Kingdom of the Wicked: Delightfully Witchy and Deliciously Sexy

If you're looking for a Serpent & Dove-esque book, you've come to the right place! Having heard mixed reviews about Maniscalco's Stalking Jack the Ripper series, you can imagine I was hesitant going into Kingdom of the Wicked. In fact, I had requested it on Netgalley on a whim, very sure that my request was going to be rejected. However, to my surprise, I got it! And just in time for the most witchy month of the year!

Trust me, book friends, when I say that when you're done reading Kingdom of the Wicked, you're going to want a demon prince of your own.

Plot: Do You Love Sexy Demons and Sassy Witches?

Perhaps the most important thing I need to preface this review with is: Kingdom of the Wicked is not a book for everyone.

Born into one of the only family of witches in Palermo, Sicily, twin sisters, Emilia and Vittoria di Carlo, have been raised practicing light magic their entire lives and warned to stay away from the dark arts and the Wicked. The Wicked, essentially demons and ghouls, are ruled by demon royalty, known as the Malvagi, the Seven Princes of Hell. The Wicked and the Malvagi serve a single master, the devil himself. To protect them, Emilia and Vittoria both wear special amulets. However, if the cornicello, their amulets, are brought together or joined, hell would be unleased on the human world. But, as curious children are, Emilia tried holding Vittoria's amulet and the tiny spark of magic that erupted was enough to scare them into obedience. However, that single moment would change their magic forever; Emilia is able to sense auras from humans and magical objects.

As both Emilia and Vittoria grow older, the Wicked and the Malvagi become little more than just fairytales. In their eighteen years of life, neither sister ever encountered the fearsome monsters their Nonna Maria warned them about. The bolder of the two, Vittoria, flirts with danger and the dark arts. Until one day, she pushes it too far and winds up murdered, with her heart ripped out of her chest and a demon looming over her mutilated body. Along with a well of sadness and despair, her death reveals a darker secret that Vittoria had been hiding from her entire family.

Devastated by the lost of her twin, Emilia turns to the dark arts for answers and ends up summoning her very own prince of hell, Wrath. Bound by a protection spell, Wrath begrudgingly helps Emilia try to solve Vittoria's murder but the deeper Emilia digs, the more dangers she uncovers and the deadlier her search for the truth becomes. And soon, witches from prominent witch families are dropping dead one by one. At the same time, Emilia is hunted by the Princes of Hell and she finds herself irresistibly drawn to the one by her side.

Kingdom of the Wicked is definitely not a book that would appeal to a wide audience, especially the readers who are cynical about the trappings of YA books. I know people in the community who would immediately tear apart this sort of plot and writing, branding them as unrefined and unsophisticated. That's because, Kingdom of the Wicked is a very specific type of Young Adult book, one that borders on New Adult where the characters, themes and sexual content are more mature. Furthermore, there is a paranormal element here that lends it even more of a New Adult quality (if you know, you know!). 

However, I am so happy that I am not that kind of snob! I absolutely love when a book doesn't take itself too seriously and instead, focuses on it's fun characters and carefree storytelling. I was thoroughly absorbed by Kingdom of the Wicked; and though the villain and ending was predictable, it was absolutely fun while it lasted and the chemistry between the characters is stellar!

Characters: Where Can I Get Myself A Demon Prince?

Sassy, bold and utterly charming, Maniscalco writes very compelling characters for Kingdom of the Wicked. From Emilia to Wrath and the myriad of characters that help tell the story, I loved every single one of them. Even Vittoria who gets killed off pretty early is such a fun character; I sincerely hope we see her in the sequel. Because, Emilia and Vittoria's relationship is severely underdeveloped, making it a little difficult for me to be invested in Emilia's characterisation if I didn't have a sister. 

