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Sidekick Super Review: I Killed the King (2025) by Andrea Hannah and Rebecca Mix
- 11 hours ago
- 7 min read
The Basics
Page Length: 400
Audiobook Length: ~10 hours
Grade Reading Level: 8+
Target Audience Age: 13+
Goodreads Score: 3.52 out of 5
Buy it HERE
Setting: Fantasy world of Avendell, in a remote castle during a winter masquerade ball
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Mystery
Topics: Murder Mystery, Gods/Goddesses, Magic, Betrayal, Bonded Bargains, Suspicion, Masquerade, Royalty, Romance, LGBTQ+
Plot: Deep in the kingdom of Avendell, King Costis prepares for a very important castle event—a winter masquerade ball. He has invited a rival nation, Istellia, to attend in hopes of arranging a treaty agreement. But before he can seal the deal, he is murdered—inside a locked room containing six people.
Kellam: King Costis’s son and heir to the throne of Avendell. A known playboy and troublemaker, he resents the fact that his father is forcing him to marry the princess of Istellia in order to make peace between their warring nations.
Oak: The king’s close personal guard. Oak is an orphan who was taken in by the king and his family after wandering into the castle as a boy, lost in the woods. He is loyal, and his love for the king is unmatched. But recently, he was seen fending off an attack—from the king himself.
Vesryn: A trained assassin. She was hired by someone in the castle to attend tonight’s masquerade ball. Her job is to take out King Costis, but she’s not sure she’s up to such a daunting task. Is she truly willing to murder a king?
Ellion: A castle healer with a dangerous secret—he is a necromancer. No one knows that since childhood he has been able to speak with the spirits of the dead, and at times even bring them back through the veil of death into life once more. But he has sworn never to use this power again.
Melarie: The princess of Istellia. She was sent on behalf of her sister to negotiate a marriage treaty between Prince Kellam and the eldest princess of her nation. But when King Costis insists the marriage must take place immediately—and that Melarie herself must be the bride—she is shocked and furious.
Clove: A beast tamer. Her family once owned vast lands and extraordinary creatures, but their land—and many of their beasts—were seized by King Costis. Clove has been sent to the masquerade with one purpose: to find a basilisk hidden somewhere in the castle.
All of these people have motive. And all could be guilty.
But who did it? Who killed the king—and why?
And is the king’s death the only one that will occur on this fateful night?
Themes: Political tension and power, the consequences of war, the chaos of secrets, moral responsibility, fear and paranoia, group dynamics under pressure
You might like this book if you like:
Murder mysteries and escape rooms
Playing Among Us/Mafia/Werewolf
Books like: One of Us is Lying, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, The Inheritance Games, And Then There Were None, House of Salt and Sorrows, Murder on the Orient Express
Shows like: Pretty Little Liars, How to Get Away with Murder, The Witcher, Cruel Summer, Reign
Movies like: Knives Out, Ready or Not, Snow White and the Huntsman, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Gone Girl
Other books written by this author:
Rebecca Mix: The Ones We Burn, The Mossheart's Promise series
Andrea Hannah: Where Darkness Blooms, Of Scars and Stardust, The Wildest Things
Teaching I Killed the King in Class
Content
Language: Infrequent use of mature language
Sex/Romance: There are romantic subplots, but it's not the focus. Contains some innuendo, but very little. References to kissing, but no graphic descriptions. No sex.
Violence/Scariness: Since this is a murder mystery, there is some violence. The king is killed. Other characters are killed throughout the book, too. Poisonings, stabbings, and strangling. The book also features dark stories of gods/goddesses' vengeful plotting.
Drinking/Smoking/Drugs: A character (who is a minor) drinks and takes a tranquilizer pill to numb emotional pain.
Class Novel-ability: I would not include this on the list for a full-class novel. There are too many points of view and overlapping mystery plotlines for students to easily keep track of. Additionally, the presence of gods and goddesses, magic, and violence may not lend itself well to whole-class discussion. It feels better suited to a specific audience rather than having broad, class-wide appeal.
That said, it’s excellent for fostering a love of reading. The mystery plot is engaging and fun, the multiple POVs add depth, and the fantasy elements are especially compelling. This is the kind of book that could definitely hook students and inspire them to read more.
