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A review by rikki_fae
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
First, a positive point: I really enjoyed some of the characters and their VERY witty banter!
For cons, the book romanticized violence (at least in the beginning; I DNFed it) in the guise of a dark siren trope. I understand what the author intended but I think the themes/content of abuse and violence were not handled as responsibly as they could have been (especially for a YA audience). I think this is because the narrator not only subscribes to these violent ideologies, but praises them in her inner-dialogue.
Which leads me to the second point; I felt the bloodlust was a bit over the top, and I enjoy the grim-dark genre. I did not enjoy the constant inner dialogue telling us how dark the she and the society are. This might be a consequence of some descriptions being told and not shown.
For cons, the book romanticized violence (at least in the beginning; I DNFed it) in the guise of a dark siren trope. I understand what the author intended but I think the themes/content of abuse and violence were not handled as responsibly as they could have been (especially for a YA audience). I think this is because the narrator not only subscribes to these violent ideologies, but praises them in her inner-dialogue.
Which leads me to the second point; I felt the bloodlust was a bit over the top, and I enjoy the grim-dark genre. I did not enjoy the constant inner dialogue telling us how dark the she and the society are. This might be a consequence of some descriptions being told and not shown.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence