The Half King was an interesting read and I was initially really enjoying it, and I especially enjoyed the concept of curses on certain families. However, the romance with Kian was very insta-love and I didn't get to know his character deeply. Cerise's character also felt somewhat juvenile for her age, and the book seems like a very YA book as opposed to new adult. I wish there was more development on the magic system--it has a lot of potential! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Love, love, loved it!!

Great world building, I was invested with the characters and the story reads well as a standalone - although I think there is more to come!

Twists, heartbreak- just amazing!

This book was promising with an interesting FMC, Cerise. I had some problem getting into the story, as it said that it was a romantasy I was waiting for the romance to bloom, which it eventually did but it felt flat. As this book has s*x on the page I wouldn't recommend this book for young teenagers. I was however really intrigued by their belief-system and religion and how you can turn something good into something bad, as well as how men can oppress women, I could actually draw parallels between this fantasy world and the real world which was really pleasing. I was however a little bit disappointed, the writing was good, but for the first third of the book I was waiting for something to happen, then it took another third to actually build up for some real action. But all in all it was a good book.

4⭐️ 2🌶️

A big thank you NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC!

Set in a kingdom cursed for the sins committed by ancestors long ago, Cerise lives a sheltered life in servitude to the Goddess. That is until a death at Court and an ominous foretelling puts into motion events which lead Cerise to the position of Lady of the Temple to the “Half King” . Cerise must break the curse to save the kingdom and the man she loves, but secrets and hidden enemies are all around and time is running out…

I was immediately drawn to the Half King - I always love a good Beauty and the Beast re-telling! The world building is brilliant and I was quickly drawn into Cerise’s world. The story felt fresh and I enjoyed the background to the kingdom and the curses.

Cerise is a likeable FMC, she is innocent annd quick-witted and she throws herself into situations whole heartedly. She isn’t afraid to love, even if she knows it will cause her pain. I also really liked her love for animals!

Likewise the Half- King, Kian, is a likeable m, solid MMC. I particularly found his relationship with Delora intriguing at first, and really liked how that developed once Cerise arrived at the Castle and we discover more about each character.

Some parts felt more YA than NA. In particular some relationships came across as immature, and the speed and ease Cerise gained the confidence of Kian and other members of the Court I felt lacked the complexity of an adult novel. But it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the book and the spice brings it back up to NA territory!

Overall I really enjoyed the Half-King, it kept me entertained and guessing right until the end. I’m looking forward to reading the second part to this duology!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
4 stars rating from me. Loved the plot and the storytelling in The Half King; with relatable, likable characters. Loved every single second reading it.