This is my first book that I've read by Kerri Maniscalco, and won't be my last!

I, just finished and already want book 2! This book had all that I enjoy in a paranormal read, witches living in secret among humans, shifters, and demons.

The story opens with Nonna, the grandmother, watching over the twin girls, Vittoria and Emilia, as they chanted a protection spell that she had taught them. The twins begged their grandmother to tell them about the legends. One twin, more interested than the other with the stories of the Malvagi.

The twins wore amulets around their neck, and they were to never take them off. One night, they got brave, and Vittoria handed hers to her sister. The result scared them enough not to tell anyone.

Nonna grows more worried that the Malvagi have returned, after hearing about two girls being murdered. The girls, were witches.

When Emilia goes to retrieve her basket from the monastery, she follows a source of magic into a room, where at first glance she believes it's a noble man, until she notices his fingers are coated in blood. Emilia was confronting a Malvagi with a kitchen knife. He fled, leaving his weapon behind, and when Emilia finds the body of Vittoria, she vows to seek revenge for her sister.

Emilia will need to retrace her sister's path to try to learn what her sister knew, and Emilia was going to do something, that her Nonna would forbid--call on dark magic to bring forth a demon.

And, she brings forth Wrath, one of the four demon princes that she was told to fear!

I loved the relationship between Emilia and Wrath, they both were filled with mistrust of one another, but needed each other in their quests. The banter between the two of them was great! I laughed out loud after she summoned him, when Emilia started throwing punches and kicks and Wrath seemed bored. The spell she used, did a little more than expected, which made Wrath realize that he was summed by an amateur witch. Emilia knows she shouldn't trust Wrath, but he rescues her. Little by little, they go from enemies to friends. The ending, had me wishing for a different outcome that Emilia and Wrath wouldn't end on that note, but leaving me wanting to find out what happens next! If you enjoy the paranormal genre, you will love this book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley via Jimmy Patterson and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.

What first drew me into this book is the cover! Then, when I saw the synopsis I knew I had to read it. This book is witchy, magical, a murder mystery, and a romance all tied up. I loved the Sicilian cultural ties, how strong Emilia was as a heroine, and I am really looking forward to sequels. Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Firstly, I’d like to thank Netgalley and the publishers of Kingdom of The Wicked for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A book full of black magic, murder mystery and the battle of the fittest between the princes of hell, makes Kingdom of The Wicked the perfect book for the Halloween season!

Overall rating of: 3.5 ⭐️
Plot: 4.5⭐️
When I began the book I was quite skeptical about where the story would go. It felt like the writer was trying too hard to make sure the reader knows that the events are taking place in Italy. However, things did fall in place as the story went on. I loved the idea of the Kingdom of the Wicked, the princes of hell and how Emellia tried to solve her sisters murder and work on saving the human lives along the way.

Pacing: 3.5⭐️
I had some mixed feelings about the pacing of the book. While some parts of the story were going too fast, some parts were unnecessarily long and at times it felt that the writer was jumping from one scene to another.

Character Development: 4⭐️
In terms of the characters, I am a firm believer that in book series you won’t see much character development in the first book as it is a build up for the rest of the books in the series. However, it felt like Emilia did grow to think more critically and less emotionally towards the end of the book. As the story went on, you could tell that she is growing to become stronger and wiser which is always a nice development to see in the main character.


Writing Style: 3.5⭐️
While the writing style seemed good and it was an easy book to read, I felt like it could have used more editing. It felt like the writer was trying too hard to convince the reader that the events are taking place in Italy. The conversations between Wrath and Emilia at the beginning seemed a little bit shallow as well.

Would you recommend it?
I recommend this book to whoever that likes romance, mystery, witches and other paranormal creators.

Thank you to Netgally and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of Kerri Maniscalco so as soon as i heard about Kingdom of the Wicked i was full of excitement. My feelings after reading this were very mixed. There was some incredible world building and the story line was unique and full of mystery, but i found myself hating the MC more often than not which tainted my enjoyment of the story. I would still recomend this to fans of witchy reads and YA fantasy.

Kingdom of the Wicked was one of the best books I read this year. It's beautifully written, the story is creative, exciting, and fast-paced. However, what I loved the most were the lush atmosphere and the characters especially Emilia who was an unshakable and powerful female lead. A stunning story about witches, Demons, and a serial killer with captivating world-building. I loved exploring these unique worlds its magical system and meeting the princes. I can't wait to read the next book.

* I received this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you!

