I didn’t get to read it before the book archived and now it won’t come off my shelf unless I write a review. So overall I’m excited for when I finallly read the is it sounds promising

I really enjoyed this book .it checked off so many of my favourites fantasy elements families, curses, betrayal, and, of course, magic. The story had a fantastic flow , with the pacing just right, and the writing was superb. It’s exactly the kind of fantasy I love to read.

The Half King completely swept me away from the very first page. The writing is atmospheric and immersive, with a pace that kept me hooked throughout. The characters felt vivid and layered, each with their own complexities that made the story all the more engaging. There’s a perfect balance of tension, emotion, and intrigue, and the world felt fully realised without ever overwhelming the narrative. By the end, I was left thinking about it long after I’d closed the book. A captivating and beautifully crafted read that I’d recommend to anyone who loves fantasy with real emotional depth.

I’ll admit it: I came into this one expecting to hate-read another Red Tower release. But surprisingly, the first 10% pulled me in. Cursed noble children, a king who literally dissolves into smoke at sunset and reappears at dawn—it sounds over-the-top, but it actually works. There’s a solid premise here, and I was cautiously intrigued.

And yes, I do have a soft spot for “shadow kings” and brooding men with curses (don’t judge me), so I thought maybe—maybe—this one would be different.

But once the plot settled in, things started to fall apart. The story tries to juggle political intrigue, religious oppression, a magical awakening, and a central romance—but never quite manages to balance any of it. The pacing was inconsistent, often dragging for chapters and then suddenly rushing into major revelations with little buildup. The romance, which started off promising, turned into insta-love without the emotional depth to justify it.

Despite being marketed as a romantasy, the romance felt like an afterthought, while the fantasy elements lacked the depth and development to carry the story alone. The world-building touched on some compelling ideas—curses, corrupted priests, a forgotten goddess—but everything stayed on the surface. I wanted more exploration, more consequences, more weight.

What frustrated me most, though, was the imbalance. The book is named after a male lead who barely drives the story, while the heroine does most of the actual work. And yet, we don’t get enough space to really sit with her arc, especially in a world that constantly undermines her. There’s almost no meaningful female support cast, no reflection on the gender dynamics at play, and no real awareness of the power imbalance between her and the king—even though it’s right there.

I truly believe the author had something meaningful to say about faith, power, and identity. There are moments—especially when the FMC begins to question everything she’s been taught—that shine. But overall, this felt like a book caught between what it wanted to be and what it thought it should be.

Would I read the sequel? Maybe, out of curiosity. But this one left me more frustrated than satisfied.

This was a fantastic read. I’m a huge fan of fantasy and this one ticked so many boxes! Noble families, curses, betrayal and so much more,
If a book has any kind of magic I want to be reading it!
It was really well written and had a good steady pace to the story.

Review: The author’s writing style flows well and kept me engaged. I found the characters well-developed and easy to attach to. Even some minor characters left their mark with me, good or bad. I always love the trope of angry gods/goddesses, and humanity trying to redeem itself or triumph against seemingly insurmountable odds. This one was a keeper for me and one I will be recommending to other like-minded readers as well.
Summary: All of the Allied Realm has been cursed for generations for a betrayal by its families against the goddess. The price is a curse on all of the firstborn of each noble family. The worst curse of all is to the king’s family, turning shadow by night until slowly engulfed completely by it even in day. Cerise has lived and trained with the revered seers all of her life. Her family line deems her destined to be a seer herself, though her gifts at almost w0 have yet to manifest. When a vision prompts her leader to send her to the king as his next seer, she is told by locals that she is believed to be the one to break the curses on the noble families. With the help of the initially reluctant and grumpy king himself, and other friends made, Cerise begins to dig for clues to breaking the curses. Danger and secrets lie close, and not all can be trusted. Can she stop the curses before it affects her own family’s future generation?

Thank you Red Tower books and NetGalley for gifting me the arc read. These opinions are my own.

i><b>”You will find evil here, in the most unexpected ways”</b></i>

A kingdom full of secrets. A palace built in lies.

Can Cerise truly trust anyone at the palace? What happened to the previous king’s emissary? Could Cerise be next if she seeks out the truth?

<i><b>“It’s the priests I have to watch out for, and the ones who serve false idols.”</b></i>



⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved the first half of the book and then by 30% to 50% I was having difficulties but I tough through it because I needed to know what would happen next! It felt so addicting that I needed to know who Cerise could or couldn’t trust and at the end we figure out the truth about Cerise and the secrets hiding in plain sight.

At times it definitely felt dragging at times and hoping for some suspense of some sort but I did have a feeling of who Cerise couldn’t trust but never expected the other surprises which was definitely a shocker to me.

<b>Thank you to Melissa Landers, NetGalley, and Entangled Publishing for the chance to read and review this e-arc in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions remain my own.</b>

The Half King was a romantic and engaging story, with lots of adventure, curses, and twists that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I really liked Cerise and Kian's romance, though it did move fast. The character development was good, and the story was intricately woven. Overall, I really enjoyed this story, and I am looking forward to more in this series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Entangled: Red Tower Books for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for giving me the chance to read a preview of this book!

Becuase it was a sample of only 4 chapters, it's hard to give it an official review. Especially with a book focused on world and magic building.

It was interesting from what I read and I was invested in the FMC. I'm curious to continue the story.

