This was the book series that Kerri Maniscalco was meant to write. Emilia, a witch, has to pair up with a prince of Hell to solve her sister's death. It is full of suspense, adventure, humor, and mouth-watering food descriptions. The characters are well developed and there is excellent chemistry between the two leads. I'm waiting on pins and needles for the second installment to be released.

I would like to extend my gratitude to the author, and NetGalley for sending this advanced reader's copy in return for a fair and honest review.

I liked this book. I have not delved into fantasy reading very much but this was a welcome journey there. There was suspense, darkness, magic, and a whole host of other exciting things too. The writing labored some parts, but it did not, in anyway, detract from the book. It took time to introduce us to the characters in this story, but not in a bad way. They were built as the book went on. I think there may be more of these books to come, and I will read those also.

I need to re-read this book. I say this because it has been almost a year since I read it, but I also say this because I remember it being a pretty good book. I enjoyed Kerri Maniscalco’s Stalking Jack the Ripper series for the historical setting and for the way the atmosphere and the setting helped to evoke a sense of danger and concern and creepiness. So, I was expecting that to happen again with this one, although with a bit more magic or paranormal flair.

From what I remember, this definitely hits the mark on that front. I loved the descriptions. They helped the setting and the story feel more concrete, and since the family has a renowned restaurant, there’s also descriptions of food, which I always enjoy in books.

Emilia and Vittoria are somewhat typical mischievous little girls, and even when they reach their teen years, they seem to push their boundaries, particularly Vittoria.

Then Vittoria misses dinner service at the restaurant, and Emilia finding her sister’s body is what really gets this story going, because childhood events caused Emilia to be a little more reserved and a little more rule following, so it would take an event such as this to propel her into action…and it certainly does that.

I also remember that I enjoyed the dynamic of the partnership between Emilia and Wrath, not that I can recall exact details at the moment. So, yeah, I know I definitely need to give this book another read.

I did really enjoy reading this one in the October chill while relaxing on a screened in porch at a cabin in the middle of the woods next to a pond, and later in the evening by the campfire. It definitely fits that fall vibe, so if you’re looking for a good read for the spooky season, for the autumn chill, then this is a book I recommend.

Hmm…I might have to put it on my to-read shelf so I can pick it up again soon. I’d like a refresher before Kingdom of the Cursed comes out.

I liked this book. Didn’t love it. It’s the first book in what I imagine a trilogy. Some of the writing felt flat for me. I will continue the series though because the story itself was interesting!

I adored this book - it checked off everything I look for in a book. Dark broody male, wicked plot, magic, amazing world building, interesting characters, and it was engaging. I was hooked on every page. Highly recommend this book to all who love a good wicked fantasy!

I stayed up the ENTIRE night reading Kingdom of the Wicked. Immediately after I finished, I opened my laptop and here I am, writing a review at 5 am in the morning (HELP…). It is one of the very few books which made me stay awake the night. The narrative was SO ENGAGING RIGHT FROM THE START. I just could stop wanting for more.
First of all, the plot was very well crafted, and the world-building was immaculate. It is so beautifully written and the writing style feels so flowy and natural.
It wasn't too descriptive which I appreciate a lot. The characters were so beautifully written. I loved the accounts of Emilia's interaction with different Princes of Hell. The emotions they stirred up and how they consumed her. The constant suspense of who committed the murder and the constant unfurling of new suspects and leads is what kept me hooked.
So, why not a five star. Well, that's because I felt that Emilia's personality could be a bit detailed. She just seems like the media interpretation of an introvert. Timid, homebound and a bookworm. She mentioned her ideal afternoon as enjoying a steamy romance novel too many times throughout the book for my liking. Other than that, I am completely in love with the book.
The next book in the series, Kingdom Of The Cursed, will release in October 2021 and I just can't wait to get my hands on them.

This was one of my anticipated reads of last year and I was excited to get my hands on something new from this author. I don’t know if I hyped it up too much or because I expected to love it as much as I did the SJTR series, but I was let down by this.

I have to admit that Maniscalco’s writing always traps me in whatever setting that she writes. She mastered this gothic magical town and it was easy to picture yourself there. From the description of the food at Sea & Vine and the ingredients in Vittoria’s perfumes, everything was vividly described.

