There's absolutely nothing wrong with this read, it just didn't grip me - which is annoying because it's exactly the type of story I enjoy. I will try it again another time and see if I do better, and I read enough to be able to recommend it to other readers.

There were so many things that frustrated me about this book because the idea was actually so good and it had the potential to be amazing.

First of all, the FMC is a DEEPLY religious woman whose entire life is devoted to the goddess and the belief that she must remain pure. Insert first meeting with the king and that’s immediately thrown out the window. It’s like there was absolutely no conflict going on in her brain about this relationship even though the start of the book she’s fully set on the religion…

Secondly, there’s barely any relationship building between any of the characters. It’s like they all just met for the first time and decided they had been friends/lovers for years? One of my favourite examples of this is the FMC saying “You know what he’s like” THE DAY AFTER SHE MET HIM??? Like be so for real you don’t even know what he’s like 😭

I will say I really liked the whole curse plot and the use of magic. As well as that, the writing style was very easy to read and at parts I enjoyed I did actually find myself not being able to put it down (until I got to another relationship plot).

Thank you to NetGalley for the proof copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK for this eCopy to review

When I first picked up The Half King, I was immediately drawn into the world Melissa Landers created. The story revolves around Kian Mortara, a king cursed to fade into nothingness each night until his 21st birthday, when he will disappear forever. This curse, a result of the Great Betrayal, looms over the kingdom of Mortara, adding a sense of urgency and tension to the narrative.

Cerise Solon, the protagonist, is a second-born child destined to serve the goddess Shiera as a Seer. However, she lacks the gift of foresight, making her journey even more challenging. When she arrives at the court, she finds herself surrounded by intrigue and deception, with Kian at the centre of it all. His haunting eyes and sharp tongue make him a compelling character, and their interactions are charged with tension and unspoken emotions.

As Cerise navigates the treacherous court, she uncovers secrets that could change the fate of the kingdom. Her determination to save Kian and break the curse drives the plot forward, leading to a series of thrilling and heart-wrenching events. The world-building is rich and immersive, with Landers crafting a complex realm filled with magic, curses, and political intrigue.

The relationship between Cerise and Kian is beautifully developed, with their growing bond adding depth to the story. The stakes are high, and the emotional intensity keeps you hooked until the very end. Landers’ writing is vivid and evocative, making it easy to visualize the world and feel the characters’ struggles.

Overall, The Half King is a captivating start to a new fantasy series. The blend of romance, adventure, and fantasy elements makes it a must-read for fans of the genre.

A lot of books usually either have a super good beginning or an amazing end. It's pretty rare for me to find one that has both but this defiantly had such a great beginning and all the way through pace that kept me wanting to keep reading like crazy and it also had an unforgettable ending.

This enchanting book is perfect for romantasy readers who desire an strong fantasy plot with a curse than spans back generations. Where four noble houses are cursed, one with perilous beauty, one with destructive knowledge, one with insatiable bloodlust and one who is claimed by the shadows every night- all because their ancestors betrayed the goddess. But after a Cerise, young hopeful seer from the temple is assigned to their court, she can’t help but desire to help the half king, Kian, who disappears into the shadows each sunset.

This book had me hooked after the first couple of chapters and it did not disappoint. It had incredible world building which wasn’t too overpowering and came out gradually, mixed in with great character dynamics. Cerise was a devoted and loving FMC, which is always a nice change to see a gentle character that still had determination and fight. Her and Kian had great chemistry from the start, which was a delight to watch blossom, though the bromance and banter between Daerick and Kian was truly my favourite.

Main Tropes:
- Forced Proximity
- Royalty/Court
- Generational Curses
- Chosen One
- Romantic Spice

This beautiful story follows Cerise, a devoted worshiper of the temple who spent all her life shielded from the outside world. But when an opportunity arises for a acolyte in court, she finds herself thrown into a new world where she must share her faith as a lady of the temple all whilst serving the half king, Kian. There’s only one problem, she’s only a few moons away from her “claiming day” and she’s yet to showcase her powers as a seer.

With no magic, a king that disappears every night and a generational curse looming over them all - will she be able to help them, or will the goddess punish them all?

This book was filled with faith, curses and intimate moments- the perfect combination for a romantic fantasy tale.

In this first book of a planned duology, we follow Cerise, a young woman given to the temple, as she is sent to court and finds herself drawn to the king.

In this universe, the firstborn of every noble family bears a curse specific to their family (unbearable beauty, intelligence mixed with madness, vanishing into smoke for half the day, etc.) and second-born children are given to the temple. I really enjoyed the originality of the concept, although I hope to see more world-building in the next book.

This was a quick NA read (the character development felt YA but there was some spice).

