To Kill a Kingdom (Hundred Kingdoms)

My ThoughtsCan I be frank for a moment? I loved this book with all of my bookish heart. I am going to sing its praise like the song of the sirens and encourage all of you to pick it up if you are a fan of retellings. I devoured it! Holding the strongest affection for fairy tales and deep-sea settings with plots that revolve around mermaids and sirens, I felt as if To Kill a Kingdom were written for me. Of course, it wasn’t, but we paired beautifully.The skinny..Princess Lira is a fierce and revered siren. She also happens to be the daughter of the Sea Witch Queen and heir to the throne. Known as the Prince’s Bane for collecting the hearts of princes (17, one for every year she has lived) she is the deadliest. But when she breaks that tradition by bringing back her 18th heart early, she is punished by the Queen and transformed into the very creature they abhor, a human. Now she has until the Winter Solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart or remain a human and lost to her home forever.Prince Elian, also heir to the throne of his kingdom Midas, knows no other true home than his ship and crew. He sails the seas in search of sirens, seeking to destroy each and every last one in an effort to put an end to the Prince’s Bane and many deaths that occur at their hands. When he rescues a strange woman from the sea who happens to speak the language of the sirens and promises to help him in his quest, he is unsure to as whether he can trust her. But can he risk missing the opportunity to end the mankind’s greatest threat in the sea?“I’ve spent my life trying to be just what my mother wanted—the worst of us all—in an effort to show that I’m worthy of the trident. I became the Princes’ Bane, a title that defines me throughout the world. For the kingdom—for my mother—I am ruthless.”What I appreciated..I feel like I could just keep this simple and say EVERYTHING!Lira is a cruel and fierce and completely unapologetic. She goes against the YA grain in terms of protagonist offering something new and refreshing that borders antagonist but never quite reaches that point. I savored every moment of her opposition and cunningness.Prince Elian is admirable, exhibiting an ardent loyalty to his crew and life at the sea while maintaining great respect and love for his own family and the life he does not feel he belongs with. But he is not the perfect gentleman always, as he is a pirate at heart which is often exhibited through a tough exterior and often hard-edged attitude.The world building is established through rich exploration of history and lore that provides a vivid portrayal of life both on land and off. Sirens and mermaids are clearly defined as two separate and hauntingly mesmerizing species that I could not get enough of.Told through alternating perspectives, the writing is seamless and captivating, offering an original take on the familiar while avoiding the typical insta-love trope (thank you for this Alexandra Christo!)“In the pits of our souls – if I amuse myself with the notion that I have a soul – Elian and I aren’t so different. Two kingdoms that come with responsibilities we each have trouble bearing. Him, the shackles of being pinned to one land and one life. Me, trapped in the confines of my mother’s murderous legacy. And the ocean, calling out to us both. A song of freedom and longing.”Challenges some may encounter..There are times the pacing slows down briefly, but chapters are succinct and it recovers easily.There is some violence and graphic content.To Kill a Kingdom is a stunning reimagination of a classic tale that rewards readers with something original. It’s quick, clever and brimming with enchantment and action! It will find an appreciated home among the shelves of YA Fantasy fans who enjoy a dark and savory retelling and leave them craving more.Serves well with a dark, spiced plum tea.

