Let me say, first and foremost, that I am such a total sucker for books revolving around the ocean, whether it involves pirates, mermaids, sirens, sea creatures, or any mix of those things. When I first heard about this story of a vicious siren chasing down a pirate prince who slays her kind, it skyrocketed to the top of my list of most anticipated releases for 2018. I had every gut feeling in the world that I was going to positively adore this novel, and as you’ll see in my review, I was not disappointed.

IT’S THE PRINCES WHO HOLD THE ALLURE. IN THEIR YOUTH. IN THE ALLEGIANCE OF THEIR PEOPLE. IN THE PROMISE OF THE LEADER THEY COULD ONE DAY BECOME. THEY ARE THE NEXT GENERATION OF RULES, AND BY KILLING THEM, I KILL THE FUTURE. JUST AS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME.

→ Lira ←
While the story alternates between two perspectives, the first one that we are introduced to is Lira, also known as the Prince’s Bane for her cruel slayings of princes. As the daughter of the Sea Queen, her task is to rip the still-beating heart from one prince on each of her birthdays. My favorite thing about Lira, right off the bat, was the fact that she wasn’t some gooey, sweet young girl on the inside; she is unapologetically vicious and coldhearted, which we quickly see is the end result of a lifetime of abuse from her mother.

TECHNICALLY, I’M A MURDERER, BUT I LIKE TO THINK THAT’S ONE OF MY BETTER QUALITIES.
Lira’s interactions with Elian, once she finds herself stranded on his pirate ship, are the definition of enemies-to-lovers behavior: she’s feisty, angry, mean, and conniving, without ever going overboard enough to become genuinely unlikeable. The fact that she has such a difficult home life awaiting her under the sea makes it hard to view her as an outright “villain”, and at many times, I found myself struggling to determine who I wanted to root for: the cutthroat siren, or the vengeance-seeking prince.

IN MY HEART, I’M AS WILD AS THE OCEAN THAT RAISED ME.
→ Prince Elian ←
Early in the story, we learn that Lira isn’t the only one trying to live up to their parents’ expectations; while Elian’s family wants him to embrace the kingdom and his future throne, all the young prince wants is his ship, his crew, and the ocean breeze in his sails. I have a total soft spot for these sorts of pirates, whose days are filled less with pillaging and plundering, and more with adventures, heists, and a healthy appreciation for families that are composed not of blood, but of loyalty and friendship. Elian is the single most lovable pirate lord I’ve ever read about, and his crew is an extension of that. They are so fun, snarky, and loyal to a fault.

ROYALTY CANNOT BE UNMADE. BIRTH RIGHTS CANNOT BE CHANGED. HEARTS ARE FOREVER SCARRED BY OUR TRUE NATURE.
Much like I enjoyed the three-dimensionality of Lira’s spiky exterior, I loved the fact that Elian could have so easily been degraded to a run-of-the-mill “good guy”, but is instead a fantastic antihero. He’s clever, a little callous, and capable of fantastic scheming and thievery. He’s a prince, and arguably the lesser of the evils in this batch of characters, but the author never lets us forget that he is still a pirate – not a hero. (I’d also like to take a moment to point out here that Elian is either black or biracial – we know that his father is black, but his mother’s ethnicity is never confirmed, as far as I recall – which I thought was a fantastic reprieve from the stereotypical “Prince Eric”-inspired guy in stories like this.)

“I’D BE FLATTERED,” I SAY, “THAT YOU WOULD LOOK FOR AN EXCUSE JUST TO HOLD MY HAND.”
“PERHAPS I’M JUST LOOKING FOR AN EXCUSE TO SHOOT YOU.”
→ romance ←
There are three things that I absolutely never get tired of in romantic subplots: 1) good, witty banter, 2) enemies-to-lovers tropes, and 3) slow burns. This book checks all three of those boxes magnificently. The back-and-forth chatter between Lira and Elian is so fun and sharp, and the way they shift from distrust and a touch of loathing to something more is so delightful to watch. I was rooting so hard for both of them not only to succeed, but to find a way to succeed together. Best of all, this particular dose of enemies-to-lovers doesn’t breach into abuse territory or a gross power imbalance, as these tropes are so prone to falling into in a lot of YA/NA titles.

EVERY QUEEN BEGAN AS A SIREN, AND WHEN THE CROWN PASSED TO HER, ITS MAGIC STOLE HER FINS AND LEFT IN THEIR PLACE MIGHTY TENTACLES THAT HELD THE STRENGTH OF ARMIES.
→ sea lore ←
I don’t think I could pick just one favorite thing about this story, but if I had to make a list of the traits that would tie for first place, the lore would absolutely make it into that tie. The sirens aren’t depicted as some frail, beautiful creatures; while gorgeous, they’re otherworldly, haunting, wild, fanged things who show no mercy and are powerful enough to wipe out grown men with a single blow. The mermaids are differentiated solidly from the sirens, as inhuman, grotesque creatures with unhinged jaws and bizarre bodies – they’re fabulously creepy and dark, and I loved every single interaction with them.

THE TRUTH OF WHAT I AM HAS BECOME A NIGHTMARE.
While this story never feels like a simple retelling, there’s one aspect that definitely paid homage to some very old and well-known stories, and that is the Sea Queen. The backstory given explains that the power of becoming queen turns sirens into these terrifying, tentacled beings that are incredibly powerful and magical. Lira’s own mother wields her power with pure brutality, and while I won’t spoil for you the curse she places upon her daughter, it’s a delightful twist on the classic tale and made me downright giddy.

