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Harker Academy #1
Half City
Welcome to Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. Keep your daggers sharp, and your wits even sharper.
Viv Abbot is an average twenty-one-year-old girl. She lives in an expensive city where the rent is too high, works long hours at a thankless job, and is dating a guy she doesn't even like in the hopes of winning her prickly mother's approval.
She just also happens to be a demon hunter.
Ever since her father's murder, she's been forced to hunt deviants alone, meaning everyone, including her family, sees her as an outsider. . . . Until the day she crosses paths with a dangerously alluring demon, Reid Graveheart. The reformed deviant tells her of a school for people just like Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. If she enrolls, she'll learn to hone her craft, work with other hunters, and never be alone again.
But Viv has a deadly secret. One that not even her new friends at Harker can know about. Not when the school might hold the answers to untangling the mystery surrounding Viv's father's death. When strange occurrences begin to plague the students, Viv will have to figure out who she can trust, and fast. All while trying to ace her classes, not fall for a demon, and make it through her first year at Harker in one piece. How hard could that be?
Viv Abbot is an average twenty-one-year-old girl. She lives in an expensive city where the rent is too high, works long hours at a thankless job, and is dating a guy she doesn't even like in the hopes of winning her prickly mother's approval.
She just also happens to be a demon hunter.
Ever since her father's murder, she's been forced to hunt deviants alone, meaning everyone, including her family, sees her as an outsider. . . . Until the day she crosses paths with a dangerously alluring demon, Reid Graveheart. The reformed deviant tells her of a school for people just like Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. If she enrolls, she'll learn to hone her craft, work with other hunters, and never be alone again.
But Viv has a deadly secret. One that not even her new friends at Harker can know about. Not when the school might hold the answers to untangling the mystery surrounding Viv's father's death. When strange occurrences begin to plague the students, Viv will have to figure out who she can trust, and fast. All while trying to ace her classes, not fall for a demon, and make it through her first year at Harker in one piece. How hard could that be?
482 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 17, 2026
1221 people are currently reading
47965 people want to read
About the author
Kate Golden
8 books3,639 followersKate Golden is the USA Today bestselling author of both The Sacred Stones and Harker Academy trilogies. When she isn’t writing, Kate is an avid book reader, puzzle addict, and game night enthusiast. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their puppy, Milo.You can find her on Instagram at @KateGoldenAuthor and on TikTok at @Kate_Golden_Author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 963 reviews
February 12, 2026
Running to film a reel. Omg the ending
February 25, 2026
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Charmed. Supernatural. Some people might label these late 90s to 2000s TV series as washed up or nostalgic but I’d personally call them formative to my childhood/youth and perhaps somewhat responsible for my fascination with attractive morally conflicted demons.
Either way, Half City by Kate Golden (and K Pop Demon Hunters) reiterates what I (and maybe you) already knew: there’s just something compelling about that demon x demon hunter enemy dynamic that makes it hit harder, especially when boundaries blur. That's why reading this gave me that same feeling as those TV series of yesteryear.
Additionally, characters have to interrogate their pre-conceived ideologies about who is worthy of empathy and I think authors need to be really careful when playing around with this dynamic. But I think the author understood the weighty implications and responsibility of dem real world parallels and did a fantastic job in being meaningful in the way characters expressed their ethical killing codes and challenging species hierarchy and discrimination.
And this depth extends beyond ideology into worldbuilding. Astera absolutely gave me NYC vibes (ILY NYC 💌) except fantastical and with a giant chasm down the middle of it.
Similarly, I get the comparisons to my favourite dark academia series, Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, in regards to sprawling academic institutions, sentient compendiums, magical creature lore and eclectic ensemble of supernatural beings. I won’t spoil the fun in naming the supernatural beings, I def recommend discovering them for yourself (here are some emoji hints for the super obvious ones though: 🧛♀️🐺😈🧚♀️).
And we're all agreed that we can classify James—Viv’s regular human boyfriend—as a complete prick, right? Get in the bin, James.
Yet I think the thing that truly stood out to me in Half City was the FOUND FAMILY. I think this is one of my favourite found families I have ever imprinted on? Sophia, Peter, Elliot and Penny felt so warm and serotonin boosting and were just a joy to read about anytime they were on page. If you are familiar with Jessica Jones and Trish Walker, you may see parallels between FMC, Viv, a demon hunter with black cat energy and Penny, her ray of sunshine bestie flatmate. Also a shoutout to Hound, Viv & Penny’s dog, who they found in a dumpster. (Adopt don’t shop.)
Now I think in some parts especially, some readers are going to find Viv’s decisions and attitude a bit insufferable, self-pitying and even self-sabotaging and that’s totally fair. However, I interpreted it as character development and growth, and look, I ain’t gonna judge our girl Viv for it, she’s been through a lot. Such as watching a bunch of demons kill her beloved father in front of her, as a helpless child, and probs dealing with a bunch of grief, loneliness and trauma. Hence the demon hatred she's harbouring.
And the part everyone is probably curious about: the romance. YES. WE LIKE. I’m invested. Spice is between 2-3 🌶 but it takes a while to get there and it is earned. And it’s worth noting I am always apprehensive about the student-teacher relationship because it can be problematic for obvious reasons, but this was handled with care and unproblematicness, in my personal opinion.
Okay and ultimately… yes, there are some twists in the last 30% or so but what really got me was THE ENDING? I have written down so many theories. So many. I almost drew a diagram. I was waiting to see if I was correct. But I can assure you no loose ends were tied up. I repeat, there are no tidy bows, there is no closure. In fact, the door has been kicked open to new possibilities and directions in the second book. It’s diabolical. I am a wee bit outraged.
So yes, Half City is exactly my taste. And I super highly recommend it to anyone who feels the same joy and nostalgia and fondness for all the same things as me.
A huge thanks to Kate Golden for reaching out and sending me an advance copy via Netgalley and Quercus.
〰〰〰〰〰
Me: time to switch genres.
Dark academia demon x demon hunters enemies to lovers with Buffy vibes book: ☺️
Me: never mind.
Either way, Half City by Kate Golden (and K Pop Demon Hunters) reiterates what I (and maybe you) already knew: there’s just something compelling about that demon x demon hunter enemy dynamic that makes it hit harder, especially when boundaries blur. That's why reading this gave me that same feeling as those TV series of yesteryear.
Additionally, characters have to interrogate their pre-conceived ideologies about who is worthy of empathy and I think authors need to be really careful when playing around with this dynamic. But I think the author understood the weighty implications and responsibility of dem real world parallels and did a fantastic job in being meaningful in the way characters expressed their ethical killing codes and challenging species hierarchy and discrimination.
And this depth extends beyond ideology into worldbuilding. Astera absolutely gave me NYC vibes (ILY NYC 💌) except fantastical and with a giant chasm down the middle of it.
Similarly, I get the comparisons to my favourite dark academia series, Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, in regards to sprawling academic institutions, sentient compendiums, magical creature lore and eclectic ensemble of supernatural beings. I won’t spoil the fun in naming the supernatural beings, I def recommend discovering them for yourself (here are some emoji hints for the super obvious ones though: 🧛♀️🐺😈🧚♀️).
And we're all agreed that we can classify James—Viv’s regular human boyfriend—as a complete prick, right? Get in the bin, James.
Yet I think the thing that truly stood out to me in Half City was the FOUND FAMILY. I think this is one of my favourite found families I have ever imprinted on? Sophia, Peter, Elliot and Penny felt so warm and serotonin boosting and were just a joy to read about anytime they were on page. If you are familiar with Jessica Jones and Trish Walker, you may see parallels between FMC, Viv, a demon hunter with black cat energy and Penny, her ray of sunshine bestie flatmate. Also a shoutout to Hound, Viv & Penny’s dog, who they found in a dumpster. (Adopt don’t shop.)
Now I think in some parts especially, some readers are going to find Viv’s decisions and attitude a bit insufferable, self-pitying and even self-sabotaging and that’s totally fair. However, I interpreted it as character development and growth, and look, I ain’t gonna judge our girl Viv for it, she’s been through a lot. Such as watching a bunch of demons kill her beloved father in front of her, as a helpless child, and probs dealing with a bunch of grief, loneliness and trauma. Hence the demon hatred she's harbouring.
And the part everyone is probably curious about: the romance. YES. WE LIKE. I’m invested. Spice is between 2-3 🌶 but it takes a while to get there and it is earned. And it’s worth noting I am always apprehensive about the student-teacher relationship because it can be problematic for obvious reasons, but this was handled with care and unproblematicness, in my personal opinion.
Okay and ultimately… yes, there are some twists in the last 30% or so but what really got me was THE ENDING? I have written down so many theories. So many. I almost drew a diagram. I was waiting to see if I was correct. But I can assure you no loose ends were tied up. I repeat, there are no tidy bows, there is no closure. In fact, the door has been kicked open to new possibilities and directions in the second book. It’s diabolical. I am a wee bit outraged.
So yes, Half City is exactly my taste. And I super highly recommend it to anyone who feels the same joy and nostalgia and fondness for all the same things as me.
A huge thanks to Kate Golden for reaching out and sending me an advance copy via Netgalley and Quercus.
〰〰〰〰〰
Me: time to switch genres.
Dark academia demon x demon hunters enemies to lovers with Buffy vibes book: ☺️
Me: never mind.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
2.35 ⭐️
This read was pretty boring, and there were so many unnecessary details and scenes 😭
I was so excited to start this book because first, it’s dark academia 👀 and second, the blurb was so interesting 🤭 But once I actually started reading… yea, the beginning did not hook me at all 😭 I was bored until 21% in—what the hell 😭 especially since I was reading it with my friends 😭🫂
I kept reading because the author reached out to me and I was reading with my friends 🫂 but imo, it was not worth the wait 😭 The premise was so interesting, even the plot had potential, but Miss Author just wasn’t able to deliver 😭 She kept adding unnecessary details and scenes that were so boring I genuinely wanted to DNF 😭
It got a bit interesting when one student went missing 👀 and during the fight scenes. But then… it went right back to being boring 😭 I lowk feel accomplished for finishing this book 💀 This read really tried to put me in a slump 😭 but I fought hard lol.
