First line: Outside, wind rattled the wooden chimes in warning.

Summary: Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are witches. They live among the human population in small Italian village. They were raised on stories of the kingdom of the wicked but never actually thought they would encounter it. But when Vittoria is found murdered and her heart ripped from her body, Emilia has to confront the evil that has come to her village. With the reluctant help of one of the Princes of Hell, Wrath, she formulates a daring plan to solve her sister’s murder.

My Thoughts: I loved this dark story. It has an interesting plot, great characters and a few twists. I’m a sucker for a sisters story, having a sister of my own. There was a good magic system. A angry, dark demon who obviously is going to be a love interest. I am looking forward to the next book.

I like that authors are starting to focus on darker characters and storylines. I would say this is a book perfect for any Slytherin. It is perfect for fans of The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller.

FYI: This is book one in a series.

ARC from NetGalley

When you've read as much YA fantasy as I have, it starts to become difficult for authors to meet expectations and breathe new life into old tropes. The enemies to lovers in this book was nearly perfect, and I love that it hasn't come to complete fruition in the first book. I'm not even mad about the cliffhanger ending. I'm looking forward to the next one immensely. Gosh I love broody fantasy boys, and wrath is so very broody. *swoon*

The witches vs demons thing is pretty great. I love me some demons. I love me some witches. It just works. While I would have sort of thought they'd be on the same side, there are still more books to go.

Emilia was only very infrequently stupid and irritating. There were only a couple of times that she reacted in a way that I thought was engineered to move the story forward and not realistic. I was not at all surprised by the betrayal at the end because I mean what else were we working toward with that relationship? Still, I devoured this book.

This book has reached a status which few books tend to lately; where I tell myself I can't read it because I won't get any of my work done, and then I allow myself to read it only if I exercise while reading, which I loathe. And here I am red and sweaty and finished. *chef's kiss*

I had such mixed feelings in this book.

The writing style is beautiful. I felt that in the beginning of the book, where the culture and the sense of family was almost palpable.

The plot however, I found kinda predictable and a little cliche for my taste at times. I guessed the murderer early on. And I wasn't really feeling the romance.
Despite that, I think this book has reread potential and I will definitely be checking out other works by this author.

I really love Kerri Maniscalco but this book could not grip me. Maybe because I am still with Audrey Rose from her previous books, but I was just hanging there all the time, hoping it would finally end, because it didn't let me enjoy it.
It is not a bad book! The writing is beautiful and eloquently brilliant.
The story is just nothing new and maybe that is the reason, I wasn't really there most of the time.

Loved this!!!

A super strong start to the series and I'm definitely excited to see where it'll go. It does seem to be straying more into the NA genre than ya, but that's my only criticism of it.

Kerri Maniscalco is an author who I discovered last year, after reading her Stalking Jack the Ripper series, which I loved! So, when I found out she was writing a new series Kingdom of the Wicked I knew I had to read it and was ecstatic when I received an e-arc. As soon as I jumped into it, I was captivated and it certainly exceeded all of my expectations.

Emilia and her sister Victoria are streghe, witches that secretly live among humans. One night, after Victoria misses a dinner service at the family restaurant, Emilia investigates and soon finds the body of her sister. Devastated and fuelled with revenge, Emilia sets out to find out who did this to her sister, even if that means using dark magic. Emilia soon meets Wrath, one of the seven demon brothers who has been tasked with investigating the murder of women on the island. Emilia is soon drawn to working with Wrath, but it is clear that this mystery is due to take a sinister turn.

WOW! Is the first thing I can say about Kingdom of the Wicked. As soon as I started reading I knew I was in for one hell of a ride, and this didn’t stop until I finished the very last page. I love a murder mystery and this one certainly kept me on my toes, and I honestly couldn’t tell what was going to happen next. With most mystery novels I like to take a stab at guessing who’s behind the crime, but with Kingdom of the Wicked, I couldn’t tell. You get taken on this whirlwind, with twists at every corner and you are left breathless come to the end. I don’t think I’ve read a murder mystery quite like this one in a while, and I’m not sure if anything will be able to beat it if I’m being totally honest.

The setting within Kingdom of the Wicked was STUNNING! Set against a nineteenth-century Italian backdrop, the descriptions of the surroundings were poetic, almost lyrical at times and this helped transport my mind into this Sicilian village. Also, the food! Oh, the food! You could certainly tell that Maniscalco had a passion for Italian cuisine through the way she wrote about each dish, including every little minute detail. I must admit, I was left feeling rather hungry after finishing the book.

