Oh, you guys aren't even ready for how much you are gonna love this. prepare yourself for a Halloween season full of witchy black magic, a brooding prince of hell, and a spooky murder mystery.

i really love seeing KMs creativity shine through in this story. with her SJTR series, there's only so much originality that can seen because its based on historical events. but with this unique magic system and the different classes of witches and demons, i think it shows a much more interesting side of KMs writing. its still just as easy to devour as ever, but i found it to be a lot more entertaining.

my only critique would be the cliff hanger. i hate when authors have to rely on them to convince a reader to pick up the next book because it creates a lack of closure, but oh well. i have at least a year until the next book comes out, so I'm sure I will get over by then. lol.

Kingdom of the Wicked promised a sisters bond and an "intoxicating" romance. However, the twin sister died almost immediately and I didn't connect with her or really felt that sisters bond. Yes, she tried to find the killer but that was it. And as for the romance, LOL. What intoxicating romance? I don't think we've read the same thing. There were so many moments where I found the main character annoying and where I rolled my eyes. Also, the last reveal about the killer was so very PREDICTABLE.

After not liking her other book, Stalking Jack the Ripper, I decided to give another chance to this author. Unfortunately, this book was disappointing and I might have to stop reading books written by her.

This book is everything I have been missing from young adult fantasy books lately. A stubborn and strong female lead; a sassy and sarcastic male lead. The banter between Wrath and Emilia had me snickering from the get go. The book reminded me why I love YA so much. It has that nostalgic feel of the books I read and loved over a decade ago. Yet still holds its own with a fresh take on the classic enemies-to-lovers story. There are demons, witches, fallen angels, a murder and so much more.

Emilia's twin sister is murdered and she will do anything it takes to find the killer. Even if it means joining forces with her mortal enemy, one of the The Wicked. The demons and Princes of Hell have always been at odds with witches. The gates of hell are crumbling and dangerous creatures are escaping. Will Emilia find her sisters murderer? The answer to this may shock you! Will Wrath turn on her or will he turn his back on his destiny? You'll have to read to find out. 

I only finished this book a few days ago but I am ready to read it all over again. When a beloved author starts a new series in a different world, I always feel a little hesitant. I wonder if I could fall in love with their new characters as much as I did with the last. I'm here to say that Kerri Maniscalco does not disappoint! I cannot wait to read the rest of The Kingdom of the Wicked.

Sadly, this was never going to be a five-star read for me. As much as I adore the storytelling, I feel like I have been here before.

The "bad-guy" love interest is something that has been done to the grave [no pun intended]. Don't get me wrong - I loved the chemistry and the character building itself was so enjoyable and well done. But at times I felt like I was reading Sorcery of Thorns all over again.

There just wasn't a great deal of shiny new plot ideas presented by this book that hasn't already been written in young adult fantasy.

But my thoughts on this story is not all doom and gloom. I gave the book 4 stars after all.

You can not fault Kerri Maniscalco on her ability to write gorgeously, enriching settings and backstories and truly engaging characters. This is something that I loved in the Killing Jack the Ripper series and this new story didn't disappoint.

While the trope-iness of the love interest was something of a letdown, I still truly adored the characters that Maniscalo created and the way she weaved their plotlines together.

Oh and then there was the ending. Which has me well and truly dedicated to the upcoming sequel. It hinted something much darker coming our way...

This was such a classic Kerri Maniscalco book in some ways, and in others so different. I loved the character of Wrath and the murder mystery was done pretty well. If I had one complaint I would want more time spent getting to know Emilia and Wrath and specifically more time spent developing their relationship. I really liked this overall and I’m excited for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

WOW!! I have been waiting all year for a read this vivid and enthralling! Twins Vittoria and Emilia are witches, and their whole lives their Nonna has taught them about The Wicked, also known as the princes of Hell. Shortly after their 18th birthday, Vittoria is brutally murdered, and Emilia teams up with a very unlikely source to find the murderer. As Emilia and Wrath, one of the Princes of Hell, work together, she discovers just what lengths she will go to to find her sister's killer.

First, the imagery in this book is absolutely amazing. The author sets the scene so well that you can see, hear, taste and feel everything. It was almost as if watching a movie play out as I read. The descriptions of people and places, food and drink, and the sinister feelings attached to dark magic are spot on and evocative. 

I also really loved the characters. Emilia begins as the more meek, reliable twin but we soon see just how strong and bold she is. She is no weak, wilting flower, and is instead prepared to go to any length necessary for her family. Each character is so well described that it's as if they are real flesh and blood people (or demons as the case may be). It was very easy to be swept up in this narrative of devastatingly handsome, supremely powerful princes of Hell that we meet in the book. 

I think this is the start of a series, and if so, I am ready for the second installment already! I'm hooked!

3.5⭐
I received and ARC copy of this from Jimmy Paterson via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This book left me feeling a lot of conflicting emotions....

1. The world and overall plot had me completely hooked! I'm obsessed with this premise and found the world to be really intriguing. I think this books strongest aspect was the plot and premise, it's extremely unique and lends itself to so much intrigue and drama. 

2. I LOVED Wrath and the romance aspect of this. 

3. But I found Emilia to be quite obnoxious... She makes terrible decision after terrible decision to the point where it got repetitive and I wanted to shake her. I get that she's in a difficult and emotional situation but everyone kept trying to reason with her and explain why her actions were irrational and she would purposefully go against them. 

4. I feel like the grandmother was meant to be a wise, likeable character, but she was the literal worst. I was so frustrated with her from start to finish. 

5. The magic system, while interesting, didn't seem to have any clear boundaries or rules. Sometimes it seems like characters could just wish for things and they'd happen while other times there needed to be elaborate castings. I'm hoping the magic is further explored and explained in future books. 

6. And pigging backing off of that, sometimes things were a little too convenient. With this loose magic system, things would work out a little easy because they could be magic'd away. I personally just don't like learning about magic as it becomes relevant to the characters predicaments. It makes the magic feel like an easy solution rather than a fleshed out element.

7. Also I hated the random French words thrown in to remind the reader than this is set in France. If this were set in historical France, everything they're saying would be in French. So there is no reason to randomly through in French words or phrases... I personally think it's just a cheap way of creating a setting or atmosphere. 

Overall this was a solid but slightly underwhelming series introduction. But the premise and ending definitely have me intrigued for upcoming books! And I'm hoping some of my criticisms are fleshed out in upcoming books. Definitely plan to check out book 2 in this series.

This was a fantastic read for a chilly fall night. I enjoyed the creativity and originality of the characters and magic system. I devoured this book in just a couple of sittings. The pacing was great and I couldn't help but get completely immersed in the story.  All that to say, I loved this book and look forward to reading more from Kerri Maniscalco.

Between the Stalking Jack the Ripper series and now Kingdom of the Wicked, Kerri Maniscalco is now on my automatic read list! I will read whatever she puts on paper!!

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

English/Spanish. 
Gracias Netgally por permitirme una copia. 
Thanks to Netgally for letting me read this arc. 

It took me some time to read it, but finally it is here. I had so many expectations on this book and I am not pretty sure if it filled all of them, however I enjoy myself reading it. 

Let’s talk a little bit of the story. Here we have Emilia and Vittoria, a couple of twin witches, each one has been given some special amulets to protect them from the Wicked. Or at least that is how it was supposed to be. until one day Emilia finds her sister dead with her heart ripped from her chest. When Vittoria dies, Emilia is in a deep state of sorrow, vengeance and he is going to do everything in order to find the killer and bring justices to her sister. 

Witches, black magic, demon princes, mysteries and clues that leads to nowhere, that is kingdom of the wicked, 

What I liked the most it’s the light way the author set us in the story, it was not heavy and the ritme was easy to follow. The encounters with the wicked were just  so tense, I am pretty sure at some point I stopped breathing and worrying about what could happen to Emilia. 

My favorite character with no doubt is Wrath, his style, his strategies, I was trying to figure out what was going to be his next move, a little cliche, but I have a thing for the bad guys, so don’t judge me. 
The setting is really alive, I could see myself walking in the streets, in the market and all the places. The images and the description of the demons were well done that I felt them besides me. 
Now, I already say everything I love, so it’s the time of the negative aspects. As I mentioned at the beginning I had many expectations but it was not enough. The plot, the big mystery, Vittoria’s killer, I saw all that coming really early, I read probably the first quarter of the book and I already had my conclusion about who was the killer, what was going to happen with one prince in particular. Nothing was new or impressive, in that aspect yes, it was a little disappointing. 

To sum up, this book gives us what it promesses; wiches, black magic, demons, mystery, but nothing more, it is entertaining but it doesn’t surprises. You can discover the plot in the first quarter however it catches your attention about what Emilia is going to do next or what is going to be done to her. 3/5 Stars.
***    ***  ****  ***

Me he tardado, pero al fin pude terminarlo, este libro me generó grandes expectativas y no sé si las cumplió todas, pero sí disfruté mucho leyéndolo. 

