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Half
Living between worlds has never been comfortable, but it’s where I’ve always fit: between human and fey, illness and health, magic and reality.
I’ve spent the last six years looking for a cure for the nameless sickness eating me up. If I believed there was one out there, I would keep searching. But there isn’t, so I’ve come back home, where my past and present tangle. Come home to live . . . and to die.
But my father insists I meet Kin. He’s a healer, and determined to help, even though I’m not so hopeful anymore. But Kin isn’t what I expected, in any way. He sees me, not my illness. He reminds me of what it’s like to be alive. And I can’t help falling for him, even though I know it isn’t fair to either of us.
Kin thinks he has the cure I’ve been looking for, but it’s a cure that will change everything: me, my life, my heart. If I refuse, I could lose Kin. But if I take it, I might lose myself.
I’ve spent the last six years looking for a cure for the nameless sickness eating me up. If I believed there was one out there, I would keep searching. But there isn’t, so I’ve come back home, where my past and present tangle. Come home to live . . . and to die.
But my father insists I meet Kin. He’s a healer, and determined to help, even though I’m not so hopeful anymore. But Kin isn’t what I expected, in any way. He sees me, not my illness. He reminds me of what it’s like to be alive. And I can’t help falling for him, even though I know it isn’t fair to either of us.
Kin thinks he has the cure I’ve been looking for, but it’s a cure that will change everything: me, my life, my heart. If I refuse, I could lose Kin. But if I take it, I might lose myself.
287 pages, ebook
First published February 13, 2017
8 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Eli Lang
9 books13 followersEli Lang is a writer, drummer, and origami enthusiast. She lives in Arizona with too many pets and too many books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
February 13, 2017
*** Happy Release Day ***
This book was somehow nothing like I expected. I thought I was getting some cool paranormal romance and that would be all and that would be good. Half is so much more, though. So much so that I think paranormal romance as a genre description is kinda misleading. I mean, it’s all there in the blurb, really. I dunno why I missed it ;-)
However, Half definitely is a great romance, and I’ll come to the paranormal aspect in a minute, but what it foremost is is a story about living and loving despite outer circumstances; despite being sick, despite an insecure future, despite dying.
How do you deal with that? If you are the one being sick? If you love someone who is? Do you think you deserve to love someone? Do you think you are selfish? Do you dare to love if you know you will be hurt or will hurt the one you love?
Now imagine there might be a cure. Would you take it? No matter the consequences? No matter what you might lose? Would you decide for your own sake or for the one that you love?
Half is a very quiet book, a slow book, that makes you think and reflect. You’ll feel empathy and you’ll gain understanding, too. I think it’s an important book as well; for me, for everyone, for those who need to be seen in their struggle with life.
I wondered for a long time how everything would play out. I had my preferences, my doubts. I couldn’t understand in the beginning why Luca even had to consider taking the possible cure or not. And here, I think, the paranormal both has its advantages and disadvantages. I mean, we’ve read and watched it all. Immortality… Who wouldn’t want that? It’s only a game, right? Well, it isn’t. And here’s where Half is real and not a fairy tale, despite being set in one. It took me a while to figure it out, to accept that this wasn’t simple. I really, really like and appreciate how the story developed, and I really love that I had to think and wonder while reading, too, that I could take what was given me and work with it.
The romance between Luca and Kin is really sweet. Nestled in between the world of the fey and also the pondering about curing Luca’s illness, their love feels otherworldly and in parts surreal. The strong connection they share so quickly… It’s… It fits, though. The whole book has a very unique feel and vibe, so why not the romance as well?
The story is quite descriptive and paints a beautiful picture, but it also feels a little heavy and full, important. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like it. The narration style is very distinct and also admirable, brave.
For example, I don’t think the protagonists’ sexual identity plays any role in this book whatsoever. I couldn’t even tell whether they are gay or bi or other.
I am also really, really, like REALLY, impressed with the fey that the author created. I think I could tell you tons of stuff. How they live, how they look, and what they like and what not. What kind of different races there are, and what makes them different and other than human. However, the most amazing thing is that this information wasn’t dumped on me or anything, no, it’s something I acquired naturally while reading. And *smile*, I think they are weird and charming.
There are some secondary characters in the book and I especially like Luka’s relationship to his half-sister Saben, because it has a lot of depths. It’s lovely how they reconnect after being apart for so long and how they both struggle to work on something more.
Now that I have written the title a thousand times, I want to shortly mention that Half also is about finding your place when you feel you belong neither here nor there, when you’re torn between two halves, two worlds. For me, this enhances Luka as a character and makes him more than his illness. He’s half human, half fey; neither a whole part of the one world, nor of the other. What he is, though, and that is what counts, is a unique being who is content in the end with who he is and what he has.
This book had me thinking and reflecting and I enjoyed very much that it was so unusual. I would hope you’ll give this book a chance and let yourself experience and feel something special. For a debut novel, Half is absolutely great and I hope it will be well received and that the author is already writing many more stories. We can’t have enough authors who bring a new touch to the genre.
___________________
Genre: Romance, Paranormal
Tags: M/M Pairing, Illness, Fey
Rating: 4.5 stars
Blog: Review for Just Love
Disclosure: ARC for Review
This book was somehow nothing like I expected. I thought I was getting some cool paranormal romance and that would be all and that would be good. Half is so much more, though. So much so that I think paranormal romance as a genre description is kinda misleading. I mean, it’s all there in the blurb, really. I dunno why I missed it ;-)
However, Half definitely is a great romance, and I’ll come to the paranormal aspect in a minute, but what it foremost is is a story about living and loving despite outer circumstances; despite being sick, despite an insecure future, despite dying.
How do you deal with that? If you are the one being sick? If you love someone who is? Do you think you deserve to love someone? Do you think you are selfish? Do you dare to love if you know you will be hurt or will hurt the one you love?
Now imagine there might be a cure. Would you take it? No matter the consequences? No matter what you might lose? Would you decide for your own sake or for the one that you love?
Half is a very quiet book, a slow book, that makes you think and reflect. You’ll feel empathy and you’ll gain understanding, too. I think it’s an important book as well; for me, for everyone, for those who need to be seen in their struggle with life.
I wondered for a long time how everything would play out. I had my preferences, my doubts. I couldn’t understand in the beginning why Luca even had to consider taking the possible cure or not. And here, I think, the paranormal both has its advantages and disadvantages. I mean, we’ve read and watched it all. Immortality… Who wouldn’t want that? It’s only a game, right? Well, it isn’t. And here’s where Half is real and not a fairy tale, despite being set in one. It took me a while to figure it out, to accept that this wasn’t simple. I really, really like and appreciate how the story developed, and I really love that I had to think and wonder while reading, too, that I could take what was given me and work with it.
The romance between Luca and Kin is really sweet. Nestled in between the world of the fey and also the pondering about curing Luca’s illness, their love feels otherworldly and in parts surreal. The strong connection they share so quickly… It’s… It fits, though. The whole book has a very unique feel and vibe, so why not the romance as well?
[It’s] an escape, for a moment. A place that made them feel safe and at peace and a little dazzled.
The story is quite descriptive and paints a beautiful picture, but it also feels a little heavy and full, important. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like it. The narration style is very distinct and also admirable, brave.
For example, I don’t think the protagonists’ sexual identity plays any role in this book whatsoever. I couldn’t even tell whether they are gay or bi or other.
I am also really, really, like REALLY, impressed with the fey that the author created. I think I could tell you tons of stuff. How they live, how they look, and what they like and what not. What kind of different races there are, and what makes them different and other than human. However, the most amazing thing is that this information wasn’t dumped on me or anything, no, it’s something I acquired naturally while reading. And *smile*, I think they are weird and charming.
No one says hello at a fey party. There’s no small talk. There’s only dancing or kissing or strange conversations that go in circles and mean nothing.
There are some secondary characters in the book and I especially like Luka’s relationship to his half-sister Saben, because it has a lot of depths. It’s lovely how they reconnect after being apart for so long and how they both struggle to work on something more.
Now that I have written the title a thousand times, I want to shortly mention that Half also is about finding your place when you feel you belong neither here nor there, when you’re torn between two halves, two worlds. For me, this enhances Luka as a character and makes him more than his illness. He’s half human, half fey; neither a whole part of the one world, nor of the other. What he is, though, and that is what counts, is a unique being who is content in the end with who he is and what he has.
This book had me thinking and reflecting and I enjoyed very much that it was so unusual. I would hope you’ll give this book a chance and let yourself experience and feel something special. For a debut novel, Half is absolutely great and I hope it will be well received and that the author is already writing many more stories. We can’t have enough authors who bring a new touch to the genre.
___________________
Genre: Romance, Paranormal
Tags: M/M Pairing, Illness, Fey
Rating: 4.5 stars
Blog: Review for Just Love
Disclosure: ARC for Review
March 22, 2017
DNF @ 38%.
I hate not finishing review books, but this book has given me absolutely NO reason to care about anyone or anything.
The story itself is interesting, but the romance is complete instalove. I know nothing about the characters, but they love pining over each other.
The author tried to avoid info dumps by starting the story before giving me background info, but all it did was make me confused and unattached to any of the characters.
MC has NO personality. He just keeps talking about Fey and pining over Kin. Instead of actual plot, large stretches of the book were devoted to descriptions.
I received a copy of this through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity!
I hate not finishing review books, but this book has given me absolutely NO reason to care about anyone or anything.
The story itself is interesting, but the romance is complete instalove. I know nothing about the characters, but they love pining over each other.
The author tried to avoid info dumps by starting the story before giving me background info, but all it did was make me confused and unattached to any of the characters.
MC has NO personality. He just keeps talking about Fey and pining over Kin. Instead of actual plot, large stretches of the book were devoted to descriptions.
I received a copy of this through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity!
February 4, 2017
4.5 Stars
Beautiful, deeply emotional and offbeat contemporary paranormal/fantasy book that says a lot about life, love, and humanity, one that felt so extraordinarily personal to me as I read.
Perhaps different to what readers may be expecting, because it was different to what I thought it may be, although the synopsis is spot on. That cover, that cover is perfection.
In depth review on the blog -
http://ontopdownunderbookreviews.com/...
Beautiful, deeply emotional and offbeat contemporary paranormal/fantasy book that says a lot about life, love, and humanity, one that felt so extraordinarily personal to me as I read.
Perhaps different to what readers may be expecting, because it was different to what I thought it may be, although the synopsis is spot on. That cover, that cover is perfection.
In depth review on the blog -
http://ontopdownunderbookreviews.com/...
February 25, 2017
This started out as a four star read but ended up with two stars. I hate to critcise books too harshly but it was just far too long. The content of the story stretched and stretched and in the end it felt far too thin and incredibly boring.
And this is a shame because the writing is beautiful and poignant. The story has a haunting feel to it with the fey and their other way of being, and how they exist on the margins of human life.
Luca is half fey and half human, but something is making him ill and killing him. His father who is also fey sent him away to find a cure but he has returned home, prehaps to eventually die. He is now distant from his sister and lives a life of loneliness on the margins of both fey and human worlds. Then he meets Kin who might have a cure but this cure has side effects and Luca might not want to take a chance.
The world building was creative and I enjoyed reading about the fey. The story focuses on Luca and his relationship with Kin. It shows how their love and attraction for each other deepens but as it does so the question of a cure becomes more acute and challenging. The story also focuses on the realtionship between Luca and his sister and a kind of healing is needed here as well.
The entire story revolves around the 'will he or won't he ' try this cure. And after a while the question began to grate because nothing happened. The entire story is focused on the emotional side, exploring the deep feelings of all the characters but it lacked action.
So by the end, despite the beautiful prose, I had enough. It was getting tedious. Great writing, not so great story. Alas.
Copy provided by Riptide Publishing via Netgalley.
And this is a shame because the writing is beautiful and poignant. The story has a haunting feel to it with the fey and their other way of being, and how they exist on the margins of human life.
Luca is half fey and half human, but something is making him ill and killing him. His father who is also fey sent him away to find a cure but he has returned home, prehaps to eventually die. He is now distant from his sister and lives a life of loneliness on the margins of both fey and human worlds. Then he meets Kin who might have a cure but this cure has side effects and Luca might not want to take a chance.
The world building was creative and I enjoyed reading about the fey. The story focuses on Luca and his relationship with Kin. It shows how their love and attraction for each other deepens but as it does so the question of a cure becomes more acute and challenging. The story also focuses on the realtionship between Luca and his sister and a kind of healing is needed here as well.
The entire story revolves around the 'will he or won't he ' try this cure. And after a while the question began to grate because nothing happened. The entire story is focused on the emotional side, exploring the deep feelings of all the characters but it lacked action.
So by the end, despite the beautiful prose, I had enough. It was getting tedious. Great writing, not so great story. Alas.
Copy provided by Riptide Publishing via Netgalley.
November 27, 2017
This was bittersweet but also beautiful. I liked it a lot. The story in set in our world but there are many fae creatures that live among us. Luca is an oddity. He's half human and half fae. As a result he's very ill. Something in his Fae half does not work right and that blood is poisoning his human half. Luca has spent several years wandering around the world looking for a cure. He hasn't been able to find one so he comes home to live his last years out.
His father and sister are full Fae and they want him to see Kin, a healer who is a mix himself (but of a different kind). Luca has pretty much given up home but he goes to see Kin anyways. The attraction between the two men is instant. They begin spending time together and fall for each other. Along the way they try to deal with Luca's physical problems and when Kin comes up with a possible cure they have to deal with the fallout. They get together pretty quickly and often I have problems with that in my books but in this one it really worked for me. They both know from the beginning that their time might be limited and they embrace what they have right away.
I'll say right now that this book is probably going to be a love or hate kind of book for many readers. It's a serious read with a very melancholy tone to it. The book is an ongoing discussion of death and dying, grief and love, and quality of life. I know the topic will be too heavy for some but I loved it. I work with terminally ill people and the discussions that Luca & Kin have are things I see every day. We don't do death very well here in the US and so many want to do every last thing medically possible for their loved one but somewhere along the way they lose sight of who their loved one used to be. The person that they were. Sometimes people will go against that person's wishes and keep just a shell of them alive. That's how their grief works. I LOVED how this author tackles this issue. How she lets Luca find a voice for himself. How she lets the others be angry but then accepting. I especially loved how she didn't take the easy way out and give Luca a magical solution that fixed everything.
This is the first time I've read this author and I thought her writing was beautiful. It's lyrical and haunting in places. She set the tone for this book so well. I tabbed a bunch of places where I thought passages were especially well done.
I really recommend this if you're looking for something outside of the box. This is a beautiful love story but does not fit the style of a typical romance. The topic is heavy but again, I thought parts were really beautiful.
**Review copy provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
His father and sister are full Fae and they want him to see Kin, a healer who is a mix himself (but of a different kind). Luca has pretty much given up home but he goes to see Kin anyways. The attraction between the two men is instant. They begin spending time together and fall for each other. Along the way they try to deal with Luca's physical problems and when Kin comes up with a possible cure they have to deal with the fallout. They get together pretty quickly and often I have problems with that in my books but in this one it really worked for me. They both know from the beginning that their time might be limited and they embrace what they have right away.
I'll say right now that this book is probably going to be a love or hate kind of book for many readers. It's a serious read with a very melancholy tone to it. The book is an ongoing discussion of death and dying, grief and love, and quality of life. I know the topic will be too heavy for some but I loved it. I work with terminally ill people and the discussions that Luca & Kin have are things I see every day. We don't do death very well here in the US and so many want to do every last thing medically possible for their loved one but somewhere along the way they lose sight of who their loved one used to be. The person that they were. Sometimes people will go against that person's wishes and keep just a shell of them alive. That's how their grief works. I LOVED how this author tackles this issue. How she lets Luca find a voice for himself. How she lets the others be angry but then accepting. I especially loved how she didn't take the easy way out and give Luca a magical solution that fixed everything.
This is the first time I've read this author and I thought her writing was beautiful. It's lyrical and haunting in places. She set the tone for this book so well. I tabbed a bunch of places where I thought passages were especially well done.
I really recommend this if you're looking for something outside of the box. This is a beautiful love story but does not fit the style of a typical romance. The topic is heavy but again, I thought parts were really beautiful.
**Review copy provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
March 30, 2017
4.5 STARS
This is a fantastic, yet very different tale about the fey. The characters are brilliant, so is the writing and storyline and I throughly enjoyed it. It was a touch angsty in parts, but that's inline with the plot and understandable. The ending for me is why it lost half a star, it just ended too abruptly for me. I don’t need a HEA. I need to know what happened.
Eli Lang’s written a beautiful novel, but it’s left so open ended, with so much more to delve into aside from the main storyline that a very decent sequel is there for the taking with the amount of mystique left lying around, even a verse if she so chooses. She’s opened a door to a fascinating world and given it so much room she could actually write several novels about this amazing place. I hope she considers this. It's excellent
This is a fantastic, yet very different tale about the fey. The characters are brilliant, so is the writing and storyline and I throughly enjoyed it. It was a touch angsty in parts, but that's inline with the plot and understandable. The ending for me is why it lost half a star, it just ended too abruptly for me. I don’t need a HEA. I need to know what happened.
Eli Lang’s written a beautiful novel, but it’s left so open ended, with so much more to delve into aside from the main storyline that a very decent sequel is there for the taking with the amount of mystique left lying around, even a verse if she so chooses. She’s opened a door to a fascinating world and given it so much room she could actually write several novels about this amazing place. I hope she considers this. It's excellent
April 2, 2017
4 Stars for HALF!
HALF was good, but not at all what I was expecting. Lang's writing is usually full of suspense and exciting things, but HALF was slow and almost... poetic? There was no suspense. It was like floating down a river on your back, not worrying about the next page or what's going to happen when you finish the book. It was... relaxing. And I happened to like that.
I was sold on this book the minute I read the blurb. Fey? Yes. Count me in. But this book is unlike any other book I've ever read about Fey. Lang took the conventional idea of what they should be and twisted it to create something new and a little different. Luca, the main character in HALF, was (unsurprisingly) half fey and half human. I connected with him from page one. He was the misfit that was stuck between two very different worlds and didn't really belong to either one of them, and to make matters even worse, he was sick and dying.
And Lang never lets you forget that. The entire tone of the book is kind of melancholy and sad. The blue tones of the cover represent that very well. Despite this book being more than a little sad and depressing, there were also moments that made me laugh and smile. Luca and Kin were a match made in heaven. They were both a little distanced from society and a lot weird.
The love that Kin had for Luca was sometimes hard to see because the interactions between them weren't outright romantic and they were rarely actually affectionate. HALF was not a romance novel, it was a novel about Luca finding himself at a time in his life where he feels like there isn't much hope. Kin just so happened to be a part of that.
I loved reading this book. The style was much different than I expected from Lang, but it was a welcome surprise. I would definitely recommend it to other M/M readers, as long as you're not afraid of a few tears and a little sadness.
Reviewed by Jordan at Alpha Book Club.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the author or the publisher in any way.
HALF was good, but not at all what I was expecting. Lang's writing is usually full of suspense and exciting things, but HALF was slow and almost... poetic? There was no suspense. It was like floating down a river on your back, not worrying about the next page or what's going to happen when you finish the book. It was... relaxing. And I happened to like that.
I was sold on this book the minute I read the blurb. Fey? Yes. Count me in. But this book is unlike any other book I've ever read about Fey. Lang took the conventional idea of what they should be and twisted it to create something new and a little different. Luca, the main character in HALF, was (unsurprisingly) half fey and half human. I connected with him from page one. He was the misfit that was stuck between two very different worlds and didn't really belong to either one of them, and to make matters even worse, he was sick and dying.
And Lang never lets you forget that. The entire tone of the book is kind of melancholy and sad. The blue tones of the cover represent that very well. Despite this book being more than a little sad and depressing, there were also moments that made me laugh and smile. Luca and Kin were a match made in heaven. They were both a little distanced from society and a lot weird.
The love that Kin had for Luca was sometimes hard to see because the interactions between them weren't outright romantic and they were rarely actually affectionate. HALF was not a romance novel, it was a novel about Luca finding himself at a time in his life where he feels like there isn't much hope. Kin just so happened to be a part of that.
I loved reading this book. The style was much different than I expected from Lang, but it was a welcome surprise. I would definitely recommend it to other M/M readers, as long as you're not afraid of a few tears and a little sadness.
Reviewed by Jordan at Alpha Book Club.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the author or the publisher in any way.
February 5, 2017
Full review to follow, because I have to get up in seven hours so I need to be in bed already. Quick thoughts: I enjoyed the concept of this and there was some cool worldbuilding, although I couldn't really keep track of all the different kinds of fey because they were used very differently to most of the folklore I'm familiar with. There were some very emotional moments, but I felt like some of the writing was weaker than it might have been. Still an engaging read, but not quite what it might have been for me personally.
---
This is a book about a terminally ill character who is half-fey and lives in a world populated at least as much by magic as by humanity. His theory is that his fey heritage and his human heritage are somehow incompatible, and that's why he's sick. After he's been getting worse and worse, his family insist he talks to this guy called Kin, who is a different kind of healer. This being on my 'canon queer characters' shelf, you can probably already see where this is going -- Kin can't heal him, but they do fall in love, so it works out on one level.
As someone who is chronically ill and keen on fairies, there was a lot that I enjoyed about this book. While my health problems are thankfully not killing me (just making being alive somewhat painful), I could definitely empathise with Luca on his bad pain days when he talked about his aching joints and reluctance to move. I also enjoyed the magical aspect of the book, although I have to admit, I found Lang's approach to fairies and so on to be very unlike a lot of the folklore I've read and seen used in other books, and as a result, it was a bit tricky to keep all the different types of fairies straight in my head or to follow what the various terms were being used to mean in this context.
(I know what I mean when I use the term 'sidhe', but I couldn't figure out what it meant for Lang: a distinction of species, or of class, or what? It was a bit hard to pin down, though that might've been because my pre-existing knowledge was getting in the way and meaning I came to it with my own ideas.)
I have to admit, though, that the book didn't quite do for me what I'd hoped it might do. I didn't find the writing as convincing as I might have hoped, particularly where the romance was concerned -- it was a little bit too much like instalove for me, and was treated by the narrative as a foregone conclusion, which made it hard to see how it developed, which made it feel less authentic than it might have done.
It was a similar case with Luca's sister Saben. This was a relationship I was really interested in and would have liked to explore more, but I felt too much of it happened before the book began and was only hinted at, meaning what remained felt incomplete. Along with the terminology issues I was having with the fey, I felt I spent most of the first half of the book scrambling to keep up and put together the pieces of everybody's backstory, which were crucial to understanding them. It might have made sense to start the story a little earlier so that as readers, we could see more of that rather than having to guess at it.
My main problem, though, was more personal. One of the major themes of the book is Luca facing a decision whether to take a potential cure that Kin offers him, without knowing whether or not it will work but in the knowledge that if it does, he'll be immortal. I have to admit, it's probably my youth speaking when I say in his position I wouldn't have spent half a book agonising about that decision.
I've written enough immortal characters to know it isn't all it's cracked up to be, but I also know that being in pain all the time and unable to live your life, knowing that every day you're stuck in bed is one fewer days to achieve your dreams, sucks. It really, really sucks. If someone told me they had a cure and by the way it might make me immortal but nobody actually knows because it's a legend... well, I'd take it. After all, it's not like Luca knew for sure what would happen. To me, it would be worth the risk. For me, it wouldn't even be about not dying young, it would 100% be about having better quality of life in the meantime. For a character to be in pain that was so familiar and not to take every step to change that was odd to me.
Although I could understand Luca's position to a certain extent, I found myself taking Kin's point of view, not for selfish "but I love you and don't want to lose you" reasons or ideological "you have a responsibility to preserve your life" or whatever reasons, but simply because being in pain isn't something I'd choose for a day longer than I had to. This made for quite a frustrating read at times, and meant any of the scenes where he started debating it with himself dragged somewhat.
I realise for readers who don't have chronic pain, it might be easier to see his point of view, but frankly I couldn't make sense of a character whose pain was so relatable and yet whose reaction to it wasn't. Like I said, I think it's my youth showing; I'm too aware of growing up faster than I'd like without hitting the milestones I'd hoped to because my health got in the way. If someone offered me not only the chance to get better, but also more time, I'd leap at it.
Finally, I felt like some of the prose wasn't all that strong. There were some lovely moments, but other parts could have been more polished. It wouldn't have mattered if the characters and plot had been strong, but I don't think it helped me get into the story when I was finding it difficult.
That said, I still really like the concept of this book, and the fact that it's very casual about the queerness of the characters (the main m/m relationship isn't the only one), as if this isn't even slightly a concern or question in this setting. Also, despite the premise of having a terminally ill character, it still makes it onto the 'unbury your queers' shelf, even if one doesn't feel that would last too long beyond the end of the book.
---
This is a book about a terminally ill character who is half-fey and lives in a world populated at least as much by magic as by humanity. His theory is that his fey heritage and his human heritage are somehow incompatible, and that's why he's sick. After he's been getting worse and worse, his family insist he talks to this guy called Kin, who is a different kind of healer. This being on my 'canon queer characters' shelf, you can probably already see where this is going -- Kin can't heal him, but they do fall in love, so it works out on one level.
As someone who is chronically ill and keen on fairies, there was a lot that I enjoyed about this book. While my health problems are thankfully not killing me (just making being alive somewhat painful), I could definitely empathise with Luca on his bad pain days when he talked about his aching joints and reluctance to move. I also enjoyed the magical aspect of the book, although I have to admit, I found Lang's approach to fairies and so on to be very unlike a lot of the folklore I've read and seen used in other books, and as a result, it was a bit tricky to keep all the different types of fairies straight in my head or to follow what the various terms were being used to mean in this context.
(I know what I mean when I use the term 'sidhe', but I couldn't figure out what it meant for Lang: a distinction of species, or of class, or what? It was a bit hard to pin down, though that might've been because my pre-existing knowledge was getting in the way and meaning I came to it with my own ideas.)
I have to admit, though, that the book didn't quite do for me what I'd hoped it might do. I didn't find the writing as convincing as I might have hoped, particularly where the romance was concerned -- it was a little bit too much like instalove for me, and was treated by the narrative as a foregone conclusion, which made it hard to see how it developed, which made it feel less authentic than it might have done.
It was a similar case with Luca's sister Saben. This was a relationship I was really interested in and would have liked to explore more, but I felt too much of it happened before the book began and was only hinted at, meaning what remained felt incomplete. Along with the terminology issues I was having with the fey, I felt I spent most of the first half of the book scrambling to keep up and put together the pieces of everybody's backstory, which were crucial to understanding them. It might have made sense to start the story a little earlier so that as readers, we could see more of that rather than having to guess at it.
My main problem, though, was more personal. One of the major themes of the book is Luca facing a decision whether to take a potential cure that Kin offers him, without knowing whether or not it will work but in the knowledge that if it does, he'll be immortal. I have to admit, it's probably my youth speaking when I say in his position I wouldn't have spent half a book agonising about that decision.
I've written enough immortal characters to know it isn't all it's cracked up to be, but I also know that being in pain all the time and unable to live your life, knowing that every day you're stuck in bed is one fewer days to achieve your dreams, sucks. It really, really sucks. If someone told me they had a cure and by the way it might make me immortal but nobody actually knows because it's a legend... well, I'd take it. After all, it's not like Luca knew for sure what would happen. To me, it would be worth the risk. For me, it wouldn't even be about not dying young, it would 100% be about having better quality of life in the meantime. For a character to be in pain that was so familiar and not to take every step to change that was odd to me.
Although I could understand Luca's position to a certain extent, I found myself taking Kin's point of view, not for selfish "but I love you and don't want to lose you" reasons or ideological "you have a responsibility to preserve your life" or whatever reasons, but simply because being in pain isn't something I'd choose for a day longer than I had to. This made for quite a frustrating read at times, and meant any of the scenes where he started debating it with himself dragged somewhat.
I realise for readers who don't have chronic pain, it might be easier to see his point of view, but frankly I couldn't make sense of a character whose pain was so relatable and yet whose reaction to it wasn't. Like I said, I think it's my youth showing; I'm too aware of growing up faster than I'd like without hitting the milestones I'd hoped to because my health got in the way. If someone offered me not only the chance to get better, but also more time, I'd leap at it.
Finally, I felt like some of the prose wasn't all that strong. There were some lovely moments, but other parts could have been more polished. It wouldn't have mattered if the characters and plot had been strong, but I don't think it helped me get into the story when I was finding it difficult.
That said, I still really like the concept of this book, and the fact that it's very casual about the queerness of the characters (the main m/m relationship isn't the only one), as if this isn't even slightly a concern or question in this setting. Also, despite the premise of having a terminally ill character, it still makes it onto the 'unbury your queers' shelf, even if one doesn't feel that would last too long beyond the end of the book.
February 6, 2017
I was provided a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am at a loss as to how to review this book. It turned out the be nothing like I was expecting. I am left with the question: What was the point of this story? I don't truly know the answer, but it's possible the point is a few things. Luca is able to reconnect with his Fey sister, Saben, after Luca has been away for years searching for a cure for his illness. He and Saben were very close when Saben was a little girl, but when Luca left, they grew apart, especially since Saben is fully Fey and Luca is half Fey, half human. Another possible point is that one should never give up on finding love, even when the situation seems hopeless - don't give up.
Kin is a healer and he meets with Luca to see if there is anything that can be done. That's a long story that I won't go into as you should read about it on your own (if you choose to read this book). Amidst all this, Kin and Luca fall in love and Luca and Saben reconnect.
This is a well written story, however I am still at a loss as to what it really is telling me. The ending made things no clearer. I gave it 3 stars because the book is technically better than a 2 star rating, however if I am to rate it strictly on the "story" and not the writing itself, it would be closer to 2 stars, and that's because I am left with all these questions!!!! So many questions. This is a different book than I am used to and I can't wrap my mind around it. I doubt this will leave you with the warm and squishy's (is that a word?) at the end.
I am at a loss as to how to review this book. It turned out the be nothing like I was expecting. I am left with the question: What was the point of this story? I don't truly know the answer, but it's possible the point is a few things. Luca is able to reconnect with his Fey sister, Saben, after Luca has been away for years searching for a cure for his illness. He and Saben were very close when Saben was a little girl, but when Luca left, they grew apart, especially since Saben is fully Fey and Luca is half Fey, half human. Another possible point is that one should never give up on finding love, even when the situation seems hopeless - don't give up.
Kin is a healer and he meets with Luca to see if there is anything that can be done. That's a long story that I won't go into as you should read about it on your own (if you choose to read this book). Amidst all this, Kin and Luca fall in love and Luca and Saben reconnect.
This is a well written story, however I am still at a loss as to what it really is telling me. The ending made things no clearer. I gave it 3 stars because the book is technically better than a 2 star rating, however if I am to rate it strictly on the "story" and not the writing itself, it would be closer to 2 stars, and that's because I am left with all these questions!!!! So many questions. This is a different book than I am used to and I can't wrap my mind around it. I doubt this will leave you with the warm and squishy's (is that a word?) at the end.
March 1, 2017
I rather enjoyed this book, with a couple of caveats.
Things I liked:
The way the plot wrapped up. I felt like the story gave a lot of space to Luca, the MC with a disability who is offered a magical cure, to grapple with that decision, and I was very glad with the choice he made. The prose invokes a lot of questions of life, death, what we do with the time we have and how we love in the face of likely grief.
I really liked the prose for the most part. Lang has a deftness and an eye for detail and emotion.
I liked the placement of the story--Luca has spent years searching for a cure to his illness, and comes home when he doesn't find it. The rift in his relationship with his younger fey sister takes up a lot of emotional bandwith in the book, and I really appreciated that.
Luca and Kin as characters: I felt like both men had their quirks and their histories, and their romance was quiet and believable, especially in terms of how other factors (Luca's illness, primarily) affected them. I liked that the emotional conflict came from a really believable place, and that both of them were kind of assholes about it. The conflict felt justified, human in terms of its fallibility, and not manufactured for the purpose of the story.
Things I didn't like:
I felt like the worldbuilding rested a bit too much on inherited ideas of what an urban fantasy/fey world is and can be, which made it feel a bit thin and underdeveloped.
The pacing could have been tighter. I felt like we spend a lot of time in the back half of the book rehashing the same quandary without making any progress on it. While that does mirror my own experience of making large decisions, it was frustrating to read in quite such detail.
Kin's heritage. I really liked that he was Japanese but I didn't feel like his connection (or his mother's connection) with his heritage came through.
Not sure why we never met Luca's dad? We see a lot of Saben but it seems odd that he doesn't interact with their father at all.
The disability and potential magical cure felt generic. I could definitely appreciate the lack of a diagnosis or real treatment--that is in line with what many PWDs experience. However, it felt a bit forced that Luca would really be the only fey/human hybrid out there, and the only one to suffer this vague disease.
In all, I felt like this is a really promising book, and I'll definitely keep my eyes peeled for future work from this author. Many of my major problems with the book could have been addressed with a bit of a stronger editing pass, I think.
Things I liked:
The way the plot wrapped up. I felt like the story gave a lot of space to Luca, the MC with a disability who is offered a magical cure, to grapple with that decision, and I was very glad with the choice he made. The prose invokes a lot of questions of life, death, what we do with the time we have and how we love in the face of likely grief.
I really liked the prose for the most part. Lang has a deftness and an eye for detail and emotion.
I liked the placement of the story--Luca has spent years searching for a cure to his illness, and comes home when he doesn't find it. The rift in his relationship with his younger fey sister takes up a lot of emotional bandwith in the book, and I really appreciated that.
Luca and Kin as characters: I felt like both men had their quirks and their histories, and their romance was quiet and believable, especially in terms of how other factors (Luca's illness, primarily) affected them. I liked that the emotional conflict came from a really believable place, and that both of them were kind of assholes about it. The conflict felt justified, human in terms of its fallibility, and not manufactured for the purpose of the story.
Things I didn't like:
I felt like the worldbuilding rested a bit too much on inherited ideas of what an urban fantasy/fey world is and can be, which made it feel a bit thin and underdeveloped.
The pacing could have been tighter. I felt like we spend a lot of time in the back half of the book rehashing the same quandary without making any progress on it. While that does mirror my own experience of making large decisions, it was frustrating to read in quite such detail.
Kin's heritage. I really liked that he was Japanese but I didn't feel like his connection (or his mother's connection) with his heritage came through.
Not sure why we never met Luca's dad? We see a lot of Saben but it seems odd that he doesn't interact with their father at all.
The disability and potential magical cure felt generic. I could definitely appreciate the lack of a diagnosis or real treatment--that is in line with what many PWDs experience. However, it felt a bit forced that Luca would really be the only fey/human hybrid out there, and the only one to suffer this vague disease.
In all, I felt like this is a really promising book, and I'll definitely keep my eyes peeled for future work from this author. Many of my major problems with the book could have been addressed with a bit of a stronger editing pass, I think.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2017
3.5
Oh man, what to say about Half? It's absolutely, devastatingly, hauntingly beautiful. The writing and language in this book is amazingly poignant. The characters are similarly lovely. The dilemma the main character finds himself in, the decision he has to make and the effect it will have on the people he loves is a gripping one. And that final decision was the harder, certainly literarily rarer one and I appreciated that. I think it's one disabled readers should get to see more often.
However, it's basically insta-love, leading to insta-relationship, there isn't a lot to the plot considering how long the book is, and a lot seems to hinge on decisions of the past. It's also very slow. Slow in a contemplative way, not a boring way, but it's certainly not action packed. In a very real way I kind of felt like all the lush language got in the way of telling the story. It's evocative, but tended to stall the forward movement. I do look forward to more of Lang's writing though.
Oh man, what to say about Half? It's absolutely, devastatingly, hauntingly beautiful. The writing and language in this book is amazingly poignant. The characters are similarly lovely. The dilemma the main character finds himself in, the decision he has to make and the effect it will have on the people he loves is a gripping one. And that final decision was the harder, certainly literarily rarer one and I appreciated that. I think it's one disabled readers should get to see more often.
However, it's basically insta-love, leading to insta-relationship, there isn't a lot to the plot considering how long the book is, and a lot seems to hinge on decisions of the past. It's also very slow. Slow in a contemplative way, not a boring way, but it's certainly not action packed. In a very real way I kind of felt like all the lush language got in the way of telling the story. It's evocative, but tended to stall the forward movement. I do look forward to more of Lang's writing though.
February 17, 2017
Half by Eli Hang was nothing like I was expecting. I was enthusiastic as soon as I saw the cover and read the blurb. They caught my attention and I was intrigued by a new author. This is Eli Lang’s debut novel and I feel to say she did well.
Luca has travelled the world for years, looking for someone who is able to help him or just give him some answers about an unknown disease. Now that he has decided to finally stop, come back home and accept his illness, his father forces him to see a Japanese healer. Can Kin really help Luca?
There were a lot of elements I loved, first of all the general idea of the book, I found it interesting and I like to read about the fey world a lot. So I was conquered by the characters, the second ones too, especially Saben and Riyad, I would love to know more about these two beautiful souls. I liked the writing, it flew easily, and it was done just right to let me know the MCs feelings and fears. I liked the descriptive scenes, I was able to see the places through the words the author wrote. Yes, Half could have been to me a huge success.
I think I missed something because, although I was able to recognize and appreciate these great ingredients, the story fell a little short. It bored me quite a lot, I lost myself in the reading and not in a good way. Maybe because there were too many words, well put together and dreamy, still too many words and actually nothing real happened, it dragged till the end and I was disappointed.
That said I’m happy to have read Half by Eli Lang, it deserves the full three stars and I’m curious to see what the author will write in the future.
The cover art by G.D. Leigh is well done and very fitting, it caught my attention at first sight
Luca has travelled the world for years, looking for someone who is able to help him or just give him some answers about an unknown disease. Now that he has decided to finally stop, come back home and accept his illness, his father forces him to see a Japanese healer. Can Kin really help Luca?
