A review by beccaannekent
The Half King by Melissa Landers

adventurous challenging emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

If you want something easy to read, with lore that is interesting but not overwhelmingly complex, characters who become easy to love (and hate) and which sits in the Romantasy genre then this is the book for you. 

Personally, I found it slightly underwhelming. Everything was just a little bit too easy for the characters to solve. Secrets were discovered just a little bit too quickly and relationships were formed just a little bit too fast. 

As I was reading, I had a feeling that this was a standalone with how rushed the writing was to get to the finale - and honestly I really think it would’ve done well as a standalone if the book had been edited as such. 

I do, however, feel I picked up this book at the right time. I’ve recently read a lot of heavy hitting, lore filled books and this really helped as a bit of a “palate cleanser”. Because of this, I genuinely think I would look to pick up book 2 when available. 

I want to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, and Melissa Landers for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. The review is my own opinion and I have given this freely.