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Splintered Vigil: The New Protectorate Fracture: Book One

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Finders keepers.

Sloane knows he shouldn’t watch her. A predator trained from childhood to do what no one else will, his specialties are murder and torture, not protection. Certainly not any of the things a mate should be. He’s no good for anyone — most especially the soft human woman he stalks day and night.

Losers get a bolt in the head.

Cecilia Warren is a waitress with dreams of being a teacher. She’s soft, sweet, and blessedly ignorant of the bloodshed he deals in. When she’s attacked, the plan is to rescue her, not keep her. But everything goes awry when he finally gets her in his claws. Instincts blur loyalty. Need makes letting her go impossible.

If they want to take her, they’ll have to kill him first.

The mission objective shifts when he goes from protector to captor, secreting her away and going AWOL from his squad, the terrifying shadow unit known as Fracture. He won’t give her up and he won’t back down — even if that means destroying himself to keep her.

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 10, 2026

38 people are currently reading
109 people want to read

About the author

Abigail Kelly

89 books32 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
Profile Image for RLbooks (in and out).
1,024 reviews501 followers
March 2, 2026
4.5 stars rounded up

Definitely giving some of the others I love by Abigail Kelly a run for their money on favorite book in this world. I devoured this and it’s easily the best book I’ve read this year. Not sure if it was timing or Sloane (H) and Cece’s (h) magic, but this was just what I needed. It is the first in a series of its own, as part of the author’s greater connected universe. There are prior character cameos from the overarching world, but I think this would still work nicely as a standalone and an intro to the author especially to how she writes obsessive heroes and the sometimes soft, but strong, heroines who they fall in love with. Trigger warnings and glossary info are all at the end of the book.

Written in third person, dual POV. No ow drama, not really om drama but the H sabotaged potential dates the h had, scaring guys away from her during the time between when he first encountered her and as he was watching her. The h has experience, mostly with crappy guys that she does think about briefly, and the H was completely inexperienced.

Some tropes/themes:
☆ Elf MMC x human FMC
☆ He’s a classified and scary special ops assassin
☆ She works in a vampire bar
☆ He stalks her…for protection
☆ Kidnapping for her own safety
☆ She has power over him
☆ Fated mates
☆ He wears a mask
☆ Some of the swooniest lines
☆ On page violence
☆ Her bestie’s kinda scary too
☆ Found family
☆ She’s kind of a badass
☆ He’s hers

Fracture was a group of elves taken as children to be trained as a terror-inducing unit in service to their ruler. Well that awful ruler is dead, but the unit is considered to not be integratable with regular society. They still get assignments, like for protection, but they’re no longer being abused. They’re also given a specific protocol to follow should they ever encounter their fated mate and it’s not to scoop them up and be happily together.

Sloane is on a personal mission to use his skills in a vigilante way when he first sees Cece and rescues her from a dangerous situation. He’s masked and terrifyingly aggressive towards the bad guy, but Cece moves past her fear to interact with him in an unexpected way. It doesn’t hurt that Cece’s fear receptors get confused at times and turn it into desire. The interaction is brief, but changes Sloane’s existence. A year later, Cece still senses her “phantom” at times. Which is pretty dang good because when she’s actually in mortal peril, Sloane comes crashing in to (violently) save the day and go into super protector mode.

What follows is Sloane being his brand of protective and Cece attempting to figure out if he’s the type of stalker to cut her into little pieces. Cece has to unravel the mystery of her masked kidnapper who’s also sincerely invested in her comfort and happiness. I loved their interactions from Cece knocking him over the head with a lamp and demanding answers to Sloane’s limited world exploding with color because of his mate. The timeline isn’t long, but they cover a lot of ground together in terms of getting to know each other and establishing their relationship. This also balances intensity with sweetness.

At the core of them, Sloane chooses Cece and wants to make sure that he doesn’t take her choices away (minus the whole needing to keep her protected in a bunker lol). When she does make her choice, I felt it was with all the info and genuine love. The spiciness is also so great. Abigail Kelly knows how to deliver on emotional and physical intimacy and both shine in this story. Sloane’s only focus is Cece and she enjoys the hell out of him right back. How they worked with and around the mask (and Sloane’s concerns about why he needed to keep it on) was also nailed.