The Star Qualities
The narration switches between six points of view, which keeps the book incredibly engaging and works especially well for the locked-room murder mystery aspect. Readers get insight into the minds of all six main characters—their motives, their emotions, and their secrets. It helps piece the story together in a compelling way. The characters themselves are also very diverse: boys and girls, royalty and peasants, magical and nonmagical. There are both straight and queer romances represented. This range of perspectives and identities makes the story more engaging and gives it a wide appeal.
The combination of a locked-room murder mystery with fantasy elements is especially fun. I haven’t read many books that blend these two genres so effectively. It's unique. It requires a lot of brain power to keep up with both the world-building and the mystery, which makes it a great thinking book. The mystery is even more complex because we aren’t dealing with ordinary humans—some characters have powers or connections to gods and goddesses. It’s not just about finding weapons and motives; it’s also about understanding the magic. That added layer makes the story more intricate and interesting.
The king’s killer is revealed in the middle of the book—and that turns out to be the least complicated mystery. From there, even more puzzles and murders unfold. The rest of the story focuses on uncovering and resolving these deeper layers, which keeps the momentum going and raises the stakes.
The ending feels satisfying but also clearly sets up the possibility of a sequel. Each character finishes the story with new questions and problems to solve. It definitely leaves you wanting more—and students will feel the same way. There’s nothing better than giving them a book that makes them eager to pick up the next one.
Book Talk Read Aloud Section
If you have the physical book, read pages 1-7
If you don't, read the same pages in the Kindle (location 100 - location 180) reading sample here.
"Reading Like a Writer" Mentor Texts
This passage is the very first in the book, and it feels like a masterclass in crafting openings. It has foreshadowing, suspense, rich world-building with vivid sensory detail, and glimpses of the past interwoven with the present. The ominous wording creates a strong sense of dread. I love the way the author sets this up—it’s an excellent example to show for the beginning of a creative writing piece. At the same time, there are lots of smaller craft moves in here that students could study and apply to other genres as well.
This passage has so many techniques that build suspense. Short sentence fragments, sensory details of the narrator’s physical reactions, sounds, repetition, and careful pacing all work together to create a scene that is both thrilling and suspenseful.
This passage is short but powerful. It uses short, dramatic sentences to build suspense. Though there are only a few lines, it clearly shows the narrator’s internal conflict. It provides very little detail on the narrator's plans for the future, making the moment feel ominous and mysterious. Short, simple, and effective—these are perfect techniques for students to emulate and try in their own writing.
Sentences for Combining and Imitation
Sentence sets for combining:
"Instead, he watched the princess–watched all of them, actually–and listened carefully to the spaces between their words." (p. 91)
Instead, he watched.
He watched the princess.
He watched all of them, actually.
He listened carefully to the spaces between their words.
"Beyond the sinking dark, he sees it: a tangle of threads, quickly fading, glowing a gentle, new spring green." (p. 39)
He sees it.
It's beyond the sinking dark.
It's a tangle of threads.
It's quickly fading.
It's glowing.
It's a gentle, new spring green.
"The rest of his body is relaxed–shoulders low, muscles unwound, the sweat staining his collar evaporating, by the second." (p. 107)
The rest of his body is relaxed.
His shoulders are low.
His muscles are unwound.
There is sweat staining his collar.
It's evaporating by the second.
Sentences for Imitation:
These are sentences I picked out because they really stuck with me. These authors are especially talented at creating tone and mood. The entire book feels ominous and suspenseful, and these sentences help establish that. Techniques like unresolved ellipses, spooky internal dialogue, eerie diction, metaphors, dashes, and parenthetical asides all contribute to the unsettling atmosphere.
"But now, the likelihood of the king’s promise coming to fruition is . . ." (p. 49)
"Kellam’s voice floats through her mind as he tells her to breathe, and calm down, and listen." (p. 115)
"When you pray to monsters lurking in the dark, there’s no guarantee which one will answer." (p. 327)
"His parents worked relentlessly to keep it contained, but truth is like water: relentless, patient, and always ready to slip through the smallest of cracks." (p. 307)
"And–this is the part Clove can barely stand to admit–its voice wasn't entirely unfamiliar." (p. 207)
"And he swears–though it’s ridiculous, though he’s not a believer and it’s likely just a trick of shadows and a desperate mind–that the moment they touch, some winged creature in the corner stirs." (p. 73)
Used this book in your classroom? Tell us how in the comments!
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