To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo [Spoiler Free Book Review]

To Kill a Kingdom
by Alexandra Christo

Genre: YA fantasy

My Rating: ★★

Description:

Lira is the Prince's Bane -- the murderous siren who has collected a prince's heart for every year she's been alive. Seventeen hearts. Seventeen lives taken. She only has to wait a few more years before she will ascend to the throne of the Sea Queen, but when her actions leave one of her mother's subjects dead, she is cursed into human form and given a task -- steal the heart of the Prince of Midas -- without her song.
Prince Elian is a siren hunter. He kills to keep the kingdoms safe from the deadly songs of their kind. When he learns that there may be a way to end the siren's rule of the sea once and for all, he's willing to sacrifice anything to see it happen.
When he rescues a drowning girl from the ocean who claims to have the final piece of the puzzle Elian is desperate to solve, they form an uneasy alliance... but is there any way that humans and sirens can find peace? Or will this once again end in blood?

Why I Didn't Like To Kill a Kingdom

A poorly put together plot, as well as some shaky worldbuilding and an anti-climactic ending.

Overall Thoughts

To be completely honest, I probably would have DNFed To Kill a Kingdom if I hadn't been reading it for my book club. It was not an engaging story by any stretch of the imagination, and since I was also reading Oathbringer at the same time, there was really no competition. I was interested to read this book, too, which disappoints me. I mean, a dark retelling of The Little Mermaid? Yes!

Or should I say, no...? Because To Kill a Kingdom never really lived up to any of my expectations.

The Characters

The characterization was kind of patchy. Lira was definitely an interesting character, though her character arc didn't really make much sense to me... it seemed to happen far too quickly. Elian could have been an interesting character as well, but quickly fell into cliche. He's introduced as a merciless siren hunter, but new information is revealed later that tries to make him sympathetic, and ends up making him really boring. Now, I have no issue with a sympathetic character. But for some reason, the set-up his character had didn't match the new revelations very well. He doesn't actually enjoy killing sirens? He's only doing it to protect people? Not that I have any problems with him not being a bloodthirsty murderer, but if that's the way you introduce your character, please keep him consistent!
The side characters were not really noteworthy, and honestly kind of bland. The villain started out interesting and ended up the cackling evil witch from every Disney Princess movie ever made.

Plot/Pacing

The plot was... badly put together. It's a quest style story, with multiple stops at different places along the way, but half of the destinations didn't even make any sense because the author hadn't revealed why the characters were going there. A lot of it just seemed to be delaying the climax and making the book longer. (And also more boring). The ending of the book was kind of cringey. I was really hoping that it would change my mind somewhat about the book, but it was awful. And the romance was really bad as well. There was no chemistry between the two of them, I don't understand...?

Writing/Worldbuilding

The writing wasn't half-bad, but there was a lot of telling (as opposed to showing) in this book as well.

The worldbuilding was fairly solid in the beginning, but as things kept getting added, the more gaps in it I noticed. For a start, I hated the whole idea of the kingdoms literally personifying what they're known for. Like, the kingdom of love literally smells like chocolate, and the streets are covered in pastry crumbs. The kingdom of lies looks like it's shrouded in grey, and the kingdom of gold is -- you guessed it -- painted gold. It ended up being just a bit too silly for me, and kind of odd considering the overall dark tone of the book.
The magic system was also kind of strange. New aspects kept getting introduced, and left me confused. For example, about halfway through the book, we find out for the first time that Elian's ship steers itself. What? I wouldn't have minded if this was set up from the get-go, but introducing it halfway through was just weird.

So, overall, To Kill a Kingdom was a bit of a disappointment for me.

Content

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

There is definitely violence in this book, with a lot of blood, and some brutal methods of killing. It wasn't graphic in the descriptions, but we're given enough that it could be disturbing for some readers.
Sexual content is limited to a few comments/jokes and a few passionate kisses. There's a few mentions of a same-sex marriage near the end.
Several instances of coarse language; no f-bombs, but some of the words used could definitely be offensive to some readers.
Characters drink alcohol.

