Kerri absolutely took my breathe away with this dive into “The Kingdom of the Wicked” The story revolves around a murder mystery in good Kerri style. The depth of feeling given to the main character Emiliano really pushed me as the reader to feel the emotions she felt— helping me get lost in the world. The many different characters developed moved the story in a way that made me think of the PACE of Caraval and how that plot unrolled.

I enjoyed this book and it was something I could escape into but I did feel like it was rushed. I loved the setting, I was really immersed in that and I wish I had more. I wasn’t feeling the relationship between Emilia and Warth, again it feel a little rushed and force. Though with all the being said, I did enjoy the book and it was a good book to read on a rainy day. I liked the writing and pacing of the book, I will probably try to pick this book again. I will get a physical copy of the book and not the ebook again. I would recommend this book to some of my friends and maybe to my family (we don’t read the same kind of books a lot).

It was a good story but I didn't like the main character wish made it a bit hard to get through. I think it could have been executed better. All the choices the main character didn't always make sense and as she is supposed to be a smart character her decisions makes even less sense.
The ending was predictable and didn't really make me excited for the next book.
I will probably read the next book when it comes out but it will probably not be a high priority read for me.
What I did like in the book was the setting and the food descriptions. I also liked Wrath and the other princes of hell.
I do recommend the book though and maybe you like the main character more than I did and feel more attached to the characters.

For the first book in a series, this one has really piqued my interest and managed to garner the coveted 5-star rating. Trying to explain why it got 5-stars without being spoiler central is going to be tough! With all my reviews I do try and remain spoiler-free so, I won't be sharing every reason I loved this book!

The Plot

This book was something new and different for my reading palette. I haven't read all the books about the underworld and its social structure that are out there. But this is the first one where there is more than one Prince of Hell. I found the read refreshing and enjoyed how Kerri built the world around her main characters so that you understand enough about Emilia's world and where she fits within it.

The book moved at a solid pace for me and managed to hold the mystery. I loved the way some of the other Princes of Hell are introduced and showcased so we could start to build our own theories, as the reader, on The Wicked ourselves.

There's a whole heap of mystery around the "who done it" plotline surrounding Emilia's twin sisters murder, which is maintained throughout the novel.

The ending has made me desperate for the next book I need to know what happens next and where the path Emilia is on will take her. This book offers so much promise for the next book in the series. I don't think I've been so eager for a second book in a long time!

Characters

Emilia, for me, gave off potential badass vibes but got lost in her naivety. I would have preferred her to be more in some senses but, as I read on, I could foresee an impressive opportunity of learning and growth and development throughout the series. Which I can totally get down with, character growth is a must in a series. Overall though, I did like her as a character and found her tenacious attitude quite endearing. I think it's easy to emotionally connect with her due to her loss and the need to get answers. Anyone who has lost someone will know that feeling of needing closure.

I'm a sucker for characters like Wrath. I wish that we had had more time learning about him in this book but I'm sat here with my fingers crossed that we will get more Wrath action in the second book. There's a lot of mystery behind him still. I found his interactions with Emilia to develop over time to be more sincere but with a Prince of Hell do you ever know what you're getting. Well, I got to the end of this book and was like "What?!" which makes it another reason I need the second. So I can find out more about Wrath and the other Princes and the Wicked. I just need more.

My favourite character though was Nonna, Emilia's Grandmother. Her wisdom and her strength is clear but lost on her granddaughters until it's nearly too late. I hope she is in the rest of the series. As I mentioned in the plot section the introduction of three other Princes of Hell was really well timed and they're characters could have a lot to offer.

Overall, I was encaptured by this book because I hadn't read anything like it (that doesn't mean there isn't anything like it, just I haven't read it). I loved the pace of the book, it didn't feel like it was dragging at any point and the writing was beautifully smooth and engaging. Reading this left me with a lot of questions and I cannot wait to find out more about the Wicked and Emilia's mission.

I am super excited about the second book and will be stalking GoodReads, Amazon and Kerri for a release date cause I'm going to have to pre-order it.

