ARC Review: Splintered Kingdom by Gretchen Powell Fox

Title: Splintered Kingdom
Author: Gretchen Powell Fox
Series: Shattered Crown #2
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Adult
Publisher: Scarlett Press
Publication Date: Aug 11 2026 
Edition: Digital
Source: NetGalley
PreOrder: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's | 

 

Synopsis:

    Elyria Lightbreaker may have survived the Arcane Crucible, but the scars of the deadly trials remain. Haunted by betrayal, Elyria must master the darkness within her and reclaim the Crown of Concord before the human and fae realms are plunged back into war. Yet every step forward brings her closer to Cedric Thorne, the human knight who poses an entirely new danger to her heart.
   Cedric sacrificed everything to claim victory for humankind, only to be burdened with powers he cannot control—and bound to Elyria, the fae warrior he cannot forget. But as tensions rise and his kingdom splinters, the truth of his past may just be the hardest thing to face.
   Secrets divide. Loyalties fracture. And desire, reckless and consuming, threatens to shatter the fragile alliance between Arcanis and Havensreach.
   In a land where shadows whisper and enemies lurk in plain sight, Elyria and Cedric must decide whether their connection is salvation…or the spark that will set their world ablaze. 

 

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  It took longer than the first book for me to really engage with the story. I was invested in the characters already, but this book does suffer from middle-book syndrome. It had a much slower pace than the first book which for made it feel like it took a very long time for the story to actually start. 

 

  This book takes place almost exclusively inside a castle where it was a lot more sitting around and waiting for other side characters to show up. I think there was supposed to be tension for who it was they were waiting for, and why it was taking so long for them to get there. But I didn't really feel any of the tension, I was just slowly getting impatient for things to pick up. It was nearing the 50% mark for what felt like the actual plot to pick up.  

 

  There was a heavier focus on the romance in this book than the first one, but I also didn't feel like they grew any closer together during that first half. They were both avoiding each other as much as possible for... some reason. They were both "in denial" about their feelings, but I might've felt more tension for the romantic aspect had they not been actively avoiding each other but had wanted to see each other but since they were in the human castle, and the alliance was shoddy at best so being seen being intimate or "familiar" with each other would cause problems.

 

  The latter half of the book thankfully really picked up, and kept me engaged with what was going on, but there were still moments that left the pace feel like it was dragging. I also would've liked to read more about Elle and Ric training their magics, over scenes of people sitting and doing basically nothing. I still don't feel like I know how their magic works, or what it is.  

 

  I do want to read the third book because I still care what happens to these characters, especially after that cliffhanger.