Sky Without Stars [System Divine, #1] by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell

Sky Without Stars [System Divine, #1]
by Jessica Brody, Joanne Rendell

Genre: YA science fiction retelling

My Rating: ★★★

Description:

Laterre was a blessing. A refuge for humanity fleeing from a dying world, one of nine planets in the System Divine.

Now it is less a refuge than a cage.  

Chatine just wants to get off Laterre. She's stolen and saved for years to earn enough to escape -- so when she is given an opportunity to spy on Marcellus Bonnefaçon in exchange for her dream, she accepts, unknowing of the consequences of her choice. 

Marcellus has known for years that he will one day replace his grandfather as General for the First Estate. But when he receives a mysterious message from a known traitor, he begins to question his loyalties.  

Alouette lives with a sisterhood devoted to keeping history alive. And she's also the only one who can read Marcellus's message. 

Underneath it all, Laterre trembles with the beginnings of rebellion. And soon, all three of them are tangled in a silent struggle for freedom.

Overall Thoughts

This book had me at sci-fi Les Miserables. (Okay, and the gorgeous cover might have had something to do with it, too.) I mean, what's not to like? Plus, it's a huge book, and I love huge books, so this was a win-win-win for me going in. Overall, it was an enjoyable read. There were a few issues I had with it that stopped me from giving it a higher rating, but I did enjoy it despite those issues.

The Characters

The characters were good. I liked Chatine from her first POV; she's cunning, risktaking, and sarcastic at times. Her longing to get off of the planet was portrayed realistically, and I liked her complicated relationships with her family members.
I liked Marcellus at first, but he ended up being my least favorite point of view character. He seemed to trust people a little too quickly? But I still liked his POV. His struggle with where his loyalties lie was interesting, though I wish the authors had chosen to show more of the other side of the conflict, as well.
I was surprised at how much I liked Alouette, the character who fills the role of Cosette in this story. I didn't like Cosette very much, either in the 2012 movie or Victor Hugo's original novel. But I did really like Alouette. She's smart, brave, and determined, and I really liked that about her.
I didn't like the villains so much. For the majority of the book, I thought that the Inspecteur (who fills the role of Javier) was super cool. He was a cyborg, and I thought that was an interesting twist. But then the climax rolled around... and he started in with the villanous monologues and maniacal laughter. So that was... anti-climactic.

Plot/Pacing

The plot was decent. Of course, I didn't realize going into this book that it only retells half of the original Les Mis -- the second book (set to release some time next year) retells the next half. But because I didn't realize this originally, I kept waiting for the revolution to start and it just... didn't. But it wasn't something that really disappointed me, because the plot itself was okay, definitely not the finest plot out there, but solid and enjoyable. There were a few small things that annoyed me -- like when Chatine is enlisted to spy on Marcellus, and her employer tells her that he believe Marcellus trusts her... based on some footage where he (Marcellus) literally found her looting bodies. So that was weird? But okay. There was also a short scene where a kid tells Chatine that he works for the revolutionaries, even though he doesn't know who she is. Which also struck me as odd. Chatine assumes he's joking, but even so, I was pulled out of the story for a moment because of that.

Worldbuilding

The worldbuilding was fun. I liked the descriptions of the planet -- how it's always grey, rainy, cold. It felt really different from a typical sci-fi planet, and I thought that was neat. There were a few terms for the technology that irritated me a little bit, but it wasn't really anything huge.

I seem to have had a lot of problems with this book, but even so, I enjoyed reading it! It definitely wasn't as brilliant and awesome as I wanted it to be, but it was still an enjoyable read, and I'll probably be picking up the sequel once it comes out, too.

Content

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

Violence is typical of an average YA novel. The battles and wounds were minimally described (the fights themselves only lasted a short time; I feel like they were a bit rushed through at points, even.) A few mentions of blood. 

Someone threatens to cut off another character's toes. A child is poisoned. 

A few instances of mild swearing. 

Sexual content doesn't go beyond kissing. Chatine disguises herself as a boy for most of the novel. 

There are places called "blood bordels" where young girls can sell off the nutrients in their blood. Chatine's father threatens to send her to one if she can't earn her keep.