Emilia is your typical headstrong, opinionated and determined YA main character! She is almost as cookie cutter as they come if it weren't for the fact that she's quite a down-to-earth character, seemingly determined to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible. However, with Vittoria's death, something changes in Emilia in her grief-driven ambition to avenge her sister's death. I absolutely loved seeing how her personality changed as she continued to hunt down her sister's murderer, turning darker with every step closer into the demon world that she took. It was quite a refreshing take on the introspective way grief can change and motivate a person.

Wrath, on the other hand, starts off as your typical NA summoned-demon prince: cocky, self-assured, disrespectful and dripping with sin. As Kingdom of the Wicked is told in first person point of view, it does limit much of what we know about Wrath's personality. And, what we can learn about the Wicked and Malvagi which can be frustrating at times, as Emilia's main goal is to find her sister's murderer. Once Wrath warms up to Emilia and they banter back and forth as well as glare at each other sexily, Wrath begins to develop some semblance of a heart and emotion. While he makes no big declarations, he does demonstrate he cares for Emilia, which is a trope that I definitely love: the bad boy with a soft side!

However, the few of Wrath's brothers that we meet, Envy, Greed and Lust, are incredibly one-dimensional villains. I find it a little hard to believe that while Wrath seems to demonstrate a wide range of emotions, the other three are like caricatures of villains and demons; always chuckling, smirking, grinning, cackling, plotting evilly. I could not take them seriously! And even when we finally meet Pride, the devil and ruler of Hell, he is a stereotypical devil. However, we only see a small glimpse of these characters so, I hope that they're more developed in the sequel.

Although, these tiny details won't matter because you'll get completely distracted by the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers trope! Wrath and Emilia are constantly pushing and pulling at each other throughout the book and their banter is just so. much. tension. Like, move over, Serpent and Dove!

Worldbuilding: Do Demons Really Care About Their Candle Aesthetics?

Much as I absolutely loved Kingdom of the Wicked, I have issues with the magic system and the Wicked. While the witches' magic is a little underdeveloped, it also does leave room for a bit of growth as most of the spell casting we've seen Emilia perform is summoning. I would also have liked to see Emilia perform more magic instead of defending herself with a weapon. However, the sisters have not been taught to use defensive magic despite their circumstances (I'm looking at you, Nonna!); it's excusable.

However, what really left me puzzled and laughing in disbelief is that demons can only be summoned using the right colour candle combination! I can see demons needing specific ingredients like herbs, animal parts, bones and even objects. But, candle colours that correspond to their royal houses? It is implied that Nonna Maria makes coloured candles to match the herbs that she infuses them with but that's not the case! For instance, one prince of Hell needed gray and rose pink candles in the summoning circle!

And I am just sitting here and wondering, why do the demons care if their candles are pink? And all I can think about is that demons wanting to maintain their aesthetic!

Along with aesthetically-conscious demons, the whole concept of the Wicked is a little muddy. So, the Wicked are basically all these supernatural creatures from demons to vampires and ghouls. Then, there's the Malvagi who are the Wicked royalty and basically the seven princes of Hell. Lesser Wicked seem to serve the Malvagi but we only learn that ghouls serve House Greed. Does that mean different creatures serve different houses? Then, there's Pride who is a Prince of Hell but he's also the ruler of Hell, basically Satan/the Devil. It's all just a tad convoluted for me and not explained well enough. Why call them Malvagi when they can just be the Princes of Hell, rulers of the Wicked? 

Storytelling: Is This Going to Be Another ACOTAR?

I used to love the House/Court/Faction trope; there's something so fun about being able to belong to one of them, as if you were also a character. And, I still love it but, ACOTAR has severely ruined the trope for me. And with all the Princes of Hell desperately chasing after Emilia, it's starting to seem like it may follow this trend. I sincerely hope that is not the case here but, it is a storytelling element that is rather popular these days.

However, despite the focus on the Wicked and Malvagi hunting Emilia down for her amulet, Kingdom of the Wicked also works in a little bit of history. Witch hunters are coming back into fashion in Sicily and I wish more tension had been given to them as it feels like a threat that was added to give it some historical value. 

