5/5 Stars
Alexandra Christo’s debut novel follows the tale of the siren princess Lira, a fierce hunter of men known as the Princes” bane. When circumstances arise, causing Lira to kill one of her own, her mother the Sea Queen punishes her heir by turning her into the very thing her kind hates the most- a human. Without her fins or hypnotizing song, Lira must race against time to bring back the heart of Prince Elian, a notorious pirate and siren hunter, or face eternity as a human. With captivating descriptions and adept character development Christo weaves an unforgettable tale that will leave readers on the edge of their seat to the very end.
I was completely prepared to like this story. With killer sirens and a pirate crew, who wouldn’t? What I was not prepared for however, was to fall completely head over heels for this novel. The writing style was absolutely gorgeous, the descriptions and the world building were imaginative in a delightfully unexpected way. As I consumed every detail about the kingdoms and the backstories of the characters, it became widely apparent that Christo had poured her heart into this story and was dedicated to giving her audience a story they would not soon forget.
The romance in this novel was expertly executed. Slow burns are very tricky. If they are too slow, the romances fizzle out and don’t keep the reader’s attention. No substance or too fast, and it becomes a notorious case of insta-love that will make readers everywhere roll their eyes in exasperation. But the romance between Lira and Elian was perfection. These are two characters are hardened by battle and duty, so a slow burn was a great choice on Christo’s part. While their first kiss isn’t until the latter section of the novel, there is romantic tension between the two that builds and builds, and when they finally do express their feelings for each other- it’s magical.
What I especially loved about this book was the characters. Lira and Elian are a refreshing change from your typical heroes. Both of them are pretty morally grey characters, which I love since it makes them much more realistic and far more interesting. Lira’s growth from honed killer to fierce protector is transformative. One of the common tropes that I find repetitive and somewhat boring is the hero who gives up everything when the villain threatens the life of his/her love interest. Lira is not that girl. She’s Kick A** and clever and gets the jobs done without having to submit to the villain.
To Kill a Kingdom was the dark mermaid tale I didn’t know I needed. With ruthless sirens and a pirate prince, Christo’s debut novel ascends to my number one favorite mermaid tale with ease and grace. Be sure to add this story to your reading list, you don’t want to miss out on this compelling read.
Click to buy To Kill A Kingdom, One of my favorite books of 2018!
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Author of To Kill A Kingdom
Alexandra Christo decided to write books when she was four and her teacher told her she couldn't be a fairy. She has a BA in Creative Writing and works as a copywriter in London, both of which make her sound more grown up than she feels. When she's not busy making up stories, she can be found buying far too many cushions and organizing food crawls all over the city. Alexandra currently lives in Hertfordshire with an abundance of cacti (because they're the only plants she can keep alive).