⭐ 3.5 | 🌶️ 3 I devoured Smoke and Scar , so I came into the sequel with high expectations. Splintered Kingdom felt harder for me to get through. This book seemed to struggle with some of the things that made the first book so compelling. Even so, I am still invested in the Shattered Crown trilogy.

The palpable chemistry between Cedric and Elyria is the highlight of this story. The first 15% felt slow to me while I eagerly awaited their reunion, but once they reunite, the pacing picked up with the simmering tension and added layer of tenderness. The emotional payoff finally arrives after two full books of slow burn, which was worth the wait and well written.

It seemed like there were some structural issues in the sequel that weren’t in book 1. The plot seemed to have meandered and lost momentum as the story explores side tangents; it made it feel like there wasn’t a clear direction. I found myself struggling to stay invested in the story and easily distracted— often putting the book down in a way that didn’t happen with Smoke & Scar due to the slow pacing. I found it hard to recall what actually happened to progress the story forward as I finished chapters. There were a handful of twists and reveals, which were telegraphed enough that they didn’t land with as much impact as they could have.

One of my favorite things about Smoke & Scar was how distinct everyone felt, such as Thraigg with his manner of speech, but in Splintered Kingdom, those same characters felt thinner and their motivations less clear. The second book also introduces several new secondary characters, but they didn’t get the same careful treatment as those in the first book. Kit gets upgraded to having her own POV chapters in the sequel, but I didn’t feel like she was developed enough for me to feel invested in her perspective. Her chapters read a bit like a vehicle for plot and exposition rather than characterization.

Part of what made Book 1 so special was how deliberately it subverted genre expectations of the ancient, powerful FMC paired with a soft-hearted, naive human MMC, but by sequel, those qualities felt more like the status quo. Cedric, while remaining likable, started to feel slightly less believable to me as a character due to his unwavering devotion to Elyria and his tendency to always say and do exactly the right thing. This is in contrast to the first book, where his growth felt grounded in an internal struggle. His naivety in Smoke & Scar, which felt believable, started to feel frustrating in the sequel and like his growth stagnated.

I struggled with antagonist Lord Church, who I found myself wishing was better developed; he feels like a cartoon villain with some logic issues. For example, he raises Cedric to be deeply bigoted towards Arcanians and then is frustrated that Cedric suppresses his own Arcanian powers. It made the central conflict feel thin.

I’m still looking forward to the final installment, Shadow and Son . The central romance, the secondary characters, and the world are strong enough that I want to see it through to the end, but I recommend going in with adjusted expectations.

A note for audiobook listeners: the duet narration is a nice touch, and the female narrator is excellent. The male narrator's voice, however, didn't quite fit my mental image of Cedric. It lacks the physical presence and gravitas you'd expect from a brawny knight, which was jarring enough that I found myself defaulting to the ebook whenever I could.

1. Smoke and Scar ⭐ 4.5 | 🌶️ 1
2. Splintered Kingdom ⭐ 3.5 | 🌶️ 3
3. Shadow and Son (coming out in October 2026)