Name: To Kill a Kingdom
Rating: 3.817060367454068 (1143 reviews)
ISBN: 9781250112682

Alexandra Christo

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 Kill a Kingdom

To kill a kingdom

I loved the retelling of the traditional Little Mermaid. It was very creative and engaging. 

I did really appreciate that the book immediately caught my attention with something interesting happening in all the beginning chapters. 

It had a good plot arch with a satisfying ending. This was one of the only books recently that I enjoyed picking up and reading.

It doesn’t tell you whose perspective the chapter is from which can make things very confusing at first.

A lot of the dialogue, further into the book is very cringy and somewhat pointless. I found myself getting second hand embarrassment at some of the come-backs and random threats.

It felt like parts of the plot are just skipped over and not explained. There were some gaping holes that could have been explained better.

I didn’t feel like there was much chemistry because all the “flirting” was just them threatening each other which was kinda weird. I didn’t really believe they were in love until the final chapters. 

Jeweliet Coffee

Things I Liked: 

I loved the retelling of the traditional Little Mermaid. It was very creative and engaging. 

I did really appreciate that the book immediately caught my attention with something interesting happening in all the beginning chapters. 

It had a good plot arch with a satisfying ending. This was one of the only books recently that I enjoyed picking up and reading.

Things I Didn’t Like:

It doesn’t tell you whose perspective the chapter is from which can make things very confusing at first.

A lot of the dialogue, further into the book is very cringy and somewhat pointless. I found myself getting second hand embarrassment at some of the come-backs and random threats.

It felt like parts of the plot are just skipped over and not explained. There were some gaping holes that could have been explained better.

I didn’t feel like there was much chemistry because all the “flirting” was just them threatening each other which was kinda weird. I didn’t really believe they were in love until the final chapters. 

It reminded me a bit of Daughter of the Pirate King which I LOVED.

I'm not sure if it's a little mermaid retelling but I had the disney book when I was little and it reminded me so much of it! I liked this story way better than Ariel so if it is a retelling they did a fantastic job.

Sophia

It reminded me a bit of Daughter of the Pirate King which I LOVED.

I'm not sure if it's a little mermaid retelling but I had the disney book when I was little and it reminded me so much of it! I liked this story way better than Ariel so if it is a retelling they did a fantastic job.

To Kill a Kingdom is a great standalone book for someone who's into sirens/pirates/etc. (which is not me, I don't really like water so I don't know why I even picked this up at the library).

The plot felt a bit forced tbh, the whole evil-to-good line was not that well set out and a bit sudden. 

Overall it was allright, just not my cup of tea :)

If you liked this book, I recommend: Siren by Kiera Cass

Laura

To Kill a Kingdom is a great standalone book for someone who's into sirens/pirates/etc. (which is not me, I don't really like water so I don't know why I even picked this up at the library).

The plot felt a bit forced tbh, the whole evil-to-good line was not that well set out and a bit sudden. 

Overall it was allright, just not my cup of tea :)

If you liked this book, I recommend: Siren by Kiera Cass

Sarah Sammis

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo is a retelling of The Little Mermaid with a blending of Greco-Roman mythology. It's told in alternating points of view between Princess Lira, the daughter of Sea Queen, and one of the most lethal of sirens, and Prince Elian, a seafaring / pirate prince.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2018/comm...

Ena Kalkan

I came for the slowburn, enemies to lovers romance and I was NOT disappointed. I just finished this book and I can’t stop thinking about it. I love Elian and Lira far too much. Wish there was a second book but it was wrapped up perfectly. 🥺💞

nina 

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 and 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?

A nice creepy little mermaid type re-telling that was full of gore, and mythically accurate mermaids and sirens. Waged in a viscous battle, the sea vs the land, and a Prince who is the scourge of sirens, and a siren who is the bane of Princes meet on somewhat even terms and discover that they both are prisoners in their own right of the hate between their species. lessons ensue. Etc. Really evocative storytelling. Good romance. If you like re-tellings and mild horror, you will like this. 

Apiecalypse Jen

This is probably one of my favorite fairytale retellings. I already have a soft spot for the little mermaid and I absolutely loved this version of the story that mixes some of the more realistic pieces of siren and mermaid mythology with aspects of the Disney story (defining characteristic features, becoming human etc).

Definitely a little more adventurous than love story, but definitely recommend a read! 🧜🏻‍♀️

Also the narrators were phenomenal! Highly recommend the audiobook.

Tace

This is probably one of my favorite fairytale retellings. I already have a soft spot for the little mermaid and I absolutely loved this version of the story that mixes some of the more realistic pieces of siren and mermaid mythology with aspects of the Disney story (defining characteristic features, becoming human etc).

