Preliminary 5-star review. Will post a full review and adjust the rating accordingly after I finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo starts off quite strong. An incredibly imaginative and action-packed YA fantasy about a siren and a pirate prince, To Kill A Kingdom draws parallels from the classic Little Mermaid but with dark twists.

The plot was very intriguing, and the first few chapters will have you hooked. I loved the world-building and the development of our main characters--Elian and Lira. The way these two grow and transform throughout the course of their adventures together was something that I absolutely loved, and the insane chemistry between them would melt even the most cynical hearts.

Unfortunately, although the story starts off strong, somewhere during the latter half of the book, the novel starts to falter.

The first issue that I noticed was how weak the development of side characters was, even the ones like Madrid who had the most potential to play a key role in the plot. Not only do they not contribute much to the story, but it becomes quite hard to connect with them, despite their tragic backstories, because there was too much of "tell not show". We are told about Madrid's painful history, and that too from Elian's perspective. We are told about Kye's backstory, and again from Elian's perspective. Because there's a third person that's telling the narrative, it is hard to feel much for either of them.

My second issue with this book was the pacing. The first half is quite fast-paced and intriguing but the later half of the story slows down too suddenly, making it difficult to get through. This is especially disappointing because the later half is supposed to be the most thrilling and dangerous part of their quest--but again, the stakes are not raised high enough, and we are mostly told rather than shown how difficult their journey is.

And finally, my biggest let down was the romance. I love me some swoon=worthy, electrifying enemies-to-lovers romance. It's not the most original, but originality lies in how cleverly you can make a cliche feel like a new story. And this is where To Kill A Kingdom couldn't really keep up. Elian and Lira were still in the phase where they were just learning to respect each other and relate to one another--it felt too soon for them to be so hopelessly in love at that point.

But that's just my opinion.

All things considered, To Kill A Kingdom was entertaining, but the later half of this book was so hard to get through that I cannot give more than 3 stars.

Copy provided by publishers via NetGalley.

A watery odyssey full of pirates and sirens.

Lira is a siren who only takes the hearts of princes. Elian is a prince seeking adventures on the seas and has a thirst for killing sirens. The tale of their quest is fairy-tale like and has hints of ‘The Little Mermaid’ but with a darker edge, enabling the narrative to challenge ideas of what makes a monster and how perceptions can change through understanding. Lira is fierce character who lives up to her reputation as a siren and her development is a pleasure to witness while Elian is loveable in a roguish manner.

Confession- I loved this even more than ‘Princess of Souls’ only because of Lira being a siren and felt the narrative suited my interests more. Both have been fantastic reads, though, and I would recommend them. Christo’s writing has a strong flow making it compelling and, quite frankly, I couldn’t put it down! Can’t wait to see what Christo produces next!

I've heard so much about this book and the promise of a dark retelling of The Little Mermaid had me very intrigued.. I enjoyed the similarities of both stories but To Kill a Kingdom definitely stands on its own two feet!

It's a fast-paced, action packed adventure that sweeps you right into the deep end with its atmospheric descriptions of the ocean, of pirates, sirens and mermaids, princes and princesses and an almighty battle.

Not to mention the fabulous enemies to lovers storyline that runs all the way through! Such a great YA read that brings a fresh approach to fantasy fairytales. I'm really looking forward to reading the next book!

A must read for any YA/fantasy lover!

To Kill a Kingdom is a classic YA fantasy in my eyes. It has everything I expect to see in a young adult fantasy and Alexandra Christo executed it perfectly.

A twisted retelling of the little mermaid, it was entertaining, gripping and compelling from the get go and the romance was phenomenal!

I am a fan on retellings, yet I didn't expected much of reimagination of "The Little Mermaid". But damn, did I fell in love from the very first page! 🖤

First we meet Lira, a siren princess who gives readers shivers with her cruelty. But one arrogant decision gets her cursed into humanity and there is only one way, that will get her back to the sea and previous glory.

And then there is Elian, a human prince that is heir of most powerful kingdom, but his true passion is being captain of a deadly crew of siren hunters. But once he rescues odd girl, that speaks forbidden language and acts quite aggressively, from the ocean - things goes on a wild hunt!

One seeks to save world from bloodthirsty sirens, while other crave for the sea and death. A duo that should be the end of each other working together, but can the prince trust the princess, and if he do... what's then?

This book was such a fast, wild ride! I absolutely loved it! 🖤

Standalones are a good break from long series, but fantasy one part books ain't always good as it lacks of detail. And "To Kill A Kingdom" do not have a huge world building, things goes pretty fast and are action packed. But it's one sitting, fun, easy read for a reader that love themselves a cocky villain and charming men.

I loved Lira, she is wonderful main protagonist. What possibly didn't lived up with the rest of the plot, was the love story bit of the book. It was... quick. I will say just that 😉

However, like I said, it's a great read for a calm evening when you want to sit with cup of tea or coffee while traveling the seas in a ship and hunting sirens.

Loved this book as an interesting retelling of the little mermaid.

I liked this book as a whole and the double POV worked really well together, it especially helped in world-building early on in the book. The plot is fast-paced and while the romance is fun to get invested in, ultimately the journey that the characters go on separately is more important to the plot which is really important to me when I'm reading a book.

While this book feels like it could have been a duology it works really well as a quick and easy read when you don't want anything too heavy but still want something in the fantasy genre.