Hablemos un poquito de la historia. Aquí tenemos a dos hermanas Emilia y Vittoria un par de brujas gemelas a las cuales siempre se les ha advertido de la maldad y los príncipes del infierno. Cada una con un amuleto especial que debería protegerlas, o eso se suponía, hasta que una de ellas es asesinada brutalmente y su corazón removido de su cuerpo. Cuando Vittoria muere, Emilia entra en un estado de desesperación y venganza, y hará lo que sea para encontrar al asesino de su hermana y traerle justicia. 

Brujas, magia negra, príncipes demonios, intrigas y pistas que te llevan a lugares incorrectos. Eso es Kingdom of the wicked. 

Por las sinopsis es un gran libro, lo que más me gustó fue la forma liguera de la autora a la hora de adentrarnos en la historia, no fue pesada y era fácil de seguir el ritmo. Los encuentros con los príncipes del infierno son tan impresionantes, te mantienen tenso y por un momento dejas de respirar de solo pensar lo que le podría suceder a la protagonista. 

Mi personaje favorito sin duda es Wrath, me encantó su estilo, las estrategias, me tenía haciendo conjeturas todo el tiempo y algunas si logré adivinarlas y otras tantas me sorprendieron. 
La ambientación es tan vívida que realmente te transporta y las imágenes de los demonios están tan bien hechas que hasta puedes tenerlos a tu lado. 

Ya hablamos de todo lo bueno, ahora si, lo que no me gustó, como dije al inicio, tenía muchas expectativas y no logró cumplirlas todas. El plot, el gran misterio del asesino de Vittoria era tan obvio que lo vi venir desde  mucho antes de la mitad del libro, las mentiras de los príncipes y lo que cada uno quiere, no era nada novedoso y era fácil de descifrar, por ese final a pesar de ser bueno, no fue impresionante, era más bien lo esperado y nada nuevo. En ese aspecto sí fue bastante decepcionante. 
Para concluir, el libro nos da lo que nos promete, brujas, magia, demonios y misterio, pero nada más, entretiene, pero no sorprende, el plot lo descubres en los primeros capítulos, pero aún así te llama saber qué es lo que hará Emilia en el futuro. 3/5  estrellas.

I love stories that have to do with the seven deadly sins, so I ate the right up. I was hoping it would be a stand-alone when I first picked it up, but now I’m fully invested in Emilia’s story and I cannot wait for book two.

WOW this book was so fun and so fast paced...once you got through the first half. I'm not certain that my enjoyment of this book was worth the slowness of the first half. I almost DNF'd it. The second half was super fun and super enjoyable. I loved the writing style and most of the characters. However, I really disliked some of the decisions the main character made, which made the book slightly less enjoyable to read.

This book is really impressive! It was the perfect blend of fantasy, mystery and slow burn romance. I loved Emilia and was rooting for her throughout the book. Wrath was a pretty intriguing character as well. The writing flowed so easily and it was truly flawless. It deserves all the stars! Perfect Halloween read! Highly recommend this ans cannot wait for the sequel after that ending!

You'll love this slow-burn tale if you are interested in supernatural mysteries and protagonists being attracted to the absolute worst/best person for them. In this book,  Emilia, a witch of Italian descent, forgets her love of the kitchen and anything else to pursue her twin sister's killer, Vittoria. However, she also has to navigate the case without drawing human attention because she's a witch AND avoid the Wicked-- princes of hell who represent the 7 deadly sins but avoids being cheesy. I really enjoyed the deep POV from this first-person perspective, though I have to say Nonna is my favorite character.

I kind of love that this book drops you into the middle of a magic system without really giving much context or backstory, and lets you work things out on your own. More writers who assume their readers are clever, please!

This was a really good character book. Its success hinges on its readers caring what happens to the characters. And A LOT happens to the characters. They are well developed with unique traits one and all. I particularly liked how the Wicked were portrayed; Maniscalco could have been lazy and bought into the stereotypical representations of each of the princes, but she didn't, and the book is better for it. 

I also really appreciated how she so genuinely and accurately depicts grief. One of the main characters experiences a horrific loss and spends the rest of the book coping with that loss in any way she can. Readers go through many different stages of grief with her, and may even recognize it themselves at one stage or another. 

I am really looking forward to the next installment.

Hmmm the book was definitely far from bad. The world was so well-constructed and the allover atmosphere was perfect for this time of year. 
That being said, it seems to lack whatever it was that made Stalking Jack The Ripper so addictive as a series. I feel like the characters needed a bit more fleshing out and context as I failed to relate and feel for them.

I feel as though Maniscalco's writing just isn’t for me. I tried a sample of her first published novel but never felt eager enough to continue.

Seeing so many people end up loving that series, I thought I would give this new story a try.