A recommended read for fans of The Gilded Wolves series, Holly Black, and romantasy with spiritual themes.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️
2 🌶️
NA
3rd Person 1 POV

Enjoyed the world building, magic system and the characters. Cerise is a likeable FMC and Half- King, Kian, is a solid MMC. It reads as Upper YA but with a couple of mild spicy scenes.

I enjoyed the twists and turns throughout the story, which kept me wanting to keep reading to figure it out. The last part of the book was incredible, the pace the action really couldn’t but it down.

I'm looking forward to the next book.

Thank you for the ARC Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Netgalley

Hands down one of the best fantasy books I’ve read this year. The plot was very original and the story was so well written. I loved that it made me think about history and make connections with the story. When it comes to the plot twists, there were some that I saw coming, and other times I was totally flabbergasted. The relationships felt very dynamic and real, and the characters had dimension - like seeing Kian’s soft and protective side with Cerise, and fun and bantery side with Daerick. I also really liked the message that just because something is common knowledge doesn’t always mean that it’s true. The quote “There is no shame in not knowing something, the shame is not being willing to learn” fits so well with this book.

If you like fantasy, you should definitely give this one a go.

This has become one of my favourite romantasy’s. It’s been ages since a romantasy has really captured my attention and been so wonderfully unique.

This story has romance, depth, secrets, betrayal, darkness and some amazing side characters.

Cerise is a fantastic FMC, she is initially ignorant due to her upbringing. She doesn’t have the sight as expected, but she is sent to the Half King Kian’s kingdom to act as an emissary. There she discovers quite a lot of the kingdom think her capable of ending the curses that divide, and hurt the nobles and their kingdoms.

She meets many new people in Kian’s kingdom, some wish to hurt her or divert her plans to help lift the curses. Some new people become her friends and help her in unexpected ways.

This story gripped me, there’s twists and betrayals that you may see coming or may figure out at the very last minute. Either way I encourage anyone who enjoys fantasy and likes a touch of romance in the story to pick this up.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review.

OK so this plot had a lot of promise and had me super intrigued and excited to read. Unfortunately I do feel that it missed the mark. The story in general was OK but I felt that it was just missing something. I felt that not a whole lot happened considering the length of the book, it seemed somewhat lack luster.

Kian, had a lot of potential but alas I did not feel the swoon affect that I hoped I'd have, he felt absent for most of the book, given his curse I understand but it just baffled me a bit how him a Cerise fell so deeply in love when he was barely there.

The Story did have some good twists and I did feel that there were some good points throughout the book but it felt a bit generic and predictable.

I really want to love this book but it is more of a like than anything else.

The writing style was on the YA side in my opinion but OK nonetheless.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a copy of The Half King. I absolutely loved reading this book. The premise was great and it was perfectly executed. I loved that the characters jumped off the page and were so funny and had banter with each other but not in a way that felt forced. The author is also able to effortlessly give unpredictable twists and turns that add to to the story and describe so beautifully the world, magic, and family ties to magic. 100% recommend - go and read this!

I thought the concept of The Half King was fantastic - a curse which makes the king turn to shadow every evening, and separate curses which blight the firstborn children of each of the different noble peoples across the land - I couldn't wait to pick this up, and I did in fact race through the story.

Part of the reason for reading so quickly was because this has a very YA feel. The writing is simplistic and the story doesn't contain a lot of complexity - most of the 'twists' are so clearly signposted even I spotted them! The characters are fairly one-dimensional - Cerise is pious but wrestling with questioning what she has been taught, Lord Calatrais is incredibly smart and the General is full of anger etc... The titular Half King, Kian, we don't see enough of him to get to know him well, which is a shame because I think he could be an outstanding character in a differently shaped novel. Here we know he falls instantly for Cerise, doesn't trust religion (no surprise given the curse he's under!) and cares for his friends.

The main narrative revolves around a quest which keeps the action moving and ensures the story zips along. There are several narrative dead-ends and actions or occurrences that are unexplained and left me a little bewildered and frustrated. However, I enjoyed how the story addressed religious intolerance - in particular the clear message about the misogyny inherent in most established religions, and how Cerise is her own hero - she welcomes being taught but uses her brain and doesn't need to be rescued (except once when everyone needs rescuing!).

3.5 stars out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House UK/Transworld Publishers and the author for the ARC, this is my honest review.

** spoiler alert ** *I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

The Half King by Melissa Landers took me by surprise. You know that feeling when you pick up a book expecting it to be just “okay,” but it sweeps you away, and suddenly you're reading the last page in what feels like a blink? That was my experience. I devoured this story in a single day, which says a lot!

At its core, The Half King blends fantasy and romance with an intriguing curse that gives the plot real urgency. Imagine a king who fades into shadows each night, his existence ticking down to a deadline that no one—least of all him—can ignore. Kian Mortara is that king, and as the curse looms closer, the stakes for both him and his kingdom rise. I found Kian to be a fascinating character: snarky, regal, and tragically haunted. He’s got that sharp-tongued, intense persona that adds layers to his interactions, especially with Cerise, the acolyte who arrives at court and turns everything upside down.

