The Half-Hearted Queen

The Shattered King #2

by Charlie N. Holmberg

In this spellbinding dark fantasy from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg that concludes the Shattered King duology, Nym must escape the clutches of her captors and find her way back to Renn even as forbidden love, magic, and secrets collide with the weight of the crown and the war between kingdoms.

Nym never told Prince Renn she loved him. And now, as a captive and political pawn to the ruthless King Nicosia, Nym finds herself guarding more than her forbidden feelings for Renn as the kingdoms of Cansere and Sesta clash and the bloodshed of war rages. Nym’s connection to Renn is more than just romantic—it’s magical, and King Nicosia will stop at nothing to find Renn’s weakness and claim the kingdoms as his.

Now Nym must find a way to escape the cruel and twisted fate of imprisonment as she faces the unimaginable horrors and dangerous secrets hidden within King Nicosia’s palace walls. With the succession of kings on the line and a dangerous prophecy unfolding, Prince Renn faces his own impossible choice. The future of the throne hinges on a political alliance that means forsaking his love for Nym. If he can’t fulfill his destiny and unite the kingdoms, King Nicosia will destroy them all.

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

383 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 3, 2026

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

[Ricarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Shattered King really was a romantasy surprise for me earlier this year and now I'm happy that the second book concluded the series in an equally good way. I will try to be vague about the events at the end of the first book, but you better only read this review if you are up to date with the series. You were warned. With the start of this book Nym finds herself in enemy territory, separated from the prince that she loves. She is held captive by King Nicosia without even knowing what he is trying to achieve. At first I thought that he could be a reasonable man with goals worthy of support, but I quickly learned that he was an absolutely terrible person. Nym really starts out in a horrible situation without much hope, but her character shines through these dark times. She is as determined and clever as always, and immovable in her beliefs. Still, everything she has to endure leaves deep scars on her. I liked how this book dealt with trauma and healing, especially since the series is about a magical healer. Nym's healing powers are still awesome and described in such a creative way, but I always thought that she is severely overpowered. This was balanced way better in this second book, because now outwardly directed power is always contrasted by the damage it causes internally. And not only with Nym, but also with Renn. I like him as a character, but I think that he came a little short in this book where he is absent for a good chunk of it. And when he finally returns to the story, there is a whole we-can't-possibly-be-together plot and it was honestly annoying and unnecessary in my opinion. There was obviously a reason for it, but Charlie N. Holmberg could have also just not written it that way. Like, was the character Azra only there to be annoying? And I'm also very capable of reading the title of this book, so please don't give me this will-they/won't-they stuff. The book seriously dragged at the middle part because of it too and I was just dissatisfied with that plotline. Anyway. Overall my feelings for this book are very positive. Book one didn't really answer any questions and now book two reveals everything slowly. The world is explored way more than in the first book and many connections are further explained: between Nym and Renn, between the magic and the countries, between gods and royalty. The magic was as cool as ever and so was Nym. I loved seeing her growing new and rekindling old relationships and eventually starting to heal through them. The series feels mature to me and it does achieve so without any sexual / spicy content and it's great that this book proves that not every adult romantasy novel needs that to be good. Everything wraps up nicely here and I'm glad that I've already finished this series by reading two good books.

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

[Aanz ★.ᐟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ──★ !!

↳ ┆ .✦゛ 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚍 : october 10 ˎˊ˗
↳ ┆ .✦ ゛𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍 : january 6 ˎˊ˗