I adored the bits of Sloane’s team that we got, as well as the parts with Cece talking to her best friend, Dahlia. Sloane’s captain and his mate, plus the sovereigns also make significant appearances. The story is most tightly focused on Cece and Sloane though.

The way the climax hit, I wasn’t expecting it at all. I knew there must be something coming but how it played out took me by surprise. Then to have Cece step UP and fight for her man, sigh. It made me feel like hers and Sloane’s relationship was balanced in that way and came full circle. The epilogues are small time jumps ahead showing the two of them settling into their HEA, with an update on how the government decides to handle them, and what they have to do to ease everyone’s minds going forward because of the, you know, scary elf. I can’t wait for more Fractured members, I ate up the moments we had them and their clear loyalty to each other. Also the deviousness, oh my goodness.
Profile Image for readabookonce.
262 reviews526 followers
February 14, 2026
I got giddy whenever Cece fought back, and then I swooned when Sloane was proud of her for fighting him. He’d take a lamp to the head every day if it made her happy 🙂‍↕️

MAIN CHARACTER NAMES AND AGES
Cecelia “Cece” Warren (?) | Sloane Fortuner (?)

FEATURES
∘ fantasy romance
∘ kidnaps her (to protect her)
∘ stalks her (to protect her)
∘ mate pull
∘ grumpy / sunshine
∘ “I’m yours” multiple times !
∘ sacrifice for the other

REVIEW
I love a serious/robotic killing machine being putty in the hands of a gentle and gregarious person. Hands down, a great trope. Sloane’s immediate vulnerability with Cece, despite being emotionally stunted, paired with Cece’s acceptance and understanding of Sloane made the romance sooooooooo buzzy. Genuinely, I got butterflies as the story unfolded.

The members of Fracture fascinated me since their introduction. I can’t wait to see them get their well-deserved happily ever afters. I’m SICK that this story is over already. This universe is vast, and I’m jealous of the people who are just now discovering it (so glad for its recognition) because they have so much to explore, and I have to WAIT. But gladly will I do so.

The artworks sprinkled in were also stunning. Personally, I think it’s greedy to be so talented in multiple forms of artistry. On a serious note, I am so thankful to Abigail Kelly for the labor and love you’ve put into this universe. Seriously, if you haven’t read a New Protectorate novel yet, YOU MUST!

OW/OM DRAMA not really OM — Sloane has been sabotaging Cece’s dates for the year he’s been stalking her. Mentions of past men and intimacies, but seemingly nothing since they’ve met
CHEATING none
THIRD ACT BREAKUP none
ENDING HEA — multiple epilogue, last set three months in future

POV dual / third person
SPICE LEVEL 4 / 5
RATING 5 / 5
Profile Image for Nicole.
286 reviews38 followers
February 3, 2026
Thank you Abigail Kelly for the ARC!

This review is my honest opinion on the book and my level of enjoyment while reading it. If you decide the book is for you- happy reading! ❤️

Trigger or content warning? Yes, included in the back of the book.

Details?
The MMC is Sloane Fortuner. He is 131 years old. He is a virgin.
The FMC is Cecilia Warren. She is in her mid thirties. She is not a virgin, she is experienced.
No OW drama. Slight OM? Cece tries to go on dates since first meeting Sloane (who she thought was just an overly protective Elvish guard) but they kept on…disappearing. Not dead, just never returned her calls or showed up on dates scheduled.
Sloane stalks Cece for roughly a year, she’s aware of him but not of the level of his *ehem* dedication to her (obsession).

My thoughts?

Sloane absolutely stalks the heck out of Cece for a year. He learns everything about her. He warns men away from her (without her ever knowing). He’s violent towards bad people (never Cece). Violent to the point that I got a little nauseous with the way it was described…..and yet, Sloane is so good. He’s charming yet extremely blunt. To be completely honest I think my brain was rewired with this book. Abigail Kelly wrote a stalker romance and knocked it right out of the park for me.

Sloane is apart of a shadow squad called Fracture. Unique in their own way they were forged into Elvish weapons by being forcibly taken from their parents while they were children and trained by some of the cruelest and solitary Elves Mad Thad could find in that time. Sloane was the first. The torture and conditioning is not shown on page, but it is mentioned in passing. Even with everything he’s endured, he still has a pretty solid moral compass. By no means is he *normal* but I can say when he finds sunshine personified (Cecilia Warren) his world re-centres on her. She’s just a bit oblivious for the first bit.