Kingdom of the Wicked is one of my most anticipated fall 2020 books, so I was thrilled to read the ARC! This atmospheric and compelling tale is the story of twins Vittoria and Emilia, both streghe. Streghe are witches who secretly live among humans, keeping their magic secret. When Vittoria goes missing, Emilia is horrified to discover her murdered body. In pursuit of her sister’s killer, Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked and a Prince of Hell. As she retraces Vittoria’s last steps, Emilia must decide how to use her magic and whether to trust what she’s always been told is evil.

Kingdom of the Wicked is a story about the intense love of sisterhood, family, and magical tradition. There is a masterful attention to detail regarding the colors, scents, and tastes of this world and it creates a truly immersive experience. The carefully crafted descriptions of food are mouth-watering!! I felt utterly swept away to a dark and stormy world where magic stalks the steps of the ordinary. Emilia is a very determined and relatable character. I really enjoyed seeing her grow in confidence and power throughout the book. I can already feel that Wrath is going to be a fan favorite and he certainly was one of mine! I'm looking forward to seeing more of him in the next book!

This book is magical, fun, and clearly only the start of what will be a fantastic series. I can’t wait to learn more about the complex magic system and see Emilia grow even more in her magical power. The ending will leave you absolutely craving the next book! Kingdom of the Wicked releases on October 27, 2020. Thank you to Kerri Maniscalco, JIMMY Patterson Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I've read by Kerri Maniscalco. (I am also reading Stalking Jack the Ripper with my book club.) I have found another auto-buy author. This book is amazing!

Emilia and her twin sister, Vittoria, are witches; Italian streghe. Emilia seems to be the one contented to follow the rules and listen to their Nonna. Vittoria, however, wants to make her own way and seek out adventures. When she doesn't show up for dinner one evening, Emilia fears something terrible has happened. Her fears come to fruition when she finds Vittoria's body brutally murdered. Emilia vows vengeance and begins her quest to find her sister's murderer.

What Emilia didn't count on was meeting a Prince of Hell. They had been warned about these princes--the Wicked--all their lives. What surprises her even more is that Wrath claims to want to help her. I like how this part of the story is a war within Emilia, and maybe even Wrath. She is conflicted by all that she's been told all of her life and what she seems to be learning about Wrath.

Kerri writes a great story. It is spooky, creepy, and hair-raising at times. I enjoy the twists and turns throughout. My one hunch turned out to be right but it was in no way predictable. The ending blew me away! I was not expecting that at all. I can't wait for the next book!

I gave this 5 stars and highly recommend it to any fan of YA fantasy and paranormal fiction.

Thank you NetGalley and Jimmy Patterson Books for the opportunity to read this amazing book!

A great slow build but still a page turner, a bit of a horror. Lots of great characters to love or hate.

I think I'm gonna be in the minority on this one, but that's okay. It held my attention for the most part and there were some creative things in here, but I just didn't like it. Each time I put it down, I thought, "finally, I think I'm into it now." And then when I went to pick it back up, I'd forget everything I had just read. It just wasn't a book that sucked me in enough to feel invested, the murder "mystery" was easily solvable, and the main protagonist (Emilia) was kind of bland. Honestly, I was kind of bummed by the time we got to the big reveal because it was just clearly that person throughout the entire book (at least to me).

I read Maniscalco's Stalking Jack the Ripper and kind of felt the same. This may be a case of an author's writing not being for me.... which is such a bummer, because I think her ideas are so appealing! Historical fiction where they track and catch famous icons/killers? Fabulous. Depicting the seven deadly sins as beings and having them rule over a kingdom of evil? Fantastic. Ugh. I just don't why it's not clicking with me.

I also thought the book had some weak world-building. I understood that there were witches, the Wicked, vampires, werewolves, and humans... and yet- what? How did we get here? Does everyone know these things exist? It seemed to be so but then there would be these mentions of secrecy and I was just so confused. I couldn't wrap my head around the world itself and what Emilia's place was.

Disappointing, folks. I wanted all the October spooky vibes and for this one to suck me in, but it just didn't deliver.

Kingdom of the Wicked is, in one word, delicious. I mean, who doesn’t love a book about a witch who doesn’t yet know her own strength and power who mistakenly summons a tall, dark, handsome, devilish price of Hell? Emilia Di Carlo is from a very old family of witches in Palermo and she also happens to have a twin sister. The girls help out at their family restaurant and Emilia is perfectly happy thinking up new recipes and cooking while Vittoria is more adventurous and has secrets of her own. When Emilia follows a mysterious pull to an old chamber in the local monastery she cooks for on occasion she finds man standing over a body and her entire life is suddenly upside down.

