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madalina0_0's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Stalking, Gaslighting, and Physical abuse
Minor: Genocide and Slavery
juliaaaaaa's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
i needed more!! more angst, more build up, more romance. the ending felt rushed
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, and War
Moderate: Alcohol
tragedies's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I didn't enjoy the book as much as I thought I would. The entire time I was reading it, I just wanted to skip to the end, which should never be the case when you're faced with a story full of your all-time favorite tropes. I'm always weak for enemies-to-lovers romance in fantasy, but there's just something about To Kill a Kingdom that was such an absolute pain to read. I was already at my limit during the first half, but I stuck with it because I thought that I was judging too hastily and that I might like it over time. Unfortunately, I didn't. I just ended up being angry, at me for choosing to waste my time over this and at the book for wasting its immense potential.
For one, I was so frustrated with Elian's character. The book made him out to be this typical tortured, brooding main character whose family and duty shackled him from living the life he always dreamed of. And while I have nothing against this (personally, I love the trope), how the story executed it felt shallow and underwhelming. Yes, he's going through shit, but he's nowhere near tortured, brooding, or shackled. His family, though insistent he stayed in Midas, never banned or punished him for his pirate pursuits. They merely expressed concerns for his safety and the future of the kingdom, which is completely understandable given the danger and uncertainty at sea. Otherwise, they supported him through and through. They let him leave after only a few days in the kingdom. They provided him with resources, including his favorite ship. It's also likely that part of the funds used to obtain them were from the people's dime. I find it extremely annoying for him to dismiss this as being "caged" by his princely duties when the only reason he could even go on these quests without any consequences was his privilege. I'm not saying his feelings aren't valid; they are. But there's no denying that he's also entitled, immature, and reckless. I would've forgiven it if there was some form of redemption arc or at the very least an attempt to address it, but there was none. It's a shame because it felt like such an important aspect of his character.
In contrast, I think Lira's character was a much more believable attempt at a tortured protagonist. Though she's royalty like Elian, she did not have the same privilege and support system as him. Her sole parental figure was cruel and abusive. She had no friends except her cousin, with whom she has a complicated relationship with. She was conditioned at a young age that power and cruelty go hand-in-hand and that human ideals like love and empathy were signs of weakness. And yet, as everything unraveled, she began to unlearn these twisted notions and discovered that there is as much strength in them as there are weakness. It was incredibly touching to watch her character grow from a vicious siren princess to a compassionate sea queen. While I do not feel particularly attached to anyone in this book, I find that it was Lira whom I was rooting for the most.
In terms of the romance, it was not as much a slowburn as it was slow paced. When it's a slowburn romance, there are little things happening that gradually build the tension between the two characters. Nothing noteworthy happened in the first half, and even if there were, none of Lira and Elian's interactions oozed romantic chemistry, even the ones that were classically designed to make anyone swoon. They flirted at times, but it was nothing compared to Kye and Madrid. Whatever relationship Lira and Elian had, it seemed platonic at most. Honestly, I wish it went that route because then, it would've made more sense. The romance between them felt so forced and unnatural that I couldn't help but cringe every time they had a scene together.
Perhaps the only thing that excited me about this book was the impressive worldbuilding. I loved reading about the different countries. It's funny how they were far more interesting than the romance itself. I wish we got to see more of them, whether it's Págos, Eidýllio, or even Midas. The writing was vivid, atmospheric, and immersive, but there are times when it was bogged down by too many flowery descriptions and repetitive narrations. This was also true when it came to the characters. Elian constantly went on and on about people always seeing him as "just a prince", and this happened so frequently that almost every other chapter with his point of view featured some paraphrased version of this narrative. I get it, he wants to be viewed as someone more than his birth right, but do I really have to be reminded of it all the time? No. Most of it was unnecessary and did not add any depth to his character.
I know a lot of people love this book, and I wish I did too because I was really looking forward to it when I first heard of the premise. Sadly, it's just not for me.
For one, I was so frustrated with Elian's character. The book made him out to be this typical tortured, brooding main character whose family and duty shackled him from living the life he always dreamed of. And while I have nothing against this (personally, I love the trope), how the story executed it felt shallow and underwhelming. Yes, he's going through shit, but he's nowhere near tortured, brooding, or shackled. His family, though insistent he stayed in Midas, never banned or punished him for his pirate pursuits. They merely expressed concerns for his safety and the future of the kingdom, which is completely understandable given the danger and uncertainty at sea. Otherwise, they supported him through and through. They let him leave after only a few days in the kingdom. They provided him with resources, including his favorite ship. It's also likely that part of the funds used to obtain them were from the people's dime. I find it extremely annoying for him to dismiss this as being "caged" by his princely duties when the only reason he could even go on these quests without any consequences was his privilege. I'm not saying his feelings aren't valid; they are. But there's no denying that he's also entitled, immature, and reckless. I would've forgiven it if there was some form of redemption arc or at the very least an attempt to address it, but there was none. It's a shame because it felt like such an important aspect of his character.
