Four and a half
My first book by this author but definitely not my last because I couldn't turn the pages fast enough ! I loved that the story had me salivating because the descriptions of the food were truly mouth watering. Ok I need to explain here that Emilia works in her families restaurant and she frequently gets ideas for things she wants to see on the menu. She's a twin to lively Vittoria and they are both part of a long line of Witches. Emilias life takes a horrible turn when she discovers her sisters body with the heart torn out and a stranger licking blood off his fingers !
There's a strong feeling throughout this story that Emilia has been lied to and indeed she has. Suddenly Prince's of Hell are walking the streets and Witches are being brutally murdered. Emilia is fuelled by her need to find her sister's murderer and as she embraces her magic she takes chances she knows could well lead to her own destruction. A prophecy hangs over her head, she isn't sure who to really trust and she carries a burden that she has no idea will lead her to Hell !
I genuinely loved this and if you enjoy books by the likes of Laura Thalassa or Sarah J Mass but without lots of bump and grind then I think you too will enjoy this. It isn't particularly steamy but there's a strong possibility of romance so watch this space ! I admit though as it ended I honestly couldn't predict what will happen next.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

This is one of my, and other readers, most anticipated book. It can start of a bit slow with setting up the foundations but it really does pick up, especially towards the end. And the ending! We need book 2 asap!!

⠀I was given an advanced reader's copy from NetGalley and #jamespatterson books in exchange for an honest review.
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"I believe I am powerful, therefore I am."
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Murder, witches and princes of hell... It all works. Vittoria and Emilia are twins but very different. I enjoyed Vittoria's outlook on life and how opposite she was from her twin. It only makes sense that she would end up murdered, her reckless and outgoing nature making her stand out when they were warned to blend in. As with most witches, persecution is always a threat and the church looms over their heads...
Vittoria's death sets in motion a riveting mystery, a wicked plot and an outstanding outcome. By the end, I am still not sure what exactly will happen. The murder of Vittoria is not quite solved and Emilia made questionable choices that would shock her grandmother. Secrets abound and we learn the disturbing truths along with Emilia on her quest for vengeance. Prince Wrath is a fascinating character, but what are his motives? Nothing with The Wicked is as it seems.
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Another great read from the author! I can't wait to get my many copies!

I really enjoy Kerri Maniscalo’s writing style so I was excited for her new series. It is very different from the Stalking Jack the Ripper series but has maintained the same compelling drive. I loved the main character and was fascinated as she tried to learn what was truth and myth about the fantastic world she lives in. The demonic characters were also really well written and I was particularly interested in the magic system that bound their powers, I am really looking forward to seeing more of this as the series continues. I thought the ending was great too, it was really satisfying seeing how things came together but also set up for a really interesting next book. All around I think readers who have enjoyed the author’s previous work and enjoy fantasy about witches will greatly enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an E-ARC in return for an honest review. I had such a great time with this book!! The first half was a little bit of a slog. I wished we connected more with Emilia's sister before she died, because when she died I didn't really care. Emilia had a lot of stuff come way too easily for her and a lot of description was passed over to make the book shorter. I felt like she jumped from place to place and nothing was explained. The second half was a different story. The romance was steamy, hate to love, and had good character development. I am sooo hoping the love interest stays the same in the second book because it was so good. I can't wait for the sequel to see what our main character is planning!

All the Devils are here....Wickedly fun, this first installment in her new series will definitely delight her fans, and gain her plenty of new ones (most especially in the YA/NA audiences **see below). The story delivers on plenty of mystery, action, romantic possibilities, deadly magic and ancient curses, an awesome old-world Italian setting, and finally....Emilia - a fiery and passionate heroine squaring off against a wicked cast straight out of hell - from the dark and deadly variety to the most desirous and drool-worthy - they're all here..

