A very imaginative and fantastic darker retelling of ‘The Little Mermaid’
A very imaginative and fantastic darker retelling of ‘The Little Mermaid’ that will keep you hooked throughout, To kill a kingdom easily made my top five books of 2018.
Synopsis
Lira is a siren, daughter of the Sea Queen and heir to the throne. But no matter how much she bends to her mother’s will, she constantly fails to please her. With her eighteenth birthday fast approaching and the traditional rite of taking a human heart as a symbol of power, Lira vows that the next prince’s heart she will steal will be one worth of her mother’s pleasure and forgiveness.
Elian is a prince, heir to the most powerful of the 101 kingdoms. He is also the captain of the pirate ship The Saad, and a fearless siren-killer. When the notorious Prince’s Bane, the Sea Princess, strikes again, Elian vows to hunt a mythical crystal said to have the power to destroy all siren-kind. Having barely started on his quest, his journey takes a turn with the appearance of an unconscious girl drowning in the middle of the ocean
Review
The Little Mermaid has always been one of my favourite stories. There has been many retellings of Hans Christian Anderson’s original tale, but Alexandra Christo’s fantasy twist presents a very unique story that merits to be praised. I have absolutely loved her world building, which is whole in all senses, from the workings of the kingdoms in play to the background characters. The author is gifted in creating strong independent female characters who kick ass, and I am thinking in particular of Lira and Madrid. Please Alexandra Christo, I need a book telling the stories of all these incredible women; I need Madrid’s background story.
I felt there was something amiss when it came to the two main characters in the first two thirds of the narrative. With some step back, I believe their character development stagnated. They were very much whole characters from the very beginning, with their own well-defined personalities and motives. And despite them being thrown out of their comfort zones, it took some time for them to get out of their shell. But as soon as I entered the last 100 or so pages, it was as if a massive wave came crashing down, drowning me in their world in the middle of fast-paced thrilling action and a sudden burst of character development. Which is why I gave this book 5 stars and added it to this year’s favourites. That was pure mastery from the author.
The writing style wasn’t quite my taste, but in no way did it influence my feelings towards the story, and that is something much more personal.
All in all, a must-read!
Synopsis
Lira is a siren, daughter of the Sea Queen and heir to the throne. But no matter how much she bends to her mother’s will, she constantly fails to please her. With her eighteenth birthday fast approaching and the traditional rite of taking a human heart as a symbol of power, Lira vows that the next prince’s heart she will steal will be one worth of her mother’s pleasure and forgiveness.
Elian is a prince, heir to the most powerful of the 101 kingdoms. He is also the captain of the pirate ship The Saad, and a fearless siren-killer. When the notorious Prince’s Bane, the Sea Princess, strikes again, Elian vows to hunt a mythical crystal said to have the power to destroy all siren-kind. Having barely started on his quest, his journey takes a turn with the appearance of an unconscious girl drowning in the middle of the ocean
Review
The Little Mermaid has always been one of my favourite stories. There has been many retellings of Hans Christian Anderson’s original tale, but Alexandra Christo’s fantasy twist presents a very unique story that merits to be praised. I have absolutely loved her world building, which is whole in all senses, from the workings of the kingdoms in play to the background characters. The author is gifted in creating strong independent female characters who kick ass, and I am thinking in particular of Lira and Madrid. Please Alexandra Christo, I need a book telling the stories of all these incredible women; I need Madrid’s background story.
I felt there was something amiss when it came to the two main characters in the first two thirds of the narrative. With some step back, I believe their character development stagnated. They were very much whole characters from the very beginning, with their own well-defined personalities and motives. And despite them being thrown out of their comfort zones, it took some time for them to get out of their shell. But as soon as I entered the last 100 or so pages, it was as if a massive wave came crashing down, drowning me in their world in the middle of fast-paced thrilling action and a sudden burst of character development. Which is why I gave this book 5 stars and added it to this year’s favourites. That was pure mastery from the author.
The writing style wasn’t quite my taste, but in no way did it influence my feelings towards the story, and that is something much more personal.
All in all, a must-read!