I’VE BECOME SO USED TO BEING BRUTAL, THAT I ALMOST FORGET IT DIDN’T BEGIN AS A CHOICE.
→ final thoughts ←
As I mentioned in the preface of this review, To Kill a Kingdom was, hands down, one of my most anticipated releases of 2018, and not a single sentence of it disappointed me. I was captivated from the very first page, and am so delighted to have been granted the opportunity to read it early. I buddy read it with a few friends, who I’ll link to below, and if it tells you anything about how wonderful this story was, every single one of us 5-starred this book at the end of the reading. I think I was only a few chapters into the ARC when I pre-ordered my finished copy, because this is a beautiful stand-alone that I could easily see myself picking up over and over again.

Content warnings: abuse, violence, murder, self-harm, sexual harassment.

All quotes are taken from an unfinished ARC and may differ from the final publication. Thank you to Feiwel & Friends for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Now, that sure was a dark and twisted tale! To Kill a Kingdom was one of those books that hooked me in from the first page, and did not let my attention waver one bit. I have to say, this is quite possibly the best YA fantasy book featuring sirens that I have read. If you like your books bloody, full of revenge and with excellent banter, To Kill a Kingdom is the book for you.

This book is loosely based on the Little Mermaid. Think darker, twistier and even shippier. The heart and soul of this book is mostly definitely Lira, vicious Prince's Bane of the sea. I loved how blood-thirsty and cruel she could be because of her nature as a siren. I knew going in that I had to expect a somewhat protagonist, but I was still taken aback by her viciousness. I have to say, I'm quite enjoying this trend of dark main characters in YA fantasy. We don't only get to see just her dark side though - that would be boring - the author also explores her human side when she's cursed by her mother to become the one thing she hates more than her mother, a human. I loved watching her become more in touch with her human side, and battle with the two sides to her personality. Of course, even as a human, she remained fierce, sassy and not someone to mess with. Lira's story of growth was phenomenally written, and it's one of the best parts of To Kill a Kingdom. 

I also easily fell in love with Elian, Prince and Siren Hunter. I mean, what a combo! The guy was as ruthless as Lira in his own way. He was fiercely determined, had a love for his ship and his crew, and had a secret soft to him that only emerged around certain people. The guy had moves and knew how to charm people easily. He and Lira don't start off on the right foot given that they are at complete opposites here, but I shipped them from their very first scene together. There was so much banter and hate-to-love vibes here, and I was absolutely dying at their dynamic together.  I was worried about how Lira's secrets would affect their relationship as they got closer and closer, but Alexandra Christo handled it really well.

Besides the fantastic characters and romance, the world building in To Kill a Kingdom was also glorious. I loved learning about the history and lives of the sirens, as well as the different countries within the world. The world building was weaved so beautifully into the story, and it never felt overwhelming, although it ended up feeling like a very vibrant part of the story. The plot too had me on the edge of my seat. I love books that revolve around adventures and treasure-hunts. Here Elian and his crew, together with Lira, are on the search for a crystal with the power to kill the Siren Queen, Lira's mother. Danger, betrayal and twists await them on their treacherous journey, and you know that's bound to be entertaining. 

I seriously devoured this book! And I appreciated even more that it's a standalone, which meant it was very satisfying to finish the book. This debut novel was a stunner, and I can't wait to see what Alexandra Christo has up her sleeves next!

This story was so much fun to read! The world, characters, and plot were established very well and the story unfolded naturally. The romance worked perfectly, the pacing was great, and the writing was strong.
I loved seeing the basics of The Little Mermaid and the various clever scenes that pay homage to the original, but this is its own unique story.

To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo was already on my 2018 TBR radar, so I need to give a big THANK YOU to netgalley.com for gifting me an ecopy in exchange for my honest review.

“Some people burn so brightly, it’s impossible to put the flames out.”

This book caught my attention after reading the publishers synopsis on the back cover. It gave me Little Mermaid feels intertwined with the true mythical siren cruelty. As a Disney-lover and fantasy reader I have always dreamed of actually being a siren, so this book actually tugged on my heart (get it! Tugged on my heart because sirens feed on hearts)

The meat: The story begins by easily bouncing between the main characters’ point of views with each chapter shift. You learn of their histories, passions and curiosities; until their passions cause their paths to collide. Prince Elian Midas (yes, that is a reference to the King Midas fairy tale) is not only curious about the sirens that plague his ocean, but also hunts them down. Princess Lira is not only the beautiful red-headed siren of every sailors dream, but also hunts and collects the beating hearts of princes sailing on her kingdom’s waters. After Lira fails in her awful mother’s eyes she is forced to rely on her enemy’s help to survive and return home. But there is something strange about this random girl Prince Elian finds floating in the open ocean. Whos loyalty belongs with who?

Two rival worlds. Two rival kingdoms. Two rival heirs unknowingly drawn together.

“What bitting comment she would come back with and how it would sink into me like a perfectly wonderful kind of poison.”

I awarded this book 5/5 stars. This book had me not wanting to finish it for all the right reasons. From less than halfway in I was hoping the story would never end. The book had moments of fast-paced and slow-paced action along with adult language and gore. The author has an amazing talent for creating a world full of characters so vivid you are instead watching an action packed movie rather than simply reading a book. I wouldn’t be surprised if Alexandra Christo came out with a novella to accompany this novel. I know I’ll be on the look-out for one.

#ToKillAKingdom #netgalley #TheLittleMermaid #RomeoandJuliet #KingMidas #sirens #mermaids #mermen #pirates #onehundredkingdoms #100and1 #ya #youngadult

Mermaids, sirens, and pirates, oh my! This was pitched as a dark retelling of The Little Mermaid, and dark it was! Let me say that it was more akin to the original Little Mermaid, by Hans Christian Andersen. It was so wonderfully bloody and intense.