Cece. Is. A. Badass.

Cece proved to me that just because you’re arrant doesn’t mean you have to roll over and take it from the magical world you live in. Sometimes a woman just needs to take charge of her eager to please Elvish consort when given the opportunity. I loved her reaction to his unhinged ways, and how she only softened towards Sloane once she realized he just wanted to protect her (and the joy she brings to the world). I would also say she is the perfect example of the third defence mechanism that can happen- fawn. Her armour is glitter plated and all sunshine with rainbows. Her first instinct in most situations is to paste on a smile and pretend that everything is fine to smooth any potential issues. Yet, she also proved herself to be so much more than that (to the delight of Sloane). It was so interesting to read from her perspective and how comfortable she was with knowing herself, and her danger kink.

Overall, I really love this book. It’s always a joy to read more of the NPU, and Sloane is a character that peaked my interest since he first popped up in the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Petra Hart.
857 reviews30 followers
February 15, 2026
4.5! Anyone want another terrific shadow daddy romance? I enjoyed the heck out of this one!

It’s set post-apocalypse where the world has been taken over by supernaturals and divided into “Protectorates.” Humans (“arrants”) are second-class-citizens. Some protectorates are ruled by vampires, some by witches, etc. Intermarriage of species is forbidden.

But it’s clear that the world is changing. The Elvish Protectorate, once commanded by a cruel despot, is now ruled by an Elf and his human consort who are working to dismantle a system created to intimidate the populace and ruthlessly eliminate dissent.

So, what do you do with Fracture, the old regime’s squad of robotic, conscienceless assassins?

Psychologists have evaluated Sloan and his comrades and found them to be incapable of living a normal life. Mating bonds make even normal elves unstable and irrationally possessive, so the Fracture thugs are deemed too damaged by their brutal programming to be allowed to bond with their fated mates if they were ever to find them. Instead they’re supposed to report the contact and separate before a true bond can be formed. Any squad member tempted to go rogue knows they will be terminated.

This assumes, of course, that they can recognize a bond forming when they feel it. Keep the helmet on. Let the voice filter strip the emotions from your speech. Let its air filters keep you from tempting scents and pheromones.

Sloan is just keeping Cecelia safe, right? She’s human, so she can’t be his mate, right?

Highly recommended. The whole series is terrific.
Profile Image for Lauren.
345 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
January 25, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I inhaled this book. Loved it. Definitely would recommend for those looking for paranormal romance with excellent characters and chemistry.

It was excellent-good pacing and interesting plot. Technically a standalone, I think reading both Burden's Bonds and Grim's Delight would give a solid backstory for setup for this book.

We have Sloane MMC giant dumb murder kitten. Utterly clueless dummy about personal relationships. Completely besotted by feisty, glittery, and cunning FMC Cecilia. Like he just has giant heart eyes for her the whole book despite kidnapping her (in a sort of respectful way) and will do anything to keep her safe and happy. Some light stalking that the MFC is aware of but okay with.

And the cover for this book is so gorgeous love love and once again eagerly awaiting the next entry into this fascinating universe.
Profile Image for Libby.
96 reviews
February 21, 2026
BOMB 🤩💣⬆️🤞🤯🙏🤞💗💪😳😱🚨😈🫶
Profile Image for Emily.
7 reviews
February 12, 2026
WOW. I was already obsessed with Abigail's stories and concepts but this one might be my favorite! It's so well done, the author's writing has really improved, and I'm obsessed with the character development. So excited for the next release!
383 reviews
February 21, 2026
Love a desperately yearning man