In contrast, I think Lira's character was a much more believable attempt at a tortured protagonist. Though she's royalty like Elian, she did not have the same privilege and support system as him. Her sole parental figure was cruel and abusive. She had no friends except her cousin, with whom she has a complicated relationship with. She was conditioned at a young age that power and cruelty go hand-in-hand and that human ideals like love and empathy were signs of weakness. And yet, as everything unraveled, she began to unlearn these twisted notions and discovered that there is as much strength in them as there are weakness. It was incredibly touching to watch her character grow from a vicious siren princess to a compassionate sea queen. While I do not feel particularly attached to anyone in this book, I find that it was Lira whom I was rooting for the most.
In terms of the romance, it was not as much a slowburn as it was slow paced. When it's a slowburn romance, there are little things happening that gradually build the tension between the two characters. Nothing noteworthy happened in the first half, and even if there were, none of Lira and Elian's interactions oozed romantic chemistry, even the ones that were classically designed to make anyone swoon. They flirted at times, but it was nothing compared to Kye and Madrid. Whatever relationship Lira and Elian had, it seemed platonic at most. Honestly, I wish it went that route because then, it would've made more sense. The romance between them felt so forced and unnatural that I couldn't help but cringe every time they had a scene together.
Perhaps the only thing that excited me about this book was the impressive worldbuilding. I loved reading about the different countries. It's funny how they were far more interesting than the romance itself. I wish we got to see more of them, whether it's Págos, Eidýllio, or even Midas. The writing was vivid, atmospheric, and immersive, but there are times when it was bogged down by too many flowery descriptions and repetitive narrations. This was also true when it came to the characters. Elian constantly went on and on about people always seeing him as "just a prince", and this happened so frequently that almost every other chapter with his point of view featured some paraphrased version of this narrative. I get it, he wants to be viewed as someone more than his birth right, but do I really have to be reminded of it all the time? No. Most of it was unnecessary and did not add any depth to his character.
I know a lot of people love this book, and I wish I did too because I was really looking forward to it when I first heard of the premise. Sadly, it's just not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Blood, Body horror, and Death
kateyjay's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was a dark retelling of the little mermaid with an added in slow burn romance, like every fairy tale there was an obvious direction to the plot right from the start.
The character development in this book is what kept me reading, particularly that of Lira who’s story was one of self discovery however Elian was a little flat and two dimensional.
The first half of this book was rather slow and I feel there was a lot more world and character building that could have been captured, having a world with 100 kingdoms and only touching on (not even really detailing) 4 of them seems like a missed opportunity and there were so many interesting secondary characters that could have been further explored to add intrigue
After all the hype this book had on booktok it just felt a little bit flat
The character development in this book is what kept me reading, particularly that of Lira who’s story was one of self discovery however Elian was a little flat and two dimensional.
The first half of this book was rather slow and I feel there was a lot more world and character building that could have been captured, having a world with 100 kingdoms and only touching on (not even really detailing) 4 of them seems like a missed opportunity and there were so many interesting secondary characters that could have been further explored to add intrigue
After all the hype this book had on booktok it just felt a little bit flat
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Violence, Torture, Gaslighting, and Child abuse
Minor: Death of parent, Genocide, Gun violence, Murder, and Slavery
nox's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
katanai's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
enemies to lovers. loved this honestly. an amazing book to get back into reading ! it left me wanting more of the main couple.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Death
Moderate: Blood and Murder
Minor: Classism, Torture, Racism, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
sarah_cameron's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I took a while to get into this book but I really enjoyed it once it got going! The end was a little quick but overall a satisfying read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Torture, Violence, War, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Slavery
Minor: Alcohol
nicole_m's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
tense
slow-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? Yes
4.75
I loved this book. <Spoiler> The enemies to lovers between Lira and Elian is great and the betrayal Lira put him through was better but the fact that he couldn’t kill her after is even better. The story line includes adventure, theft, lying, etc which is my cup of tea . I gave this book 4.75 because I enjoyed it but the ending felt a little anticlimactic to me. Overall, great book and you should give it a try.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
Moderate: Blood and Outing
Minor: Alcohol, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Genocide, Medical content, and Torture
If the warnings above trigger you than I don’t recommend this book. If not then give it a try if you like and enjoy!seasickkkkk's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gaslighting, Medical content, Murder, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, and War
martix220's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, War, and Gaslighting
Minor: Slavery and Genocide