To Kill a Kingdom: Review & Thoughts
To Kill a Kingdom - Alexandra Christo
✰✰✰✰✰/5
🌶️🌶️/5
“There’s nothing in the world but pain and the rare moments in between.”
I do not have a single complaint about this YA fantasy novel. With sirens and pirate-like princes I found this book irresistible. The novel is a twisted reimagining of the tale, A Little Mermaid, and I found it to be equally, if not more, entertaining as the well-known classic. I tore through this book, reading it whenever I got a chance, curious to where the story was going to go. This book did not only meet my expectations but exceeded them.
-Plot-
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 the siren kind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?
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-Characters-
This novel is written with two perspectives, Elian and Lira, the two main characters. I really enjoyed this, because I got to understand both characters intimately. The main characters themselves were very likeable and developed well. I liked the depth to each one, and how both had a detailed backstory. The side characters, such as the comedic relief or the cousin, were also well developed. The thing that I loved was that all of the side characters differed in personality, background and overall vibes, so you never got bored with one. A lot of the characters also grew with main characters which made the evolution of the characters feel more real.
-World-Building-
I felt very well informed about the world that Alexandra Christo created. I understood the information I was given; it was clear and to the point, and world-building was naturally put into characters' conversations or monologues. I really appreciated that. The world-building was also very developed and detailed, making the world feel more real and made me appreciate the story line more.
-Plot-
The plot was very fast paced, which I adored, because I have the tendency to get bored with slow paced books. The plot hooked me from the beginning till the end. Every single event built up to a heart-shattering climax, even if you didn’t know it at the time of reading that scene. All of these events led to a climax that quite literally brought me to tears. What I also was pleasantly surprised about was that after the climax, the plot didn’t lag, like some books tend to do. Every word, sentence and chapter continued having purpose after the huge event that happened, which honestly, I loved.
To Kill a Kingdom left me overjoyed, crying and wanting more. A wonderful flood of emotions. I will be recommending this for the rest of my life and will not shut up until you read it too.
If you loved Daughter of The Pirate King and The Cruel Prince, this book is for you!
Trigger Warnings!
Abuse, Death, Gun violence, Sexual assault (nonconsensual kiss), Violence
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo | Goodreads
Amazon.com: To Kill a Kingdom: 9781250112705: Christo, Alexandra: Books