A fast paced book full of great writing, mysterious characters, magic and a murder mystery. What's not to love?

I really enjoyed Kingdom of the Wicked and am looking forward to the next instalment already. I feel like the wait is going to be a slow torture.

Kingdom of the Wicked follows Emilia who ends up on a path of vengeance following her sisters untimely and unexpected death. Emilia will end up going to great lengths to find out who killed her sister, along with the other girls that came before her. With the help of Wrath, who is a mysterious character with his own agenda, they team up to find the elusive killer and to find out why they're murdering these girls.

I loved the dynamic between Emilia and Wrath, clearly enemies but something starts to grow between them. It's fun to watch whilst witnessing the banter between the pair. The Italian setting was wonderful and had me reminiscing on my time there, whilst I also wished I could be back eating some lovely cheesy pasta. I think the contrast of darkness passing over sunny Italy signals what is to come in the future of Emilia's life and how she will change.

I really enjoyed everything about this book. Whilst I first felt that the pacing was slow, this soon picked up and the book completely carried me away. I'd absolutely recommend this if you're looking for a murder mystery mixed with magic, darkness and mysterious characters then you've come to the right place.

Deliciously dark.
This book was really engaging and I can't wait for the next one to come out already.
I did suspect who was the baddy from quite early one but it didn't impact my enjoyment of the story.
Well written characters.
4.5 stars. Half a star deducted for what I would say are historical inaccuracies but again these didn't massively prevent me enjoying it.

Let me start by saying I am a huge fan of Kerri’s other series, Stalking Jack the Ripper. Kingdom of the Wicked was not a disappointment. Fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper will be pleased to find that Maniscalco’s writing style has not only improved, but become more lush and descriptive for this novel. You truly feel as if you are in 1700s Italy with our main characters Emilia and Wrath, experiencing their lives with them as they go along.

Maniscalco’s careful creation of the central characters left them enjoyable and likeable, but still flawed. Emilia, goes through a journey throughout the novel to find her bravery and solve her sister’s murder. The development she receives feels natural, with the events leading to her changing feeling genuine and believable. She starts off quiet and somewhat timid, and grows into a strong, brave young woman. It’s really refreshing to see. As for our other main character, Wrath is one of the seven Princes of Hell. As his name may suggest, he has a temper and is unafraid of putting you in your place, yet, as most YA love interests do these days, also has a soft side that only gets shown to our leading lady. While this novel isn’t romance heavy, it’s hinted at being developed throughout the books following, leading to a satisfying pay off. And besides, who doesn’t love a slow burn?

Kerri Maniscalco has succeeded in creating a compelling and interesting series for her follow up to Stalking Jack the Ripper. The lush writing style and the likeable characters will keep you up at night, turning pages until there are no more left to read. Kingdom of the Wicked is a near-perfect start to a series, which leaves the reader itching for the second book.

*𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚍𝚘𝚖 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚆𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚍*

Emilia and her twin sister, Vittoria are complete opposites. Where Vittoria seeks excitement and adventure, Emilia is content to curl up with a good book after a day of cooking at their family’s restaurant. These twin witches keep their magic under wraps, but when something evil happens to her twin, a part of Emilia snaps and changes her forever. Soon she is practicing dark magic in order to find her sisters killer, but she gets a whole lot more than she bargains for.

My only thoughts that kept me from rating this 5 stars completely was that I wanted a little more interaction between Emilia and Wrath, and I could have used a little more magic considering she’s a witch. It felt a little light. Can’t wait to dive deeper into magic Sicily in her next book!

This was my first Kerri Maniscalco book. I know she has a large following for her Stalking Jack the Ripper books but I was afraid to dive into an already-started series. I’m glad I read this because I know now I want to go back and read all the rest! Pick this up if you’re looking for a chilling and yet steamy adventure.

Thank you to @jimmypattersonbooks @netgalley and @kerrimaniscalco for an early copy of this wonderfully haunting book.

First off that cliffhanger was a killer! I need the next book right now. Maniscalo storytelling in this was amazing; Felt like I was transported to a little Italian village where this book takes place. All the characters were so interesting to follow through out the whole book, Emilia's character keeps getting built upon the more she learns about the Prince's of Hell plans. Wrath becoming a soft boi Emilia was also cute.
Also the all those the little plot twists were shocking. Didn't expect any of those to happen. Really hoping this series is more than a duology and get to see all the other types of paranormal beings get their own stories.

