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.