I absolutely adore kerri maniscalco’s books! This story was so intense and intriguing! The atmosphere was perfect, the friendship and love and angst was everything I wanted. The romance was unexpectedly amazing. I know that she knows how to write romance, but this took it over the top....in a great way. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Murder,Mayhem and Elemtal Magic. Kerri does it again with the start of an

amazing new series. The commitment to sisterhood no matter the consequences

felt real. Enemies to Lovers but the characters see it happening. The Prince of

Hell is such a broody man who really needs a squishy to squeeze. Emilia

seems lost and fragile but the girl is smart and can handle her shit. So

many deals to be made I have no clue how she keeps track. Overall this

is an incredible novel that deserves a long review written. I hope to give it

more credit later on when I can reread it and mark out sections in the book.

I have decided not to finish this book I successfully read 60% and I’ve decided that I don’t feel connected to the characters or the plot. There is so much love and hype for Kerri Maniscalco Newest book and I was expected to love it just as much as everybody else because from the blurb it sounded right up my alley. I was initially intrigued by the murder mystery element and I loved the Gothic and the foodie restaurant setting, however I lost interest in the characters and I just wasn’t as hectic as I thought i would be. In some ways it reminded me of daughter of Smoke and bone with the EuropeanSetting and the supernatural elements, they are very different books and have very different writing styles but they still gave me the same kind of...vibe?

The writing in this book was great, it really got me into the story. I enjoyed the way Kerri Maniscalco described things and the way the demons powers really reflected their personalities. In the beginning I did enjoy the characters, though towards the end I didn’t feel too much for either of the main characters, especially Emilia. I felt like she tried to hard which ended up with her not thinking about what she was doing.

There wasn’t any big twists that I hadn’t seen coming. The ending wasn’t really to my liking, but I might pick up the next book in this series as I did enjoy it.

Kingdom of The Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco was wicked and I loved every minute of it. Miss Maniscalco has been a favorite of mine since her Stalking Jack The Ripper series but she completely blew me away with Kingdom of The Wicked, the artistry and the magic in the words is just so delightful that I am still in utter awe and wonder of this book.

Dark, delicious, seductive - a phenomenal new series from Maniscalco that fans of her Jack the Ripper series will adore.

Kerri Maniscalco first came to light with her brilliant Stalking Jack the Ripper series. With Kingdom of the Wicked, she continues to provide fabulously strong and independent heroines alongside a sexy sidekick but this time with a kick of fantasy instead of science. And let me say that the addition of magic and the sultry demons are a VERY welcome addition.

Emilia is the most fantastic of heroines. Learning to stand on her own cognizance after years following in her twin's shadow, we see not only her strength and her strong morality but also her vulnerability. Anger and grief may fuel her mission in the beginning, but as she becomes more comfortable with breaking her self-imposed mold, you see her grow into someone whose intelligence and strength of character will take her far. It is an intriguing character development, especially as it makes her more attractive to the demons she was taught to avoid.

Let's speak of those demons for a minute. Ms. Maniscalco knows how to write sexy characters, but I think she has outdone herself with the seven princes. Seven princes of hell with each one representing/manifesting one of the seven deadly sins means seven times to create characters who you should fear but who you really want to meet. Thankfully, I feel as if we only scratch the surface when it comes to the princes and their machinations, so the next books in the series mean plenty of time to spend with these gorgeous but deadly minions of hell.

Kingdom of the Wicked is the first book in a series, so there are the requisite world-building and character introduction. Yet, Ms. Maniscalco avoids the tedium that such things can bring, melding both into her story so that we are learning while the story unfolds. All this means is that Kingdom of the Wicked is a story that grabs your attention with its luscious descriptions of food and holds it with its even more delicious descriptions of deadly princes of hell while watching Emilia learn her way among this treacherous new world. The cliffhanger ending is sufficiently annoying and enigmatic as to leave you wanting more. I am really excited to see where Ms. Maniscalco takes the series next!

