The Shattered Court (Four Arts, #1)

by M.J. Scott

First in a new fantasy series from the author of the Novels of the Half-Light City.

Entangled in a court ruled by tradition and intrigue, a young witch must come to terms with newfound power and desire—and a choice between loyalty and survival.…

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 practicing 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. As a witch unbound by marriage rites, Sophia is not only a threat to the established order of her country, but is also a weapon for those who seek to destroy it. Faced with old secrets and new truths, she must decide if she will fight for her country or succumb to the delicious temptation of power.…

• ISBN10: 0451465393
• ISBN13: 9780451465399
• Publish Date: 28 April 2015
• Publish Status: Inactive
• Out of Print: 12 January 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
• Imprint: Signet
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780451465399

Reviews

[Ashley]

So good! What a sweet romance too.

[lizarodz]

Reading With ABC http://readingwithabc.com http://readingwithabc.com/review-the-shattered-court-by-m-j-scott/I was not surprised I loved The Shattered Court because Alyssa loved it and we tend to have similar tastes, especially in fantasy. For some reason though, I thought it was a young adult book and I quickly became disabused by that notion. This is very much a fascinating adult read.

The world building is so important when writing fantasy and I feel like Scott did a fantastic job here. It never fell prey to the common info-dump and I easily understood the world, the magic, the political and power struggles. The world she created felt very much like the English court life or the 1700 or 1800s, there are kingdoms, ladies-in-waiting, guards, nobility, politics, betrayal, power plays and much more because magic is thrown into the mix.

The magic element is also unique. Yes, it has do a little bit with elements, but also with intent, with ley lines, with control, with blood and what I suspect is a lot of lies. Magic is regulated and protected and as I said, controlled. There is quite a bit that’s still left unexplained and I’m eager to learn more in the next book.

Sophie is one of the princes’ ladies-in-waiting and of royal blood, as such when she turns 21 she might come into her powers as a witch. The more power she develops, the more advantageous her marriage will be. That is to say, she never had any control over her life at all. This is known and accepted by all. Sophie is pretty, a bit shy, unused to the power that becomes her birthright and unprepared by the malice and political turmoil that surrounds her. She was lucky to be smart, learn quickly, be very observant and have Cameron in her corner.

“Maybe turning twenty-one wouldn’t be so bad after all. Perhaps magic would give her some tiny bit of control over her life. Or marriage. Married ladies were not as tightly policed as virgins. If her husband – whoever that might turn out to be – were reasonable, she would be able to decide some small things for herself. “

Cameron becomes Sophie’s protector first, then an ally, lover, friend and lastly love. He’s sweet, has his own power, comes from a noble family, but is the third son and thus is relegated to the military. I really liked their relationship because even though it was triggered by magic, it was realistic and grew into something more. The characterization overall was incredible good. And that’s all I’m saying :)

The plot of The Shattered Court is complicated, but not overly so. The intricacies of the political, religious and magical underpinnings of the story is fascinating. The writing is enthralling, and I couldn’t put this one down. It was such a good book. Why then did it missed half a star? Well, I would have loved to see more romance, more Cameron/Sophie time.

“His eyes turned a darker shade of blue, and then his mouth came down on hers, kissing her. Light exploded through her again. Burning and searing. It washed over and through her, and she felt a click like coming home and sliding the key into the lock to open the front door. Meant to be. Natural.”This review was originally posted on Reading With ABC

[bookishzelda]

I stumbled upon The Shattered Court by chance. In fact I didn’t even realize it was an Adult book until I was reading. This is one of those I was attracted by the cover and was more than pleasantly survived. I loved the book and does such a great job of creating this world that has the appeal that young adult books have but is definitely adult.

I like girls like Sophie who curiosity and quicker witted nature override their fear. It makes her brave but also thoughtful of how things will play out by her decisions. I only continued to love her as she grew throughout the book. She is full of fierce sass but can also it keep to herself when the situation calls for.She knows how to follow court protocol but that doesn’t make her a follower. She is also not afraid of confrontation which is pretty awesome.

Cameron actually surprised me. Reading the description I expected him to be one way and the boom there was a shock to me right at the beginning. As we get to know him you can see how that he does take his duty seriously but he is also kind and gentle.

I loved the plot. The idea of a society that even though it has a monarchy has a Royal Witches who demand respect. The only draw back is that the witches are only allowed to practice Earth Magic in Anglion and are bound as soon as they come into their power so they can be controlled. They are also married off by the king/queen’s discretion.Used as a political motivator. The Royal Witches enjoy a wealthy life but as long as they are comfortable with being the courts pawn. Where not too far off in Illyvan, witches enjoy freedom and are allowed to practice the four arts.

I loved the world building. It was both extensive for demographically but also political. We really get a good look at how politics work in the Anglion court. Although the book spends more time with the politicals it felt like it slowed down for me but it was still interesting at the same time. I felt like I finished reading and really had a grasp on what was going on. I also liked the progression of Sophie’s magic. She didn’t suddenly know everything all at once, which makes sense. It’s not like she came into these new powers and was wielding them like someone with experience. She demonstrates how strong she is but we get to see her develop with them. I am hoping to see some more magic in the next book.

I loved Sophie and Cameron’s relationship. I love these types where they act more as a partnership even though they are crazy for eachother. They manage to balance eachother out and have their own strengths. There is no question on whether or not they are in this together. They manage to capture the elusive never go to bed angry.

I can’t wait to read the next book. I’m excited to see what happens with Sophie and Cameron. The book left on a little bit of a cliff hanger but it was one of those great kind that you can picture the movie screen fading to black. I hope we get to see more magic and I’m sure we will get to learn more about the different kinds. Definitely give this book a try if you are a Fantasy/Magic fan.