Review: The Shattered Court by M.J. Scott

The Shattered Court (A Novel of the Four Arts #1) by M.J. Scott 
Expected publication: April 28th 2015 by Roc

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.…

My Thoughts

*This is an adult book*

I was incredibly intrigued by the premise of this book. A line of royal witches coming into power seasoned with court inner workings is my cup of tea for sure. This book definitely delivered on the court drama. I also enjoyed that this was an adult book. I saw it categorized as YA on goodreads so imagine my (pleasant) surprise when it when into some pretty graphic sex scenes. 

M.J. Scott did a wonderful painting the vivid world of Anglion. A place where there is magic coming from the Earth, fire, blood, and water. The majority of royal witches manifest a small amount of earth magic if any on their 16th birthday. Sophia is no different...well maybe a lil different. She has the strongest manifest scene in ages which puts her life in grave danger. She was 32nd in line for the crown until a horrific accident upjumped her. Suddenly Sophia's life is turned upside down. The history that was contributed through various supporting characters is meticulously detailed. In a short period of time I had a firm grasp on the whole situation which made the rest of the book really enjoyable. I wasn't left in the dark while trying to work out missing pieces. While a bit predictable at times, it still held my interest. I was dying to know what was going to happen next and who the enemy really was.

I enjoyed Sophia's character immensely. She may be a lady of the court and acts quit proper but she is also fearless. This is evident pretty early on. Lieutenant Cameron was also a perfect perspective to follow. He had honor but was still a human being. They are both trying very hard to make due with the cards they were dealt so it's interesting to watch their bond strengthen.

My one tiny quam would be the pacing was a bit off at times. It seemed to move fast in the beginning then slowed, then picked up, then slowed, then picked up near the end. As I have mentioned I am all for court politics but sometimes it was a bit even for me. Some of the scene just seemed to be fillers unless they will play a role in the future book which remains to be seen. Still a great ADULT FANTASY SERIES in the works here!! I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book. Things really started to get interesting.

4 Snowflakes