Now let’s talk about Viv, the FMC. She is such a pick-me 💀 I don’t like her at all 😭 not even a little bit. This girl wants to be the center of attention, but at the same time, she wants to be alone 💀 And dayummm, she was judging everyone 😭 Like, give me a break… you’re at an academy. Everyone is learning how to hunt, but you’re judging everyone and thinking “I’m better at hunting than them cuz I’ve been hunting since I was a kid” 💀 I’M TIRED OF THIS LINE 😭 STOP SAYING THAT. Not everyone has been hunting since they were kids, some students are learning now 😭
And then during one fight, our dearest FMC goes alone to fight someone and leaves her teammates behind 💀 and her reaction is “But I’ve been hunting alone all my life” 💀 I’m actually speechless- trust me, it’s for her own good 🙂↕️
Overall, this book was very boring 😭 and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. But still, if anyone plans to read it, I genuinely hope you enjoy 🥹🫶
I did have so much fun with my besties 🥹🫶 even though we didn’t really enjoy the book. I love you all so much 💋
Yea, that’s it guys. Love y’all 🫶🤎💛
—————————————————
.• ࣪ :🗡་࿐pre-read .• ࣪ :🗡་࿐
Bestie Rei, Bestie Vanessa, and I got an ARC together, so you know what that means… BUDDY READING TIME 🤭🤭 Eeeep!! I’m so excited to do this BR with my besties 🤎💛 The blurb is soooo interesting 👀
Thank you to Berkley, the author, and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This read was pretty boring, and there were so many unnecessary details and scenes 😭
I was so excited to start this book because first, it’s dark academia 👀 and second, the blurb was so interesting 🤭 But once I actually started reading… yea, the beginning did not hook me at all 😭 I was bored until 21% in—what the hell 😭 especially since I was reading it with my friends 😭🫂
I kept reading because the author reached out to me and I was reading with my friends 🫂 but imo, it was not worth the wait 😭 The premise was so interesting, even the plot had potential, but Miss Author just wasn’t able to deliver 😭 She kept adding unnecessary details and scenes that were so boring I genuinely wanted to DNF 😭
It got a bit interesting when one student went missing 👀 and during the fight scenes. But then… it went right back to being boring 😭 I lowk feel accomplished for finishing this book 💀 This read really tried to put me in a slump 😭 but I fought hard lol.
Now let’s talk about Viv, the FMC. She is such a pick-me 💀 I don’t like her at all 😭 not even a little bit. This girl wants to be the center of attention, but at the same time, she wants to be alone 💀 And dayummm, she was judging everyone 😭 Like, give me a break… you’re at an academy. Everyone is learning how to hunt, but you’re judging everyone and thinking “I’m better at hunting than them cuz I’ve been hunting since I was a kid” 💀 I’M TIRED OF THIS LINE 😭 STOP SAYING THAT. Not everyone has been hunting since they were kids, some students are learning now 😭
And then during one fight, our dearest FMC goes alone to fight someone and leaves her teammates behind 💀 and her reaction is “But I’ve been hunting alone all my life” 💀 I’m actually speechless- trust me, it’s for her own good 🙂↕️
Overall, this book was very boring 😭 and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. But still, if anyone plans to read it, I genuinely hope you enjoy 🥹🫶
I did have so much fun with my besties 🥹🫶 even though we didn’t really enjoy the book. I love you all so much 💋
Yea, that’s it guys. Love y’all 🫶🤎💛
—————————————————
.• ࣪ :🗡་࿐pre-read .• ࣪ :🗡་࿐
Bestie Rei, Bestie Vanessa, and I got an ARC together, so you know what that means… BUDDY READING TIME 🤭🤭 Eeeep!! I’m so excited to do this BR with my besties 🤎💛 The blurb is soooo interesting 👀
Thank you to Berkley, the author, and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 18, 2026
╰┈➤ 3 stars!
this being my first romantasy book, i honestly didn’t know what to expect—and wow, it was a lot to take in. there were moments when i felt genuinely frustrated, confused, or even a little overwhelmed, but at the same time, i can’t really say it was a bad book. it just wasn’t great either. it sits somewhere right in the middle for me.
୨ৎ viv. she was a lot. there were times when she really got on my nerves, especially with how she constantly compared other students’ experiences to her own, as if hers was the standard for everyone. her stubbornness was genuinely infuriating at times, and i kept asking myself why she could never just follow a rule for once. i get that she’s meant to be strong-willed and independent, but there were moments when that trait crossed the line into being exhausting rather than empowering.
୨ৎ reid. i’m honestly still unsure how i feel about him. right now, he feels more like the combat instructor than an actual love interest, which made it hard for me to emotionally latch onto him. i feel like there’s clearly more to his character that hasn’t been revealed yet, and i’m really hoping the second book gives us more depth, more perspective, and more reasons to care about him beyond his role at the academy.
overall, the book started really slow—painfully slow, honestly—and that made it hard for me to stay fully engaged. there were quite a few scenes that felt unnecessary, like they didn’t really move the plot or deepen the characters in a meaningful way. and that’s what frustrated me the most, because the story had so much potential. the world-building, the terminology, and even the core storyline were actually interesting, and i could see how this could’ve been something really strong.
while the beginning made it hard for me to connect to the book, i will say that it did pick up its pace eventually. once things started happening, it became easier to push through and stay invested. still, i wouldn’t call it mind-blowing, but i also wouldn’t say it’s bad enough to completely write off. it really just sits in that in-between space—not amazing, not terrible—which is why a 3-star rating feels right for me.
that said… the ending? the cliffhanger?? yeah, that absolutely got me. despite all my complaints, i need book two. i need answers, i need development, and i need to know what happens next—and honestly, that alone says something about the story.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Berkley, and the author for the ARC in exchange of my honest review!
・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・
pre-read:
my first romantasy book and i’ll be reading it with my lovelies, uswah and vanessa 🥹💖🫧 i’m really excited to start with my romantasy journey, and what great way to start it with my friends right?! i’m really intrigued, sooo wish us luck!! 🥹🤞🏼🩶
this being my first romantasy book, i honestly didn’t know what to expect—and wow, it was a lot to take in. there were moments when i felt genuinely frustrated, confused, or even a little overwhelmed, but at the same time, i can’t really say it was a bad book. it just wasn’t great either. it sits somewhere right in the middle for me.
୨ৎ viv. she was a lot. there were times when she really got on my nerves, especially with how she constantly compared other students’ experiences to her own, as if hers was the standard for everyone. her stubbornness was genuinely infuriating at times, and i kept asking myself why she could never just follow a rule for once. i get that she’s meant to be strong-willed and independent, but there were moments when that trait crossed the line into being exhausting rather than empowering.
୨ৎ reid. i’m honestly still unsure how i feel about him. right now, he feels more like the combat instructor than an actual love interest, which made it hard for me to emotionally latch onto him. i feel like there’s clearly more to his character that hasn’t been revealed yet, and i’m really hoping the second book gives us more depth, more perspective, and more reasons to care about him beyond his role at the academy.
overall, the book started really slow—painfully slow, honestly—and that made it hard for me to stay fully engaged. there were quite a few scenes that felt unnecessary, like they didn’t really move the plot or deepen the characters in a meaningful way. and that’s what frustrated me the most, because the story had so much potential. the world-building, the terminology, and even the core storyline were actually interesting, and i could see how this could’ve been something really strong.
while the beginning made it hard for me to connect to the book, i will say that it did pick up its pace eventually. once things started happening, it became easier to push through and stay invested. still, i wouldn’t call it mind-blowing, but i also wouldn’t say it’s bad enough to completely write off. it really just sits in that in-between space—not amazing, not terrible—which is why a 3-star rating feels right for me.
that said… the ending? the cliffhanger?? yeah, that absolutely got me. despite all my complaints, i need book two. i need answers, i need development, and i need to know what happens next—and honestly, that alone says something about the story.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Berkley, and the author for the ARC in exchange of my honest review!
・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・
pre-read:
my first romantasy book and i’ll be reading it with my lovelies, uswah and vanessa 🥹💖🫧 i’m really excited to start with my romantasy journey, and what great way to start it with my friends right?! i’m really intrigued, sooo wish us luck!! 🥹🤞🏼🩶
![Profile Image for vanessa ⋆.☕︎ [semiᝰia].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1769249405i%2F166547387._UX200_CR0%2C24%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Rating: 2 stars.
I don't know what led me to approach this book with such high hopes, as I was really looking forward to reading it. However, it didn't turn out to be what I anticipated, and I'm perfectly okay with that. Still, I encountered several issues that could be considered problematic. First and foremost, these are just my personal thoughts. It appears that some individuals get quite upset about the way I express my reviews, so please keep your opinions to yourself and let me be.
The main character felt all over the place. She kept saying she was fighting on her own and insisted she’d keep it that way, but honestly, she needed a team if she wanted to get anywhere. I didn’t see any real connection in what she did, and she didn’t seem to grow at all—just acted like a whiny kid. Look, I get that sometimes a story gives you a complaining female lead and that can work, but here it just got under my skin. She was more irritating than relatable, and honestly, kind of foolish.
While I did enjoy the world-building to some extent, it didn't leave a lasting impression. Regardless, I had a great time reading this with my dear friends, and I'm looking forward to seeing them again when the second book is released. Perhaps it will be an improvement; who knows?
>>> ──────── .✦
⊹ ࣪ ˖🕰️୭˚. ᵎᵎ🗝️ This one feels like chaos wrapped in urban fantasy glitter, and I mean that in the best possible way. A hidden world beneath ordinary life, monsters lurking in the shadows, and a main character who’s been fighting battles no one else sees? I’m already invested.
And the best part? I’m buddy reading this with the sweetest girls ever, rei ‧₊˚✩彡 and Uswah , and we even got the ARC together, hehe. Shared reactions, theories, and chaos are guaranteed.
Going in excited, curious, and fully prepared to get attached. Let’s see what Harker Academy has in store. <𝟑
.ᐟ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎ Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I don't know what led me to approach this book with such high hopes, as I was really looking forward to reading it. However, it didn't turn out to be what I anticipated, and I'm perfectly okay with that. Still, I encountered several issues that could be considered problematic. First and foremost, these are just my personal thoughts. It appears that some individuals get quite upset about the way I express my reviews, so please keep your opinions to yourself and let me be.
The main character felt all over the place. She kept saying she was fighting on her own and insisted she’d keep it that way, but honestly, she needed a team if she wanted to get anywhere. I didn’t see any real connection in what she did, and she didn’t seem to grow at all—just acted like a whiny kid. Look, I get that sometimes a story gives you a complaining female lead and that can work, but here it just got under my skin. She was more irritating than relatable, and honestly, kind of foolish.
While I did enjoy the world-building to some extent, it didn't leave a lasting impression. Regardless, I had a great time reading this with my dear friends, and I'm looking forward to seeing them again when the second book is released. Perhaps it will be an improvement; who knows?
>>> ──────── .✦
⊹ ࣪ ˖🕰️୭˚. ᵎᵎ🗝️ This one feels like chaos wrapped in urban fantasy glitter, and I mean that in the best possible way. A hidden world beneath ordinary life, monsters lurking in the shadows, and a main character who’s been fighting battles no one else sees? I’m already invested.
And the best part? I’m buddy reading this with the sweetest girls ever, rei ‧₊˚✩彡 and Uswah , and we even got the ARC together, hehe. Shared reactions, theories, and chaos are guaranteed.
Going in excited, curious, and fully prepared to get attached. Let’s see what Harker Academy has in store. <𝟑
.ᐟ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎ Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 5, 2026
I was provided an e-copy of the book by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
✅ Pace
✅ Plot
✅ Setting
✅ Academy setting (without immature, mean girl drama)
✅ Characters
✅ Complex relationships with family & beautiful friendships
✅ Demons / Hunters / Magic
✅ Twists / Betrayal
✅ Sexual tension / Some smut
✅ Enemies to lovers (kind of)
✅(🆗) Romance
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: blood, death of a family member (past), zombies eating people, stabbing
❗️❗️Cliffhanger
🔥 Spice level : 🌶️🌶️ / 5
What a great and refreshing urban fantasy!
Viv is a 21-year-old huntress who’s been hunting on her own on the streets of the Astera, the Half City, since her dad was killed a decade ago. When she is approached by a demon, inviting her to attend Harker Academy, she accepts to go check it out, mostly out of curiosity, but once she realizes that her father attended the Academy, she decides to stay in the hopes of finding out what happened to him all those years ago.
This book got me hooked from the very beginning, and before I knew it, I was done with the book and grieving the fact that I do not have access to the second one already. The plot is focused on Viv’s quest to figure out who betrayed her father, at first, but it quickly becomes a race against time to find out who is targeting students and why. The author gave us little clues here and there, slowly building the plot and increasing the tension, which was amazingly well done. The way she managed to give us a compelling plot, but also focus on Viv, her complicated relationship with her family, and her even more complicated feelings about herself and what she is even better.
The city of Astera has a dark and gloomy vibe, mixed with an exciting modern youth life energy. Some parts are very high-class and cater to the rich elite, while other parts almost give a dystopian feeling to the city. The setting reminded me of The Mortal Instruments series, but with more mature characters and a more compelling world-building.
Viv is strong and a badass fighter, but contrary to some “stabby woman” main characters in recent romantasy, she is not defined solely by her ability to wield a weapon. She is confident in her capacity to take care of herself, but she does not always try to show off or feel overconfident to the point where it is annoying.
Viv feels true, real, and so full of raw emotions. She is desperately trying to fit in with her normal friends and family, and hates that she has to lie and live a double life, but she also needs the thrill of the hunt and needs to feel like she is doing all she can to protect her city. From the start, we can see how she struggles to balance both lives and how it is taking a toll on her happiness. Despite being only 21, she feels grounded (as much as one can be while living a double life) and mature. She also has a dry humor that I loved, and made it even easier to like her and feel connected to her.
I loved the setting, and I am usually picky with Academy settings. I rarely read Academy books, because I am getting too old for all the juvenile crap happening in them. Thankfully, none of that happened in Half City. Harker Academy is an “Elite deviant-slaying college” where hunters can learn how to fight and survive deviants, but also learn skills to help them mingle among humans and keep up the pretense of a normal life. There was no mean girl drama or jealous girlfriend bullshit. At all. And I loved it. It allowed me to be engaged in the story and like the characters, even though they are a decade younger than I am, and it proved that it is possible to write a great dark academy story without the more juvenile tropes.
I know Reid is probably the endgame here, and I am not complaining because I enjoyed his interactions with Viv, and he is a compelling love interest. That being said, there is clearly potential for another very interesting romance in this series, with a certain club owner (iykyk).
Reid and Viv are very different, yet also very similar. On the surface, they seem to have nothing in common, and their biggest obstacle is that he is a demon, and she is a hunter. Once we get to know them, though, and see them interact with each other, it is clear that they are so similar, and they come to see themselves in the other. They are both driven and have a set of rules and morals, but most importantly, they both hate a part of themselves and wish they could be different. Viv hates the aeon instinct that pushes her to hunt and enjoy it, and Reid hates that his kind needs to feed on human souls, and tries to repent for the past mistakes he made.
I would describe the romance as a one-way hate-to-love, simply because Reid did not hate Viv. She does hate him from the start, and even tries to kill him, for no other reason than because he is a demon, and she can’t fathom the idea that a demon could be decent and even kind. Once Viv is forced to spend more time with Reid, though, she gets to know him, and a delicious sexual tension slowly builds between them. I loved the banter between them, the sexual tension, and the few smuttier moments they shared, but the romance and dive into deeper feelings did feel a teeny bit rushed.
Poor Viv is torn between pleasing her mother and choosing to be true to herself, and happy. She wants to make her mother proud, but hates the mold she needs to fit into to do so. She tried her best to have a normal life that would make her happy, while also being distinguished and fancy enough for her mother, and thankfully, Viv had Penny to help her see her worth. Still, it was heartbreaking to see how Viv craved her mother’s love, only to be disappointed again and again.
I would have loved to see more of Penny, especially since she is described as Viv’s other half. We can see how they love each other, but as soon as Viv started attending Harker, Penny got relegated to the background for most of the book. I do think gthat the part where Viv lied to every one about where she was, and nobody asked too many questions, or double checked with the others where Viv was, was very convenient, but there was eventually a partial explanation as to why Viv managed to get away with it for so long, so in the end it worked out, I guess.
Other beautiful friendships are developing at Harker, and the secondary characters were all well-written and layered enough for me to really like them and want more of them. I also like how the author leaned into some stereotypes we often see in Academy settings, only to destroy them. Elliot and Soph are not what I expected at first, and I am happy for it.
Overall, this is a great, quick, and very engaging read. It is addictive, the characters are layered and raw, and the urban fantasy setting, investigation, and mysterious attacks on the school made it impossible not to fall in love with Viv and her city. I also want to thank the author and applaud her for being able to write a book with a badass stabby main character that is not annoyingly over-confident and defined by her stabiness, and an Academy setting that does not have an ounce of mean girl drama or jealous girls fighting over the hot boy.
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✅ Pace
✅ Plot
✅ Setting
✅ Academy setting (without immature, mean girl drama)
✅ Characters
✅ Complex relationships with family & beautiful friendships
✅ Demons / Hunters / Magic
✅ Twists / Betrayal
✅ Sexual tension / Some smut
✅ Enemies to lovers (kind of)
✅(🆗) Romance
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: blood, death of a family member (past), zombies eating people, stabbing
❗️❗️Cliffhanger
🔥 Spice level : 🌶️🌶️ / 5
What a great and refreshing urban fantasy!
I don’t only hunt to save lives like other hunters. I hunt because if I don’t kill things, I’ll crack. I’ll get sick. I could kill humans instead.
Viv is a 21-year-old huntress who’s been hunting on her own on the streets of the Astera, the Half City, since her dad was killed a decade ago. When she is approached by a demon, inviting her to attend Harker Academy, she accepts to go check it out, mostly out of curiosity, but once she realizes that her father attended the Academy, she decides to stay in the hopes of finding out what happened to him all those years ago.
This book got me hooked from the very beginning, and before I knew it, I was done with the book and grieving the fact that I do not have access to the second one already. The plot is focused on Viv’s quest to figure out who betrayed her father, at first, but it quickly becomes a race against time to find out who is targeting students and why. The author gave us little clues here and there, slowly building the plot and increasing the tension, which was amazingly well done. The way she managed to give us a compelling plot, but also focus on Viv, her complicated relationship with her family, and her even more complicated feelings about herself and what she is even better.
Astera—the Half City, the country’s epicenter of culture, business, and politics, located on the glittering edge of the eastern seaboard. We must have the largest population of billionaires in the world—our graffitied Caspar Harlock over there and my best friend Penny Pine’s parents, to name a few—and yet the highest percentage of its population living on the street.
The city of Astera has a dark and gloomy vibe, mixed with an exciting modern youth life energy. Some parts are very high-class and cater to the rich elite, while other parts almost give a dystopian feeling to the city. The setting reminded me of The Mortal Instruments series, but with more mature characters and a more compelling world-building.
Viv is strong and a badass fighter, but contrary to some “stabby woman” main characters in recent romantasy, she is not defined solely by her ability to wield a weapon. She is confident in her capacity to take care of herself, but she does not always try to show off or feel overconfident to the point where it is annoying.
Viv feels true, real, and so full of raw emotions. She is desperately trying to fit in with her normal friends and family, and hates that she has to lie and live a double life, but she also needs the thrill of the hunt and needs to feel like she is doing all she can to protect her city. From the start, we can see how she struggles to balance both lives and how it is taking a toll on her happiness. Despite being only 21, she feels grounded (as much as one can be while living a double life) and mature. She also has a dry humor that I loved, and made it even easier to like her and feel connected to her.
I loved the setting, and I am usually picky with Academy settings. I rarely read Academy books, because I am getting too old for all the juvenile crap happening in them. Thankfully, none of that happened in Half City. Harker Academy is an “Elite deviant-slaying college” where hunters can learn how to fight and survive deviants, but also learn skills to help them mingle among humans and keep up the pretense of a normal life. There was no mean girl drama or jealous girlfriend bullshit. At all. And I loved it. It allowed me to be engaged in the story and like the characters, even though they are a decade younger than I am, and it proved that it is possible to write a great dark academy story without the more juvenile tropes.
”Who knew a demon and a huntress could have so much in common?” he says with a sorrowful grin. “When we’re together, Viv… I don’t know. I feel reborn – I see myself in your eyes, and I like the reflection.”
I know Reid is probably the endgame here, and I am not complaining because I enjoyed his interactions with Viv, and he is a compelling love interest. That being said, there is clearly potential for another very interesting romance in this series, with a certain club owner (iykyk).
My heart aches for him. This man I’ve come to respect. Come to admire. Who’s been so wronged. Wants so badly to be good and has to fight his inherent genetic makeup every day to do so. I know that pain because I’ve been living with it for years.
Reid and Viv are very different, yet also very similar. On the surface, they seem to have nothing in common, and their biggest obstacle is that he is a demon, and she is a hunter. Once we get to know them, though, and see them interact with each other, it is clear that they are so similar, and they come to see themselves in the other. They are both driven and have a set of rules and morals, but most importantly, they both hate a part of themselves and wish they could be different. Viv hates the aeon instinct that pushes her to hunt and enjoy it, and Reid hates that his kind needs to feed on human souls, and tries to repent for the past mistakes he made.
”And here I thought you were trying to kill me.”
In the streetlight, his eyes are a navy so dark they’re practically black. Wistful, hungry, isolated. He smooths a hand down his face in the kind of exhaustion I know too well. Wanting with no hope of having.
When he faces me once more, he’s not the demon I thought I knew.
“No, actually,” I tell him. “Not anymore.”
I would describe the romance as a one-way hate-to-love, simply because Reid did not hate Viv. She does hate him from the start, and even tries to kill him, for no other reason than because he is a demon, and she can’t fathom the idea that a demon could be decent and even kind. Once Viv is forced to spend more time with Reid, though, she gets to know him, and a delicious sexual tension slowly builds between them. I loved the banter between them, the sexual tension, and the few smuttier moments they shared, but the romance and dive into deeper feelings did feel a teeny bit rushed.