Despite all these, Kingdom of the Wicked is delightfully crafted. With so many plotlines going on from the Princes of Hell chasing Emilia down, to trying to uncover the mystery of Vittoria's murder as well as the murders of the other witches in their town, the pacing never lags and it doesn't actually get confusing. 

The piece de resistance of Kingdom of the Wicked is the connection of Emilia and her family's life to food; they run the very popular restaurant, Sea & Vine. And, it was Emilia's dream to some day take over the restaurant and craft her own recipes. There is something so human and soulful about food that helps keep the plot, story and characters grounded in reality. Plus, Emilia and her family are Italian; it would make no sense to not talk about food!

Now, it's making me hungry.

In conclusion, Kingdom of the Wicked is a fantastic start to a new series that is sexy, dangerous and sinful. The characters are charming, the banter is oh so sassy and fun, the storytelling is engaging and the chemistry between the main characters is off the charts. I would definitely not consider this a YA book if it weren't for the fact that there is a strong emphasis on character development through plot and a decided lack of erotic scenes. Although Kingdom of the Wicked is not the most unique or original story out there, it is a delightful and exciting read that has left me desperate for more!

what a perfect October read!
Withcy magic, prince of hell, murder mystery and an intoxicating romance? COUNT ME IN.

While I own SJTR I have yet to read it. However it got BUMPED up on my TBR because Kerry Maniscalco writing is brilliant. The book was so easy to devour. .I was so invested in the plot and characters. The setting was magical and i could see it play out in my mind.

I don't usually dive into murder mysteries because I am a big baby, but this book may have changed that for me.

Kerry did a phenomenal job of touching on heavy subjects like grief and depression. Normalizing the immense sadness and struggle of depression. She touches on the different stages of grief and how grieving isnt cookie cutter clear. Thank you for this.

The cliff hanger tho *mind blown*, why'd you do that to me?!?

Five gloriously beautiful stars. Kerri Maniscalo proved her voice with the Stalking Jack the Ripper series, which was an incredible addition in the historical mystery fiction genre, and Kingdom of the Wicked gives her a change to stretch and navigate into the fantasy world. She marvels.

I volunteered to read this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. You guys Kerri Maniscalco has done it again. This is the first book in her next series and it didn't disappoint. Her writing style is spectacular. Her characters are enjoyable. She makes you feel like you are walking along next to the characters. The cover is absolutely gorgeous. The setting and the pacing is always great in her books. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It will be in stores on October 27, 2020 for CA $12.99 (CAD).

First of all, I would like to say thank you for the review copy, which was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley. This fact does not in any way affect my personal opinion on this book. This post contains advertising and the rights for the book belong to the publisher.

Of course is this only my personal opinion on the book and just because i give this rating to the book doesn’t mean, that everyone will have that opinion.

I have already read “Stalking Jack the Ripper” by the author, which I liked very much! I was curious if this book could inspire me as much SJtR

This book did not disappoint me at all. The writing style was super fluid and pleasant to read. The entry into the story was easy and in general one was very well introduced into the magic system. The Worldbuilding was fantastic. I couldn’t put the book down for one second.

I really liked Emilia and Wrath and the tension between the two was just the best. Whoever wants light “Enemies to lovers” stories should definitely grab this book!

I have nothing to complain about the book and I can’t wait for Volume 2.

Conclusion

The perfect book for spooky season. If you like enemies to lovers with a murderer solving plot, than this is the book for you

I give 5 from 5 Stars

This book is incredible and I love it, my new favourite.

We meet Emilia who is a girl from the ancient witche's family. She and her family are living secretlhy among the humans, avoiding notice and perseuction. One night Emilia finds her sister's body. Devastated, Emilia sets up to find her sister's killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that's been long forbidden. Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked-princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia's side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women's murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems...