Splintered [Splintered, #1] by A. G. Howard

Splintered [Splintered, #1]
by A.G. Howard

Genre: YA fantasy retelling

My Rating: ★★

Description: 

Alyssa Gardner is not crazy. At least, that's what she keeps telling herself. All her life, she's been able to understand the language of plants and insects, a secret she's kept hidden from everyone, including her father. Because as the descendant of Alice Liddell -- Lewis Carroll's real life inspiration for Alice in Wonderland -- crazy just seems to run in the family. Alyssa knows it only takes one wrong move to end up like her mom -- in an asylum.
But a series of strange events soon forced Alyssa to confront a terrifying truth: Wonderland is real... and in reality, it's deadly...

Overall Thoughts

What I was expecting when I opened Splintered: dark Alice in Wonderland retelling, creepy, pulse-pounding, quest-style adventure. What I actually got from reading Splintered: a rambly plotline and an increasingly annoying love triangle. 

I'm kind of sad that I didn't enjoy Splintered, because I feel it had a lot of potential. But it just didn't live up to my expectations.
I can't really tell you what the theme was... and maybe this is because it's been a while since I read it. But I don't recall any particularly stand-out themes, except maybe one tossed in at the end about not having to conform to your destiny? But it wasn't handled as well as it could have been.

Setting/Worldbuilding

I'm going to start with what I did like about the novel, because there were things I liked. I loved the creepy, Gothic aesthetic, particularly in the beginning chapters -- these chapters were probably my favorite parts in the whole story. The setting choice in these early parts of the story were so cool... it almost makes me wish the author had chosen to set her whole Wonderland story in this location. (I understand that the plot makes this hard to work around, but I feel like it could have been done.) So I would say that the setting of the novel was it's strongest point. However, once in Wonderland, the setting became more random, and the world felt less cohesive and defined. It became confusing -- maybe the author's point, but one that definitely lessened my enjoyment of the work as a whole.

The Characters

In terms of characterization... I didn't really connect with any of the characters. Or, that is to say, I did, but then the stupid decisions they made later undermined any likeability they originally possessed.
Alyssa was definitely the most developed character, but I had a hard time following her motivations for following Morpheus once the quest began.
Morpheus is a typical "bad boy with a heart of gold", and while I've seen this type of character done well (I.E. Nik from Gemina) Morpheus never made me feel any kind of sympathy for him.
I liked Jeb in the first chapters (again, before Wonderland). But he quickly lost all the elements of his character that made me like him to begin with, and I ended up being very disappointed by him. (For more in-depth discussion about this, see my Goodreads review.)
Taelor was a stereotypical "mean girl", and she never really got much development apart from that, which is a shame. This stereotype is way too overused, and it shows.

Plot/Pacing

The plot... My feelings about the plot are a little complicated. I loved the premise -- Alyssa is Alice Liddell's descendant, and has to try to break her family's "curse". But the way it was carried out... that was what bothered me.
It's mostly because Alyssa, to be frank, knows nothing. The author holds back key elements of the plot to reveal later, and so for a good portion of the book, Alyssa's actions seem random. Her goal wasn't very well defined, and I think this caused the book to lag for me -- what Alyssa wanted to achieve kept changing from one chapter to the next, and that bothered me.
There was a good plot twist towards the end -- one that I actually really liked. And it explained a lot of why her quest was set up the way it was and everything. But it still felt too random to me, and I wish more had been explained earlier.

Content

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

Typical YA novel content. Some swearing, no f-bombs that I can recall, but some more "intense" language than something you would find in, say, The Lunar Chronicles. 

Several scenes of passionate kissing. A couple sleeps together in a boat (nothing else happens.) One thing I had an issue with in this novel is how saving yourself for marriage was treated almost... negatively. There were a few times where Alyssa referred to her virginity as a "problem", which made me kind of upset. No one should be shamed for saving themselves for marriage! I'm not sure if this was the author's intention, but that's the way it came off to me. 

Violence was moderate, nothing gory as I can recall. Near the end there were a few more intense fight scenes. 

A lot of disturbing imagery, reminiscent of a Tim Burton movie.

YA Retellings of Fairy Tales

When I started researching for this post, I realized just how few retellings I've read that are actually retellings of fairy tales. In fact, just looking at a list of teen fairy tale retellings on Goodreads shows maybe four series I've even heard of before! (Any authors reading this, well-written teen fairy tale retellings are apparently in short supply.)