Emilia knows nothing now but the feel of her own vengeance and uses that to summon a demon to get answers to her questions. Somehow the summoning goes completely wrong ... or right? .... and she ends up summoning one of the seven princes of Hell. Wrath is tall, dark, extremely handsome, and hates witches just as much a Emilia hates demons. They come to a mutual agreement that will help get each of them to their perspective goals but did they get more than they bargained for by becoming unlikely partners?

Kingdom of The Wiked was fun and sassy and had lots and lots of food. This book definitely made me hungry and not just for a certain Prince of Hell named Wrath. Kerri Maniscalco loaded us on on so many food descriptions than I immediately placed an order with my local Italian restaurant bc I needed some pasta and seafood in my life stat... don’t worry, I already had the wine covered.

Obviously, I love me a good enemies to lovers thing but what I love even more is when a main character realizes that they are stronger than they believed and decide to take on the entire underworld ....exceedingly handsome and wicked princes of Hell included. Emilia is definitely a strong female lead who finds her strength even when she didn’t think she had any left. I’m really looking forward to the next book in the Kingdom of the Wicked series.... as long as I’m stocked up on wine and pasta.

A young witch makes a deal with a devil to avenge her twin’s death: this is the premise which had me hooked. From the minute I heard the synopsis of this book I knew I had to read it, so I preordered it right away. I was then super lucky to be granted a copy via Netgalley to read in advance!

I loved the themes of sisterhood and family that ran through this book; the bonds were so strong and I enjoyed seeing this when in so many fantasy books family seems almost non existent.

Kerri showcased a fantastic talent for world building. From describing the streets of Sicily to the family’s cooking, it all felt almost tangible. And made me super hungry! This descriptive way of writing also provided the perfect atmosphere for the story, which I found more and more immersive and chilling.

Our main characters felt fleshed out and in true Amy fashion, I fell for the devil right away. Tall, dark haired and super grumpy??? Sign me up! I enjoyed Emilia and Wrath’s relationship, and how they had to come together to try and defeat the evil.

Full of witchy magic vibes and mystery, the fast paced plot kept me hooked and I already can’t wait for book two! AND THAT CLIFFHANGER!

Full review to come on my blog and to be added here too!

This is my first book by this author and it was a doozy!
Lots of action, mystery, and a handsome demon.
I guess when I started reading this book, I knew it just had to be the start of a new series.
I’ll be looking forward to the next one in the series
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

BEST BOOK OF 2020 SO FAR

I have died while reading this book so now this review will be posted and updated by my ghost. By the way, my ghost is very thankful to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Jimmy Patterson Books and Brown Books for Young Readers, if you want my soul, we can definitely make a bargain.
(I’m talking very seriously).

Kingdom of the wicked, by Kerri Maniscalco, is everything we have been asking for. And if you haven’t asked for a book with a vengeful witch, a demon-charming-prince, a spooky murder and incredible-shocking plots, you should be. That’s the kind of book you have been looking for and haven’t realized it yet. You are very welcome for this piece of advice.

Kingdom of the wicked follows Emilia Di Carlo, a witch who wants revenge for the death of a loved one, and will do anything to pursue it, including a deal with a demon. Emilia has been warned all her life to be careful with the seven demon princes of hell, especially with four of them, which she should fear: Wrath, Greed, Envy and Pride. Therefore, when a series of murders takes place in her city and Emilia’s grief gets unbearable, will she be brave enough to work together with the Prince of Wrath himself?

"One will crave your blood. One will capture your heart. One will steal your soul. And one will take your life."

Emilia and Wrath’s relationship made me feel very cautious at first because he is the personification of her Grandmother’s fears, a great evil that could take Emilia’s life and much, much more. However, he was, also, everything Emilia needed and he would do anything for her, at least at that moment. I was completely in love with him in less than 20% of the book. I spend all my free time thinking about them and how complex their relationship is. I assure you that I cannot survive a year without them in my life, since the next book of the series will come out probably just in 2021. I’m totally obsessed with them and their strong feelings for each other. My chemistry classes haven’t THAT MUCH CHEMISTRY and I mean it. Intoxicating romance is, indeed, the best words to describe it.

You, dear reader, will fall in love with Wrath and, as Emilia, you will discover what costs come with a prince of hell by your side.

I can’t stop thinking (and talking, as you can notice) about Emilia and Wrath and that’s not even the best part of the book. Maniscalco created a whole creative and fantastic world with so many mysteries that even Emilian doesn’t know how to start with. Seven princes of hell, ruled by seven sins and bounded by a curse that weakens the Gates of Hell, will get into Emilia’s life and change it for good.

The Hell has a king, the devil Prince of Pride, but what if it has a queen?