Lira, the main character, is a siren hell bent on killing princes, because that’s her thing. You know, we all have our thing and hers is taking the heart of princes… She is a ruthless killing machine earning the nickname “Prince’s Bane.” Heck yes. Enter Prince Elian, who’s mission in life is to end all sirens, most importantly the Prince’s Bane. Oh yeah, it’s getting good now. What happens when you put two of the worlds top killers together? Sparks fly. Literally and figuratively.

I loved them working together because they furthered each others character development. They slowly, through their murderous intent, started thinking about peace, and what the world would look like without the Siren Queen. I would say Lira had a stronger turn around than Elian. Elian at least had emotions and felt things where Lira started out with only pure savagery. Could have been their upbringing since Lira’s mother literally had no emotions except wanting power over the whole world.

Why I gave this four stars: It was too easy to put down. I didn’t think about it constantly like I do five star reads. I also wanted a little bit more world building because it sounded extremely interesting and vast. I mean, there were 100 kingdoms! But the plot, the character development, and the writing were phenomenal!

All in all, I highly enjoyed this book! I thought the writing was really well done! It wasn’t overly flowery and yet it wasn’t plain. I thought it was a satisfying standalone with keeping it open enough to possibly have more books in the future! At least, I hope so!

If I could give this book 6 stars I would. Honestly I loved this book because I’m a super fan of the little mermaid but this was more murderous, vicious and deliciously real.
I loved the descriptions giving of all the sea creatures involved. Mermaids and mermen, the sirens and sea queen. Just it was all fabulous and so descriptive. Most books would need a trilogy for all the action packed into this one but this one told it all in one book so fabulously. Honestly it was amazing.
Adventure and pirates and mermaids. What more can you ask for??
One of my favorite books I’ve read ever.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC of this book!

Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow!

I forced myself to stay awake until 1 AM, bleary eyed, fighting off sleep, all while my heart was pounding so hard because I just HAD to know how this book ends.

You guys, I am shook.

This book has everything I love: Mythology, sirens/mermaids, royalty, kingdoms, pirates, hate-love romance, sarcastic, witty banter, adventures, epic battle scenes, POC representation, and strong females.

I didn't know much about To Kill a Kingdom other than hearing it was a "Little Mermaid retelling but instead of saving the prince, the mermaid has to kill him." Well, replace mermaid with siren, and that's pretty much what we have, except it is so much more.

Lira is a siren, dubbed the Princes' Bane. She takes the hearts of royal humans on her birth month, with hopes that someday she will rule the kingdom of Diavolos. However, her mother, the Sea Queen, is an absolute tyrant who would rather kill her own kind (and daughter) before giving up her throne. The Sea Queen gives Lira the ultimate punishment for accidentally killing a mermaid: Lira is turned into a human, and she must bring back Prince Elian's heart.

On the flip side, there's Prince Elian of Midas, captain of The Saad, and siren hunter. He would rather spend his life traveling by sea, hunting sirens, than be forced to take the throne and spend the rest of his life, literally, grounded. Elian is presented with an opportunity to find treasure that could perhaps end all sirens. But first, he comes across a drowning woman in the middle of the ocean...

Naturally, this is where Lira and Elian's stories converge. Told in dual narrative, we are pulled into an epic journey that's filled with witty banter and an angsty hate-love romance that kept me wanting more. I am floored this is a standalone, because I kept thinking, "how is this story going to wrap up within 384 pages!?" BUT, I can honestly say I am so thankful this book is no more than a standalone. It is perfection the way it is. Christo's writing is so gorgeously woven, and she wrapped up everything beautifully. I found myself getting emotional over Lira's inner moral battle, her rising humanity, and her defiance toward her mother. I related so much to these characters, albeit they were so morally grey. I appreciated so much how this wasn't a typical damsel-in-distress fairy tale.

Guys, I have nothing bad to say about this book. Usually I like to format my reviews by splitting up "The Good" and "The Bad" into bullet points, but I can't do it with To Kill a Kingdom. It is amazing the way it is.

This is my favorite book of 2018 so far, and I have a feeling it will be in my top five of the year. I hope you pick up this book and enjoy it as much as I did. To Kill a Kingdom releases March 6, 2018.

CW: self harm

I was really looking forward to this book because so rarely have I seen a story with sirens that are not physically more like mermaids, beautiful beyond belief and more like typical mermaids. I liked the promise of a bloodthirsty princess that hunted princes, even of the prince that has been seeking revenge for humanity.

The Good

There was clearly a lot of time spent on the look of the worlds we visit in this story. From the underwater kingdom of Keto to the land kingdom of Midas, everything was very detailed, refined in a manner befitting the inhabitants of each whether it be shells or gold. For my part I preferred the underwater kingdom, frightening as it might be because there was more a sense of peace there than in Midas. The beauty, whether traditional or brutal, that existed in Keto was amazing. Lira’s scales, the eye differences that mark the sirens, all of it had a murky kind of attraction that I enjoyed.

I liked how the author drew parallels between Lira and Elian. Coming from two different worlds, you might think they’d have nothing in common but there were elements that tied them together before they ever met. These elements weren’t direct side-by-side comparisons, more structure wise with different coverings.



The Not-So-Good



CW DISCUSSION

I’m surprised to not have seen any other reviews touching on the self harm aspect of the book. It only occurs once, so perhaps it wasn’t picked up on, but there is a scene where Lira uses jellyfish to inflict pain upon herself and talks about how doing so muddies her mind and takes her away from her present. These are the hallmarks of self harm and just because she’s using methods that a siren might use rather than a human doesn’t mean it isn’t potentially as damaging.