Moving on into what I wasn’t crazy about here. There are three things that made this book two stars for me. Emilia, the supposed romance between Emilia and Wrath, and the length of the book.

This whole plot is surrounding Emilia trying to figure out who murdered her sister. Emilia as a main character was exhausting. She acted rash and was sometimes immature.

“What will you promise me, Emilia, in exchange for your deepest desire? What wouldn’t you do to achieve justice for the sister you love? Now I know there’s no price too high to demand. I can ask anything, and you’d give it.”

She showed her hand every time and if it was the wrong decision, then she made it. She wanted everything to be black and white, but things were so much more complex. She’d rather believe one enemy over one that showed her semi loyalty and was blinded so much about her sister's death that it was like she couldn’t think clearly.

Which brings me to my next issue, Did anything really happen? This book was almost 500 pages and nothing really happened here. This honestly could have been cut down because we spent most of this book running around getting the bare minimum amount of information. The key information that we found it, I called it chapters before we even got there.

Where was the romance? I’ve seen so many people talk about Wrath and Emilia being good together and about Wrath being this hot love interest. I didn’t see that here. He remembered stuff about her and did a few things for her? Okay … but, that was it. There wasn’t any chemistry between them either. That one kiss we got? No sparks. I needed more between them to call it a romance. Maniscalco commented on Kingdom of the Cursed that this would be more New Adult than Young Adult.

To be honest, that’s the only reason why I’m even thinking about reading the next book.

All in all, I'm disappointed and I was expecting so much more.

Once again another book proves just how much I love the villains in stories because of course, it's no surprise at all that Wrath, a Prince of Hell, stole my heart. This was a book I was highly anticipating, and while I did actually think this would be a 5 star from me, it 'only' being a 4 star doesn't mean I was disappointed at all.

So of course I loved Wrath, he was a mysterious, charming Prince of Hell, but he also had that fun side to him and (he would never want anyone to know) but could be caring, but probably only to the right person. There is definitely more than meets the eye about Wrath and I really hope that is explored more in the sequel. Then we have Emilia who comes across as the 'good girl' who sticks to the rules, while her sister is a bit on the rebellious side and likes to bend the rules a little. When Vittoria is murdered, it's like Emilia is a whole new person, the trauma of losing her twin switches something inside her and she makes it her mission to find her sister's murderer, which leads her into the path of Wrath. The way they work together to try and figure out who is murdering the witches is so well written and I love that Emilia doesn't instantly fall at Wrath's feet (like in a lot of books), she keeps her wits about her, even though she can see the charm of Wrath.

The magic in this was so addictive, with herbs, runes and spells, it made me want to just dive into more books with witchcraft. I highly recommend this book, although make sure you have a snack when reading because the descriptions of food will have you drooling, so be prepared.

Interesting concept of witches and the 7 deadly sins. I loved the atmosphere of the book, the recipes and the food I could taste/smell. I was captivated from the first pages, the eerie atmosphere created by Nonna's tales was amazing and \i really wanted to know more. I finished the book in 2 days, surprised by all the twists and turns and curious to see how the vengeful queen will rule over her domain. I am excited to read more about Wrath and Emilia and their friends, family and allies.

Suspense, dark magic, and forbidden romance. That’s what you get in this one and I’ll take it. I enjoyed this one more than her Stalking Jack the Ripper Series. Can’t wait for book 2!

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Following the murder of her twin sister, Emilia is set on revenge - even if it means turning to dark and forbidden magic. Soon she finds herself connected to the Wicked prince Wrath, and together they must find a way to put an end to the murders.

Perfect for fans of dark magic and forbidden romance.

My first book with this author and I am happy to say it won't be my last!
The book was full of suspense, awesome magic, and a fantastic romance !

What an absolutely stunning book! I was blown away by the characters and the story!
Amelia is a powerhouse of a character. At times, she seems so delicate, other times foolish and young, and more and more often she seems strong and resilient. Wrath is an absolutely complex character with seemingly hidden depths. I’m left not knowing which was is up with him and I love that!
The story itself is compelling—presenting both an adventure and mystery based in witchcraft and religion. I love the setting—I’m a big fan of Italy and I speak some Italian (and I read Latin) so it was wonderful feeling so immersed in an Italian story that I felt really brought the feeling of Italy to every aspect (but especially the food!). The book had so many surprises, so many twists and turns, that i thoroughly enjoyed the suspense and could hardly put it down! It was a fantastic book! I recommend to anyone who loves Italy, witches, and bad boys!