The plot is really well written. Author shares with as a lot of details from witches and demons history. The story can look as simple: murder, find the killer and get the revenge with some kind of romance in the background, but it's not that simple when the demon princes of Hell and family's secrets are involved.

I really like Emilia, she is smart, tries to plan her next steps, but at the same time she is consumed with revenge. I saw how this character is growing with the plot progress.
Wrath is my favourite prince of Hell, even if he does what he has to...
I hope that Emilia and Wrath relation will be growing in the next book from the series. Chemistry between them is incredible.

Another princes of Hell are really intresting as well. Author shows them as bad to the core and focused only on their own goals.
From Emilia's family we get to know better only Nanna becasue she gives main character some clues and instructions, but in the same time she covered secrets which are not safe for the whole family and witches population on the island.

It was 5/5 stars for me. I will definately read next book from the series. I highly recommend this book.

4.5 stars

This book... i just... it was everything i wanted and more. The world building, the magic, the... main characters *swooned* i loved everything about this!!!
Emilia is the kind of character you fall in love instantly. She's fierce but not to the point of going blindly into everything. She trusted herself, her qualities and she knows her weaknesses and instead or feeling helpless, she just becomes a victor instead of a victim of the circumstances she goes through in this book. I love that she trusts her gut feeling and when something doesn't feel right, she actually thinks about the pros and cons of her actions and lately that has been my problem with a lot of female characters, that they don't acknowledge that their actions have consequences and sometimes those aren't good! This is why I loved Emilia, because she owned her faults!
Now, I could gush about Wrath forever but all I'm going to say is... i love him.
Now, I really hope 1, that this has a book 2; and 2, that it comes out as soon as KM can!!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Man had a funny way of blaming the devil for things he didn’t like. It was strange that we were called evil when humans were the ones who enjoyed watching us burn.”

this is the beginning of a new series by the author of the stalking jack the ripper series, which i have yet to read! it’s a story of witches, demons, and the gates of hell. emilia, who is a witch, finds her twin sister, who is also a witch, murdered and is i really liked this one overall! the aesthetic and atmosphere of the setting and world is fantastic. i loved the banter between emilia and wrath (who is such a dreamy confident bad boy type *drools*).

i am excited for the sequel since i feel like this was a great set up 🤩 and i am eager to see further development of the characters! also idk why i got a cross between acotar and halloweentown vibes but i did 😂

This was a great book to read during spooky season. This book starts you off right with a chilling atmosphere and intriguing beginning. I was honestly hooked from the first sentence. This was my first read from this author but I'm definitely going to be starting her Stalking Jack the Ripper series after this. The story starts you off right with the introduction of twin sisters and their amulets, making it clear that both are absolutely important to the story. This book had it all, mystery, intrigue, action, witches and dark powers and a touch of romance as well. Loved it! The end was a bit predictable, but overall this was an amazing read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you're looking for a quick, purely entertaining read, I would highly recommend this.

I'm such a huge fan of Kerri Maniscalco! KINGDOM OF THE WICKED feels very different than her STALKING JACK THE RIPPER series, but it has so many of the same hallmarks that made me love it: strong female lead, atmospheric setting, and gorgeous writing.

Emilia is a witch from a long line of witches and owner of half of a special amulet. The other half of the amulet is worn by her twin sister, Vittoria. When her twin is brutally murdered, Emilia sets out to discover the murderer who has been slaughtering other young witches, too. As she traces her sister's footsteps, she discover that her twin was involved in a plot with one of the prices of hell. Emilia unwittingly summons one of the Wicked, Prince Wrath, and binds him to her. They work together to uncover the next victims in this epic battle that's less between good and evil and more about every shade of gray in between, even as Emilia discover more about her own moral ambiguity. Can Emilia find her sister's killer without losing her self to vengeance and her heart to a Prince of Hell?

This is the perfect, propulsive witchy read. I highly recommend!

