I loved this Little Mermaid retelling. Christo creates a ruthless world where nothing is as it seems. Lira is an amazing MC and she is nothing as she seems. She surprised me throughout the novel with her choices and realizations. Elias was a swoonworthy prince who wanted to be anything but a prince. I loved the way the two interacted and the way they changed each other.

The only thing I wanted out of this book was a little more world-building in the kingdoms that they visited on their journey for the crystal. We're dropped into 2 (maybe 3?) of the 100 kingdoms and I was a little jarred when it happened. I just wanted a little more description of the people there and why they belonged to the kingdoms they did.

The characters were fleshed out extremely well and I loved all of them. The side characters brought life to the novel and made Elias' crew meet their reputation. The sirens and the creatures of the sea were utterly terrifying. I loved that they weren't the beautiful and fun mermaids we've come to know. They're ruthless and murderous.

Overall, I really enjoyed this retelling and if you want a more horror like spin on our favorite sea creatures, pick this one up.

A multitude of battles and skirmishes, oceans of bloodthirsty creatures, a seemingly impossible quest, a golden prince, and a cold-hearted princess are just some of what make TO KILL A KINGDOM unputdownable. Powerful magic, vengeful and ruthless killers, deception, lies, betrayal, stolen hearts, and romance make it unforgettable.

The Sea Queen’s mandate that every siren must add a heart to her collection only once a year, on her birthday, must be followed. Even by her daughter, Princess Lira. But when the chance to steal a prince’s heart a few weeks early presents itself, she can’t resist.

She knew that breaking the rules might incite her mother’s wrath. But she never thought her actions would ultimately lead to the punishment her mother chose to inflict – one that turned her into her enemy, leaving her weak, vulnerable, and separated from her home.

Determined to impress the Sea Queen and prove just how valuable and clever and brutal she could be, Lira set her sights on the heart of the Midasan prince, Prince Elian. Even in human form she would show her mother that she was the Prince’s Bane and had no shred of humanity that would render her unworthy of reigning when the queen stepped down.

Prince Elian never wanted to take the throne and be forever trapped in Midas. He was only ever happy when at sea, hunting down the sirens that lured ships’ captains and crews to their deaths, and pursuing the siren known only as the Prince’s Bane.

When he learned of an object that had the power to destroy the Sea Queen and every last siren, he would do whatever it took to find it. Even if it meant trusting in fairytales. Even if it mean entering a soul-crushing bargain. Even if it meant relying on someone he knew he should never trust.

Alexandra Christo penned a most delightful, fierce, action-packed, vicious, captivating, and immensely entertaining tale. Her monsters are monstrous. Her heroes are deadly. Their adventures are enthralling. Their quest is formidable. The fights are savage. The romance is unlikely. The outcome is unpredictable.

And with one enemy in the dark, another filled with uncertainty, and two kingdoms on the line, TO KILL A KINGDOM is guaranteed to be a gripping, thrilling, and all-consuming, tentacle-filled read.

I didn't quite know what to expect from this book, but I ended up really enjoying it. The cover led me to believe there would be more octopus creatures than there actually were-the sirens are more like mermaids and the mermaids are more creature-like. It's a good read and the world-building is enjoyable. For fans of the Little Mermaid, but this is quite different than the original tale-in a good way.

My Review: I really loved this at the start but as the story went on I found it turned to a pretty meh story. The romance was lack luster and well the dark and creepy aspect just wasn't enough to keep me reading. The best part about this story is the pirate prince. The plot of this one and how everything came about felt way to calculated for me. I wished I would have loved this one and I am very sad that it just didnt work out for me at all.

Do I Recommend this book? This one wasn't really slow but it felt like there was so much going on that nothing was really working. I would try this one from the library.

Go Into This One Knowing: Meh

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Omg this is like a twisted version of my favorite childhood movie The Little Mermaid and I need mmmmooooooorrrrrrreeeeee!!! I'm so not ready to let these characters go and I'm super happy for that sentiment as well as sad.

I was really getting into a slump of not really being able to focus on any book for a long period of time and the audio for this book had been sitting in my phone for ages. I finally downloaded it and listened. I wish I had sooner. This has got to be my ultimate favorite summer read of 2018. I was so absorbed into this world of oceans and sirens and pirates. It's all I could ever want and Elion as a pirate as well as a prince was a really nice touch. More raving about him later but I will start with the badass siren Lira.