Plot:
- H is part of a group of elite soldiers that were ripped from their parents at a young age and forced to work for a dictator. Now that the current ruler no longer needs their previous services, H is struggling to be part of civilization and not be a danger. To prevent them from going out of control, they all wear helmets that filter the air so that they won't become bonded via pheromones to their mates.
- One day, he witnesses h getting harassed and scares him off. He continues to watch her from afar since he doesn't want to ruin her life by being in it
- h gets attacked by her vampire boss and H kills all of the vampires and kidnaps h to his bunker to keep her safe
- At first h is frightened and confused, but relaxes when she realizes how desperately H seems for her approval
- h even convinces H to go on a date to the outside world with her, where a group of teenagers approach her since she's with a masked man and injuries from the vampires
- H reveals that h is his mate, but he refuses to take his mask off bc once he's bonded, he'll die if she ever leaves him. He doesn't want to force her into that position, so he wants her to decide if she wants him as her mate.
- H goes to check that the vampires aren't still after her and runs into his team who have been concerned by his disappearance. They also find out that he's been with a woman, and they can only assume he's acting so erratically bc she's his mate.
- This frightens him and he takes them to journey to a more remote and safer bunker
- During their car ride, h finds out that he locked the door to the room h was sleeping in when he left to go check up on things. She gets angry and needs to stop at a gas station. However, they recognize her, and the police comes to arrest him and take her into custody
- She fights against the guards and is eventually transferred to the H's patrol group where she tells them she's his consort
- His team help hatch a plan to save him by sneaking her into his cell. By bonding with him, it would be illegal for anyone to seperate them.
- H is horrified when he sees h bc he doesn't have his mask on. However, h tells him that she wants to be his consort
- H's captain and his consort walk in on them and he realizes why H has been so weird
- H is released and h is offered her dream job as teacher, but its a special position since she'll be the first non-elf teacher at the elf nursery
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Taylor M.
105 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from Author
January 27, 2026
It has been a long time since I have sat down and devoured a book in the span of a whole day. Certainly, the weather and the general state of the world necessitated a 6-hour brain shutdown, so I locked in and enjoyed. Unfortunately, it caused yet another shuffling of my Abigail Kelly ranking list, and Splinterd Vigil is definitely in the top 3. Get hooked by the hot, masked avenger and stay for the tender, heart-melting relationship. It's the perfect mix of dark romance and standard Abigail Kelly sweetness.

I personally love a dark romance. I love a masked man with shady intentions, but a heart of gold. I love an unhinged FMC who just chooses to lean in all the way. Splintered Vigil delivered on both of those fronts, and then some. Cece was on par with Dalilah from Grim's Delight. She's tough and put-together. I wasn't expecting to fall in love with her so hard, especially being the pink princess I thought she was. Sloane is not a stable MMC at all. He's brutal (dare I say this is Kelly's goriest story?) and trained to be nothing but a killer. However, his love for Cece turns him into the biggest marshmallow on the planet. Consent is abundant, and a genuine, meaningful relationship is built even through Cece being a captive.

Kelly is so supremely talented in creating meaningful connections between her characters. Amongst the chaos, there is always room for a heart-squeezing moment or phrase. With Sloane being so cut-and-dry, he just packs punch after punch of love bombs at Cece and does not realize how mind-alteringly romantic he is. There were very few moments that I wasn't grinning, screaming, or kicking my feet.

Readers should have basic knowledge of Consort's Glory to pick this title up (and honestly, why wouldn't you?!). However, enough information is present that it does not take away from your understanding if this is your first AK installment. If you love an unhinged stalker romance with wit and endless romance, you've gotta give this a try. It's a delightful, fast-paced read that will hit all the right notes. I can't wait to see the rest of Fracture's stories, because if one deserves a constort, they all do.

Thank you to Abigail Kelly for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Profile Image for Seher.
38 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from Author
January 30, 2026
Listen, when Sloane was first introduced in Burden's Bonds after his captain Kaz also safenapped his consort, and he said he'd burn a city down for his mate? I fell in love. I don't really do the book husband thing, but I LOVE me a feral x feral and anytime we get that from Abigail I am that sickos window meme, y'all know the one that I'm talking about.

In Splintered Vigil (which has one of my absolute favorite book covers), we pick up a year after Sloane first meets Cecelia (who we had first met in Grim's Delight when her bestie also got safenapped, okay so safenapping happens a lot in this universe, go with me here), and falls in love (not that he realizes it right away). Cecelia is trying to stay out of the way of her old bosses' brother who wants to know why her brother is dead, and that part isn't really all that important except for when Sloane comes in to save the day and then takes Cecelia to hold her in his bunker because he MUST PROTECC. Which is good because she's an arrant and therefore has no defenses, and also kinda bad because he drugs her to do it since she is UNERSTANDABLY AFRAID.

Fortunately for him, once she wakes up and finds out what is going on, she takes it in stride and they COMMUNICATE. We love a communicating couple. Cue them realizing they're actually perfect for each other and another great elf x not elf romance. I particularly loved the parallels of Sloane's story with Kaz and how they differed. We also get a whole lot of 👀👀👀👀 information not only about Sloane and the rest of Fracture, but another perspective into the Great War. Abigail continues to hammer home the long-term impacts of tyranny and in our current moment of time, this has never been more needed.