That's why I was dating James, right? Because it was important to my mother, and what she thought of me was important to how I saw myself?
Poor Viv is torn between pleasing her mother and choosing to be true to herself, and happy. She wants to make her mother proud, but hates the mold she needs to fit into to do so. She tried her best to have a normal life that would make her happy, while also being distinguished and fancy enough for her mother, and thankfully, Viv had Penny to help her see her worth. Still, it was heartbreaking to see how Viv craved her mother’s love, only to be disappointed again and again.
I would have loved to see more of Penny, especially since she is described as Viv’s other half. We can see how they love each other, but as soon as Viv started attending Harker, Penny got relegated to the background for most of the book. I do think gthat the part where Viv lied to every one about where she was, and nobody asked too many questions, or double checked with the others where Viv was, was very convenient, but there was eventually a partial explanation as to why Viv managed to get away with it for so long, so in the end it worked out, I guess.
Other beautiful friendships are developing at Harker, and the secondary characters were all well-written and layered enough for me to really like them and want more of them. I also like how the author leaned into some stereotypes we often see in Academy settings, only to destroy them. Elliot and Soph are not what I expected at first, and I am happy for it.
Overall, this is a great, quick, and very engaging read. It is addictive, the characters are layered and raw, and the urban fantasy setting, investigation, and mysterious attacks on the school made it impossible not to fall in love with Viv and her city. I also want to thank the author and applaud her for being able to write a book with a badass stabby main character that is not annoyingly over-confident and defined by her stabiness, and an Academy setting that does not have an ounce of mean girl drama or jealous girls fighting over the hot boy.
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Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
⌗🧋 ── ᝰ .ᐟ read.
okay, this was something, but i have some things to say, lol
rtc!
⌗ 🍋🟩 ── ᝰ .ᐟ pre read.
thank you Kate, Berkley and Netgalley for an arc in exchange of a review
I'M SO EXCITED, THIS LOOKS DEFINITELY LIKE MY TYPE, OMGGG
okay, this was something, but i have some things to say, lol
rtc!
⌗ 🍋🟩 ── ᝰ .ᐟ pre read.
thank you Kate, Berkley and Netgalley for an arc in exchange of a review
I'M SO EXCITED, THIS LOOKS DEFINITELY LIKE MY TYPE, OMGGG
January 22, 2026
“𝑹𝒆𝒊𝒅 . . .” 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰’𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒐. 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒏. “𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒔.” 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒈𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒉 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒕.
A demon hunter and a demon? Why yes, please 😮💨🔥 This book was so bingable and had everything I wanted when looking for a romantasy with a dark academia ambiance 🖤 Viv Abbott, a baddie FMC, who as soon as she realizes there is a school for people like her and can help her find answers about her dad’s death. She doesn’t think twice about attending, specially when a hot demon, Reid Graveheart, is the one who recruits her. And it goes against everything she believes in to just let a demon run free. HEHEHE tension alert 🔥
Did I mention that Reid is a professor at the academy? 👀 We gotta love the student x professor trope, no? Besides the romance, I do have to say that I really enjoyed the plot, as well as the way the friend group came together and worked to solve all the strange things happening at the academy. It gave the reader a constant “who did it?” 👀 mystery throughout the entire story, making you want to know more, while at the same time desperately wanting Viv and Reid to just be together already 😭 a perfect 2-in-1 combo. I freaking loved every second of it 🥹
The chemistry between the two and the way both of them have their character development in a way that I personally loved. Viv gets humbled as soon as she is a student and notices she has a lot of work to do. Meanwhile Reid is tested with Viv in numerous occasions because demon all they do is eat souls right? WINK WINK hellooo banter and tension. Both characters impressed me so much since the beginning, I personally can't wait to see where it all goes on the next book.
My final thoughts are that this book got me so hooked SO FAST, that I will be diving into book 2 no quesitons asked because what do you mean Kate hit me with the acknowledgements section after THAT SCENE?! HOW COULD YOU!!!! 😭🔥 (I love it.)
tropes
🖤 dark academia
🖤 student x professor
🖤 demon x demon hunter
🖤 enemies to lovers
🖤 found family
Thank you Berkley and Kate Golden for my eARC!
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 ꪆৎ ˚⋅ I just got this arc and the way I'm so giddyyyy! can't wait
A demon hunter and a demon? Why yes, please 😮💨🔥 This book was so bingable and had everything I wanted when looking for a romantasy with a dark academia ambiance 🖤 Viv Abbott, a baddie FMC, who as soon as she realizes there is a school for people like her and can help her find answers about her dad’s death. She doesn’t think twice about attending, specially when a hot demon, Reid Graveheart, is the one who recruits her. And it goes against everything she believes in to just let a demon run free. HEHEHE tension alert 🔥
Did I mention that Reid is a professor at the academy? 👀 We gotta love the student x professor trope, no? Besides the romance, I do have to say that I really enjoyed the plot, as well as the way the friend group came together and worked to solve all the strange things happening at the academy. It gave the reader a constant “who did it?” 👀 mystery throughout the entire story, making you want to know more, while at the same time desperately wanting Viv and Reid to just be together already 😭 a perfect 2-in-1 combo. I freaking loved every second of it 🥹
The chemistry between the two and the way both of them have their character development in a way that I personally loved. Viv gets humbled as soon as she is a student and notices she has a lot of work to do. Meanwhile Reid is tested with Viv in numerous occasions because demon all they do is eat souls right? WINK WINK hellooo banter and tension. Both characters impressed me so much since the beginning, I personally can't wait to see where it all goes on the next book.
My final thoughts are that this book got me so hooked SO FAST, that I will be diving into book 2 no quesitons asked because what do you mean Kate hit me with the acknowledgements section after THAT SCENE?! HOW COULD YOU!!!! 😭🔥 (I love it.)
tropes
🖤 dark academia
🖤 student x professor
🖤 demon x demon hunter
🖤 enemies to lovers
🖤 found family
Thank you Berkley and Kate Golden for my eARC!
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 ꪆৎ ˚⋅ I just got this arc and the way I'm so giddyyyy! can't wait
Review of advance copy received from Author
i'd like to start by thanking kate golden and berkley publishing for providing me with the e-arc!
i'm not sure where to begin, but i'll try my best to put my thoughts into words. to be honest, i've been in a reading slump for a while, but this book completely turned things around for me. i'm so thankful that i picked it up, and i've to say that kate golden is an incredibly talented author. the way she writes her story is pure magic.
it's been a long time since i've read a romantasy novel, and i have to admit that i've been disappointed with the genre lately. however, half city was an absolute game changer. if you're a fan of demon hunters, then this book is definitely for you.
one of the things that stood out to me about this book was the writing style. it's easy to get into and follow, which made it a fun read. i know that some readers might find it a bit slow at times, but trust me when i say that it's worth it. the author has a way of dropping subtle hints and clues throughout the story, which kept me on the edge of my seat.
the main character, viv, is someone i really loved reading about. at times, i found it difficult to understand her motivations and actions, but as the story progressed, i loved how she grew and developed as a character. her awareness of her own flaws and mistakes made her all the more relatable.
the story is told from the first person pov . i have to admit that i'm not usually a fan of first person narratives, but in this case, it worked beautifully. reid is a brooding and secretive character, and i found myself eager to know what was going on in his head.
penny, sophia, peter, elliot: my babiesss!! i absolutely loved the found family dynamic here.
the ending of the book was absolutely stunning. i won't give away any spoilers, but i'll say that it was both satisfying and unexpected. i loved how the author brought everything together, and i'm still reeling from the experience.
in conclusion, i highly recommend half city to anyone who enjoys romantasy novels, especially those with a focus on demon hunting, dark academia, etc. the writing is engaging, the characters are well developed, and the story is full of unexpected twists and turns. kate golden is a talented author, and i'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to read her work.
⤿ black cat fmc
⤿ brooding demon instructor
⤿ enemies to lovers
⤿ dark academia
⤿ urban fantasy
⤿ yearning
⤿ combat college
⤿ buffy the vampire slayer x supernatural vibes
⤿ "get your hands off her"
⤿ slow burn + spice
⤿ vampires, demons, werewolves.
౨ৎ ⋮ more by kate golden
─ the sacred stones trilogy
─ if not for my baby
i'm not sure where to begin, but i'll try my best to put my thoughts into words. to be honest, i've been in a reading slump for a while, but this book completely turned things around for me. i'm so thankful that i picked it up, and i've to say that kate golden is an incredibly talented author. the way she writes her story is pure magic.
it's been a long time since i've read a romantasy novel, and i have to admit that i've been disappointed with the genre lately. however, half city was an absolute game changer. if you're a fan of demon hunters, then this book is definitely for you.
one of the things that stood out to me about this book was the writing style. it's easy to get into and follow, which made it a fun read. i know that some readers might find it a bit slow at times, but trust me when i say that it's worth it. the author has a way of dropping subtle hints and clues throughout the story, which kept me on the edge of my seat.
the main character, viv, is someone i really loved reading about. at times, i found it difficult to understand her motivations and actions, but as the story progressed, i loved how she grew and developed as a character. her awareness of her own flaws and mistakes made her all the more relatable.
the story is told from the first person pov . i have to admit that i'm not usually a fan of first person narratives, but in this case, it worked beautifully. reid is a brooding and secretive character, and i found myself eager to know what was going on in his head.
penny, sophia, peter, elliot: my babiesss!! i absolutely loved the found family dynamic here.
the ending of the book was absolutely stunning. i won't give away any spoilers, but i'll say that it was both satisfying and unexpected. i loved how the author brought everything together, and i'm still reeling from the experience.
in conclusion, i highly recommend half city to anyone who enjoys romantasy novels, especially those with a focus on demon hunting, dark academia, etc. the writing is engaging, the characters are well developed, and the story is full of unexpected twists and turns. kate golden is a talented author, and i'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to read her work.
⤿ black cat fmc
⤿ brooding demon instructor
⤿ enemies to lovers
⤿ dark academia
⤿ urban fantasy
⤿ yearning
⤿ combat college
⤿ buffy the vampire slayer x supernatural vibes
⤿ "get your hands off her"
⤿ slow burn + spice
⤿ vampires, demons, werewolves.
౨ৎ ⋮ more by kate golden
─ the sacred stones trilogy
─ if not for my baby
November 21, 2025
kate golden + dark academia + demon hunters = I NEED IT.
>> thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc! <3
>> thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc! <3
Currently reading
February 17, 2026Happy Pub Day to Half City!! 🎉🥳
Heck yea!! I got the ARC!! 🤘🏻🙌🏻✨
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Can’t wait for this one! I hope this is a sign that we’ll be seeing more urban fantasy in 2026!