This book was perfect fo this time of year.
Like, actually perfect. The witchy vibes? Immaculate. Demons, witches, and damn tasty sounding food - this book was everything I wanted and more.

As always with Kerri Maniscalco’s writing, I found it incredibly readable and so fast to get through. I LOVED the dark direction this book took from the word go - from the brutal murders to the monstrous devils and the witches going to all ends of magic and soul to find a mean to their ends, everything was fantastic. I cannot was a it to get my hands on a hard copy and add this to my shelves — and I cannot WAIT until the next one.

I do think there was something missing that really grabbed me and sent it into the Favourite 5 star tier, Maybe it was in the characters, or just overall story, I’m not sure. But what I do know is that I’m so excited to see where this series goes after that ENDING.

4.5 stars!! This is a very compelling, very dark read involving witchcraft, demons, werewolves, old gods and goddesses, etc. And I loved it! I can't wait to see what happens to Emilia and Wrath in the second book! Will DEFINITELY be buying this book when it goes on sale. Brava!

What I liked:
- the setting, the atmosphere of the book
- the banter between Emilia and Wrath was extremely entertaining
- the main characters to a degree

What I didn't like:
- plotwise not much happened. The mystery behind Emilia's twin murder was so anticlimactic that when it was revealed i thought meh
- the story is very predictable. I saw the twists from a mile
- for a good part of the story I was just bored and had to force myself to continue reading

I have heard many great things about Kerri Maniscalco's but this was the first book by her I have ever read. I loved, loved the premise I mean, who can resist witches, delicious looking prince's of hell, a sizzling enemies to lovers and a murder mystery? Certainly not me.

This was most definitely a five star book, and I will be picking up the rest of the series and probably the authors other books as well. There were a few things that didn't make sense to me or felt inconsistent such as why Emilia's parents never questioned how/what happened to her gonna. It made no sense to me lol. As well as why the heroine refused to believe princes of hell existed until she met one? Like, she's a witch and magic and stuff exists so why wouldn't they? In the end it wasn't really a big deal, the story was well written, the mystery and suspense great and the romance all that was promised. Im excited for the next one ESPECIALLY after that cliffhanger!

I am a huge fan of Kerri Maniscalco’s Stalking Jack the Ripper quartet. Audrey Rose and Thomas are two of my favorite characters ever, and I absolutely devoured each book. Since the series ended, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the next offering from Maniscalco. When I saw the opportunity to read an ARC of Kingdom of the Wicked, I jumped on it. I was hesitant to actually start reading, because I was worried this book wouldn’t live up to the expectations I’ve developed. I worried for nothing! This is an excellent start to a new series. Emilia and Wrath are an engaging leading duo. The atmosphere is immersive, and the story is intriguing. I’m very excited to read the next book in this series, especially with how this one ended.

This was utterly perfect. I loved every second of Kingdom of the Wicked. A beautiful setting, with mouth-watering food descriptions, an immensely well-crafted world, impeccable storytelling, a murder mystery and amazing characters. I mean... witches AND Princes of Hell? Count me in!

I was completely entralled by the myths and magic in this story. Learning about the different Princes of Hell and their mysterious ways was one of my favorite parts. The writing was so detailed and at no moment did I loose my concentration or interest in the story. So captivating and intriguing.

The characters were incredibly written. So well-layered and full of mystery that will keep you hooked from page one. Emilia was an amazing main character with great character growth. Wrath was just a deliciously mysterious and broody character. I never knew what to believe and who to trust. The banter between Emilia and Wrath was off the charts. So infectious and a great addition to the dynamic of the story.

I honestly don't have the words how perfect this was for me. I love love love loved it. And desperately need to read the next book! This also happens to be my first read of Kerri Maniscalco and I am super excited to read her other works.

You can't end the book like that! I'm eager to read the next one! Fantastic first book in the series.