Emilia was a character who grew, as the story progressed. At the start, she’s quiet and in her sister’s shadow. However, after discovering her sister’s body we see a different side of her. Fuelled with rage, grief and revenge we see her grow in confidence and willingness to do whatever it takes to find out what happened to her sister. Wrath, well he was certainly something else! I found his backstory to be rather intriguing and I am looking forward to finding out more in book two. The way the demon brothers are based on the seven deadly sins is such a unique twist, and yet again I am looking forward to seeing how that develops. There was also a slight romantic plot within the story, which was steeped in sexual tension, and I found myself becoming invested in this subplot. I am eager to see what happens between these two characters as the story progresses.

Kingdom of the Wicked was a thrilling, compelling read that had me gripped from the very start. This world that Maniscalco has created is rich in magic, history, mystery and incredible sounding food, and I, for one cannot wait to get my hands on book two.

I loved reading this book. The author's writing style had me hooked from the beginning. This was a different type of book then the author has written in the past. I loved Kerri Moniscalco's other series, I can't wait for her next book.

What a great book! I loved the Stalking Jack the Ripper series, and this was no disappointment. That ending! Warning, there is a cliffhanger. So well written, I could not put it down!!!

This dark fantasy is one of my favorite books of 2020!

Kerri Maniscalco is such an atmospheric and detailed writer, and she uses this to create a spooky and tantalizing treat. Her focus on Sicilian food and locale is intoxicating! I had to stop several times to go and eat some pasta that was not half as delicious as what she described. I love how food, through the family restaurant, was such a big part of how Emilia related to her family. That and the witchcraft, of course.

Kerri weaves an intriguing lore of dark curses and the Wicked- Princes of Hell who are searching for Emilia....and something else. I loved the mystery of the Princes, especially WRATH, who stole my heart immediately. I loved the chemistry of Emilia and Wrath, and look forward to seeing that develop throughout the series.

Emilia is a strong protagonist, and I enjoyed seeing her grow from the choices she made- to pursue bloody vengeance after the murder of her sister. I liked that she kept to her decision, and we got to see the consequences from her desires.

I loved Kingdom of the Wicked, and am so excited to continue this series!

Thank you JimmyPatterson publishing and Netgalley for this free arc in exchange for an honest review.

Not gonna lie, that was a GOOD ending.

So I definitely enjoyed this a lot, but there were so many YA fantasy cliches/tropes that I started to roll my eyes. From the gorgeous, dark haired love interest who may or may not be evil, to the reckless main character who keeps getting themselves into trouble, I felt like Kerri Maniscalco was trying to fill a YA fantasy bingo card or something.

Also, I guessed the murderer so early on in the book. The same thing happened with her Stalking Jack the Ripper series. I guessed most of those plot twists with no problem. Honestly, Kerri Maniscalco needs to stop writing murder mysteries at this point.

There were a lot of things I really enjoyed, such as Emilia’s family, her love of steamy romance novels, and her love of cooking. I also liked her budding romance with Wrath, as cliched as it was. I’ll definitely read the next book in the series bc that ending was really cool and I can’t wait to see how everything turns out for Emilia and Wrath.

For some reason this book gave me a “twitches” vibe but much darker with far more adventure.
Not to give away any spoilers. The concept and plot are well thought out. The characters are intriguing. Overall great mix of darkness, magic, love, and adventure. I can’t wait for the next book ! Only thing that bothered me in this book was the main character, I think she could have been portrayed a bit better, and maybe had a bit more development. Some of her choices, concerns, lash outs did not quite make sense. I will tell you though, there are so many more characters to love.

Kingdom of the Wicked promised a sisters bond and an "intoxicating" romance. However, the twin sister died almost immediately and I didn't connect with her or really felt that sisters bond. Yes, she tried to find the killer but that was it. And as for the romance, LOL. What intoxicating romance? I don't think we've read the same thing. There were so many moments where I found the main character annoying and where I rolled my eyes. Also, the last reveal about the killer was so very PREDICTABLE.

After not liking her other book, Stalking Jack the Ripper, I decided to give another chance to this author. Unfortunately, this book was disappointing and I might have to stop reading books written by her.

This book is everything I have been missing from young adult fantasy books lately. A stubborn and strong female lead; a sassy and sarcastic male lead. The banter between Wrath and Emilia had me snickering from the get go. The book reminded me why I love YA so much. It has that nostalgic feel of the books I read and loved over a decade ago. Yet still holds its own with a fresh take on the classic enemies-to-lovers story. There are demons, witches, fallen angels, a murder and so much more.

Emilia's twin sister is murdered and she will do anything it takes to find the killer. Even if it means joining forces with her mortal enemy, one of the The Wicked. The demons and Princes of Hell have always been at odds with witches. The gates of hell are crumbling and dangerous creatures are escaping. Will Emilia find her sisters murderer? The answer to this may shock you! Will Wrath turn on her or will he turn his back on his destiny? You'll have to read to find out.

