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?
Oh boy, was this for me. Okay, yes, I may be the most predictable person ever. “Maddie liking a pirate AND mermaid book? Who would’ve thought.” I get it. But, seriously.
To Kill A Kingdom was everything that I needed, and more. Somehow, pirate and mermaid stories manage to paint the most morally complex plots and dilemmas in YA. Seriously, I don’t get it. But I love it. This book followed quite closely in the steps of Daughter of the Pirate King, which was a favorite of mine.
This is one case where I felt that the changing POVs really worked. let me tell you, I know I say that a lot, but I despise, DESPISE changing POVs. I get too invested and loyal to the first person who narrates, so it’s hard for me to shift. So, it always impresses me when it works–this was one of those cases! This was a nice twist on the traditional “lovers on opposite sides of a war who don’t realize they are enemies.” I mean, they both kind of knew something was up, but let me tell you, that mad-intense reveal and slow burn was everything I needed and more.
This book wasn’t all too complicated–we saw both sides of a battle, where each thought that they were killing the other for valor. It was a nice commentary on human nature, but not too complex to take away from the plot. The writing and the slow burn romance were really engaging. It wasn’t anything too complicated or intense and was quite frankly the kind of romance that most YA is lacking. It was genuine, took some time to develop, and really made you feel like it was real. No crazy hormone-driven nonsense…I am looking at you Finale and Capturing the Devil #neverforget :(.
Overall, not too much to say about this book other than it was great. I have had the biggest book hangover after this novel, and nothing seems to quite live u to it. I picked it up with no expectations and left with a mind full of mermaids and magic. It is a great holiday read, to distract you from crazy relatives, so pick it up!
4.5 out of 5.
Maddie