Stunning photo by @the.bookish.coven
Happy Friday, fairies!
We have almost finished this week! Do you have any exciting plans for the weekend?
Not only are we heading into our final day of the Romantasy readalong, but this will also be the final readalong that we will be doing. After yesterday’s ending I think that a lot is going to happen in today’s final reading session, are we all ready?
Today we are reading from Chapter 28 to the end of the book. Let’s jump back in!
Once you’ve finished this final section, join me in the comments for all your final thoughts. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this book as much as I have!
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for The Half King by Melissa Landers from chapter 28 to the end of the book. Please only read on if you have finished reading this section!
–!SPOILERS!–
We start our final day of reading with Cerise realising that she grows stronger every time she and Kian are intimate! The complete opposite of what the Order has taught her growing up!
Cerise is also sad to leave the journey behind as she’s felt free, in her clothes and her behaviour. What was once her sanctuary is now a source of her fear.
Blue has also grown as big as a pony and his and Cerise’s bond is as strong as ever. Ahh so cute!
Daerick’s curse is taking him more and the next day will be his claiming day… Cerise is worried about being able to break the curse.
Nina has come to visit Cerise, which she is very happy about. Cerise tells Nina that the necklace has protected her and asks how many uses it has left. Nina slips up that once the necklace breaks it won’t be able to draw from ‘his’ power source anymore. Interestinggg!
Nina tells Cerise she’ll be there to take her away if the ceremony doesn’t work and they’re unable to break the curse.
There is a lot at stake here for all of them… I really hope the curse does break but I bet it’s not as simple as that.
Father Padron allows Daerick, General Petros and Kian into the sanctity but for some reason responds to Cerise’s question by magic directly into her head…
Cole is nowhere to be found and Father Padron has sent Father Bishop to bring him, with force if necessary. I have a bad feeling about this.
During the ceremony, the Petros blade accepts all their blood and without Cole, Cerise brings Nina instead. Only the ceremony fails for some reason and Kian disappears again…
Cerise plans to find another way as she will not give up and notices that Father Padron is scared for some reason and so is Nina. 🤔
Cerise enlists Daerick, Nina and General Petros to help evacuate the room so that she can get into the hidden archive that Father Padros had hidden from her.
There’s is someone already in the archives when Cerise enters! The old woman from before and Cole have been tortured by Father Padron and Cole confesses to many crimes against the Mortara family.
Cole says he allied himself with Father Padron to help the Order take the throne in return for more land?? He had poisoned the queen so she was unable to have a child, as well as poisoned the king and queen and tried to harm Kian many times…
The priests have been trying to break the curse to free themselves and Cerise realises whether they break the curse or not, the Order will win.
The Order are only bound to a firstborn Mortara but they don’t know why.
Cerise accidentally triggers an alarm when she takes the scroll and fabric, realising she’ll be caught from holding it she throws it into the flame… it’s then she realises it’s Father Padron’s ruined robe and like her blood it burns black! He’s also umbra sangi! Omg Father Padron is Cerise’s father??
Cerise feels bad for Father Padron for the Orders lies twisting him and for him to punish himself for 20 years.
He’s about to harm Cerise for talking against the Order and mentoring that he’s descended from the goddess. He kills Cole and admits to killing Mother Strout?? Nina protects Cerise and it turns out Nina knows Father Padron?
Nina is Cerise’s mother?? Her mother is her grandmother?? Cerise was a twin but her twin didn’t make it and so she’s a second born after all??
Father Padron, despite knowing he’s her father, tries to kill her and a fierce battle ensues. He’s been in the order far too long that he doesn’t believe a word of what Cerise tries to tell him. It’s Cerise or Nina but Kian’s compulsion doesn’t allow her to take her place.
Daerick translates the scroll and realises that the Priests are bound to House Mortara as they also colluded with them all! Her blood was missing from the ceremony, which is why the curse wouldn’t break!
Noooo it was too late, Father Padron killed Nina and the baby.
Kian comes back from the shadows as they are being rushed by the Priests. It’s Cerise’s word against his and even after revealing his evil deeds, the Priests still side with Father Padron.
The kings knights and servants will fight for their king and Priestess and it’s a fierce battle. Cerise goes after Father Padron to end him and restore balance to the Order!
Cerise realises the Priests are rotten to the core, that they still hadn’t learnt their lesson one thousand years later. That they would rather step on women and see them as objects to be controlled.
Cerise prays to the goddess to help her and she does. Using the last of her weak energy to heal Blue! Unfortunately Father Padron had managed to escape…
Poor Cerise and Nina. I’m so sad at what has happened. Nina had loved Cerise so much and so much has been taken from Cerise due to Father Padron.