There were a lot of elements I loved, first of all the general idea of the book, I found it interesting and I like to read about the fey world a lot. So I was conquered by the characters, the second ones too, especially Saben and Riyad, I would love to know more about these two beautiful souls. I liked the writing, it flew easily, and it was done just right to let me know the MCs feelings and fears. I liked the descriptive scenes, I was able to see the places through the words the author wrote. Yes, Half could have been to me a huge success.
I think I missed something because, although I was able to recognize and appreciate these great ingredients, the story fell a little short. It bored me quite a lot, I lost myself in the reading and not in a good way. Maybe because there were too many words, well put together and dreamy, still too many words and actually nothing real happened, it dragged till the end and I was disappointed.
That said I’m happy to have read Half by Eli Lang, it deserves the full three stars and I’m curious to see what the author will write in the future.
The cover art by G.D. Leigh is well done and very fitting, it caught my attention at first sight
February 26, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to like this story, but ultimately, there were a lot of things wrong with it.
Some pros:
The main characters were pretty likeable, the romance was cute, and there was no "magical cure" for the MC.
Negatives:
We have a Japanese main character, which is great except for a couple of problematic elements. The Japanese character is a yokai, which means he has some animalistic features- fins, scales, etc.-which wouldn't be an issue if it wasn't so fetishized. Every mention of this character sexually involved an over-fixation on these non-human features which was uncomfortable at best and extremely othering at worst. We also have a line where Luca (the MC) remarks that Kin "isn't Japanese" because he has an American accent. I can get into the whole thing about how rude it is to deny someone's heritage because they aren't physically from that country, but that's an issue for another time.
The story had a lot of potential in terms of plot, but instead it's just a circular romance. Luca tries to make amends with his sister, Luka fucks Kin, Luca has an attack from his generic-no-name illness, rinse and repeat. The illness isn't complex or well developed. It's basically just a stringing together of the most generic illness symptoms with no explanation or even treatments. We know next to nothing about how he copes with it (except unnamed herbs and tea) because the only real focus of the book is romance and some sibling platonic love. The book doesn't even care much for finding the cure as this is offered up toward the beginning of the book and the rest of it is spent with Luca debating whether or not to take it even though his decision was pretty clear from the get go.
Now for the real kicker. The cure: Luca has to eat the scales off of Kin's body to gain immortality and cure his illness. Besides the fact that this is pretty gross in and of itself, asking someone to commit to eternal life is pretty extreme especially since, by this story's lore, literally no one lives forever. Despite the ridiculousness of this request, Kin villainizes Luca for saying no and Luca's own sister tells him that Kin is in the right for doing so. It's ridiculous, it's victim blaming, and it really made me fall out of love with that ship really fast. The fact that Kin can't even sympathize with Luca's dilemma and blames him instantly saying he doesn't even want to be cured is just so aggressive and wrong, and the fact that it's written in a way that supposed to be romantic, "oh he just loves you so much and can't live without you" is kind of sickening.
Finally, the sex scenes felt awkward and inauthentic. I'm not a fan of sex scenes, so don't use this part as your tell all, but personally, they felt more like straight-sex than m/m sex probably should.
I really wanted to like this story, but ultimately, there were a lot of things wrong with it.
Some pros:
The main characters were pretty likeable, the romance was cute, and there was no "magical cure" for the MC.
Negatives:
We have a Japanese main character, which is great except for a couple of problematic elements. The Japanese character is a yokai, which means he has some animalistic features- fins, scales, etc.-which wouldn't be an issue if it wasn't so fetishized. Every mention of this character sexually involved an over-fixation on these non-human features which was uncomfortable at best and extremely othering at worst. We also have a line where Luca (the MC) remarks that Kin "isn't Japanese" because he has an American accent. I can get into the whole thing about how rude it is to deny someone's heritage because they aren't physically from that country, but that's an issue for another time.
The story had a lot of potential in terms of plot, but instead it's just a circular romance. Luca tries to make amends with his sister, Luka fucks Kin, Luca has an attack from his generic-no-name illness, rinse and repeat. The illness isn't complex or well developed. It's basically just a stringing together of the most generic illness symptoms with no explanation or even treatments. We know next to nothing about how he copes with it (except unnamed herbs and tea) because the only real focus of the book is romance and some sibling platonic love. The book doesn't even care much for finding the cure as this is offered up toward the beginning of the book and the rest of it is spent with Luca debating whether or not to take it even though his decision was pretty clear from the get go.
Now for the real kicker. The cure: Luca has to eat the scales off of Kin's body to gain immortality and cure his illness. Besides the fact that this is pretty gross in and of itself, asking someone to commit to eternal life is pretty extreme especially since, by this story's lore, literally no one lives forever. Despite the ridiculousness of this request, Kin villainizes Luca for saying no and Luca's own sister tells him that Kin is in the right for doing so. It's ridiculous, it's victim blaming, and it really made me fall out of love with that ship really fast. The fact that Kin can't even sympathize with Luca's dilemma and blames him instantly saying he doesn't even want to be cured is just so aggressive and wrong, and the fact that it's written in a way that supposed to be romantic, "oh he just loves you so much and can't live without you" is kind of sickening.
Finally, the sex scenes felt awkward and inauthentic. I'm not a fan of sex scenes, so don't use this part as your tell all, but personally, they felt more like straight-sex than m/m sex probably should.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2017
***I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
SUMMARY:
Luca is Half--part fey/sidhe, part human. For as long as he can remember, he's been sick as his fey blood and human blood battle for dominance. He's searched for a cute for years, but has finally resigned himself to living out his life with whatever time he has left. Until his father requests he visit a fey healer that he thinks may help.
Kin knows of a legend that could maybe possibly cure Luca's illness, but for the catch. Luca would become immortal.
Torn, Luca must decide whether he will try the cure or not.
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REVIEW:
3.25 stars
Overall, this story was fairly well done. The writing was eloquent without being pretentious. I was able to identify and empathize with the characters and the difficult choices they made in their lives and relationships.
I did, however, feel that the romance between Luca and Kin was a tad rushed. I understand the necessity of this for the sake of the story, but I believe that another chapter or two, doing more to build up the relationship, would have been beneficial. I tend to be more willing to accept instalove plotlines with mythological/SFF stories because I know it's a staple trope of the genre, but the connection here was too much too soon, and it was always in the back of my mind. "This is cute, but wow it's moving super quickly."
***SPOILERS***
I very much appreciated the fact that Luca ultimately didn't take the cure. Too often in stories of people with chronic illness/pain, they find some magical all-cure that makes everything all better. It's just not realistic and this trope can be ableist in how it's employed. So I'm glad Lang decided to write Luca rejecting the possible cure.
***END SPOILERS***
My favorite character was probably Saben, Luca's younger sister, and I would be interested to read more about her in the future.
SUMMARY:
Luca is Half--part fey/sidhe, part human. For as long as he can remember, he's been sick as his fey blood and human blood battle for dominance. He's searched for a cute for years, but has finally resigned himself to living out his life with whatever time he has left. Until his father requests he visit a fey healer that he thinks may help.
Kin knows of a legend that could maybe possibly cure Luca's illness, but for the catch. Luca would become immortal.
Torn, Luca must decide whether he will try the cure or not.
---------
REVIEW:
3.25 stars
Overall, this story was fairly well done. The writing was eloquent without being pretentious. I was able to identify and empathize with the characters and the difficult choices they made in their lives and relationships.
I did, however, feel that the romance between Luca and Kin was a tad rushed. I understand the necessity of this for the sake of the story, but I believe that another chapter or two, doing more to build up the relationship, would have been beneficial. I tend to be more willing to accept instalove plotlines with mythological/SFF stories because I know it's a staple trope of the genre, but the connection here was too much too soon, and it was always in the back of my mind. "This is cute, but wow it's moving super quickly."
***SPOILERS***
I very much appreciated the fact that Luca ultimately didn't take the cure. Too often in stories of people with chronic illness/pain, they find some magical all-cure that makes everything all better. It's just not realistic and this trope can be ableist in how it's employed. So I'm glad Lang decided to write Luca rejecting the possible cure.