As a whole a very good book

Thanks so much to Hot Key Books, Alexandra Christo and Netgalley for an eArc in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adored to Kill an Kingdom. The Little Mermaid is one of my favourite stories and I loved the twist on this tale that Christo gives. I love the relationship between Lira and Elian and the world building is great. I will definitely be reading this one again!

A murderous siren princess does the unforgivable.
Her punishment : legs
The only way out : The heart of a prince(quite literally), and not just any prince, heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world who also happens to be a pirate and a siren hunter☠️
The catch: She only has till the winter solstice before her condition becomes permanent and she stays stuck as the creature she hates the most .
Unfortunately, the odds are not in her favour and the only thing keeping her alive is the fact that he thinks she's human, one he may be starting to fall for....what happens when he finds out who she really is?
Can she steal his heart(again quite literally) before her time is up? Is it worth the cost? Is he worth the cost?
A little mermaid retelling with an anti little mermaid theme. Because who needs a prince when she's going to rescue herself? #feminism
Read it to find out more. I did. Twice ✌️

I think Lira may be one of my all time favourite MCs now. She is vicious and does not apologise for it, and I love that about her! This book captured me from the first page and I devoured it in one sitting. I loved it!

The file is corrupted. Unable to read the book either in kindle or as a protected pdf form. Disappointed. Do not know how to leave a review.

While most would take this as a darker Little Mermaid retelling, this is far darker, sleeker version that quickly becomes its own thing. I loved the characters, and their dark edges, and their motivations often coming into conflict with each other. Dual POV can not always work, but is used very effectively here: both POVs move the narration along while still raising the stakes.

I only wish this has been a little longer -- with a bit more room to flesh out the last quarter and ending, this would have been a truly incredible.book. I hope the author sets other stories in this world. It's a dark, cruel one, but still fascinating. I'd love to read more.

Really enjoyed this one! An interesting take on fiction surrounding mermaids. I absolutely raced through it and then made my sister read it!

Retellings have been a hit or miss for me in the past, but with To Kill A Kingdom, I was hooked straight away from the first chapter. It was love at first page. The descriptions of the creatures like the mermaids, who are normally seen as beautiful are not, but are twisted, vicious and destructive. I was here for it. The dual perspective was such a delight and the banter and playing off of each other between Lira and Elian, both morally grey characters who become two unlikely companions, was such a joy to read. This book is fast paced, entertaining, has a slow-burn romance that I was craving and is a delightfully dark YA fantasy. I look forward to reading more of Alexandra Christo’s work.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Princess Lira is a siren, known as the Princes' Bane, and every year on her birthday, she takes the heart of a human prince. But, when she takes a heart early, before her 18th birthday, her mother, the evil Sea Queen, curses her and transforms Lira into a human without her singing voice. She is rescued by Prince Elian, the heir of Midas, and renowned siren hunter. Together, they need to recover the lost Crystal of Keto, which has the power to destroy the Sea Queen once and for all. But, will Lira be able to keep her secret, long enough to succeed?

This is a book I've been wanting to read for ages, and yet have kept pushing it off until I decided enough was enough. With elements of mythology and ancient history all tied together, I enjoyed this book so much! The human kingdoms all seemed to be tied to areas in the ancient world, such as Ancient Greece, China, etc., though with added modern day aspects. Both the main characters, Lira and Elian, were heirs to their prospective kingdoms, but relented against the pressures and control of their overbearing parents. They want different things than the mould their parents are trying to put them in, and it's a hard slog for them to come out the other side. I loved the rag tag bunch on the crew if the Saad, who were more like a family than anything else, and though they were wary of Lira when they first met her - well, she was found floating naked in the ocean - they embrace her, and eventually welcome her into the fold. The world building was fantastic, as were the visual descriptions of the different species and kingdoms the crew come across. I also liked the romance between Lira and Elian, which didn't take away from the main task of defeating the Sea Queen, but enhanced the story with a needed hint of lightness. A really enjoyable YA read!

Unfortunately I couldn't get into this book so in the interest in fairness will not be leaving a review as I don't feel it would be fair.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read it.

Loved this book, it was really unique and that was unexpected. Would definitely read more from the author.

A dark little mermaid retelling with morally dark characters, high seas adventures and a sizzling romance.

To Kill A Kingdom is a phenomenal debut. Allie Christo has crafted a beautiful, enchanting world with readable characters. A magical read from a brilliant new talent.

I may have been a little slow on the uptake, but when someone tells you that this a retelling of The Little Mermaid you know you are in for a treat. But don't thing that this is a retelling with a small twist. There is only the slightest hint. And miss in some other myths and legends (Midas anyone?) and you have a completely different story.

In To Kill a Kingdom we follow Lira, a sixteen year old siren, daughter of the Sea Queen. She has a vicious reputation in the human world as the Prince's Bane. And is someone not to be messed with. And Elian, a pirate prince with one goal. To kill the Prince's Bane.

These two are thrown together, and forced to team up. And in the process find out that though they are on opposite sides, they have a common purpose. But is this enough to unite them or will it be the thing that pulls them apart?

To Kill a Kingdom is definitely up there as a book that you do not want to miss. Filled with brutal situations, anti-heroines and badass individuals, you'll be hard pressed to know who to throw your lot in. If you have a choice...