Half City
By Kate Golden
“..it’s like a wave crashing over me. Knocking me down and dragging me out to sea. A force I can’t fight. One I don’t even want to. That undertow is too strong, too knowing, too powerful. It rolls out of me like the first breath after drowning.”
Half City is Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Crescent City and Shadowhunters. It features a modern, fiery, and capable female protagonist alongside a somewhat questionable male lead. If you enjoy any of those series (whether the TV shows or the books) you’ll probably enjoy Half City.
Viv is a demon hunter in the city of Astera. But she isn’t just any hunter; she’s a rare aeon, someone with the ability to sense demons around her. While that power is incredibly useful, it’s also dangerous. Aeons are considered illegal in the hunter world, so Viv has always kept her ability a secret, just as her father taught her.
When she was a child, Viv watched her father die at the hands of Brood demons. Since then, she has hunted evil on her own. Her mother and sister have no idea what she and her father truly are, and Viv believes her mother has resented her ever since that night, blaming her for not saving him.
One night, after saving a woman and her children from a demon, Viv is on her way to her best friend’s birthday party when a professor from a mysterious hunter school approaches her with an unexpected offer: a chance to attend Harker Hunter College. After searching through her father’s belongings and discovering a necklace he received on his first day at Harker, Viv decides to accept. She hopes that being on campus will help her learn more about her father and the life he kept hidden.
At Harker, Viv quickly realizes just how lonely her life had been. For the first time, she’s surrounded by people she doesn’t have to hide her hunter identity from. Still, she continues to conceal her most dangerous secret (her aeon abilities) since aeons are deeply feared within the hunter community.
This story delivers a high-stakes modern romantasy filled with enemies-to-lovers tension, found family, and shocking betrayals. The dialogue feels natural and witty, the plot is engaging, and the characters actually act their age. They’re mostly mature, but they still make the kind of questionable decisions you’d expect from people in their early 20s.
My only real critique comes near the end when some of the villains are revealed. The way one character was introduced confused me a bit. At first, I thought I had somehow forgotten an earlier character, but after rereading the section, I realized he was actually new.
The book also ends on a fairly significant cliffhanger, so be prepared for that. It left me wanting so much more. I’ll definitely be continuing the series when the next books come out.
I’m giving this 5 literary stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and 4 entertainment raccoons🦝🦝🦝🦝. But anywhere I’m only allowed to rate with stars, it’s a 5-star from me ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.
Get it here: https://amzn.to/4uqP1SL
Katastrophe Chef 
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