This was beautiful story of twin sisters, dark magic, loss, love and mystery. The story built itself up perfectly, there was no slow points in the book. The main character was great, I love these morally grey characters that we are seeing more and more of.
There was a lot of terms quickly talked about in the beginning that got a little confusing, so I wish they were re-explained or explained a little slower.
I adored this book and will be recommending it to everyone! I cant wait to buy a copy for my shelf when it comes out, and for book two!

Omg where do I start? This book was one of my most anticipated books for 2020 and it didn't disappoint!! I only recently started reading the Stalking Jack the Ripper books but stopped to read this as soon as I was approved for this book!

The characters are amazing and the storyline is brilliant I've been on a witch kick with books and this one just hit the spot. I ended up purchasing 3 separate copies of this book and I don't regret it. 5 stars all the way.

I would like to thank Jimmy Patterson & Netgalley for approval for the e-arc of this wonderful book.

First of all, i’ve read this book in two days, which is quick for me. I couldn’t put it down and when I did put it down, it was on my mind all day.

This story is about twins who are witches, after one of the twins is murdered, Emilia is determined to find out who’s responsible for the death of her sister. This book follows her story and the seven princes of Hell as Emilia tries to uncover some mysteries.

I am in love with the characters, plot & the world this is set in. I am already desperate for the next book!

P.S I love Wrath

PLEASE READ THIS BOOK!

I am unsure about my feelings when it comes to this book because on the one hand this was a very atmospheric and quick read and on the other hand the absence of character development and cohesive plot left a lot to be desired.

What I liked- This book is super atmospheric, the writing immediately pulls you in with its lush descriptions. The world that Keri Maniscalco has created is a fun one to be in and this book reads super quickly even though it’s almost five hundred pages.

What I didn’t like- The utter lack of brain cells exhibited by the main character made me want to pull my hair out. In fact nothing in this book is believable, the plot, the romance, hell even the fact that Emilia is a witch is suspect. Everything that happens to her is so convenient it was ridiculous especially considering she wasn’t the brightest. Things would just clear themselves up or she would mysteriously not die even though she was in constant danger. I can overlook plot inconsistencies if the characters are well developed but even in this area I was left wanting. Emilia is daft, her relationship with Wrath is underdeveloped (and this is supposed to be the romance) so it becomes unbelievable, the princes of hell are two dimension-able, and any other character barely gets a page worth of mentions. Also, that ending made me so mad.

Overall, this was an okay read, if albeit a little disappointing. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I feel as though everything I want to say about this book is going to come out as incoherent gushing because I JUST LOVED IT.

I still have so many questions, which I’m guessing will be answered in the next book. Meaning I need the next book....yesterday! In all seriousness though it isn’t that frustrated kind of “I didn’t get answers in this book” feeling, it’s more like a “there are so many mysteries still to be unravelled in this series and I cannnot wait!” feeling.

Did Emilia makes some rather obvious mistakes without thinking? Yes. Then again, she’s changed a lot since the first chapter and anger and grief are not rational; they’re feelings of passion, so she can be forgiven to not noting the blatantly obvious occasionally.

I enjoyed Wrath’s character and I hope to learn more about him in the next book. Perhaps even his POV if we’re lucky?

The Italian setting and talk of all the food really made me so happy. And hungry.

This was the absolute perfect read for the spooky season!

This is my favourite book of Kerri Maniscalco’s and I will be recommending it to everyone.

Kerri Maniscalco is a genius. Every one of her books perfectly captures the essence of evil, vengeance, and desperation. Moving to fantasy was a great move, because it made this book all the more bewitching and captivating. So much is done right, I could barely put this book down.

After her sister is brutally murdered, Emilia is determined to uncover the truth. Delving deeper into dark magic, she summons Wrath, one of the princes of Hell. Although he looks to be on her side, nothing is as it seems, and both he and his brothers have their own motivations.

The characters in this were really what made the book for me. Every one of them is super interesting, and multi-dimensional. I loved trying to guess what their motivations were, and how complex they were. Wrath and his brothers definitely kept me interested, and I'm super excited to see more of them in the next book.