***END SPOILERS***
My favorite character was probably Saben, Luca's younger sister, and I would be interested to read more about her in the future.
Want to read
February 16, 2017After looking at a review, I am actually more interested in reading this, because I learned that . I have never read a story with a similar plotline and I am hopeful about reading this book.
February 7, 2017
I have mixed feelings about this story. Review to follow
Read
February 19, 2017Review to come
February 6, 2017
I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
3 stars
Eli Lang is a new-to-me author. I wasn't sure what to expect after reading the blurb and deciding to read the story. After reading it from start to finish, I'm still unsure of what I read. I had a difficult time falling into the story, never truly connecting, and this has me feeling conflicted as I write my review.
With a slower pacing, without much of a set-up, I felt confused, as if dumped into the middle of a second book. The author does release some of the information in bits and pieces throughout the novel, but never enough to clear up the confusion. Not that Half has a complicated storyline, but the world-building is so piecemeal, I had a hard time connecting.
Well-written, a beautiful story, with an intriguing concept, Half never gripped me. It was an issue of not my cup of tea mixed with execution issues- the way the information was delivered.
Luca is half-fae, half-human. He's living with a terminal illness as his human side and fae side conflict within his DNA. Health failing, after scanning the world for help, Luca has given up all hope. However, his father hasn't, turning to Kin to find aid.
Luca, while having no hope of a real cure, connects with Kin, who is trying to cure him. The romance blooms quickly, instantly, between the two, with an edge of sadness. Luca has a conflict of conscience- take a cure, not knowing if it will work, with the risk of being immortal if it does. A large majority of the novel is spent with Luca contemplating this decision.
All in all, no matter how beautifully written, there wasn't much going on in the novel, with the exception with the confusing fae world-building. The story revolved around Luca's illness, his relationship with Kin, whether or not to take the cure, and family ties.
There was a great deal of description and flowery prose. While this gives off a beautiful, ethereal feel, I felt it bogged down the pacing, drawing out an already slow book. My reading style leans more toward a faster pace.
I do believe this book has an audience, which will highly appreciate it. However, I don't believe I am said audience.
3 stars
Eli Lang is a new-to-me author. I wasn't sure what to expect after reading the blurb and deciding to read the story. After reading it from start to finish, I'm still unsure of what I read. I had a difficult time falling into the story, never truly connecting, and this has me feeling conflicted as I write my review.
With a slower pacing, without much of a set-up, I felt confused, as if dumped into the middle of a second book. The author does release some of the information in bits and pieces throughout the novel, but never enough to clear up the confusion. Not that Half has a complicated storyline, but the world-building is so piecemeal, I had a hard time connecting.
Well-written, a beautiful story, with an intriguing concept, Half never gripped me. It was an issue of not my cup of tea mixed with execution issues- the way the information was delivered.
Luca is half-fae, half-human. He's living with a terminal illness as his human side and fae side conflict within his DNA. Health failing, after scanning the world for help, Luca has given up all hope. However, his father hasn't, turning to Kin to find aid.
Luca, while having no hope of a real cure, connects with Kin, who is trying to cure him. The romance blooms quickly, instantly, between the two, with an edge of sadness. Luca has a conflict of conscience- take a cure, not knowing if it will work, with the risk of being immortal if it does. A large majority of the novel is spent with Luca contemplating this decision.
All in all, no matter how beautifully written, there wasn't much going on in the novel, with the exception with the confusing fae world-building. The story revolved around Luca's illness, his relationship with Kin, whether or not to take the cure, and family ties.
There was a great deal of description and flowery prose. While this gives off a beautiful, ethereal feel, I felt it bogged down the pacing, drawing out an already slow book. My reading style leans more toward a faster pace.
I do believe this book has an audience, which will highly appreciate it. However, I don't believe I am said audience.
February 8, 2017
All I can say about Eli's debut novel is...wow.
It's deeply emotional and highly poetic. Luca is so very strong and very brave. Faced with an illness he or any doctor, human or fey alike, know nothing about or how to cure. The fact that this illness takes a toll on him both physically and mentally and yet he still searched all over the world shows a lot of courage. Even more so to accept that fate and prepare for the inevitable.
The relationship he has with his sister is an odd one. Seeing as she's full fey and has this way about her that seems aloof and uncaring, when in fact it's quite the opposite. Sabin just doesn't know how to approach Luca anymore, and she didn't know the extent of his illness until after he'd come back.
Luca is told about this special Japanese healer and is to meet with him to see what he has to say. Kin, a water fey, upon meeting Luca was about to refuse him, as he thought Luca was just some privalaged "royal" until a bought of his illness disrupts their meeting. After meeting Luca and seeing what he's going through and just getting to know him a bit, Kin is bound to try and find him a cure.
This story is pretty sad, kind of reminds me of A Walk to Remember, but with fey. I was crying on and off through at least the first 50%. The "cure" that Kin offers Luca is a very heavy one and Luca doesn't take this choice lightly. It's basically tearing him up. There's a lot of indecision at this point. Either Kin loses him early or he loses Kin later, much later, and then lives on. Only, it's not a guaranteed cure in the first place as it's just a myth. When I said Luca was brave before, by the end of the book I think so even more. It took a LOT of courage to make his choice, regardless of the outcome of losing Kin or not. I personally would have made the same choice.
Without death this life would not be a gift.
It was a very powerful thought, and I'm glad to have read this book. I will definitely be looking for this author in the future.
It's deeply emotional and highly poetic. Luca is so very strong and very brave. Faced with an illness he or any doctor, human or fey alike, know nothing about or how to cure. The fact that this illness takes a toll on him both physically and mentally and yet he still searched all over the world shows a lot of courage. Even more so to accept that fate and prepare for the inevitable.
The relationship he has with his sister is an odd one. Seeing as she's full fey and has this way about her that seems aloof and uncaring, when in fact it's quite the opposite. Sabin just doesn't know how to approach Luca anymore, and she didn't know the extent of his illness until after he'd come back.
Luca is told about this special Japanese healer and is to meet with him to see what he has to say. Kin, a water fey, upon meeting Luca was about to refuse him, as he thought Luca was just some privalaged "royal" until a bought of his illness disrupts their meeting. After meeting Luca and seeing what he's going through and just getting to know him a bit, Kin is bound to try and find him a cure.
This story is pretty sad, kind of reminds me of A Walk to Remember, but with fey. I was crying on and off through at least the first 50%. The "cure" that Kin offers Luca is a very heavy one and Luca doesn't take this choice lightly. It's basically tearing him up. There's a lot of indecision at this point. Either Kin loses him early or he loses Kin later, much later, and then lives on. Only, it's not a guaranteed cure in the first place as it's just a myth. When I said Luca was brave before, by the end of the book I think so even more. It took a LOT of courage to make his choice, regardless of the outcome of losing Kin or not. I personally would have made the same choice.
Without death this life would not be a gift.
It was a very powerful thought, and I'm glad to have read this book. I will definitely be looking for this author in the future.
February 24, 2017
An emotional roller coaster following Luca around as he prepares to live out the rest of whatever life span he has left as normally as his body will let him. Luca is half fey and half human and his own heritage is working against his body. After many years of traveling and trying to find a cure, he’s given up and has returned home to his mother’s house to live out his days. In his free time he does little favors for the fey community. His father through his sister implores him to meet a doctor renowned for his abilities. Luca is reluctant but since he is asked feels he must do so. Surprisingly the doctor he meets is a yokai (Japanese fey) doctor named Kin who has caught his eyes previously in a club he visited the night before. The two have chemistry but Luca is very ill and pursuing anything will only end in heartache. Kin likes Luca and doesn’t want him to give up hope. He thinks he can cure Luca but only if Luca is willing.