Heck yea!! I got the ARC!! 🤘🏻🙌🏻✨
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Can’t wait for this one! I hope this is a sign that we’ll be seeing more urban fantasy in 2026!
on-hold
February 25, 2026pre-read: my netgalley ratio is so bad right now, so I'll be on an arc binge (well i'll try to) 🥴
thank you berkely and netgalley for this arc!!
thank you berkely and netgalley for this arc!!
February 26, 2026
5/5
I am in awe of Kate Golden. Girl you are a GENIUS for this book. This is the perfect urban fantasy. Literally PERFECT. I just have so many thoughts but will try to keep my thoughts succinct (I’ll have a spoiler section at the end!). All I know is I cannot wait for 2027 to have my hands on book 2, I pray arcs are available late next year for it. Or that it’s a late 2026 release. This is one of the BEST fantasies of 2026, trust me, and one of my favourite reads of this year.
Thank you so so much to Berkeley and NetGalley for gifting me with an e-arc!!
Viv is an iconic and deeply human main character. Her struggles with fitting in, her grief, her anger, and her love are all incredibly palpable. It’s impossible to read this and not feel what she feels. To read this and not laugh at Viv’s jokes, her dry humour, to not have your heart ache alongside hers. Although she did some things that made me want to yell at her to be more careful, Viv stands by her principals this entire novel. Her character development is beautiful but the way her core stays the same because she never needed to change it is just…beautiful.
I have really not much to say about Reid 😭 He was kind of just…there. But I have lots of spoiler thoughts on him, to be given below.
The side characters are all so so well developed. I wish we’d seen more of Elliot but Soph and Penny are just incredibly well written. PENNY IS MY GIRL. Lowkey like she’s so Janie by Ethel Cain coded in a way if Viv was singing it about Penny and the world in general.
The PLOT. Oh this is 10/10 , 100/100. It is so nostalgic in a way, the puzzle piece esque mystery that’s so reminiscent of Buffy, while also combining the rain soaked electric city vibes that evoke Crescent City. The setting of both the Half City and Harker Academy are insanely well drawn. As I mentioned, the Half City is like Crescent City meets Shadowhunters NYC. Harker is incredibly fun. It’s like a university campus that you could stumble upon in the middle of nowhere.
The worldbuilding is extremely cool. I loved the way it was like a mix of Buffy, charmed, Shadowhunters, and something entirely unique. The concept of aeons was incredibly interesting and I hope to learn more about how they came to be in the future!
The mystery is, again, so nostalgia tinged, as if you’ve read it a million times already but have forgotten the twists. Everything is so well placed, it truly just feels like home in a way. The blend of the mystery with Viv’s emotions is done in a way that will have you on the edge of your seat.
The sequence at Fever Dream is probably my favourite of the whole book, but the ending is absolutely PERFECT. The way I was praying it would end how it did!!!! More on this in the spoiler section.
I do think the romance is a bit too insta-lovey for my tastes. I feel more development would have made their connection seem more interesting, instead it sometimes just felt very basic. I do feel that this is intentional though!
Now, for my spoiler thoughts. These will all be about the end and about one character, so DO NOT keep reading if you don’t want spoilers. 💫💫
DEACON. That’s endgame oh I’m praying for it. Instantly when he meets Viv sparks fly. Their dynamic is so interesting, and they literally have 2 scenes together. I’m his biggest fangirl. I’m their #1 fan, I’m launching the ship as we speak. HER GOING TO HIM AT THE END HAD ME SCREAMING MY HEAD OFF. EXACTLY WHAT I PRAYED FOR. THEIR POTENTIAL. I may be delusional but I think NOT!!!!!! All I know is he’s iconic already and so are they as a TRUE enemies to lovers couple in the future….
The end was incredible. I am SO PSYCHED TO SEE HOW BOOK 2 GOES. Viv having dark power in her??? Adding extra tension to the fact no one can know what she is? 10/10. Penny putting things together and accepting her? 10/10. Warning about Reid being maybe a bad guy? 10/10. Her going to deacon? 100/10.
I have so so many theories. I am first in line for an arc of the sequel okay.
Round of applause to Kate for this masterpiece.
I am in awe of Kate Golden. Girl you are a GENIUS for this book. This is the perfect urban fantasy. Literally PERFECT. I just have so many thoughts but will try to keep my thoughts succinct (I’ll have a spoiler section at the end!). All I know is I cannot wait for 2027 to have my hands on book 2, I pray arcs are available late next year for it. Or that it’s a late 2026 release. This is one of the BEST fantasies of 2026, trust me, and one of my favourite reads of this year.
Thank you so so much to Berkeley and NetGalley for gifting me with an e-arc!!
Viv is an iconic and deeply human main character. Her struggles with fitting in, her grief, her anger, and her love are all incredibly palpable. It’s impossible to read this and not feel what she feels. To read this and not laugh at Viv’s jokes, her dry humour, to not have your heart ache alongside hers. Although she did some things that made me want to yell at her to be more careful, Viv stands by her principals this entire novel. Her character development is beautiful but the way her core stays the same because she never needed to change it is just…beautiful.
I have really not much to say about Reid 😭 He was kind of just…there. But I have lots of spoiler thoughts on him, to be given below.
The side characters are all so so well developed. I wish we’d seen more of Elliot but Soph and Penny are just incredibly well written. PENNY IS MY GIRL. Lowkey like she’s so Janie by Ethel Cain coded in a way if Viv was singing it about Penny and the world in general.
The PLOT. Oh this is 10/10 , 100/100. It is so nostalgic in a way, the puzzle piece esque mystery that’s so reminiscent of Buffy, while also combining the rain soaked electric city vibes that evoke Crescent City. The setting of both the Half City and Harker Academy are insanely well drawn. As I mentioned, the Half City is like Crescent City meets Shadowhunters NYC. Harker is incredibly fun. It’s like a university campus that you could stumble upon in the middle of nowhere.
The worldbuilding is extremely cool. I loved the way it was like a mix of Buffy, charmed, Shadowhunters, and something entirely unique. The concept of aeons was incredibly interesting and I hope to learn more about how they came to be in the future!
The mystery is, again, so nostalgia tinged, as if you’ve read it a million times already but have forgotten the twists. Everything is so well placed, it truly just feels like home in a way. The blend of the mystery with Viv’s emotions is done in a way that will have you on the edge of your seat.
The sequence at Fever Dream is probably my favourite of the whole book, but the ending is absolutely PERFECT. The way I was praying it would end how it did!!!! More on this in the spoiler section.
I do think the romance is a bit too insta-lovey for my tastes. I feel more development would have made their connection seem more interesting, instead it sometimes just felt very basic. I do feel that this is intentional though!
Now, for my spoiler thoughts. These will all be about the end and about one character, so DO NOT keep reading if you don’t want spoilers. 💫💫
DEACON. That’s endgame oh I’m praying for it. Instantly when he meets Viv sparks fly. Their dynamic is so interesting, and they literally have 2 scenes together. I’m his biggest fangirl. I’m their #1 fan, I’m launching the ship as we speak. HER GOING TO HIM AT THE END HAD ME SCREAMING MY HEAD OFF. EXACTLY WHAT I PRAYED FOR. THEIR POTENTIAL. I may be delusional but I think NOT!!!!!! All I know is he’s iconic already and so are they as a TRUE enemies to lovers couple in the future….
The end was incredible. I am SO PSYCHED TO SEE HOW BOOK 2 GOES. Viv having dark power in her??? Adding extra tension to the fact no one can know what she is? 10/10. Penny putting things together and accepting her? 10/10. Warning about Reid being maybe a bad guy? 10/10. Her going to deacon? 100/10.
I have so so many theories. I am first in line for an arc of the sequel okay.
Round of applause to Kate for this masterpiece.
February 24, 2026
જ⁀➴ 3.75 stars (rounded up to 4)
BIG thank you to Berkley Publishing | Ace Books, Kate Golden, and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review. Half City is out now!
📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶
This was one of my most anticipated reads this year, so when I got the email that Berkley sent me a widget for it, I did a little happy dance. There are so many things I absolutely loved about this book, from the found family to the college aspect in the fall to the urban fantasy atmosphere (I think this was my first urban fantasy in a while, if ever?), and the mystery plot.
Viv Abbot seems just like any other person in their twenties: struggling to pay rent, working at a job that isn't always fulfilling, and has a lot of baggage to go with it all. She struggles to fit in with the rest of her high society family, with her mom running for mayor and her boyfriend's family being obscenely wealthy. The one thing no one else knows? She hunts demons to protect people in the city she lives in, just like her late father used to. When she's confronted one day by a demon named Reid Graveheart, he tells her about a college that's made for hunters like her: Harker Academy. She reluctantly enrolls to learn more about her abilities and to find out more about her father's death, but when the seemingly safe campus starts getting attacked, Viv and her new friends have to work together to find out who—or what—is behind it all.
I think the one thing that threw me off constantly is that this is an urban fantasy. That's not a bad thing at all! I just wanted to say that I'm so used to reading high fantasy/purely fantasy books where the setting is in a world that's definitely not rooted in reality, so I was taken aback by everyone having smartphones and Viv taking Pilates classes in her free time. As I said earlier, this was probably my first urban fantasy novel, considering I don't recall ever reading an urban fantasy, so this experience was entirely new for me, haha. I didn't read anything like Shadowhunters or Vampire Academy growing up (I'm just not really a big paranormal fantasy/paranormal romance kind of person), so I think that's worth mentioning before I get into the actual review.
I think the one thing I absolutely LOVED about this book was the found family and how authentic the college environment felt in the story. I'm a big fan of the found family trope, and I love how Viv found comfort and became friends with Sophia, Elliot, and Peter during her time there. There were so many normal college experiences in the story with all of them hanging out, studying together, getting food after classes, sitting together in giant lecture halls, going out to party, going shopping together, and honestly? It brought me SO much nostalgia reading about their college experiences and reminded me so much of my own experiences in undergrad doing the exact same things with my friends.
I can kind of see why people may find these scenes boring: it was a good chunk of the story, so it felt like filler, and the plot wasn't moving. However, as someone who's already graduated from college and my undergrad experience was cut short due to the pandemic, seeing Viv and her friends have a normal college experience (well, as normal as can be for students at a college that's getting attacked and they're all hunters) made the book feel a lot more authentic since it's set in an academic setting. I know this is more of a personal sentiment of mine, but I truly loved seeing all of them become friends and how they're so loyal to each other.
Speaking of academic settings, I LOVE a good dark academia book and the setting overall. It definitely gave off fall semester vibes, and the atmosphere was perfect. If you want the full experience, I suggest reading this book in the fall while the leaves are changing and it's raining outside. Bonus points if you're actually in college and have a fancy library or old, architectural masterpieces of buildings on campus, and you're reading it in between classes. Even the descriptions of Half City and Astera gave it the perfect urban vibes- it sort of reminded me of NYC, but if there was a giant chasm going right through it, splitting it in half.