Lira is pretty much a much crueler version of Ariel. She did not save princes, she took their hearts instead. Every heart for every birthday and each heart gave her immense power. She was the princes bane and she tried to keep that title but not just killing but acting like she was a ruthless, callous creature of the deep. But inside she was something different. She pretty much had the emotions of humanity before her mother even transformed her into a human. She cared for her cousin Kalia and tried her best to protect her from her mother's wrath. The Sea Queen, Lira's mother was as ruthless as one creature could get and she tried to groom Lira to be the same. But this whole time she refused to be another cruel queen to take the throne. I really liked that part of her but I also liked her more bad side that kept her emotions from getting the better of her as is what most female protagonists are won't to do. I can rave about her all day I really wish there was more characters like her.

I have to of course rave about the dashing prince who is more pirate than prince. His home was always the sea so he never wanted to settle down and become the Kind of Midas. It's a pretty unique background to a character I have yet to really encounter this in books so I liked it a lot. Since he really did not want to be a prince he also became more humbled and less conceited. He did not like the luxury of being a prince nor did he really know it. He was too busy spending time with his crew, sleeping on simple cots and eating whatever they could scrounge from the sea when they were not close to a port. Like I said with Lira there needs to be more male characters like Elion. Strong but compassionate who also has a deep respect for women.

Another quality of this book that made it so high rated for me was the delicious slow burn of a romance. Nothing is more glorious than a romance that slowly builds with the couple not spending half of the book make goo goo eyes at each other as well. Yes there was kissing and yes there was a lot of self-sacrificing but just the right amount. There was more hating and punching than really anything else and it was great. There was also the really nice happy ending to this story as well. Sade endings are not necessarily a bad thing but I always like a good happily ever after. Lira gets to be the Queen she always wanted to be and Elion gets to continue sailing the never ending seas. They also get to spend time together as well since Lira's magic can transform her back into a human as well as the fact that her kingdom is also open to everyone. It's so fluffy and sweet but had a good dose of gruesome and dark elements to it. I can't recommend this book enough y'all need to stop what you doing and go pick up a copy of this book or even better start listening to the audio version you won't be disappointed.

To Kill a Kingdom is definitely in my top 5 books of 2018. As an ocean lover, mermaid lover, pirate lover, this book surprised me in the best way possible, Usually when I read a book about mermaids, in this case sirens, I am awfully disappointed but To Kill a Kingdom was everything I could have asked for. Action and romance and banter made this such an enjoyable read. I like that the author took a different direction with the sirens, I love sirens.
As for the characters Lira and Elian are my new favorite OTP, those two were such a fun couple, I wish this book wasn’t a standalone, because I could read so so so many more books about their adventures.

I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. This one had great banter between the main two characters. I loved Lira and Elian's relationship. The take on mermaids and sirens was interesting and the world building was decent for a standalone book.

The part that I did not like was the depiction of Elian's crew as pirates. I didn't buy it. They were more warriors on a mission than actual pirates. It just felt very Hollywood-esque and very romanticized in it's depiction of pirates. I wouldn't have been surprised if one of them started talking like Jack Sparrow. I know it's a small thing to get irritated at but after watching Black Sails I am way more critical about portrayals of pirates.

The rest of the book makes up for it though. The story is interesting and kept me wanting more. There were many times that I was fighting sleep off (because I was exhausted not because the book was putting me to sleep) just to finish a chapter.

Musings:

To Kill A Kingdom swept the ya scene in a building phenomenon. Raving reviews poured in bringing me to the decision that I had to read this book. That turned out to be a wonderful decision as I enjoyed this book immensely! Dark Sirens, budding magic, and hate to love relationships make me happy. This is a really great fantasy read.

What I Loved:

A dark spin on a familiar tale. The little mermaid is one of the most beloved fairytales of all. Seeing a retelling take that story and make it it’s own was a lot of fun for me. I liked seeing the little nods to the original storyline here and there.

Actual reasons for why the sirens act the way they do. I think it was really smart of the author to make sirens cruelty to be a part of their culture. It’s even praised among them! They are not necessarily bad just to be bad, but because it is what they know and what is expected of them as productive members of their people.

The descriptions of the kingdoms. I really like that even though the majority of the book is on the sea I had a sense of what other kingdoms were like based on their waters. It was like their character was defined by the surrounding sea.

Shipping on an actual ship. I mean as a fan girl I love seeing my ships set sail on literal ships. Nothing makes me happier.

The sea queen is a gorgeous Ursula. I’ve always thought it was a tragedy that Disney made Ursula ugly. Gorgeous villains and villains who are just regular people can often be more interesting. Although even the original Ursula didn’t hesitate to let her fab flag fly.