I enjoyed meeting and getting to know the cast of characters. They were all interesting characters in their own way. Luca and Saben’s relationship wasn’t what I imagined a sibling relationship should be but it was unique and worked for them. Reading about the type of situations they had to endure, the way they dealt with their emotions and struggle and terror of dealing with Luca’s situation was alluring. Luca being steadfast in his decision and what he wanted was pretty cool. I really thought it brave of him and I truly loved him for making the best of his time and just living as he wanted with the time he had.
I did feel for Kin and everyone who loves Luca. It’s heartbreaking to have to stand by and being unable to stop something you badly want to stop and this message was translated well in the story.
I did wish there was more to the tale and that readers actually got to see Luca’s end. I kind of wanted that Walk to Remember feel at the end.
I enjoyed meeting and getting to know the cast of characters. They were all interesting characters in their own way. Luca and Saben’s relationship wasn’t what I imagined a sibling relationship should be but it was unique and worked for them. Reading about the type of situations they had to endure, the way they dealt with their emotions and struggle and terror of dealing with Luca’s situation was alluring. Luca being steadfast in his decision and what he wanted was pretty cool. I really thought it brave of him and I truly loved him for making the best of his time and just living as he wanted with the time he had.
I did feel for Kin and everyone who loves Luca. It’s heartbreaking to have to stand by and being unable to stop something you badly want to stop and this message was translated well in the story.
I did wish there was more to the tale and that readers actually got to see Luca’s end. I kind of wanted that Walk to Remember feel at the end.
February 16, 2017
Reviewed for From Top to Bottom Reviews
*An ARC was provided by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley
Half wasn’t like I expected and I’m not sure how to review it, because I really wanted to love it.
Eli Lang is a talented writer and I loved her writing style. I liked Luca and Kin, but they never swept me off my feet or made me forget my surroundings. Somehow I did not fall in love with the characters like I did with Eli Lang’s world-building and writing. So this is what makes reviewing this book so hard. Half is so character-focused that you need to love the characters and care about them to be sucked into the story.
I would have loved to read more about the different kinds of fey. That really was my favourite part and especially Luca’s sister Saben was intriguing.
But while I overall liked Half, I never got to the point where I was dying for Luca and Kin to work things out because I never felt like I really got to know them. That spark, that special something that made me love either of them was sadly missing. I will say though that I liked how the conflict was resolved. Anything else wouldn’t have felt right.
To conclude: Half was enjoyable with great world-building, and I’ll definitely pick up other books by this author. But this one wasn’t quite for me.
*An ARC was provided by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley
Half wasn’t like I expected and I’m not sure how to review it, because I really wanted to love it.
Eli Lang is a talented writer and I loved her writing style. I liked Luca and Kin, but they never swept me off my feet or made me forget my surroundings. Somehow I did not fall in love with the characters like I did with Eli Lang’s world-building and writing. So this is what makes reviewing this book so hard. Half is so character-focused that you need to love the characters and care about them to be sucked into the story.
I would have loved to read more about the different kinds of fey. That really was my favourite part and especially Luca’s sister Saben was intriguing.
But while I overall liked Half, I never got to the point where I was dying for Luca and Kin to work things out because I never felt like I really got to know them. That spark, that special something that made me love either of them was sadly missing. I will say though that I liked how the conflict was resolved. Anything else wouldn’t have felt right.
To conclude: Half was enjoyable with great world-building, and I’ll definitely pick up other books by this author. But this one wasn’t quite for me.
February 2, 2017
I want to give this 3 stars. But I also want to give it 5 stars.
There was a fair amount of world building and paranormal activity to satisfy me. There were more than enough "stop making me feel" scenes. My hesitation comes from the fact that there were too many points where I stopped to wonder what is the point? It seemed wordy, overlong and like I was spinning my wheels. Yet I couldn't stop reading. I had to know where this train was going.
I think I figured it out at the end. Once I read the last page, I knew I'd gotten enough out of this to make it a worthwhile read.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
There was a fair amount of world building and paranormal activity to satisfy me. There were more than enough "stop making me feel" scenes. My hesitation comes from the fact that there were too many points where I stopped to wonder what is the point? It seemed wordy, overlong and like I was spinning my wheels. Yet I couldn't stop reading. I had to know where this train was going.
I think I figured it out at the end. Once I read the last page, I knew I'd gotten enough out of this to make it a worthwhile read.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 24, 2017
In essence this is a book about the balance between love and acceptance, selflessness and selfishness.
It centers on Luca, who has a mystery illness that essentially means he has weak/dizzy spells, and coughs up blood. We don't really find out a lot about his illness, how it developed, or how he's been coping with it up until the start of the book.
The book quickly gets into him visiting the healer Kin that his father recommended, which is essentially his last hope after six years of not being able to find a cure. Kin and Luca end up falling for each other and start a relationship, which increases the stakes of finding a cure for Luca.
The relationship bordered on instalove a little bit too much for my taste, but it was sweet and the conflict over the possible cure for Luca also felt real.
Speaking of the cure, this book absolutely did not go where I thought it would. I'm not sure if I like where it went or not, but it definitely did surprise me. I kept expecting things to happen, but they never did, and it was a little refreshing to not entirely know where the story would go.
This is a story about family and relationships with the MC's illness being the vehicle to explore connecting and reconnecting with loved ones. Whilst the book may not have gone where I thought it would, or even where I may have wanted it to, it was definitely a refreshing and important look on the choices people can make.
It centers on Luca, who has a mystery illness that essentially means he has weak/dizzy spells, and coughs up blood. We don't really find out a lot about his illness, how it developed, or how he's been coping with it up until the start of the book.
The book quickly gets into him visiting the healer Kin that his father recommended, which is essentially his last hope after six years of not being able to find a cure. Kin and Luca end up falling for each other and start a relationship, which increases the stakes of finding a cure for Luca.
The relationship bordered on instalove a little bit too much for my taste, but it was sweet and the conflict over the possible cure for Luca also felt real.
Speaking of the cure, this book absolutely did not go where I thought it would. I'm not sure if I like where it went or not, but it definitely did surprise me. I kept expecting things to happen, but they never did, and it was a little refreshing to not entirely know where the story would go.
This is a story about family and relationships with the MC's illness being the vehicle to explore connecting and reconnecting with loved ones. Whilst the book may not have gone where I thought it would, or even where I may have wanted it to, it was definitely a refreshing and important look on the choices people can make.
April 11, 2019
Ironically, this felt more like half a book. Good premise, but the plot lacked any sort of resolution and failed to answer any of the questions it had introduced. When I reached the last page I was so confused. It literally just leaves everything in the air and shrugs like 'that's the way it is.' Okay... but why? Both of the main characters are one-dimensional, defined by their plot device. Luca is sick. That's literally all you will really know about him. Kin is really good looking and has scales. That's it. They develop a strange instant 'love' with no further character development or introspection, so the whole thing feels very repetitive. With this in mind, I expected at the least a pay-off with the plot - the solving of Luca's illness. But nah. Shrug. That's the way it is.
February 6, 2018
2.5 stars
The writing is beautiful but the product fell short of my expectations. There was very little time dedicated to the magical world and the main story was a back and forth about remedying the main characters medical condition.
The writing is beautiful but the product fell short of my expectations. There was very little time dedicated to the magical world and the main story was a back and forth about remedying the main characters medical condition.
January 6, 2018
This was a beautifully poignant story, gracefully written.
July 6, 2017
This was a short story that was dragged kicking and screaming into the length of a novel for no good reason.
December 31, 2017
3.5 Stars
February 7, 2018
Oh, this just broke my heart. Haunting and exquisite. And grittily real. A book I'll keep close in my heart and pull out when I need reminding that love is always a risk and yet always worth it.
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