Here Peter learns there is a prophecy, and that he and Verity have been expected. That evening his bedroom cracks apart and he and Verity fall down a huge hole and land deep underground. One day Verity drags Peter into a shop where he finds a strange object with special markings. His 9-year-old sister, Verity (Alyla Browne), sees the move as a fabulous adventure and imagines countless wonderful possibilities. Peter suffers from anxiety and fear, and he is having terrible nightmares. Now in the present day, 12-year-old Peter (Sam Everingham) has just moved with his family to a new ramshackle house in his father’s old neighbourhood. In this darkness a creature called the Shroud (Gabrielle Chan) gained power, striking fear into hearts and turning creatures to stone. The world above went on as usual, but in the world below time stood still and darkness spread. After a terrible accident, his overwhelming grief split the world in two. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.Once upon a time, a wonderful king ruled the lands. Very gory.Ī brief mention of using poison/sedative to get what a character wants. Torture, beatings, attacks, blood, wounds, burns by acid, etc. There is a lot of graphic violence in this one. One royal family has the power to seduce anyone they touch.Ī goddess, Keto, is frequently mentioned and referred to. Some innuendo, and veiled mentions of castrating people. Some characters are described as being pure white, with blue lips. Some characters are described as having brown skin. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something with a little less content, and a little more a unique plot, then I suggest checking out The Mermaid’s Sister by Carrie Anne Noble. If you like brutal, bloodthirsty fairytales, then this book is for you. It had waaay too much violence (it really should have been a DNF), and the characters weren’t especially endearing. Read it for the retelling, not for the plot. It’s a typical band of YA characters going on a mission to save the world from an oppressive ruler. I get the author was doing that on purpose, but it just made it harder to connect with him. Elian, on the other hand, was more enjoyable to read about however, I felt like he was two different characters, depending on if I was reading from his perspective, or Lira’s perspective. I felt like she changed a lot without enough description of what was going through her head to make it believable. Lira’s character arc stuttered a bit, and I struggled to understand and empathize with what she was going through. I especially liked how the royalty of each country had their own unique myth or legend that made them stand out compared to the rest of the citizens.Ĭharacters: The characters were entertaining, on the whole, even if they did fall a little flat.

Setting: The world-building was neat, and I’d like to learn more about the various countries represented in the story. This tale pays more homage to the Brothers Grimm than it does to Andersen. And by different, I mean on the complete opposite end of the spectrum compared to the Disney version we are familiar with. This was a very different look at The Little Mermaid tale.

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? When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby-it’s his calling. The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. 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. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most-a human. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. Published on March 6th, 2018 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

To kill a kingdom age rating