Reviewed: November 15th, 2025
Released: September 2nd, 2025
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Narrated by Natalie Naudus
A captive healer and a mysterious prince are drawn to each other in the midst of war and magic in a beguiling dark fantasy by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.
The kingdom of Cansere is on the brink of war. Young men are conscripted from their homes, and a royal decree from the queen has made healing the only legal form of craftlock. Nym, a healer and beekeeper, is the sole provider for her family of seven now that her younger brother has been sent to the war front. But when a letter comes from the queen, summoning Nym to the palace to heal Prince Renn, the kingdom’s ailing shut-in, Nym finds herself making the tumultuous journey from her family’s apiary to the capital city. Nym is determined to fail the queen’s mission and return to her younger siblings as soon as she can.
But escaping the castle’s hold isn’t as easy as failing a simple test. Prince Renn is cold and distant, and his illness is like nothing Nym has ever seen before, nothing she could ever imagine treating. In a moment of connection with Prince Renn, Nym manages to remedy the faintest symptom of his ailment—only to discover that no healer before has made such progress. Forced to become the prince’s official healer and a ward of the castle, and with her only hope of returning to her family hinging on the prince’s recovery, Nym must navigate the castle’s cruel and twisted court and uncover the haunting truth behind Prince Renn’s illness—even as she finds herself irrevocably drawn to him.
Helen’s Thoughts: 4/5
I am a little conflicted with this book. It is well written, and the narration is excellent. The magic system is original and quite interesting with everyone’s lumis being a bit different and reflecting some subtle aspect of who they are.
Renn as a character grows on you as he slowly recovers his strength as Nym heals him, and he evolves from a naive invalid to actually being highly intelligent and more aware than you realise. Not surprising seeing he hasn’t been able to do anything except read and observe what is going on around him.
Nym has to give up much to serve the tyrant queen and heal her son. For little thanks or appreciation. There is much Nym keeps hidden, and there is much still to be revealed, I think.
Renn’s brother Adrinn and the queen are suitably horrible, making Nym’s life terrible, but not enough that she wants to return home to her family. She doesn’t seem to be particulary worried or affected by being sent to the dungeon on multiple occasions. Constantly being in Renn’s lumis, she knows him better than anyone, and yet when he declares himself as expected, she runs away. The world is beginning to be fleshed out as the King of Sesta arrives to make his threats.
My issue was that much of the book is about repairing Renn’s lumis that I started skimming. I think I got a little bored with all the healing and the repetition. Once the King arrives, things become a little more interesting. This book does end on a cliffhanger so be warned.
Purchase The Shattered King
Link to book on Amazon UK: eBook | Paperback
Link to book on Amazon US: eBook | Paperback
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If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series and now Harmony, a dystopian science fantasy.
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