I can't WAIT to see Sloane and Cecelia pop up throughout the rest of the Fracture books and to see Cecelia and Atria mentor the rest of them into not scaring their consorts when they meet them.
Profile Image for juli✨.
1,227 reviews144 followers
February 11, 2026
Splintered Vigil is an exciting spin-off series featuring a side-character from her other new series (The New Protectorate Syndicate). While I didn't like Splintered Vigil as much as Grim's Delight it was still a great time. Kelly always does a great job of creating really interesting couple dynamics and this book was no different.

“You sound awfully sure of yourself for a man who hasn’t even finished our first date yet,” she whispered.
“It’s easy to be sure about you, Cece.”


My heart went out to Sloane and I thought Cece was a great match for him. Their dynamic was also pretty funny, what with Cece thinking Sloane was cute instead of a stone cold killer. And my mans just accepted it. He truly simps for his woman. My only wish is that we had actually gotten to see Sloane stalking Cecelia prior to the whole kidnapping incident. It would have added more buildup to their connection, imo. Cause she calls him her "phantom" but we really don't get to see him sliding into that role fully.

All in all, though, Splintered Vigil serves as a great introduction to the Fracture team and series. I'm really looking forward to seeing each team member get their own book and mates!

“You want to be part of Fracture?”
Fracture? God, whoever picked that name had a sick sense of humor. She shrugged. “Are we about to do some crimes together?”
“Yes,” they answered as one.
Cecilia let out a hoarse chuckle. “Then sure, I’m a member of Fracture. Why not? A family that crimes together stays together, right? ...”
Profile Image for Katie.
112 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from Author
January 26, 2026
LET’S GOOOOOOOO!!

Man, this was fun. Read it in less than 24 hours.

Reactions as I was reading:

Prologue/medical files were awesome. Got me totally hyped for this new spin off series within minutes of cracking open this book.

Holy possessive sweet protective stalker

Cece’s reaction to being kidnapped was everything. Instantly made me love her. “A practical sort of optimist. There’s yet to be a situation she couldn’t turn around with a little elbow grease and sunny delusion.” The lamp? Amazing.

THAT SCENE IN THEIR ROOM WITH THE BROKEN HELMET AND THE FAIRY LIGHTS. Wild. Crazy fun. I loved Sloane just as much as Cece . His deep trauma, devotion, innocence, bluntness… Gosh, this pair was perfect for each other.

Are we going to find consorts for the rest of Fracture?! I am so excited for where the rest of this series might be going…

As always, Abigail is a fabulous storyteller. Welcomes you into each of her worlds with a finesse, intrigue, and heart. If you like monster/fantasy romances, I would wholeheartedly recommend giving this a shot.

Thank you so much to the author for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest thoughts!
Profile Image for DemetraP.
5,996 reviews
March 1, 2026
Splintered Vigil by Abigail Kelly. He is an elf with purple skin, claws, and fangs. He wears a helmet that covers his entire face as part of his uniform. She doesn't know what his face looks like for a while.

She is human. She is trying to get a job as a teacher. Meanwhile she works as a waitress in a vampire bar.

They meet when he saves her from a bad guy walking home from work. And he starts watching her and keeping her safe from a distance until he snaps and can't stay away anymore due to danger to her.

So he k..naps her to keep her safe.

There were some funny moments. He was raised by bad guys and he is not normal. He tries really hard but she says things to him like, "You know k..napping is wrong?" And he...doesn't think it is.

Of course, he is obsessed with her and would never harm a hair on her head.

It is a fated mates theme, st@lker, virgin hero book.

I loved the story. It reads fine as a stand alone since the author tells you what you need to know. There are spoilers for earlier books in the series. Each book in the New Protectorate series features a different couple.
2 reviews1 follower
February 21, 2026
Please just read this book

I love Abigail Kelly. I love all her works and all her writings and you can best believe that when anyone asks me for a book recondition, I'll be throwing the holy name Abigail Kelly around.

But the man she wrote in Splintered Vigil? Sloan Fortuner? Sloan is a forgotten song of what it means to yearn.

The man genuinely takes the phrase 'I'd die without her' to the Olympics, wins first prize, then goes back and does it again just to prove a point.

