The Shattered Court

Written by M.J. Scott

Narrated by Flora MacDonald

Lady Sophia Kendall, thirty-second in line to the throne of Anglion, 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 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Nov 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9781494588755

Reviews for The Shattered Court

[jenniferelizabeth2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

CLIFFHANGER, ARGH. Writing not amazing; good worldbuilding. More expository than showing. Felt like a lot of stuff happened *to* characters, rather than development actually happening.

[glennis.leblanc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lady Sophia is getting ready for her 21st birthday and as a royal witch she will go to the temple and have her magic bound to the goddess and then married off fairly quickly. The only catch is on whom her husband will be is how strong her power will manifest on that day. A few days before her birthday, the castle is attacked while she is out in town. Sophia is escorted away since she is a royal heir even if she is far down the line. Her birthday happens while she is out in the woods and unable to be immediately bound by the temple priestess instead she is bound to her guard. In the aftermath of the attack, she is pushed much higher up as an heir to the throne and the temple is upset that they can’t bind her powers. Things devolve from there for her and her guard now husband. The story doesn’t end on a cliffhanger but does leave the reader hanging for the next turn of events.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley

[altheaann · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

'The Shattered Court' is a fantasy romance which manages to nicely balance the 'romance' content with the other elements of the plot.

Lady Sophie is handmaiden to Princess Eloisa. Soon, on her 21st birthday, Sophie will find out if she has inherited the Earth Magic that will give her a place as a Royal Witch, with the strict duties in Temple and marriage that the position entails.

However, when Eloisa sends Sophie out on a shopping trip with her bodyguard (and lover) Cameron Mackenzie, disaster strikes. A terrorist attack destroys half the castle, and Lieutenant Mackenzie, concerned for Sophie's safety, flees with her.

This means that when her fateful birthday falls, Sophie will be far from the constraints of temple rituals...

It took me a little while to get into this story for one reason... sentence fragments. I have no problem with occasionally using non-standard grammar for dramatic emphasis, but here, the 'fragments' are non-stop. It's very distracting. However, after a while I managed to skim over them and pay attention to what was going on.

My other complaint is that this book is quite short, and ends on a cliffhanger, leaving the reader with the impression that this book was more of an prologue to a story than a complete novel.

However, I eventually found it entertaining enough that if I'd had a sequel, I would've gone right ahead and read it...

Many thanks to ROC and NetGalley for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are solely my own.

[urph818 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lady Sophia Kendall is only days away from coming into her power as a possible Royal witch. She's noble born of a lesser house, and thirty-second in line for the throne.Before Sophia can be carefully initiated as a royal witch, she's forced to flee the city with Lieutenant Cameron Mackenzie, who happens to be accompanying her in Kingswell,when the capital comes under attack. Suddenly Sophia finds herself an unbound witch, more powerful than she ever imagined herself to be, and also more dangerous and everything changes in her life. One hasty wedding later, Sophia learns a lot about why witches are bound so quickly, but this knowledge might come at a price.My daughter thinks I'm crazy to be reading a Paranormal Romance as she calls it.However, I loved the world building and the Romance between Sophia and Cameron.What I was suprised with the developed Fantasy world of The Shattered Court and the various elements of magic woven into the story line. Anglion power rest in the hands of few and the woman in that land that possess true power are guarded and controlled. Sophia is one of those young women. As a distant relation to the royal family, Sophia’s bloodlines are prized, and if her magical abilities are strong she will be considered a great prize on the marriage market. Sophia, of course, will have no choice in her marriage, as it will be determined based on its usefulness to the monarch. Sophia is well aware of the restrictions of her position, yet she's well aware that there are no other options for her. Fate changes what’s in store for Sophia when she manifests her powers away from the careful control of the crown. As a result, Sophia is much stronger than anticipated and her power cannot be controlled and bound to the service of the crown or her husband, an unprecedented event that does not please the new queen or the head of the religious order.To be dealt with, Sophia is quickly married off to her protector Cameron, who also played a significant part in why Sophia’s powers cannot be bound (apparently this is why sex before marriage is frowned upon for royal witches). Cameron isn’t exactly thrilled about the fact that he and Sophia must be married, but he’s well aware that he is also responsible for Sophia’s lack of binding. However, the pair soon discover that their unusual circumstances are much more dangerous than they had anticipated, and Sophia's life just might be in danger.Aside from the hastily arranged romance, the world that introduced in The Shattered Court was fascinating.I enjoyed that Sophia couldn't be brought under the control of either the queen to be or the Power hungry leader of the Religious order. Sophia is a departure from the status quo which ramps up the tension in The Shattered Court. The Shattered Court was a compelling read because of both its romance as well as its fantasy elements. I found it interesting for marriage and magic to be so intertwined for Sophia and Cameron. I thought the book to be thought provoking and I flew through the first book where Sophia and Cameron must escape. Now, I look forward to reading book two, The Shadow Kin. Jack Murphy

