This book is full of adventure, flirtation, sass, betrayal, disguise, growth, duty, fate and a hint of pirate swashbuckling fun. I highly recommend this novel as an excellent adaptation of the Little Mermaid that has managed to become its own story in the process * Mythic Reader *
To Kill a Kingdom is the The Little Mermaid of your nightmares... you should definitely add this one to your to read lists! Lira is an absolutely riot! * Beautiful Bookland *
I really, really, loved this book. There's not enough books out there which go into the underwater-fantasy genre. To Kill a Kingdom fills that gap in the market. It's well written and the characters are simply brilliant * Life Has A Funny Way *
I thoroughly enjoyed this book * Much Ado About Books *
This was AWESOME. It's so rare to find well-developed second-world fantasy YA standalones - but this book managed to deliver a great story, three-dimensional characters and excellent world-building all within one single novel * Astolat Books *
This is actually a harder review to write than I anticipated; I literally just want to write a page of I love it, I love it, I love it and squeal with excitement as I reminisce over this incredible book and suffer through my book hangover! I can't recommend To Kill A Kingdom highly enough; it certainly lives up to the expectation and can certainly rival incredible fantasy books such as those by Maas and Bardugo, and I can't wait to see what Christo writes in the future! * Snaily Can Fly *
a glorious new book for your YA fantasy shelf * Library Looter *
It has everything! Banter, sass, chemistry, pirates, adventure, action, a bitch queen mother, incredible world-building, consistent plot and pacing and awesome character arcs and progression. Ultimately, it is incredibly fun and entertaining. Just read it. * Emma's Chapter *
Alexandra Christo's debut is much better than anything Maas has ever written. Definitely a book that I can see turning into a big hit with readers. * Mystic Reads *
The world building is deft, and the spectacular ending is a happy one for Lira and Elian, but it will leave readers blissfully wanting more. * Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books *
I was instantly drawn into this book, the first sentence pulled me in straight away and I knew I'd fall in love with it: 'I have a heart for every year I've been alive.' I love the characters and their development, the plot and world building in this book. * Niffler Reads *
Alexandra Christo's storytelling is magnificently enticing. I was just so captivated by the fast-paced plot and characters that I couldn't put the book down. The writing is beautiful and fluid, there is attention to every little detail and the characters are very well-developed. I just can't believe this is her debut novel! * My Lovely Secret *
For a debut novel or for any novel, the story is compelling and the writing style unique, and I will definitely read whatever story Alexandra Christo tells next. * Elisa Christy *
stellar world building and nonstop action will keep readers hooked on this twisted reimagining of The Little Mermaid. * Booklist Online *
The story is perfectly mapped out and so compelling I didn't want it to end * Cosy Reading Nest *
This book had me hooked from the very first page, Lira is such an interesting character from the very beginning. I loved that she is brutal, full of rage and powerful * The Star *
The world is so vibrant and lush, it pulls you in instantly. Beautiful, murderous sirens and mermaids that talk in riddles roam the ocean, whilst a pirate prince, rumoured to have golden blood in his veins, sails through its water with his crew. That combined with the writing, which often takes on the alluring quality of a siren's song, allows for an extremely evocative and captivating storytelling * Violette Books *
a lovely dark twisted take on the Little Mermaid * Rachel's Readings *
I enjoyed reading it a lot, the story was fast paced and I liked the balance the author created between the familiar fairy tale and a new take * The Bookbag *
I was captivated from the word go and fell into the world. The story literally lifted from the pages and lured me down into its murky depths. It's a dark and twisted story and I devoured every minute of it * Book Hooked Nook *
The world building was just beautiful, from the sands and ices of the most powerful kingdoms, to the depth and darkness of the sea below. You can smell the sea, you can feel and sense the emotional connections between all of the characters. These touches add shows off Alexandra's quality of her writing, full of darkness, emotion, romance and adventure * Never Judge a Book By Its Cover *
The world of To Kill a Kingdom is perfectly built, with the right amount of detail and realness, which is incredibly hard to do in a standalone. This dark fairytale is, as you can probably tell by now, impressive in many different ways and I am already looking forward to reading Alexandra Christo's next book * Parabatai Reviews *