Emilia - "A twig was just a bit of broken wood until had been sharpened into a spear. Grief carved me into a spear. And fury honed the pieces into a weapon"

Wrath - "I crave power more than money, or blood, or lust. And there's no greater power than choice. I'd lie for it. Steal, cheat, maim, and murder. If I could, I'd sell my soul again for it, witch"

Fav Dialogue Snippet:
He caught me staring and raised a brow. "Enjoying what you see, witch?"
"Only if I had a death wish."
"Do you?"
"Not even a little one."

**I struggled a little bit through the first half, this is one of those YA books that reads "young" and as an older reader I have to slightly adjust my way of thinking, but once I settled into it and the second half took off I couldn't put it down (I do wish she'd put more detail/filler into her writing because it does feel a bit racing around and missing things sometimes). In regards to the age thing, I will say this - some "YA" Reads easily transition between YA and lets say regular fantasy and read pretty timeless/ageless, (and I don't just mean in terms of adult content because i've read plenty that don't have any particularly mature content but still read age-less) but this isn't one, like her Stalking Jack the Ripper Series (which I loved) her stories read more youthful, so those older YA readers may not connect as intensely with the story. However that being said, I am said older YA reader and am perfectly able to suspend my disbelief for a few hours and enjoy a fun story - I found it delightful and will definitely be reading the next one!

I devoured this book. It was one of the few times I even read at work.
I'm even more hyped for this series now. And this ending killed me and I'm so angry at myself for reading this so soon and now I'll have to wait forever for the next one.

This is such an amazing book, I just couldn’t put it down. The characters were all so interesting and complex!

I can’t wait for the next instalment, I really don’t know how it will end!

*Thanks to Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I am almost disappointed that I got to read this book a month early because now I have to wait even longer for the next book.

Kerri Maniscalco delivered another fantastic book that is equally if not better than her Jack the Ripper series. The plot is fast paced. I could not put this book down.

I love that this book incorporates the seven deadly sins, specifically Wrath, Lust, Envy, and Greed - each of them playing a role in Emilia's search to find her sister's murderer. I love how Maniscalco manages to include how their specific sin influences Emilia, especially Wrath, as he continues to fuel her anger and vengeance to find her sister's killer. She includes a fascinating tale with curses and false myths of the witches above and the princes of Hell below. While I do think there is a lot of foreshadowing that leads to some predictions of the end of the story, there is still enough of the unknown to make you want to finish the book and find out what happens next.

I highly recommend this book and I am hoping it is not a four book series because I don't think I can wait a year for each book to come out!

This was such a good book! I originally wanted to read it because of the cover. The story did not disappoint!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

<i> *Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*</i>

<b>3.5 stars</b>

Set in Sicily in the 19th century, Kingdom of the Wicked focuses on Emilia and her family, who are Streghe, witches practicing undercover. When young witches start to be hunted down and brutally murdered, and the princes of hell, known as Malvagi, or the Wicked, walking the earth. Emilia has to decide who to trust and how to defend herself in trying to unravel her twin sister's murder.

I did enjoy the plot, but the writing style took me a little getting used to somehow (this is my first book by Maniscalo). Overall enjoyable, but the world could have used a touch more development! I did really like the creepy, eerie atmosphere of this, and the references to folklore.

I did quite enjoy Wrath as a character, and definitely look forward to finding out more about him! I also feel like Emilia has a lot of potential, and I look forward to seeing her character develop after that ending especially.

On a side note - the food descriptions were absolutely on point - they genuinely made me hungry!

I will definitely be picking up the sequel, as it has piqued my interest!

I NEED BOOK TWO NOOOOOOW!!!!!!!

This started of slow for me. I almost gave up, but then at 20% I was HOOKED. This was such a fun, engrossing fantasy. I love reading stories about witches and demons and all those spells!
I never knew I'd be rooting for a prince of hell and crushing on a fictional character so much, haha.

I have already pre-ordered two special editions of this book!! I can't wait until book two, hopefully sooner rather than later!

Thank you so much to Jimmy Patterson publishing and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“It’s funny … Why can’t I find evidence to support you claims of innocence?”
“Are you asking me to comment on your own perceived incompetence?”

