I feel like I’ve been waiting for this book for so long since I first heard about it. And now it’s here…and it was SO WORTH THE WAIT!!! I absolutely loved this book! It’s the magical version of a feminist rage, taking our power back book, that you never knew could work and then you read it and realize it’s close to utter perfection. Cerise is naive and indoctrinated to believe that she is inferior to the male priests of the Order. Then she meets Kian, the “half king” who is cursed to disappear into the shadows every night. Who doesn’t love a shadow daddy, right? 😜. Anyway, I can’t say more without spoiling things, but read this book! And then join me in my misery as I realize that I’ll probably be waiting in agony for who knows how long for the sequel, as this story is definitely not done yet.

My eternal thanks to the team at Red Tower and Entangled, as well as NetGalley, for early access to this title. My print copy is set to arrive next week on release day and I can’t wait for this amazing story to grace my shelves.

The Half King is a spellbinding fantasy that weaves together magic, romance, and mystery. Set in the Allied Realm, the story introduces us to a kingdom forever altered by the Great Betrayal, when noble families defied their goddess and were cursed as punishment. This curse manifests differently in each noble house, but the royal house Mortara suffers most gravely: their king, Kian, fades into shadows each night and faces a permanent disappearance upon his twenty-first birthday.

Enter Cerise Solon, a second-born acolyte with no apparent magical abilities, whose duty is to serve the goddess. Though she lacks the powers of a Seer, Cerise quickly finds herself enmeshed in court politics and secrets, where deception lurks behind every smile. Her growing connection to Kian, the cursed king, intensifies the tension as his impending fate looms. Their chemistry is undeniable, yet Cerise’s hidden truths may hold the key to Kian’s survival—or seal his doom.

Landers crafts a richly atmospheric tale that blends court intrigue, high-stakes romance, and the bittersweet allure of forbidden love. With its vivid characters and unpredictable twists, The Half King keeps readers riveted, and its ending leaves plenty of room for future adventures in this enchanting world. This story is a must-read for fans of fantasy with layered curses, royal drama, and a hint of tragic romance.

Thank you to entangled publishing for this ARC!

The Half King follows a young seer in training as she gets assigned to be the cursed king’s emissary. Cerise has to rely on her instincts and faith to guide her in her new role while trying to stay away from things forbidden to her. This book is action packed and full of twists and turns that leave you wanting more. Will Cerise get to break away from generational curses and half save the man she loves before it’s too late?

This book was a fast paced! I mean I finished it in two days! This definitely was more on the fantasy side for me but it still had some decent spicy scenes in it! I definitely did not see the end coming and it left me guessing what was going to happen next. I loved the feminine rage breaking the social hierarchy for sure!

If you love forbidden romance, priests/priestesses, magic, prophecy, and many more, this is for you!

Thank you Entangled and Red Tower for the eARC.
I want to preface this by saying this book had potential. I was intrigued by the curses and the consequences/influences they had. The FMC Cerise is of course powerless and raised in a household of seers. I found myself annoyed by her character and as for the twists I just couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough. The romance as very bland? The book could be labeled YA were it not for the spice scenes. All in all not a strong romantasy pick in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, and the author for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had high expectations for this book as everyone was raving about it but unfortunately it fell flat for me. The only reason I continued reading this book was because I was interested in the world building. This has the potential to be a really good book but it lacks the execution. I was bored pretty much the entire book until maybe the last 85%. If I hadn't had wanted the answer to one question then I would not have finished this book. The love interest was pretty bland and I thought the main characters lacked chemistry. She had more chemistry with the side characters than she did the main MMC, not to mention their relationship went from 0-100 real quick. The female main character is probably one of the most annoying FMC's I have ever read about. She was annoyingly naive and made every possible bad decision she could. Every time someone told her not to do something or to keep a secret she would immediately do the opposite and it got annoying fast. I would say this is an okay book if you are new to reading and to this genre but for someone that has been reading this style for a while, it just is not executed well. I do intend to finish the series to answer some unanswered questions.

The Half King didn’t take long to pull me in. Often times I feel like authors rush to introduce everyone and every fact in the first few chapters. Introducing the curse and magic system didn’t feel rushed. The world building didn’t feel overwhelming and forced. I am keeping this spoiler free, so I will just say I spent a large portion of the book waiting for someone to betray Cerise, as I just had “that feeling.” Kian and Cerise had a sloooooow burn, but it was understandable and not just to torture the readers. While there have been a lot of Beauty and the Beast-inspired books, I really thought this was well done and stands out. The curse was really unique and the despair of the cursed was well thought out and made me want a happily ever after for them all. I knew this was Book 1, so it shouldn’t surprise you to know the Epilogue is meant to torture... Now I need Book 2!

