[Review] To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

*I received a copy of this title from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Title: To Kill A Kingdom
Author: Alexandra Christo
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: March 6, 2018

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 sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?
Review: The first line had me hook, line, and sinker! If you loved Six of Crows, The Little Mermaid, and Pirates of the Caribbean, then you will devour this. I was instantly sucked into a beautifully written world where there is a divide between land and sea.

It’s hard not to instantly love Lira, a siren princess with a taste for the hearts of princes. She is beautiful, but deadly and is well-known to the humans who fear her. Her POV was so exciting to read because she is defiant, fierce, cunning, devious, and witty.

Elian is a pirate who hunts sirens. He lives and breathes the sea and only returns home for a few days a year because he rejects his royal status. His character was so much fun to read because he was so arrogantly charming. Elian also has a smart mouth, and I found myself laughing at his witty retorts to Lira. Their chemistry was incredible!

When Lira is turned into a human and rescued by Elian from drowning, she joins him in a mission to find the one thing that is said to be able to destroy sirens. The only thing is that no one knows she’s a siren and that she joins their mission to find the weapon that can help her fight her mother, the Sea Queen. If anyone finds out, it could mean her demise. Elian is also hiding a few secrets of his own as he makes deals across the sea to get the tool he needs to end all sirens.

If you love the old dark and twisty fairy tales, then you are looking in the right place. I really enjoyed the quest aspect of this book as well, because they visited so many amazing places. This world was so beautifully crafted and the story was so intense. The only issue I had with this book is that it wasn’t long enough and I feel like there was enough story for at least a duology. But, there is a lot of lore involved and I love the rich history that Alexandra Christo has created for this story. This is one YA book you want to watch for because it is incredible in every way!

Rating: 4/5