The one thing I would say, though, is that the romance wasn't a huge aspect of the story, in my opinion, so to classify this as a romantasy is sort of pushing it. Was there romance? Absolutely, but if you were looking for it to be a main plot point that drove the story and character development, I don't think this is the book. I think that's both a good and a bad thing if you take a step back and look at the story overall.
On one hand, Reid did help Viv with some bits and pieces here and there of her investigation into the attacks on campus and with her dad's death. Romance did spark between them, but I didn't really feel like they had a ton of intimate interactions between them that didn't involve spicy scenes to make me believe the attraction was fully present. A lot of their interactions involved Viv going off the rails and trying to take matters into her own hands (more on that later), and Reid trying to stop her from doing something stupid, whether it was during or outside of class. I also felt like Reid was extremely one-dimensional and we don't really get to know a ton about him other than the fact that he's a reformed demon. I'm sure this'll change when the second book comes out later this year, but I didn't feel any chemistry between the two of them.
On the other hand, I feel like a lot of the story was driven by Viv herself, along with her friend group. Viv is independent to a fault, and I think it was nice to see her let her guard down a little and let herself trust her friends. A lot of the story was about her finding out more about herself and getting in touch more with her demon hunter side and letting herself grow into her strength and power. However, there were so many moments where I had to roll my eyes because Viv gave off "I'm not like other girls" vibes. Like, we get it. You wear black, you're the outcast in your otherwise picture-perfect family, you hunt alone, you don't like other people weighing you down, and you're living a double life trying to go to Harker for classes while also trying to hide that demon hunter side from your extremely normal family.
The book ends on a cliffhanger, which is something worth mentioning if you're going to read this and you're the kind of person who wants to immediately pick up the next book in the series after finishing the first one. With that said, I CANNOT wait to see what the second book has in store, and I can't wait to head back to Harker Academy!
📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶
BIG thank you to Berkley Publishing | Ace Books, Kate Golden, and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review. Half City is out now!
"I think of what Reid told me. How it is an honor and a privilege to hunt. And that it's about time I make peace with who I am.
We take care of people."
📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶
This was one of my most anticipated reads this year, so when I got the email that Berkley sent me a widget for it, I did a little happy dance. There are so many things I absolutely loved about this book, from the found family to the college aspect in the fall to the urban fantasy atmosphere (I think this was my first urban fantasy in a while, if ever?), and the mystery plot.
Viv Abbot seems just like any other person in their twenties: struggling to pay rent, working at a job that isn't always fulfilling, and has a lot of baggage to go with it all. She struggles to fit in with the rest of her high society family, with her mom running for mayor and her boyfriend's family being obscenely wealthy. The one thing no one else knows? She hunts demons to protect people in the city she lives in, just like her late father used to. When she's confronted one day by a demon named Reid Graveheart, he tells her about a college that's made for hunters like her: Harker Academy. She reluctantly enrolls to learn more about her abilities and to find out more about her father's death, but when the seemingly safe campus starts getting attacked, Viv and her new friends have to work together to find out who—or what—is behind it all.
I think the one thing that threw me off constantly is that this is an urban fantasy. That's not a bad thing at all! I just wanted to say that I'm so used to reading high fantasy/purely fantasy books where the setting is in a world that's definitely not rooted in reality, so I was taken aback by everyone having smartphones and Viv taking Pilates classes in her free time. As I said earlier, this was probably my first urban fantasy novel, considering I don't recall ever reading an urban fantasy, so this experience was entirely new for me, haha. I didn't read anything like Shadowhunters or Vampire Academy growing up (I'm just not really a big paranormal fantasy/paranormal romance kind of person), so I think that's worth mentioning before I get into the actual review.
I think the one thing I absolutely LOVED about this book was the found family and how authentic the college environment felt in the story. I'm a big fan of the found family trope, and I love how Viv found comfort and became friends with Sophia, Elliot, and Peter during her time there. There were so many normal college experiences in the story with all of them hanging out, studying together, getting food after classes, sitting together in giant lecture halls, going out to party, going shopping together, and honestly? It brought me SO much nostalgia reading about their college experiences and reminded me so much of my own experiences in undergrad doing the exact same things with my friends.
I can kind of see why people may find these scenes boring: it was a good chunk of the story, so it felt like filler, and the plot wasn't moving. However, as someone who's already graduated from college and my undergrad experience was cut short due to the pandemic, seeing Viv and her friends have a normal college experience (well, as normal as can be for students at a college that's getting attacked and they're all hunters) made the book feel a lot more authentic since it's set in an academic setting. I know this is more of a personal sentiment of mine, but I truly loved seeing all of them become friends and how they're so loyal to each other.
Speaking of academic settings, I LOVE a good dark academia book and the setting overall. It definitely gave off fall semester vibes, and the atmosphere was perfect. If you want the full experience, I suggest reading this book in the fall while the leaves are changing and it's raining outside. Bonus points if you're actually in college and have a fancy library or old, architectural masterpieces of buildings on campus, and you're reading it in between classes. Even the descriptions of Half City and Astera gave it the perfect urban vibes- it sort of reminded me of NYC, but if there was a giant chasm going right through it, splitting it in half.
The one thing I would say, though, is that the romance wasn't a huge aspect of the story, in my opinion, so to classify this as a romantasy is sort of pushing it. Was there romance? Absolutely, but if you were looking for it to be a main plot point that drove the story and character development, I don't think this is the book. I think that's both a good and a bad thing if you take a step back and look at the story overall.
On one hand, Reid did help Viv with some bits and pieces here and there of her investigation into the attacks on campus and with her dad's death. Romance did spark between them, but I didn't really feel like they had a ton of intimate interactions between them that didn't involve spicy scenes to make me believe the attraction was fully present. A lot of their interactions involved Viv going off the rails and trying to take matters into her own hands (more on that later), and Reid trying to stop her from doing something stupid, whether it was during or outside of class. I also felt like Reid was extremely one-dimensional and we don't really get to know a ton about him other than the fact that he's a reformed demon. I'm sure this'll change when the second book comes out later this year, but I didn't feel any chemistry between the two of them.
On the other hand, I feel like a lot of the story was driven by Viv herself, along with her friend group. Viv is independent to a fault, and I think it was nice to see her let her guard down a little and let herself trust her friends. A lot of the story was about her finding out more about herself and getting in touch more with her demon hunter side and letting herself grow into her strength and power. However, there were so many moments where I had to roll my eyes because Viv gave off "I'm not like other girls" vibes. Like, we get it. You wear black, you're the outcast in your otherwise picture-perfect family, you hunt alone, you don't like other people weighing you down, and you're living a double life trying to go to Harker for classes while also trying to hide that demon hunter side from your extremely normal family.
The book ends on a cliffhanger, which is something worth mentioning if you're going to read this and you're the kind of person who wants to immediately pick up the next book in the series after finishing the first one. With that said, I CANNOT wait to see what the second book has in store, and I can't wait to head back to Harker Academy!
📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶𓍢ִ໋🀦✎ᝰ.📜🪶
November 5, 2025
I absolutely adore Kate Golden's writing so much!!! The ending WOAH. This is like if CC + Fourth Wing had a baby.
If you enjoy Urban Fantasy with a little bit of mystery, this is for you!!
Now, I typically struggle with Urban Fantasy. It is most definitely not my favorite genre but I love Kate's writing so much I will read anything she writes!!
I do think a lot of readers are going to eat this up!
3.5 ⭐️
If you enjoy Urban Fantasy with a little bit of mystery, this is for you!!
Now, I typically struggle with Urban Fantasy. It is most definitely not my favorite genre but I love Kate's writing so much I will read anything she writes!!
I do think a lot of readers are going to eat this up!
3.5 ⭐️
February 20, 2026
3.5 ★— If you talked to me about books between ages 10–15, I was probably neck-deep in some paranormal or urban fantasy, following a sassy heroine surviving a gritty world while her hot werewolf/angel/vampire/demon/demon hunter love interest circled her for at least three books.
So yes, I’ve been around the block with stories like this, and when I saw this title pop up, I was hit with a strong wave of nostalgia and genuine excitement at the idea of diving back into that familiar urban fantasy realm.
And Half City did start off pretty strong for me! We’re introduced to Viv, a demon hunter who has had to hide her designation from her family and friends her entire life, living in a city infested with different types of demons that humans are completely blind to. It’s a familiar setup, but it works for what it needs to do, leading me to enjoy following Viv, whose life is a tiny disaster as she juggles her secret powers with her normal life.
Where this book began to lose me was with Viv’s inner monologue. She’s a stressed and traumatized character, which makes sense given that she has to conceal her demon hunter side, but… whew. The narrative constantly circled back to her lamenting about being “different and dark” and the “black sheep” of her family and circle. So frequently, in fact, that I started to lose the empathy I should have felt for this clear internal conflict and instead found myself rolling my eyes whenever she once again went on another inner monologue about how much of a misunderstood bad girl she is.
I do understand that she’s only 21 and that the author wanted to portray the depth of her alienation, but if empathy fatigue for fictional characters is a real thing, I definitely experienced it here, and it overshadowed my enjoyment of the book as a whole.
That said, I did appreciate the book's emphasis on her bloodlust, which felt like an interesting take on the demon hunter archetype. Watching Viv struggle with not being able to hunt, and seeing that be another thing that sets her apart from other demon hunters, was actually solidly done and well executed.
As for the romance, I'll be honest... her dynamic with Reid did very little for me. Instructor/student dynamics (shoutout: Vampire Academy!) can be interesting and titillating. Here, though, it felt mostly flat and almost useless in its trope. For one, she barely treats the MMC, Reid, like an instructor and basically shows zero respect for him from the start, which removes much of the tension that usually makes this dynamic exciting! On top of that, Reid himself is a fairly bland love interest who doesn’t bring much to the table personality-wise. Thus, I was mostly uninterested in their scenes together and didn't feel like their steamy moments were all that intriguing.
Really, this book incorporates countless elements anyone who's read more than two urban fantasy series has encountered, and it never quite excels in any one area or offers particularly fresh or exciting aspects.
I did ultimately have some fun with it, as the prose is quite easy and engaging, and at the end of the day, a middling urban fantasy is still enjoyable for someone like me who has a soft spot for the genre and misses how ubiquitous it used to be.
And I will say this: the ending, which leans heavily into cliffhanger territory, did leave me a little curious. If the story takes the route I’m hoping for, I could see myself being much more invested in where this plotline goes next.
So, if you’re craving urban fantasy and don’t mind well worn tropes in exchange for some nostalgic vibes, I’d recommend it. If your expectations are sky high and you were raised on the urban fantasy heavy hitters of the late 2000s to early 2010s, you will likely find yourself underwhelmed.
___________________
Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the ARC.
So yes, I’ve been around the block with stories like this, and when I saw this title pop up, I was hit with a strong wave of nostalgia and genuine excitement at the idea of diving back into that familiar urban fantasy realm.
