Tuesday, April 7, 2026

The Shattered King by Charlie N. Holmberg

Marc'h 26, 2026

The Shattered King by Charlie N. Holmberg

Nym Tallowax is a craftlock healer who uses magic to heal. Magic is outlawed in her kingdom, except for healing, since the king's youngest son is an invalid and his mother is desperate to find a cure for him. Nym works as a beekeeper to support her family until she is conscripted to serve the ailing prince. In a kingdom always on the brink of war, Nym finds herself navigating not only the prince's health, but also the machinations of the court and the royal family.

I have read several books by this author and usually enjoy them, especially the Whimbrel House series. This one was okay, had some creative magical elements, but there were other things that didn't make sense, like the queen's attitude. If you finally find someone who can heal your precious son, why would you treat them terribly? Wouldn't you treat that healer like a treasure and give them whatever they need to do their work? I also don't understand Nym, the main character - why not just tell the queen and the prince to go screw themselves until they start to treat her better? So they might send you to the dungeon - it isn't any worse than the broom closet they gave her to sleep in, and at least no one would bother her and she could get a night's sleep. The center of the book drags somewhat, too much time spent inside the prince's head and then Nym and the prince wandering around the city and the forest. If you're looking for a romantasy, you'll be disappointed with this story. The first half of a duology. I may read the second book in the hope that there will be some answers about who the prince really is and how he got so badly injured.


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