To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo Review

Rating: 4/5 stars

Hey!

So I finished To Kill A Kingdom earlier this month, and I wanted to sit on it a little bit before I wrote a review, because I wasn't sure if it was as good as I thought it was - but it's certainly held up. This book is tons of fun, and the characters are by far the best thing about this. I do have some problems with the book which keep it from a five stars from me, but overall I really enjoyed so it's earnt four stars.

Lyra is our female protagonist, she is a ruthless siren known as the 'Prince's Bane', and is infamous for killing only princes as she lures them off their ships. She's also the heir to her mother's throne under the waves, and her ambition to take the throne is made very clear from early on. But, she's thrust into the world of Elian by her own mother as a punishment, a prince whose taken up being a pirate in his pastime to avoid the crow, and has a particular delight in murdering sirens - his dream, to kill the Prince's Bane. Only Lira knows of both of their identities as they hunt down the legend of the Crystal of Keto, something that is rumoured to be able to end the war between humans and sirens forever.

This plot really opens up to make such a great story and dynamics between all the characters, especially as we know Lyra holds all the truth when Elian is kept largely in the dark. It also allows Christo to explore some really dark themes that we don't get much in YA Fantasy, as both of our protagonists are obviously ruthless killers and that is explored in depth. It's fast paced, fun and new in YA so a big applause to Christo for being able to do that.

I also enjoyed the world building in this as it wasn't too much of the focus, and I imagine it wouldn't be enough for some fantasy enthusiasts out there but it was perfect for me. I really enjoyed learning about the differences between the sirens, mermaids and merman all who had great twists to their stories - particularly, the merman, who was just so brutal. If I were to be really picky I could say I think we need more information on the one hundred kingdoms, but I understand why this wasn't done as there is one hundred of them and that's too many to focus on.

Lyra herself is probably one of my favourite female characters I've met this year, she's funny and stubborn, strong yet compassionate, and she knows just what she wants. Lyra's story as the novel progresses becomes more and more heartbreaking, her mother's tyranny is hard to read sometimes but not completely unbelievable and you grow to understand why Lyra is such a good killer. Also, Lyra grows to become her own person in a way, and you can see the growth in her ability to empathise and understand others, and her ability to learn she doesn't need to please people to be strong. She's also a really enjoyable read, there are moments where her humour shines through and she creates a lot of the fun we experience in the novel.

Elian is fantastic, I love him death and I want him to be my best friend. Elian turns to piracy to run from the responsibility of the crown, however despite you can tell he really cares for his kingdom and family even if he doesn't want to be King, you can especially see this in his relationship with his sister which is just very sweet. Like Lyra, Elian is a really fun character, the dynamics between him and his crew are the best thing about this book and I want to be part of it so badly, but despite that good side he does a darker side. The darker side I think is not explored in as much depth as Lyra's is, but we do see some development there and progression especially towards the end of the novel where he trusts a little bit more.

The relationships are really interesting, we see some really great family and friendship dynamics and ties, especially between the crew, and Lyra and her cousin Kahlia. The way these ties drive a lot of the novel I found I really liked. I think you could complain that sometimes the action in this book is lacking, but I think it's made up the developed relationship, but it just depends on what you like more. Also, I really liked the exploration of the Sea Queen's relationship with all the sirens and Lyra, as we grow to understand she purely rules through fear and tyranny, and how this will never be long-lasting. The relationship in this is really great too, Lyra and Elian's relationship is just fantastic. I think it's quite realistic of what sort of relationships those who read YA will typically enter, as it's not overly romantic but it's based more off a friendship that develops and they're able to have fun with each other which is nice to see.

Whilst the plot of this was interesting and I really enjoyed the first two thirds of this book, I did struggle towards the end when the crew began the climb to the Crystal of Kyro. I found it to be a little rushed as a lot of the book was dedicated to building the relationships and learning about the Crystal and how they got there, but then I felt there was still little book space given to finding the Crystal and the subsequent events that took place afterwards. By giving such little physical space to what we had been building up to it made the ending feel very rushed, and I would have liked to have had more of it.

I would definitely recommend this as a dark YA fantasy, however if you're into a lot of detailed action and world building in your fantasy I would maybe avoid it or put it at the bottom of your list. I really wish I could give this 5 stars, but I just can't because of the issues with structuring and pacing in this, if that were different I'd be singing the praises of this book. If you've read it let me know what you thought!