END CW DISCUSSION



An observation I had about Lira and Elian is that while I liked them, I noticed that their voices were very similar and initially I didn’t realize that the point of view narrator had switched between them. If I weren’t aware that one was on land and one was on sea, there was very little differentiation between the two. I wondered if this was done deliberately to enhance the similarities between them, the princess and the prince, but by the end I couldn’t be sure whether it was that or carelessness.

Elian, while he had some good qualities, also turned out to be a fool in a major way. In order to bring these two together, the author threw Lira into his path via almost drowning in the ocean when she’s been turned human. The circumstances of finding her in the middle of the open ocean, naked and yet not harmed by the cold, wearing a necklace that he admits is only possessed by monsters…I really couldn’t see how he didn’t figure out what Lira was. She spoke the language of the sea, for crying out loud, and it was already stated that no human knows how to speak it. Even his crew were wary about her when this was revealed, but Elian disregarded their concern. There were huge red flags flying left and right, yet not once did he clue in.

Then there was the romance between Elian and Lira. It was so mindbogglingly uninteresting that I really wish it had been dispensed with completely. There was no real connection between them and the whole “Elian is immune to the siren’s song because Lira gave him her heart” was cheesy in the extreme. It felt like Lira was this strong and powerful siren and Elian’s presence took that away. I think this would couple would end up on my list of least liked in all of YA.

As for secondary characters, the crew members of the Saad, Elian’s pirate ship, were very one dimensional. There was some banter tossed about, very familiar lines, and I just couldn’t care about any of them. Heck, I’m not sure I could name all of the ones who were actually named. They were very much relegated to the role of supporting cast and while they allowed Elian to run about and do what he wants, their presence was negligible.

Here’s my problem with the book overall. I liked the characters well enough on their own, especially Lira when she was being particularly vicious. Elian was alright though he was by no means my favorite. That said, I think To Kill a Kingdom was better at characterization that is was at actual storytelling. The first fifteen percent of the book really dragged, being heavy with details that were not told in an effortless manner. It felt more like an info dump and that made the book suffer.

Once the action begins, once Elian knows what treasure he’s seeking and Lira is human and trying to get home, it didn’t get any better. The action was dragging and taking entirely too long to get to a point. There were side quests and whatnot that didn’t feel at all important to the core of the story and yet these were given more page time than anything that would get us to the end. The revelations of identity, the battle between the “good guys” and the Siren Queen, none of that happens until 83% of the way through and then everything rushes to the end. I felt more interest when Lira and Elian were fighting a thief named Rycroft aboard his ship than in the final showdown, which seems really off.

The more I write about this book, the more I realize how disappointed I was. The premise was amazing, but the execution just made me sad.

Spellbinding fantasy adventure, delicious worldbuilding, and a swoon-worthy enemies-to-lovers romance. This book has it all!

[Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.]

Waffling between 3 and 4 stars, but giving 4 because I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

*****SEMI-SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT*****

Despite being completely predictable, it still managed to have enough action and suspense to carry it. I do think that too much time was spent in the various stops along the way and not enough time actually on the mountain, but if there had been more pages devoted to the mountain then the book would have ended up too long for my liking.

There is a lot to like here - a reworking of siren mythology; two protagonists who learn enough through their journeys that they realize they don't want to be who they were anymore; an interesting same-sex marriage of royals; and pirates. I wasn't surprised by much, but it was fun all the same.

If I were to criticize this book in any significant way, it would be the chapters. They were written from either Lira's or Elian's perspective. Most of the time you don't know who is speaking for a few sentences or even paragraphs. One chapter it took an entire page before it was revealed which perspective it was from. It would have been much more helpful (and left me much less confused) if the narrator's name were in the heading of the chapter. I also thought that some of the action was a bit too drawn out - it felt like I was reading and watching it in slow motion, when it was supposed to be moving along a lot faster.

Overall, a pretty good book. Predictable but interesting. I liked the way we get to watch redemption progress. And I'm a sucker for a happy ending.

What kind of book do I read after I've read this gem!? I'm in a book coma, so hard to choose what's next because this book was AMAZING! The minute I saw it was available to be previewed it was a must! What's not to love about a female siren who rips the hearts out of princes? I loved the romance, the pirates and the fact that it was a different twist of the Little mermaid. The other thing I liked was the fact that the book was a stand alone. Too many series, too little time to read them. I have never read a story by this author and was completely satisfied with this book, now off to find another book written by this author!

I've been obsessed with The Little Mermaid for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories involve me pretending to be Ariel; either in a parade, around my house, or sassing relatives with "etiquette" I learned from the film. My love for the story and the character has followed me into my adultlife and while the Disney classic will always be beloved to me, it evolved into me loving mermaids, and the mythology behind them as well as the original fairytale.

To Kill A Kingdom takes the concept of The Little Mermaid as well as the base story and characters and turns everything on its head. Gone are the mermaids who want to save humans such as Prince Eric, and instead they're replaced with deadly sirens who want to murder human princes and steal their hearts.

Enter a ruthless siren princess, Lira, as she readies to inherit the title of Sea Queen from her tyrannical mother. Eager to make her proud, Lira would do anything. However, after she angers the Sea Queen and feels her wrath, Lira is turned into a human and winds up drowning in the middle of the ocean where she's rescued by a passing ship. To make matters worse, the captain of the ship is the fiercest siren hunter known in the world, and he's suspicious of Lira immediately.

