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, Unfinished

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.

[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.

[Aanz ᝰ.ᐟ]

⋮ ⋆˚࿔ 𝐏𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 ⋆𝜗𝜚˚⋆

So I was skimming through NetGalley and I saw this HOLY MOLY ARE YOU KIDDING ME IM GONNA SCREAM WOAHHHH IM READING AN ARC OF MY FAV BOOK YALL😭😭😭 I STILL CANT BELIEVE IT PLEASE IM SO HAPPY 😭 YAYAY IM GONNA DEVOUR THIS 💪🏻

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Daenerys Targaryen]

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

[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.

[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

[✨️ 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!

[Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

After that cliffhanger from book 1 (The Shattered King), the only way I knew how to read this book was by devouring it.

There was more character development and less page time on their relationship but when it did, Renn delivered 100%. He was a consistent book boyfriend, and their subtle non-spicy romance was so refreshing. I also loved how the book dealt with grief and healing.

This is the perfect book for when you want to read fantasy to feel inspired, but don't want to be devastated. I definitely see myself rereading this duology. This duology deserves more hype!

Thank you, Netgalley, for the 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! 

[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.

[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!

[Evie Oliva · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's 3am and while no, I'm not lonely (🤣 I couldn't leave that there without the funny, I'm sorry!) the truth is that I am deliriously tired and I need the few hours of sleep I'll get before I dive into my review. Here's the headline:

I LOVED THIS BOOK!! READ IT!!

I'll be back in maybe....6hrs? with the rest of the review.


My thanks to Netgalley, 47North and Charlie N. Holmberg for the eARC of this book in exchange for a review.

I have been waiting, somewhat patiently, for this book. I had the fortuitous chance to read book one, The Shattered King, earlier this year before the release and leapt at the chance to read this book when it was available. On the one hand, I want to write a well-balanced review, talking about all of the character development, the plot twists and payoffs that made this book utterly brilliant. On the other, I want to scream into my hands and kick my feet and laugh maniacally like some crazed fan to extol the virtues of this book.
Guess which side is winning? Allow me to pause for a moment while I gather myself.

And now we are back. Honestly, I want to go on and on about how BRILLIANT this book is and have that somehow be enough because my emotions are still running high but at the same time, I know it's not enough to give this book flowery words of praise without delving into the contents of the story so without further ado, the review!

The Half-Hearted Queen picks up where The Shattered King left off, with Nym taken captive by King Nicosia. Nym is forced to be a political prisoner, guarding her secrets about how she healed Prince Renn while also also trying to work out the connections between the two kingdoms. Desperate to get back home, Nym has to survive the days as the prisoner to a king who will stop at nothing to figure out the inner workings of Nym's healing craft and how he can gain the talent for himself. Meanwhile, Prince Renn has to work to understand his place as the new King of Cansere, leading his people as they try to fight back the Sestan forces that have taken their homeland while an ancient prophecy starts to reveal itself. As the war continues on and Cansere realizes how ill-prepared they are for war, Prince Renn has to consider all the options he has available to save his people, including an alliance with a neighboring kingdom that could threaten his burgeoning relationship with Nym.

The story is strong. The threads from the first are carried through to this book, with reveals paying off with high emotions for me as a reader. As a book about an ongoing war, Holmberg has to work with some delicate subject matter, specifically the actions of a despicable man hellbent on getting what he wants, no matter what the costs, and how this intersects with the treatment of Nym as a prisoner. It made my stomach turn and yet, for the sake of depicting war, it was necessary to see how Nym suffered away from home and away from Renn. The scenes helped to paint Nicosia as the villain and helped to show just how strong and determined Nym had become, a woman who had grown into a force that apparently put this villain on edge enough that he was almost desperate to understand what set her apart from other healers.

I wanted to enter this world and destroy Nicosia myself. There was a moment in reading about what Nym suffered that I had to put this book down and breathe because I wanted it to be over, I wanted Nym back home where she belonged, I wanted her back with Renn and I wanted her to annihilate Nicosia. This is the payoff from the first book. Holmberg has created a character that readers adore and seeing Nym suffer forces us as readers to feel for her, to be on the edge of our seats as we witness her pain. When Nym finally manages to get out of Sesta, readers are as relieved as Nym is and we are able to breathe easier. It shows the talent Holmberg has that readers will feel so deeply for the lead of this book.

