ambiancereads
Written on Oct 3, 2021
A TIKTOK sensation! Alexandra Christo's unforgettable dark romantic YA fantasy novel is not to be missed.
"A world of beauty and monstrosity" - Publishers Weekly
TO KILL A KINGDOM is dark romantic fantasy about a siren with a taste for royal blood and the prince who has sworn to destroy her.
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. His calling? Ridding the world of the menace of the sirens. But when he rescues a drowning woman, it becomes clear that there's more to her than there first appeared.
She promises to help him find the key to destroying the sirens for good. But can he trust her?
"Stellar world building and nonstop action will keep readers hooked on this twisted reimagining of 'The Little Mermaid'." - Booklist Online
- ISBN10 147140739X
- ISBN13 9781471407390
- Publish Date 6 March 2018
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Hot Key Books
- Format Paperback
- Pages 384
- Language English
Reviews
A Darker Shade of Rosie
Written on Feb 6, 2020
We all know (and love) Ariel and Eric’s epic tale and how they defied all odds to be together despite their difference in species – and if you don’t know that story, it’s time to get out from under that rock, sis.
This retelling isn’t as ooey-gooey as a prince and princess falling in love.
Since birth, Lira has been trained and honed as the notorious Princes’ Bane, sharpened by her mother’s vengeful edge. As the daughter of the infamous Sea Queen, Lira rips out the hearts of princes; killing hope, and killing the future of the human race. Lira is an unabashed, cold-hearted killer, and she carries these traits from the ocean to the Saad, Prince Elian’s ship that finds her stranded in the middle of the ocean. READ MORE!
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Joni Reads
Written on Jan 5, 2020
I should preface by saying I really don't like The Little Mermaid.
I know, I know! *cowers in shame*
The mermaid/pirate trend went right over my head. So I wasn't obsessed with the concept of the book from the start the way I imagine more readers were.
Now that's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book because I did! I flew through it. I loved the whole cast of characters and reading about all the different kingdoms and what they were known for.
Another part I loved was a really minor scene where Lira- after she has become human- is translating the siren language for Elian and the rest of the ship. I honestly would have enjoyed more scenes with her teaching the crew the language.
Now the things I didn't enjoy. Lira is quite abrasive. And I know it's literally how she is meant to be but after a while it was a bit annoying. It took too long for her to soften up. This is my opinion though because I am fully aware that this was done purposefully because Lira is quite heartless (no pun intended) in her siren form.
The problem was that the ending had so much going on and then Lira finally softened up and her and Elian threw romance in alongside everything else and it felt really rushed.
Also- and this is a spoiler so stop reading now to avoid being spoiled-
.
.
.
.
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How on earth did Elian fall in love with Lira and just forget about the fact that she had murdered so many people including one of his friends which was the entire reason the storyline went the way it did?! There was no scene of forgiveness, no Lira explaining herself, it was just oh, I love you so let's forget that you murdered a bunch of princes in the past. Seriously it drive me crazy.
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Ok Spoiler over.
I would love to read short stories set in this world because I loved the world building so much. It was captivating and I couldn't get enough.
The cons of this book are not enough for me to steer clear of this author so I will definitely be giving her next book a read and I will keep my eye out for any short stories in this universe as well.
moraa
Written on Dec 8, 2019
3.5 stars
I wasn't falling-over-myself in love with this but I definitely loved the fact that the author didn't sugarcoat things like Disney did for me all those years ago. I haven't read any other Little Mermaid retellings but I think this one does a pretty good job.
Steph L
Written on Jun 23, 2019
Plot 5/5
What makes this story for me is the twist on The Little Mermaid. We all know the story where Prince Eric needs to save Ariel, in this story the Siren needs to save her prince. The twists and turns of the plot are intriguing and will keep you reading to see where the plot takes you next.
Characters 5/5
Characters are key to any good story right? These characters are so much fun and I really enjoyed getting to know them. The characters are sweet and yet there is an edge to them, especially Lira and Elian.
Writing 5/5
As with any retelling you want a book that you will want to keep reading and for this book the writing was what kept me going. The writing is fantastic and Christo is a fantastic storyteller.
Pace 4.8/5
I didn't want to take any stars away as Goodreads uses the half star system. The pacing in this novel was mostly fantastic, but there are some places towards the end which I feel could be told a little faster. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book but I still wished I could ahve pushed those pages a but more.
limabean74
Written on May 2, 2019
writehollydavis
Written on Nov 11, 2018
Amber (The Literary Phoenix)
Written on Oct 13, 2018
This book didn't click with me.
I had moments while reading To Kill a Kingdom where I thought we'd find the same depth of character that Lira and Elian had in early chapters, or discover a rich world like the one where Lira has buried seventeen hearts. But no. This Little Mermaid retelling was always going to be a love story, and like most YA-fantasies-that-are-actually-love-stories, some of the fundamental elements suffered for it.
If you're going into the book for a love story, you will be pleased! Lap up this book and enjoy how a boy and a girl from two different worlds fell in love and stopped a war! It's an old trope, but good enough.