[gaby317 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read The Shattered Court and loved it so much that I searched for M.J. Scott's other books. M.J. Scott has created a world where the throne is passed on to women in the royal line whose magic is strong enough to keep the country bountiful and healthy. The country's tradition and religion has established rites such that women of royal blood who manifest magical powers are directed to marry and undergo a religious rite that binds their magical power to their spouses. The country's court and culture is much like that of Elizabethan England with its strict mores and social structure. Our heroine is a lady-in-waiting with a distant tie to the throne but with magical powers that will prove near legendary.The emergence of magical powers comes at on one's 21st birthday. Lady Sophia Kendall was far from the throne, only 32nd in line. But an attack on the Court forces her to hide with Lt. Cameron Mackenzie and she comes of into her powers unexpectedly and without the traditional rites or protections. Not only does Lady Sophia prove to be exceptional in her abilities and the strength of her magic, she is linked to Cameron and unable to be bound to another.Sophia is seen as a uncertain power and a potential threat to the status quo. While the Queen holds affection for her royal cousin, powers behind the throne prefer to remove Sophia's powers and the threat that she poses. The Queen and her court are reminiscent of Queen Elizabeth of England - powerful, jealous, and a critically important ruler for the small nation trying to rule as best she can.The young Sophia seeks to serve her Queen and her family but is largely unprepared for the maneuvering and ruthlessness that come with ruling a nation state. She must learn to balance her principles with political reality and must do so as she fights for her life. I found Sophia a winning protagonist - loyal with a deep sense of honor but thrust into an impossible situation. She tries to remain loyal to her Queen but is uncomfortably aware that while she has the Queen's affection, she is not certain of her trust. As Sophia struggles to prove her loyalty to Queen and state, she must learn to face deadly threats and keep her head. The love story between Sophia and Cameron adds another layer of uncertainty and fun to a wonderful, engrossing read. I can't wait to read what happens next!

