To Kill a Kingdom is a book that everyone seems to be reading at the moment and the book world is abuzz about it. It is very rare that I read a brand new release these days, however, after hearing such positive reviews of this book I was very, very intrigued. I have to say I was not disappointed! Especially because I do not read a lot of YA (Young Adult) literature anymore because lots of it becomes repetitive and disappointing, and I find some of it really lacks the depth and complexity I want from reading a book. The other major problem I have with YA literature is that it tends to be part of some epic 4-80 million part series and I just do not have time to commit to reading and remembering that many characters.

The one thing that initially drew my attention was the idea that To Kill a Kingdom was a retelling of The Little Mermaid, however, I would say this book is not at all a retelling. I would emphasise that it is a dark, original story that has a new approach to mermaids, sirens, and fantasy kingdoms. I really enjoyed how dark and sinister this was to begin with, and the mean main characters (MCs) were really different. The two MCs: Elian and Lira were not initially people that I liked, and I had no clue about how there would be any romance blossoming in this story. Nevertheless, despite my doubt, it was well-crafted, believable and very slow which I liked. I personally preferred Lira to Elian as I thought she was more fleshed out, tormented and had a better developed character arc. I think this was mostly because the story felt more like Lira's story than Elian's despite there being dual POVs (point-of-views). We learnt more about Lira's family history and younger life than we did Elian's. This was not necessarily a negative, but I did not feel as invested in Elian as I did Lira.

The only element that I wish could have been better was the development of secondary characters and world building about the kingdoms. Although, in 350 pages and as a young-adult book, I understand that depth is often omitted to lure in the target audience more. Unfortunately mermaids do not seem to be a creature employed in many epic-fantasy series which I think is a real loss. I really loved the sea world and wanted to know more about it, and the different sirens who were sadly just brushed aside as vicious creatures. In terms of the other background characters like Kye and Madrid I just felt like we did not get to know enough about their drives and their historical backgrounds. We learnt snippets, but none of how they really came to be part of Elian's crew and why they continued to serve with him. This would have really enhanced my reading experience as immersed me more in the world.

Overall, it was an easy, fun read that took a new approach to mermaids. The plot kept steadily pushing along and it was easy to keep reading. I would definitely read another novel by Alexandra Christo's and look forward to what else she may release. I would also recommend this book to any YA and fantasy fans. A great way to pass a rainy afternoon for sure.