Cerise is now the high priestess of Shiera! Omg yay!!
Nero also comes to the palace and Cerise watches him with Kian and General Petros, honestly they’re all so cute!
Unfortunately Cerise knows with Father Padron and him now free to use his magic and recruit others, she’ll have to fight him one day…
Knowing that Padron will spread untruths, Daerick will go home to speak to his brother and word is also being sent to the Reverend Mother!
Cerise and Kian finally enjoy some time together and Kian tells her that all of the souls in the shadow world have been freed!
Kian asks Cerise to be his queen! When she hesitates, Shiera sends her blessing! Kian tells her that they will rewrite the ‘rules’. No one can tell them which path to take. I’m so happy for them!
Omggg what, has the goddess taken over Nina’s body?? Or has she brought her back for a reason?
Omg that ending?? I need more, that can’t just end there!? I thoroughly enjoyed this book, there were plot twists I guessed and ones I definitely did not see coming, as well as many loveable characters!
What were your final thoughts for The Half King overall?
Did you guess that Father Padron was Cerise’s father?
That plot twist with Nina being Cerise’s mother, who saw that coming?
As we had announced previously, this was our last readalong. Thank you to everyone who has joined us over the years! It’s been wonderful to interact with everyone and we hope you enjoyed reading with us! 💜
Love,
Isla
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I am so sad that this is the last readalong. I really enjoyed reading along with everyone over the last few months. It was one of the perks of the subscription. ):
What were your final thoughts for The Half King overall?
I loved it, it was a fun read and truly empowering. I did see some of the twists coming, but not all. It was beautiful, definitely well done. I feel in love with all the characters.
Did you guess that Father Padron was Cerise’s father?
Yes and no, I suspected but wasn’t 100% positive.
That plot twist with Nina being Cerise’s mother, who saw that coming?
I did not, I mean again I started suspecting something happened between her and Padron, but I didn’t think she was Cerise’s mother. Mouth in the floor.
Thank you for joining us, we loved having you here! 💜 I’m so glad you enjoyed it, I agree that it was beautifully done and I also adored the characters!
I’m so sad this is the last readalong 😭😭 i really enjoy doing the s and feel they really help me tackle my Fairyloot TBR!!
I thought it was okay- i would consider reading the next one cus that ending has left me really unsure of where the story is going!
I did guess who her father was, but her sister being her mum was a curveball i didn’t expect. I was crushed with what happened to her! Then confused with where it’s going to go.
I’m conflicted overall- i liked the idea of the cursed bloodlines, but i didn’t fully love the characters- the main characters fell a bit flat for me unfortunately 🙁 and i’m not sure how memorable the story will be 😅
We’re all out here eyeballing dudes who could be Cerise’s dad and it’s her MOM who is the shocking plot twist! I loved Cerise taking out all the priests. I’m big mad about Kian giving her orders. Taking away someone’s agency is not okay, even if you’re telling yourself it’s for their own good (especially when it’s really for YOUR own good because you don’t want to live without them). I’m really glad the curses were broken purely for that reason. Kian can claim the only difference is Cerise would have died before Nina did but HE CAN’T KNOW THAT. Alright I’ll stop ranting about him lol. I still like him.
Very sad to say goodbye to readalongs. They were definitely a big perk and why I kept signing up for more subs. Not sure what the future will bring but I’m going to be sad about it for a while.
It was a shocking plot twist indeed, I GASPED!! Also a bit mad about this but who knows where book 2 will go with that ending! We’re sad to see them go too but thank you for joining in with them every month, we’ve loved reading all your thoughts and theories! 💜
Daily Q&A:
Q:
1.) What were your final thoughts for The Half King overall?
2.) Did you guess that Father Padron was Cerise’s father?
3.) That plot twist with Nina being Cerise’s mother, who saw that coming?
A:
1.) I loved it! None of my favorite characters ended up dying or betraying the MC (always a plus), there was SO MUCH going on with hints & clues & foreshadowing, & it’s always nice to overturn a rotten system.
2.) I did. Yay me!
3.) THAT I did not see coming, & I definitely didn’t see the Epilogue (or Lord Blue Solon’s POV) events coming either. (*insert Guy from ‘The Croods’ saying “I did not see the coming. Twist ending!”* 😂)
So happy that they’ve started in the journey to overthrowing the rotten system, I’m sure it’ll take some time though and there was so much happening! I honestly think Blue’s chapter at the end was one of my favourites, not just because of the ending?! But a pet POV is such a fun idea!