In the darkness, with only a sliver of moonlight illuminating the earth, the cathedral stands looming in front of you. Small, flickering candles in the windows give this place a breath of life, but all you can sense is death. You take a step inside, shutting what little moonlight there was out. Hesitantly you descend into the catacombs... you don’t have a choice. You must learn the secrets, you must discover why the demons are present, you must learn why evil is penetrating the earth. Your grandma always told you to beware of the demons and their ability to lure you in. But right now you don’t have a choice.

Kingdom of the Wicked was just... wow. Once I picked this book up there was no putting it down. Witches, demons, darkness, spells that need broken? This book had all of the darkness wrapped into its pages and I was here for it. It constantly kept me guessing too, which I loved!

Emilia’s character was someone I could get behind. Her will for vengeance, her strength, her bravery — I loved following her across each page as she uncovered the secrets behind the deaths of witches and the reasons demons were haunting the earth.

I won’t say any more to avoid spoilers... all I’m going to say is get your hands on this book!

TW: Gruesome Murders, Witchcraft, Demons.

This was my very first Kerri Maniscalco book and oh my goodness, it did not disappoint! I absolutely loved the premise and the atmospheric world-building. The story was captivating and engaging and holy cow I could not stop turning the pages! This was a fantastic read! I highly recommend!

Thank you JIMMY Patterson and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.

3,5 *

This is the second book I’ve read written by Kerri Maniscalco and I liked this book more than I did with Stalking Jack the Ripper, which I know many people love.

The writing style was something I like in this book, it kept me reading this book and dive into this world.
I really enjoyed reading this book for about 70%, the last 30% I got disappointed by the way the story went, it was hard for me to keep reading this book to finish it. The world building was interesting and I liked Wrath really much. The main character Emilia was someone I couldn’t really relate to, the decisions she made through to the end weren’t things I liked. In addition to that was it obvious for me which person was the killer. I hoped it wasn’t someone that obvious for me, so I got disappointed at the end.

Overall was it for the most part a book which I liked to read and I think I’m going to read the second book when it comes out.

**4.5-stars**

Emilia and her twin sister, Vittoria, are witches, who live secretly among humans on the island of Sicily. Their family runs a renowned local restaurant, where both girls work. At eighteen years old, they've been raised hearing the lore of their family, and other beings of the underworld; mostly at the knee of their beloved Nonna.

But these stories become all too real after Emilia discovers the body of her murdered sister. Overcome with grief, Emilia's saving grace seems to be her need for vengeance. Her overwhelming need to find her sister's killer keeps her from wallowing in despair for too long. Pairing herself with a Prince from Hell, Wrath, Emilia begins to follow clues through the shadow-ridden Sicilian streets, as more and more witches fall to the same fate as Vittoria.

In the beginning, I'll admit, I wasn't sold. It started a little slow for me. The first couple of chapters seemed generic. Emilia felt like many YA characters I had read before. I was sceptical.

However, I am so happy to report, I had no reason to be. Once Emilia and Wrath met up, everything began to fall into place and I ended up really enjoying this. While the format was slightly typical, as far as enemies-to-lovers tropes go, I still thought it was special; and I love that trope. I thought the evolution of their relationship was perfectly paced and the way they worked together, two thumbs up. Until the bitter end, I was with them, hook, line and sinker.

As the story unfolded, I was so impressed with Emilia's guts and determination. She's up against some super scary forces, yet never backs down. Pushing herself to the limits, her ability to stare straight in the face of danger was admirable. By the end, she's one of my new favorite heroines.

As far as Wrath goes, we stan. Everything about him, from his snarky attitude, his knowledge of all things dark and hellish, his tattoos, his sexy outfits, I loved it all. I also feel like we have so much more to learn about him. Fingers crossed this happens moving forward in the series.

The atmosphere is top notch as well and I liked how Maniscalco didn't shy away from some very dark images and scenes. This last bit of this book was absolutely wild and I cannot wait for the next one to be released!!! Seriously, is it too early to request a copy!?

Thank you so much to the publisher, Jimmy Patterson, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I truly appreciate it!

Emilia Di Carlo and her twin sister Vittoria have spent their whole lives listening to their Nonna's superstitious tales about the Seven Princes of Hell and the Malvagi. They've been warned to never take off and never join their cornicellos, amulets they've worn around their necks since they were born. As young women they don't put too much stalk into Nonna's warnings of dark magic and dangerous times. But when Vittoria is brutally murdered, her heart ripped from her chest, Emilia begins to think her Nonna may have been right all along and that something is lurking outside, waiting for Emilia to let her guard down. But Emilia is determined not to be a sitting duck, and she's hell bent on finding out who killed her sister and returning the favor.

