Half City (Harker Academy Book 1)
by Kate Golden
REVIEW POSTED ONLINE: NOV 13, 2026
Viv struggles to keep up with her job, family, and friends as she battles the innate need to hunt demons. She doesn't take the invitation to attend attend Harker Academy seriously until she finds a picture of her father from when he attended only it's labeled with a different last name. Driven by the desire to find answers about her father's lies and who killed him ten years ago, she enrolls. It's more difficult than ever to figure out who she can trust, especially when the hot demon who no longer consumes human souls turns out to be her combat instructor.
AUTHOR: Kate Golden
PUB DATE: FEB 17, 2026
GENRES: Romantic Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
CATEGORIES: Chosen One, Forbidden Love, Secret Identity, Betrayal, Demons, Witches
REVIEW
What I Liked:
I enjoyed the found family theme of Half City. Viv is such a strong, stubborn character who has told herself that she's been alone since her dad died, but she's thrown into a series of challenging situations that force her to lean on others to varying results. Falling for the "good" bad guy with high spice scenes was super hot, but also gives me the feeling that readers may be in for a surprise in Book 2.
Fair Warning:
If you're like me, you LOVED the Sacred Stones series. The style and setting of Half City are completely different.
Overall:
If you were rooting for Angel and Buffy to make it as a couple back in the day, you need to pick up Half City. Just know that: 1) Book 1 ends on a HUGE cliffhanger and 2) Book 3 won't be released until July of 2027. I always tell myself I'm going to wait until the series is complete and end up torturing myself anyway.
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Heat Index: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (4/5)