Final thoughts:

Whenever I am looking for a fun fast paced read I’m turning to this book. Retelling make for things of beauty more often then not.

This is one of the best fantasies that I have read so far this year! The characters were complex. The setting was unique! The story was slow, but it was character-driven! While it is not a faithful retelling, there are some elements to the Little Mermaid fairy tale. The story is dark and atmospheric! It captivated me from the very beginning! I highly recommend this to fans of The Rebel Sand, Children of Blood and Bone, and Mermaid!

I might purchase this book just because mermaids & sirens are popular right now but I didn't really love it.

This was SO. MUCH. FUN. Agh! Totally reignited my enthusiasm for YA.

The romance aspect was perfect - no insta-love here. Just two damaged characters, snarking on each other.

The world building was great fun; I adored the different kingdoms, and Elian's crew, and how the sirens and mermaids were described.

I'm a bit sad it's over, and that's ALWAYS a good feeling, because it comes so rarely. I want more!

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Like a literary siren song, I opened it to sample the opening pages of recent fantasy novels (I’m writing one of my own) and was instantly enchanted. Hours passed without me realizing it. I loved both point of views and the entire ensemble cast. The world building too! I’d love to pick the author’s brain. So engrossing.

This was such a fun read! I am usually all in for any type of book that hints at a mermaid. Unfortunately, those books usually leave me disappointed because they feel stale and unoriginal. Not with To Kill a Kingdom!

I enjoyed the twist on The Little Mermaid immensely. Lira was a strong, powerful force to reckon with throughout the entire book. She is everything a strong female character should be. The witty banter between characters is also an added bonus.



Great paced plot. The villainous Sea Queen was really a special touch! She was a horrid person (can we call her that?), with a rather sordid back story. I don't want to give away anything, but the history of how you get from point A to point B where the Sea Queen is involved is complicated. That particular detail also gives Lira a whole new layer to work with.

There were a few places in the book that I probably should have read a bit more slowly/carefully because I found myself asking "huh?" several times. I do not know if that was my sleep deprived brain (I did read this one in one sitting because I enjoyed it so much) or the story itself to blame. Either way, I have recommended this To Kill a Kingdom to many of my friends. It really is worth reading.

“His face makes no difference.” I drop her hand. “It’s his heart I’m after.”
“So many hearts.” Her voice is angelic. “You’ll soon run out of room to bury them all.”
I lick my lips. “Maybe,” I say. “But a princess must have her prince.” 

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo is a dark, seductive, fantasy read. A twisted tale based on the Little Mermaid. Our heroine Lira is not quite what she seems... she may look like a majestic creature but in reality she is a cold killer. Seducing men that fall right into her trap.

Prince Elian's duty is to kill each of these diabolical creatures. No mercy shall be granted. Until he is saved by Lira. In doing so Lira is turned into a human. 

The romance in this story was what gave this book a five star rating from me. These two are enemies, hunting each-other but everything changes. Even though that this is a YA novel, it does have some steamy scenes. 

This book is a fast paced, dark YA novel that blew my mind. 
Alexandra Christo is a new author to me, that I will definitely read more from.

A swashbuckling read!
Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Children's Publishing for the opportunity to read and review To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo!
Lira is a siren that steals someone’s heart every year for her birthday. Lira captures a Prince while her cousin Kahlia steals a queen. The Midasan prince is introduced next, Prince Elian. This prince has two lives- one in the castle and one as a pirate, captain of his own ship and crew and a siren hunter. Lira will take her mother’s place as the Sea Queen someday, but in the meantime her mother is cruel and abusive. The Sea Queen punishes Lira for being kind and weak by turning her human and leaving her stranded in the ocean. Elian and his crew rescue Lira, thinking she’s an orphan that’s lost her family to drowning, but they are wary about her story. Elian’s goal is to kill the Prince’s Bane- the siren that kills princes. Elian has no idea that the Prince’s Bane is Lira and she’s keeping her background hidden from the crew and everyone they come in contact with. As Elian works toward his goal, he makes deals along the way with separate princesses and a slave trader. Eventually, Elian and his crew start to trust Lira because of the loyalty she’s shown by saving Elian’s life. Lira’s goal is to take over as Sea Queen and rid the world of her monstrous, manipulative mother and she hopes for peace as an end result. To Kill a Kingdom bursts with action, adventure and intrigue. This fantasy full of magic creates an amazing world with unique characters and backgrounds of their own. A wonderfully fun read worth a swashbuckling 5 stars!

