Kingdom of the Wicked was one of my most anticipated releases for 2020 and it didn’t disappoint.

Kerrie Maniscalco writing style is just amazing she has away with immersing you into her stories.
Princes of Hell, Witches,Shapeshifters and Witch Hunters you get all this and yet you don’t miss out on anything.
I like how Kerrie Maniscalco added the Sven deadly sins in with the Princes of Hell I haven’t read anything like it before (in my opinion)

Emilia is a strong MC but she can get annoying at times, but just like every girl/witch does she compares herself to others especial her sister.

If you loved/liked her Stalking Jack the Ripper series or even if you didn’t like i still would say please go pick this up when it comes out because you won’t regret it.

"Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe – witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out 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…"

I had never read Maniscalo's other books and did not have many expectations for the book other than my sister raving about how amazing it was. This book absolutely enthralled me. Usually, books about witches aren't my favorite, but the added element of the demons came together to make an intriguing world of magic and the supernatural that blew me away. I loved the concept of using the 7 deadly sins to create princes of the underworld and showing how those "deadly sins" hold influence over people. Kingdom of the Wicked will have you up all night, turning pages as you follow Emilia along the mystery of what happened to her sister. With the help of Wrath, the dreamy prince of Hell that you know you shouldn't fall for but you will anyways, Emilia embarks on an adventure of betrayal that will have her questioning everything that she knows and holds dear to her heart. I highly recommend Kingdom of the Wicked to any fantasy lover who finds themselves drawn to the antagonist. I enjoyed this arc so much that I immediately preordered the B&N edition and I cannot wait until the sequel.

Great gothic read that keeps you on edge until the very end! This is a enchanting, dark and magical that you will not want.to put down! I can't wait for the next book in this series to come out! Warning, there is a cliffhanger at the end!

Emilia and twin Vittoria grew up with a close family. Their Nona teaching they everything there their is to know about life and cooking. They all work in the Sicilian family restaurant and the food talk is on point.

Emilia and Vittoria are both witches whom secretly live amongst humans at peace. Until tragically Vittoria is murdered. Emilia becomes consumed with grief and vows to avenge her sisters life and make the murdered pay with their own life.

Insert Wrath (swoon) one of the wicked princes whom her Nona has warmed her about her whole life. Enemies from the start their relationship shifts while they are searching for answers. He claims to be on her side but the wicked are known for their lies.

For all my ACOTAR and Ninth House lovers or anyone that loves good cooking! The tension and scandal is real! This book ended on such a freaking cliff hangover that I cannot wait for the second book already.

I fell in love with The Stalking Jack The Ripper series so I wasn't sure if I would feel the same way about entering a new world of characters and stories. After finishing this book, I am counting down the days until the next book in the series comes out.

I absolutely love the dark themes that surround this story. We follow the life of twin witches that grew up hearing stories about the demons and monsters that go bump in the night only to find out that they weren't fiction at all. One of them gets in with the wrong crowd and leaves the other to figure out why while having to trust a demon to help her along the way. But what's in it for him? You need to read this book. I am so excited that it is a series and I can't rave about it enough.

Honestly what more could you want from a gothic read in October than demons, witches, and a hellish love? After reading the 'Stalking Jack the Ripper' series by this author I was willing to read anything she wrote in the future. When the announcement came that we were going to be getting a dark witch and demon filled series I immediately put the release date on all of my calendars and requested an advanced copy of the book so I could dive in as quickly as I could. Thanks to Netgalley I was able to receive that advanced copy and confirm that this book was almost everything I wanted.

Strong female characters, check. Hot demon princes, check. Murder, check. Sinister deals, check. Character development felt real with everyone but the emotions that Emilia dealt with during the loss of her sister and meeting the princes had me feeling like I was the one enduring everything. I enjoyed how instead of sticking with her assumption that she was a "good" witch, Emilia embraced the darkness she felt after her sisters death and did what she thought was necessary to avenge her. I do wish we could have gotten a little more information or background on Nonna so we could know exactly how certain objects became obtained and how she was so knowledgeable about things that were happening but I suspect we will get more of a background in the next installment.

