Since starting up this series again I’ve realised just how many amazing standalone I’ve read over the last couple of years. I think ever since I started receiving ARCs I’ve definitely been reading more standalone. These things don’t seem to correlate on the surface, but I’m always drawn to series, without even realising it sometimes, so having standalones placed right in front of me is great.
I’m not sure why I’m mentioning that because absolutely none of the books mentioned today were ARCs, they’re all actually semi-old at this point. I’m making my way through a huge list, so expect more oldies to pop up in the future.
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
I’m pretty sure everyone and their dog has read this book by now, however, I needed to include it because it’s one of my favourites.
My favourite thing about this book is probably the fact that it is highly descriptive. The world-building is beautiful and 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?
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 unsavoury 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?
The Siren by Kiera Cass
I love books about sirens and mermaids as they are my favourite mythological creatures. This like so many books does not spend really any time under the sea, which I do find quite annoying, however, it was an interesting new concept on the genre.
My only issue with this book was that the ending seemed very rushed and the main plotline did not come to fruition until near the end. I would have liked to hear more stories about the work the sirens carry out and what it was like for the main character Kahlen during the 80 years that were skipped from the first chapter.
Synopsis: Throughout the ages, the Ocean has occasionally rescued young women from drowning. To repay their debt, these young women must serve for 100 years as Sirens, remaining young and beautiful and using their deadly voices to lure strangers into watery graves. To keep their true nature secret, Sirens must never speak to humans, and must be careful never to stay in the same place for too long. But once her century of service is over, each Siren gets a chance to start over – a chance to live the mortal life that was almost stolen from her.
Kahlen became a Siren after her family died in a terrible shipwreck, decades ago. And though a single word from her can kill, she can’t resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again.
Kahlen is resigned to finishing her sentence in solitude…until she meets Akinli. Handsome, caring, and kind, Akinli is everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. And though she can’t talk to him, they soon forge a connection neither of them can deny… and Kahlen doesn’t want to.
Falling in love with a human breaks all of the Ocean’s rules, and if the Ocean discovers Kahlen’s feelings, she’ll be forced to leave Akinli for good. But for the first time in a lifetime of following the rules, Kahlen is determined to follow her heart.
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