I used to love YA like this, and I heard so many good things on this one that I thought I would give it a go. Unfortunately, YA just really isn't my genre anymore.

Am I totally running to the bookstore to buy book 2? .........yes!!!! That ending, though. Didn't see that coming!

The conflicting emotions in Emilia were a delight. I love this trope.

Can't wait to see more of Emilia (and hopefully Wrath...).

Many thanks to the publisher for the complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Twin sisters grow up hearing tales of the Wicked princes of Hell and heeding the warnings that go hand in hand with the stories. Eventually the warnings of danger wear off since they haven’t seen any real evidence of the Wicked until tragedy strikes when they’re eighteen. Emilia is desperate to find whoever is responsible for Vittoria’s death so she summons a demon but ends up with one of the Wicked, Prince Wrath. His disdain for humans is immense but Emilia wears him down and surprises him with her abilities and intellect. When she’s attacked by a large viper shaped demon, Wrath saves her. He also pulls her out of despair after she’s attacked by another demon prince. Their relationship fluctuates between understanding each other and despising each other. They’re both trying to stop evil so they decide to work together until tragedy strikes again. This supernatural mystery held my complete attention and I’m excited for the sequel, 5 stars!

Amazing book! I would highly recommend this book to my customers and patrons. I would recommend other books by the same author as well.

3.5 ⭐️
Not as good as I was hoping or expecting but l binged it so easily that I can't be mad or complain really. I'll definitely be picking up book 2 soon!

5 stars! I will continue to read everything that Kerri Maniscalco writes I loved the Stalking Jack the Ripper series and I can't wait to see where this series goes!

First of all, I want to thank Hodderscape for sending me a proof of this book.
Kingdom of the Wicked was my most anticipated 2020 release and it did not disappoint.
Kerri Maniscalco took us for a ride in a world of demons, witches and fabulous food.
We follow Emilia Di Carlo. Emilia and her twin sister Vuttoria are witches, hiding in plain sight. Their family owns Sea & Vine, a prestigious restaurant in Italy. When their grandmother warns them to be careful of the Wicked, neither wanted to believe that maybe danger lurks. You see, neither sister wanted to believe that the Wicked Princes of Hell, the Malvagi, are walking in their world, luring witches to their demise.
When Vittoria ends up murdered, Emilia is determined to located her sister 's killer. What happens when she accidentally summons one of the Princes? Prince Wrath is every bit the wicked demon stories make him out to be. Will he help Emilia or does he have an agenda of his own?
The book is so deliciously dark and atmospheric. Magic, demons and slow burn romance. Prepare for the ultimate journey. I am a sucker for enemies to lovers romance and this book delivers.
The author created a very unique premise and I absolutely loved all the details she added to her book, like the notes from the Di Carlo grimoire at the beginning of each chapter. It was a nice touch.
I enjoyed the characters, I felt that Emilia was a bit frustrating at times and I wanted a bit more time with Wrath to fully judge his character.
One thing is for certain, after this book, you will be ready to sign your soul away to the Demon Prince. Now to wait until the next book... IMPOSSIBLE.

4.5 STARS

This book is perfect for any October. Black magic, murder, and a prince. OMG. Need I say more? I love how this book gave me a break from day to day serious life and provided a magic portal to all things spooky.

I really tried to like this book because I loved Stalking Jack the Ripper. However, I found the main character to be very irritating. The romance had no chemistry. The mystery was very predictable. I knew who the killer was as soon as he appeared. Thus, it had a neat concept, but it was not executed well. Still, I recommend this for those that of the Mortal Instrument series!

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this!

This author never lets me down. I have met her and Stephanie Garber and they are both right there on my tops list! I love Wrath! This story was amazing. Book 2 has just released and on to see what happens in book 2. I love the story of the twins! Kerri always does an amazing job!

I should probably start this review by stating I am Not the target audience for this book, so me not being the biggest fan of it doens’t mean it is a bad book. Yes, I know the blurb announces the intoxicating romance , but I loved Stalking Jack the Ripper and actually kinda enjoyed the romance in that (at least in the first two books), so I decided to give this one a go and request it from Netgalley.

And I have to say sexy demon princes who refuse to put on a shirt just don’t do it for me. And two characters who hate each other and still hook up Really don’t do it for me. Actually, I found it really annoying. Again, I’m not a fan of romances in general, but for them to be bearable they need to be based on friendship, not just lust (I’m gray ace…). But if that is something you are into, you will probably have a great time with this book.

I did love parts of this book though. I really enjoyed all the witchery, the Italian setting, Nonna, and the food. Oh the Food!!! I could just have a whole book of Emilia cooking with Nonna and listening to her witchy stories. I ended up listening to the audiobook of this, and thought the narrator did a wonderful job and the sound effects that were added really helped create a great atmosphere.

I won’t be continuing this series though. Not just because of the chiseled chests (and apparently book two is sinful and steamy… I pass), but also because I didn’t find any of the reveals and twists surprising and am not to intrigued by the plot in general (again, semi-forced mariages, not my thing). It just isn’t for me. I can see other people enjoying it though, I guess…

Kerri Maniscalco is easily becoming one of my favorite authors - I can't get enough of her work.