I ABSOLUTELY loved this book! The old ancient magic of mixing potions and warding against evil with spells and charms was so fantastic. And the setting, Italy, was perfect. Watching Emilia grow from a shy young lady to a bold and daring women was so much fun. She's cunning and devious. The relationship between her and Wrath, a Seven Prince of Hell that she binds to herself, was soooo good!! I need more of their banter and Wrath's standoffish smoldering. This was such a great book to read during October to kick off the spooky season. The magical and haunting atmosphere were perfect for this time of year. I HIGHLY recommend this to everyone!!

Kingdom of the Wicked follows Emilia, a witch who is determined to solve the mystery of her twin's brutal murder, no matter the cost. Her mission to bring justice to her sister crosses paths with Wrath's, one of the Wicked, a Prince of Hell. Wrath says he is on her side, tasked by the Devil himself to solve the string of women's murders.

Maniscalco's novel has so many things that I love in a YA fantasy - witches, morally gray characters, murder and mystery, enemies to lovers (even better if that enemy is a supreme bad boy, i.e. a Prince of Hell). Bonus points for the delicious descriptions of Italian food. Emilia is a strong, female protagonist, and we all know how much I love strong, female protagonists. She isn't perfect, but her love for her sister is evident and powerful.

A Few Notes
I really enjoyed Emilia's relationship with her grandmother, but felt like Emilia's parents were weirdly absent, despite Emilia's parents living in the same house and running the restaurant where Emilia often ate and cooked.

The novel is really enriched with Italian foods and language, but Italian phrases were almost always immediately followed by the English translation. While I don't speak Italian, this still really pulled me out of the novel. I prefer it when an author/story unapologetically switches between English and the language the characters are using, without translating.

Overall, I really adored Kingdom of the Wicked. The chemistry between Wrath and Emilia is undeniable, I adored their banter, and I cannot wait for the next in the series to release!

CW: family death, murder (of women), descriptions of gore

Thank you to NetGalley and Jimmy Patterson Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in The Kingdom of the Wicked series. I got this book through NetGalley to review.

Story (3/5): I have kind of mixed feelings about this one. The story started out pretty slow and it's one of those books that when you think back on it not a ton happened. However, once the story got moving (about 30% through) I did find myself drawn into this historical Italian setting with witches and demons, and found that this made for a decent Halloween read.

The story involved Emilia and her twin Vittoria who are Strega in hiding. When Vittoria is killed, Emilia accidentally summons one of the Wicked, a prince from hell named Wrath. With Wrath’s dubious help Emilia hopes to avenge her twin’s death while solving the mystery behind the murders of numerous witches.

Characters (3/5): I think my biggest struggle with this book (aside from the pacing) was how much I disliked our heroine, Emilia. Emilia constantly makes dumb mistakes over and over again and I found her very frustrating to read about. She always talks about how she isn't the adventurous twin but she is constantly throwing herself into very dangerous situations with very little thought. She was my least favorite part of the story and I wanted to smack some sense into her many times throughout the book. Additionally, I thought her character was really inconsistent; almost like she was a bit crazy... at one point she'd be blushing in embarrassment and then she'd be throwing herself at Wrath. She'd desperately want to be saved and helped, but then would ignore everyone's advice and run headlong into danger...it was just so...all over the place. It honestly just didn't make a lot of sense.

Setting (4/5): I enjoyed the setting. This whole book seems to be set in a historical Italian village. I don’t remember the time frame really being mentioned but some of the surroundings make me think this is historical. I love the atmosphere of this small Italian town and loved how cozy and yet creepy it felt.

Writing Style (3/5): The writing style was okay but I struggled with some of the same issues I had when I read “Stalking Jack the Ripper”. The story moves a bit slow and the characters are inconsistent and hard to engage with. A lot of people really seem to love Maniscalco’s stories but they just have never really drawn me in….I always find them a bit lacking.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this was okay but not great. The story starts out pretty slow and I could not get over how stupid and impulsive our supposidly intelligent and timid heroine is. If you can get over the main character and her inconsistencies and flat out dumb decisions, it’s not a bad book. Some of the side characters, like Wrath and his brother, make up for Emilia’s craziness. I don’t plan on reading anymore of this series. Since this is the second Maniscalco book I have read that I have been so-so about, I don’t plan on picking up any more of her books in the future either.

4.5 Stars

I loved this book. I haven't finished the Stalking Jack the Ripper series yet, but I definitely have to say that this is a favorite Kerri Maniscalco book of mine. I loved Emilia as the main character. She was strong and determined, but also flawed and in pain. And ugh. Her relationship with Wrath was just *chef's kiss.* It's just what I want out of books like this.