This book was just...meh. The characters felt flat. Dialogue was blah. The plot drug on FOREVER! I was dragging myself through this book because the story has so many weird plot holes that were never addressed. The MC is an adult but acts like a teen. Just...not a vibe for me overall.

Thanks to Red Tower Books for the gifted copy of this book!

About the book: Long ago, The Great Betrayal changed everything for the Allied Realm, as the goddess Shiera placed a curse on the firstborns of each noble family. Because of this, the last king of the house of Mortara may be lost to the shadows forever, and the order over the priests will be gone. Cerise Solon is a second-born, and as she returns to court, she may be the only hope for destroying the curse and saving the Realm.

My review: This is exactly the type of romantasy that I love -- escapist, slowburn, religious themes, cute animal side character, and an epic journey. I really loved the entire magic system with firstborn curses, and how magic inside and outside of the temple was viewed differently. The court intrigue was great, I am here for all the F the patriarchy / priestiarchy vibes, and I thought having a King who literally disappears into shadows every night was such a great element for this book. There was such a good message about compassion and love, about how terrorizing people into submission and using fear and pride are marks of a poor and unimaginative leader... TIMELY, EH?! I feel like this is written by someone with a religious background because I totally felt the vibes of someone who had also grew up in church and felt the performative pressure.

My one drawback is that there was a decent amount of “telling not showing” and it was a little jarring sometimes at the start of the book, but I am absolutely going to be reading book two.

Packed with unexpected twists and memorable characters, this one’s a must-read for fantasy fans!

Generations ago, the noble families of the realm turned on the goddess, and they’ve been cursed ever since. Each firstborn got a different punishment, but the Mortara family got the worst: every night, their young king fades into shadows, and he’s doomed to disappear entirely on his twenty-first birthday.

Then there’s Cerise Solon, a second-born who’s supposed to be a Seer for the goddess, except she doesn’t have any magical powers—no visions, no gifts, nothing!

The story moves quickly, but it still gives the characters space to grow.

The author does an amazing job building this world and keeping you hooked with twists, especially toward the end.

Cerise’s faith in the goddess, even when things get complicated, makes her a really memorable character.

This book is perfect for fans of fantasy and strong world-building with plenty of twists!

Thank you Entangled Publishing for this ARC!

An exciting new fantasy that was easy to swept up in from the start. There was magic, political and religious intrigue, high stakes quest, adventure, and so much more!!

Cerise was a character that was easy to root for. She was determined and compassionate.

Kian was mysterious and interesting. I liked his character but wanted so much more!

The relationship between the two moved quickly and had some spice and sweetness to it.

I will say though, I think my favorite character was Daerick. He was a fun loyal sidekick!

I really loved the world and the way the magic was. It was intriguing and can’t wait to learn more about it.

Tropes I noticed here were; prophecy, chosen one vibes, time limit, high stakes, fish out of water, morally grey characters, family secrets, dark past, curses, magic, religion, royalty, banter, deadly quest, worthy/chosen one, twists, he falls first, loyal friends, and more!

I was really excited about reading this book. The title and synopsis sounded like something I would love. Unfortunately, this one fell flat for me.
The writing was simple and it reads more younger YA . It kept reminding me of how historic fiction books are written as well. There is a bit of spice but it just wasn't good to me.
I will say there was a lot of potential here. It just needed more development.

Im thankful for the opportunity to get to read this!

This book does contain some darker themes, as such, it might not be for everyone - be sure to check trigger and content warning before reading.

You may need to let the shadows take you into this book if you enjoy atmospheric romantasy, found family, witty banter that will make you laugh out loud, curses, secrets, lies, twists and unexpected turns you may want to put the book down for.

A little backstory when it comes to me and this book - when I started reading after years of barely picking up many books at all, I was reading ones solely recommended by my sister, which I will always be thankful for, but this book - The Half King, was THE first book I put on my own TBR. It was a book I fell for by the cover and the concept of the romantasy story even before I had fully fallen head first into romantasy. So when I received this copy from Entangled I couldn’t believe my luck.

