To Kill a Kingdom

Lira, the protagonist, is the daughter of the Sea Queen and the princess of the Diávolos sea. Known as The Princes’ Bane, she has spent her early life trying to please her mother by murdering princes and stealing their hearts each year on her birthday. However, when Lira disobeys the Sea Queen, she punishes Lira by taking away her siren song and cursing her to be human.

Lira’s transformation into a human woman is the first step towards her learning to embrace the “humanity” of the siren race. The Sea Queen raised her to be cruel and vicious and to view human emotions such as love, fear, and empathy as weaknesses. While her mother turns her human to prove that she can steal Elian’s heart without her song, the lesson that Lira learns is that humanity’s capacity for goodness is admirable and proves that they can coexist peacefully with the sirens. Becoming human is also a journey of self-discovery for Lira. Away from the Sea Queen’s cruel and abusive ways, Lira is able to reconnect with her “humanity.”

Lira can be ruthless and vicious and isn’t above using deception to get what she wants.