To Kill A Kingdom Book by Alexandra Christo Book Review

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Ratings

Content Warning: Violence, Blood/Gore, Abuse

Synopsis

Lira is the princess and heir to the siren Kingdom of Ket, which is currently ruled by her abusive and manipulative mother. When Lira takes a prince's heart outside of her birth week, the Sea Queen decides to punish her daughter. The punishment? She cannot take a prince's heart, only one of a sailor. With her legend on the line, Lira finds a loophole and attempts to take a pirate prince's heart. When she fails, her mother forces Lira to become human and takes away her singing voice, so she cannot lure the prince to his death. Instead, she must take his heart another way.

Prince Elian of Midas refuses to settle down and become king, instead opting for a life of piracy and adventure. His mission? To kill every siren, especially the Princes' Bane, and save humanity from the cruelty of the siren race. However, his plans are thwarted by Lira, unbeknownst to him, when he saves Lira from "drowning" after turning human.

Lira successfully keeps her secret, but her goal changes the longer she is aboard the Saad. So what happens when Elian and Lira's goals align and Lira's real identity is threatened to be revealed? Will she claim his heart as her mother wants, or will she claim it in another way?

Pros

>Solid characters

>World-building

>Book pace

Cons

>No map

>Confusing end battle

>Vague ending

Plot

Right off the bat, the plot of the story is similar to that of The Little Mermaid, but with a gruesome twist. To Kill A Kingdom is more blood-thirsty than the beloved Disney movie, however, the premise is the same. A siren princess who uses her voice to enchant her victims is forced into a human form and loses her singing voice. She must take the prince's heart without her song, but not in the way you think. She must rip his still beating heart from his chest to be successful. Did I mention this is all brought on by the Sea Queen who is half octopus with a trident?

I love The Little Mermaid. It had such a profound impact on my childhood, so when I found out To Kill A Kingdom had a similar premise, I had to read it. The general plot was solid, though it did feel convenient at times-- i.e. Elian being told the myth of the Crystal of Keto. I mean, I understand that Rycroft was behind Elian finding this out, and even then the character was killed off/disposed of too quickly.

There are a few qualms I had in regards to the plot/story. 1) Lira learning to walk as quickly as she did, 2) the lack of siren killings, especially for a siren hunter, 3) the confusing final battle scene, and 4) the vague ending. So, let's go through it.

1) Lira learning to walk

You would think for a siren-turned-human it would take her longer to learn to walk instead of a chapter or so. I would have liked to see Lira struggle a bit more with this in the book.

2) Lack of siren killings

Yes, we got the initial scene when Lira first arrived on the Saad, but I would like liked to see more of this and the effects it had on both Lira and Elian. Also, it just makes sense to have at least 1 more scene since Elian is the siren hunter.

3) Confusing final battle

I could not for the life of me figure out if these characters were or weren't in the water. The way it was described it seemed like they were on land, but then it would mention they swam. And if they were in the water for most of the final battle, then poor Elian! The guy must have been exhausted after trying to stay afloat and swimming around.

It seemed like a powerful battle and the inexperience of Lira versus the experience of her mother was evident, but I just couldn't figure out what was happening. That could just be me, though.

4) Vague ending

I loved the final chapter and what is alluded to, but I wish there was more. What is Elian and Lira's relationship now? We know Elian isn't the king of Midas and most borders are open, but how much time has passed? What does the Kingdom of Keto look like now with all the divers? What about Kahlia? Are there more relationships between sirens and humans now? I have so many questions!

Regardless of these issues, the book was still fantastic and entertaining. The world-building was wonderful and I want to know more about it, like a spin-off on Madrid and Kye or even a prequel with Keto and the humans. It was so unique and enticing that it seemed like Christo had thoroughly planned out a handful of kingdoms and relations for this book. I want to know more about them.

The slow burn between Lira and Elian was great. I loved the parallels and how much they grew on each other. Definitely not spicy, but the romance was nice and sweet.

