Book 103: The Shattered Court by M. J. Scott
Book 103: The Shattered Court (The Four Arts #1).
Author: M. J. Scott, 2015.
Genre: Fantasy.
Other Details: ebook. ARC. 336 pages.
The royal witches of Anglion have bowed to tradition for centuries. If a woman of royal blood manifests powers, she is immediately bound by rites of marriage. She will serve her lord by practising the tamer magics of the earth-ensuring good harvests and predicting the weather. Any magic more dangerous is forbidden.
Lady Sophia Kendall, thirty-second in line to the throne, is only days away from finding out if she will be blessed-or perhaps cursed-with magic. When a vicious attack by Anglion’s ancient enemies leaves the kingdom in chaos, Sophia is forced to flee the court. Her protector by happenstance is Lieutenant Cameron Mackenzie, a member of the royal guard, raised all his life to be fiercely loyal to the Crown. Then Sophia’s powers manifest stronger than she ever imagined they would, and Cameron and she are inextricably linked in the process. - synopsis from author's website.
I received a reading copy from the publishers via NetGallery in exchange for an honest review.
I found myself drawn very quickly into this story and its characters. I felt the world building was just right not flooding with a lot of information but revealing it organically.
Initially I was a little surprised at the introduction of sexual aspects quite early on in the story though it soon became clear that in the context of the plot it was appropriate. In addition the sex scenes were very well written, restrained yet erotic.
I certainly will be keeping an eye out for future titles in this series as this was a strong opening that made me eager for more.
Cross-posted to 50bookchallenge.