You must wait for the worst, dear reader, because that book will only get better. Gore scenes, spooky murders and terrifying scenes crown Kerri Maniscalco’s Kingdom of the wicked as the best book of the Halloween season. Witches, demons and murders are just the beginning for a book series that promise to give us all we deeply want. Emilia will experience wrath, envy, greed, lust and pride and so many feelings as the readers. I didn’t dare to breathe while reading it, because the emotional scenes are strongly described and made me feel a sympathetic identification to Emilia’s situation.

I didn’t like the way Kerri resolved the conflicts at the end of the book but I’m certain that she will give us a wonderful and even better book two. I didn’t like the setting as well, since I couldn’t see many elements of the place (Italy) and time (19th century) in the narrative and, because of that, I would give Kingdom of the wicked four stars. However, I will follow my heart and I will give five stars for now.

Everyone should read this masterpiece. I was sure that nothing could replace Stalking Jack the ripper in my heart, and none can, but Kingdom of the wicked certainly gets close. I highly recommend as it is, for sure, the best book I’ve read in 2020 so far. You should finished this review and read it immediately.

You won’t regret it at all.

Now that I say so my ghost can finally rest in peace and show up later to talk about Kerri Maniscalco’s next books.

Honestly, I was trying to figure out how I felt about this book the entire time. In the end, I can definitely say I enjoyed it. I will also say I love the SJTR series so I was super excited to read Kerri Maniscalco's new book.

19th century Sicily, Italy. Two sisters who couldn't be more different. Emilia is the cautious and not so adventurous twin. Then there is Vittoria who is wild, free, loves to explore what life has to offer. After her sister dies, Emilia is now set on vengeance and gets mixed up with a Prince of Hell, Wrath, and some very dangerous magic. This is a brand new world, new characters but still lots of mystery and murders. It is Kerri Maniscalco after all. This is the type of book that is fast to read. Also those food descriptions. I was salivating and just hungry through the entire book. There was enough going on to keep me on my toes. I for sure couldn't put it down from beginning to end even if had some mixed feeling about certain parts. Demons, Princes of Hell, witches and other creatures, everything from our favorite spooky stories. It was like your favorite supernatural stories come to life whether that may be a good or bad thing is a different issue.

It did take me a little time to get onboard with Emilia. Emilia is dealing with grief of losing her sister and processing shocking new revelations that everything in Nonna's stories are actually real. I felt her pain and sorrow and she tries to maneuver her way through new territory. She makes some risky choices and some stupid ones as well. I really believed she should know a bit more though. I felt like most of the info about demons and the history was like a question and answer game. Emilia asks a question to someone and everyone knows way more than she does. I'm like didn't your grandma teach you anything? She did grow on me before the end. I like her determination to avenge her sister, to stop the murders. She is definitely all about protecting her family and other witches so I will give her credit for that but I wasn't always sold on her capability.

Wrath. I was expecting to love him right away. I was curious about him but he also took a little time to grow on me. He is a gorgeous Prince of Hell (I'm not complaining.) He is right smack in the middle of everything as well but is way more in the know than Emilia. I think I couldn't figure out what his agenda was. Like some things seemed too easy when Emilia was dealing with him and working with him. I did enjoy the banter between the two but haven't completely fallen in love with the romance just yet. I love seeing different sides of him, the unexpected moments of tenderness and then the more rough around the edges of his personality. I can't wait to see more of him in the next book.

The ending does have a cliffhanger and I'm definitely curious to know what is going to happen next. I'm hoping to go to Hell which is not something I say every day. I'm pretty sure there is a lot more to explore in this world. Emilia has set herself on a dangerous path into the unknown and I can't wait to find out what happens next for her and Wrath!

I really liked Kerri Manisalco's Stalking Jack the Ripper series, so I had high hopes for this book and it didn't disappoint. The story hooked me from the first page and I just couldn't put it down, After that cliffhanger ending I need the next book in my life immediately!

I loved this book so much and devoured it in just a couple sittings! I cannot wait for the next one to come out, this author is so good at creating an exciting plot!

I think where Kerri Maniscalco's stories and I differ are that I think things get too convenient for them to be worth anything sometimes. I'll love the setting, the plot concepts, but something in the story will just not work for me. Talk about disappointing.