But that ending though! I haaaaate cliffhangers that evil! Honestly, that's a part of the reason why I'm rating this book 4.5 instead of 5 stars. I knew as the story got closer to the end that we would have some sort of cliffhanger. There just wasn't enough pages left. But THAT ending??? Ugh. I just need the sequel like yesterday.

Overall, I loved every element of this book. Maniscalco's writing was really strong (I didn't love her writing at first in Stalking Jack the Ripper). The plot was super intriguing. It was twisty and exciting and set in atmospheric Sicily, The characters, as I mentioned, were great, too. I really think Emilia is a stronger written character than Audrey Rose. And Wrath takes the Thomas Cresswells of the world to the next level. I really enjoyed the magic in this book, too, and I'm really looking forward to seeing more of it in the sequel.

Solid read for Maniscalco's previous historical fiction fans. But really great for fantasy lovers, too.

I’m absolutely ready to read any thing Kerri puts out.

I really liked Emilia. I’m here for an MC filled with vengeance and that’s what she (mostly) gave. Wrath was interesting and very closed off. I loved Nonna and the glimpses we got of the rest of the family. Be warned, there are a good amount of characters here.

Plot wise, it sort of felt all over the place. There’s a ton of moving pieces and for me, it never quite settled. At times it seemed like I should have already known what was going on. I have several questions, few answers, and now a ridiculous wait for the next book (which will likely have an even worse cliffhanger ending.) Oh, and all of the food descriptions were A++++

Overall, it’s definitely an intriguing start to a series (even if it doesn’t really match the synopsis) and I’m excited to see where it goes. (And yes, I acknowledge how nonsensical this review is.)

**Huge thanks to Jimmy Patterson for providing the arc free of charge**

Emilia and Vittoria are twin witches who live among humans in Sicily. One night, Emilia finds her twin sister’s body with her heart torn out. There is a man standing over her body, who Emilia assumes is her killer. Emilia starts investigating her twin’s murder, which leads to her summoning a demon prince from Hell, named Wrath. She is drawn into the mystery of disappearing witches and demons invading the city.

I loved the mysterious atmosphere of this story. It was dark and mystical, and some parts were gruesome and bloody. There were dueling systems in the town, the religious group and the witches. Though these two groups didn’t seem to have much in common, they were often found in the same places.

The murder mystery played an important part in the plot. While Emilia was investigating her sister’s unusual murder, she also learned about the murders of other witches nearby. The murders were similar, with the hearts being cut out of the witches. Since these murders happen at the same time that demons start showing up, Emilia suspects a connection. I was really surprised at the solution to the murder mystery. The answer seemed so obvious when it was revealed, but I didn’t guess it.

This was a great witchy mystery. I can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you JIMMY Patterson for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely devoured this book! I loved the Witchy-ness and the spooky vibes - it was a perfect read for Halloween!

The story flowed at a very reasonable and steady pace. Not once did I feel that this book was rushed; it had a perfect balance of bringing out the intensity as well as revelations.
I am a massive fan of the enemies-to-lovers troupe, this was a massive tick for me. The fact that it is also a slow burner was the cherry on top of the cake. I can overlook how obivious it was from the very start..
Whilst Emilia wasn't my favorite, I enjoyed seeing her character development throughout the book, I feel that she will continue to develop in the next book.
I loved the whole concept of the 7 Dealdy Sins as Prince Demons of Hell; my only concern that this at some point going to be way too many different characters for to me keep track of.
I would definitely like to learn more about this particular kind of witchcraft in the next book, as well as learning more about the wickedness that lurks beneath our world!

Vivid imagination and world building, along with rich characters. Emilia was an interesting character to follow along amidst the Halloween-y murder mystery concept. Full of black magic, witch vibes and overall unique to the point that you find yourself transported within a completely new world full of darkness, mischief and a handsome prince of Hell. Heart-wrenching and nail biting until the very end, that has surely made me keep an eye out on any news of the sequel that may come my way!

ARC Review: Received for free via Netgalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Thank you for letting me review this title.

I really enjoyed this book, maybe i wanted the character to evolve a bit more to see her revenge, but I'm sure we will see this part of her on the next book. Can't wait for it!!

Honestly I bloody LOVED this book.
It was engaging, well written. Full of sassy characters, even the darkest ones were delicious to read about.

I’ve got an absolute ton of theories. I love the enemies to lovers element. I’m itching to read more from the seven deadly princes of hell. Honestly they’re all so engaging and dangerous it was difficult to put this book down. I was SO pleased to be able to read an advanced copy. I’m itching to read the sequel and to read more about Emilia’s deal with the devil.