I only finished this book a few days ago but I am ready to read it all over again. When a beloved author starts a new series in a different world, I always feel a little hesitant. I wonder if I could fall in love with their new characters as much as I did with the last. I'm here to say that Kerri Maniscalco does not disappoint! I cannot wait to read the rest of The Kingdom of the Wicked.

Sadly, this was never going to be a five-star read for me. As much as I adore the storytelling, I feel like I have been here before.

The "bad-guy" love interest is something that has been done to the grave [no pun intended]. Don't get me wrong - I loved the chemistry and the character building itself was so enjoyable and well done. But at times I felt like I was reading Sorcery of Thorns all over again.

There just wasn't a great deal of shiny new plot ideas presented by this book that hasn't already been written in young adult fantasy.

But my thoughts on this story is not all doom and gloom. I gave the book 4 stars after all.

You can not fault Kerri Maniscalco on her ability to write gorgeously, enriching settings and backstories and truly engaging characters. This is something that I loved in the Killing Jack the Ripper series and this new story didn't disappoint.

While the trope-iness of the love interest was something of a letdown, I still truly adored the characters that Maniscalo created and the way she weaved their plotlines together.

Oh and then there was the ending. Which has me well and truly dedicated to the upcoming sequel. It hinted something much darker coming our way...

This was such a classic Kerri Maniscalco book in some ways, and in others so different. I loved the character of Wrath and the murder mystery was done pretty well. If I had one complaint I would want more time spent getting to know Emilia and Wrath and specifically more time spent developing their relationship. I really liked this overall and I’m excited for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

WOW!! I have been waiting all year for a read this vivid and enthralling! Twins Vittoria and Emilia are witches, and their whole lives their Nonna has taught them about The Wicked, also known as the princes of Hell. Shortly after their 18th birthday, Vittoria is brutally murdered, and Emilia teams up with a very unlikely source to find the murderer. As Emilia and Wrath, one of the Princes of Hell, work together, she discovers just what lengths she will go to to find her sister's killer.

First, the imagery in this book is absolutely amazing. The author sets the scene so well that you can see, hear, taste and feel everything. It was almost as if watching a movie play out as I read. The descriptions of people and places, food and drink, and the sinister feelings attached to dark magic are spot on and evocative.

I also really loved the characters. Emilia begins as the more meek, reliable twin but we soon see just how strong and bold she is. She is no weak, wilting flower, and is instead prepared to go to any length necessary for her family. Each character is so well described that it's as if they are real flesh and blood people (or demons as the case may be). It was very easy to be swept up in this narrative of devastatingly handsome, supremely powerful princes of Hell that we meet in the book.

I think this is the start of a series, and if so, I am ready for the second installment already! I'm hooked!

3.5⭐
I received and ARC copy of this from Jimmy Paterson via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This book left me feeling a lot of conflicting emotions....

1. The world and overall plot had me completely hooked! I'm obsessed with this premise and found the world to be really intriguing. I think this books strongest aspect was the plot and premise, it's extremely unique and lends itself to so much intrigue and drama.

2. I LOVED Wrath and the romance aspect of this.

3. But I found Emilia to be quite obnoxious... She makes terrible decision after terrible decision to the point where it got repetitive and I wanted to shake her. I get that she's in a difficult and emotional situation but everyone kept trying to reason with her and explain why her actions were irrational and she would purposefully go against them.

4. I feel like the grandmother was meant to be a wise, likeable character, but she was the literal worst. I was so frustrated with her from start to finish.

5. The magic system, while interesting, didn't seem to have any clear boundaries or rules. Sometimes it seems like characters could just wish for things and they'd happen while other times there needed to be elaborate castings. I'm hoping the magic is further explored and explained in future books.

6. And pigging backing off of that, sometimes things were a little too convenient. With this loose magic system, things would work out a little easy because they could be magic'd away. I personally just don't like learning about magic as it becomes relevant to the characters predicaments. It makes the magic feel like an easy solution rather than a fleshed out element.

7. Also I hated the random French words thrown in to remind the reader than this is set in France. If this were set in historical France, everything they're saying would be in French. So there is no reason to randomly through in French words or phrases... I personally think it's just a cheap way of creating a setting or atmosphere.

Overall this was a solid but slightly underwhelming series introduction. But the premise and ending definitely have me intrigued for upcoming books! And I'm hoping some of my criticisms are fleshed out in upcoming books. Definitely plan to check out book 2 in this series.