Another point about the plot and the emotions is the fact that this book got to me in ways I did not expect. Yes, I felt something akin to rage towards the villain, and yes, I was also annoyed with some new characters that I was ready to boot out the door. But it was the quiet moments of reunion that got me the most. I care for the characters I read about and when I rate a book high, it usually has to do with just how much I felt about the people in the story. I cared about these characters, even the ones that did not spend so much time on the page but as I had read about them enough with what Nym said about them, I came to love the people that Nym loved too. So when a particular reunion took place on the page and there was mention of a sob being choked back, I was right there with that character, rapidly blinking back tears and trying to swallow around the lump in my throat because I was that invested in this plot payoff. That emotion took me off guard and yet it made me smile, because a truly great book will make you run the gamut of emotions that the characters are going through.

But then Holmberg got me a second time, with yet another reunion between characters, and I had to put the book down because gosh darnit, my chest felt tight and my eyes were so watery I couldn't focus on the words in front of me. As a reader, I can only hope that I feel that deeply for the events of the book that I am reading, so the fact that this book got me to tear up TWICE, well, that catapults this book into all-star favorite status. You hear that sound? That's the slow clap and standing ovation I'm giving this book. And there were still moments to come that made this book continue to keep me on my toes, smiling and laughing at the romance and holding my breath at the battles, and waiting for the moment that the villain finally gets what is coming to them.

It was all a sight to behold.

The characters are still solid, even the new additions. Renn is still the strong lead that is necessary to keep Nym hoping for more than what she ever that would be possible for her future. Their interactions were swoon-worthy and their back-and-forths proved that their match was the one to root for. I loved how Renn was shown to have gained all of this strength and yet the character that was shaped by a lifelong illness was proven to be a humble man, wishing to keep the spotlight off of himself and yet accepting that in order to win the war, all the hopes of his people were set on him and what he could do. I loved his resolve and his determination to keep Nym, the person who loved him for who he was before he was healed and the woman who had sacrificed so much of herself to fix him. The book showed just how much Renn had absorbed in his life being in the background of his family and how he was able to use his knowledge to strategize how to win the war and work out an alliance that would hopefully keep his people safe now and in the future.

This time around, readers are given more time with Princess Eden and she proved to be a quiet force that kept Nym focused when she was captured. Eden was shaped by the life that she had led and I appreciated how Holmberg showed that Eden could see what had come before and after the events at the start of the book and how she had been sheltered as a member of the nobility compared to what Nym had gone through in her life. If Holmberg decides to continue writing in this world, I would read a duology focused on Princess Eden and what she has to overcome after the events of this book. I was happy when more of Nym's family made an appearance in the story even though I wanted all of them sequestered somewhere away from the battles. I wanted horrible things to happen to some less than likable certain characters, which shows that Holmberg can make readers hate characters just as much as she can make us love the people in this story.

In my review of the first book, my only complaint was that I wasn't really sure about how much time was passing between the different events of the story. This time around, Holmberg has the specifics that made this exactly what I needed to understand the heavy emotions of the book. The passage of time has a weight to it that makes every moment precious so to know that it has been three months in captivity, or two months since this happened, or this long on the road, it all helps to convey the effort it takes for these characters to get to the resolution of the book. I wanted to be able to keep track of time and the specifics were there to help me understand the loss and the relief as Nym moved through this book. It was everything I could have asked for right when I needed to know it, to help me feel just how difficult things had become for Nym while she was in Sesta, to understand the high emotion of Nym receiving certain surprises in the story, to illustrate exactly what the characters were pushing through as they tried to win the war. I loved every moment that Holmberg gave us in this story and I can't think of anything that needed more because I got everything I'd hoped to see and then some with this story.

Rating on my Scale: 10 Stars!!! This book gave me everything I needed to love it. This duology will live on a shelf of my favorite reads and I will be reading these again and again for years to come. I will be reading everything that Holmberg writes from this day forward AND I will be working my way through every past release as well, all the while working on getting physical copies of every book so that they can all live together on a shelf dedicated to the works of Charlie N. Holmberg. If you read the first book, this book is the perfect ending to the story. If you haven't read The Shattered King yet, what are you waiting for? Run and get a copy now and be prepared to fall in love with the story of Nym and Renn.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Half-Hearted Queen” by Charlie N. Holmberg is the second book in this duology, following “The Shattered King.”