Exciting, intense and exotic: for me, To Kill a Kingdom was a pretty fabulous debut. Christo has a great writing style, building a fantastical new world populated by interesting, multi-layered people * Roaring Bookworm *
What can I say, I loved this book from the very first sentence. The writing is flawless, the characters are amazing, and the story is unique in its own way * Amanda J Evans *
With well-crafted fight scenes and vivid descriptions, Christo has created a world of beauty and monstrosity that will draw readers in * Publishers Weekly *
It is a strong first novel which makes a good interpretation of an existing fairy tale * Book Murmuration *
an intense and dark plot that won't let us keep our eyes off the pages for long. We have killer sirens, pirates who want to murder said sirens, and deadly mermaids who are just insanely scary. WHAT MORE CAN WE POSSIBLY WANT!? * Aimee Always *
If you like girls who are unashamedly fierce, and get to stay like that whilst also learning to be vulnerable, then To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo is for you! * Sofia Fionda *
This was exciting and glorious and just overall a great surprise * I Have Thoughts on Books *
A brilliant story. I love the descriptive writing, the way it just flowed and how it was easy to get into this book and just not stop until the very end. It made me want more even after the story had finished. The characters were so interesting and all had their own little quirks. This story is filled with so much life, a fantastic array of characters, a brilliant plot that has drama, action, romance, sirens, pirates and just everything you want in a book * Words from a Reader *
Lira is smart and tactical, mildly sinister when she needs to be. All qualities one needs to be an amazing heroine * Emma's Chapter *
If you love strong heroes and heroines, and have yet to discover the dark and dangerous delights of this book, you're missing out * Culturefly *
If you're looking for a book that will call to you (siren pun) then I can't recommend this book enough. It will capture you from the beginning and not let go. I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait for others to read it and see how brilliant it is * The Reader's Corner *
This book is an epic Pirate/ Siren adventure, which has some dark elements wrapped into this beautifully written YA story * Dyslexic Reader *
I adored everything about this book. From the story to Alexandra's writing style, which is absolutely stunning. The world building is incredible, the many kingdoms featured are stunningly vivid. I adored the character development, especially with Lira. I enjoyed watching her grow as a person, gain her independence and stand up to those around her. She's witty, sarcastic and badass! * Fantastic Book Dragon *
Alexandra Christo's storytelling is magnificently enticing. I was just so captivated by the fast-paced plot and characters that I couldn't put the book down. The writing is beautiful and fluid, there is attention to every little detail and the characters are very well-developed. I just can't believe this is her debut novel * My Lovely Secret *
A gripping adventure filled with surprising twists and turns...entertaining, mesmerizing and romantic * With Love For Books *
This is not your average Little Mermaid retelling. On the contrary. 'To Kill a Kingdom' is dark and sometimes even cruel, with a brilliantly crafted mythical world full of sirens, magic and pirates * Books with Rabenfrau *
I LOVED THIS BOOK. There's adventure, romance, pirates, banter, friendship and darkness, and all of that is weaved into a very unique and beautiful story * The Lost Pinay *
I fell utterly in love with this book * A Fool's Ingenuity *
To Kill a Kingdom is brilliantly paced, with a vivid and imaginative world that sucks you in. There's action, and the final part of the book has you on the edge of your seat * Reality is A Bore *
Alexandra Christo has an enchanting writing style. Her gorgeous descriptions of land and sea are making her story come to life in a terrific way. I loved the way she writes about magic and her worldbuilding skills are marvelous. To Kill a Kingdom is a gripping adventure filled with surprising twists and turns. There are many fabulous creatures and the combat scenes are fantastic. I really enjoyed reading To Kill a Kingdom, it's entertaining, mesmerizing and romantic * With Love For Books *
What I enjoyed the most, was how this story made me feel! I wanted to be there, on a ship navigating the seas, wanting to throw myself into the sea and feel the coolness of the weaves on my skin. The seas did feel alive when reading this! * Jane Kelsey *