This was a fantastic read for a chilly fall night. I enjoyed the creativity and originality of the characters and magic system. I devoured this book in just a couple of sittings. The pacing was great and I couldn't help but get completely immersed in the story. All that to say, I loved this book and look forward to reading more from Kerri Maniscalco.

Between the Stalking Jack the Ripper series and now Kingdom of the Wicked, Kerri Maniscalco is now on my automatic read list! I will read whatever she puts on paper!!

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

English/Spanish.
Gracias Netgally por permitirme una copia.
Thanks to Netgally for letting me read this arc.

It took me some time to read it, but finally it is here. I had so many expectations on this book and I am not pretty sure if it filled all of them, however I enjoy myself reading it.

Let’s talk a little bit of the story. Here we have Emilia and Vittoria, a couple of twin witches, each one has been given some special amulets to protect them from the Wicked. Or at least that is how it was supposed to be. until one day Emilia finds her sister dead with her heart ripped from her chest. When Vittoria dies, Emilia is in a deep state of sorrow, vengeance and he is going to do everything in order to find the killer and bring justices to her sister.

Witches, black magic, demon princes, mysteries and clues that leads to nowhere, that is kingdom of the wicked,

What I liked the most it’s the light way the author set us in the story, it was not heavy and the ritme was easy to follow. The encounters with the wicked were just so tense, I am pretty sure at some point I stopped breathing and worrying about what could happen to Emilia.

My favorite character with no doubt is Wrath, his style, his strategies, I was trying to figure out what was going to be his next move, a little cliche, but I have a thing for the bad guys, so don’t judge me.
The setting is really alive, I could see myself walking in the streets, in the market and all the places. The images and the description of the demons were well done that I felt them besides me.
Now, I already say everything I love, so it’s the time of the negative aspects. As I mentioned at the beginning I had many expectations but it was not enough. The plot, the big mystery, Vittoria’s killer, I saw all that coming really early, I read probably the first quarter of the book and I already had my conclusion about who was the killer, what was going to happen with one prince in particular. Nothing was new or impressive, in that aspect yes, it was a little disappointing.

To sum up, this book gives us what it promesses; wiches, black magic, demons, mystery, but nothing more, it is entertaining but it doesn’t surprises. You can discover the plot in the first quarter however it catches your attention about what Emilia is going to do next or what is going to be done to her. 3/5 Stars.
*** *** **** ***

Me he tardado, pero al fin pude terminarlo, este libro me generó grandes expectativas y no sé si las cumplió todas, pero sí disfruté mucho leyéndolo.

Hablemos un poquito de la historia. Aquí tenemos a dos hermanas Emilia y Vittoria un par de brujas gemelas a las cuales siempre se les ha advertido de la maldad y los príncipes del infierno. Cada una con un amuleto especial que debería protegerlas, o eso se suponía, hasta que una de ellas es asesinada brutalmente y su corazón removido de su cuerpo. Cuando Vittoria muere, Emilia entra en un estado de desesperación y venganza, y hará lo que sea para encontrar al asesino de su hermana y traerle justicia.

Brujas, magia negra, príncipes demonios, intrigas y pistas que te llevan a lugares incorrectos. Eso es Kingdom of the wicked.

Por las sinopsis es un gran libro, lo que más me gustó fue la forma liguera de la autora a la hora de adentrarnos en la historia, no fue pesada y era fácil de seguir el ritmo. Los encuentros con los príncipes del infierno son tan impresionantes, te mantienen tenso y por un momento dejas de respirar de solo pensar lo que le podría suceder a la protagonista.

Mi personaje favorito sin duda es Wrath, me encantó su estilo, las estrategias, me tenía haciendo conjeturas todo el tiempo y algunas si logré adivinarlas y otras tantas me sorprendieron.
La ambientación es tan vívida que realmente te transporta y las imágenes de los demonios están tan bien hechas que hasta puedes tenerlos a tu lado.

Ya hablamos de todo lo bueno, ahora si, lo que no me gustó, como dije al inicio, tenía muchas expectativas y no logró cumplirlas todas. El plot, el gran misterio del asesino de Vittoria era tan obvio que lo vi venir desde mucho antes de la mitad del libro, las mentiras de los príncipes y lo que cada uno quiere, no era nada novedoso y era fácil de descifrar, por ese final a pesar de ser bueno, no fue impresionante, era más bien lo esperado y nada nuevo. En ese aspecto sí fue bastante decepcionante.
Para concluir, el libro nos da lo que nos promete, brujas, magia, demonios y misterio, pero nada más, entretiene, pero no sorprende, el plot lo descubres en los primeros capítulos, pero aún así te llama saber qué es lo que hará Emilia en el futuro. 3/5 estrellas.