Characters

Although the plot was YA, I felt like the characters were in their early 20s, especially Elian. The decisions they made and their mindset definitely screamed older to me, which is fine because I prefer older characters. None of the characters felt flat to me, either. They felt well-rounded like they had history and depth. Hence why I want a spin-off on Madrid and Kye.

I also love seeing female protagonists gain strength from their counter-part, and male protagonists become soft due to their counterparts. I think it creates balance in the characters and good development, especially if they're too soft or too cold.

Lira

Lira was a strong female protagonist and I am here for it! She kicked ass and took names later. She developed so much from the murderous siren that had a kernel of self-doubt, to realizing who she was and popping open that kernel to find herself. Her development was the most noticeable because we saw her question what the sirens were doing, her mother's rule, and she learned more about humans rather than sticking to whatever was shoved down her throat. Her progression was realistic and felt genuine.

The only thing I wish we saw more of was weakness from her. We know she's strong, but to see her breakdown after being captive or trying to figure out her emotions or the weight of her betrayal to her mother would have been wonderful. However, Lira was still a well-rounded character and a generational breaker of horrible habits. Kudos to her!

Elian

I loved Elian! He was strong, confident, but also caring towards his crew. His internal conflict about the throne and being king, and then using that as a bargaining chip was stellar. He felt like an actual prince who yearned for the sea instead of the life of royals, and he was fighting it every step of the way. If he had to be king, it would not be decided easily.

While his decisions were tough and his love for his crew was strong, his character development was more subtle. He fell for Lira slowly and it showed in the way he talked about her and came back for her on Rycroft's ship.

Sea Queen

Oh man, where to start with the Sea Queen. She's a bitch. An abusive, manipulative, octo-mom that had no business ruling or pro-creating. But damn did she make a good villain. We all felt the pressure from trying to please our parents (I know I have-- former people pleaser here), so we could relate to how Lira felt and possibly see our own parents/guardians in the Sea Queen; whether it was physical, emotional, or mental.

The Sea Queen was not having any disrespect from anyone and she wanted only her way. However, if we analyze it, her mother was probably like that and her grandmother too. So it's learned behavior that got out of hand. We see where it is stemming from, but she was brutal. Especially when having Lira kill her own sister.

Side Characters

I adored the side characters, especially Madrid, and their banter/relationships. The whole crew genuinely felt like a family and you definitely got the sense that the Saad was home. That it was more than a ship.

Kahlia was a clever anchor to Lira's true self. I love their relationship and how protective Lira was of Kahlia. She seemed like a strong character, just under the oppressive influence like the rest and I would have loved to see more of her and her siblings.

Writing

Christo's writing style and the pace are quite good! Most of the descriptions formed scenes/movies in my head and she didn't overdo it with adjectives. I especially loved how she didn't compare people of color to foods, like dark chocolate, but instead used "golden bronze" or "as dark as his eyes." It felt like these characters were loved and more genuine when written like this.

I enjoyed the incorporation of the Greek language, however, I could have used a pronunciation guide or translation. Because I don't know any Greek! Also, the use of slang was riddled throughout and kind of took away from the royalty overtones of the book. But the dialog was well written and seemed natural.

Conclusion

I enjoyed the action-packed book that is To Kill A Kingdom. It had high stakes, witty banter, and romance, not just with Elian and Lira. When I first picked it up I wasn't sure if I would like a pirate-type book (I typically read fae books), but I was pleasantly surprised! I fell in love with the world and the characters quickly and the only real issue I had was the oddly written ending. I just wish there was a map to include most of the kingdoms mentioned in the book. I do love a good map!

Now, if you'll excuse me I need to satisfy this hunger for more pirate romance!

Cover Art

Though I thoroughly looked, I could not find the artist for To Kill A Kingdom's cover.

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What did you think of the book? Do you have anything to add, good or bad? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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If you want a more brief review, view my "to-read" list, or what I’ve read before 2022, you can follow my Goodreads page by clicking the link below.

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