Splintered Kingdom (Shattered Crown)

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.

SPLINTERED KINGDOM is the sequel to Smoke and Scar and the second book in the Shattered Crown trilogy, an epic romantasy series perfect for fans of high stakes, character-driven plots, rich world-building, a diverse cast of characters, elemental magic, and tension-filled romance-and authors like Carissa Broadbent, Helen B. Scheuerer, Raven Kennedy, Leigh Bardugo, and Sarah J. Maas.

Content note: This book contains strong language, adult themes, and open door spice, and is thus recommended for readers above the age of 18.

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Published Nov 11, 2025

554 pages

Average rating: 9.67

3 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Dhruti
Oct 30, 2025
9/10 stars
4.5 stars. I'm so glad I got an ARC! There is more politics and world building in this book, but it's not as much as I initially thought it would be. However, we do learn more about our characters and I really appreciated spending time on that over potentially more world building.

The romance was really sweet. There's some spice, but it's more sweet and heart melting than explicitly hot, if you know what I mean. But, I actually think that fits really well with their story and character progression.

I love that miscommunication could have been a heavily used trope used here, but wasn't. Everyone communicated pretty well, and I love seeing that, especially in more mature characters.
Rjerald
Aug 31, 2025
10/10 stars
ARC Review This ending has me numb. Gretchen Powell Fox has created another masterpiece with "Splintered Kingdom". The character development, the storyline, the twists are all top notch. The spice had me shrieking, and the betrayels had me gasping. This is definitely my favorite series of 2025. I will be impatiently waiting the next book!

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