To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

e-ARC, 384 pages

Release Date: March 6, 2018
Published by: Feiwel & Friends
Read from: March 3-7, 2018
Stand-alone
Source: Netgalley (I received a copy of this book from the Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.) 
For fans of:  Fantasy, Sirens, Magic, Pirates, Retellings, YA

     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?

*MY THOUGHTS*

     When I first saw this I was intrigued by the cover. I love the tentacles on it and I love the swirlies on it. But once I opened it, I was super happy to see that the inside was just like the outside.

“So many hearts.” Her voice is angelic. You’ll soon run out of room to bury them all.
2%

     Lira is the legendary Princess Bane. Her mother, the Siren Queen, punishes her by turning her human until she can return with the heart of Prince Elian. The one and only prince who hunts sirens day in and day out.

“Pain doesn’t always hurt
8%

     I LOVED the sirens and all the mythology that came with them. There was so much back story and magic in this book and that part of it was PERFECT. I loved reading those parts of the story where we learned all the different stories. I just wish they weren’t so few and far between. But the writing style and the way this story was written was almost flawless. There were so many passages in this story that I highlighted on my Kindle. Christo’s words sucked me in and at times I couldn’t put this story down!

“Everyone is a blank canvas, waiting to be filled with the color of discovery.
pg. 14%

     Plot-wise is where I struggled with this one. There were times that it was really slow, when other times it was so much action I had to read the passage twice. I just wish it had been spread throughout the entire story. Because when it was good, it was GOOD. From the swords and knives and magic to the EPIC battle at the end. It was awesome! I just wish it had been more consistent.

“You’re always looking for something.” There’s always something to find.” “If you’re not careful, the only thing you’ll find is danger.
14%

     I also really loved the characters. Both Lira and Elian were so complex and had so many layers. I loved seeing them in turmoil and all their battles that they went through to over come their struggles. Maybe it was so great because it was a re-telling, but they were done so well and it was great to read them.

“Pirates are liars by trade and royals are liars by blood.
27%

     I also really loved this version of The Little Mermaid. It was super dark and twisty and murdery! There’s SOME elements from the Disney version, but definitely not the one you’d want to read to any little ones lol It was dark and stabby and of course that’s why I was super intrigued.

“…there’s a difference between liking someone and trusting them. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never done either.
38%

     I was expecting this to be good, but not this good. The characters and the mythology were so amazing and I loved seeing how it all matched up with the re-telling it was giving. Christo’s debut was definitely a success and I can’t wait to see what she does next!

Overall, I give this

3 thoughts on “To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

  1. Your review makes me so happy because I just ordered this, and now I can`t wait to read it. I`ve never read a Little Mermaid retelling before, so excited!

    Carmen`s Reading Corner

  2. I just traded for a copy of this one and I'm pretty excited to get to it after seeing all of the rave reviews!

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