Kingdom of the Wicked is the first book in Maniscalco's new series and it starts off with a bang! Twin sisters Emilia and Vittoria come from a family of witches. When Vittoria doesn't come home one night and Emilia finds her murdered in the local church, it sends Emilia on a journey of revenge.

On this journey, Emilia meets Wrath (*swoons*), one of the Seven Princes of Hell, and they try to solve Vittoria's murder. Of course, things never go as planned.

You should definitely read this book if you love the "making deals with demons" trope and some steamy (at least for YA) scenes. I can't wait for the next book!

Plot
Very enjoyable plot. I really liked the mystery that was the focus, surrounded by the fantasy of the Seven Princes (even though we only got to meet four). I was very surprised by (view spoiler) though I understand how he became so twisted. I really liked the pace of the book. New demons were introduced, and you never knew if there were going to be hints of romance or fights in the next chapter.

Characters
Okay, so Wrath. I had anticipated Lust being the hot brother. But no, it's definitely Wrath. That aside, I can't decide how I feel about him. by about 3/4 through, he was beginning to really thaw out. Especially, that bath scene. So sweet and thoughtful, which was surprising. But at the end, he was bad to being cold and all business. Of course, she had sent him packing back to Hell after making some accusations and not trusting him. But then maybe she shouldn't have, because what is that last soul thing about? Either way, I can't wait to find out what he does now that he has the horns.
Emilia was a character that had to grow on me. She seems kind of sanctimonious to begin with. Maybe not stuck up, but kind of boring. Like she let Vittoria have all the fun and didn't know how to herself. That didn't change through the story, but she definitely broke all the rules to find her sister's killing. And that last line,
Yesss!

Emilia and her twin are witches who have to keep that side hidden. It seems like someone is after local witches and more then ever they got to keep their secret safe. When Emilia finds her twin dead she does everything in her power to find out why and who is behind this. Thats when she finally does what she family says not to do and uses dark magic that summons Wrath to help her find and persecute the one behind it but she got more then she bargained for.

I have no clue what took me so long to pick up this book. I don't think I was in the head space for learning a new world and such then I finally got the audiobook to pair with this and figured there was no excuse. I'm so glad that I did there was so much to unpack with this book but once I got the hang of things the book got all the more interesting. I think this is a great start for the books that are going to come after. I loved getting to know the Emilia and seeing how much love she had for her sister to go above and beyond to getting her revenge. I have a sister and can't help but think how far I would go for her and I could get that sense of understanding there seeing how far Emilia was going. Then as the book progressed you can see her becoming a stronger character but also questioning herself because she was changing doing things she never thought she would. Overall loved this book and can't wait to see whats in store for the next book.

Oh my gosh everyone is raving about this book and I finally understand why! This was absolutely fantastic and I can’t wait for the sequel!

3.5 stars

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco is the first in the series of the same name.  It is a YA/Fantasy series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Jimmy Patterson (Little, Brown & Company) and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background:    (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
The di Carlo family are "streghe", witches who live in Sicily, among humans, but keeping a very low profile, for fear of persecution.  Their power is feared.  They are true Daughters of the Moon, descendants of an actual goddess, and only the women have magic. For everyone's safety, the family does not interact with any of the twelve other streghe families scattered across the island, and they shun the dark arts. Their enemy is the Malvagi, or the "Wicked", the seven demon princes, four of which the di Carlos 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.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Twin sisters Vittoria and Emilia di Carlo live in Sicily with their parents and Nonna.  Nonna has been teaching the twins magic since a young age.  Vittoria seems rather flippant about their powers, but Emilia is more cautious.

When they turn 18, two bodies are found, both witches. Nonna is very nervous, knowing that the signs are all there.  The  Wicked are seeking their vengeance, and are looking for souls to steal for their king, the devil.  The next victim is Vittoria.  Emilia swears to find her sisters' killer, using whatever tools she can, and if that includes dark magic, so be it.

Unfortunately, Emilia calls forth one of the major demons of the underworld.  Although she supposedly has him under her control, it becomes obvious that he has his own plans.  As well, Emilia learns that not everything she grew up learning, was true.  She also learns that every decision has consequences



My Opinions:   
I sometimes felt I was reading a cookbook....it was a little much.  As well, I am learning that if I am going to read fantasy novels, I am going to have to get used to the romance angles, even if I am not a romance reader.  (I'm working on it)

The plot was good, but occasionally it felt neglected, got side-tracked. This book was just as much of a murder mystery as it was fantasy.  I had figured out the actual perpetrator early on, but the journey was interesting.  The book is about family, loss, and grief, in addition to the love angle.  Then there were the witches and demons thing.

The characters were well thought-out, and relatively deep.  That being said, I wanted to slap Emilia often, as she was very immature and reckless.  I actually loved her grandmother, who I also wanted to slap occasionally since she didn't really tell the truth to her charges....and yet, she was still a favorite of mine.

I felt the ending was a little rushed, and of course it landed in a bit of a cliff-hanger, but only because it's the first book in the series, so that was to be expected.

Overall, not a bad YA fantasy novel.  I will be checking out the next in the series.

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!