That being said, I did manage to come up with a decent sized list.

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (Cinderella; Little Red Riding Hood; Rapunzel; Snow White)

Image courtesy of Goodreads

If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times: the Lunar Chronicles is a fantastic book series on so many different levels. Not only does it have great characters, an engaging plot, and an interesting storyworld, but all four books are based on a famous fairy tale! I loved seeing the way the different plot elements from the original fairy tales played out in the books. 

Spindle's End by Robin McKinley (Sleeping Beauty)

Image courtesy of Goodreads

I read this book ages ago, but I do remember enjoying it. The romance, in particular, satisfied me so much I actually wrote "Best Romance" on a sticky note and had it stuck to the front of the book for a while -- don't ask why, I honestly don't know why I found it necessary.

The book itself is slower paced, and as I remember, rather rambly, so it may not appeal to everyone. However, I enjoyed it -- the writing style fit the overall feel of the story, and so I feel that while the style wouldn't work for just any story, it did work for this one. 

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (The Goose Girl)

Image courtesy of Goodreads

This book has been on my to be read list for far too long. After all, it retells one of my favorite more obscure fairy tales -- "The Goose Girl". 

I'm excited to see how the original plot will come into play in the retelling. 

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge (Little Red Riding Hood)

Image courtesy of Goodreads

This is another book that I've placed on my ever increasing to be read list. I read the Goodreads blurb and was intrigued. A dark retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood"? Count me in! 

The author has also written another standalone novel based on "Sleeping Beauty", called Cruel Beauty, so if I enjoy Crimson Bound, I might give that one a try, too.

And that about wraps it up! Have you read any of the books on this list? Have you read any other teen fairy tale retellings that I haven't included here? Let me know in the comments!

YA Retellings of Classic Literature

If there's one thing I love, it's a good retelling. From historical fiction to fantasy to dystopian, our classic fairy tales and novels have been retold over and over in various genres and age groups -- from children's to teen to adult literature.
Here, I've compiled a list of YA books that retell classic stories.

Les Miserables - Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell

Image courtesy of Goodreads

The gorgeous cover of Sky Without Stars was the first thing that drew me in. When I found out it was a Les Mis retelling... it was pretty much sold for me at that point. It's very high on my to be read list.

Peter Pan - Everland by Wendy Spinale

Image courtesy of Goodreads

Everland by Wendy Spinale is a steampunk/post-apocalyptic/alternate history retelling of Peter Pan. The setting was probably the most intriguing for me.

Alice in Wonderland - Heartless by Marissa Meyer; Splintered by A.G. Howard; The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Image courtesy of Goodreads

Heartless by Marissa Meyer is a "before-Alice" story, following the origin story of the Queen of Hearts. I loved that Meyer tried to stay true to the source material -- the nonsensical world of Wonderland is shown as being perfectly normal to the characters, and I enjoyed seeing the way various elements of Carroll's world played out in the plot. 

I've heard good things about The Looking Glass Wars, and I'm keen to read it soon. 

Splintered is a gothic retelling of the story, following the adventures of one of Alice's descendants. I'm about halfway through currently, and while I'm a little annoyed by where I know the love subplot is going, I'm going to hold off judgement until I finish the book. :) I do like the creepy aesthetic, though. 

Persuasion (Jane Austen) - For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Image courtesy of Goodreads

I read this book years ago, but I remember enjoying it. After all, it's Jane Austen -- in the post-apocalypse. What's not to love?

The Scarlet Pimpernel - Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

Image courtesy of Goodreads

I've been meaning to read this one for a while. It's the companion to For Darkness Shows the Stars, set in the same storyworld.

Oliver Twist - Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon

Image courtesy of Goodreads

A continuation of the classic by Charles Dickens, Olivia Twist asks the question, What if Oliver Twist was really a girl in disguise? This book has been on my to be read list for a while. I'm excited to see where the author goes with the concept!

And there you have it! This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the YA retellings of classic literature out there. What other books would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments!

(And stay tuned for next week's post - I'll be covering YA fairy tale retellings!)