While I flew through the entire book and was engrossed throughout, I did feel like the ending was a little abrupt. I expected there to be a little more between Emilia and Wrath as far as a relationship throughout the book and I also expected there to be more tension between them at the very end after everything was accepted. I know that there will be more information given to us with future books and I am looking forward to reading everything else this author comes out with. Once again I would like to throw a huge thank you out to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review my most anticipated book of 2020! Don't forget to go pick your copy up at your local bookstore on 10/27/2020!

“A twig is just a bit of broken wood until it has been sharpened into a spear. Grief carved me in half. And fury honed the pieces into a weapon. Now it was time to unleash it.”

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One word to describe this book: wicked!

Very aptly named, this novel follows Emilia, a witch living in Sicily in the 19th century. Torn between the pans and ovens of her family restaurant and a dangerous underworld made of invisible demons, hellish princes and other creatures of the night that she always dismissed as old superstitions, our heroine will have to finally take up arms and, coupled with an unlikely (but very handsome) ally, dig around the city of Palermo to solve a string of gruesome murders and try to stop an ancient prophecy from bringing literal Hell on earth.

Kerri Maniscalco’s beautiful and flowing writing once again manages to paint a very vivid picture of a Palermo that, under a layer of minutely described mouth-watering delicacies, hides a world where magic comes to life and gorgeous personifications of the seven deadly sins roam its streets looking for the soul of their next victim to free themselves from an age old curse.

The first part having set time and place in abundant detail, the plot picks up quite dramatically with the murder that finally pushes Emilia to take matters in her own hands and try to solve it herself, which in turn opens her to a whole new world that she had only imagined before. From this point onwards, the story never lags, twists and shocking revelations follow one another until the big finale which, though in my opinion slightly too rushed, definitely leaves you eager for more.

Along with great characterization, the protagonist’s interactions with her erstwhile enemy the Prince of Wrath are one of the biggest selling points of the novel. Between constant bickering, that starts off as outright rivalry and later develops into angst-filled steamy exchanges, and the continued discovery of one another, the dialogue is either going to put a smile on your face (when you’re not laughing outright) or make you snort in frustration at the ill timed interruptions. One thing is for certain, though: those two have a Hell of a chemistry (pun intended).

Overall, the combination of compelling characters and a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout, paired with an engaging yet unpretentious writing style makes for a really quick highly entertaining read that brings together all the seasonal spooky elements of a paranormal fantasy with a dark, historical setting, while the constant references to traditional Sicilian food and drinks provide the perfect respite from the grim mystery plotline.

A sidenote on the Italian language used in the book. As an Italian myself, I did appreciate the numerous Italian words that were sprinkled throughout the novel, yet I couldn’t help but notice the various mistakes which took me out of the story a bit, but I’m sure would be overlooked completely by a non-native speaker and will hopefully be fixed in the final copies.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to review Kigdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco!

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria live a double life, running their family restaurant with their human parents, and keeping their Witch heritage a secret from the towns people, with their Grandmother. The humans in their town are less than accepting of the witches, despite the 13 families being spread-out within their community.
When Emilia's sister Vittoria is brutally murdered, Emilia embraces her vengefulness and begins a journey into the dark depths of her heritage to find the reason her sister was murdered and why other young witches are having their hearts ripped from their chests.
The line between dark and light is blurred when Emilia summons a Prince of Hell, Wrath, believing he is the one who murdered her sister, and binds him to her for protection. Emilia must decide who to trust and which unspoken truths to believe as the four princes of Hell strive to complete or dismantle the prophecy that she was born into.

I am giving this book a full 5 stars! It was EXCELLENT!
The betrayal Emilia feels and the confusion surrounding her feelings toward Wrath are up and down and heart wrenching and I LOVE IT! Wrath is the angry bad boy who will somehow make it out on top (I hope, please, please, please). The conclusion was a huge cliff hanger and there are so many possibilities for where Emilia has pushed her plan towards (because clearly she's made herself a plan).
There's some pretty strong family bonds and betrayals that were unexpected.
I highly recommend this book and will be keeping and eye out for the second one!!

Title: Kingdom of the Wicked
Author: Kerri Maniacalco (@kerrimaniscalco )
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson Books (@jimmypattersonbooks )
Publishing Date: 10/27/20
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️

“There are seven demon princes but only four di Carlo’s should fear: Wrath, Greed, Envy and Pride. One will crave your blood. One will capture your heart. One will steal your soul. And one will take your life.”