And Half City did start off pretty strong for me! We’re introduced to Viv, a demon hunter who has had to hide her designation from her family and friends her entire life, living in a city infested with different types of demons that humans are completely blind to. It’s a familiar setup, but it works for what it needs to do, leading me to enjoy following Viv, whose life is a tiny disaster as she juggles her secret powers with her normal life.
Where this book began to lose me was with Viv’s inner monologue. She’s a stressed and traumatized character, which makes sense given that she has to conceal her demon hunter side, but… whew. The narrative constantly circled back to her lamenting about being “different and dark” and the “black sheep” of her family and circle. So frequently, in fact, that I started to lose the empathy I should have felt for this clear internal conflict and instead found myself rolling my eyes whenever she once again went on another inner monologue about how much of a misunderstood bad girl she is.
I do understand that she’s only 21 and that the author wanted to portray the depth of her alienation, but if empathy fatigue for fictional characters is a real thing, I definitely experienced it here, and it overshadowed my enjoyment of the book as a whole.
That said, I did appreciate the book's emphasis on her bloodlust, which felt like an interesting take on the demon hunter archetype. Watching Viv struggle with not being able to hunt, and seeing that be another thing that sets her apart from other demon hunters, was actually solidly done and well executed.
As for the romance, I'll be honest... her dynamic with Reid did very little for me. Instructor/student dynamics (shoutout: Vampire Academy!) can be interesting and titillating. Here, though, it felt mostly flat and almost useless in its trope. For one, she barely treats the MMC, Reid, like an instructor and basically shows zero respect for him from the start, which removes much of the tension that usually makes this dynamic exciting! On top of that, Reid himself is a fairly bland love interest who doesn’t bring much to the table personality-wise. Thus, I was mostly uninterested in their scenes together and didn't feel like their steamy moments were all that intriguing.
Really, this book incorporates countless elements anyone who's read more than two urban fantasy series has encountered, and it never quite excels in any one area or offers particularly fresh or exciting aspects.
I did ultimately have some fun with it, as the prose is quite easy and engaging, and at the end of the day, a middling urban fantasy is still enjoyable for someone like me who has a soft spot for the genre and misses how ubiquitous it used to be.
And I will say this: the ending, which leans heavily into cliffhanger territory, did leave me a little curious. If the story takes the route I’m hoping for, I could see myself being much more invested in where this plotline goes next.
So, if you’re craving urban fantasy and don’t mind well worn tropes in exchange for some nostalgic vibes, I’d recommend it. If your expectations are sky high and you were raised on the urban fantasy heavy hitters of the late 2000s to early 2010s, you will likely find yourself underwhelmed.
___________________
Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the ARC.
February 24, 2026
If she writes it, I’m gonna read it!
February 22, 2026
I’m thinking this book was a five star because it gave me that five star feeling!! I was squealing and gasping the whole way through and couldn’t stop thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it. Every minute away from this story was torture?! Am I being dramatic? Not even remotely. I live for books like this.
For me this was Buffy The Vamp Slayer meets Crescent City and it SLAPPED. Urban fantasy, dark academia, demon hunter, student x teacher and what a dreaaaaamy combo.
I loved everything about this. Give me MORE.
For me this was Buffy The Vamp Slayer meets Crescent City and it SLAPPED. Urban fantasy, dark academia, demon hunter, student x teacher and what a dreaaaaamy combo.
I loved everything about this. Give me MORE.
Want to read
January 10, 2026BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER X FOURTH WING ????????????????????????????? I NEED IT
February 22, 2026
Rated 4.5/5 stars
How Kate Golden always manages to create characters I absolutely adore, I have no idea. It’s nothing short of magic.
Half City is an edgy, urban romantasy story set on the backdrop of Harker Academy, a place where demon hunters become the best defence there is for the Half City’s paranormal underworld. Urban settings often take awhile to win me over (if they do at all), but I was immediately swept into the chaotic juggling act Viv called life, and loved discovering this whole other side to the city Viv knew. It reminded me almost of The Mortal Instruments, though standing entirely as its own.
The romance in this is just addictive, near ‘forbidden’ on two counts as both professor x student and demon x demon hunter, with no one quite knowing what to think of either count. Amidst it all, we watch the slow dawning of two inherently lonely characters find each other, first through a vicious relatability, until something beyond that.
But loneliness is a topic tackled with raw emotion in this book, with Kate showing expertly how being surrounded by people physically isn’t all it takes to break that weighty feeling. But as in all Kate’s books, the characters we’re introduced to are wonderfully lovable, a found family effortlessly built whether Viv wanted it or not. This might be my favourite group yet.
I ate up Half City in the space of two days, unable to leave these characters in even a moment of distress. Combined with the demon hunting dangers, mysteries to unravel and a romance that had me giggling, this book easily became a romantasy I’ll recommend time and again.
How Kate Golden always manages to create characters I absolutely adore, I have no idea. It’s nothing short of magic.
Half City is an edgy, urban romantasy story set on the backdrop of Harker Academy, a place where demon hunters become the best defence there is for the Half City’s paranormal underworld. Urban settings often take awhile to win me over (if they do at all), but I was immediately swept into the chaotic juggling act Viv called life, and loved discovering this whole other side to the city Viv knew. It reminded me almost of The Mortal Instruments, though standing entirely as its own.
The romance in this is just addictive, near ‘forbidden’ on two counts as both professor x student and demon x demon hunter, with no one quite knowing what to think of either count. Amidst it all, we watch the slow dawning of two inherently lonely characters find each other, first through a vicious relatability, until something beyond that.
But loneliness is a topic tackled with raw emotion in this book, with Kate showing expertly how being surrounded by people physically isn’t all it takes to break that weighty feeling. But as in all Kate’s books, the characters we’re introduced to are wonderfully lovable, a found family effortlessly built whether Viv wanted it or not. This might be my favourite group yet.
I ate up Half City in the space of two days, unable to leave these characters in even a moment of distress. Combined with the demon hunting dangers, mysteries to unravel and a romance that had me giggling, this book easily became a romantasy I’ll recommend time and again.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Ms. Kate Golden apparently thinks it's fun to torture her readers.
What the actual f- was that ending?!
How are you going to do that to us?! I still have so many questions!
Also I'm confident my theory will come true and really wanted to find out BEFORE the book was over but noooooooooo. Book 2 cannot come soon enough!
This was a fun read! The romance + tension + emotions are where this author shines (imho) and because of that I’m slightly disappointed the romance wasn’t a stronger plot point BUT it’s the first book in a series so hopefully we’ll get a bit more of that magic in book 2!
Whats to love…
- dark academia
- urban fantasy
- hunter FMC + demon MMC romantic subplot
- sllllllloooooooooooowwwwww burn
- found family
- CLIFFHANGER + shocking reveals
- interesting world + magic
What didn’t work for me but might work for you…
- I wanted more romance (fingers crossed for book two!)
- Viv is really cocksure, which… slay, she should be! But at times her need to do it all herself got a little furstating. I liked the overall character arc but I wanted to get there a little faster.
- slow to build plot. Appropriate for book one in a series but i’m an impatient person.
🌶️- open door, only a couple scenes.
| IG | TikTok |
Thank you Berkley for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
What the actual f- was that ending?!
How are you going to do that to us?! I still have so many questions!
Also I'm confident my theory will come true and really wanted to find out BEFORE the book was over but noooooooooo. Book 2 cannot come soon enough!
This was a fun read! The romance + tension + emotions are where this author shines (imho) and because of that I’m slightly disappointed the romance wasn’t a stronger plot point BUT it’s the first book in a series so hopefully we’ll get a bit more of that magic in book 2!
Whats to love…
- dark academia
- urban fantasy
- hunter FMC + demon MMC romantic subplot
- sllllllloooooooooooowwwwww burn
- found family
- CLIFFHANGER + shocking reveals
- interesting world + magic
What didn’t work for me but might work for you…
- I wanted more romance (fingers crossed for book two!)
- Viv is really cocksure, which… slay, she should be! But at times her need to do it all herself got a little furstating. I liked the overall character arc but I wanted to get there a little faster.
- slow to build plot. Appropriate for book one in a series but i’m an impatient person.
🌶️- open door, only a couple scenes.
| IG | TikTok |
Thank you Berkley for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
June 11, 2025
This is the urban fantasy / dark academia book this Buffy fangirl has been waiting for her all life. The Harker Academy series is now officially my newest obsession. (Also, Reid?? Can we please talk about REID?? In 5-7 business days that is, I’m still recovering).
January 22, 2026
Can confirm I would have let Reid Graveheart eat my soul approximately 500 times without a second thought. Who needs one of those things anyway.
KPOP Demon Hunters x Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac x Crescent City in the best possible ways. Half City was a fresh new take on academic urban fantasy and I had the best time with this.
- demon x demon hunter
- professor x student
- urban fantasy
- academic setting
- secret society and mystery
- found family
- single POV
- first book in a series
If you absolutely loved the chaotic “beating the crap out of everyone in the name of education” class sessions of Professor Xaden Riorson mixed with the broody “forced to be a professor” bullying of students like Professor Lance Orion you will EATTTTT demon boy Reid Graveheart up like he’s a 5 course dinner buffet.
Our FMC Viv is a bad ass martyr demon hunter who puts everyone she loves before herself always. She lives a double life of protecting her city from demons and deviants that society does not even know exists. She stumbles across a school that specializes in training demon hunters just like her and gets caught in the middle of a web of evil. I LOVED her and I laughed outloud several times at her internal monologue and banter between characters.
As someone who usually isn’t a big fan of urban fantasy, everything about this worked for me. I could not have loved this more. I was so intrigued by the rich world building and the mystery of it all. I loved the characters and the layers to all of them. The friend group was adorable. I read 60% of this book in one sitting. I could not peel my eyes away.
The ending plot twists truly shocked me and I really don’t know where this is going to be headed. All I know is I WILL be reading it.
Thank you to Ace / Berkeley Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC.
KPOP Demon Hunters x Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac x Crescent City in the best possible ways. Half City was a fresh new take on academic urban fantasy and I had the best time with this.
- demon x demon hunter
- professor x student
- urban fantasy
- academic setting
- secret society and mystery
- found family
- single POV
- first book in a series
If you absolutely loved the chaotic “beating the crap out of everyone in the name of education” class sessions of Professor Xaden Riorson mixed with the broody “forced to be a professor” bullying of students like Professor Lance Orion you will EATTTTT demon boy Reid Graveheart up like he’s a 5 course dinner buffet.
Our FMC Viv is a bad ass martyr demon hunter who puts everyone she loves before herself always. She lives a double life of protecting her city from demons and deviants that society does not even know exists. She stumbles across a school that specializes in training demon hunters just like her and gets caught in the middle of a web of evil. I LOVED her and I laughed outloud several times at her internal monologue and banter between characters.
