Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo was just released on March 6th and today I am thrilled to be a part of the blog tour with a review and and exclusive blog giveaway! Check out the spoiler-free review below and leave a meaningful comment to be eligible for a chance to win a finished copy of To Kill a Kingdom!
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
Category: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling
Publication: March 6th, 2018; Feiwel Friends
Purchase: Amazon, TBD, Audible, B&N
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:
[book rating=5/5]Everything about this book is a win. I have longed for a mermaid story that works. And while this isn’t necessarily one about mermaids, it’s a mythical creature retelling that works. Never once does it feel cheap or lame. It’s magical.
To me, Alexandra Christo replaced the idealism of mermaids and swapped it out for sirens. Deadly and beautiful. And instead of longing to be become human, these creatures want to wipe them out. Especially, Lira. The Princes’ Bane, daughter of the Sea Queen, and heir to the throne. But there’s something different about her. Her mother knows. SHE knows. She has spent her life trying to deny and prove differently. And it’s with her final plan to show her loyalty that her humanity really takes shape.
Elian is a prince. One who has no desire to be become king. He’s at home on the sea. It’s only a matter of time before duty officially kicks in and his days of adventure as a pirate are laid to rest. But not only that, unbeknownst to him, he’s become the prize to the most deadly siren in the world.
Through a twist of fate, the two are thrown together. And while neither trust the other, as time goes on, it’s clear that working together could get them both what they want. Even if their goal is for different reasons.
What comes next is a tale of pirates and schemes. Lies. Betrayal. Half-truths. Adventure. Blood. And yes, romance. Although that last aspect is dimmed by everything else taking place. It’s a slow burn. Obvious to all, but acted on by none for a long time. There’s banter, too, which was probably one of my favorite things about the book. Elian and Lira constantly bickering made even the most tense of scenes a bit lighter. And yes, added to their chemistry.
Told on both land and sea, To Kill a Kingdom is a book that proves once again the importance of humanity. And peace above war. Along with the idea that family sometimes goes beyond blood. Dash in sirens and pirates, and you’ve got an all out win. This has definitely been a fun, thrilling ride. One I won’t forget anytime soon. A true modern day adventure, To Kill a Kingdom is a story that YA lovers and fairy tale fans cannot miss.
Author Bio: Alexandra Christo
Alexandra Christo decided to write books when she was four and her teacher told her she couldn’t be a fairy. She has a BA in Creative Writing and works as a copywriter in London, both of which make her sound more grown up than she feels. When she’s not busy making up stories, she can be found buying far too many cushions and organizing food crawls all over the city.
Alexandra currently lives in Hertfordshire with an abundance of cacti (because they’re the only plants she can keep alive).
Links:
Website ** Twitter ** Instagram ** Facebook ** Goodreads
Giveaway:
This is an exclusive giveaway for our blog readers! For a chance to win a finished copy of To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo, please leave a meaningful comment about the book or the review! This is open to the US & Canada only and will close in one week on 3/21/18!
Great review! I’ve recently become more interested in pirates, sirens and other sea themes. I originally kinda dismissed this book until I found out that it’s a standalone (yay!). So I’m much more excited for it, knowing that. Also adore that cover! Thanks 🙂
I’m so glad you loved this! I really love retellings, but this one sounds like it is a loose enough retelling to almost be its own story, more of an inspired story than a retelling per se. Either way, I am super intrigued!
Your review is so well written! I love that the author didn’t make this into “Little Mermaid” as different is good and exciting. I adore slow burn romance and banter is so much fun. I read Daughter of a Pirate King and the banter is what I remember most about Alosa and Riden’s relationship. Thanks for the chance to win this book as it will bring me hours of fun reading time. Plus the cover is so stunning and powerful.
I have really been into retellings lately! I love them and can’t get enough. I currently am reading Scarlet by Marissa Meyer and absolutely love it. This sounds amazing, and I really appreciate the chance!
mmalavec(at)med(dot)umich(dot)edu
I am really interested in stories about pirates and sirens and glad to see that we are finally getting more of them in YA.
I am so excited for this book, I have been waiting for a gritty, heart-wrenching Little Mermaid retelling that does the dark fairy tale justice. Thank you so much for your wonderful review, I am obsessed with fairy tales and a lot of people do not realize that the origins of fairy tales come from a dark and twisted place, and they were not intended to be cuddly, warm tales to appease children, they were intended to teach lessons, and show the more sinister side of humanity. This book sounds right up my ally, thank you for the chance!
I actually haven’t read but a couple of retellings and none sounded like what you talk about.; and deadly sirens sounds definitely way different from anything Little Mermaid related. I’m super excited because you mention banter between the characters and that’s just something that I love reading!! How they can start as opposites but through their interactions feelings start to appear. This book seems to have it all and I really can’t wait to get a chance to read it!!
Great review! I need to read this!
Wow!! Princesses, and sirens, this book sounds interesting, at first the cover caught my attention but once I read about iti was excited to check it out:-) its been a while since I’ve read anything to do with mermaids.
Thanks for the review! I’m really excited for this one and I’m glad to hear it gets it so spot on! I’m also excited for those big moral questions and lessons. Sounds great!
This sounds so good! I keep hearing good things about it. I’m always up for a good story about mythical creatures!