Lira must earn the prince's trust and find a way to earn back the favour of her mother unless she wants to remain a human forever, and leave her people to the ruthless rule of the Sea Queen.

Again, I was completely captivated by this take on The Little Mermaid. I could see the familiar guidelines from the original fairytale but this was fully adapted into its own thing.

To Kill A Kingdom is told from two different perspectives: Lira as well as Prince Elian aka the captain of the ship. It goes back and forth, paralleling their journeys to becoming the rulers that the people around them need them to be as well as gives interesting insight into each of them.

There's definitely some YA tropes that are found within the book like, I found some of the characters changed a little too quickly in some ways, but I feel that with this being a standalone story that doesn't continue on in other books, it was forgivable. Unless you want a behemoth YA book, I think it's necessary to cut some of that characterization down a bit.

Because again, it is a standalone story, there were other characters that I really wanted to explore more, like Madrid, but we didn't really get around to that.

That being said, those are small things that I definitely can overlook in the grand scheme of things. To Kill A Kingdom was a lot of fun and I had a great time reading it and learning about the characters within.

5 sparkling stars. Duck, catch, or let it hit you -- I'mma throw this book at everyone with the highest praise for three main reasons:

(1) It will be universally enjoyed because it has a little something that will appeal to all: mature retelling of "The Little Mermaid," an adventure/action story, a slow-burn romance, complex characterizations, and dry humor.

(2) Interesting anti-heroes. Lirah and Eilan are both unabashed killers, so we get to see them recover their humanity over the course of the book.

(3) Solid writing that drips with patience and experience.

THE STORY
Lirah is a siren and princess under the fearful Queen of the Sea; Eilan is a human prince of the most powerful kingdom on land. Both are champions of their race, and both are leaders of the hunt to kill the other race.

About a third of the way in, Eilan's and Lirah's paths cross by chance when the Sea Queen punishes Lirah with a human disguise. Cue the suspicion, bickering, pirating, secrets, slow-burn attraction, and battles.

THE GOOD
1) I don't enjoy stories about pirates or sea creatures, and yet this book managed to be a pirate/mermaid book without being a pirate/mermaid book, if you know what I mean.

2) The writing and approach to storytelling was solid. There's the direct approach to YA fantasy storytelling like in generic books like Ever the Hunter or Everless -- nothing wrong with that. Then there's the "wisened" approach to more mature YA fantasies like Shadow and Bone, The Winner's Curse, and Reign the Earth. It's a tone and a feeling, and a roundabout way to convey expository information on our characters/settings without outright saying it.

"What's the point of such things anyway?" asks Halina. "There's barely a person alive who doesn't speak Midasan. We're at the center of the world, Your Highness. Anyone who can't be bothered to learn the language simply isn't worth knowing."

--------

"You want me to stay in here until Eidýllio?”

“I want you overboard,” Elian says. “But it’s not like I can make you walk the plank.”

“Your chivalry won’t allow it?”

Elian walks to a nearby wall and pulls back one of the drapes to reveal a circular switch. “We lost the plank years ago,” he says. Then, in a voice much lower: “And I lost my chivalry around the same time.”


3) Lirah is not a pure character and we don't try to pretend otherwise.

I blinded her, not so long ago, with the blunt end of a coral piece. Now, whenever she blinks, her right eye stays open. Thinking back, I can't remember why I did it. Maeve said something, perhaps. Did something that I disliked enough to punish her. Really, she could have done anything and it wouldn't have mattered, because most of all I just wanted to hurt her. For whatever reason and no reason. I wanted to hear her scream.

--------

[Lirah] looks like a portrait, with deep copper hair pulled from her star-freckled face, only confirming the fact that she isn't capable of lying low. Not saying whatever crosses her damned mind. Lirah can keep secrets but she can't, by any stretch of the imagination, keep peace. While [Eilan] has ample practice in pretend, there's too much fire in Lirah's eyes for such things. Some people burn so brightly it's impossible to put the flames out.

--------

"You should be careful," I tell Yukiko. "The thing about taking something that's not yours is that there will always be someone out there ready to take it back."

"I suppose I'll have to watch my back, then."

"No need," I tell her. "I can see it perfectly."


4) Eilan's and Lirah's bickerings were everything.

"Well?" he asks.

"I didn't think I was going to be interrogated."

"Did the cage not give it away?"

"I didn't see a cage." I arch my neck, peering behind him as if I hadn't noticed my looming prison. "Your charm must have masked it."

--------

"You know the routine," he tells them, climbing back onto the deck. "Everything sharp or deadly in the bag." He looks at me. "Think you'll fit?"

--------

“Poison?” I muse. “Were you keeping that around for your future wife?”

“It’s not lethal,” Elian says. For a killer, he seems oddly offended at the idea. “And no.” He pauses, then turns to me with a half smile. “Unless you were my wife.”

“If I were your wife, then I’d take it.”

--------

Maybe the weight Eilan carries is born from the shackles of a royal life and a kingdom that is both unwanted but needed all the same. It's something I can understand. Another similarity between us that I'd be blind not to note. In the pits of our souls -- if I amuse myself with the notion that I have a soul -- Eilan and I aren't so different. Two kingdoms that come with responsibilities we each have trouble bearing. Him, the shackles of being pinned to one land and one life. Me, trapped in the confines of my mother's murderous legacy. And the ocean, calling us both. A song of freedom and longing.


THE BAD
1) Having both Lirah's and Eilan's narratives be in the same first person voice was confusing at the start of each chapter.

2) Really? We couldn't have leveled up the romance even a little?

