Half City

“Kate Golden deftly fuses a lush and bewitching dark academia setting, complex characters, and a sizzling slow burn romance in Half City, the unputdownable first installment of a trilogy that will leave readers breathless.”—Julie Soto, New York Times bestselling author of Rose in Chains

“Packed with edge-of-your-seat action, steamy scenes that will set your curtains on fire, and some of the wittiest banter I’ve ever read, Half City is the urban fantasy / dark academia book this Buffy fangirl has been waiting for all her life. I don’t know what sort of magic Kate Golden weaves into her books but I hope she never stops. The Harker Academy series is my newest obsession.”—Jenna Levine, USA Today bestselling author of Road Trip With a Vampire

“Welcome to Half City, in which Kate Golden does nothing by halves: full-throttle action, a twisty mystery, and a deliciously tense romance make this an absolute romp. Our lead, Viv, is equal parts badass and messy, and her love interest may give you a thing for claws. Absolutely fabulous action writing by Golden, beautifully offset by a story about acceptance, belonging, and what it means to be human.”—Brigitte Knightley, author of The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy

“Stabby and sexy. This delightful dark academia sizzles off the pages. A perfect storm of terrific characters and tantalizing chemistry.”—RuNyx, New York Times bestselling author of Gothikana

“Half City is the dark academia demon hunter fantasy novel of my dreams. Kate Golden delivers high stakes and sizzling romance set in an exciting new world. The chemistry between Viv and Reid is electric, and the twists and turns kept me up way past my bedtime. Half City is wickedly sexy and outrageously fun, and I’m obsessed!”—Sarah Hawley, USA Today bestselling author of Servant of Earth

“Is it too early to say this is the best book of 2026? Yes? No? Because it has been a long time since a story has made me feel this way. Bad ass fmc? Check. Academy vibes? Check. Enemies to lovers romance? Check. Refreshing world building with enough nuance and mystery to leave me desperate for more? CHECK. Kate takes all the beloved genre traditions of urban fantasy and academy books and makes it her own, and the result is something rich and entirely new. It’s going to be a long time until I get over this book.”—Laura Thalassa, USA Today bestselling author of The Four Horsemen series

“If Kate Golden writes it, I’m dropping everything to read it until the dark hours of the morning. With a nail-biting mystery, dagger-sharp action, and a scorching hot forbidden romance, Half City is one hell of a good time.” —Rachel Moore, author of Safari Murder Party

“Viv’s platonic and romantic relationships are well drawn, and she makes for a flawed but easy to root for protagonist. Paranormal romance readers will enjoy the fast-paced plot and sizzling chemistry.”—Publishers Weekly