In 2018 I met the mastermind behind the enchanting novel ‘To Kill a Kingdom’, Alexandra (Allie) Christo. An enticing tale of how two royals challenge their birth right. A debut novel for Alexandra Christo with a gorgeous cover of this book was entrancing and I found myself drawn to, whether it be deep blue waves or the golden tentacles this book had me hooked from the first look. To Kill a Kingdom. Siren Princess: Lira and Pirate Prince: Elian are thrown together in a twist of fate in which both characters are faced with their enemy unwittingly work together in order to fight for their souls. A curse and a self-given duty. A crew of mismatched, vengeful pirates and an army of acrimonious, vicious sirens. Two natural born enemies driven together by the siren queen and a journey across a diverse enchanting array of kingdoms through turbulent oceans. This novel takes you on a voyage along with a bunch of loveable vagrants who seem to love nothing more than a drink and a good fight.
Before reading this book I was told that it was ‘sexy mermaids’ with ‘insta-love’ and I was upset with this description as I was looking forward to reading this book, however I was so happily surprised to find that this book was not about ‘sexy mermaids’ and although the budding relationship between Elian and Lira can be deemed as predictable it is in fact the subtle sexual chemistry that is implied and the unpredictability of their erratic emotions that intrigues the reader to truly maintain a hope for these sworn enemies.
After speaking to Allie at a book event recently I learnt that she (alike myself) is interested in developing tales and creating twisted interpretations. She explained that this novel took inspiration from Hans Christian Anderson’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ (sorry Disney but your version just wasn’t as dark, and everyone lived happily ever after, unrealistically). I found that speaking to Allie, as an aspiring writer, was an amazing experience as I learnt we both studied Creative Writing and enjoyed you take a darker route to writing that revealed a twisted side to us.
Lira’s character is undoubtedly a feminist and what is better than a feminist siren? Genuinely please comment if you have any other idea. The actual mythology of a siren[1] intertwined with a feminist attitude to patriarchy creates an impression on a young feminist like me. Lira was a strong female who could not be contained by no man and this character trope was mirrored by Madrid who although loyal to Elian was opposed to repression from men. Allie was able to create strong female characters who refused to be conquered by men and in support of this Allie created kingdoms ruled entirely by women, whether in the ocean or on land. Whereas there is a strong sense of female empowerment there is also a mix of male characters, Allie was able to create strong men with respect and who treated women fairly although enjoyed deceiving women, however other men were misogynistic. Each character carried their own insecurity whether it be self-doubt, trust or fear, insecurities that are relatable to use as readers.
A beautiful world was created by Allie in this novel and through a beautiful skill of crafting this world and tale of this voyage across many oceans. This book is without a doubt one of my favourite fantasy novels of 2018, I found this interpretation of sea-creature meet prince and how the princess must save herself fitting for this generation.
Before reading this book I was told that it was ‘sexy mermaids’ with ‘insta-love’ and I was upset with this description as I was looking forward to reading this book, however I was so happily surprised to find that this book was not about ‘sexy mermaids’ and although the budding relationship between Elian and Lira can be deemed as predictable it is in fact the subtle sexual chemistry that is implied and the unpredictability of their erratic emotions that intrigues the reader to truly maintain a hope for these sworn enemies.
After speaking to Allie at a book event recently I learnt that she (alike myself) is interested in developing tales and creating twisted interpretations. She explained that this novel took inspiration from Hans Christian Anderson’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ (sorry Disney but your version just wasn’t as dark, and everyone lived happily ever after, unrealistically). I found that speaking to Allie, as an aspiring writer, was an amazing experience as I learnt we both studied Creative Writing and enjoyed you take a darker route to writing that revealed a twisted side to us.
Lira’s character is undoubtedly a feminist and what is better than a feminist siren? Genuinely please comment if you have any other idea. The actual mythology of a siren[1] intertwined with a feminist attitude to patriarchy creates an impression on a young feminist like me. Lira was a strong female who could not be contained by no man and this character trope was mirrored by Madrid who although loyal to Elian was opposed to repression from men. Allie was able to create strong female characters who refused to be conquered by men and in support of this Allie created kingdoms ruled entirely by women, whether in the ocean or on land. Whereas there is a strong sense of female empowerment there is also a mix of male characters, Allie was able to create strong men with respect and who treated women fairly although enjoyed deceiving women, however other men were misogynistic. Each character carried their own insecurity whether it be self-doubt, trust or fear, insecurities that are relatable to use as readers.
A beautiful world was created by Allie in this novel and through a beautiful skill of crafting this world and tale of this voyage across many oceans. This book is without a doubt one of my favourite fantasy novels of 2018, I found this interpretation of sea-creature meet prince and how the princess must save herself fitting for this generation.