As advertised in the blurb, the romance in this was completely intoxicating. Written as a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers masterpiece, there isn't anything I would've changed. As soon as our love interest was introduced, I was immediately shipping it, even though I knew I shouldn't be. I loved how the romance really forced both characters to change, it was a great way to introduce their development.

With a completely unique premise, this book kept you hooked. Every inch of it felt completely new and unique, even though it did contain ideas already used. A fantastical murder mystery with witches, princes of Hell, and witch hunters, nothing in this book was as it seemed, which I absolutely loved.

Adding to its uniqueness, this book was heavily inspired by Italy. I don't think I've ever read a book with bits of Italian culture before, so I found this to be super interesting. Although I can't speak to its accuracy, I really enjoyed it.

And finally, the plot in this was amazing. It moved consistently the entire time, with enough twists to keep you entertained. I loved where the ending took the book, it set up great for the next book, and captured the feeling of desperation perfectly.

Although Keri Maniscalco deviated from her usual genre in this book, it felt like she'd been writing fantasy for her whole life. Every aspect of this book was amazing, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next!

Thanks to Keri Maniscalco and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

This book follows Emilia as she tries to discover her twin sister's murderer with the help of one of the demon princes she summoned, Wrath. I loved the setting of this book, 19th century Italy. This book is possibly my favorite book I've read this year. I had everything I would ever want in a story witchcraft, demons, mystery, and an enticing romance. This book sucked me in and held me captive for the rest of the pages. I enjoyed the romance and mystery in this book thoroughly. The twist and turns of this book were unexpected and captivating. The characters in this novel were all fascinating and complex. This book was well-paced and I loved every moment I was reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and JIMMY Patterson for approving an ARC.

In kingdom of the wicked we follow Emilia as she attempts to uncover the truth of her twin sisters murder and get revenge. Set in our own world but full of witches, demons and magic. Maniscalco’s writing was so addictive and the atmosphere was so on point. It felt so dark and spooky. This was perfect for the month of October and how I want to read all of her other books.

I really enjoyed reading from the perspective of our main character Emilia. In the beginning of the book she was the more reserved twin, whereas her sister Vitoria was the one who was bold and would rush into a situation. Emilia tried to be more like Vitoria throughout the book but she still remains a girl who had very limited power and no fighting skills which I found quite refreshing for a ya fantasy.

I also appreciated that this didn’t take the routes which I expected it to. The end goal was what I thought it would be but the reveal at the end and the way the relationships went were not what I thought and that was actually a good thing.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for those spooky vibes but still has fantasy elements and addictive writing.

I honestly haven't finished any of Kerri Maniscalo's book before, but I really wanted to give this book a fair chance! The plot is really intriguing, and an amazing spooky october book.

The beginning falls a little slow for me, and I'm not that drawn intp the book, but after a few chapters the book really pick up. When you add in Wrath, and all of his brothers it just get's really exciting and I couldnt put the book down! The characters were well made, and I found them enjoyable. The main character, Emilia, was a bit naive in the beginning, but i found myself enjoying her more and more as she grew through the book.

I felt like the book was a bit predictable, and had a few good plot twist! And that ending! I really wish I had the next book now!

All in all, it took me a little while to get into the book, but after that I got hooked! Can't wait for the continuation.

Emilia and Vittoria are witches and twin sisters who have been raised on their Nonna’s stories of demons and the ways they must always protect themselves from them. Emilia is too busy working in the family restaurant, pouring her heart and soul into cooking to really put much stick into her Nonna’s old stories. But when Vittoria doesn’t come home one night, Emilia discovers her body, with a mysterious stranger standing over her. Determined to avenge her sisters death, she goes looking for answers and finds more than she bargained for. Going against everything her Nonna has ever earned her about, she summons one of the Princes of Hell in an attempt to discover the truth about who is responsible for her sisters death.

This book was everything I wanted from a book about witches. It was eerily atmospheric and Kerri’s words flowed like water. I swear magic was swirling off these pages. Prince of Hell, Wrath was just…well, look, we’re all going to want our own Prince of Hell now, ok? Is he morally grey? Or is he just grey? We’re not sure. Emilie was just the right mix of strong and smart, if a little naive at first. I loved the way she took time to mourn her sister then became a vengeful force to be reckoned with.

