Book Review(YA): I Killed the King by Rebecca Mix & Andrea Hannah
Release Date: September 16th, 2025
Release Date: September 16th, 2025
Rating: 9 out of 10
Spice Level: 0 out of 5
Cover Grade: A+
Audiobook Narrator: Good. Engaging Performance by Dan Bittner
Synopsis
I Killed the King is a masquerade of murder! A semi-locked-room mystery set in a fantasy world where two warring kingdoms gather to sign a peace treaty. When King Costis is murdered during the celebration, six people with means, motive, and opportunity become both suspects and investigators. As a winter storm traps everyone in the remote castle with a killer, they race to solve the crime before the peace treaty signing. As more people begin to die mysteriously, the unlikely allies must solve the king's murder while keeping his death a secret, alliances shift, and secrets surface, forcing enemies to cooperate if they hope to survive the night.
Strengths: Both authors together created a clear picture of the fantasy world and its magical system within. They built tension well throughout the story and gave each of the six main characters their own unique voice. Good pacing; it was easy to read. The ending neatly ties everything up, leaving it open for a new story.
Weakness: Sometimes I had to think a bit harder about which female character’s POV I was in, but not too hard.
Verdict
This was a fun twist on a locked-room murder mystery! Make it fantasy with the background characters in the midst of a masquerade ball. What’s more fun than that!? I enjoyed every character; I rooted for all of them. I even had a “yelp” moment! I love it when that happens. Its overall vibe is almost cozy, even! A cozy, coming-of-age, fantasy, semi-locked-room murder mystery folktale. I mean, that’s different, and I dug it. (9/10)
Thank you, Rebecca Mix, Andrea Hannah, Storytide, HarperCollins, Edelweiss, & Libro.fm. I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Order Your Copy
Aber Stoat Books (print)
Bookshop.org (eBook)
Libro.fm (audiobook) 🎧
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From the Publisher:
Publisher: Storytide | HarperCollins
Hardcover | Audiobook
ISBN: 9780063379619 | 9780063379640
400 pages | 10 hours 14 minutes
Narrated by: Dan Bittner
Young Adult Fiction | Fantasy
Young Adult Fiction | Mysteries & Detective Stories
Young Adult Fiction | Thrillers & Suspense | Supernatural
Ages 13 And Up, Grades 8 And Up
Description:
One of Us Is Lying meets Knives Out—with beasts, murder, and magic—in this first book in a thrilling locked-room whodunnit YA fantasy duology by acclaimed author Andrea Hannah and New York Times bestseller Rebecca Mix.
After a decade of war, the kingdoms of Avendell and Istellia have finally agreed to peace. As nobles and magic-wielders from both countries arrive at remote Castle Avendell for an historic, all-night masquerade to celebrate, King Costis summons an unlikely group to his chambers: the crown prince, his Istellian bride-to-be, his personal guard, a wild beast tamer, and the palace’s questionable new healer. But before Costis can reveal why he has gathered them, the castle goes dark.
When the lights come back, the king is dead—murdered with the princess’s knife, in a weak spot only his guard knew of, and with venom from one of the beast tamer’s monsters lacing the blade.
With no clear killer—and everyone a suspect—they make a risky pact: tell no one until the treaty is signed. But when a winter storm seals everyone inside, and someone aware of the king's untimely death begins to pick off guests one by one, the six suspects must work together to discover who killed the king . . . before one of them is next.
Author Bio:
Rebecca Mix is a New York Times and indie bestselling author of stories about messy girls, eerie magic, and hope. She spent her childhood tromping through swamps and falling out of very tall trees—which, in hindsight, explains a lot. A reluctant reader at first, she fell in love with books after joining a reading contest to spite her fourth-grade nemesis. Visit her online at rebeccamix.com
Andrea Hannah is the author of nonfiction and fiction novels for young adults. She teaches creatives all over the globe and writes everything from fierce modern fairy tales to horoscopes (she’s a Gemini). Her work has appeared in Bustle, Elite Daily, Reader's Digest, Thrive Global, HuffPo, Mslexia magazine, and more. You can find her on socials @andeehannah.
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