3) The last chapter dimmed the experience for me, probably because I was hoping/expecting one thing and it ended with another instead.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Is this a standalone? Is there a sequel? These are questions I must know.

What a fantastic debut from Alexandra Christo! Her writing has careful thought, deep character analysis, and maturity of speech. It's not the most emotionally powerful or deep book out there, but it's an easy YA fantasy for every person to enjoy and get sucked into.

Ever since I read Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant a few months ago, I've been really into books about mermaids. But not like sissy girly mermaids.

KILLER MERMAIDS.

Which are technically referred to as "sirens" in both books. This is my second killer siren book and I have to say I liked it almost as much as Into the Drowning Deep. It's far more about the characters than the science / discovery, because in To Kill a Kingdom, everyone knows that sirens exist and that they are deadly, and many cultures either avoid the sea or have developed methods of hunting and killing sirens. In short, there is an ongoing war between humans and the sirens. Honestly almost read to me as an adult version of The Little Mermaid, where, except instead of being a cute, slightly rebellious mermaid princess with a crush on a prince who wants to be human, the main character (still a princess) is the most savage, bloodthirsty siren of all and is turned into a human as punishment.

She still has a crush on the prince though ;)

I will say though, there was some comically cringy YA language, but it was few and far between and this is a YA novel so you kinda have to expect that. But like...

"The newly sunlit water parts for him. He has eyes like vast pools and a jaw made from shipwrecks and broken coral."

Lol. Seriously though, this isn't Twilight, that stuff is actually very minimal. I just thought that passage was funny enough I had to mention it.

I loved everything about this; it's exactly the type of YA I like to read. The plot clips along nicely, the romance element is not cringey or overdone and the ending is *very* satisfying. The characters are dynamic and believable, especially Lira. Gotta love a book where the protagonist is a little bit nasty (actually a LOT nasty) but then struggles to redeem herself. The world-building is on point but not over the top, and it's not a series!! I never thought I'd be excited about a book not being in a series, but this is a wonderful standalone and I'm so impressed that this is a debut. 4.5 Stars.

This book was so good! So, sooooo, good! I just wanr everyone to read it!

This here isn't your typical Little Mermaid retelling. There's no sweet princess with romantic ideas about the human world. No innocent prince looking for love.

Instead, we get Lira, a cruel siren princess who takes pleasure in ripping the hearts of princes right out of their drowning bodies. We also get Elian, a daring young prince who has devoted his life to hunting and killing sirens.

They are both rough around the edges, both willing to do whatever they deem necessary, and both unafraid to get their hands a little bloody. When fate thrusts them together what we get is a book worth of verbal battles as they use their wit to draw each other out. We get tension and action, we get slowly building friendships and even slower building romances. Basically, we get a lot of awesome things that you are just gonna have to see for yourself.

The author's writing style is truly beautiful. It's fluid and enchanting and I cannot wait to see what else she writes in the future because I'm officially a fan. I loved how she wrote the narrative and especially how she wrote the dialogue between characters. You could tell how close they all were and how their relationships were built. And the conversations between Lira and Elian were absolutely golden!

The characters themselves were equally magnificent. Yes, Lira and Elian were amazing, we know that, but it wasn't just them, it was everyone else too. All of the characters we meet are fleshed out, well-rounded characters. They have wants and needs and personalities that don't revolve around just making the plot happen. Basically what I'm saying is that they were all real characters and not just convenient plot devices, and I loved them all.

Then there was the world in which this story took place. It was unique and intriguing. I loved the way the author incorporated so many different myths into the story, seamlessly weaving them into her world without distracting from the main storyline. For example, Midas myth with the city of gold was great, as were the myths of the other royal families. Also, just putting this out here, this world was extremely diverse! You really do get the sense that it's a whole world being created, not just the stereotypical, magical version of England or France or some other big European country that we've all grown uncomfortably accustomed to in YA fantasy.

Overall, I really liked this book, in case you hadn't yet noticed. But, all my gushing aside, this was an extremely well written, highly imaginative retelling, and it was so much better than I ever thought it would be.

My one complaint, because I wouldn't be me if I didn't complain about something, is that the chapters weren't labeled. The book had dual POV and it didn't always evenly alternate between Lira and Elian, so sometimes I would get to the third paragraph in a chapter before I realized which character I was reading from. Other than that, I must say kudos to you, Alexandra Christo. This was one heck of a debut.

**I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**

This was everything I hoped it would be. I was BLOWN AWAY by Alexandra's talent. Her writing does not read like this is a debut novel. It was so lush and wonderful and the way she weaved this tale made it almost impossible to put down. Do you ever read a line in a book and just think "dammmmn that was good. Let me go and read that again."? This happened so many times. Alexandra- you just got yourself a new stalker. A forever fan. A loyal follower. I can't WAIT for the next thing this woman writes.

Someone asked me how closely this follows The Little Mermaid. My answer was this:

If Ariel was actually a siren (not to be confused with a mermaid) named Lira who is infamous for ripping out and collecting princes' hearts by luring them to their death with her siren song and her mother was like Ursula, and ruler of the sea, and Eric is actually a prince called Elian who has no desire to be King and would rather spend his time sailing the seas in search of sirens to kill because of a lifelong feud between humans and sirens and Lira is cursed by her god awful mother and turned human and in order to return to the sea she's tasked with taking Elian's heart....then yea..it kind of is similar?

BUT. Alexandra's twist on the tale is beautifully creative and totally unique.

If you like forbidden - enemies to lovers - romance, the slowest of slow burns, pirates, savage heroines, awesome world building, some brutal action, fantasy, and a dash of drama thrown in, READ THIS. I honestly went into this with such high expectations and I was SO pleasantly surprised each one was met.