I think it’s impossible to avoid comparing Kingdom of The Wicked to Stalking Jack the Ripper, but I’m pleased to share that Kingdom of the Wicked brings out everything we’ve come to love from Kerri Maniscalco. While SJTR had Audrey terrified over the death of young women in her city, here Emilia stumbles onto the mutilated corpse of her own sister. This time we have a literal demon who is a literal prince and is obsessed with sweets and fashion. Look me in the eye and tell me this isn’t an escalation of Thomas Cresswell, who is described as a devilish prince at least twice every book. Still, Thomas and Audrey were pretty much always working together even if he got on her nerves a bit; Wrath is Emilia’s actual enemy, which just makes the enemies to lovers trope way more … intense.
And instead of a subtle undercurrent of dark sorcery we’re treated to a full blow explosion of fantasy. While the forensic angle of SJTR definitely made it stand out, Kerri makes the relatively more common fantasy tropes work as well. The genre allows her to unleash the darkness that all her readers love her for. However, unlike Thomas, Wrath actually isn’t human. He’s immortal and supernaturally gifted, which just makes him lord over Emilia. She is constantly getting into trouble and he’s always there to save the day. Emilia’s idea of being courageous is defying the rules that Wrath sets in place for her protection. And then she’s needlessly cruel to him after he saves her time and time again. Wrath doesn’t make mistakes. He isn’t mean or rude to her, except for a few extreme circumstances. Opposites attract doesn’t mean one is powerful and kind while the other is bumbling and rude. While I’m sure this wasn’t the intention, Emilia’s mood swings and inability to remain civil or logical was … annoying. If it happened a few times, it would be totally natural; but she just loses her temper and/or mind far too often. Basically, for a variety of reasons, I just couldn’t invest myself in either Emilia or Wrath. Also, twins are my weakness, but I still have nothing to say about Vittoria, which is just sad.
And none of this touches on the actual plot. I will not lie and say that I 100% followed the plot of any of the SJTR books, but this was a bit much. There are seven whole princes of Hell, along with their henchmen, Emilia’s family, friends, townspeople in general, mythical characters from folklore, complicated spells and magical objects. Not to mention the abundance of Latin and Italian being tossed around (okay, “tossed around” is an exaggeration, but it really didn’t help with my confusion). The twist ending definitely caught me off guard, but it was very on brand for Kerri! However, the cliffhanger at the end was a no-go, especially because the endings of each of the SJTR books were so perfect.
Overall, Kingdom of the Wicked turned the dial way up on the darkness and the enemies-to-lovers, but it ended up losing some of the simplicity and sweetness that gave SJTR its charm (at least for me). Still, this is a great read for Spooky Season, layered with deception and betrayal and dark forces galore.

It's not a surprise that I loved this book.

It was absolutely amazing and I find myself struggling to find the words to describe it. Kerri's writing is just simply everything to and for me, I love how she tells her stories. While I am partial and attached to SJTR, I was excited to see her new venture. And it didn't disappoint.

Being a witch myself, I can say that the verbiage used in this is accurate and I can tell that Kerri put a lot of work into the research for this title. It was unique, interesting, and I can't wait to read this book again, it was that good. The characters felt like they floated off the page and I could imagine myself in the story.

I’m in pain! I’m dying to learn what’s gonna happen next! Arggggggggkkkk! Yes, if you google “drunk and angry damsel in distress”, you may see my bloody face right now! I just finished this fascinating, heart throbbing, riveting , addictive story and after reading the last words as like an addict I wanted to get more literature intake. I’m honestly craving for the next book now!

The things I fell hard for:

A witch and a demon’s sizzling, pant melting chemistry : they’re like gasoline and fire! They will be end of each other! Yes, Emilia and Wrath (the name of the sin and household he represents, we still don’t know his real name so we gotta wait for the next book) are one of the hottest couple with undeniable amazing chemistry you enjoy to read.

