Review: To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Firstly, thanks to Allen & Unwin for this review copy <3

Date Read: March 12 - 15 2018
Date Released: March 6th 2018
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating:

Synopsis:

"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?"

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Honestly, what DIDN’T I love about To Kill a Kingdom? The answer is not much because this was a darn near perfect book. A debut you say? Could’ve had me fooled.

To Kill a Kingdom is a Little Mermaid inspired tale, but Christo has given this a dark twist. Siren princess Lira is no damsel in distress. Known as the Prince’s Bane, she instils fear in the hearts of men, and then rips their hearts out… literally. She basically feared nobody (except her seriously scary mum) and was sure of her powers as a Siren. I loved conflicted Lira as a human. Without her powers she was like every other human and her character growth was phenomenal. She saw the value of friendship and loyalty beyond blood, forged through near death experiences and saving each other’s lives. By being human, she was subject to humanity and I thought Christo executed this so well. Lira saw it and felt it all, but she didn’t necessarily understand at first which made her development so believable. At the same time she maintained her fierceness and I’m-not-afraid-of-you-I-will-claw-your-eyes-out-if-you-so-much-as-look-at-me persona. She’s super switched on, doesn’t need to be told twice in a situation where she’s in danger and just has the common sense I wish all heroines had.

Then there is prince and sailor Elian who is definitely more sailor than prince. He’s supposedly a pirate but I didn’t really get this because I didn’t see any hint of him and the crew of the Saad raiding any other ships? Plus everybody knew he was the prince of Midas so he was untouchable anyway. With absolutely no care for the title waiting for him back in Midas, his home is the sea. I loved his longing for adventure, of the need to be free and discover new lands – it really brought my wanderlust to the surface. I admired his loyalty, especially to his crew but also to his kingdom – despite claiming he’d make a horrible prince, he makes sacrifices for his country. Elian’s determination to achieve his goal was inspiring like wow his need to destroy the Sirens was so intense he’d give up what he loved most? I wish I had half that determination to wake up in the morning to go to work… and I get paid too.

The romance was the slowest burn everrrrr, made all the better by the banter. THE BANTER YOU GUYS WOW. Peak sarcasm, wit and sass, Christo had me craughing from the hilarious back and forth between Lira and Elian. I LIVED for their exchanges, and it showed how intellectually matched they were that the banter kept flowing – a battle of brains and a matching of souls if you ask me. Who needs sappy moments when you can have awesome roasting all day?

Christo gives great personality to the crew of the Saad. The banter between Kye and Madrid were especially entertaining, it pleased me greatly that Madrid always came out on top. Also loved that Madrid was all about helping her fellow girls out. There’s also Lira’s cousin Kahlia who I had a soft spot for and I think she really needs a hug. The characters are all diverse – in race/skin colour, sexuality and traditions which heightened the fantasy element. However, it was still obvious that the Pagese were Japanese inspired especially in names and eye shape, but I appreciated that Christo mixed up the rest of the looks what with the white hair/skin and blue lips.

The world-building in this book is stunning. There’s the chilling underwater world of the Sirens, the golden (Egyptian-Greco inspired?) land of Midas and the sweet queendom of Eidyllio which reminded me of Wonderland for some reason. But nothing compared to the descriptions of freezing Pagos. There’s this one part in the book that left me awe-struck and gave me massive Mt Gagazet vibes (Final Fantasy X/Fantasy X-2, Google image it!). Christo descriptions are so detailed I felt myself freezing my arse off along with the Saad crew.

Christo weaves this all together with her captivating writing. It’s the flowery writing I love, accentuated with banter of the highest calibre. Add on the immersive world-building and everything is tied together with dark undertones, both gritty and sensual at the same time. Lira and Elian’s story is not one to be missed – it’s a tale of humanity, trust and the struggle of living up to expectations whilst finding freedom for yourself.