As someone who usually isn’t a big fan of urban fantasy, everything about this worked for me. I could not have loved this more. I was so intrigued by the rich world building and the mystery of it all. I loved the characters and the layers to all of them. The friend group was adorable. I read 60% of this book in one sitting. I could not peel my eyes away.
The ending plot twists truly shocked me and I really don’t know where this is going to be headed. All I know is I WILL be reading it.
Thank you to Ace / Berkeley Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC.
October 19, 2025
KATE GOLDEN WHEN I CATCH YOU
stunning beautiful perfect i’m at a loss for words for how much i loved this — rtc 😭
stunning beautiful perfect i’m at a loss for words for how much i loved this — rtc 😭
October 17, 2025
And the world may be on the verge of ending, but I have just started to live knowing him.
NO BECAUSE THE WAY MY JAW JUST DROPPED SO MANY TIMES IN THE LAST 25%??????????? LIKE HELLO OH MY??? THE POTENTIAL THIS SERIES HAS AND I AM SOOO HERE FOR IT. I NEED BOOK 2 ASAP.
Kate Golden you have officially ensnared me completely!!!! Like I was already hyped before reading Half City because the premise sounded amazing and now having read it???? Even better than I imagined oh my god. The world building? Literal perfection, I'm obsessed and need more. Characters? The way I would die for most of them!!! Plot? UM YES I AM HOOKED AND HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS. Genuinely though... every part of this book was written so well, I have a new obsession guys.
From page 1, I immediately fell in love with Viv's character and oh the things she went through!!! The way we see Viv struggling to balance her two lives--Viv the regular 22 year old and Viv the hunter--felt so realistic and its such a prominent theme in this book. Two completely different lives with very different people like omg watching her juggle all of that was stressing ME out?? Though I also just wanted to give her a hug because wow she really had to deal with so much😭 Especially so many frustrating people!!!!! But also seriously, I adored her character so much. Her anger, fierceness, loyalty, and love for others, oh Viv you absolute queen. I am her #1 supporter.
In terms of the romance, I don't want to spoil too much on it but let's just say a certain thing happened in a certain scene that has me like YES THEM!!! I'm so obsessed, the potential for the romance in this series??‼️
Side characters!! Oh my gosh genuinely how did Kate make me love them all SO much??? Penny is a sweetheart and I can't wait to see more of her next book. She's such a cinammon roll and needs to be protected at all costs!! And Sophia?? Another queen! She made me laugh so many times and I love her strength and confidence. Viv, Sophia, and Penny would make such a beautiful friendship trio, I need more of them together too. And then Kitty, Peter, and Elliot!!! They each had such distinct personalities and are so lovable like why was their friendship literally so wholesome??😭 The group hangouts especially omg. The bonding between all of these characters was written so well, like I will be genuinely devastated if anything happens to any of them (PETER ESPECIALLY, HE'S TOO SWEET TO BE KILLED) (AND PENNY TOO) (AND SOPHIA) (BASICALLY ALL OF THEM)
Also the plot??? Genuinely, I was so addicted and had SO MANY QUESTIONS. The amount of guesses I made that were so off too??? LOL though that's nothing really new, I'm not usually good at predicting plot twists, but it was so fun coming up with theories!! Especially with others while reading like that made the experience reading 10000x better. BUT OKAY THE LAST 25% WAS JUST PLOT TWIST AFTER PLOT TWIST I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. I want to scream about it allll in this review but really don't want to give anything away so all I'll do is vaguely mention one reveal I loved: .
I am so beyond excited for book 2. I will be absolutely insufferable about this book. Everyone needs to add Half City to their TBR, or else!
Okay also actually I do want to freak out vaguely about something, and I will hide it under spoilers but it will still be very vague!
Crying, can it be 2027 already????
Eternal thanks to the author and publisher for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!!
February 22, 2026
5 stars
Amazing book! Loved it so much! I wanted to read this so bad but it wasn't published yet. I FINALLY got to read it, and it was amazing!
Amazing book! Loved it so much! I wanted to read this so bad but it wasn't published yet. I FINALLY got to read it, and it was amazing!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Happy Release Day!!
2.75 stars
Oh man, this was so frustrating.
I'll start off by saying the world was really interesting and had a lot of potential. And I enjoyed the side characters and everything they were bringing to the table in this story.
But oh my god, I don't know if I have hated an FMC more. She was incredibly frustrating and I also saw no viable reasons for her to be the romantic interest. She has zero impulse control (which is attempted to be explained away, but she has had more than enough time in her life to try and adjust and not give herself away), she is kind of a B to people for no reason, and she is arrogant when she probably shouldn't be.
And the MMC had a lot of potential, but I had my issues with him too. A lot of "you can do that, it's not safe, and I need you to be safe." Good intentions, but I think we are all quite over that mentality after Tamlin.
And I'm pretty sure this was supposed to be adult? But it did not read that way at all. It read like kids TRYING to be adult and not really succeeding at all.
This was a real bummer. I was excited for this one, especially since I really enjoyed Kate's other series, The Sacred Stones. But this did not hit for me 😔
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
2.75 stars
Oh man, this was so frustrating.
I'll start off by saying the world was really interesting and had a lot of potential. And I enjoyed the side characters and everything they were bringing to the table in this story.
But oh my god, I don't know if I have hated an FMC more. She was incredibly frustrating and I also saw no viable reasons for her to be the romantic interest. She has zero impulse control (which is attempted to be explained away, but she has had more than enough time in her life to try and adjust and not give herself away), she is kind of a B to people for no reason, and she is arrogant when she probably shouldn't be.
And the MMC had a lot of potential, but I had my issues with him too. A lot of "you can do that, it's not safe, and I need you to be safe." Good intentions, but I think we are all quite over that mentality after Tamlin.
And I'm pretty sure this was supposed to be adult? But it did not read that way at all. It read like kids TRYING to be adult and not really succeeding at all.
This was a real bummer. I was excited for this one, especially since I really enjoyed Kate's other series, The Sacred Stones. But this did not hit for me 😔
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
February 20, 2026
4.5⭐️ I had SO MUCH FUN with this book!!!! And the audiobook was so well done too - I HAVE SO MANY THEORIES!!!
Is this the most advanced writing, complex plot/characters or groundbreaking book I’ve ever read? No- but that’s not the purpose of a FUN book like this. PURE ENTERTAINMENT and I loved every second of it!!! It felt so nostalgic with college Hogwarts & Buffy vibes while still feeling modern with the banter/setting. Sometimes I struggle with a fantasy book set on Earth, but THIS worked for me because of the execution. Love!!!!!
I NEED BOOK 2 WTF was that ending!!!
Is this the most advanced writing, complex plot/characters or groundbreaking book I’ve ever read? No- but that’s not the purpose of a FUN book like this. PURE ENTERTAINMENT and I loved every second of it!!! It felt so nostalgic with college Hogwarts & Buffy vibes while still feeling modern with the banter/setting. Sometimes I struggle with a fantasy book set on Earth, but THIS worked for me because of the execution. Love!!!!!
I NEED BOOK 2 WTF was that ending!!!
February 26, 2026
If you’re craving magic with a little grit under its fingernails, Half City by Kate Golden absolutely delivers.
Set in a fractured, ravine-torn version of New York City, this fantasy romance feels darker and moodier than your typical academy story. The world has that urban decay, back-alley magic, secret-society energy that makes everything feel just a little dangerous. It’s giving sexy Harry Potter vibes — complete with dormitories, long trestle dining tables, and that intoxicating sense of being initiated into something ancient and powerful — but with a much more adult edge.
And listen… if you ever loved the simmering professor/student tension in Vampire Academy, you are going to eat this up. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Viv and Reid is tortured, sharp, and full of witty, slightly edgy banter. Their push-and-pull is one of the strongest parts of the book — you can feel the restraint, the curiosity, the slow unraveling of walls on both sides.
That said, I did end up taking off one star because the physical shift in Viv and Reid’s relationship felt a little sudden to me. The emotional tension had been building so beautifully that when things escalated physically, it felt slightly out of sync with the pacing and pulled me out of the story for a hot minute.
But that ending? That cliffhanger?? Absolutely criminal in the best way. I closed the book, both satisfied and slightly betrayed because... 'WHERE WAS HE?!'— which is exactly how a good fantasy romance series should leave you.
Overall: moody magic, dangerous tension, academy vibes with a grown-up edge, and a sequel I will absolutely be devouring the second it drops. ✨
**Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR🖤
Follow me on Instagram for honest reviews, bookish freebies & giveaways! 🖤
Set in a fractured, ravine-torn version of New York City, this fantasy romance feels darker and moodier than your typical academy story. The world has that urban decay, back-alley magic, secret-society energy that makes everything feel just a little dangerous. It’s giving sexy Harry Potter vibes — complete with dormitories, long trestle dining tables, and that intoxicating sense of being initiated into something ancient and powerful — but with a much more adult edge.
And listen… if you ever loved the simmering professor/student tension in Vampire Academy, you are going to eat this up. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Viv and Reid is tortured, sharp, and full of witty, slightly edgy banter. Their push-and-pull is one of the strongest parts of the book — you can feel the restraint, the curiosity, the slow unraveling of walls on both sides.
That said, I did end up taking off one star because the physical shift in Viv and Reid’s relationship felt a little sudden to me. The emotional tension had been building so beautifully that when things escalated physically, it felt slightly out of sync with the pacing and pulled me out of the story for a hot minute.
But that ending? That cliffhanger?? Absolutely criminal in the best way. I closed the book, both satisfied and slightly betrayed because... 'WHERE WAS HE?!'— which is exactly how a good fantasy romance series should leave you.
Overall: moody magic, dangerous tension, academy vibes with a grown-up edge, and a sequel I will absolutely be devouring the second it drops. ✨
**Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR🖤
Follow me on Instagram for honest reviews, bookish freebies & giveaways! 🖤
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February 25, 2026I’m on BookTube now! =)
I love that Kate wrote an urban fantasy story about a demon hunter!
When I heard that this book exists I pushed that ARC request button like nobody’s business! *lol*
This sounds so good and gives me “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and dark academia vibes.
Which means I just couldn’t resist to pick it up!
I’m so here for this and I’ve enjoyed all of Kate’s other books, so I’m convinced "Half City" will be great, too! =)
Let’s do this! I'm ready! Are you?
Find me on:
My Blog
Instagram
I love that Kate wrote an urban fantasy story about a demon hunter!
When I heard that this book exists I pushed that ARC request button like nobody’s business! *lol*
This sounds so good and gives me “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and dark academia vibes.
Which means I just couldn’t resist to pick it up!
I’m so here for this and I’ve enjoyed all of Kate’s other books, so I’m convinced "Half City" will be great, too! =)
Let’s do this! I'm ready! Are you?
Find me on:
My Blog
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