Splintered Kingdom

By: Gretchen Powell Fox

Narrated by: Dan Calley, Tyla Collier, Stephanie Németh-Parker

The second book in an epic romantic fantasy series, Splintered Kingdom combines dark fantasy romance, high-stakes magical trials, and the intense bond between a tormented fae hero and the human who may be their kingdom’s last hope. Perfect for fans of Carissa Broadbent, Helen B. Scheuerer, Raven Kennedy, Leigh Bardugo, and Sarah J. Maas.

Tame her wild. Fan his flame.
Lord of the Rings meets Anastasia in this epic dark fantasy romance, the second book in the Shattered Crown trilogy and the sequel to Smoke and Scar.

A Burgeoning Peace
Two realms sit on the edge—not only of the physical chasms that divide them, but of the fragile truce forged between Arcanians and humans in the wake of the Arcane Crucible.

A Shadow Unleashed
Elyria Lightbreaker may have survived the Celestial Sanctum, but she remains haunted by all that occurred, all that she did, within. Determined to reclaim the Crown of Concord and unmask the dark sorcerer behind its theft, she must master her own inner darkness if she’s to survive the journey ahead—and untangle the dangerous feelings pulling her toward Cedric.

A Victor Unmoored
Cedric Thorne sacrificed everything to conquer the trials. Now, burdened by a power he cannot control and truths he refuses to face, he finds himself in a kingdom splintering beneath the surface—and bound to Elyria by something he cannot, will not, sever. But some secrets are meant to stay buried and uncovering them could be the key to lasting peace...or the spark that ends it.

A Bond Reforged
As twin victors of the Crucible, Elyria, and Cedric soon learn there are many roles they must play in the pursuit of a new Arcanis. With enemies lurking in plain sight, they will have to fight with a whole new array of weapons, all the while trying to understand the bond that thrums between them: reforged, rekindled, renewed.

Now the real game begins.

Content note: This book contains strong language, adult themes, and open door spice, and is thus recommended for listeners above the age of eighteen.

if this isnt on your tbr add it!! this is book 2!

follow Ric & Eleria as the tension does its thing, page 206 will have you kicking your feet giggling its great in every way, the world building, character development, Gretchens amaizing way of writting all the little details & the twists, everywhere!! i can not wait until book 3... books 1 & 2 are on my top 5 reads for this & the 2 im telling everyone to read!

That ending 😩💀

Ahhhhhhh! That ending!😩💀 I need more people to read this series!!!

I did receive an arc of this book, so thank you so much, Gretchen and her PA! I’m a little late to reading it, but I am both happy and heartbroken with this book. Let’s get into it.

First, I want to say that Book 2 was better than Book 1 for me. The story does pick up a few weeks after the crucible, as we follow the characters on their different missions, between finding the crown, working with each other, and figuring out what’s next

The yearning and tension is to die for in this series!!!

Elyria character continues to develop and you can see her fighting with herself throughout this book. However, she continues to grow stronger with her shadows and mentally as well. She really gives me that 'I do what I want' attitude, and I’m here for it! She is a baddie!!

Now Cedric has done a 360 since book one. The confidence and knowing what he wants was top-tier in this book. He is struggling to come to terms with his fire magic because he has been taught since he was a child that he is human and that people who possess magic naturally are evil. I’m loving the growth in his confidence and his magic.

Was some of this a little predictable, yes, but that doesn't take away from the story, because I enjoyed this book a lot! One of the negative things is that the ending had me gasping, and now I have to wait for book 3.

One thing the author, I think, did well, especially since I’ve read quite a few fantasy/romantasy books, is that I kept on guessing which of the side characters was gonna be bad or working with the bad guy… My guess was wrong!!!

I definitely think more people should be reading and talking about this book! I’m so excited for book 3.

Honorable mentions, and thoughts:
We need more of Sid and book 3
I’m hoping to see Kit and Nox‘s relationship develop and bloom in book 3… I felt like their chemistry was amazing. If it’s not gonna be able to talk about in book 3, there should be a novella with them.
And I need more of Tristan‘s jokes in book 3 as well! He gives me Carrion from quicksilver vibes!

Such an Amazing Read

This was an excellent sequel, one of my favorites in a very long time. Gretchen Powell Fox did a fantastic job building on all the things I loved about Smoke and Scar and kept that momentum moving. It’s not a surprise that this one got another 5-star review.

I liked that this installment focused more on Cedric’s story than continuing to focus on Elyria. Cedric became a more fleshed out character because of this. The new characters added to the story gave even more depth to Cedric, and honestly, I didn’t see his past playing out that way. Tenny and Tristan are wonderful additions to our cast of characters, and I genuinely find them enjoyable, but if either of them end up being traitors, I will never forgive Gretchen for the emotional damage I have suffered.

We were able to explore more of the world this go-around, and I liked learning more about the human kingdom and the Sanctuary; I just wish we had learned more about how it came to be, who transported the people there, and who all lives there.

This book, unlike the first, does has open door sex scenes, a few of them so be mindful of that. They are not overdone or unnecessarily graphic, but they feel incredibly important to the narrative. Elyria is finally letting Cedric in. She is finally allowing the walls she built to protect herself to come down, and that is incredible growth for her!

That ending though... girl, I know you said slow burn but why did you hurt me think this!! Now I have to wait until the final book comes out to have closure.

In a class of its own

There is something about this series I just can’t get enough. For a fantasy it’s a little slow and not super complex but it still pulls you in. The FMC needs to actually think when vs putting things off but what else is new.
This book gave us a deeper dive into our main characters relationship as well as a possible budding relationship. I wish we got a little more of that in this book but I’m guessing that one is for book three.
Still not a fan of the male narrator but you can’t win them all.
Spice 🌶️🌶️

CLIFFHANGERS

Alright? What did you put in this book? Every part of this series has wretched my heart apart. I need the next book now! You cannot leave it open like that 😭