Review: The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross

Firstly, thanks to HarperCollins Australia for this review copy <3

Date Read: March 1 - 6 2018
Date Released: February 19th 2018
Publisher: HarperCollinsAustralia
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating:

Synopsis:

"Born out of wedlock, Brienna is cast off by her noble family and sent to Magnolia House - a boarding house for those looking to study the passions: art, music, dramatics, wit and knowledge. Brienna must discover her passion and train hard to perfect her skill, in the hope that she will one day graduate and be chosen by a wealthy patron, looking to support one of the `impassioned'. As Brienna gets closer to the eve of her graduation, she also grows closer to her smart (and handsome) tutor, Cartier. He can sense that she is hiding a secret, but Brienna chooses not to reveal that she is experiencing memories of her ancestors - memories uncovering the mysteries of the past that may have dangerous consequences in the present. A daring plot is brewing - to overthrow the usurper king and restore the rightful monarchy - and Brienna's memories hold the key to its success. Cartier desperately wants to help Brienna, but she must chose her friends wisely, keep her enemies close and trust no one if she is to save herself and her people."

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My goodness I haven’t read something this lovely in such a long time. If an author was to take a list that said “Jaz’s Checklist for Perfect Book”, this would’ve basically ticked all the boxes. I didn’t really have any idea what I was getting into reading this (didn’t even read the blurb) but your girl was SO pleased.

I loved Brienna’s character. She starts off as kind of average, not really excelling in any of the passions of art, music, dramatics or wit. She eventually settles on knowledge but she knows she’s got nothing on the other knowledge student. What I admired about her character was her dedication and diligence – hell she knows she’s lacking and makes up for it by studying endlessly and trying her hardest. I saw in her this drive to extend herself and when she found a purpose, a calling, she dedicated 110% to the cause. She’s loyal, committed and uses her brains to her advantage when she knows she lacks in swordsmanship.

There’s a whole cast of characters dedicated to the cause of overthrowing the tyrant king and I liked the way Ross showed different sides to the characters – the refined Valenians versus the Maevans who are skilled with swords. I admired Jourdain who accepted Brienna so quickly for his cause, it took a lot of trust on his part. My favourite was Yseult who’s very quick with her blade but also kind and had a just side to her. I really hope we get to see more of her in future books. The Queen’s Rising was really Brienna focused and didn’t have the other characters as fleshed out, which I’m sure means we’ll see more of them in the sequels!

The romance WOAH AM I HERE FOR THE ROMANCE. Like I said I hadn’t read the blurb (or properly looked at the cover) going into this (sometimes I like to live life on the edge and request books based on their titles LOL) so didn’t have a clue there was romance. BUT BOY WAS I ON BOARD THIS SHIP FROM THE GET GO. I’m getting all swoony and biting my lip just thinking about it. It’s hella slow burn… SLOW. And it’s worth every. Angsty. Agonising. Precious. Stolen. Moment. I love my men smart, gentle, slightly broody but caring and hella sweet. The kind who don’t try to hide their feelings but tell you straight out how they feel and my heart is pounding just thinking of Brienna and the love interest haaaaah. I’m rest assured by Ross that there is more of this person in book 2 and I AM EXCITE.

I thought the plot was very intriguing, starting with Brienna’s flashbacks, then the mystery unfolding and the whole plan coming together. I did have a few questions as there were things that happened that looked a teeny bit like possible plot holes. I overlooked these because the beginning of the book has a whole cast of characters that gives some things away so I may have gone off these assumptions? I don’t know. Either way, it was still very fun and I loved the adventure. There’s also a touch of magic with the promise of more. I’m not usually one for light magic but I’m here for the potential! Not gonna lie, some twists were predictable but I was having so much fun (AND MY SHIP) I was happy to be along for the ride.

I can’t get over Ross’s lovely writing. It’s the perfect balance of flowery and effortless so I just flew through the pages, every night going “one more chapter” and reading like 3 instead. I really liked the world she created too – the French-inspired Valenia was delicate and lush, whereas Irish-inspired Maevana was more wild in a highlands-calling-you kind of way that spoke of freedom and castles. I loved both and can’t wait to see more of Maevana in the next books.

I enjoyed The Queen’s Rising the further I read, to the point where I was smitten. I’m not going to even deny that it’s mainly because of the romance/ship because IT IS. Lovely writing, great ship, dedicated heroine, swoony love interest and an intriguing world set up for more – WHEN IS BOOK 2?

