A review by earlieststar
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

CW: depictions of drowning
would be 4 but the .25 is bc i wish this book was double the length.
fight at the end felt a little rushed and too magic-y for me. couldnt envision it properly and it lacked explanation on what the magic system was supposed to be.
aside from that i loved the characters, and both elian and lira are developed and lovable and genuinely well thought through.
the worldbuilding is really interesting. again, i wish we saw more of it, but im glad that it was overexplained nor dragged on. its just- the book is good and interesting and i wanted more of it. but its well written within the length and honestly, it might have gone off the rails if we spent a couple hundred more pages in the world so ill take my wins.
i liked the mythical side of the sirens a lot. they truly do feel brutal and otherworldly in this really engaging way.
slow burn in a 300 page standalone is hard to achieve but the tension was delicious. thank you for the food.
the vibes are also immaculate and there was some really good banter.

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