⟢ ❝ 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐞 ❞

┆﹒⌗﹒ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs ⸝⸝
After not picking this up for 3 months , I devoured it in two days. I started this book by 11pm and didn’t realise it 2 am until I saw the time 😭This book was a rollercoaster. The beginning was very slow , and that’s why it took me so long to complete this book. The middle part of the book, emotional. I felt so bad for Nym and I was almost certain they weren’t the endgame 💔 The end part was fast paced , which made me even more eager to see what is gonna be ending. Im extremely happy with how this duology ended , even though it felt a bit rushed. I have to say I was expecting more action and fighting scene during the last chapter but I’m satisfied! Nym and Renn went through a lot and the epilogue couldn’t have been more perfect <3 This book was definitely more emotional than book one, I had teary eye while reading the middle portion of the book. I loved the writing style. THE YEARNING OMG🤌🏻 Nym and Renn are PERFECT for each other. The characters were very likeable. The plot leans towards politics a little more in this book.It was very refreshing to see tropes like the FMC being older than the MMC and healer x patient. Dare I say one of the most well written YA duology with extremely unique magic system!

⟢ ❝ 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.
𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬❞

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.


┆- ⭑𓂃 ⌗ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs 𖦹 🦢


˖ ࣪ ꒰ . 𝐍𝐲𝐦 . ꒱ ⊹🪞🦢⋆
⟢ ❝𝐓𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫. ❞

I LOVE HER! She’s like Rin from The Poppy war but YA and a little soft. She’s a healer and can also turn into a warrior. I loved to see her character growth in this book. I admire her strength. I loved her relation with her family and reuniting with her family. I loved Ursa, how she was ALWAYS there for her even after she’s dead. Ursa is one of the major character in this book and need appreciation Random but why do I always picture Ursula Buffay from F.R.I.E.N.D.S when I read about Ursa Coming back to Nym, A extra thank you to the author for writing this book in Nym’s POV because this made the book even better. I felt Nym’s pain echo in my own heart whenever she saw Renn with Azara. I was emotionally wrecked, feeling Nym’s pain page after page. I have a huge respect for her in my heart ♥️


˖ ࣪ ꒰ . 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐧 . ꒱ ⊹🪞🦢⋆
⟢ ❝ 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 , 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐍𝐲𝐦 ❞

THE GREENEST OF THE GREENEST GREEN FLAG OUT THERE 🥹 He is such a golden retriever. It’s very fresh to read about an MMC who isn’t a dark haired cocky mafia who is cold to everyone except Y/N. I loved how he wouldn’t give up on Nym , no matter what. He is smart and he is charming WHAT ELSE DOES A GIRL WANT!? Renn protects because he cares, not because he wants ownership. No jealousy and no toxic “mine” nonsense. Just quiet loyalty and “I’ve got you” energy. The way his feelings grew naturally over time from friends to lovers ? LOVE IT . No insta lust and no rushed nonsense, just pure love 💕 LADIES THIS GENTLEMEN IS A HUSBAND MATERIAL! Why cant he just exist 😭


˖ ࣪ ꒰ . 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 . ꒱ ⊹🪞🦢⋆
I have to talk about Adole Nicosia. Nicosia was a very well written villain. Don’t get me wrong , the things he did WERE UNFORGIVABLE. He was a ruthless villain. But he was very crucial to the story. He kept the story engaging. I was not satisfied by how he was defeated , he deserved even worse ending. He reminded me of Ravan in Ramayan, although he was very intelligent , his pride and lust consumed him. Princess Eden was a sweetheart. I felt very bad for her, but the way she dealt with the trauma 🫡 She deserves the best. Her and Brien are already endgame in my mind. Now let’s talk about THE BITCH. Princess Azara. The way she treated Nym was UNACCEPTABLE. Girl thinks the world revolve around her, like no one even likes you can kys.I hope she has a slow and painful death 🤗

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.


┆ ˗ˏˋ » 🦢 ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇs ! ˎˊ˗

⤿ Slow burn
⤿ YA, No spice
⤿ Healer x Patient
⤿ FMC is older than MMC
⤿ Forbidden rom
⤿ Forced proximity
⤿ Unique Magic system
⤿ Major TW : SA (not shown but prominent), graphic captivity and torture, trauma, death, and war.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

┆ ✮`,— ғɪɴᴀʟ ᴠᴇʀᴅɪᴄᴛ .ᐟ.ᐟ

This duology is EVERTHING. The yearning and the characters? chefs kiss 🤌🏻 I cant wait for everyone to discover this underrated masterpiece !! ( btw the first part is already published) Definitely going to read more books by this author! Thanks to 47North, Net galley and Charlie N Holmeberg for this e ARC in exchange for an honest review.