Cerise is another reason I enjoyed the book. Her dynamic with Kian—sparks and all—feels natural, and it pulled me in as I found myself wanting to see how their story would unfold.

What made this book stand out is how Landers builds tension through the curse and the ticking clock of Kian’s fate. The “Great Betrayal” and the curses that follow each noble house give the world a sense of history, and I loved the layers it added to the kingdom's political landscape. The courtly intrigue, the sense of secrets bubbling beneath every interaction, all of that made the story richer.

My only slight hesitation is that there were moments where I wanted more depth from the worldbuilding or to explore the other cursed houses more. But honestly, the pacing kept me so hooked that it didn’t bother me much as I sped through the chapters.

In the end, The Half King is a captivating read with characters you’ll care about and a plot that keeps you guessing. If you enjoy fantasy with a touch of romance, court politics, and high-stakes tension, I think you’ll love it as much as I did. It’s definitely worth your time, and while it’s not perfect, it’s pretty darn close.

A promising start to the series! Whilst I didn't love every aspect of this book, the final third was exciting and revealed a plot twist I didn't see coming, pulling my rating up. Cerise is an endearing MC, starting off naive and firm in her faith, but gradually coming into herself and accepting her powers. I'm looking forward to the sequel

My apologies, I didn't like the book very much. The flow was not flowing. It just felt like stuff was happening but at the same time nothing important was happening. If I liked the characters maybe I would have enjoyed it more.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was heavily plot driven, which is great in any fantasy book!

The premise of the book was interesting and I loved the quest side of it, where they had to retrieve an artefact to try and break the curse upon the firstborn of the noble families.

The main characters were quite juvenile in their behaviour, but this is largely to do with their age I believe. Also, their relationship was more insta-love than I prefer, but they were still sweet!

A notable mention goes to the characters Nero and Daerick too. I loved these two!

The plot twists were great! One of them I had kind of worked out already but the second I had absolutely no clue about! Furthermore, the epilogue had me wondering what on Earth is coming in the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you're a fan of One Dark Window, you should try The Half King. Landers' writing style is brilliant, I don't think I've been so intrigued by a book's world building, religion & lore before. It was all told so well that I was paying attention and desperate to know more.

We follow Cerise, a second born to a noble family. The first borns carry curses, the second borns serve the Order with the possibility of magic before their 'Claiming Day'. She's yet to show signs of becoming an oracle and instead finds herself enroute to the King's court to replace the previous Emissary. With a vague vision of the future to guide her she is left to investigate the death of the previous Emissary and the possibility of ending the curse on the first borns and save her newfound friends + sister.

The characters we meet along the way are great and many join Cerise on a journey to find a mystical weapon which could potentially break the curse. Lord Blue being a standout with Daerick in a close second. The locations were also vivid and different to usual books in this genre, it was a really welcome change.

I also have to say without spoilers, the final confrontation had me absolutely shocked, I couldn't believe what was happening. I'd thought I had everything figured out but more revelations and the consequences of decisions made earlier on??? I may have had to put the book down at one point to process before finding out what happened next...

Overall, I had a fantastic time reading this one. I was actively looking forward to my evenings and getting to read more of the story. Cannot wait for a sequel and to see how the story continues!

Thanks to Netgalley & Random House UK for the arc.

I love romantasy but sadly I think this one missed the mark slightly.

The world and the plot were intriguing but I think it's important to go into this expecting a story that has the pacing of a YA fantasy. The characters are 19-20 so I believe this is being marketed as "new adult." I wouldn't describe this as a "spicy" book but there are a couple of intimate scenes. Unlike a lot of romantasy books I've read recently, it felt like there was a purpose to these scenes and they weren't thrown in randomly. which was great.

However, I do think there could have been more build-up to the relationship. The MCs barely spent any time together before declaring they were in love with each other. Also, the love interest had no personality, and it felt like they existed simply to be the love interest.

Some aspects of the plot were predictable but there were also some twists and turns I didn't expect.

Would recommend it if the synopsis intrigues you. It was a good time but not super memorable.

DNF'd at 49% - I struggled to keep going with this book. The plot was promising, but it didn't hold my attention and I had no interest in the characters (I found them really basic)

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the advance reader copy,

Firstly I would say that this book has some interesting ideas and I would have liked a bit more written about the magic/belief system because it seems to play a large part within the story.

This book was ok - I think there were pacing issues especially in the beginning and the end. The last chapters felt rushed and I think more could have been put into them.

I wouldn’t say this is YA as there is explicit sexual content, so would say this is more a new adult/adult.

Overall the book was fine, and I’ll probably continue the series.