To Kill a Kingdom

by Alexandra Christo

Overview

AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

This action-packed YA debut pits a deadly siren princess and a siren-hunting human prince against each other as they fight to protect their kingdoms.

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 and 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?

Alexandra Christo's debut is a dark and richly imagined take on The Little Mermaid that will leave readers breathless.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250112682
Publisher:	Feiwel & Friends
Publication date:	03/06/2018
Series:	Hundred Kingdoms
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Alexandra Christo is a British author whose characters are always funnier and far more deadly than she is. She studied Creative Writing at university and graduated with the desire to never stop letting her imagination run wild. She currently lives in Hertfordshire with a rapidly growing garden and a never-ending stack of books. Her debut novel To Kill a Kingdom is an international bestseller and her Young Adult fantasy books have been translated into over a dozen languages worldwide.

Editorial Reviews

03/12/2018
In a dark debut novel inspired by The Little Mermaid, a human prince and a siren transformed into a human embark on a perilous journey filled with blood, gore, and treachery as they struggle with a sense of duty and thirst for freedom. As a siren princess, 17-year-old Lira knows that every prince she kills is a means to an end: namely, proving to her people that she's strong and cruel enough to become queen one day. But everything she has worked for is wrenched away from her by her vindictive and power-hungry mother, who transforms Lira into a human after Lira allows a prince, the siren-killer Elian, to escape. To redeem herself, she must return with Elian's heart, so she joins him on a quest to find the Eye of Keto, a magic-granting crystal that could help Lira win back her mother's favor—or free the sirens of her tyrannical rule. With well-crafted fight scenes and vivid descriptions, Christo has created a world of beauty and monstrosity that will draw readers in. Ages 13-up. Agent: Emmanuelle Morgen, Stonesong. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

03/01/2018
Gr 8 Up—Princess Lira is a siren and collects the hearts of princes. Having claimed 17, she is in search of another. She is ruthless in her approach—stealing the hearts with her bare hands. Lira was raised to abhor humans and finds it to be a cruel punishment from her mother, the Sea Queen, when she is turned into one. Her quest is to claim the heart of the heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world, Prince Elian, or Lira will remain human forever. After being turned into a human, she is rescued from drowning by Prince Elian, her prey. The Prince is one with the sea as well as charming and conniving. While a romance buds, can this pair learn to trust one another? This narrative is told with alternating points of view in the first person. At times, this might be confusing to readers, who have to consider who is speaking in the first paragraph of each chapter. Fantasy fans will like the idea of sirens and piratelike princes as the characters who are imaginative and well developed; however, the romance does clutter up the plot. VERDICT Those looking for nuanced characters caught up in a tough situation will enjoy this one, providing they can look past the confusing shifts in perspective. An additional purchase.—Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI

School Library Journal

Dark and lush, yet witty and entertaining . . . and the love story is 100000% swoon-worthy.” —Hypable

“Full of intrigue . . . you will devour it in no time.” —The Nerd Daily

“Imagine if Ariel of the Little Mermaid ruthlessly hunted princes . . . To Kill a Kingdom subverts a familiar story, and sets it to the pace of a YA page-turner.” —Oprah Daily

“A beloved retelling . . . a definite recommendation if you want to leap into the world of fantasy.” —Collider

"The world building is deft, and the spectacular ending is a happy one for Lira and Elian, but it will leave readers blissfully wanting more."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"With well-crafted fight scenes and vivid descriptions, Christo has created a world of beauty and monstrosity that will draw readers in."—Publishers Weekly

"Stellar world building and nonstop action will keep readers hooked on this twisted reimagining of “The Little Mermaid."—Booklist Online

"Fantasy fans will like the idea of sirens and piratelike princes as the characters who are imaginative and well developed."—School Library Journal

"Readers who enjoy dark fairy tales of The Little Mermaid persuasion will sink into this bloody tale with pleasure."—RT Book Reviews

From the Publisher

Dual narrators heighten the drama of this fantasy featuring Lira, a bloodthirsty siren princess, and Elian, a siren-hunting human prince. Though the two are mortal enemies, complex circumstances lead them to a reluctant alliance and a shared quest that will alter their destinies. Stephanie Willis delivers Lira’s vicious, impassioned narration with theatrical relish, allowing the character’s fierce tones to soften as she begins to understand how deeply she’s been warped by her mother, the merciless Sea Queen. Jacob York gives rakish swagger to Elian’s drive to protect both his kingdom and his beloved ship’s crew. Accents for supporting characters range from subtle to distracting, but listeners likely won’t mind as they’re swept along by this dark yet ultimately hopeful tale. R.A.H. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2019 - AudioFile