↳ ┆ .✦゛𝙿𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎 : march 3 ˎˊ˗

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

[Mai ༊*·˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0 ★— Lives were changed, people! Lives. were. changed.

After the first book of this duology sucked me into its orbit and spat me out, leaving me completely disheveled, this one had me on the edge of my seat, trampled on my heart, and somehow still managed to leave me happy to have followed these characters on their journeys.

Nym impressed me throughout this book. The level of tenacity, grit, determination, and cleverness that as a reader I only glimpsed in the prior book truly shone here and left me in awe of her. She learned to use her powers in new, more lethal, and fast-paced ways, and it was just glorious (and also harrowing, of course) to watch her fight to survive after being abducted by King Nicosia at the end of the previous book.

This sequel also deepened relationships that hadn’t fully formed before, and I found myself teary-eyed at many points in the story.

King Nicosia was a solid villain, and seeing more of his motivations was engaging. However, I did feel that some of the story threads related to him were left a little unaddressed by the end. Maybe that’s just me and my naive wish for a more drawn-out resolution between the main characters and their conflicts, but I couldn’t help feeling like I wanted a bit more closure.

Otherwise, this book puts many of its characters through the wringer — emotionally, physically, and spiritually. There’s plenty of pain, tension, and deep-seated fear and trauma on both Nym’s and Renn’s sides, all brought to the surface through the story’s heavy conflicts and monumental events.

By the end, I felt exhausted, drained, happy, but ultimately so grateful to have followed Renn, Nym, and the others through their journey.

If I had one small complaint, it would be that the ending felt a tiny bit rushed. Or maybe that’s just me being greedy and wanting more time with Nym and Renn at peace. I would have loved a longer epilogue or an extra chapter to explore their new reality, but again, that’s probably just me not wanting to let go of these two.

All in all, I’m going to be battling the biggest book hangover from this series. Where am I going to find something that makes me feel the way this duology has over the past week?

🎧 Audiobook Note
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo
The narrator for this was out of this world! The way she managed to do the different inflections for the himbos and Ian, somehow making them sound so distinct and easy to tell apart, was impressive. Loved her!
_________

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Livlyy ⭑.ᐟ]

OMG OMG IM ALREADY SO HYPED UP , CANT WAIT FOR THIS TO RELEASE 🥹❤️❤️❤️

[Cheyenne Hutcheson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was perfection. It had everything I love. A mature, intelligent, strong FMC, amazing character development, the romance feels natural and earned, forced proximity, forbidden love, interesting magic, high stakes, emotional trauma. This series may be my top read of 2025.

[Lili’s little library · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️5⭐️

Wow. I got this book yesterday and devoured it within the day.

The Half-Hearted Queen is a rich and evocative fantasy following feisty and endearing protagonist Nym as she battles her captivity under King Nicosia and dreams of returning home to Renn.

I loved The Shattered Prince. But after finishing the sequel, it’s clear that The Shattered Prince walked so The Half-Hearted Queen could run. The stakes are infinitely higher, the relationships are more nuanced and the characters - good, evil and everything in between - are deeper and more intricate than ever before. I adored Nym’s continued exploration of her powers and her discovery of some unintended consequences of her magic.

An absolutely captivating whirlwind of fantasy, The Half-Hearted Queen is the masterpiece sequel in an unforgettable duology.

I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this book through NetGalley. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was so beautifully done. There were a multitude of small moments and choices that were written so well. I loved all the raw feelings and the open struggle of overcoming past hurts. I loved the integrity and loyalty of the main characters. This has been my favorite series so far. Well done 👏🏻

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for this arc.

