The Half King
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.
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Melissa Landers
Melissa Landers' love for stories that transport readers to distant worlds didn't develop overnight. Growing up in Ohio, she balanced an ordinary childhood with an extraordinary imagination, which led her to a career as a teacher and, eventually, a full-time writer. But while her days spent in the classroom shaped her understanding of character and conflict, it was her nights spent crafting fantastical worlds that truly defined her path.
Landers' breakout moment came with Alienated, the first book in a trilogy that combined her passion for first-contact science fiction with the complexity of human relationships. Set against the backdrop of an alien exchange program, the series explores themes of cultural clashes, personal identity, and the powerful connections that can form even when two very different species meet. Readers flocked to her richly imagined worlds, where adventure and romance intertwine seamlessly, and where characters aren't just discovering the stars—they're discovering themselves.
The Half King
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.
The Half King consists of one book and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