There are so many beautiful moments that had me kicking my feet and squealing like a kid because of just how amazing the writing is. Sloan is such a loveable dork. And Cece, as with all of Abigail's FMC's, is also a loveable dork. One who who has a life and passion outside of romance but is a straight up little freak. Like the rest of us degenerates that have a mask kink.

Please please do yourself a favour and read this book. I'm genuinely obsessed with the world building and the care that goes into each instalment. And Splintered Vigil has already become my favourite read of the year.
Profile Image for Tori.
11 reviews3 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
January 29, 2026
This book is AMAZING, I'm so in love 😍 seriously Abigail Kelly has outdone herself with this one, I think it is my new favorite of hers or very high on the list.

Once I started I could not put this down and stayed up late to finish it.

The banter and chemistry between Sloane and Cece is SO GOOD! I was laughing and smiling at a lot of this book though there is seriousness and violence as well throughout.

I had so many quotes I was highlighting that made me smile or giggle it was taking over the pages 🤣

This one could be read as a standalone without reading the priors though is recommended reading as a companion to Grims Delight.

I cannot recommend this one enough, you will love Sloane and Cece, seriously please read the book 😍

I received an ARC which in no way impacted my review of this book.
Profile Image for Sav&#x1fa75;.
166 reviews9 followers
February 3, 2026
ugh Abigail Kelly has done it again!!! If you want an author who is active and invested in her series then look no further.

I just re-read a Burdens Bond not too long ago and hoped the Fracture members would get their stories soon (I’m looking at you ceasar😭) and realized Sloanes story was coming out in Feb. I was very graciously gifted an arc in January and this novella was chefs kiss🤌🏽

Cecilia aka Cece from Grims Delight is one of my favs so I was gagged when I realized it was her as the lead with Sloane😭 truly an iconic pair! this book was funny, spicy and also kind of heartbreaking. Cece is hilarious so I knew we’d get smart ass comments, banter and paired with how literal Sloane was made many moments throughout the novella even funnier.

It was heartbreaking because of how scared Sloane was about the Pull. This book made me realize how unstable the Protectorate really finds this group. For many reasons I know they are very dangerous but it still makes me sad to think they were supposed to just never experience that kind of joy🫠 just be little kill bots with no love from another person even if they found someone. Sloane was so devoted, and caring for Cece the thought of him harming her in anyway is laughable.

Sloane and Cece deserved this HEA and knowing the rest of Fracture will also be able to experience the same happiness because of these two has me giddy for the books to come!
Profile Image for Angela.
7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
February 11, 2026

“Splintered Vigil” by Abigail Kelly was a delightful read.

I inhaled this story from start to finish. I could not put it down.

Sloane (MMC) is part of the Shadow Squad known as “Fracture” and while he is a deadly weapon with diamond hard claws, he finds himself absolutely at the mercy of soft Cecilia (FMC) who has his heart in the palm of her hand and doesn’t even realize it…until he snatches her and hides her away.

Abigail did an amazing job at capturing the emotion (I cried for like a whole page and cursed her lovingly) action and overall mood of the book. While at times it is somber, the humor used is top notch. One minute you are on the edge of your seat, clutching your pearls and the next you are cackling maniacally.

And the spice amount was perfect. It is very easy for a book this size to become over saturated with sexy time but this wasn’t the case.

The only critique I have for this book was that it wasn’t long enough but I am a greedy person and want all of the Sloane content.

Overall I LOVED this book and cannot wait for the world to read it.


Profile Image for The Reading Hammock |  Erin.
412 reviews
February 12, 2026
I didn't expect to have so many emotions during this book (foolish of me, I know). Maybe because what we knew of Sloane and Fracture as a unit going into this story was that those kinds of things were beaten and stripped from them at a very young age, and getting to know Cece more while she's out here collecting red flags like she's a flag football champion and being everyone's internal monolog every time these elves does something that most arrants would consider terrifying.

But Abigail layers trauma, trauma bonding, and good old fashioned angst to make a perfect lasagna of a story between Sloane and Cece.
Profile Image for ElleQin.
29 reviews
February 11, 2026
The characters are endearing, but it doesn’t stand on its own as well as some other NPU books. You kind of have to read Burden’s Bonds and Grim’s Delight first. Not because it is necessary for plot, but because there isn’t a whole lot of depth to the story.