[Brittnee · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW ✔️
Intense ✔️
A love that is hard fought for ✔️
Couldn't put it down ✔️
Ruthless villain ✔️
Unique fantasy world ✔️

Received an ARC, opinions are my own.

I read book 1, The Shattered King, earlier this year and after that cliffhanger I'm so glad I got an early copy of this book!! I'm not going to put a book description here because I don't give any spoilers. This book is an intense fantasy that does include the darker parts of captivity and war. This is definitely now one of my top favorite fantasy duologies! 

[Tera · Rating 5 out of 5]

A duology romantasy that isn't 600+ pages that still packed a punch? Sign me up. I read The Shattered King on a whim earlier this year and was immediately impressed. I could not wait for The Half-Hearted Queen!

This story picks up right where book one left off and we see just how Nym and Eden are to escape the imprisonment from Adoel Nicosia. The magic of this story continued to draw me in. A healer who has so much to heal from and has to use her gift in a way no healer should have to... I couldn't get enough! I feel like despite this book not being as long as a typical fantasy, it was perfect the way it was, but I also feel I could read a whole lot more pages and be just as happy. I still couldn't get enough of Nym's power and the author's creative way she worked with a person's lumis. I'm so sad this story is over, but can't wait to recommend to all my reader friends.

[Madeline (bookswithmadi_) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a stellar conclusion to an awesome duology!

Nym is SUCH a great example of a strong, bad-ass FMC. She goes through some major trauma in this book (like seriously) but even at her worst she continues to approach life with a grace we could all learn from. Not that she's always perfect but she's so relatable that it's impossible not to love her and root for her despite her shortcomings.

And the romance?! So freaking swoony. If I had to complain about anything it would be that I wished Renn and Nym had more time on the page together. Despite that, their romance is amazing and it's the kind that will make you believe in soul mates.

I kind of hope we get to see more from this world in the future. A Brien and Eden book perhaps? (PLEASE CHARLIE!) This book has amazing main characters, but also amazing side characters.

In case you can't tell, I'm a huge fan of this series. I highly recommend it to fans of the fantasy genre!

TW: physical, emotional and sexual abuse; PTSD; war and violence
Spice: fade to black

[Taylor Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you liked The Prince's Captive / Mage by Celeste Baxendell or The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon, you will probably like this duology. Similar vibes, hits many of the same tropes / emotional plot points, peeks into political intrigue without being overwhelming for a more casual reader.

I have read everything published by Charlie Holmberg. This definitely ranks high up in the list of her books, though it is unfortunately not the highest. (Personally, I think her Whimbrel House series is by far her best work. Vivid worldbuilding, dimensional characters, and the right balance of cozy and tension... for better or worse, it serves as a standard-to me at least-of what she is capable of as an author.) I would have suggested different titles as you realize they're spoilers immediately after starting to read.

Comparing this book to her other works:

Description: there was a little something... missing. Perhaps visualization? It wasn't until the second book of this duology that I really had an idea of what things were meant to look like. You get plenty of descriptions of cinctures, Nym's hair, and Renn's eyes, but otherwise it felt like descriptions were really limited to what was immediately being interacted with no extra detail.

Characterization: Nym was reeeeally matter of fact about everything, even her anger, so it left me feeling kind of detached from her feelings. There would be moments of breakthrough where I felt connected to her emotions, then it would go back to her usual bland interpretation of everything. Dialogue that should have evoked more in the reader frequently fell flat because dialogue tags and descriptions were sparse. I found myself inserting phrases and words to bring these parts to life. I think if the descriptions had been ramped up, more in line with her previous works, Nym would have been more engaging.
I'm going to go off on a limb and say this was a result of writing in 1st POV? The majority of Homberg's work is in 3rd POV (if I counted correctly, there are 9 1st POV and 15 3rd POV) and the 3rd POV books are consistently rated higher by me than their 1st POV counterparts, though a few have stood out (such as The Hanging City).
That being said, I REALLY liked Renn. His petulance at the beginning, then steady evolution towards confidence as he begins seeing progress in his healing, was so endearing. He's really what kept me locked in.