Clever, magical, and full of heart. The Half King is a fantasy tale packed with ancient curses, political intrigue, and a touch of romance. The worldbuilding is rich, and the curse on the noble houses adds a compelling layer to the plot.

I loved the mix of twists, self-discovery, and slowly building relationships. The pacing keeps you hooked, and the magical elements blend seamlessly with the emotional stakes. A strong start to what promises to be a captivating series!

I only got a portion of this book, but what I did read what pretty good! I haven’t gotten around to completing it, however I do intend to through this year!

3.25⭐️

The best character in this book was Lord Blue Solon.

This has a good plot. It is a good story. However, it has its flaws and just wasn't executed or thought through well. I think the pace was not consistent as well. Which made me struggle when reading.

Cerise felt too young compared to how she should have been. She somehow finds that she has powers but then a day later is fighting against the best of the best it seems. I feel there should have been more development into watching Cerise grow with these powers instead of just all of a sudden she's a pro. I also don't feel like her character matured while we were developing this story when that should have been key in the character development.

The romance was very instalove and boring.

And what else about our MMC. He disappeared into the shadows at night and where I did love what we got with Cerise traveling with him, I still feel like the potential was missed.

The writing was very simplistic. Which if the rest of the book was going so well it would have been fine but really it was lacking with the rest of the book.

I just feel the book could have been developed more to make it way better. The pacing could have been better. It was very slow throughout and I was just bored. Struggling to pick it back up. The romance didn't make me want to read. Nothing really had me wanting to read. Then the last 80 pages was so fast and everything was happening. But then even that felt boring.

I only wish I had realized this was just a sample of the first four chapters! Hooked in from the first two chapters, and cannot wait to continue reading this one,

Melissa Landers' The Half King introduces readers to a richly imagined world where curses shape destinies and faith intertwines with magic. The story centers on Cerise Solon, a second-born noble destined to serve the goddess Shiera as a Seer. However, lacking the anticipated gift of foresight, Cerise is dispatched to the court of King Kian Mortara—a monarch cursed to vanish each night, edging closer to permanent disappearance on his twenty-first birthday. Determined to break the curse, Cerise embarks on a journey that challenges her beliefs and unveils hidden strengths.​

Landers crafts a narrative that balances fantasy, romance, and political intrigue. The evolving relationship between Cerise and Kian adds depth to the plot, though some readers have noted that the romance develops rapidly, bordering on "insta-love." The world-building is commendable, offering a realm steeped in history and divine influence. However, certain readers have expressed a desire for more intricate exploration of the political and social structures within this universe. Overall, The Half King serves as a promising start to a new fantasy series, blending familiar tropes with unique twists that will appeal to fans of the genre.

Talk about a fantasy that's easy to get swept up in! The world building was very well done! I almost didn't even realize it was happening cause it flowed so well with the plot! The characters are introduced so well and are easy to love! I thought for sure this was going to be a standalone right up until those last few sentences. Can't wait to see what happens next! So amazing and the cover is beautiful!

This was an average experience. I don’t think this is a book that I would recommend very often, but others might enjoy it more than me everyone has different taste. I'm not really sure how to rate this. I really enjoyed the concept of this with the cursed nobles, disappearing king, and the Order. It had good bones, despite characters that were a bit bland and super basic word building, but it never hooked me the way I hoped.
spooky-boos-buddy-reads

Extremely late giving feedback, I swore I clicked submit!

What an interesting book! It follows Cerise Solon, who's was trained to become a Seer, but who doesn't seem to have the much needed talent of sight. She is the second born child, and doesn't have any say in her future. She is hastily sent away to become the Half King - Kian Hannibal Mortaras acolyte after his previous one took her life. The problem is Cerise has no magic at all and cannot see the future as expected of her. She fears what she will do once everyone finds out.
As the book progresses, Cerise begins uncovering secrets and piecing things together.There are lots of twists and turns in this book along with magic, self-discovery, and a budding romance. It’s super interesting, and I’m curious what will happen next!

3.5 stars
-fantasy
-magic
-quest
-revelations about self and society
-finding a way to break a curse
-I will save him, I will protect her

[NetGalley Sample]
I won't give this an official rating as the sample only had 4 chapters and it wouldn't be fair to rate, but from what I've seen, this would probably be a 2.5⭐ for me.
Nice ideas and potential, rushed execution.

The beginning of this book feels like a guy that drags you to meet his extended family before he even asks you out for dinner. Everyone seems sort of nice, but you don't know where you fit in and everything moves like a whirlwind.

Before you realize it, you know that ambitious Seers should not have sex, 'cause it impacts visions, but you still have no idea how common Seers are or why there seem to be many?
Or why everyone seeks to be well accustomed with facts about the FMC she herself has just found out about like '5 seconds' before?

I guess this could be a good choice for someone who wants to skip all slow world introductions and wants to be thrown right into the story without preamble, and without worrying too much about 'WTF IS HAPPENING'??

Unfortunately, this sample did not motivate me to buy the full version. I might have read the whole thing and gave it a better chance if the ARC were complete, but it's probably for the best, since I'm already a bit perplexed about it.

Thank you for allowing me the chance to read a preview of this book!

While without the full book, this review will be based on the vibes to make me continue with the read. The premise is extremely interesting and I really like that the reader gets to learn more about the world and this curse alongside the FMC, Cerise. Having her story be more sheltered allows us to navigate these mysteries of evil alongside her.

I would be very interested to continue, especially with how the chapter ended and us finally getting a glimpse of the MMC!