The story picks up where it left off, following Nym on the hands of Adoel Nicosia. Captured along with Princess Eden, the first part of the book focuses on the abuses they endure and unraveling the King of Sesta.

There are many important points learned during these early chapters. It does get tedious after a while. But, once that portion of the story moves, it picks up again quickly. Everything from earlier in the book does pave a way for later events.

Renn and Nym continue to face challenges with their relationship. Especially as Renn assumes his role as king and gods-touched. Through this story, there are some fascinating twists, and questions answered.

This book is highly recommended and completes this wonderful fantasy duology with a satisfying ending.

[Cecilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this story!!

I read the first book in this Duo and it was 5 stars for me. I absolutely loved it and was so excited to read this. I went into this thinking it's be another 5 stars and I loved the first 94% of this but the actual ending left me underwhelmed. I feel like this book either needed to be longer or this needed one more book in the series. The ending was just so sudden. I also expected the weird cough Renn had to be more important since they were constantly mentioning it. But either way I still enjoyed this book and the series is still one of my favorites

[Julie Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I kept seeing the first book, The Shattered King, being talked about by friends and readers. One of my book besties kept telling me I needed to read it, that it was amazing! Then I happened to be on NetGalley and saw that this book was available to request. I made a split-second decision (seriously it probably was even shorter of a decision time than that), and hit request! I was soooo excited when I got the book. Which of course led me to buying the first book and reading it. Y'all I DEVOURED the first book! And then jumped right into this one! I set aside my carefully planned out reading order so I could read this one. Because #readingpriorities! And sometimes when you're in the mood for a certain book, you just have to set the others aside! Oh! My! Word!!!!! I seriously loved this one! I couldn't get enough of it. I kept having to pause a lot in my reading of it due to real life happenings. Which was good. But I was definitely thinking about this one a LOT and wanting to know what was going to happen! These two books are MUST READS for fantasy lovers! Holy Moly!!!

Nym and Prince Renn's story is soooo good! The world building and magic system was so intriguing. And the ending of book one had me kind of crying out, "WHAAAAATTTT???? NO WAY!!!! OH MY WORD!!!! I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW!!!!" Not even kidding about that. My family was looking at me with some concern in their eyes. Hahaha! But then I was telling my teenage, fantasy-book-loving daughter that she HAS to read this series!!! *Insert eye roll* Okay, she didn't really roll her eyes at me but definitely gave me a look like she was saying "Really, Mom?" She's funny. She doesn't jump at reading the books I recommend and then when her friends recommend them then she's like oh yeah, I need to read that! Hahaha! But I honestly can't wait for her and her friends to read this series! They're going to love it!

This is definitely going on my favorites shelf!!!

Content: The author has an author's note at the beginning of the book with content warning. I would let my older teenagers read this but as the author says it may not be suitable for all readers. There are moments of peril and suspense in the book, themes of war and references all types of abuse, although they are not portrayed in detail, it does reference it. So if any of those things are triggers for you, then I recommend skipping this book.

I received a copy from the publisher, 47North, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this follow-up to The Shattered King - even more than the first book. While I enjoyed the first book, I thought it was a little too slow-moving and repetitive in places. This wasn't the case at all with The Half-Hearted Queen. The plot pulled me in right from the start, and kept me turning pages all the way to the end.
I loved Nym's defiance and determination during her captivity with King Nicosia, and how her struggles afterward were portrayed. I also loved the friendship that developed between Nym and Eden.
Forgetting the fact that I felt like Nym and Renn's romance came out of nowhere in the first book, I really enjoyed how it was developed here, and I found their emotional journeys in the second book much more believable and satisfying.
I also liked learning more about the magic system, not just about Nym's healing, but also about how the other two types of magic - mindreading and soulbinding - worked in this world. I thought Renn's new abilities were a little too much and over-the-top, but other than that I liked almost everything about this conclusion to the duology.

Thank you to the publisher, 47North, for providing a review copy via NetGalley. This review reflects my honest opinion.