From the Stacks: The Shattered Court by M.J. Scott

Today's From the Stacks review is the first book in a new fantasy series by M.J. Scott. The Shattered Court is the first of the Four Arts novels, and has so many of the elements I enjoyed from her Half-Light City novels.

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.

Overall rating: 5 stars

Let me preface this by saying that The Shattered Court is most definitely a first novel, in that it spends a lot of time setting up the world and the characters, and a great deal of the plot is really laying down groundwork for what will likely be a tense and action packed rest of the series. The first 85% of the book had very little action to it, but that did not keep the story from being interesting to me.

Yes, most of the book is spent on: a birthday, a funeral, a coronation, a wedding, and a belated birthday ball. The middle section has a bit of intrigue that sets up the end nicely, but it was that last 15% that really sold the book for me. The pace picked up considerably and all the plot threads started to really weave together in a complex tapestry of awesomeness.

The concept of magic in this world is interesting, and I really can't wait to learn more about all of the four magical arts in this fantastical world. And the romance was pretty good, although yes, there were times when the couple seemed to doubt one another, which I guess makes it more realistic.

Every once in a while, I enjoy reading a book that is more character driven than plot driven. It allows you to delve into the characters' thoughts and emotions and desires in a way that doesn't always happen when an author feels that they have to put action plot scenes in constantly. The change of pace is rather refreshing and allows us to connect to the characters and the world more. Instead of having to jump from action point to action point, we get to almost join in on the day to day journey and life in the world and inhabit it for a while. The escape from reality is something I really look for in the books I read.

I actually like Cam and Sophie both, and I am supremely curious about what will happen next. The book ended with Cam and Sophie in a place completely foreign to them, and they are very unsure of what will happen next. That really works because that is how we the readers feel after finishing the book as well.

The world building and foundations of the magical systems were well done and I really do feel like this series can only get better. I am very much looking forward to the next book, even if I have to wait another year for its release.

Magic, romance, intrigue...what's not to enjoy in this book?

Okay, so I can honestly say that so far, I enjoyed the Half-Light City novels more, but those books also focused on a different couple with each book, whereas I think that this series will mostly focus on Sophie and Cam, so we'll see what effect the different approach has on the over-arching story arc.