by Alexandra Christo
Read: December 3 - 7, 2017
Published: March 6, 2018 by Feiwel & Friends
Source: NetGalley (TY Macmillan!)
Category: YA, Fantasy, Mermaids, Sirens, Pirates
Find: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indiebound
Book Description: 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?
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To Kill A Kingdom was so much fun! Five things I enjoyed about this book:
1) These characters are vicious. Lira is a Siren, literally stealing the hearts of princes to fuel her power and her mother’s wishes. In the very beginning of this book we see her in action and it’s brutal and horrifying to behold. Elian is a prince and captain, sailing the seas with his crew killing as many sirens as he can. These two couldn’t be more opposed. So when Lira ends up on Elian’s ship, I couldn't wait to see what would happen.
2) A major theme this book explores is Lira's siren nature vs her human one, and I loved watching Lira discover her humanity. Realizing that to feel is not actually a weakness. All the while she’s trying to keep her identity from Elian. It’s a tricky place she straddles and makes the story all the more compelling.
3) One of my favorite things about this To Kill a Kingdom was the romance between Elian and Lira. It is enemies to love and very slow burn. The banter and tension between them was just so good through all of the story. These two start standing on completely opposite sides of a war and slowly realize that they are a lot more similar than they ever imagined. Watching that transformation was so delicious to see.
4) This is a fantasy world and all the different kingdoms it comprises were so interesting. I enjoyed learning about the very different countries. But Elian and Lira barely dip their toes into the different places they visit. I’d love to read more stories in this world in new places. I also enjoyed the few characters we got to know on Elian's crew, but only four were mentioned by name. I wish that more of them had been visible.
5) I thought this was the start of a series for some reason, but it reads like a standalone. I'm definitely excited about more fantasy standalones, or even companions!
From the gorgeous cover, all the way through, I had the best time reading To Kill A Kingdom. I can't wait to see what Allie writes next!
1) These characters are vicious. Lira is a Siren, literally stealing the hearts of princes to fuel her power and her mother’s wishes. In the very beginning of this book we see her in action and it’s brutal and horrifying to behold. Elian is a prince and captain, sailing the seas with his crew killing as many sirens as he can. These two couldn’t be more opposed. So when Lira ends up on Elian’s ship, I couldn't wait to see what would happen.
2) A major theme this book explores is Lira's siren nature vs her human one, and I loved watching Lira discover her humanity. Realizing that to feel is not actually a weakness. All the while she’s trying to keep her identity from Elian. It’s a tricky place she straddles and makes the story all the more compelling.
3) One of my favorite things about this To Kill a Kingdom was the romance between Elian and Lira. It is enemies to love and very slow burn. The banter and tension between them was just so good through all of the story. These two start standing on completely opposite sides of a war and slowly realize that they are a lot more similar than they ever imagined. Watching that transformation was so delicious to see.
4) This is a fantasy world and all the different kingdoms it comprises were so interesting. I enjoyed learning about the very different countries. But Elian and Lira barely dip their toes into the different places they visit. I’d love to read more stories in this world in new places. I also enjoyed the few characters we got to know on Elian's crew, but only four were mentioned by name. I wish that more of them had been visible.
5) I thought this was the start of a series for some reason, but it reads like a standalone. I'm definitely excited about more fantasy standalones, or even companions!
From the gorgeous cover, all the way through, I had the best time reading To Kill A Kingdom. I can't wait to see what Allie writes next!
Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: Standalone? (Would love to read a companion story from world!)
Eeee! I'm so glad you loved this book Lauren :D But ahh, so jealous too. <3 Because I want to read it so so badly. And I do not have it. Hmph. Uhm. Wait. I just searched for it on Netgalley, and now it said that I could read it.. AHHH! I have been auto-approved by Macmillan for years, but it's always been "wish for" on their titles for months and months now.. so I was pretty shocked right now seeing read now :D EEEEEE. I will now be reading this book VERY SHORTLY :D And I cannot wait. Sigh. Thank you for your lovely review Lauren. <3 SO happy that the romance was good :D EEE!
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