I reallly loved Kingdom of the Wicked! This book takes place in 19th century Italy but with witches, demons and Princes of Hell! The main character Emilia starts out as this kind and seemingly innocent witch who lives secretly among humans with her family, including her twin sister Vittoria. They all work in their family restaurant, though Emilia seems more passionate about than Vittoria. When Vittoria doesn’t show up to help with the dinner service, Emilia goes to look for her and finds her body with her heart cut out! She shows her true strength when she vows to do whatever it takes to avenge her death. She tries to summon a demon to get answers and unknowingly summons Wrath, a Prince of Hell. I enjoyed the dynamic between her and Wrath and how it evolved (maybe into something more?) as they try to find out who is killing the witches! After that ending though, I can’t wait for the next book to see what happens! 😱👸🏻😈

#KingdomoftheWicked #NetGalley

Hmm. I didn't really expect myself to be complete trash for a Prince of Hell. Okay. Actually that does make sense. Those tattooed boys immortal boys are kryptonite. Wrath was by far my favorite part of this book, but I seriously loved a lot of it. It did drag a bit which is why it's a 4 and not a 5 star because a couple times I had to force myself to keep reading about Italian food. But it had so much other great stuff happening; witches, demons, summoning's, forced partnerships, and all the atmosphere! I am so annoyed I read this now because I have to wait forever for book 2!!

I can certainly see that this book may be hit or miss for some due to pacing- it admittedly took me a while to truly find myself diving in, but I went in without any crazy expectations and I feel that if you enjoy trope-y plot points (which I certainly do every now and then) this is a good one to pic up if you’re not feeling up to reading anything too “heavy” at the time.

The concept and plot of this book takes familiar tropes, such as demons and witches, and twists them into something completely unique and interesting. I love stories that involve character arc and growth, and I enjoyed many of these characters. There is a lot of mystery, suspense and action, as well as some very cool twists and turns, and reveals. I hate that it ends in a cliffhanger, but that just entices me to read the sequel!

I can't really believe that it took me so long to dive into this fabulous and dark story. I loved every single page of it and I can't wait to be drowned in this world again very soon. Kerri Maniscalco is from now on an auto-buy author, that is sure. She creates worlds that are dark, but full of flavors and feelings and characters that you just have to love. Especially the morally grey ones. I really wanted to go right into the story to eat all the great food and get some cozy seconds with Wrath and also loved the detailed magical descriptions and the whole dark magic system. Especially the Italian setting made me love the story even more.

Emilia was such a sympathetic and multi-layered character, it was a joy to live in her head. Her emotions felt so real, so raw and I couldn't stop reading from the first page on. I loved her magic. Her grey-shaded character. Her will to avenge her sister and everyone who was wronged. I also loved that she was not afraid. Of no one and nothing. Her connection to the seven brothers wasn't something to foresee and I was surprised by the tales in the story because I've never heard about them before.

Let's talk about Wrath. Could a devil be hotter and cuter at the same time? His style, his character, his powers, his humor. I think there is nothing that I don't love about him. But I was especially keen on his character development and how much he changed under Emilia's influence. In the beginning, I thought: he can never ever be the love interest. He is too cruel, too dark, too evil. But gosh got I surprised - and I couldn't have been happier about it.

I absolutely adored Kingdom of the Wicked! It was such a fantastic, easy read that hooks you in from the start!

Kerri Maniscalco had my mouth watering for the delicious food described throughout the book and for Wrath!

The writing and world building was simply amazing! And after that ending I am dying for book two, I need to know what happens!!!

I’m off to get some cannoli to see if I can catch my own Wrath while I wait for the sequel

Omg this book was Kerri's best work. Absolutely incredible. I loved this book so much. Wrath omg yessssss he is everything. Emillia is fierce and I loved her character development. I can't wait for the next book. This was incredible.