To kill a kingdom by Alexandra Christo
Hot Key Books, 2018. ISBN 9781471407390
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Told in the first person present tense, "To
Kill a Kingdom" follows Lira, a siren princess who is only a few
hearts off ruling the entire ocean, as she rebels against her
mother's reign of cruelty. Having been encouraged most of her life
that human traits were a sign of cowardice, Lira's mistake of
protecting her cousin almost costs Lira her life. Instead she is
forever changed and forced to embrace her 'disgusting' humanity -
her only opportunity for redemption being to return with the heart
of Prince Elian, the notorious siren hunter and heir to the golden
kingdom of Midas. But is embracing her humanity such a bad thing for
Lira? Particularly when the prince is devastatingly handsome and
enchanted with her human looks. And what is Prince Elian planning
now that he's sailing with only half his crew? Is there another way
for Lira to return to her siren self?
Christo weaves a story which runs in parallel to "The Little
Mermaid", using many familiar plot points interspersed with the
murderous nature of sirens. "To Kill a Kingdom" is, as the cover
betrays, in the same vein as works by Sarah J. Maas and Leigh
Bardugo. It deals with coming of age issues, political games, and
the importance of compassion, loyalty, and kindness. While Lira's
mother is painted as an evil sea witch, the novel could also be
taken as a lesson in dealing with bullying and the pressures of
someone determined to inform the way you think. I would recommend to
girls aged twelve and up who like fantasy and fairy-tale retellings.
Kayla Gaskell