I ended up having to DNF it. It’s just a case of it’s not you, it’s me. There’s nothing wrong with her writing style per se, it’s just not to my personal taste. I may pick this up again and give it another try. If that happens, I will change my review and rating to reflect my feelings at that time.

Kingdom of the Wicked is the first novel in Kerri Maniscalco's newest series. Following Emilia, a young witch searching for whoever or whatever killed her twin sister. She had always been told stories of the Kingdom of the Wicked and princes of Hell. After using dark magic to conjure a demon to help her find who murdered her sister, she conjures Wrath one of the princes of Hell. 

The story continues with meeting the other princes of Hell, learning more about Emilia's family and the intentions of the characters. 

I liked the character of Emilia, she is innocent and doesn't have a lot of knowledge of the Wicked besides from the stories during her childhood. She knows some magic but makes mistakes. She does seem hotheaded but it's understandable considering her sisters death, but in some moments she did strange things and could be annoying. 

Wrath, while likeable does remind me of Thomas Cresswell from Maniscalco's Stalking Jack the Ripper series. While his character is well written, I do think Maniscalco has practice writing that type of character from her other books. 

I did really like the setting and the story of the Kingdom of the Wicked. The plot was intriguing but the mystery was easy to figure out. I did guess what happened to Vittoria instantly after Emilia found her body. 

Overall, I would give this novel ⭐⭐⭐✯ (3.5) review. I did enjoy the novel as a whole, I didn't care for it being left on a cliffhanger but I would read the next books. I enjoyed the characters but they did have their moments I thought were downfalls to their character development but I liked the plot and excited to see where the story goes. 

This novel was published on October 27, 2020

Thank you Jimmy Patterson and NetGalley for ARC in exchange for a honest review! 💛

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via netgalley, however all opinions are my own.

I love a good dark read so basically all of Kerri Maniscalco's books have either been read by me or are on my list to read. This one instantly attracted me because it seemed a bit different than other fantasies I have read and I was not disappointed! I also love twins in books, for some reason, so that was just an added bonus. I'm really excited to see the next installment of this one because the first one really left me wanting more. I can't wait to see the world and more of the magic system. This also drew on the Sicilian culture, which is one I'm only passingly familiar with so it was fun to read a book that introduced me to new cultures and values. I will admit that I do want to re-read this one because I was kind of not in the mood for it when I read it and that's why it ended up being four stars instead of five. Had I been in the mood, I'm sure I would have fallen instantly in love.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Twins Emilia and Victoria have been warned from childhood to always be aware of the Wicked, the seven deadly princes who despise witches, just like the girls. Their grandmother warns them never to remove their protective amulets, but as they get older, they become more bold and daring. Emilia was changed when their amulets were joined, but never told a soul about the powers she seemingly developed. However, when her beloved sister Victoria is found dead, and her heart torn out, Emilia wants nothing more than revenge, and will stop at nothing to get it - not even at using dark magic and summoning one of the most wicked princes, Wrath. Now that her and Wrath are joined by the summoning, Emilia finds that she is uncovering more than just a simple murder at hand, and dark forces are working to ensure that witches are killed, and that the ancient curse is never broken.

This book was simply phenomenal. I mean, I loved Kerri's Stalking Jack the Ripper series, and was a little apprehensive that her newest series wouldn't live up to expectations, but it by far surpassed them. I adored Emilia in a way that was neigh on unheard of. She was like Audrey Rose, in her strong and feisty way, but there was another side to her that I loved. The way she cared for her family, and wanted to help anyone she could was admirable, but it was her quiet strength, and the way she dealt with her many interactions with various demon princes that cemented my love for her. Out of the seven princes, four are spoken about in hushed tones amongst witches, and Wrath is one of the worst. As soon as he is summoned, he's anger personified, but we see a sort of vulnerable-ness to him with Emilia, and their relationship is one anyone would be hard pressed not to swoon over. It's definitely a enemies to lovers relationship, and I found myself wanting more and more of them. As soon as I reached the final page, I nearly screamed knowing I'll have to wait to see more of them, and it'll definitely be a struggle with that cliff hanger.

The plot was out of this world. Set in a 19th century Italian backdrop, the descriptions were lyrical, and I was transported into the scenery as I read. The mentions of food made me so hungry, and I wish I had something to snack on at my side. Honestly, the book went places I could never have expected. The murders of the witches were gruesome, and though I had some inkling of the culprit, the multitude of plot lines and arcs running simultaneously, all culminating in the epic conclusion, made the book simply a page turner. If I hadn't had to sleep and go to work, I would've stayed up and read it in one sitting. I need book 2, like yesterday, and can't wait for everyone else to read Kingdom of the Wicked.