After the death of her twin sister, Vittoria, Emilia vows she will do anything to bring her murderer to justice. In the process she summons a demon prince from hell, Wrath, despite her grandmother’s warnings. Wrath claims to be on her side but can she let go of all the things her Nonna has told her about the wicked in order to figure out what is happening to the world around her.

Emilia lives in Palermo, Italy, at a time when witches are treated as evil being and “burned at the stake”. Her family, as many other have live in secret in order to avoid detection. She has always been warned about the evils of the world, the Malgavi. She was a shy, timid girl, who dreamed of marrying the boy she grew up with. Now she has had to leave all her dreams in order to keep her family safe. She is intelligent, determined and brave.
Wrath is a demon, who is interested in bringing the murderer of Vittoria to justice for his own reasons.(authors have to stop making “evil” characters hot you make me question my morals.)

Their witty banter and crazy adventures really made the story interesting. This book will have you wanting more at every turn of the page(or click of the button). There is romance, there is witchcraft, and adventure.
Definitely a top book for class A spooky season!

I received this book from the publisher via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

#kingdomofthewicked #kerrimaniscalco #halloweenvibes #witches #demons #murder #youngadult #ya #yafantasy #fantasy #spookyseason #howtosummonademon #gold #wrath #blackcandle #grimoire #spellsandpotions

If I had to summarise this book in two words, I would say: SINFULLY GOOD.

I am so thankful to Jimmy Patterson for giving me the opportunity to read Kingdom of the Wicked before its release on October 27th (mark your calendars if you haven't already)

Dark and mysterious from the prologue until the very end, this thrilling murder mystery quest will send chills down your spine and keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters and the setting are so very well written, I felt like I was right there beside Emilia, exploring the streets of Palermo, seeking vengeance.

Also prepare yourselves to add another name to your list of swoon-worthy book boyfriends because Prince Wrath does not disappoint. I adored the constant rivalry and bickering between him and Emilia. It comes so naturally for them and puts a smile on your face when they get sarcastic with each other.

Another VERY important thing about this book is that it will make you HUNGRY. And no, I don't mean hungry for more action (though I must admit I need the sequel as soon as possible), but Kerri really doesn't hold back on the food descriptions and will have your mouth watering and stomach rumbling so make sure you have snacks.

Easily one of my favourite books this year and a 5/5

The premise was promising and I got some things I expected to find in this book. However, some things weren't that good.

The thing that impacted my final rating the most was lack of depth in some characters and a rushed/not very clear ending. Maybe this was supposed to be resolved in the next book, but it made the ending not that intense as I expected it to be.

I feel like this series has a lot of potential fot the next book(s), but this one was a little disappointing in the end.

This was such a great YA fantasy to get me into the Halloween spirit. Witchy and eery at times without turning me into a scaredy-cat. I really enjoyed the Italian culture and the use of language in the story. Emilia is a talented cook and Maniscalco often described in detail the mouth-watering Italian food her family makes. I got hungry just reading about it!

When I read the synopsis and saw the words “Prince from Hell,” I immediately knew I would like the romance because I mean come on that sounds…well wicked in the best way. Also, if you’re looking for an enemies-to-lovers trope, well then look no further. Also, I just love that Emilia is one of those characters that gets told to “stay put” a lot but always does the complete opposite, either out of spite or because she wants to make things more interesting. I love a female character who waits for no one to go after what she wants. Wrath is interesting because he is one of those morally grey characters who is supposed to be evil incarnate but you read about him more and think maybe he has a soul?

This book also reminded me of Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning a little because it also features a vengeful character trying to solve her sister’s murder. I love that the plot of actually find the mystery behind the murders wasn’t overpowered by the romance. I was torn at the ending and oh gosh I need the next book now please!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I am impressed. I loved how the 7 deadly sins were brought to life. Emilia was a great female lead, and Wrath was fantastic.
The plot was fresh and intriguing. The characters were awesome (love Nonna). I love the setting also. Having a fantasy set in a real location was new for me and I really enjoyed that.

I ended the book hoping that there’s a second one in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this for honest feedback!

Characters - 7/10
I'm going to start off by saying that I really enjoyed this book. However, I do have a few issues, so we'll delve into those first. I liked Emilia, but at times I found her to be a little dumb and naive. She goes around in circles a lot, and it gets very tedious. I do like her humour though, and I hope she gets more development in the next book.