I’m hoping the next one is full of sass and more dark adventure and I’ve got a feeling it will be! Absolute MUST READ

I really enjoyed this read. There were a few tiny things that bugged me and I knocked a star off for them but for the most part I really enjoyed it. I liked Emilia and found her way of dealing with grief to be realistic and felt true to her character. I also really liked Wrath. The story line is great for the most part but gets a little wonky if you really think about it. I'm not gonna get into specific to avoid spoilers but I just felt like the trusting 8 yearolds with something as important as their necklaces and not explaining the importance seems silly. I also didn't really like the Grand mother or the parents. In one breath they are over protective and in the next Emilia is old all night and they barely bat an eyelash? I don't think so. The grandmother was also more annoying than anything. She could have been so much more useful! I also felt like the one major plot point was a bit predictable. Last little thing was that there were many character introductions in this one. I get that it was to set up the next book but it got tiresome. Overall though it was a good read and I'm looking forward to book 2.

Step into the Kingdom of the Wicked. This is where spells abound but also evil things. Join the discoveries all around as Emilia searches for the murderer of her twin sister, Vittoria.

Vittoria uses dark magic, which is strictly forbidden. Unfortunately someone has already used this magic and unleased the princes of Hell. Emilia meets Wrath, who she has heard tales of ever since her childhood. Are they really true? Vittoria finds out just that very thing and unleashes much more than she every wished she could find.

I really hope there will be a sequel, just because you're left hanging on the edge of the precipice, clinging on for your life.

The mystery’s undeniable pull, matched with the fast pacing and Maniscalo’s flowing prose makes Kingdom of the Wicked a wild and glittering ride through a world of ancient magic and devilishly handsome lords of the underworld.

I loved the Sicilian setting that Maniscalo brought to life so vividly, especially the culture’s penchant for delicious food and the importance of family bonds. I honestly felt like I was walking the streets of Emilia’s hometown right along with her.

The romance felt dark and dangerous, filled with a burning desire that made this such an addictive read. Watching the sparks literally spark off the page as Emilia and Wraith’s enemies to lovers trajectory took off. Their interactions also allowed for some humour that was a welcome relief for the grim reality of Emilia’s predicament throughout the story.

I loved Emilia’s character, the rage and intrigue that fuels her to solve the core mystery of the book and face off against antagonists far more powerful than she can imagine without even flinching.

Kingdom of the Wicked was a sexy and seductive read. I absolutely cannot wait to see what Maniscalo does with the sequel after that absolutely killer ending, I’m so excited to travel into this other world with Emilia.

I already know why everyone’s been loving this book. Man, I wished I read it sooner but the hunger of the sequel is growing in me. Ugh. I badly need the book 2  .The setting of the story is really beautiful. I don’t have enough words to describe this wicked setting. I love the places that they’ve been and it’s easy to imagine. I love the fact that the characters grew up in a family business restaurant! Also, the story goes smoothly as it is. I have no trouble going back on forth to chapters and that epic ending is just wanting me to read more of it. The plot of the story is well done and the twist that I didn’t see coming. This really gives me mixed emotions to the events happening in this book. This is pretty slow for me because I think it’s the first book and it’s building the foundation of the story of the twins and the wicked world. But... once the story got settled, everything went fast. Most events are exciting and I really can’t stop reading this whenever I started it (I mostly forgot to work when I read this)

Wow this book was so good! It was addicting! I loved it! It was dark, and unique! Kerri's creativity really shined in this book, and using a unique magic system really worked in her favor! She created the perfect brooding prince of hell and oh my gosh I loved him! Wrath was just *chef's kiss* fantastic! The cliffhanger was interesting, and she really got me there! I'm not really a fan of cliffhangers because if the book is good, they shouldn't have to use them to convince me to pick up the next book or books. But in a way, Kerri does them well enough where it's gripping, but not so shocking that you're left frustrated and desperate for the next book.

WOWZA!! This book has been all over Bookstagram for ages and has had some pretty polarizing reviews. I was pretty nervous to read it because I was really excited for this on and I wanted it to be good. It did not disappoint! This book was absolutely delicious. I ate up every word, every spell, every fight, every steamy moment (which I need more.). I've never read anything from this author but will be looking into her past novels now for sure! This book ticked all the boxes for me......dark......magic.......enemies to lovers (almost).....heart shattering plot twist.....betrayal......and some fabulous wardrobe choices. This is for fans of Girl, Serpent, Thorn and The Folk of the Air trilogy. I will be on the edge of my seat waiting for the next part of this story....very impatiently may I add. This was a definite 5 star read and a great start to this months' reading.