Fantasy stories with a bit of guts and action have been my favourite things to read lately, so you can bet that I loved reading this one * Always and Forever Reading *
I loved Lira and Elian, with their witty wordplay and exceptionally different world views, and I found myself actively rooting for them. The pacing of it was excellent * Sapphistication *
This plot really opens up to make such a great story and dynamics between all the characters. It also allows Christo to explore some really dark themes that we don't get much in YA Fantasy, as both of our protagonists are obviously ruthless killers and that is explored in depth. It's fast paced, fun and new in YA so a big applause to Christo for being able to do that * Tea, Chocolate and Books *
Everything about this book is simple yet strong, from the smooth yet beautiful prose, the small cast of well-fleshed characters, and the clear concept... the journey is laced with surprises, and there's plenty of action, romance, and magic to enjoy throughout * Scookie Reviews *
The characters are so sassy and they will have you laughing at completely the wrong moments, and I just love them so much * I Am Book Mad *
it surpassed my expectations. This novel may be a retelling, but I assure you it was brilliantly creative, and had multitudes of elements that are wholly original. The characters were amazing, and the dialogue between them, even more so! I was drawn into this story from the first page, and its fast-paced plot kept me glued to my seat * Just Another Book In the Wall *
Elian is definetly my new bookish boyfriend and Lira is my new queen. There is nothing more I love than an incredible book with mythical creature as a central character * Bookyshy *
Alexandra didn't give us two likeable characters, she gave us flawed, complex and conflicted characters with such potential for character development. The character development was executed very well, and I loved the growth that both characters had throughout. I also enjoyed the different character dynamics within the story, the roguish group of pirates added such a wonderful sense of humour, as well the camaraderie they had as a unit was really enjoyable to read * BexNBookx *
the swashbuckly and deliciously dark pirate adventure we've all been waiting for...a lush and vicious book that will lose you in its winsome adventures of death and curses, love and magic. It was perfectly written and exquisitely told, face-paced and entrancing! * Boomerang Books *
A fantastically dark and twisted fairytale re-imagining that deserves a spot on any fantasy-lover's bookshelf * Chrikaru Blog *
possibly the best retelling I've ever read * Novel Cravings *
The characters are probably the best thing about the book. Each of their viewpoint chapters does a good job of examining their psyches, their motivations, and how the other characters fit together. Wesley, being the youngest underboss of Dante Ashwood, is by far the most brutally pragmatic of the protagonists, and yet at the same time is filled with self-loathing due to the methods he used to ascend up the Kingpin's hierarchy. His childhood friend Tavia, a busker (basically a magical street artist), is harbouring some resentment towards him and desperately longs for the days when they were still friends. Her other friends are Saxony, a Rishiyan crafter who is searching for her sister Zekia, and Karam, the descendant of a tribe of warriors sworn to protect Saxony's kind. There is significant romantic tension between the latter two and it is heavily implied that they were in a relationship previously. Also, the banter between the four characters adds the occasional moment of levity in an otherwise dark book. -- Alex Mitchell
The book has a very solid plot and I can't wait to see where the rest of the series will go. If you like a more dark edgy fantasy this might be for you. I liked the criminal aspect of it, but not everyone will. It definitely makes it a stand out in young adult fiction with the gangster fantasy label. * The Bookish Gurl *
'Into The Crooked Place is a darkly magic story of love, loyalty, allegiance and vengeance. It travels through dangerous cities and across seas aboard floating trains. Hellish demons lurk in the darkness and ghosts, both literal and metaphorical, haunt the characters, spurring them towards whatever uncertain fates await them. The end is one part hope, two parts dread, and a whole lot of excitement for the second instalment of this fantasy duology.' * CultureFly *
'For fans of Six of Crows and A Darker Shade of Magic, and generally those who love YA fantasy!' * Midnight Book Girl *
The other thing Into the Crooked Place really has going for it is the world-building. It is simply incredible. It's so intricate and thoughtful and creative. Honestly, from the very first pages I was gripped by the world of Creije and wanted to know more about it. * CoffeeStarsBooks *
