Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.
The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?
Highly enjoyable YA fantasy novel that is a non romantic romance, a thrill ride and a story about that which makes us human, all in one beautifully written, wonderfully absorbing, totally addictive read.
Lira, siren princess, under the rule of her genuinely evil mother, the Sea Queen is known to human’s as The Prince’s Bane. Collecting the heart of a prince on every birthday, preparing to take over her kingdom, still her mother punishes and hurts, determined to make Lira as evil as she is.
Elias, Prince, pirate, siren killer, is determined to wipe out the sirens even if it kills him. The Prince’s Bane is his main target, she has taken his friend’s heart and Elias would see her die for it.
When her mother punishes her with being human, Lira and Elias forge an uneasy alliance, but he has no idea who he is dealing with…
What I loved about this one, quite apart from the gorgeous prose, terrific world building and cleverly woven plot was the developing relationship between these two. Slowly Lira starts to find that human side that her mother has gone to great lengths to beat out of her, even as Elias questions his own morality as a killer. It is brilliantly done, not the insta love that plagues so many YA stories but a slow coming together of two total opposites.
Add to that a hugely absorbing quest for power, an adventure on high seas and some beautifully rounded supporting characters creating a dynamic cast and you have a winner.
Also did I mention Sirens and Pirates? Mermaids too…
A perfectly nuanced, completely contained, joy to read. Even though it’s finished to perfection still I hope we’ll meet these characters again.
Recommended.
You can purchase To Kill A Kingdom (Hot Key) Here.
Happy Reading!
