A Heart So Fierce and Broken: Cursebreaker, Book 2

Physical and psychological violence are everywhere in A Heart So Fierce and Broken. Before the story's even underway, the first book's main character announces plans to kill his half-brother, the daughter of a murderous queen orders the killing of an unfortunate father and daughter who have wandered into their camp, and an innocent bar patron is arrested and run through with a sword when he tries to escape. And that's just the beginning of the hacking, slashing, blinding, and more in this gory tale, including one episode where a man is tortured and mutilated, then restored by magic, only to be tortured and mutilated again. Some parents are perfectly willing to murder their children for political gain. The massacre of Grey's family in the past is mentioned several times.

There's a lot of romantic tension leading up to an intense kiss and a night of strong bonding but no sex. A princess who's a dynastic pawn says she can "bed a man without liking him" (though she and her sister both admit they've never done any such thing). A matriarchal ruler finds a different guy every time she wants to have a child. Various characters are part of couples, straight and gay. A tween character implies that he sold himself into indentured servitude to save his sisters from being sold into prostitution to pay his father's gambling debts (although he doesn't come out and say "prostitution").

As in the first book, "silver hell!" is strong language here. Occasional references to kicking someone's ass.

In a medieval-ish world, adult and teen characters drink wine, ale, etc. at social gatherings, meals, etc. One character has no tolerance for wine and avoids it, but bonds with another character over a bottle of liquor, getting a bit drunk in the process.