I don't want to place any kind of expectation on Emilia, but I want her to be the ultimate villain of this series. Maniscalco has a way of writing characters that really makes you wonder. Considering the ending of this book, I hope we get some reverse character development.

I liked Wrath, he's just way too one dimensional for me. We get a single throwaway line about his past, and I need to delve into that more. He can be a very complex character and I hope we get more of his background in the next book.

We definitely did not see enough of Vittoria in the beginning of the book. I didn't feel the bond between her and Emilia, and I really wonder if we'll get some more of her character in the next book.

Atmosphere - 8/10
The atmosphere was really creepy, which makes this book the perfect Halloween read. Also, there are witches. I loved Maniscalco's descriptions of food and magic, but I needed more from the worldbuilding. I was constantly confused about the time period. The book reads really modern, and I think it's supposed to be set in the 1900s? There's not enough going on in the background and Maniscalco could have put more research into the time period and the location.

Writing - 8/10
I love Maniscalco's writing. I've loved it since I first read the SJTR series. Her descriptions are so good and she has this way of pulling you into the book. I could not put this book down at one stage, and that's what I've come to expect from Maniscalco.

Plot - 8/10
It takes the plot a while to get started, but once it gets going it does not stop. I will say that this is not a complex mystery to solve, and very little setup is actually done for the reveal of the killer. The plot also goes in circles a lot, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. At some point, I was breathless because the plot kept moving so fast and I loved it.

Intrigue - 9/10
Obviously, I couldn't put this book down. And I need the second book ASAP.

Logic - 9/10
The magic system was one of my favourite parts of the book. I loved the snippets from the Di Carlo Grimoire at the beginning of each chapter. It really added to the world and made the magic easy to understand. The way Hell and Demons are bound to something as simple as having good manners is really creative and I cannot wait to see more of Hell in the next book.

Enjoyment - 9/10
It's pretty clear that I enjoyed this book, so here are some of my favourite quotes from the book!

"Perhaps he was memorizing my size for a coffin."

"Man had a funny way of blaming the devil for things he did not like."

CAWPILE = 8.2/10

Everyone who knows me knows how much I absolutely LOVE the Stalking Jack the Ripper series.
Honestly, the best YA series I have read in ages. And with being absolutely in love with those series (and Thomas) I had high hopes for Kingdom of the Wicked. But at the same time was afraid it could never live up to my expectations.

Now did this book grab me as much as Stalking Jack the Ripper did? Not yet.
I'm saying "yet" as I have read the JTR series in one go, and sort of judged them as a whole instead of book by book.
And this is obviously only the beginning of a new series.

I was hooked though and where my sister immediately knew who killed Emilia's sister, I... was a bit more clueless hahaha
But even besides that, I absolutely LOVE Kerri's writing style. The setting/world and characters she creates are all kinds of magical. And the mention of all the food, did I mention the food?!

I really, really loved this book.

The ONLY little downside is.... the ending. Don't do that to me please. I now need to know what happens next and I can not wait for the second book to be released (it better be soon as I don't like to be kept waiting hahaha)

I received an ebook ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a huge fan of Kerri Maniscalco's previous works, I had some higher standards that I was hoping this book would meet, and it certainly did!

The story follows Emilia, a vengeful witch looking to solve her twin sister's brutal murder, a feat which may bring out the dark magic she was always taught to avoid.

Then Emilia meets one of the wicked princes of Hell, Wrath, who claims to also want to solve the mysterious murders of not only her sister but of other witches in the area as well. Emilia knows not whether to trust or be cautious of Wrath, because a prince of hell certainly has his own dark secrets.

While the story in general started a bit slow in my opinion, it quickly gained pace until it seemed like Emilia was facing a foe at every turn. The world Maniscalco created is amazing as well. You can almost smell and taste the food described in Emilia's family restaurant. There are demons and shape shifters, witches and werewolves, princes of Hell and the Devil himself. A wonderfully dark, captivating story that has left me eager for more! Looking forward to the next installment of the series very much!

My expectations were awfully high going into this, I’m not gonna lie. Did it live up to them? Yes and no.