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Shattered Court: A Novel of the Four Arts by M. J. Scott is a paranormal novel with a different take on witches. Lady Sophia Elizabeth Constance Kendall is a lady-in-waiting to Princess Eloisa. Sophia is approaching her twenty-first birthday which is when powers manifest. The palace is getting ready to celebrate her Ais-Seann (the special celebration on her birthday). If her powers manifest she will be a royal witch (she is thirty-second in line to the throne). Royal witches are only allowed to practice earth magic. If she had any power (lately most of the witches have had only small amounts of power) it would be dedicated to the goddess with all the proper rites and then she would be married off to whichever nobleman the king picks (and she has to share her power with her husband as well). Sophia, though, wants more out of her life. She is frustrated with the little she is allowed to do (she is chaperoned to make sure she is a virgin on her birthday) and to learn (she is taught mostly the theory on magic and the rituals she will need to know if her powers manifest). Two days before her birthday, Princess Eloisa (who is the strongest royal witch living) sends Sophia on an errand to Madame de Montesse’s store. Chloe Montesse is from Illvya (a rival country) where they practice the fourth magic of water (in addition to air, earth, and blood magic). Sophia is chaperoned by Lt. Cameron Mackenzie of the Red Guard (they are battle mages).While is Portholme they hear a loud explosion and discover the palace is under attack. Cameron, who is sworn to protect royal witches, immediately takes action. He asks Madame Montesse is she has a portal (they travel by portals which are activated by blood). Cameron takes Sophia through the portal to get her as far away from the palace as possible. They do not who is attacking, but he has to guard Sophia and keep her safe. They are still traveling when Sophia wakes up on her twenty-first birthday. She has manifested powers and can now see the ley lines that run through the land. Despite Cameron’s best attempts at keeping her away from them, Sophia steps right into the middle of a ley line. Cameron touches her to pull her out, and instant passion. You can guess what happens right? Gone is Sophia’s virginity.They continue their journey to reach one of Cameron’s brothers, Alec. When they arrive, they discover that the battle is over. They are to return to the castle, but many are dead. Cameron’s father is gone along with the king and many of the royal family. Sophia is no longer thirty-second in line to the throne. Upon arriving at the castle, she is whisked off by Domina Skey (who is in charge of the temple and strongest of the temple witches). When the ritual is performed, the sigils that were put on Sophia’s hand do not disappear. Domina Skey is angry and drags Sophia to queen-to-be Eloisa. Cameron is also called to appear. Upon hearing what happened during their journey, Eloisa betroths Sophia to Cameron. Eloisa was badly injured in the fire that swept through the east and west sections of the castle. Domina Skey uses Sophia to heal Eloisa. Turns out that Sophia has a lot of power and being unbound the power does not go to the temple (which means Domina Skey cannot access it unless she takes it from Sophia. Did I mention this is a long book with a lot of details? I will try to condense the rest. Domina Skey has taken advantage of Eloisa’s sickness to elevate her status. She does not like that Sophia is unbound. Sophia and Cameron get married, however, they are told that they have to take their wedding week at court (instead of traveling as is normal). One night someone gets into their chamber and tries to kill Sophia. What is going on? They have no choice but to run. Where will they go and who can they trust?I found The Shattered Court a little confusing. Their magic has something to do with a goddess, salt, and salt water. I, also, did not like that the book ends without a real ending. We are left to wonder until the next book (which I will read, of course, to see what happens). I give The Shattered Court 3.5 out of 5 stars. I think it could have done with a little editing (of course, who am I to talk with this long review). I wish the magic had been explained a little better and I think I could have done without the explicit sex scenes. I originally thought this was a novel for young adults, but I think this is more a novel for adults (since it does have the sex scenes). I will be interested to see what happens in the next novel.I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[stacyatufi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was pleasantly surprised by THE SHATTERED COURT. I am pretty picky with my high fantasy reads and after reading the blurb I wasn't blown away, but when I started reading, I quickly realized that this was a book I was going to enjoy reading.Sophia is a royal witch who's waiting for her birthday to find out if she will manifest magic. She is pretty sheltered and protected in the castle and wants nothing more than to be like the other kids her age. I actually liked Sophia quite a bit. She comes off as meek, but you learn that she has bite. She is also really curious and questions things, especially when they don't make sense. This happens to get her in trouble and the fact that she ends up being really powerful makes her a target.I will admit I was kinda put off by Cameron at first. He had a relationship (sexual) with the princess and I hate to admit it, but I judged him badly for that. He quickly grew on me as he stepped up to protect Sophia and also stepped up when they got back to the palace. He genuinely liked her and wanted to be with her. Their relationship was sweet and their feelings grew pretty strong in a world that people are usually thrown together for political gain. They got lucky, but it sure wasn't easy.There is a lot of politics involved in THE SHATTERED COURT. The world building was well done and it was easy to follow along with everything that was going on. The struggles that Sophia and Cameron faced were real and I had no problem rooting for them. The ending wasn't a surprise to me, but I was really intrigued watching it unfold and it left me excited to see what will happen next.This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.