Plot: Enjoyable, as I am a sucker for nursing-back-health storylines, haha. Definitely a lot more character focused than anything, so some may find it pretty slow. I found this duology very similar to another duology I really liked, the first book being The Prince's Captive by Celeste Baxendell. In sort of a funny twist, this duology definitely had more plot momentum than Baxendell's, but Baxendell's did a better job at illustrating the world and surroundings. Combining them would probably result in a top tier book for me, haha.
Additionally, this duology is more "adult" than Homberg's other works and probably the only one that had a content warning at the beginning. It was very interesting to see something like this released by Holmberg, but I enjoyed it. Though maybe a bit on the nose at times, I appreciated her tact at discussing the difficult/traumatic experiences that the characters go through.

Conclusion: I read both books in the duology (the second as an eARC from NetGalley) in basically one go. I started reading in bed, hit 80% in book one, fell asleep, and finished both books the next day. Overall, I really enjoyed it. Holmberg could be considered a comfort read of mine, as I am never left disappointed. (Except for Followed by Frost... we don't talk about that one...)

[K McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very excited to read this after finishing the first book in the duology, and it did not disappoint in the least. The author is excellent at weaving the magic of the world she describes seamlessly into what is still a plot driven by character and chain of events, so you never find yourself pulled out of the book by the more fantastic elements. You will want to read the first book before starting this one to fully appreciate the world building and characters, with the bonus that’s it’s also just a great read. This book picks up directly from where the first ended, and sees Nym, Renn, and company through some very hard times. The author makes clear just got hard these times are without ever making the book too hard emotionally to read, and the character development really shone through. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. All views are offered voluntarily and are entirely my own.

[Bailey J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m giving this book a 4 because it’s like a 4.5 stars for the story but like 3.5 for the editing. As a heads up, I read the ARC copy, which means that it isn’t the final printed book. I’ll get into the editing part at the end because I do think it’s worth reading for the story’s sake and I don’t want to run people off who might be on the fence about reading a book due to grammatical or editing funkiness.

That said, I really liked the story despite the editing. I love the FMC’s growth, and it’s hard not to love our greenest flag to ever green MMC. It wraps up really nicely and I absolutely enjoyed it. Quite a few of the side characters are complex and well developed, especially given it is a duology.

On to the major qualm I had with the book… About a quarter of the way through the ARC, it was almost like they realized they were going to go over the word count, so they just started omitting articles or pronouns at the beginning of a sentence. For example, “I inhaled sharply through my nose as a sudden pain rang out from my upper arm like something struck me. Set my saw. Another phantom pain?” This kind of stuff every once in a while? Fine, I can deal with that. But variations of this happened so often and it drove me nuts. I ended up getting used to it enough that my brain would quickly reread and add in whatever article or pronoun was necessary, but it was grating. Again, it’s possible once the book comes out that this will be remedied, or at least the frequency of this will be decreased. The audiobooks may also avoid this since audiobook narrators often do so much heavy lifting with editing or grammatical issues.

If the book comes out on KU, I’ll check it and they’ve fixed at least some of the instances of this, I’ll update accordingly, but for now, I’m hard pressed to think this will be addressed before publication.

All that said, it was still 100% worth the read and was a great wrap up to the story. I lOVED the first book so much, and I preferred the first book, but since I listened to that one on audiobook, there were no writing/grammar related issues to potentially negatively affect my opinion.

Major TWs: SA (not explicitly depicted but heavily featured and barely off page), sexual harassment (depicted on page), captivity/torture (explicitly depicted), trauma, death and war.

[Jacque Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this sequel! Great duology with a unique magic system. Nym is one of my favorite FMCs Charlie N Holmberg has written so far!