Thank you so so much to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kingdom of the Wicked begins a new series for Kerri Maniscalco, set in a world of witches and Demons. Emilia and Vittoria are twins who have been told by their Nonna since a young age that they are destined for greatness, but that they need to be weary of evil that may try to steer them wrong. Demon Princes linger in the shadows, waiting to unleash themselves upon the unsuspecting world. When Vittoria is murdered, Emilia calls on forces she doesn't understand to help her solve the murder and get revenge, sending herself spinning into a world she only thought she was prepared for.

Guys, stop what you're doing a go get this book. I'm not kidding, the only regret you'll have is having to wait for the next installment. Kerri does it again(I was a huge fan of her Stalking Jack the Ripper series) and I can't wait to sink deeper into the realms she has created. Her writing is truly a treat, one that I devour while thanking my lucky stars that books don't have calories. Emilia is such a relatable character and watching her metamorphosis throughout this story is just one of the great things about this book. Kerri had cracked the science on how/when to world build in the midst of non-stop action and definitely knows how to introduce new characters to the mix. Wrath is such a smartass, pistol whip smart and cunning. If his brothers are as interesting as he is I can't wait to meet the rest of them.

Five bright and shining stars for Kingdom of the Wicked. I recommend it for anyone 13+ as there is some graphic depictions of gore, but nothing that will turn your stomach. Fantasy/magic lovers will love this one and be just as hungry as I am for the sequel. Please write quickly, Kerri, and thank you for a bright moment in 2020's madness.

Amazing! This book was dark and adventurous! I couldn’t put it down. I have read other books by this author, and she never seems to disappoint!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
All thoughts and opinions are my own

Wow this was fantastic! I have heard nothing but good things about this book for at least six months, maybe longer so I was a little hesitant to get started since usually hype does not always match reality. I started the book and felt a little meh about everything- don't get me wrong, it was not bad, I was not not super invested in the story (I even asked a friend who had recently read the story if it gets better and she informed me that it was wonderful so I just needed to keep going). Well she and everyone else was correct, next thing I knew, I was caught up in this crazy story and super upset that I reached the end (don't get me started on how terrible the ending is!)

“What possessed you to swear a blood vow to me?”
“I wanted to offer a twig of trust.”
“You mean an olive branch.”
“Same concept, witch.” He tipped his face up at the moon. “Also, I might have wanted more of those… things you brought. If you died then I’d have to hunt them down. It would have been inconvenient.”
“The cannoli?” I asked, feigning incredulity at his attempt at humor. “You saved me in part for some sweetened ricotta?”


Let's spend a minute talking about the amazingness that is Emilia. She begins the story as a mild mannered girl whose ambitions are to make new recipes and run her family's restaurant. Sure she is secretly a witch, but more along the lines of happy useless magic. By the end of the book she is a crazy powerhouse of magic and rage and strength, attacking her enemies, making deals with all kinds of devils, ready to take on the king of hell and take no prisoners. Seriously, she is fantastic. If this is the kind of growth that occurs in one book, I am very interested to see what she is capable of in the next book.

There was a lot going on in the story (and all pretty dark, fyi), be it witches, magic, witch hunters, demons, secret societies, a battle for hell and earth, possible betrothals, murder, mayhem, shapeshifters...and my favorite part was the romantic tension with a certain unnamed "bad guy". Ok, I heart him and hope there is a love match in the second book. I will be rooting hard for you.

This was a really solid read! I definitely am not fan girling as hard as I thought I would be-but I did have a positive reading experience for sure. I would however definitely be interested in continuing on in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a rollercoaster of a ride! You have witches (strega) and princes of hell galore! Now, some of the excitement is due to some poor choices that Emilia makes on her quest for vengeance to find her sister's killer but since one of those poor choices gave her Wrath (such a gorgeous evil prince of hell) then I guess I can forgive her. He is definitely the best of the princes that you meet in the book. Yes, she should have asked her Nonna for aid before deciding to summon a demon but that would have totally changed the story. I did not expect who the killer would turn out to be but I enjoyed finding out the long way.

This ends on a major cliff hanger (which is annoying because I want to read the next book NOW!) but it also opens the series out to explore new worlds and kingdoms. I can't wait to see how it all turns out!

