To Kill A Kingdom By Alexandra Christo

To Kill A Kingdom

by Alexandra Christo

342 pages
Published by Feiwel Friends

Plot: 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 siren-kind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy? (2018, Goodreads.com)

Review: To Kill A Kingdom was a very creative and dark retelling of The Little Mermaid.  Lira is not the helpless mermaid left to survive in the human world.  If fact, she is not a mermaid at all.  She is a deadly and heartless Siren, also called the 'princes' bane' for her preference of taking the hearts of only princes. Literally, she pulls them out of their chest after she drowns them with her song. 😲

But, because her mother, the Sea Queen (aka Sea Witch), wants to punish Lira, she turns her into a human.  She can still speak, but without her siren song, she is powerless to control any of the humans she meets.  But, as Lira spends more time with prince Elian and his band of pirates, she come to understand what true family and loyalty really mean.  

It is a long process for Lira to come to trust Elian and his crew.  She thinks they are ruthless and merciless Siren killers.  Her kind feel the same way about humans.  And Elian doesn't trust Lira at first either.  There is something unsettling about her, yet she convinces him that he needs her to complete his mission in finding the one thing that will destroy all sirens for good.  The problem is, he doesn't know that Lira is also the "princes' bane" and is the one siren above all that he wants to kill the most.  The banter between Lira and Elian was great!  I like the way the story all comes together!  Edge of your seat ending! Recommend if you love retellings, romance, and mermaids/sirens/pirates!  

This is a standalone novel. 

*Received a DRC for an honest review!

Rating:  4 Hearts!

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