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anastasia_raf's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"Lira, a famous siren, must prove herself by stealing the heart of the man, a prince, threatening their race."
To kill a kingdom...more like to kill my time! Because that's what this book felt like. Fun time, a way to kill evening boredom.
I felt nothing towards the characters to actually be scared for them or even care if they would survive or not. Still, I flew through it and I found the writing pleasant.
Honestly, the only reason I probably enjoyed most of it was because it was pirate-sea themed. The fast pace benefited the book and the almost constant action made it easier to follow. I couldn't help but cringe at the Greek used in the book. My first language is Greek, and I was disappointed that it felt like I was reading Google translation sentences sort of pieced together... Coherent enough to be cringy but also bad enough to be...well, cringy. I liked the way she used Greek words for the name of each kingdom. They were actually pretty well used! But the dialogues in Greek were, unfortunately, very poorly written.
I appreciate the effort but wish the author payed a little more attention to the grammar and translation of the dialogues.
To kill a kingdom...more like to kill my time! Because that's what this book felt like. Fun time, a way to kill evening boredom.
I felt nothing towards the characters to actually be scared for them or even care if they would survive or not. Still, I flew through it and I found the writing pleasant.
Honestly, the only reason I probably enjoyed most of it was because it was pirate-sea themed. The fast pace benefited the book and the almost constant action made it easier to follow. I couldn't help but cringe at the Greek used in the book. My first language is Greek, and I was disappointed that it felt like I was reading Google translation sentences sort of pieced together... Coherent enough to be cringy but also bad enough to be...well, cringy. I liked the way she used Greek words for the name of each kingdom. They were actually pretty well used! But the dialogues in Greek were, unfortunately, very poorly written.
I appreciate the effort but wish the author payed a little more attention to the grammar and translation of the dialogues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Grief, Murder, Trafficking, Torture, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Slavery, and Vomit
addieisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
We’re the same, he and I. Just as looking into my cousin’s eyes feels like looking into a memory of my own childhood, being around Elian feels like being around an alternate version of myself. Reflections of each other in a different kingdom and a different life. Broken pieces from the same mirror. There are worlds between us, but that seems more like semantics than tangible evidence of how dissimilar we are.
I’m in love with this story! The plot is intriguing and every detail just fits so well into the original little mermaid tale that I’m impressed with the author’s creativity! The main characters are lovely and their development is just fine but I feel like the book stuck into exactly this: just fine. It could be amazing but it was just enough. I wish it had more to read not because I feel curious about the rest only, but because I have the impression that the details shown weren’t shown ENOUGH.
Still, I’d recommend it for someone who just wants to have a good time with a dark little mermaid retelling without being too critical about that. It’s worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Death
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
aliciaofalaska's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Physical abuse
Minor: Sexual assault
laurataylor's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Sexual assault, Death, Gore, Gun violence, and Body horror
emmerylynn's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Positives: quick, easy-to-read, and had some great suspenseful scenes; fantasy retelling was both comfortingly familiar yet unique.
Negatives: pacing felt very off, it was quick to start, then very slow in the middle, and the ending went by way too quickly. I also didn’t see too much chemistry with the main characters, and the minor characters felt sloppily written.
Negatives: pacing felt very off, it was quick to start, then very slow in the middle, and the ending went by way too quickly. I also didn’t see too much chemistry with the main characters, and the minor characters felt sloppily written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault, Death, and Blood
lizziaha's review against another edition
3.5
This book had so much potential, but every time it was on the edge of something great, it backed away. Despite the promise of Elian and Lira being the two prodigies of their respective worlds, they were both so stupid (though Elian was more so). I wanted them both to be more complex in their motives and their emotions. And the ending was frustratingly simple. One word review: underdeveloped.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Slavery
what_is_a_name's review
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Medical content, War, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, and Violence
hshipl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I loved this book ever since I read the first chapter. When was the last time that happened? Never. I’m too critical with books, but this one could not get any of it. The only thing I disliked was that it was a standalone. I would always read Elian and Lira’s story, even if it went on forever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Slavery
Minor: Cannibalism, Vomit, and Sexual assault
dcolombe's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Gun violence, Murder, Sexual assault, and Violence
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