Every reader’s relationship with a book is personal and special to them. It’s an emotional—sometimes even sacred—journey that is embarked upon every time a reader flips open the first page of a book, be it on a paperback, hardback, a kindle or an audiobook.
A book can come easily to us, or with some effort; sometimes it even takes a few tries to connect to it. Each one is special in its own way, but those books that just flow from the first page straight into the doorways of our heart, will always hold a special place in our minds and lives. The Half King by Melissa Landers was one such book.
From the very first page, Landers had me enraptured by her words. With deeply emotional writing, that spears straight into the heart of the reader, The Half King starts off quietly but powerfully. Having gotten used to reading books that have loud and heart-pounding beginnings, I’d forgotten the beauty of subtlety. The whole book reads quite a bit like an orchestra. A quiet start, that immediately grabs your attention which then builds and builds to a crescendo that you never expect, that finally leads to an end that leaves your mind racing on the probabilities of what comes next.
The narration in The Half King is done primarily by the FMC and having always loved reading books in single person perspective, I sank effortlessly into Cerise’s mind. Having lived in the thoughts of our compassionate, determined and grounded lead for two days, I have two things to say: one, I have never felt more at home than when I was in Cerise’s mind and two, I have not a single complaint to share about my experience.
The fantasy genre—usually in any form it manifests in—is often known to render a great deal of pain upon the reader. Many readers nowadays begin their journey with a fantasy series with a strong fence around their hearts, bracing for pain and anticipating it at every corner. For the first time in a long time, I felt a sense of safety that comes from knowing that this book will not rake its claws into me in places that I am vulnerable in. No, this book will cradle my vulnerabilities and trade blows with me where I’m strong. Does this mean that there are no plot twists, or action, or pain or fear? Not at all. The book is teeming with emotion. Absolutely brimming with it. But it is so wonderfully done that anything you feel while reading will always remind you that you’re safe. Landers has you.
Often it’s easy to separate the different elements that make up a book and observe how they influence it. But in The Half King, all the elements worked together at the same time like a well oiled machine, in such a way that you could not separate one from the other. However, I will do my best to explain the nature of them as individually as I can.
The main plot of The Half King makes itself known at the most basic level very near to the beginning. Each page turn from that moment is nothing but the many needles that are dragged across the metaphorical tapestry of this story, to slowly create a complex artistry that makes up the heart of what this book is. There are many sub-plots to this story that add such a unique depth it, that in many ways we can all relate to. There are political, emotional, social and spiritual aspects to this book that I had not expected to encounter, but I absolutely adored.
The world created by Landers was so unique that it was truly a breath of fresh air. There maybe recognisable elements—such as a Priest or a Prince—but they’re all woven into a set-up that’s singular to The Half King. However any book is only as good as its worldbuilding, and even though I may not be adept at picking apart where the world building starts and the plot and character arcs end, I can say that the transition I experienced from page one of knowing nothing about the world to understanding how the world works was smooth. With shocking revelations, strategic call-backs and stakes that build with every chapter, The Half King was certainly a delightfully emotional read.
The pace of this book was wonderfully even. Other than perhaps a 10% in the last 80%-100% of the book that just races, the book remains wonderfully even, ensuring all the space and time required for all the elements of the book are provided judiciously. There was never a moment that I felt disoriented when I picked up the book after a short break, nor a moment of drag or confusion while reading it.
Trope lists have become a big part of what lures a reader to a book and this is very true for me as well. They’re a great way to keep us aware of what to expect and chase that high we got from the first time we read our favourite trope (that we’ve likely been searching for since then). One of my favourite tropes is actually the found family trope. I’ll never forget the first book that introduced me to it, and my heart will likely never not soften for whenever I see it on scene. Thus, the characters of a book are often my most vulnerable spot. If the characters are well done, then usually the book has secured itself a seat in my heart… and if they have a heartfelt connection to one another that comes from camaraderie and respect, there’s nothing I want more. I cannot explain the way the characters in this book—despite being quite a few—stole their way into my heart. The author has done a great job establishing each of them, writing their stories into their dialogues and hiding their secrets in their actions. The revelation of each character, their past and their stories is my favourite part of The Half King. As painful as it may be, nothing in my eyes can be better than well written characters with heartfelt character growth and mutual respect and love for one another.
This book is a ten on ten for me. From beginning to end, the book embraced me in a warm hug that spoke to my soul, tickled my amusement and broke my heart. I highly recommend The Half King by Melissa Landers, for it is silent, poignant and deadly in ways you’ll never see coming. Please check trigger warnings as always! A very happy reading to you.
The Half King is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up The High King? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
A king by day. Shadow by night…
The Great Betrayal changed everything for the Allied Realm. Long ago, the kingdom’s noble houses rose up against the goddess… and for their treachery, the firstborn of each noble family was cursed.
One with perilous beauty.
One with destructive knowledge.
One with insatiable bloodlust.
But the royal house Mortara received the worst affliction of all. For while the king exists during the day, he fades into nothingness at night…until his twenty-first birthday, when he will be lost to the shadows forever.
Now an acolyte has arrived at court. Like all the second-born children of the Allied Realm, she’s destined to serve the goddess and become a Seer…only Cerise Solon has no gift of foretelling. In fact, she has no magical gift at all.
Instead, she’s surrounded by courtiers and priests—smiling sycophants whose hearts are filled with secrets and lies. And at the center of it all sits His Majesty Kian Hannibal Mortara, with his haunting eyes, sharp tongue, and an unerring ability to send her pulse skittering at the worst possible moments.
Falling for him is unthinkable. Because the king is the last of his line, and as the specter of his twenty-first birthday—and the full force of his curse—approaches, the kingdom holds its breath.
But there’s only one way to save a dying king… and it lies with the one person who’s hiding the biggest secret of all. Cerise.
