Be prepared to meet a delightful mixture of Game of Thrones and Shadowhunters when you delve into the gripping pages of Shattered Kingdom. With fantastically-crafted characters and a land resplendent in secrets, betrayal and intrigue, Shattered Kingdom is an excellent choice for those who enjoy delving into other realities.
Meet Gandrett, our beautiful yet ferocious heroine; snatched from her parents at a young age, she is forced to serve as a warrior for the Order of Vala where she is recognised as being one of the best. The story follows her as she goes undercover as a mercenary to rescue the crown Prince of Brenheran. Angelina Steffort has created complex and diverse characters who you can’t help but root for. I was particularly taken by Armand Denderlain, who the novel sets up perfectly as a villain only to slowly reveal that everyone has their secrets and not everyone is who they first appear to be. Gandrett herself is a strong role model and likeable for the most part (I say this because at times I found myself a little exasperated by Gandrett’s responses and actions; I understand why she I was particularly taken by behaved in the way she did, given her cruel upbringing, but I found it a little unbelievable at times as she knew what was at stake if she were to mess up her mission). Just like Shadowhunters, Angelina Steffort brings in the kingdom of the fae, and their representative, Nehelon, is just as dark and cryptic as others I have met from this realm before. Slightly baffling in his persona, I feel that the series has not quite finished with him yet as his torn loyalties (between the fae, his servitude to the House of Brenheran and his clear attraction for Gandrett) have provided an interesting plot line that is yet to be explored.
Twists and turns are evident throughout the novel as Angelina Steffort takes us on an exciting journey through her perfectly crafted ‘shattered kingdom’ (that definitely reflects the divided world Game of Thrones fans know and love) and the plot will keep surprising you until its end: personally, my favourite type of book. The story does leave you with many questions; as this is the first in a series, Steffort has, on one hand, created a hook that will encourage many to read on. Having said that, there are some aspects of the story that I feel could be elaborated on a little as there are times when things are mentioned briefly but not expanded upon, leaving the reader wanting to know why. I understand that this partly due to the fact that she wishes for her readers to commit to the series but there are some things that could have been explained, such as how Gandrett came to become part of the order in the first place, that would not have had a huge bearing on the overall storyline.
The Book Dragon had the absolute pleasure of reviewing this book on behalf of the author herself, Angelina Steffort. Definitely one for the young to new adult age-range, (even the older adult who enjoys a strong fantasy novel), this exciting, fast-paced read will leave you guessing throughout. A strong 4 star read, we can’t wait to see what the rest of the series brings.
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