In Kingdom of the Wicked we follow 18 year-old Emilia di Carlo, who is the complete opposite to her twin sister Vittoria. Where Vittoria is bold, fierce and outright reckless, Emilia is calm, collected and overly cautious. So what do they have in common other than their looks? They’re witches.

But when witches start showing up dead and Vittoria becomes a victim of this unknown murderer, Emilia’s life gives a full twist. Her overly cautious self becomes a thing of the past as she vows to solve her twin’s murder and avenge her death, no matter the cost. We’re then thrown into a story of curses and prophecies, dark magic and secret diaries, demons and blood debts, the seven Princes of Hell and the devil himself.

It was a great book, that’s 4 stars shining up there and it earned every one of them. For one, the world-building was flawless. I loved that it took place in Italy and food and culture were brought into it, I did not once forget we were in Sicily. The magic system was awesome too and like nothing I’ve read before, which was refreshing.

And then there’s the romance. I’ve read enough YA to be able to spot the love interest the moment they walk into the story, and this was no different. But I didn’t care because he was my favorite character of the whole story and I love me a good enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn romance. (I got Rhys and Feyre vibes here and there, you’ll understand me when you read it.) Also, I’m calling it a romance but nothing really happened because it’s building up for the next books (or at least I hope so) and I love that. However, the constant hot and cold from Emilia’s side did bother me a little. I get that it’s difficult for her to trust him because of who and what he is and it’s true that he sometimes hides things from her and that rightfully pisses her off, but all he really does is protect her.

My issue with this book is that everything was very predictable and somewhere near the ending it all started to feel rushed, which might very well have been dealt with by the time this is published, but I read what I read. I also didn’t get the full-on hate in that reunion at the end. Bottom line, I didn't feel as invested and connected to the story as I hoped I would.

Overall, it was a wonderful book. I had minor issues with it but I loved the story it told and the world-building was absolutely beautiful. I can’t wait for the sequel to come because I sense big character (and romance) development coming!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Jimmy Patterson for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

First of all, I really love the Stalking Jack the Ripper series, so when I found out that Kerri Maniscalco will release another book featuring a serial murder. Why would I say no to that? So I made sure it goes straight to my TBR list. And thank you, NetGalley and Jimmy Patterson, for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Emilia and her journey to uncover the story behind her sister's murder and to hold someone accountable for what they did to her sister and several other witches. I enjoy the two main character's journey so much. The book put me on edge every single chapter. I kept guessing and created my own theory. I also guessed the murderer and their motive right, and that fact doesn't disappoint me. But somewhere near the ending, it started to feel rushed. Like, everything happened all at once and ended abruptly; it left me no time to process anything. I have to read the last two chapters twice to make sure that I understand correctly.

I was not sure how many people would get hooked from the prologue because that's not the case for me. But because I have faith in Kerri Maniscalco, I kept going. The introduction was written fairly well, but I got captivated by the story when the conflict starts. And I love the climax; I got to feel many things then. But as I stated before, the resolution felt rushed, and I'm not satisfied with it. Maybe because there will be a second book, it was made like that, but I still think it could've been done better.

Emilia is definitely an interesting character. I love watching her personality grow, fueled by her grief. As for Wrath, I still can't decide whether I like him or not. He's unpredictable, and sometimes that frustrates me. I hope to watch his character grows in the next book. I wish the author would explore more of the relationship in Emilia's family. I failed to connect with their bond. I usually have a strong feeling towards a sibling relationship, but I didn't feel that here.

I do like her writing style in this book, but I keep comparing it to SJTR, and honestly, I love the latter much more. It's so easy to read. Most of the time, I'd have difficulty understanding the first few chapters of a fantasy book (in terms of the world-building), but it didn't happen here, so that's a huge point for her.

Kingdom of the Wicked is a gripping story that'll make you unable to put down the book. If you're already a fan of Kerri Maniscalco's books, then this book is perfect for you. But even if you haven't read her books, but you love historical fiction/thriller/fantasy books, make sure to pick this book for your October reads!

Good story, it did take me a minute to get hooked on it but once I did I was all in. I’d be at work thinking of just being done so I could go home and read. Would have give better stars if it hooked me from the start but I still enjoyed it.

Oh my goodness! I’m already salivating for the next book! What a deliciously dark and sexy read! I loved the world building and characters and can’t wait for the next installment!