Disclaimer: this review was written in 2020, but was never posted. I found this in my archives so decided to post it.
Synopsis:
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:
To Kill A Kingdom is told from the perspectives of siren princess Lira and golden prince Elian. Beginning under the sea, Lira is on a hunt with her cousin Khalia. Every year on their birthday all sirens must take the heart of a human as a tradition from their ancestors. Lira, a merciless killer, takes the heart of a prince every year earning her the title of ‘Princes Bane’. However this time it is not her birthday. Her mother, the sea queen does not take kindly to this and takes away Lira’s tail in return for legs. She is tasked to take the heart of Prince Elian without any of her siren powers, such as her song which lulls humans into submission, whilst also having to do so from land.
Prince Elian, who would rather be aboard the mighty Saad hunting sirens, is returning home to Midas when the tale begins. Heir to the kingdom of gold with a desire to kill sirens, Elian sets out on a quest to find the crystal of Keto, an artefact with the power to wipe out the murderous sirens.
As mentioned in my review of Sea Witch by Sarah Henning, I love all things sirens and mermaids. This was definitely the top reason why I picked up this book. Although I will say I was surprised to find that the majority of the story takes place on land.
My favourite thing about this book is probably the fact that it is highly descriptive. The world-building is beautiful and that is something I can always admire. The world of To Kill A Kingdom is beautifully brutal, but honestly what else would you expect from a story about sirens?
You really get a sense of the surroundings when reading and it is almost impossible not to picture what it would be like to be standing in the cold and beautiful kingdom of Pagos with its legendary Cloud Mountain.
It is not too often that I find myself liking side characters more than main characters, however, Elian’s crew are so witty and endearing that it is hard not to. Madrid, a young woman who was sold into slavery as an assassin in the cruel kingdom of Kleftes, has the best one-liners and was so feisty that I couldn’t help but love her.
If you are someone who is not necessarily a fan of romance, then you will love this book. It definitely has elements of romance, but they are so few and far between that the only way to describe it would be an extremely slow burn. This was another reason why I found myself enjoying this book. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good bit of romance, however ,I do feel like it would be misplaced in a story about brutal sirens and a dangerous quest.
I only realised To Kill A Kingdom was a standalone when I finished reading. I would love to see this book turn into a series, even if said series was set before the main story and focused more on Lira and the hunt for her seventeen prince hearts. Basically, I would love to read a book about mermaids and sirens that is actually set underwater.
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