Landers pulled me into this story right from the very first chapter, and I was caught up in the action, magic, secrets, and romance until the very last page. 

Cerise has a typical fantasy trajectory: plucked from obscurity, catches the eye of the tall, dark, and handsome character, discovers her destiny, and saves the day. But while the formula is familiar, Cerise's story has so many unique elements. From her backstory to her character development, the path Cerise found herself on was anything but ordinary. With many of the main cast of characters in their early 20s, Cerise's journey did have a lot of "chosen one meant to save the world" elements that I usually find more in YA fantasy, but Landers included so many other elements to this story that I didn't once mind any of the tropes that were used in this story. 

I thought all the characters in this story were well written. Each one had their own strengths while also leaving me to question their motives or intentions at least once. I loved not being sure about how any of the characters would react to every new situation, but I especially loved being able to root for my favorites all the way to the end. 

There were a lot of elements that went into this story. From rising up against the accepted norm, to undoing curses, to commentary on blindly following the group dynamic, this story ended up being so much more than just a girl saving the people she loves. I was truly wrapped up in Cerise and Kian's adventure from start to finish, and highly recommend The Half King.