**Originally posted on my blog RemmingtonReads**Okay, first things first, props to YA authors for finally giving us thrilling under the sea/mermaid/siren fantasies! There have been so many good ones in the past year! I just can't get enough of them!! I first heard of To Kill a Kingdom through other bloggers/bookstagrammers and knew I had to read it! A dark Little Mermaid retelling? Count me in! I love retellings and have been on a huge fantasy binge lately so obviously I had to pick it up! While it wasn't as amazing as I was hoping for, I did really enjoy it!The characters were good, but not great. I loved learning about the culture of the sirens and how they interact with humans and mermaids. However, something just felt lack-luster with the characters. The book is told in dual perspective, from the view of both Lira and Elian. I loved Lira but have mixed emotions concerning Elian. Lira was a strong, independent woman (okay, siren-woman?!...) that was so fun to read about! I loved how unpredictable she was and how she wasn't afraid to speak her mind! I can relate to that on multiple levels lol! Elian on the other hand was just okay... He was respectful to Lira and all, but didn't captivate my attention...or make it on my book boyfriend list haha! Lira and Elian's romance wasn't my favorite. Maybe they were better off staying best friends? Reading their banter was seriously so funny being that they are both such head-strong characters! I think their friendship would have been perfect! This is YA afterall, so I guess there has to be a romance *sighs*. Or maybe it was just that the romance finally happened in the last 20 pages of the book when, here I was, waiting FOREVER for it?! Who knows, I just wasn't a huge fan...The plot was pretty well-paced! The beginning started off with a bang! I loved reading about the totally different, yet strangely similar lives led by Lira and Elian and seeing their paths finally cross! The world-building was so illustrative! I could envision each and every piece of the underwater world of the sirens! And again, learning about the lives led by the sirens was freaking awesome! Even so, the plot did seem to slow down towards the middle. I found myself waiting for some big and unexpected event that never really came. The end came and it came fast! The last 30 pages were jam-packed with action! I liked the resolution, but didn't love it. It was quite "they all lived happily ever after" and predictable. It was still good though! I loved how a certain storyline finally made sense *winks*! So creative!! All in all, I enjoyed this book! I think I went into it hearing such great things that it may have been overhyped for me. I loved Lira and learning about the siren's world! Although the plot slowed towards the middle, the beginning and end were such a thrilling ride! If you're a fan of retellings or fantasy in general, this is one you should definitely pick up!

en verdad es otra version de la sirenita.La version original no me gusta pero esta version me gusto mucho, la historia esta super bien contada y los detalles son tan vividos que la lectura se pasa super rapido.el libro llego en perfecto estado!

I loved this book and it's creative world! At first the world lore was a lot to take in and remember but it was much easier to pick up then I first thought and the world really felt like it made sense despite having mermaids etc if even use the term 'realistic.' The characters were relatable and authentic. All together a great book! I'm referring this book to everyone I know

4,5/5 🧜🏻‍♀️Pas un coup de coeur, car il m'a manqué un peu quelque chose sur le seconde partie, concernant les rebondissements (j'en espérais quelques uns moins prévisibles ou plus... Prenants), mais ça m'a pas empêché d'adorer cette lecture !Le personnage de Lira est super intéressant, assez bien construit et j'ai adoré sa relation avec Elian, un personnage qui m'a tout autant plu 🙌Ça se lit vite et facilement, c'est plein de sarcasme, de légendes, de trahison et de pardon, tout ce que j'aime 👌,

A story so beautiful and enchanting that I couldn't stop reading it. This book definitely showed why an enemies to lovers fantasy is always on top.Elian and Lira. YOU BOTH 😩🤌❤️ I have no words, I love them so much!! Their banter and snarky remarks were THE BEST!! Both so powerfully opposite killer beings and yet so much alike with so much faith and love.They knew their worth and we're never afraid to take it. The crew and side characters were amazing and this story truly felt something out of a fairytale.The Sea Queen - uggghhh I hate her so so much! I wish I could just strangle her.The writing was so enchanting and luring, the high paced plot urging me to keep on reading. The best part about fantasy romance is that the characters never directly say " I LOVE YOU" but rather they show it in a thousand different ways. The small gestures, the glances everything is just so sweet in the darkened world of the book.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! This book will take you on an adventurous journey filled with love, family, deceit, friendship and above power of kindness.

Alexandra’s writing is almost like poetry, and she shaped Lira & Elian so so well. She adds the perfect amount of detail wich made this a wonderfull book if you can conjure images in your mind. I really really enjoyed how she shaped every person and creature and how well thought through they were. She created the perfect amount of background around each character and each kingdom. Lira & Elian are intricate, deep people who fit right in my alley when they put their sassypants on hehe. Her book is set in two perspectives wich complete each other perfectly, wich is something rare in my opinion. No events are told twice, but you never miss an emotion or thought of either of the characters. This is a perfect story about two people who each keep their own magic while working towards the same achievement for different reasons and creating new bonds. I am over the moon for this book.