To Kill A Kingdom
In this deadly twist on an old fairy tale, To Kill A Kingdom tells the story of monsters who lurk above and below the waves and those who will risk everything to see their reign of terror ended.
Alexandra Christo’s take on The Little Mermaid surprised me. She created sirens that were beautiful but deadly, collecting the hearts of the humans they murdered. Her mermaids were not pretty at all but still obsessed with humans. The mermen were the most terrifying of all – carnivorous sea creatures that did the bidding of the vile Sea Queen, never questioning their duty or their purpose. I enjoyed reading about these sea creatures and how Christo unpacked the legend behind the sirens and their reason for killing. She created believable and interesting folklore that kept me wanting more.
Lira, the Sea Queen’s heir and deadliest siren of all, and Prince Elain, the siren-hunting prince of Midas, were the two main characters in To Kill A Kingdom. While they represented the little mermaid and her prince from the fairy tale, they couldn’t have been more different from their predecessors.
I like how Christo wrote Lira’s character development. In the beginning, her only purpose was to kill princes and try to earn the Sea Queen’s favour. But by the end, she remembered the promise she made to her aunt – to become the queen the sea needed – and that’s just what she did. Instead of forcing the sirens and other merfolk to obey her, she gave them their freedom and in return they devoted themselves to her and her new reign. A peaceful reign for not only the sea kingdom of Keto but for the 100 other kingdoms on land. She realized her life did not have to be dictated by her past and that she could be loving and vulnerable while still being a good ruler.
Prince Elain started the book torn between two worlds. He loved his life on the Saad with his pirate crew, but his duty as heir to Midas burdened him. He knew he would one day have to give up his life on the sea, but it was easy to see that sacrifice weighed heavily on his shoulders. What Elain got in this story was peace; he no longer had to worry about giving up what he loved. He didn’t have to fret about sirens hunting humans or losing his love, Lira. In the end, he was able to travel instead of hunt and visit Lira as often as he liked. The burden was gone.
To Kill A Kingdom is the perfect story for anyone who loves morally grey characters set in a deadly fairy tale.
To Kill A Kingdom Rating: ★★★★
Alexandra Christo’s take on The Little Mermaid surprised me. She created sirens that were beautiful but deadly, collecting the hearts of the humans they murdered. Her mermaids were not pretty at all but still obsessed with humans. The mermen were the most terrifying of all – carnivorous sea creatures that did the bidding of the vile Sea Queen, never questioning their duty or their purpose. I enjoyed reading about these sea creatures and how Christo unpacked the legend behind the sirens and their reason for killing. She created believable and interesting folklore that kept me wanting more.
Lira, the Sea Queen’s heir and deadliest siren of all, and Prince Elain, the siren-hunting prince of Midas, were the two main characters in To Kill A Kingdom. While they represented the little mermaid and her prince from the fairy tale, they couldn’t have been more different from their predecessors.
I like how Christo wrote Lira’s character development. In the beginning, her only purpose was to kill princes and try to earn the Sea Queen’s favour. But by the end, she remembered the promise she made to her aunt – to become the queen the sea needed – and that’s just what she did. Instead of forcing the sirens and other merfolk to obey her, she gave them their freedom and in return they devoted themselves to her and her new reign. A peaceful reign for not only the sea kingdom of Keto but for the 100 other kingdoms on land. She realized her life did not have to be dictated by her past and that she could be loving and vulnerable while still being a good ruler.
Prince Elain started the book torn between two worlds. He loved his life on the Saad with his pirate crew, but his duty as heir to Midas burdened him. He knew he would one day have to give up his life on the sea, but it was easy to see that sacrifice weighed heavily on his shoulders. What Elain got in this story was peace; he no longer had to worry about giving up what he loved. He didn’t have to fret about sirens hunting humans or losing his love, Lira. In the end, he was able to travel instead of hunt and visit Lira as often as he liked. The burden was gone.
To Kill A Kingdom is the perfect story for anyone who loves morally grey characters set in a deadly fairy tale.
To Kill A Kingdom Rating: ★★★★