Definitely a little more adventurous than love story, but definitely recommend a read! 🧜🏻‍♀️

Also the narrators were phenomenal! Highly recommend the audiobook.

Dark and romantic YA fantasy for fans of Sarah J Maas - about the 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. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavoury 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?

becky oh

After reading the sample of this book from my kindle, I bought it, with no hesitation and it really didn't disappoint me...

I loved Lira and Elian, especially their clashing conversations and a bit of flirting in the air...Christo really made me nervous;every page I turned, I had to believe that this will be a happily-ever-after...turns out the ending is the same as the original book 'The Little Mermaid' but tiny bit twisted...
I also loved that Lira and Elian were both murderers and that Lira believed that murderers can be changed and Elian believed in Lira. 

I think to me, the best part of this book was when Lira asked Elian to kiss her!!! I was screaming so hard that Elian DID open his heart for Lira...they both belong together.
As for Yukiko, I really, truly and deeply hate her. Her tiny flirtation to Elian was soooo annoying I was like 'wow, please can someone drag her somewhere deep in the ocean so that I can have more of Lira and Elian?'

I was thinking about giving this book a five-star but instead, I gave a 4-star which means to me that it was still super awesome but some complaints were there...
The romance and the building-loyalty between Lira and Elian was felt as though it was dragged, so that the book can have more pages, and more adventure, but I thought that if Lira and Elian trusted each other more fast and in the end...people who read this book will know what happens at the end, would've given more shocking surprises...

And also, the POV for Lira and Elian were similar, that when I was reading Elian's POV, I got mixed up thinking it was Lira's POV
But other than that...I loved it and definitely a big thank you to the person who recommended this book to me!! I love you!

I enjoyed this. It’s been sitting on my shelf for about 2 years and I finally decided to pick it up around March 2023… and was only able to get through 3 chapters before tossing it aside. I’m not one to DNF unless there is a solid reason so I continued and restarted this book on June 3, 2023. While I did finish this about a day and a half later, I did struggle to turn the pages. The first 6-7 chapters are a bit of a snooze fest. It starts with introducing our two main leads and building the world we are in. While I normally love that, I found that it was quick to describe something lovely only to be done in a few short sentences. I don’t expect or want paragraphs on one specific item or place but I do like to read more than a few short sentences about what is going on. As the book continued, I would say around chapter 10 it got better. So if you’re struggling at all to start this book, just try to get to chapter 10. After that it picks up. 

In terms of the overall plot, it could use some work. The basis of the story is a Little Mermaid retelling and while it did have some remnants of that, I would say to go in without that in mind. It was less mermaid falls in love and tries to be with her love and more this is war of land and sea. There is a romance plot line to it and it’s very YA so be forewarned that there is no spice as this book is meant for YA. I do enjoy the banter between Elian and Lira and find that their chemistry is a natural progression rather than full on “meant to be”. The side characters are fun as well. The biggest downside to this book is that the “final battle” was too quick and rushed. The details were fine but there weren’t any risks or sense of finality to the battle. 

Overall it’s not a bad book, but rather rushed in completion and slow in start. The main characters are enjoyable and the plot is fun. I don’t find myself reaching for this as a reread for a while but maybe in the future. 

Mary

I enjoyed this. It’s been sitting on my shelf for about 2 years and I finally decided to pick it up around March 2023… and was only able to get through 3 chapters before tossing it aside. I’m not one to DNF unless there is a solid reason so I continued and restarted this book on June 3, 2023. While I did finish this about a day and a half later, I did struggle to turn the pages. The first 6-7 chapters are a bit of a snooze fest. It starts with introducing our two main leads and building the world we are in. While I normally love that, I found that it was quick to describe something lovely only to be done in a few short sentences. I don’t expect or want paragraphs on one specific item or place but I do like to read more than a few short sentences about what is going on. As the book continued, I would say around chapter 10 it got better. So if you’re struggling at all to start this book, just try to get to chapter 10. After that it picks up. 

In terms of the overall plot, it could use some work. The basis of the story is a Little Mermaid retelling and while it did have some remnants of that, I would say to go in without that in mind. It was less mermaid falls in love and tries to be with her love and more this is war of land and sea. There is a romance plot line to it and it’s very YA so be forewarned that there is no spice as this book is meant for YA. I do enjoy the banter between Elian and Lira and find that their chemistry is a natural progression rather than full on “meant to be”. The side characters are fun as well. The biggest downside to this book is that the “final battle” was too quick and rushed. The details were fine but there weren’t any risks or sense of finality to the battle. 

Overall it’s not a bad book, but rather rushed in completion and slow in start. The main characters are enjoyable and the plot is fun. I don’t find myself reaching for this as a reread for a while but maybe in the future. 

To Kill a Kingdom

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