Review: Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry

Firstly, thanks to Harlequin Teen Australia for this review copy <3

Date Read: February 16 - 23 2018
Date Released: February 1st 2018
Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Contemporary
My Rating:

Synopsis:

"When Drix was convicted of a crime--one he didn't commit--he thought his life was over. But opportunity came with the new Second Chance Program, the governor's newest pet project to get delinquents off the streets, rehabilitated and back into society. Drix knows this is his chance to get his life back on track, even if it means being paraded in front of reporters for a while.

Elle knows she lives a life of privilege. As the governor's daughter, she can open doors with her name alone. But the expectations and pressure to be someone she isn't may be too much to handle. She wants to follow her own path, whatever that means.

When Drix and Elle meet, their connection is immediate, but so are their problems. Drix is not the type of boy Elle's parents have in mind for her, and Elle is not the kind of girl who can understand Drix's messy life.

But sometimes love can breach all barriers.

Fighting against a society that can't imagine them together, Drix and Elle must push themselves--Drix to confront the truth of the robbery, and Elle to assert her independence--and each other to finally get what they deserve."

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Katie McGarry has a real knack for writing page turning contemporaries centred on someone from the wrong side of the tracks. Whether it’s bad girl meets good boy or vice versa she always writes a good story that has me hooked.

Drix is a reformed bad boy who’s spent the last year in a special program for juvenile delinquents. He comes back home completely changed but also with a heavy heart because he was accused of a crime he didn’t commit. And he knows someone close to him did it but he took the fall. That’s the kind of guy Drix is, he loves his family and friends so much he’d protect them to no end. What I liked about Drix was he wasn’t afraid to think about his emotions and how he was feeling. He didn’t brush them away but considered how he was feeling and the impact that might have on those around him. Like if he was angry he’d stop and pause, move away from the situation if he felt like he could possibly punch a guy. What I really loved about Drix was his ability to admit his mistakes. While he didn’t commit the crime, he acknowledges that the life he was previously leading was heading towards a downward spiral. He was self-destructing, he knew it, but he couldn’t stop it. The second chance program really helped him and he openly says so instead of fighting it. I think it really shows great character growth when someone can see ways to improve themselves.

On the other perspective, governor’s daughter Elle is the external picture of perfection for her dad’s election campaign. I’m not entirely sure I enjoyed being in Elle’s head. I appreciated the way she was written in that she knows she’s privileged and extremely lucky to be living in the luxury she has. Her parents both came from tough backgrounds and worked hard so she could have everything and she knows this. She’s sheltered and quite naïve, struggling to earn her parents’ approval because she’s not perfect at everything. I understand all that but after a while her internal arguments just became privileged white people problems for me. Constantly complaining about how she hates being part of her dad’s campaign – understandable given the disgusting older white rich men leering at her – but at the same time loving it. I couldn’t tell if she really did enjoy spending hours memorising bullet points so she could speak to younger votes, if she really believed in a lot of those policies. She said she did but it’s easier said than done. She also hates her parents for not letting her pursue an internship because they don’t think she can handle the hours with the campaign. I didn’t get why she didn’t just pick one when it was obviously destroying her inside. I mean, at least she even had extra-curriculars to choose from? First world problems.

Obviously there’s the chemistry between them and romance which kind of developed quickly. They’re both immediately drawn to each other’s appearances. Drix was captivated by the exact shade of Elle’s blue eyes and I do admit I thought it was a bit cheesy. They do get to know each other more and like each other’s internal qualities but I couldn’t help but notice how much of it was physical?

This was the majority of the book to be honest. Flipping between Drix and Elle as they went through their internal struggles, both trying to do their part for the governor’s campaign. There’s some focus on finding the real culprit but I didn’t think it was major. This book was sloooooow. I mean that 80% of it was pretty uneventful and there’s family stuff thrown in but I was pretty bored. The only thing keeping me going was McGarry’s writing.

Overall, it was ok. I was turning those pages very quickly at the end. I enjoyed Drix’s character and the way it started with him reformed so he’s adjusting back into his life. However, I didn’t care for Elle much and the book moved slowly. The highlight was definitely McGarry’s writing and I do think her Pushing the Limits series is her strongest work yet.