The unique world building and curse, lured me in from the very beginning I had a friend who was a good sport in putting up with my rambling emails about my theories, my love for the Half King, and the epic banter between two friends that had me cackling and sending even more quotes. The twists had me holding my breath, and I’m going to need more people to read this so I’m not suffering - ahem. I mean in pure bliss while we wait for book two.

I received an advanced copy of this, and am leaving an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the advance reader copy, I hadn't read a Melissa Landers book in a long time and was very intrigued by this book as soon as word came out.

The story begins with Cerise, a second born meant to serve the Goddess as a seer or oracle however she is now 18 and has not yet received the gift of Sight. The Reverend Mother of the temple tests her abilities in hopes she can figure out the child however she cannot see Cerise's path. With three moons to go until she is deemed a servant, Cerise is sent to the royal court to replace previous oracle and act as the King's Lady of the Temple. This is where the story really picks up.

This book was an enjoyable read, and though it was simple and didn't require much analytical power, the relationships between main characters and spice level kept bringing me back for more. Were some of the plots and twists predictable? Most likely. Still a decent read and worth a try for a change of scenery. I loved the touch of spirituality it brought, the aspect of where a soul could go once a body passes, and how it left some space for continuation into a second book.

That said, I would have loved a little more depth to the characters, their past and how each lineage worked. How was it to grow up as a Solon, or a Mortara? Why were they secluded in different cities? I understand that adding more explanations or flavor to the characters may have changed some of the outcomes or revelations, but the story felt a little rushed and incomplete. Perhaps this is something that could be covered in a second volume? More to the characters, to the surrounding cities, the steps into becoming a seer..priest..

In the end, I did really enjoy the book and would still recommend for those who love YA types and look forward to any sequels or improvements when the book is officially released.

The overall plot of this book was great! I love that the author didn’t overload you at the beginning with world building and gradually did it. Made it soooo much easier to follow. It’s well written and definitely a quick read! The last 25% of the book is 🔥🔥🔥! Can’t wait for book two!!

This is a fast paced story that will keep you intrigued from beginning to end. This book had me on the edge of my seat with so many twists and turns. I just couldn't put it down. The world building is absolutely amazing. I found the curses very interesting and can't wait to see what will happen in the next installment. The incredible ending has me wishing that I could to read the next book immediately. If you like fantasy books then I highly recommend this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for allowing me to read this book ahead of release in exchange for my honest opinion.

To say I love this is an understatement. The story grabbed me from the beginning, and had me completely invested until the very end.
The world building was so detailed and I loved all the main characters. The writing on this is just absolutely excellent.
I didn’t even get 20% into the book before I immediately ran in ordered a physical copy for myself to keep

Enjoyed this story of faith in self and ones belief in being a good person and how we are a balance of both light and dark no matter what tries and tribulations we have endured. Would have liked a little more character development in some of the scenes but all in all a solid story with a little spice Looking forward to book two.

October 13, 2024
A huge thank you to Entangled Publishing for sending me an ARC of this book. I read this one in a day and a half and I know book two doesn't exist yet but I need it.

I've been in a fantasy/romantasy rut for a while and have shied away from the genre in general but I think this one got me out of that slump.
I will preface this by saying, the chemistry between the two MC didn't do much for me. It felt like the romance was a subplot but in this case, this is a good thing! To me, I thought the whole overall plot was great. The fantasy aspect had me hooked and I can't stop thinking about basically the last 25% of the sorry. I just wanted a littttlllleee more spark out of the MCs.

The gasps I gusped while reading this. Melissa Landers you made me FEEL THINGS.
I also really enjoyed Melissa's writing style and her world building. I didn't feel like she dumped the history of the world on you immediately in an information overload but explained enough to keep you interested.

I'd love a pronunciation guide for these character names, especially Cerise and Kian, because the way they were being pronounced in my head is probably offensive in at least 50 different languages.

To ~me~ this was more in the fantasy category than the romantasy camp, but I still had a good time reading it.

I have been waiting for this book to come out for almost a year and I just could not love it :(

I thought the background of the book was an amazing concept, the curse and beauty and the beast themed. But the characters did not do it for me. I just could not care for them, or their dialogue. Some of the things that happened just felt too easy, I think it would have been better if the book focused more on the world building.

That being said the last 20% of the book was phenomenal. I wish the writing in the last part was consistent throughout the rest of the book! Thank you Brittany for providing me the arc for this book. I am very sad I did not love it.