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so thrilled to finally have the ending of Nym and Renn’s story. Though parts of it were hard to read—and I felt deeply for Nym and Eden and what they went through—I loved how the entire thing came together. Both women showed incredible strength, and I was glad Nym turned her life-long trauma into learning how to overcome Nicosia.

I loved seeing Nym reunited with Lonnie, her brothers, and eventually her family. I loved the shared connection between Nym and Renn, and how Nym figured out how to use it in the end, without the devastating loss she suffered the first time around.

I would have loved to see a little more about life after the war, for Nym, Renn, Eden, and Nym’s siblings, to see how they healed and moved on with their lives. Overall, it was a fantastic story and a great ending to another amazing duet!

[Kris Sellgren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved The Shattered King. There is novel, interesting magic. There is an ill, disregarded prince whom our peasant heroine (a magical healer) slowly heals with magic. The heroine and hero fall in love. There is a surprising twist at the end, and an exciting cliffhanger.

I liked, but did not love, The Half-Hearted Queen. The first third of the novel, the heroine is locked in the villain's castle, being tortured daily, while the princess (sister of the hero) is forced to marry the villain and is raped every night. Bad things happen to the heroine in the first book of this duology, but they are nothing compared to what happens in the second book. Our heroine and the princess escape, and things improve. The hero and heroine are now linked by a bond that makes them each feel all the emotions and injuries of the other. When he was third in line for the throne, there was an outside chance that the hero and heroine could marry. When he becomes king, their marriage is impossible. The prince becomes so magical he grows glowing wings and can fly, a huge advantage in war. But the villain has invaded their country, and now it looks like the only way to save their country from the villain is for the flying magical king to marry a neighboring princess in exchange for military aid. The neighboring princess is spoiled, and predictably nasty to our heroine. Still, in this sequel, the romantic tension is high, the magic more complex. The heroine being able to feel the king's emotion and injuries brings interest and mystery to the part where she is captive. I enjoyed the sequel but not as much as the first book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

[Daenerys Targaryen]

Hope Charlie can sustain the spirit of the first book in this one as well.

[Lyndsey Gear · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hesitant to pick this up as I didn’t love the Shattered King. It was a bit slow for me although I did enjoy Nym’s fire and confidence and was kicking my feet as Renn rose to the occasion and showed his true self. However, the Half Hearted Queen was so much better! I loved the bond, Nym’s perseverance and her heartache. I loved Renn holding true to his words and how they faced everything together. The pacing was well done, overall written well, and I was pleased with the ending. I read the Arc on Netgalley as I just finished the Shattered King and was curious about how their story would end.

[Nita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Charlie N. Holmberg, 47North, and the Holmberg Hive for the ARC of The Half-Hearted Queen. I can honestly say this duology has become my favorite Holmberg series. I’m sitting here wishing it wasn’t only two books, because this world and these characters easily could’ve kept going.

This book is emotional in a way that feels very real. Holmberg doesn’t shy away from the darker parts of survival—trauma, loss, fear—but she balances it with so much heart. There’s this steady thread of hope and compassion running through the whole story, even in the hardest moments. I found myself needing to pause and breathe more than once.

Nym really stands out in this installment. She’s gone through so much, yet she still chooses empathy and strength every single time. Watching her figure out her own power, her place in the world, and what love means in the middle of everything was incredibly moving. Renn’s arc is the perfect complement to hers. He’s steady, loyal, and driven by genuine feeling rather than politics or ego. Their bond is one of my favorite parts of this series—quiet, deep, and full of tension.

The political side of the story gets more intense here, and the world expands naturally around it. Holmberg handles belief, legacy, and the way people twist stories to their advantage in a way that feels believable without ever getting confusing. The magic system also hits harder emotionally this time around. It’s tied directly to grief, love, and identity, and it adds so much depth.

The ending completely knocked the air out of me. It’s powerful and heartbreaking, but also full of meaning. It fits the story perfectly. I’m still thinking about certain moments hours later.