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco was high on my list of anticipated reads for the second half of 2020, and I am so thrilled that I was able to read the book! I really enjoyed her *Stalking Jack the Ripper series, and I couldn’t wait for this brand new story. It was definitely worth the wait.

Where do I even begin with this story? I really liked everything about it. Let’s start with the characters. Emilia was interesting. She had a wonderful family, (which is something I absolutely love in books), and a twin sister as well. After her sister is murdered, Emilia sets out to find out who took her sister's life. I love that she is fierce and wanted to get revenge, but I also felt she was a bit too hasty at times. But, I suppose I would feel the same way if I had a twin and something like that happened to them.

I was also absolutely fascinated by the princes of hell. They were all interesting, but Wrath especially. He was not at all what I expected, and I’m super suspicious about his motives and the future of the story with Emilia. I hope we see more of him in the future.

The storyline of the book was really interesting. There were quite a few twists that I didn’t see coming, but that I enjoyed nonetheless. I also really enjoyed the setting for the book as well. Kerri did such a fantastic job with the descriptions and I totally felt like I was there with the characters. Also, I loved the family restaurant and the historical aspects in the story as well.

I should also add that I opted to listen to the audio for this book after listening to a sample and loving it. The narrator, Marisa Calin, did a fantastic job with the voices and story. If you have an opportunity to check out the audiobook, you should definitely do so!

Overall; If you can’t tell by my rambling above, I definitely enjoyed Kingdom of the wicked! I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel, which is currently untitled and without a release date other than 2021, but I am hoping that we will get some information on that soon. I can’t wait to check it out as well.

Happy Reading!

A great story by one of my favorite authors! Set in Italy and full of murder, magic, and secrecy, this is a great Halloween read. Kerri Maniscalco is a truly amazing writer and I enjoyed this book even more than her Stalking Jack the Ripper series. Emilia is a great main character; incredibly smart, talented, and brave. And Wrath is the perfect creepy, possibly completely evil love interest! There was so much happening in this book and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I highly, highly recommend this book to any fans of Kerri Maniscalco as well as anyone who likes magic and mystery.

Book Review

Title: Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked #1)

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Genre: YA/Dark Fantasy/Romance

Rating: ***

Review: I didn’t know much about Kingdom of the Wicked going into it, but Kerri Maniscalco is one of my favourite authors, so I had really high expectations for this book given how much I adore the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. We are introduced to Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria at eight years old and we soon learn the twin are streghe or witches and their grandmother, Nonna Maria is trying to protect them from the Princes of Hell (Malvagi or The Wicked) and the Devil but we don’t understand why other than a brief comment about power stolen from the Devil himself. The twins are eager and curious often wanting to learn more about the Wicked but one night they bring their amulets together which they aren’t supposed to do, and the result effect gives Vittoria the power to see people’s auras, but her twin says nothing. This prologue wasn’t as interesting as the opening chapter to Stalking Jack the Ripper, but we do jump forward 10 years when the twins are 18. As young women, Vittoria is the more outgoing of the twins often disappearing for most of the day, while Emilia is content to work in the restaurant and dream of running her own one day. I wasn’t overly impressed with the opening section of Kingdom of the Wicked but I am eager to see what comes next as Nonna Maria is once again spouting things about the Princes of Hell coming for their souls but the twins don’t really believe in them anymore or they don’t appear too but they need did tell anyone about what happened the night Emilia held Vittoria’s amulet.

