The Half-Hearted Queen

The Shattered King, Book 2

De: Charlie N. Holmberg

Narrado por: Natalie Naudus

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.

©2026 by Charlie N. Holmberg. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Nym in one of my favorite FMCs!!!

Such a page turning, compelling book! I love the threads of resilience woven into the story. There were so many characters I loved and several I loved to hate. Overall, just a really well written conclusion to an incredible story and I will definitely come back and revisit it again.

Perfect Fantasy Romance

I have loved these books. Its so hard to find a good romance that doesnt contain too much spice but this author does it perfectly, weaving a story so beautiful i listened to the first book twice waiting for the second. The fantasy part is so unique that I was captivated right away, even my husband seemed interested when I would excitedly explain chapters to him from the first book lol

Rollercoaster

This was such a great way to wrap up this duology! The emotions were definitely all over the place, hence the roller coaster. I felt the ending was a little rushed but overall it was a really great time! There was lots of kicking feet

Fantastic conclusion with a great narrator!

Wow! What an explosive ending to this edge-of-your-seat romantasy duology! After The Shattered King ended on a cliffhanger, I couldn’t wait to get the rest of Renn & Nym’s story. It’s even grittier, more suspenseful, & more romantic than the first, & kept me eagerly listening to the audiobook. Charlie N. Holmberg crafts an addictive, closed-door, truly unique fantasy with all the elements of an epic story. If you haven’t read the first book, beware of spoilers ahead.

This second book is not for the faint of heart. Cansere & Sesta are at war. As Prince Renn fights to save his kingdom, Nym faces torture & possible death after being captured by King Nicosia. Though Nym’s a healer, she’s magically & emotionally connected to Renn. They share a heart, & feeling what the other feels can be overwhelming even across great distances. Nicosia’s also captured Renn’s sister, Princess Eden, using her as a pawn to force Nym to reveal how to defeat Renn. Using her wits & incredible strength, Nym must find a way for her & Eden to escape before the king uncovers her secrets.

Prince Renn faces an uphill battle. Once broken & barely surviving, he now wields near-godlike power thanks to Nym’s healing, using it to destroy his enemies despite the heavy emotional toll. His love for Nym exceeds all else, but with his people facing destruction, he’s forced to consider an alliance that could separate them forever.

Be forewarned, this book is darker than the first. The horrors of war are on display, & King Nicosia is brutally ruthless. His treatment of Nym & Eden is abusive, & though details are minimal, it’s still difficult to witness what they endure. Both women show incredible strength but carry the scars of their survival. The battles are fierce, violent, & bloody.

I loved the achingly beautiful romance between Renn & Nym. The road to a happily-ever-after is long, & I wasn’t sure we’d get there, but the journey makes the conclusion all the more satisfying. I also enjoyed seeing more of Nym’s family & hope for Eden’s future.

The audiobook was very well done! The narrator did a fabulous job capturing each of the characters & infusing just the right amount of emotion in her performance. It was easy to listen to.

Highly recommend, but be aware of potential triggers. Though descriptions are fairly minimal, there is significant violence, especially toward women, along with bloody battles, some swearing, a fade-to-black scene between a married couple, & suggestions of assault. I’d rate this PG-13.

Strong women and love

This book was a perfect ending to the story. It was filled with plenty of her on this. I cried to open me for the character to endure will always have a good night. Hope even in the darkest Time it was a great description of the horrors of war in the cost people pay in order to maintain power by far my best rate of 2026 so far!