I loved this re-telling. It kept me guessing until the end and I loved it. The sarcasm, the witty banter and all the characters and their growth.

I’m taking moment to show some love for this awesome book. I haven’t been excited about a mermaid book since Elizabeth Fama’s Monstrous Beauty, and that was a book I read in 2012.

So why am I so excited about this book? Think of it as dark version of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. While Ariel falls in love at first sight with Prince Eric, this book introduces a siren named Lira, daughter of the Sea Queen, and it’s kill at first sight for Prince Elian, a dashing prince-slash-siren-killing-pirate. Basically they want to tear each other apart. Sounds deliciously morbid, I know, and that makes it so much more interesting. (Side note: I’m using the word ‘delicious’ to describe morbidity, what is wrong with me? 😅)

Anyway, I love that this book didn’t just have a well-plotted storyline but also offered promising character growth for both protagonists. Not to mention a slow-burning, heart-pounding, super ‘kilig’ romance. The relationship between these two characters didn’t just come out of nowhere, and seeing as both characters view each other as threats to their kingdoms, the shifting of feelings from hatred, to understanding and to love, was oh-so-sweetly well crafted.

It was also no short on action scenes which I always look forward to in books.

I was also absolutely glad that it’s a stand-alone novel because this book was just perfect as it is. I don’t mind a prequel though. Couldn’t be more proud of Alexandra Christo and her debut novel, it just goes to show she’s an author worth watching out for upcoming books.

When I first saw this I was intrigued by the cover. I love the tentacles on it and I love the swirlies on it. But once I opened it, I was super happy to see that the inside was just like the outside.

Lira is the legendary Princess Bane. Her mother, the Siren Queen, punishes her by turning her human until she can return with the heart of Prince Elian. The one and only prince who hunts sirens day in and day out.

I LOVED the sirens and all the mythology that came with them. There was so much back story and magic in this book and that part of it was PERFECT. I loved reading those parts of the story where we learned all the different stories. I just wish they weren't so few and far between. But the writing style and the way this story was written was almost flawless. There were so many passages in this story that I highlighted on my Kindle. Christo's words sucked me in and at times I couldn't put this story down!

Plot-wise is where I struggled with this one. There were times that it was really slow, when other times it was so much action I had to read the passage twice. I just wish it had been spread throughout the entire story. Because when it was good, it was GOOD. From the swords and knives and magic to the EPIC battle at the end. It was awesome! I just wish it had been more consistent.

I also really loved the characters. Both Lira and Elian were so complex and had so many layers. I loved seeing them in turmoil and all their battles that they went through to over come their struggles. Maybe it was so great because it was a re-telling, but they were done so well and it was great to read them.

I also really loved this version of The Little Mermaid. It was super dark and twisty and murdery! There's SOME elements from the Disney version, but definitely not the one you'd want to read to any little ones lol It was dark and stabby and of course that's why I was super intrigued.

I was expecting this to be good, but not this good. The characters and the mythology were so amazing and I loved seeing how it all matched up with the re-telling it was giving. Christo's debut was definitely a success and I can't wait to see what she does next!

THIS BOOK WAS FANTASTIC!
I'm not a huge siren/mermaid fan usually but this book sucked me in with its plot and it's cover. Princess Lira is just perfect combination of royal, dark and kickass. Living under her horrible mother's rule for her whole life and doing everything Sea Queen asked of her, Lira makes one mistake - gets a heart prince before she is supposed. Lira gets cursed and end up stuck on a Prince Elian's ship. Lira had one job - get his heart without her song. Let's just say thing go not the way Lira expects and she and gorgeous prince end up in a lot of trouble.
Both character were absolutely amazing. Their dialog full of tension. They just gave me chills all through the book.
Another thing that I absolutely adored in this book, the world building was very well done. Often, in standalone, an author doesn't have enough time to introduce the world properly. But this was not the case. The world, under water and on the land, was reach and full of details.
Over all I NEED MORE and I want to read it all day - every day.

I really enjoyed reading this book.
I loved Lira and how feisty she was.
I loved Elian and his desire to always be out in the ocean.
I loved Torik, Kye and Madrid. The story wouldn’t have been the same without them.
I loved the witty Banter between all characters. My only wish was for there to be a bit more romance early on, but I also loved how it wasn’t full on romance-y. I honestly would love to read more about Lira and the rest of the gang!
Also, I WANT TO BE A SIREN!!!!!