This was the type of book I didn’t want to rush through, but couldn’t stop reading. I felt like it was whispering to me in the dark everytime I put it down. I am quite happy to hand over my soul for book two immediately.

This book had been waiting for him since last year and did not disappoint me, on the contrary I loved him too much. I always wanted to meet a character where he was dark, treacherous and the protagonist. Yeah, I'm talking about Wrath. He's my new favorite character. I'm sorry Thomas Cresswell, but this Halloween I'll be with the demon prince Wrath.
I really enjoy the dark world that Kerri raised, I have some important points about why I like this book:
1 I love that it is in Italy, wow I did not know that this story was captured in this country that fascinates me, the story is full of darkness, magic and of course romance, but not sweet and perfect romance, but it is a romance that you know is dangerous but there you are. I don't know if I explain
2 I read the book at night and even though I had already eaten, I was hungry just to read all the Italian food I described.
3 I love Italy and will be coming soon to visit this beautiful country, with this book I love more this place and that which I do not know yet (I laugh) but all the magic, witches will be totally enchanted with this story and of course I want more.
3 princes demons, wow everyone has his own.
4 Wrath. I really wanted to find a character like that, bad, that won't show weakness and that won't happen to do good. But not this demon prince, even though he is a treacherous, he totally stole my heart. I accept it with all his darkness, his magic, his tattoos and his clothes. Totally beautiful.
If you liked the stalking saga Jack the Ripper, you will be fascinated with this story.
Kerri definitely became one of my favorite authors and of course I already made my preorder of the book along with the prizes, I am already very excited about its release.
Thanks to netgalley for giving me the opportunity to enjoy this ebook

“You live by archaic notions of light and dark magic when power is neither good nor bad. It’s intent that really matters”.


I must have been living under a rock because until recently I didn’t know about Kerri Maniscalco or her James Patterson Presents series. I first read her Stalking Jack the Ripper series and was so excited by that series that I decided to read her new one, Kingdom of the Wicked. Anyone who loves a great story with murder, mystery, romance, and supernatural elements (or is already a fan of the author’s from the Stalking Jack the Ripper series) will not be disappointed by this novel.

In this book, the main characters are Emilia and Wrath. Emilia is a streghe, or a witch who lives among the normal, mortal people. Her relationship with her twin, Vittoria, is one of the most important pieces of the story. On the other hand, Wrath is a prince of Hell, a member of “The Wicked” that Emilia has been warned to avoid at all costs since she was a child. I really enjoyed seeing their different interactions in this story. While they are obviously powerful in their own right, they both have a lot to learn from each other in more areas than one. The theme that everyone has both light and dark in them was also very powerful in the story (and an idea that helped drive a lot of the action in the story forward). There were definitely times when I had thought that I figured out where the story was going, but then Maniscalco pulled the rug out from under me and left me completely shocked.

Something that was very unexpected, but pleasant in this story was all the food references. I was so hungry when I was reading this book. Italian dishes are some of my favorites, and that was all I wanted to eat by the time I finished it. All of the mentions definitely inspired me to try and be as creative as the characters (and Maniscalco’s family) are in the kitchen :)

Thank you to NetGalley and JIMMY Patterson books for my free e-ARC of this book. I truly enjoyed the read, and can’t wait for the next installment!

*Note: The above quote is from an e-ARC, so it’s possible that it may not be the same in the final version

Thank you to NetGalley and Jimmy Patterson Presents for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the fall. Imagine this: me biting my fingernails anxiously waiting to see if I’d be approved and then SHRIEKING when I was! Happy days!

Was it as good as I thought it was going to be?

Well?

IT WAS BETTER. This was witches done right. This was demons done right. This was the whole package of evil goodness that I love and is my cup of tea. It was also…pretty much in my wheelhouse of everything I could ever want in a book? Like, this book was magnificent and I am obsessed with it now. I need ALL the merch and good stuff that comes along with it.

