Content levels
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Synopsis
Now a major new Netflix series entitled The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself. In a world divided between good and evil, what happens when you're both? Nathan Byrn is the illegitimate son of the world's most dangerous witch. Kept in a cage by the Council of Fairborn witches, who believe he is destined to follow the same destructive path as his father, Nathan must find a way to unlock his full powers before his seventeenth birthday, or face madness and death. His one hope lies with the sinister Blood witch Mercury. But Mercury's help always comes at a price - one Nathan may not be able to pay . . .
Is Half Bad appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 14 and up.
This dark YA fantasy features intense violence including torture, captivity, and blood magic, along with themes of child abuse and mental breakdown. Strong language appears throughout.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, no sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include child abuse, torture, self-harm, captivity, and death (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens will be gripped by Nathan's desperate fight for survival and freedom as he struggles against prejudice and destiny in a hidden world of witches.