As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, the twins are just enjoying their day to day lives, apart from the fact that two witches have been murdered in less than a week. That night Emilia is heading to the monastery to retrieve the items she left behind on her last visit when she comes across a man, hovering over the body of a young woman which isn’t uncommon but all of Emilia’s senses are telling her that there is something wrong with this situation. When the man attempts to consume the blood of the girl she stops him and he flees into the night leaving only his dagger behind but when Emilia draws back the sheet, it is Vittoria lying there her amulet and heart missing and she knows this isn’t anything to do with humans but at the same time she refuses to believe it was anything or anyone else. Emilia does swear to get revenge on whoever or whatever was responsible for the death of her sister, even though Nonna Maria begs her not to as she will be inviting the darkness into her heart, but Emilia can’t let it go. Things are starting to get interesting, but Emilia wasn’t my favourite of the twins, so I am not sure how I feel about following her. For the next three weeks, Emilia mourns her sister until she remembers the space under the floorboards where Vittoria hid things and there, she finds her sister’s diary and pages from a grimoire. As the diary is bound with magic, she takes it to a friend who uses the dark arts and Emilia is informed that the grimoire pages are to summon a demon and only demon can break the enchantment on Vittoria’s diary. While Emilia thinks it over there is no doubt that she is going to summon a demon to help her, she is planning to summon a lesser demon as the only way to summon a higher demon like the Princes of Hell is to have an object of theirs in your possession at the time of the summoning. The summoning works but Emilia ends up summoning Wrath, one of the Princes of Hell as the dagger belonged to him and he is now bound to her until she releases him. Emilia believes that Wrath killed Vittoria, but he tells her that he was planning to meet Vittoria that night but had only been killed by the time he arrived and while Emilia doesn’t trust Wrath, she is stuck with him now.

As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, not much has happened aside from Vittoria’s death and Wrath’s summoning so I am hoping things will start picking up soon. Upon summoning Wrath, it is clear that these two aren’t going to get along if the vicious barbs are anything to go by but Wrath also knows that Emilia knows little to nothing about what she is and her value to the demon Princes so he offers to make a blood trade with her. This means he will help her track down Vittoria’s killer and in return she will align herself with House Wrath, but she declines, more than once. Despite learning that Wrath and Pride, were working together with Vittoria for her to marry Pride and break the curse binding him although he doesn’t mention what Vittoria asked for in return or the exact details of the bargain. However, Emilia soon meets Envy, meaning there are at least 3 of the 7 demon Princes in her realm and Envy tells her that she is a shadow witch something she has never heard of before and offers her a position with House Envy which she also declines, but Envy warns her to pick a House soon or the decision will be made for her. Things become even more complicated when Emilia learns of the Devil’s curse which means he can’t leave Hell unless there is a witch on the throne beside his wearing the Horn of Hades in order to keep the peace between the two worlds and the girls including Vittoria are given the option to marry Pride in this case, and if they refuse they have 24 hours to reconsider before they apparently die but neither the Princes or witches know what is killing them. However, among Vittoria’s things Emilia finds a gambling coin marked with a frog and the word Greed so she uses her tracking gift to find the gambling house and she just hopes that she isn’t following too closely in her sister’s step but she has less than a day now until the containment spell of Wrath wears off.

As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, I have to say that the murder mystery element and the spreading out of the clues was smoother in Stalking Jack the Ripper than it is here, but I do find the Princes of Hell intriguing and want to see more of them, also I want to know what a shadow witch is and why Vittoria and Emilia are so desired by the Princes of Hell. Emilia meets a 4th Prince of Hell in Greed and he explains to her that Vittoria willing gave him her amulet which was stolen by a creature that will guard it until it decides to leave its nest but while it is in the nest nothing from the underworld can enter there, meaning it is safe. Emilia immediately doubts that Vittoria gave him the amulet when she knew that their amulets were actually the Horn of Hades, the keys to the gates of Hell and needed for summoning the Devil himself and leaves refusing his offer to align with his House. That night an umbra demon steals her amulet and tries to slit her grandmother’s throat as she is explaining the truth to Emilia which prompts her to enter the creature’s lair in order to retrieve her sister’s amulet. She does this but gets bitten in the process and despite saying he would rescue her, Wrath does come to her aid and he is the only reason Emilia is still alive but he has had to bind them together, giving her some of his power to do it. In the aftermath, the pair come to a tentative alliance for the time being, but the pieces are starting to come together for Emilia, but she hasn’t worked out yet which of the Princes her sister was trying to summon. All the evidence points to Greed but there isn’t any evidence of him being in the room where Vittoria’s body was found and Wrath found no evidence in her blood that she had aligned herself with a House, so they have to start working a different angle if they are going to find out who killed Vittoria and why.

