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monetp 's review for:
To Kill a Kingdom
by Alexandra Christo
"They celebrate love as though it's power, even though it has killed far more humans than I ever have."
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This year is all about reading the best fairytale retellings. "To Kill A Kingdom" is a fresh take on the classic [b:The Little Mermaid|132391|The Little Mermaid|Hans Christian Andersen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1309204955l/132391._SX50_.jpg|245197] story. It leans towards its [a:Hans Christian Andersen|6378|Hans Christian Andersen|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1434625240p2/6378.jpg] origins instead of the Disney movie. However, [a:Alexandra Christo|14684499|Alexandra Christo|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1520622199p2/14684499.jpg] puts her own spin on this classic tale (oh my that was a horrible pun)! While I like the character of Ariel, Lira was even more of a dynamic protagonist. She shares nothing in common with Ariel, even acting as a siren instead of a mermaid. Going off that, I love how this book explained the difference between mermaids, sirens and mermen. This helped to make sense of the ocean hierarchy.
I imagine that Lira is Ariel if Ariel ever became evil. Unlike Ariel, Lira is self-serving, cold-hearted, unafraid to use violence and fiercely independent. What I like about Lira is that, similar to Ariel, she has her faults. Where Ariel is dependent upon other people for her happiness, Lira refuses help all the time. While Lira triumphs ultimately, she does faces several obstacles due to her stubborn nature. Since Ariel is too trusting and naïve, she struggles to adapt to life as a human. Yet her pure heart and good intentions eventually win the day. Lira's evil nature makes it difficult for her to succeed in her mission, but her ferocity is what makes her key in the later battle. Christo weaves in so much symmetry from the original Andersen story. Where his little mermaid wanted to take her prince's heart for love, Lira wanted to literally take it from him. Both the little mermaid and Lira are unable to find love, but like her mermaid counterpart, Lira ends up giving her heart willingly to her prince.
However, one thing I can't understand is how people ship Elian and Lira so much. They are a cute couple but there's no passion or strong love there. There is a lot of affection, I give it that, but I didn't sense true love. I don't know, they are just not as strong a couple as Feyre and Rhys or Blue and Gansey for example. No doubt I enjoyed this book, but I enjoyed the platonic relationships much more.
As for the ending, oh my gosh, the Sea Queen went full Ursula! I wonder if Christo meant to portray Lira's mother as Ursula all along. The connection is easily seen. It's a great take on what would've happened if Ursula was Ariel's mother and tried to corrupt her. The Sea Queen was such an intriguing and mysterious character, so I'm glad she was featured frequently in the book. The final battle between Lira, Elian, and the Sea Queen mirrored the final fight in "The Little Mermaid" movie. I noticed one moment vividly. When Lira tells Elian to run, to leave her, it's similar to the moment when Ariel tells Eric to leave or else he will be killed. Then both Eric and Elian refuse to leave their love behind and they honorably stay put to do battle. The symmetry in "To Kill a Kingdom" was perfect!
Favorite Quotes:
“Some people burn so brightly, it's impossible to put the flames out.”
"I suppose I'll have to watch my back, then."
"No need," I tell her. "I can see it perfectly.”
“It's like holding a story rather than a person; she feels wild and infinite in my arms.”
--
This year is all about reading the best fairytale retellings. "To Kill A Kingdom" is a fresh take on the classic [b:The Little Mermaid|132391|The Little Mermaid|Hans Christian Andersen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1309204955l/132391._SX50_.jpg|245197] story. It leans towards its [a:Hans Christian Andersen|6378|Hans Christian Andersen|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1434625240p2/6378.jpg] origins instead of the Disney movie. However, [a:Alexandra Christo|14684499|Alexandra Christo|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1520622199p2/14684499.jpg] puts her own spin on this classic tale (oh my that was a horrible pun)! While I like the character of Ariel, Lira was even more of a dynamic protagonist. She shares nothing in common with Ariel, even acting as a siren instead of a mermaid. Going off that, I love how this book explained the difference between mermaids, sirens and mermen. This helped to make sense of the ocean hierarchy.
I imagine that Lira is Ariel if Ariel ever became evil. Unlike Ariel, Lira is self-serving, cold-hearted, unafraid to use violence and fiercely independent. What I like about Lira is that, similar to Ariel, she has her faults. Where Ariel is dependent upon other people for her happiness, Lira refuses help all the time. While Lira triumphs ultimately, she does faces several obstacles due to her stubborn nature. Since Ariel is too trusting and naïve, she struggles to adapt to life as a human. Yet her pure heart and good intentions eventually win the day. Lira's evil nature makes it difficult for her to succeed in her mission, but her ferocity is what makes her key in the later battle. Christo weaves in so much symmetry from the original Andersen story. Where his little mermaid wanted to take her prince's heart for love, Lira wanted to literally take it from him. Both the little mermaid and Lira are unable to find love, but like her mermaid counterpart, Lira ends up giving her heart willingly to her prince.
However, one thing I can't understand is how people ship Elian and Lira so much. They are a cute couple but there's no passion or strong love there. There is a lot of affection, I give it that, but I didn't sense true love. I don't know, they are just not as strong a couple as Feyre and Rhys or Blue and Gansey for example. No doubt I enjoyed this book, but I enjoyed the platonic relationships much more.
As for the ending, oh my gosh, the Sea Queen went full Ursula! I wonder if Christo meant to portray Lira's mother as Ursula all along. The connection is easily seen. It's a great take on what would've happened if Ursula was Ariel's mother and tried to corrupt her. The Sea Queen was such an intriguing and mysterious character, so I'm glad she was featured frequently in the book. The final battle between Lira, Elian, and the Sea Queen mirrored the final fight in "The Little Mermaid" movie. I noticed one moment vividly. When Lira tells Elian to run, to leave her, it's similar to the moment when Ariel tells Eric to leave or else he will be killed. Then both Eric and Elian refuse to leave their love behind and they honorably stay put to do battle. The symmetry in "To Kill a Kingdom" was perfect!
Favorite Quotes:
“Some people burn so brightly, it's impossible to put the flames out.”
"I suppose I'll have to watch my back, then."
"No need," I tell her. "I can see it perfectly.”
“It's like holding a story rather than a person; she feels wild and infinite in my arms.”