I loved this book. I loved this entire duology. And yes, I’m sad we’re not getting a third book, because I would happily follow these characters through so much more. Holmberg created something really special here, and I’m grateful I got to read it early.

The Half-Hearted Queen by Charlie N. Holmberg
Pub Date: March 3, 2026

[paige :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!✨

i loved this book!! i read this book in less than 24 hours because of how good it was. such a good sequel to the shattered king. this book has continued political intrigue, yearning, and great character development. this book will definitely put you through the emotional wringer and i loooved every second.

this book picks up right where the first book left off. this book is different from the first book in that our two main characters do spend a decent amount of time away from each other, but i still really enjoyed the parts of the book when they weren’t together. it let me see more into Nym’s mind she wasn’t with Renn. i adored how they moved through their trauma and grief together.

I also just want to mention that I loved how Nym isn't like a lot of other FMC's in recent romantasy's. she doesn't turn into a warrior, she isn't an assassin, but she is strong in her own way. she's a healer and I just love her character even more after this book.

for me this was a very satisfying ending. i do wish we got a little longer epilogue. truthfully i just want more of these characters!! this is one of my favorite series i’ve read this year.

i received an advanced readers copy (ARC) of this book through NetGalley. thank you to the author, 47North, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review!

[Sarah-Ève Vallée · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the conclusion of The Shattered king duology.

I rate it a 4.5⭐️ rounded down to 4.

Read this review if you have already read book 1 or be aware that you might spoil yourself.

The book picks up where we were left at the end of book 1. Nym has been taken by King Nicosia who wants to know how she did it. He will try everything to get his answer. There are explicit scenes of physical abuse and implicit sexual abuse towards another character.

This part felt slow for me. My favourite thing about The Shattered king was the relationship between Nym and Renn. Being apart for the first 25% of the book made it hard for me to be as involved.

Once they are reunited though I was more interested. There was a lot of anxiety about them making it work considering that she is not a noblewoman, but, with the title, you know how it will end.

What can you expect?
-This is NOT a spicy book.
- Character driven
- overall slow paced
- going through trauma for her and another female character
- HEA
- trigger warnings of war violence, grief, physical and sexual abuse

I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as book one, but it was still a very good read.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

[✨️ N ✨️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was absolutely perfect. I rarely find good books, but this one is now one of my all time favourites.

Renn is a gem and I totally fell in love with his character. The writing is amazing and I especially love how the author described the characters feelings for each other. The love between them if so honest and pure; true love, not lust, unlike the majority of romance books nowadays.

Which brings me to my next point. It's so hard to find books that are clean/closed-door and most romance books are only about lust, and people seem to think it's love, but it's not. Which, ironically, what some people think it's a turnoff in Charlie's books (as I saw in reviews for other books). I think it's refreshing to see an author "breaking the rules" in modern "romance". That's just my opinion. <3

[Jessie K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book and this duology as a whole. It was my introduction to Charlie N. Holmberg’s work and I will definitely be reading more of her books because her writing is exceptional. Nym is a wonderful and complex character who handles her trauma with nuanced grace and whose bravery is truly inspiring. Renn is just so lovely and I appreciated his determined dedication to Nym despite all the obstacles facing them. The epilogue made my heart happy and the story moved quickly and satisfyingly to a perfect conclusion. It’s rare to finish a book without a hint of criticism but I can honestly say I find zero fault with it. I only wish I could spend more time in this world, with these characters, but that to me is the mark of a great series.