For the rest of it, I found the characters fickle (I liked Elian, but I am SO aware that he's an overused trope). Their motivations were scattered and even when they had been stated, they didn't seem to drive the characters. The pacing was consistent enough, but the story didn't seem to go anywhere interesting and the obstacles given to the characters were too easy. Even though Lira's character had changed by the end of the book, it didn't feel like she grew - it just felt like she was a different character.
I struggled similarly with the worldbuilding - there were moments where it felt really good, and others where I wondered what the setting looked like (which is never a good thing). For example, there's a scene where Lira and Elian lay back and look at the stars. Instead of describing a dark, magical landscape, there are a couple paragraphs talking about how Elian liked the stars, and he never told anyone about it. No description. I felt really detached from the world.
To Kill a Kingdom is a YA Fantasy Romance with elements of dark and light, and it's a retelling of a beloved fairytale. I can see why it appeals to so many readers - but it wasn't my cup of tea.
Actual rating: 2.5 stars.
Kat @ Novels & Waffles
Written on Jul 22, 2018
Swashbuckling pirates. Murderous Sirens. An epic, high-stakes quest to save the world. What more do you need? A little more fast-paced action, apparently.
To Kill a Kingdom was a great summer read. Descriptions of the gold-glittering ocean and the saltwater breeze made me want to go tan at the beach (okay, I don't tan so much as fry like potatoes in hot oil, but you get the idea). The motley crew of the Saad, a ship captained by a rebellious Prince, felt like they might have stepped right off the set of a Pirates of the Caribbean movie. I loved the idea of these rum-drinking, gun-slinging, siren-hunting pirates. It made me ask myself, "Why have I not read more books about pirates?" My next quest? To get some more books about pirates.
That being said, I liked the idea more than the delivery. The pirate ship Saad is manned by over a hundred crew members, and yet we only ever get to meet three of them. 3/100 is not a lot, my friends. The three we do meet don't propel the plot forward in any important way – they are minor characters who play minor roles. And ultimately, that's okay. This really isn't their story, anyways. This story belongs to Elian and Lira.
Ah, yes. Prince Elian and Princess Lira, our two main characters. Let's get to know them a bit, shall we?
Lira – "I'm a killer in every life."
Elian – "Technically, I'm a murderer, but I like to think that's one of my better qualities."
Charming, aren't they? Lira is a lethal siren princess known as the Princes' Bane. She hunts down princes like a bloodhound and steals their hearts. Literally. She just claws them straight out of their chests and adds them to her proud collection. Elian is heir to the golden Midasan Empire, but he doesn't want to be. What he does want is this: to hunt down and kill any siren that is unfortunate enough to get in his way. His next target? The infamous Princes' Bane.
Lira is not your typical doe-eyed princess, and Elian is no Prince Charming. And I liked that. We've got two murderers narrating the story, and their love/hate relationship was full of spite and cutting jibes. No insta-love here. No lengthy descriptions of chiseled jawlines or rose-petal lips. What a relief. I love me a good slow burn romance, and the author does a good job of gradually building up Elian and Lira's relationship, starting as mortal enemies and ending as a happy couple.
To Kill a Kingdom is a dark and vicious retelling of the Little Mermaid that features two twisted main characters, both of whom refuse to be stuffed into their respective stereotype boxes. With its slow pacing and pointless side quests, the book lags a bit in the middle, but makes up for it with fun and witty banter. The book is completely focused on Elian and Lira, and allows many other aspects, such as world building and the inclusion of well-rounded secondary characters, to be abandoned at the bottom of the ocean with some of its lost potential.
nitzan_schwarz
Written on May 31, 2018
(disclaimer: I only actually "read" for minutes of every one of those ten days, and then nonstop for the remaining one)
I honestly really really loved this one. It's a little mermaid retelling with a spin to it, and it's definitely made the whole thing a lot more interesting.
First, we've got Lira, the killer siren princess who steals literal heart for every birthday. It's not as cut and dry as it sounds, even as the book will try to make you think it is. At the heart of things, Lira is a person forced into a rather horrible situation, and it's her time on the Saad, with its pirate prince Elian, who reminds her of that.
There are many kind of ships in this read. We've got the literal ones, and the ones we fangirls really love to rile around. Elian and Lira are such ship. They have delicious banter, wicked chemistry, and the fact the both of them have vowed to kill the other just adds to the fun. I'm also partial to Kye and Madrid and would LOVE to read their story. Or Kahlia--I feel like this siren has a story to tell as well.
In fact, this world seems far too fleshed out and planned to be confined to one single story. I really hope Christo decides to expend it, with some cameos from our favorite duo in the mix. There are so many kingdoms to explore!
This was such a fun adventure story, with lots of quirky and fun characters, and I loved the romance of it!
Quick question though - why all the names in the ice kingdom Japanese? Is Japan considered especially cold or something? It struck me as really odd. I may have missed other themes since I only know Japanese, English and Hebrew, but it was a really odd choice to me.