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.
The series
The Half King plunges readers into a realm where shadows hold as much power as the light. At the center of this tale is Cerise Solon, a young woman trained for a destiny she does not possess—the prophetic Sight expected of her as a second-born daughter. Her world is governed by an ancient order, one that promises great power but exacts painful sacrifices. But when Cerise is thrust into the service of Kian Mortara, a cursed ruler whose life slips away into darkness with each passing night, she finds herself questioning everything she’s ever known about duty, destiny, and fate.
Read full series description
In this rich, atmospheric world, magic is both a gift and a burden, and the political intrigue surrounding the royal court is as treacherous as the forces that bind the kingdom's noble bloodlines. Each family bears its own curse, and Kian’s own is particularly devastating: every night, his body fades into shadow, drawing him closer to oblivion before his twenty-first birthday. His only hope lies in the unlikely bond he forms with Cerise—whose strength lies not in the Sight she was meant to possess, but in her willingness to defy the rigid structures of her world.
The Half King explores the depths of self-worth, the struggle for personal autonomy, and the powerful, often fraught connections between individuals trapped by their fates. Cerise’s growth from a passive figure bound by expectation to an active force of change is as gripping as the dangerous secrets she uncovers in the hidden corners of her kingdom. Kian’s plight, too, is far from simple—his curse is not just a personal affliction but a reflection of the frailty and impermanence of power itself.
With its intricate world-building, deeply personal character arcs, and a palpable sense of mystery, The Half King pulls readers into a complex web of love, rebellion, and the search for freedom. At its core, the series asks: how far would you go to rewrite the story you're destined to live? The tension between fate and free will, between trust and betrayal, simmers beneath every page, making this an unforgettable journey for those who crave a fantasy world rich with stakes both political and personal.
Be the first reviewer
Sign in and write the first reader review.
