I started out apprehensive about Half City – I’m not typically a fan of academic fantasy and wasn’t sure how I’d feel about diving into another magical school-based world. In all honesty, I was hooked within the first couple of chapters and couldn’t put it down. I’ve long said my biggest gripe with the genre is following around young kids and teenagers who act like adults and achieve feats that would never be possible. Aging up the school provided the perfect tension, allowing for a more realistic setting and a more violent world that was perfectly in keeping with the subject matter. The story was a solid mix of the internal dilemma of an imperfect protagonist, a mysterious and dark work filled with demons and monsters lurking around every corner, and a school that’s more war college than magical. My only frustration is that it ends on a cliffhanger and I’ll have to wait for the sequel to come out. 

Above all, I was most interested in the relationships Viv had to navigate through her multiple lives. With humans being unaware of her actual identity, she had to hide who she was from the people she loved, always living on the edges of every social interaction and gathering. She harbors a deep secret and, when she discovers a secret school hiding in a broom closet (brilliant, by the way), she has secrets she keeps hidden from her new classmates and professors as well. It’s always a balancing act with her and she imperfectly toes the line, constantly a second away from oblivion. Her internal dilemmas and devil may care attitude drive the book, giving us loads of exciting scenes, surprising revelations, and world building I was excited to discover. 

The world itself is an interesting mix of good and evil hiding in broad daylight, along with every type of mythological monster just barely hiding from mortals who are none the wiser. The concept of Batman-like hunters roaming the streets, saving unsuspecting people from werewolf and demon attacks is fascinating in a way, somehow pairing a demon hunter life with a superhero narrative. Much like Bruce Wayne, Viv has the tragic parent background, a desire to save those she loves, and an unyielding need to hunt down those who terrorize the world. It can be exhausting to watch her get into endless deadly situations, but that’s the life of a hero masquerading as an assassin. 

The most surprising aspect to me was the romance side of the book and how well done it was. From my perspective, you never know what you’re going to get from romantasy – it can be heavy handed, pulling you out of the world entirely for brief snippets, or it can be quick and unimportant to the plot. The author does a great job of slipping into the romance genre during a few key scenes, expertly navigating the brewing tension between Viv and her forbidden love interest. It’s very spicy, with one scene on a Tessa Bailey level, and it cements her ties to the world that she’s always felt a stranger from. 

Above all, there are many surprises and things to learn about the world. It’s always fun to see where the story takes you next and I’l be anxiously awaiting the sequel while checking out the author’s other books.