Loved this ! I'm already a big fan of Kerri Maniscalco's other books so I knew I was going to love this! Magical and gory

Kerri Maniscalco is the author of the highly popular Stalking Jack the Ripper series. I personally never read those books so Kingdom of the Wicked is my first novel by this author. This is the first book in a YA dark fantasy trilogy. I think it will definitely appeal to the fans of The Cruel Prince trilogy by Holly Black. Only in this case, we deal with Italian folklore, witches and demons, rather than Celtic myths, humans and fairies.
Our main character Emilia is a strega (or witch). Witches in this world are not human even though they inhabit the human world. There is some secret surrounding the birth of Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria, some prophecy that their grandmother hints at but does not reveal until much later in the story. Since early childhood, the girls are warned of the Malvagi, the Wicked demon princes of the underworld. Emilia does not really believe any of her grandmother's warnings, until one day her world falls apart. She finds her twin brutally murdered and a mysterious stranger hovering over the body.

You are really better off going into this not knowing much beyond this. This novel is a mix of fantasy, mystery thriller and dark romance. As such, it is compulsively readable. This is one of very few books that I could not put down well into the night even though I had to get up for work early the following morning. Maniscalco is great at monopolizing the reader's attention. Each chapter has just enough of a cliffhanger in the end for you to want to quickly move on to the next one, and then the next one, until it is 2AM and you have to finally turn off the lights.

I really liked the plot and the pacing. But I did have a few problems with the characters. First of all Emilia herself with her bouts of anger and irrational behavior, seemed a little too unhinged. The book does depict grief and depression in a very realistic way, but I always have trouble connecting to the characters who can blindly fly into rage, or believe the words of an unreliable character while distrusting others who have built up a record of credibility. That seems to me as poor judgement at the very least or plain foolishness at the worst.

Now, the demons. They were truly glorious, except... too human and vulnerable, especially Wraith. Since the book is written from Emilia's point of view, we spend a lot of time in her head and thus, get only her jumbled view of his motives and actions. I do wish we could learn more of what he was doing while not with Emilia - that part of the story was never revealed. I hope we will learn more in the sequels.

Another aspect that bothered me was the family dynamic. In the beginning of the story, we have a very overprotective grandmother and a seemingly close-knit family circle. About a third into the book, everyone inexplicably allows Emilia roam the city on her own even as the witches begin to die. Her parents even though mentioned in the book, have no role in the story whatsoever other than being held as hostages by an evil demon who is trying to bargain with Emilia. Disappointing.

The romance was probably the best part of the story, although with the cliffhanger ending, it is really hard to say where it is going. And yes, this is another thing to be aware of: the book ends on a cliffhanger. Not my favorite type of ending, especially since we'll now have to wait for at least a year to see what happens next. But, at this point, I think we might have a Hades and Persephone type story set up for book 2.

4 out of 5 stars. Very enjoyable with a few minor flaws.

An e-ARC was provided by NetGalley.com

Mystery combines with witches, demons, and curses to form a tale, which is darkly beautiful and sinfully dangerous.

Although they help their family run a restaurant in Sicily, Emilia and her twin sister aren't humans. They are witches, born in a special bloodline and constantly hiding from those who would do them harm. Their strongest charms are the pair of necklaces around their necks. They never remove them or allow them to touch because their Nonna claims that doing so would bring Hell to Earth. Not that they completely believe Nonna's tales. But when Emilia finds the body of her sister sacrificed with the heart ripped out of her and a man licking her blood, Emilia is determined not to let the murder go despite the warnings of approaching evil and eternal fires. But even Nonna and the others aren't aware of the true scope of terror about to be released.

From the very first page, this book grabs and refuses to let go. Emilia and her sister are a wonderful pair—love each other fiercely but yet have their own personalities and secrets. And their Nonna is simply a treat. When this group appears in the delicious setting of red wine, oranges, tomatoes, fresh bread and spices, it's hard not to want to get lost in their world. The author paints a rich culture and family scene before allowing the darker contrast to settle in. And then, the hook is so deep, that it was impossible to put this one down.

This is a world of magic and secrets...of monks chanting while dangerous creatures lurk in the shadows, promising to fulfil every heart's desires but with terrible costs. Lies weave with half-truths and trust is a commodity which no one can afford. And it was simply fun to join Emilia as she heads so determined from one cursed situation to the next, but not encountering anything with simplicity or direct results. The evil is twisted and cunning and has a long term goal. It creates a tight weave and made it hard to guess what would happen next. Even when the book ends, it's unclear if it's for good or worse.

I also found it intriguing that the seven demon princes (the ones in this book are all super hot and amazing, of course) each carry simple names like Lust, Wrath, Greed and such. The author allows the temptations to flow free, and it's understandable why they have an allure, and yet, it's clear that each one is deadly and has their own scheme in place. It's simply a wonderful mix, which shows how hard it is to resist sins.

My only complaint is that book two won't be out until next year because I would have snatched it up already and been lost in the next stage of this adventure. In other words, I enjoyed this one.