To Kill a Kingdom

by Alexandra Christo

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

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.