way she maneuvers her magic in and out of his illness. No matter who she is speaking to she tells it how it is. Resulting in her getting well acquainted with the dungeon for it. Renn's family is beyond awful to Nym. She receives the bare minimum of necessities until a certain event. I definitely think book two will give me a better idea of Renn. He definitely starts to grow character-wise as his body heals. There is much more of him to explore. I will say though he is a hear throb even being bed ridden for twenty years.
November 28, 2025
3/5 - if I never hear the word “dowse” again I’ll be happy. No but actually this book is kind of tough to review because ultimately I feel underwhelmed now that I’ve finished it, but I did enjoy it in the moment. It’s definitely well written, and I enjoyed Nym as our FMC - she was interesting, thoughtful, and had a really big heart. Reminded me a lot of Silla from Road of Bones. Relationship between Nym and Renn was different than what you typically see and was a nice change of pace, probably because Renn is very different than your typical MMC having been shaped by a lifelong illness. The healing magic was kind of interesting, but the author really didn’t get into it much? Side characters had a lot of potential, but again, that kind of went nowhere. Overall the book was very calm until the end where a bunch of crazy stuff happened literally out of the blue and that’s where it lost me. I honestly think it would have served better as a standalone.
December 16, 2025
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!
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!
September 22, 2025
I was instantly captivated by this book. The world, the magic, the characters.
It was my first Holmberg book and it made me itch for more.
I need the second book now????
It was my first Holmberg book and it made me itch for more.
I need the second book now????
September 26, 2025
first 5⭐️ since May 🥲
December 8, 2025
What a hooker of an ending!
3.5 stars RU.
3.5 stars RU.
November 20, 2025
First off, I listened to the audiobook version of The Shattered King. Kudos to the reader, she did a brilliant job capturing all these characters and emotions.
Next Charlie, oh Charlie, this is another masterpiece. You never disappoint with your unique characters, worlds, and magic systems. I dub you Queen of Magic.
This book was brilliant and I can't wait to read the sequel.
Next Charlie, oh Charlie, this is another masterpiece. You never disappoint with your unique characters, worlds, and magic systems. I dub you Queen of Magic.
This book was brilliant and I can't wait to read the sequel.
October 22, 2025
ATE 👏🏼 IT 👏🏼 UP 👏🏼. So beautifully written and addictive. The yearning and the tension that were sewn into this were done with such care, like a glass bauble. March cannot come soon enough.
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