The Half King

by Melissa Landers

First published 2024

Every noble house knows the price of power. Their firstborn children arrive marked by ancient curses that twist their lives into predetermined paths of suffering. The established order accepts this burden as unchangeable fate. But whispers spread through shadowed corners about a forbidden cult that claims knowledge of breaking these supernatural bonds. The protagonist must navigate a world where bloodline determines destiny and where questioning the curse system brands someone a heretic. As noble families guard their secrets and the cult operates in dangerous secrecy, the central question burns bright. Can centuries of accepted suffering end, or will the attempt to break free destroy everything? At its heart, this story explores the weight of inherited trauma and the courage required to challenge systems that seem immutable.

Genres: fantasy, dark-fantasy, epic-fantasy, historical-fantasy

Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: challenging-the-system, forbidden-knowledge

400 pages · Hardcover · Entangled Publishing, LLC (Red Tower Books)

Content warnings: violence

More by Melissa Landers

Readers who liked The Half King also liked

View on Siftivo