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To Kill a Kingdom
352 pages
A dark, blood-soaked fairy tale where two ruthless enemies find their match in the treacherous depths of the sea.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like standing on the deck of a pirate ship in a storm—exhilarating, dangerous, and drenched in sea spray. It is a propulsive, darkly enchanting experience that thrives on the razor-sharp tension between two morally grey protagonists who are just as likely to kill each other as they are to fall in love. The atmosphere is steeped in oceanic dread and visceral magic, trading the innocence of traditional fairy tales for something much more feral and blood-soaked. The prose is snappy and sensory, delivering wicked banter alongside moments of surprising emotional vulnerability. It is an absolute feast for readers who crave high-stakes enemies-to-lovers romance, swashbuckling adventure, and heroines who are unapologetically monstrous.
- Mood
- oceanic
- blood-soaked
- tense
- adventurous
- Tone
- cynical
- snarky
- fierce
- romantic
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- enemies to lovers · morally grey choices · defying destiny · found family · monstrous natures
- The writing
- Sharp, sensory, and darkly lyrical, balancing witty banter with visceral descriptions of violence and the sea.
- The arc
- From cold, ruthless isolation and mutual hatred to reluctant trust and fierce, world-altering devotion.
- Who it's for
- Fans of dark fairy tale retellings, morally grey protagonists, and high-stakes enemies-to-lovers romance on the high seas.
Content notes
- violence
- blood and gore
- murder
- parental abuse
About the book
This action-packed YA debut pits a deadly siren princess and a siren-hunting human prince against each other as they fight to protect their kingdoms.
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 and 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?
Alexandra Christo's young adult novel To Kill a Kingdom is a thrilling fantasy adventure.
Description from Open Library.
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