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for the ARC

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my absolute favorite duologies

this follows ‘the shattered king’ which had such a gut wrenching ending that i was so nervous going into this one. daresay ‘the half hearted queen’ is my fave of the two books?? it’s darker, higher stakes, plenty of gore and politics, and some really good angst.

the first book ended with Nym being taken by the enemy and wow i love a good kidnapping plot but this was heavy! but done so well and it made the plot so much more impactful. adore Renn and Nym who are two beautifully written characters with an also lovable secondary cast. this book checked off all the boxes of what i wanted their story to be and the type of fantasy romance books i enjoy.

can my only complaint be that i just want more content of all the characters?? just Renn and Nym being happy and stuff😭

*ARC courtesy of netgalley*










(spoilers)










-like this was my fave kidnapping plot ever. like it was done SO well
-i am never not gonna be over how it had been months since they last saw each other and EDEN WAS STILL READY for Nym to come at any moment
-their bond made me so happy (was not expecting how much Eden would become a fave)
-lowkey even liked the extra angst with that annoying princess, cause like… idk i felt it had to work out??
-Ursa:((((
-but lord Nym and Renn being reunited made me so UGGHHH and just their scenes and how much he loves her and how strong he got 😭😭
-also my joy over Sten being alive still
-Brien and Eden🥲🥲🥲

[Joy Metzger · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart ached along with Nym’s as I read this book. I devoured book one, but book two devoured me. I appreciated that the story remained Nym’s POV and we got to feel all of her yearning and conflict. Nicosia was a villain worthy of the title though I wish there was more interactions with him; whether that was with Nym or Renn. Princess Aztan.. meh. I know her purpose was to sow doubt and tension between our leads, but come one.. we know the HEA is coming. The pace of this book was also much quicker but I love stories with war and violence. I will definitely be picking up the completed duology after this book is released in March

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I finished the Shattered King and realized the second book wasn't out yet, I was so bummed. But then I found it on Netgalley as an ARC, and they graciously shared it with me in exchange for my honest opinion. I loved Renn and Nym. Renn and Nym made each other better, which was a nice change from some other popular books. I loved how their story ended. I loved Nym's courage, loyalty, and love for her people.

I have found that I really enjoy duologies, and this was a good one.

[Tiffany]

Charlie's stories are some of the books that got me back into reading as an adult. I absolutely adore her characters and storylines. Super excited to dive into this world.

Thank you, 47 North, for sending me this ARC. The expected publication date is March 03, 2026.

As always, all thoughts are my own. 🖤💫

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The wait for this book was so worth it! In the conclusion to her Shattered King duology, Holmberg keeps all the best elements of the first book (a captivating magic system and wonderful romance) and expands the story from behind castle walls into a multi-continent war. It was so interesting to explore the characters and their motivations against this broader scope.

I also loved the way female friendship featured so heavily in this book, and the way we saw even more deeply how much Nym cares for her family. And I was impressed with the continued disability representation, especially because the ending of the first book had left open the possibility that it would fall by the wayside.

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Niki]

Extremely excited to see that the sequel for the Shattered King is already available. It left me wanting more, and just angry that I would have to wait forever for the sequel.... But thankfully, Dear, Charlie Holmberg, puts out books so quickly.

The beginning of this story really drags... and drags... and drags.... It's a whole different dynamic, and what makes the Shattered King so fun, and refreshing... was the fresh take on "healing" by solving puzzles in peoples heads.... so this book kind of lacks that creativity. I was still very invested in the characters... but even they, start getting annoying. How many times is Nym going to say the same thing.... oh, again... and again.

Eden becomes a nice character... only for her to fade away to the background again. Never got her take on the events towards the end.
Ending felt a little rushed, wished we got a little bit more from the ending. But overall, it was still a fun story to read.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️! Thank you to #NetGalley for an ARC of The Half Hearted Queen. Charlie N Holmberg does it again! This book was a wonderful end to Nym & Renn’s emotional and dramatic story. I really enjoyed The Shattered King but wanted to know more after the cliffhanger ending. The Half Hearted Queen picked up immediately after that and brought me right into the action. I felt like I was on this terrifying, exciting, romantic journey with Nym. Charlie’s characters are just so great because although they are strong female characters, they are not saintly or perfect. They are faulty people who make mistakes and one can relate to even in this fantasy world. So much happens in this book that by the end, I didn’t want to say goodbye to Nym and Renn as I was swept up into the final battle. So good! So cinematic and a must read!