As we cross into the second half of the novel, Emilia has also seemingly figured out a way to kill the Princes of Hell, but I don’t think it is as simple as she is making out. It turns out it isn’t that simple but not even Emilia is willing to find out what it would take to kill Wrath or one of the other Princes. We see the relationship between Wrath and Emilia build slowly into a friendship of sorts as they work together to try and find out who is killing the potential brides of Pride before the offers can even be made to them. They manage to track down one of the messengers that Wrath has been using who has been selling the information to an unknown third party and they don’t know if the person is human or not. Together Emilia and Wrath make a formidable pair when interrogating people and honestly, they even frightened me a little bit, but it was nice to see Wrath give Emilia some approval which is a massive deal coming from someone who feeds of power and the thrill of battle. However, when they meet Arin, another messenger, who lives in Hell but is still human, he lets slip that the next potential bride is also someone Emilia knows so they race to try and save her only to find it is too late. Arin also lets slip that the bond anchoring Emilia and Wrath to one another is a marriage bond and that Wrath needs to complete it before the war breaks out in earnest but Emilia feels betrayed and hurt that Wrath didn’t tell her these things and she leaves, releasing him from the bond they had and vowing that she will find her sister’s killer on her own. At this point in the book I was also expecting a little bit more from the relationship between Wrath and Emilia other than the childish bickering and the longing stares, but I am working with it.

As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, I was waiting for something big to happen which Kerri seems to be good at doing towards the end of her books. We are getting to the part in the book now, where the pace and tension should be picking up to head towards the climax of the novel and I am eager to see what Kerri has in store for me (please say it’s a love confession – I’m a sucker for them especially in enemies to lovers). We do see some development in the relationship between Emilia and Wrath but not in the way I wanted, and Emilia seems to be constantly changing her mind on how she feels about Wrath which at times felt like it was giving me whiplash. However, she meets brother number 5 in Lust and has to deal with the aftermath of his influence and she loses two whole weeks to despair while other girls are dying. It turns out that Envy was the one working against Pride and Wrath and he wants the Horn on Hades for himself, so he takes Emilia’s family and friends hostage and gives her 24 hours to find the other amulet and turn them over to him or he will kill them all. During this conversation he also lets slip that Wrath has been lying to her and he only needs one more soul to break free from the confines of Hell without breaking the curse and while Emilia doesn’t want to believe this and wants to give in to her growing feelings for the demon she can’t bring herself to do it but she knows she is going to give Envy exactly what he wants because she can’t bear to lose anyone else who is dear to her.

As we cross into the final section of the novel, we finally see all the pieces of the puzzle come together as Emilia unravels not only her family history, but the history of her line of witches and does what needs to be done. While Kingdom of the Wicked as a good entry to a new series, it didn’t grip me as much as stalker Jack the Ripper did and I didn’t quite connect with the characters until the end of the novel. The romance that was also teased throughout this novel didn’t really come to anything but that does have the potential to change in future entries in this series. Overall, I felt Kingdom of the Wicked was good, not amazing, but good and I will be reading the next instalment just with see where things go from here but right now I am on the fence about whether I genuinely liked this book or whether it was just a little meh compared to the other books Kerri has written.

Well, well, well, this was not what I expected. I felt like this book was a little bipolar. It didn't quite know if it wanted to be historical fiction, magical realism, fantasy, or mystery. Emilia drove me bonkers sometimes, but Wrath made more than up for that. I think I will add him to my list of book boyfriends :-p
Overall, this was a fantastic book! Maybe I shouldn't have, but I did compare it to Stalking Jack the Ripper. I saw many similarities, but this book went down a different ally with all the fantasy elements. The plot itself was awesome and the writing as great as in Stalking Jack the Ripper. Overall, I did like the characters, even though Emilia made me roll my eyes many times with her lack of critical thinking. Without Wrath by her side, this case would have been a disaster!

Thank you, Netgalley, for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!