To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
Published by: Feiwel & Friends
Pub Date: March 6, 2018
Pages: 342
Format: arc | Source: Publisher
Genres: young adult, fantasy, retelling
Rating: 

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?

I can’t put my finger on this book- I enjoyed it a lot but there was something missing for me. I did think the world building was unique and excellent, I always love when there are lots of different kingdoms! I also liked the dual narrative, although I would have liked for each chapter to be labeled (maybe it is in the finished copy). The voices were similar enough where I would have to read a paragraph to tell whether Lira or Elian was speaking. I liked how fast paced the story was (lots of action), and I adored Elian and Lira’s relationship. They had such good banter and I liked them individually as characters a lot, especially Elian.

But I didn’t understand how Lira would know what buttery pastries smelled like- I don’t feel like that’s something she could study even if she did learn everything about the human kingdoms. She took to human life awfully quickly and it raised my eyebrows in a few spots, for reasons like that. I could see the Little Mermaid influences though and really liked that, and it was definitely dark! Loved the ending even if the book could have used 50 or so more pages- the final conflict had so much going on that it was a little confusing to read. Overall the book was too fast paced but I enjoyed the retelling elements and the main characters. I have trouble finding mermaid books that I enjoy and this has definitely come the closest. It’s worth picking up!

Do you enjoy mermaid stories or Little Mermaid retellings? What did you think of To Kill A Kingdom? Let me know!