I ADORED THIS BOOK!

3 stars

Princess Lira is siren royalty and has been conditioned by her mother, the Sea Queen, to be ruthless and is revered across the sea. But when she kills one of her own, she is punished and transformed into a siren's hated enemy--a human. Without song, she must deliver siren hunter and prince Elian's heart to the Sea Queen to regain her standing.

Prince Elian loves the sea more so than his kingdom, and although siren hunting is unsavory, it's his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the sea, she has more than meets the eye and promises to help him end sirenkind for good. But Prince Elian doesn't know if he can trust her.

I was so excited for this one and was absolutely thrilled to be approved for it. After seeing all the glowing reviews and reading the summary and falling in love with the premise, I was ready for some vicious siren human relations and a The Little Mermaid retelling.

But I'm in the minority here, and this one just didn't really float my boat across the high seas. It just kind of stayed docked at shore for the whole journey.

I enjoyed the plot and premise a lot, but I had some issues with the story that detracted from the reading experience and made it unenjoyable, especially during the first part.

In the beginning, around the first 100 pages, the writing style just felt so awkward to me. I know a lot of people didn't mind this (see: all the amazing, raving reviews), but there were elements to the writing style that made the narrative feel kind of forced and took away from the passion and intensity as well as the storyline and characters.

I got used to it as I read on, but it felt almost stilted and I don't know if I just managed to adjust to the narrative flow or something changed with the writing style as I read further on.

The narrative got really weird sometimes near the dialogue. It's hard to pinpoint the problem sometimes, but it felt like what happens before and after a piece or a couple of pieces of dialogue doesn't always line up cleanly or was foreshadowed at the beginning of the line.

For instance, in a scene where the prince and his crew are interrogating someone for information about the sirens, the dialogue begins with him questioning the man, and then it ends with everyone laughing, but it felt like there was no transition between the two moments--there wasn't really any signal that the prince was amused. There wasn't enough mixture between the narrator stating what's happening, describing things, and personally analyzing them, and so I felt like these elements of the narrative were kind of separated.

This might be a little confusing to understand, but a lot of the time it's either description with a tiny relation on how the character "likes this" or "has some relation to that" or it's personal angsting about their morally grey areas--there wasn't really an overlap between the different "types" of narration by the character. It felt like it was kind of divided between "description/exposition," "stating of what's happening," and "analyzing what's happening."

It didn't feel genuine to me.

Obviously, a lot of other readers didn't have a problem with this so I feel like this is just a uniquely me issue, or maybe everyone is able to ignore it? I just feel like the way the story was told didn't balance description and personal musings/angst well enough and it felt a little forced to me.

Or, maybe it was just the fact that it was told in present tense. The present tense and I have a long, disastrous history. There have been tons of stories that I totally enjoyed present tense, while there are others where it just affected the narrative style for me and I ended up not liking the book mostly based on the tense. The most similar example for this is Spindle Fire where the tense hindered the story and made the narrative stilted for me.

I definitely ended up noticing the present tense throughout the whole story, despite the fact that I wanted to enjoy the story, not recognize the tense the whole time. It got better and the dialogue issue smoothed over, but I don't really know what happened during those first pages that made the writing so unenjoyable for me.

The other critique I have, and this applies to the whole novel, is that it's confusing trying to distinguish between who's who in each chapter because their voices are so similar.

There's no label like "Elian" or "Lira" and not only did this contribute to me forgetting the character's names (something that unfortunately happens often with me and first person), but it also made it confusing because there was no pattern to the changes in POV except that they switched with every chapter.

It's just that their voices were so similar, especially how they were in this morally grey area, that it took at least a couple of paragraphs to tell who's who, making it a little confusing if you read fast.

But after those first 100 pages, I ended up getting a lot more into the story. The plot is fun and it's very much a journey/adventure, which I always love reading. I also didn't really mind the characters and their internal conflicts--although I might have wanted it to be different execution-wise, I enjoyed reading about them as people and the conflicts they possessed.

It was also paced well and it never really lagged, although the beginning took a little bit to get to the juicy parts and the action.

There could be a lot of reasons why I didn't enjoy the writing style, but it ended up being not the book for me in this aspect and it detracted from the reading experience for me.

That's not to say that others won't like it, and after reading all the reviews, I know a lot of people really did enjoy this. I'd say give it a shot because there's a good chance you'll end up being part of the majority.

I think, after comparing my experience to others, that if this story appeals to you, you should definitely give it a shot. It just came off as a little funky to me, and that might just be because I'm not as compatible with Christo's writing styles as other people are (i.e. how I had lots of trouble with Zora Neale Hurston but grew to love her writing).

My experience with this book is one of many and although I didn't enjoy it as much as other people have, that doesn't mean that it isn't a good book.

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo


First of all, let me thank Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for the chance to read and review this book: To Kill a Kingdom pre-release. As always, these thoughts are my own. This review is spoiler-free and no main plot points are revealed.

I give this story 4.5 stars.



Synopsis:

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

Plot:
As you probably worked out if you read the synopsis, this book is a sort-of retelling of the Little Mermaid. I can honestly say that I wasn't expecting much when I started reading, but . . .

I really truly loved this story.

Character:
Lira is very stabby. I like that about her, all the way through her character arc. She grows, she changes, but her sass and stabbiness stick with her through the entire story and I really love that.

SPOILER WARNING.



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I really love Lira's transformation. I love her transition from murderess > captive > crewmate > friend. It feels so realistic and I was afraid this would turn out to be a typical love story where the heroine changes totally and unexpectedly but THIS WAS REALISTIC. And I loved it.

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I was a little confused at the first few lines in each book because it's not clear right away who is the POV character. If they had added the character names beneath the chapter headings, there would have been no confusion at all.

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Worldbuilding
The world of the sirens and the world of the humans is deep, thoughtful, fun (there are some nice references to other myths and storied lands) and I loved the bastardization of Greek that went on in some names (I studied Koine/ ancient Greek extensively in college) I loved the touch with the mermaids (which are NOT sirens) and I loved the hint of magic.

If you loved the Little Mermaid, or if you were dissatisfied with it, this book is for you. I loved it!

To KIll a Kingdom will be released on March 6th, 2018, but I've heard it's already in some stores so go find it and buy it!

Imagine The Little Mermaid, but with Ariel as a prince-killing siren. Lira’s banished from the sea and cursed to live on land as a human after she kills one of her mother’s subjects. Her task is to kill the prince who moonlights as the siren-killing pirate. If she can rip out his beating heart before her time is up, and bring it back to her mother, the Sea Queen, she can return to her people.
“Technically, I’m a murderer, but I like to think that’s one of my better qualities.”

One thing I really liked about this story is that everyone was a killer. Ever since she was old enough to hunt for hearts on her birthday (a ritual of the sirens), Lira has always chosen princes. Elian has taken it upon himself to travel the seas, hunting sirens. While Lira is known by the humans as Prince’s Bane, Elian is known as The Siren Killer. Both of which have seen, and been responsible for, their fair share of deaths. I just liked that this story didn’t focus on “perfect” characters. Instead we have a group of people who do what they need to do in order to survive.

While the majority of the story is of Lira as a human, trying to gain the trust of Elian and his crew in order to get close to them, she isn’t really a damsel in distress. Yes, she is completely out of her element. After all, she’s used to being this massively powerful being in the ocean, and instead if stuck being this feeble human. However, she doesn’t roll over and play dead. This girl goes down fighting. While she may not have claws for nails, and razor-sharp teeth, this isn’t going to stop her from going balls to the wall crazy during a fight, and I loved it. As time goes by, you can see Lira start to show a little bit more humanity, but she still retained some of her wildness.

The story is also in Elian’s POV as he commands his ship, his crew, navigates between royal politics and the laws of the sea. Even though he has taken it upon himself to rid the world of sirens one at a time, he doesn’t particularly enjoy it. Vile creatures they may be, he still doesn’t relish taking a life. However, when the Prince’s Bane kills one of his friends, he puts all of his efforts into finding her and putting her down for good. So, I was always on pins and needles wondering how he would respond when Lira’s true identity came to light.

If you are worried about this being some sort of whimsical romance between star-crossed lovers, have no fear. The romance is pretty low-key. A lot of the story focuses on their adventure. There’s a legend that there’s a stone that holds the sister power to the stone that the Sea Queen has in her all-powerful trident. Elian hopes to get the stone in order to kill the queen and her people once and for all. Lira hopes to use it to overthrow the Sea Queen and free her people from her mother’s tyranny. There are so many things that need to fall in place before they can even dream of getting their hands on the stone though. Let’s just say that a lot goes on during their adventure.

To Kill a Kingdom was full of adventure, danger, death, loyalty, friendship, and a smidgen of love. I loved watching this rag-tag group slowly learn to trust each other. You got to witness the sudden shift in Lira as she goes from being a siren to a human, and what that means emotionally for her. I also loved that we got to see the Sea Witch/Queen in all her tentacle glory. She was ruthless, vicious, and sadistic… and I LOVED it. If you’re looking for a good retelling of The Little Mermaid that is a bit on the darker side, then look no further! You won’t be disappointed with this one.

A retelling of The Little Mermaid?? I’m there.

Princess Lira is daughter to the Sea Queen and known as the Princes’ Bane. With her collection of only royal prince hearts, many throughout the land fear her. When she commits an unthinkable crime in the sea world, her mother punishes her by turning her into a human and giving her the task of killing the Midas Prince–without her song. Meanwhile, Prince Elian would much rather be on his pirate ship killing Sirens rather than acting like a Prince. He’s on a mission to rid all the kingdoms of Sirens. When their paths meet, these two royals on opposite sides of a war must decide whose fate they really fight for.

Ok so I did enjoy this–with some reservations. I love The Little Mermaid retelling aspect because it’s one of my favorite stories. The viewpoints switch between Elian and Lira and though I enjoyed hearing from these two characters, I wasn’t so enthralled with them. Lira, simply due to her nature, was a tough character to root for and while she has redeeming qualities, for the majority of the book I was torn about her.

Elian in contrast is very much the self-sacrificing hero you can get behind, but at the same time his actions in never wanting to act the prince were a bit annoying and selfish. Ok. I get it. You’d much rather be out on the ocean doing what you want. Well, we can’t always do what we want, buddy.

Like I said, I enjoyed these two, especially when they were bantering with one another, but I wasn’t completely behind them as characters. The rest of the supporting cast was amusing, but there wasn’t much to them either. I would have liked to have seen a bit more development with the secondary characters. Even the villainous Sea Queen was a bit predictable and trite. Cruel and sick in the head, but trite.

Plot wise, it moved pretty well and I especially loved the world building. Seeing the variety of kingdoms and cultures really had me wanting more! I loved learning all the history behind the different kingdoms and I’m hoping we get a prequel! The ending wrapped up nicely (almost too nicely for my taste) and I read this while on a cruise so it was the perfect read for my surroundings!

Overall, I enjoyed it. I just would have asked for a little more (besides the obvious) from the characters.