Emilia was such a great character and I loved every moment we spent with her. It was a journey from beginning to end – and I definitely did not want this book to end. In fact I was screaming when I got to the end of the book and going “I NEED THE SEQUEL” because HOLY COW was that book just…no words. I feel like I had brain dribbling out of my ears by the end of it.

Things I really liked in the book were Maniscalco’s writing. I loved it in SJTR series, and it was just as good here. I became immediately invested in the book and was over the mood with how everything was written. The pacing was fantastic too, I just kept tearing through the book because I could not stop reading it. It definitely had me on the edge of my seat.

One thing that I enjoyed was the familial relationships in this book. I enjoyed reading about how Emilia interacted with her family and her world and how they came together. I especially loved her relationship with her grandmother. It felt so warm and happy, and it brought about good feelings. It just also, worked.

I also am still laughing about her and Wrath and that relationship. I don’t even know if I’d call it enemies to lovers or enemies to friends or enemies to enemies? All I know is that I enjoyed watching how their relationship progressed and changed and how they went about doing things. Suffice to say, I am invested to see what happens next. Maniscalco has always been good at crafting romantic relationships, and this one feels like it is going to be a slow burn all the way through. I think it is a curious one as well.

What else did I love? Pretty much everything. I loved EVERYTHING. I am so…unable to form a coherent thought about this book because I just loved it so much. It was atmospheric, it was well written, it was beautiful and enchanting, and I love Emilia as a character SO SO much and I am just so excited for the next book in the series.

Things I am excited for: hopefully expansion on the magic system? I definitely want more of it, and I am insanely curious about it. Also more about the princes? Yes please. More more more more is pretty much the one continuous thought I have at the moment.

I am just over the moon happy with this book and I cannot wait to reread it!

I have been a big fan of Kerri since the Stalking Jack the Ripper series came out. So the moment I saw she was doing a new series I had to add that to my TBR. I didn't know what to except going in. I do try to limit my reading of synopsis because it always gives things away. I ended up really enjoying this story!

I have to say right away I was hooked by the story. I feel there was never a dull moment in the story. There was always something going on. Plus Emilia was always interacting with new characters so it was fun learning about them and seeing how they were involved with the story.

Another enjoyable part of the story was the setting. The story takes place in Italy. Kerri does such a great job describing the settings and really makes you feel like you are actually there. That is a big part of why I enjoyed her previous series. There also is a bit of darkness to the setting which adds a bit of a Gothic touch to the story.

I think my favorite part of the story was Wrath. He is one of the 7 demon princes. He definitely is a force to be reckon with but he also has a bit of a soft side to him. There was so much banter between him and Emilia. I loved that he wasn't afraid to call her out for lying to him. I mean he also can't be trusted as well. He also isn't a fan of wearing shirts. I don't think Emilia was a bad character. There were just points in the books where she did certain things that really shouldn't have been done. There were magic spells she did and had no problem doing when she lacked experience and knowledge. So it didn't fully make sense to me especially when these are dark spells that are forbidden.

Overall I enjoyed this story. I am very curious to see how the next book is going to play out. I feel the ending of this book ended up happening so fast. I would have liked more to it. I know it was basically to shock you and make you ready for the next one. I could have used a little bit more information. I will end up picking up the next book because I do have questions. I'm just a bit upset I didn't end up loving this book as much as I hoped.

*I just want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free copy of the e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.*

“Grief carved me in half. And fury honed the pieces into a weapon. Now it was time to unleash it.”

Okay so let me start off by saying that I preordered this as soon as I saw who wrote it and what it was about. It was a HUGE plus that I was able to receive an ARC of this. I was ecstatic.

Okay, so firstly, this book made me hungry. The Italian food described in such detail, oh boy.

The MC Emilia, probably one of my favorite characters to date. Incredibly smart, independent, and full of vengeance. So much fun! She’s on a mission to avenge her twin sister who was murdered. Possibly for being a witch or for other reasons maybe? This mission brings her into contact with some, questionable characters. My favorite kind.
Wrath was, well, a Prince of Hell and everything I imagined and hoped he would be.
Their interactions were amazing, the writing was impeccable as expected. The romance was just how I like it. It was just perfect. If I hadn’t already bought it, this would have definitely convinced me. I’m looking forward to the next installment. Now I might just go read it again. 5 out of 5