Sloane is the archetypal damaged dangerous hero tamed by a fluffy girl with a spine of steel. There are signature Abigail Kelly hilarious lines and some nice detail but the character development and explanation for the primary plot tension could use some more nuance and context.
Profile Image for Kelly.
248 reviews6 followers
March 1, 2026
This was ok. Don’t get me wrong I liked Cecelia and her take charge attitude. It’s just the jnstalove was a bit much. I appreciated that while Sloane had a truly horrific upbringing and life in general his moral compass was solid. It was just a lot of story to happen over the course of about 5 days(I think because we are never told how much time has passed exactly). All in all it isn’t by any means a bad book, I just got bored and a huge part of that was because 90% of the book took place in the Battery.


2.75/5 ⭐️✨
2 reviews
February 12, 2026
I need to know that you know that

I absolutely love this world and I’m so glad we got to see a member of Fracture! Highly recommend. There’s just something precious about a dangerous assassin with (almost) no social skills that knows your favorite cereal. Abigail Kelly’s world building and unique style that combines reports or news articles with storytelling will never stop amazing me.

My only critique is I wish we got to see more of what happened after with them- but that’s really just me not being ready to end the book.
56 reviews
February 16, 2026
Splintered Vigil captured my attention and held it all night. I read it in one sitting. I love that our damaged crew of assassins are going to be getting their happy endings and I love seeing the connections through each series. Other devoted Abigail Kelly fans will recognize Cece as Dahlia’s best friend. We get to see what she’s been up to while Felix was “courting” Dahlia. I can see the Fracture books being my new favorites of the New Protectorate World!
Profile Image for Katie Ferguson.
235 reviews6 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
January 25, 2026
*ARC*

Is he still a consent king if he drugs and kidnaps her? we're going to say yes.

Sloane is precious, a little baby apex predator. Cece is a fierce little human who will bite you. Fracture is a family and someone needs to give Cesare a hug.

As always Abigail Kelly knocks it out of the park.
Profile Image for DollyMolly.
42 reviews
February 9, 2026
Every review I write for an Abigail Kelly book is starting to feel like Groundhog Day but I cannot help it. This book RULES. I’ll never get over the feelings everything about Sloane stirred in me. Did he drug, stalk and kidnap her? Yeah but like.. he’s also a sad eyed consent king who is down so bad he can’t see up anymore so…

Read it. It was perfect.

Thank you Abigail for this ARC!
Profile Image for Jilly.
90 reviews
February 10, 2026
I inhaled this story from start to finish. I could not put it down.
As always, Abigail is a fabulous storyteller. Welcomes you into each of her worlds with a finesse, intrigue, and heart. If you like monster/fantasy romances, I would wholeheartedly recommend giving this a shot.
I cannot recommend this one enough, you will love Sloane and Cece.
Profile Image for theincrediblesulk.
233 reviews
February 11, 2026
✋🏻 the scary helmet stays on during sex 🤚🏻

1000/10 if you like an MMC who is confirmed one of the most terrifying characters in the literary universe (a feat, given the vampire crime syndicate, Appalachian demon who simply does not have a conscience, and literal dragons) and a schoolteacher FMC in head-to-toe pink who is entirely unbothered by his kill count
Profile Image for Jane Rauber.
118 reviews1 follower
February 12, 2026
I liked this one but I wish it was longer. The ending felt rushed and we don't get that much content in the HEA. I also wish we got more of the backstory and Sloane before he got together with Cece. The beginning was great but the ending and romance at the end would have more sense with greater contest and nuance. Overall, good but should have been expanded/longer.
Profile Image for Dr susan.
3,116 reviews52 followers
February 12, 2026
Great paranormal romantic adventure

This world continues to be fascinating. Cece is a wonderful character, and Sloane is definitely an honourable, good elf. The story is fast-paced with a thrilling plot and filled with awkward romance, found family, laugh-out-loud humor (mostly due to Cece's fierceness), and hope for Fracture.
Profile Image for Aly.
123 reviews
February 15, 2026
4 Stars - I really loved it!

I don’t know how Abigail Kelly can get me sobbing for the sweet messed up babies that are Fracture, but she did. This was pure emotional perfection. Gimme more Fracture!! I can’t wait for the next installment.

P.S. Im secretly hoping for a why-choose, RH on one of the Fracture books due to “co-dependency.” A girl can dream???
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