This was a fast-paced, well-written story with a well-crafted world populated by a diverse group of characters. Witches, the Devil, demons and vampires, what more could you want? If you like books about magic, this is a terrific one to read. Dark and mystical with just the right amount of logic to drive the plot.

The characters were whole and complex. I really enjoyed the main female character: Emilia. She was normal and totally relatable (she loves to read!). I also enjoyed her love-hate, push-pull, fiery relationship with Wrath, Reading about Wrath, Envy and Greed swallows you in and pulls at your emotions.

Thank you to NetGalley, JIMMY Patterson and Kerri Maniscalco for a copy of "Kingdom of the Wicked" in exchange of an honest review.

This is a perfect read for the spooky season!

The story follows two sisters Emilia and Vittoria, who come from a family of witches. Their grandmother has always been telling them stories about the Devil and hell and the Seven Princes of Hell called the Wicked. She has been teaching protective spells to the girls to save them from the Wicked. The sisters don't think that their Nonna's warnings mean anything serious.

But dark things are happening. Witches are getting killed in the neighboring towns and Nonna suspects that this is the work of the Wicked. In the wake of this news, Emilia finds Vittoria's dead body, and there's a man leaning over Vittoria's body, his hands are drenched with Vittoria's blood. Emilia spirals downwards from there and she is hell-bent on finding out who killed her sister. Emilia finds out that Vittoria was involved in dark dealings. She finds spells to summon demons in Vittoria's belongings. Using this spell, she ends up summoning and getting bound to the Prince of Hell, Wrath.

This book is full of dark magic and dark creatures. Aside from Wrath, Emilia encounters other Princes of Hell as well, and they are just as cruel and wicked as their name suggests. She faces other kinds of demons from Hell as well. Some of them are invisible and they are so creepy! This book has this perfect dark vibe, there are creepy dungeons, dangerous demons, and of course, the Devil and the Wicked. There are rumors of witch hunters and shapeshifters and God Loving Brotherhood of Church. And Emilia is caught right in the middle of it all. The gates of Hell are loosening and if not closed, all hell will break loose on Earth, literally.

I loved this part of the book! I loved the dark creepy spooky vibes, they are a signature of a Kerri Maniscalco book, and she did not disappoint in this. The Wicked were exactly as bad as I had imagined them to be. Also, I loved that Emilia was shown to be smart. Though being out of depth, she does not do stupid things. She is clever and cautious. I liked the ending as well, it was very well executed. I could guess some part of it, but it was very well written. It kept me wanting more.

The only thing that I did not like was the whole dynamic and interactions between Emilia and Wrath. It was so typically teen movie types! All other Wicked are cruel but Wrath comes and saves our girl! Emilia is definitely attracted to Wrath, but she pretends that she doesn't like him. Reading their conversations felt as if I was watching a very corny cheesy teen drama.

Other than this, I loved all the aspects of this book and I can't wait for the next book because I want to know what happens next!

So good. The world, the characters. I love how Emilia develops from beginning to the end. I love that there’s witches and demons and the seven deadly sins which made it feel different from anything else I’ve read lately. I also love Wrath, i don’t care what anyone says!
The beginning was kind of slow for me but that was quickly remedied. I do wish we got a little more of Wrath and Emilia but hopefully we will in the next book!
Andddd now I don’t know how I’m going to wait for the next one!

4.5 🌟

The witches, the demon princes, the magic, the outfits, the world they live in, together all make a fascinating read.

Emilia and Vittoria are twin witches who grew up hearing stories of the 'Wicked', a group of demon princes, and are warned to stay away from them, at all costs. When Vittoria is murdered, Emilia begins her hunt to find and kill the one responsible. Emilia meets Wrath, and soon discovers that almost everything she thought she knew about witches and demons was incorrect, and maybe the demon prince isn't so bad... and could actually be on her side.

This book ends on a cliffhanger, which I am usually not a huge fan of, but in this case I am intrigued, and I'm just sad I'll have to wait to find out what happens next!