A serial killer theme who is targeting the witches: The killer’s one of the victims is unfortunately the twin sister Vittoria of our heroine and narrator Emilia!

The Sicilian trattoria and those mouth watering recipes Emilia’s family shares and cooks during the book: OMG! I already ate three cannolis and barely hold myself to say the catchy famous quote: “keep the gun, take the cannoli!” Emilia’s family own this special family trattoria and they cook ancient Italian meals with pouring their skillful art and magical power into them!

Creative world building: 7 deadly sins represent different households of hell and those 7 princess can travel through different realms. After Wrath, it seems like Lust is my favorite sinful prince!

Enemies to reluctant partners theme: after losing her twin sister, Emilia wants to find out the perpetrator by deciphering the dark magic spell her sister put at her diary. As soon as she realizes her sister summoned an evil, she followed the same way but as soon as hot as hell, charismatic, coolest evil Wrath appears, she finds at their bound is more intense and eternal that she’d ever imagined.

Quick summary: A serial killer targeting witches. Emilia seems like more introvert, book smart, obedient girl of the family as her adventurous, bold, brave, straightforward twin Vittoria completely opposite of her. But after her sister is murdered, she turns into vengeful, angry, hot blooded witch who stops being cautious, getting more risks including summoning a demon and letting him be her partner to find the identity of the killer who is responsible from those murders. But this means one of the seven evil princes must be behind those vicious crimes!

The cliffhanger at the end makes you jumpy because you want to know what’s gonna happen next immediately! Well, I cannot wait to read the next book! I’m already sold! This is such a great start for the series!

Special thanks to NetGalley and JIMMY PATTERSON for sharing this digital review copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
I loved it so much!!!

Solid 4.5/5

Oh my. This was a sumptuous treat. This story is atmospheric, dark and seductively wicked. If you want witchery, princes of Hell, eviscerations, Italian cuisine you can practically smell, and some whodunnit thrown in the mix, you've come to the right place. I enjoyed this a lot. This is definitely the first book of a series - that ending!! You do get a little bit of answer thrown your way for a bit of satisfaction at the end, but there is definitely a lot more to this story and I'll be hanging out for it!

Oh my goodness! What a wild ride. From the start, I couldn’t put this book down. Witches, Demons, Princes of the Underworld. It was like a dark, twisted fairy tale.
The writing is impeccable; so much detail in each line, but not enough to feel like the author was just spouting information here and there. The plot flowed beautifully and I could feel myself wondering what happens next.
Now I’ll be waiting rather impatiently for the next book.

after giving up on maniscalco's jack the ripper series, i decided to give this a try after being pulled in by the cover and description. this book was pleasantly surprising, i'm still on the fence as to whether or not i really like the way maniscalco develops characters and worldbuilds, but it was a solid effort.

It's been a while since I read a book that utilised a more traditional approach to witchcraft and this definitely filled that void in my life. It beings with two sisters, Emilia and Vittoria, who are witches that live secretly among humans. Emilia is good with cooking and spices, Vittoria is good with perfumes. Emilia spends her evenings working in her family's restaurant, whilst Vittoria ventures out after dark, mixing with all kinds of dark magic. When Emilia finds Vittoria murdered, she will stop at nothing to find out who did it and why.

I really liked Emilia's character - she was fun to read due to her passionate and fiery nature. I liked her interactions with the 7 Princes of Hell, and how she grew more hard and fierce as the book progressed. The setting is also beautiful - the descriptions of food were some of the best I've read. The plot is good, but I wasn't really a fan of the cliffhanger because now I have to wait to see what happens. It does suitably change the circumstances which should mean for a second book that covers a lot of new ground, so I am excited for that.

Overall this was fun to read. I enjoyed the magic, witches and demons, and I look forward to reading more about Emilia. More romance next time please!

I really enjoyed this book! I already thought I would enjoy it, having enjoyed the stalking jack the ripper series. I wish it hadn't finished on such a cliff hanger though, it's frustrating knowing I'll have to wait so long to know what happens next