For those who know me, or who are regular readers of my blog, you will know that Kerri Maniscalco became one of my favourite authors of all time after I read the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. There was something about her writing that kept pulling me in, and I loved every single character that she wrote. Even though I was sad about the story of Audrey Rose Wadsworth coming to a close, hearing that Maniscalco had a new series coming out that had to do with witches and Princes of Hell was just *chefs kiss*.

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 actually listened to Kingdom of the Wicked on audiobook as they seem to be my go-to way of consuming novels at the moment! The narrator - Marisa Calin - is one of my favourite audiobook narrators of all time and has narrated all of Maniscalco's books such as Daughter of the Pirate King.

Whilst reading this, I couldn't help but compare Emilia to Audrey Rose, and Wrath to Thomas Cresswell... I know that they're completely different books BUT I COULDN'T HELP IT! I'm sorry! I really tried not to be biased because Cresswell is a fave of mine but Wrath? Wrath came *so so* close. He was a stereotypical YA bad boy with his sarcastic lines, being tall, dark and handsome, with tattoos and all that jazz. I never seem to get tired of that trope, to be honest.



“You always have the power of choice, even when those choices seem limited. Never forget that.”

- Kerri Maniscalco, Kingdom of the Wicked




Another trope that I will never tire of? Enemies to lovers. Never ever ever will I get bored of it. The way that Emilia hated Wrath at first, and just couldn't stand to be near him, the disgust she felt whenever she looked at him was just brilliantly written, and the way that their relationship slowly developed over the course of the novel into something that was special and magical just made me jealous.

One of the things that I LOVED about this book was the food. The novel is set in Italy so of course, Italian food was at the heart of this book which made me crave pasta every single time I read this book. The descriptions of the cheese, the bruschetta, the parmesan, the pesto... YYUUUMMMMM. I was in heaven. Italian food is one of my favourites and being able to read about Emilia and her family making different dishes was one of the highlights of this book for me. I also loved the fact that Emilia made a small dessert dish for Wrath and at first he was a stuck up Prince and gave it the side-eye... but then he tried it... and then he became a food lover as well, trying different dishes when he was out with Emilia. It made me love him more.



“Love is the most powerful magic. Above all else, remember that. It will always guide you where you need to go.”

- Kerri Maniscalco, Kingdom of the Wicked




As much as I loved the darkness of the book (with all the death and ripped out hearts), I have to say, I had a very good idea of who the killer was. It wasn't obvious, to begin with, but then things didn't feel right with this particular character, so I knew it had to be them. I don't know whether this is because I read a lot of books that have a mystery element to them, or whether it was just obvious, though.

The reason why I gave this 4.5 stars and not 5 was because of the ending. It was good! Don't get me wrong, it was good, but it wasn't what I wanted and it made me slightly sad. However, we do have a. second book, so hopefully, that will be able to put my heart back together again!

Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

This book is just wow!

The setting on the island of Sicily makes the book feel even more claustrophobic. The relationship between the main character and her family is just sublime.

The author just has a way of making you feel something and it happens over and over again.

Girls are going missing on the island, their only connection? They are all witches. When Emelia's sister Vittoria is violently murdered in the local monastery, the grieving sister will go to any length to solve the crime, even putting her morals and her life on the line.

The seven princes of hell may not be as trapped in the underworld as the girl's nonna led them to believe, danger creeps ever closer. Will Emelia be able to solve the crime before she pays too high a price?

I cant put my finger on what exactly made this book incredible for me, so I'll try to gather my thoughts and explain, lol!

Maniscalco has a way of writing that's enveloping, it feels as though you're in the scene with the characters - she should write for film, it's that good. I LOVED the characters, although I did find the character Wraith to be a bit boring to begin with - there should have been more rage or something, I can't put my finger on it.

Overall though, I adored this book, there was just something dark, seductive and addictive about it. It feels like you're right there in the thick of the action with the characters and that's something that's always a winner for me!

Thank you so much to Hachette for providing a review copy.

From Goodreads
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…

Although I didn't find myself hanging onto every word of this novel, I did find myself enjoying it as I read. The characters were a little annoying but not enough to make me not want to finish the book. The twists and turns of the plot were a little predictable but I still felt an obligation to see the book through. I think this book will go over well with high schoolers who liked Maniscalco's other works.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book. My opinions are my own.

I was very excited to read this book! It's about witches and demons and myths about the seven princes of hell. I love it when these supernatural elements are interweaved with our own world. This book started off quite ominously and I was pretty much hooked from the start!

Emilia and Vittoria are twins, both witches. Their grandmother has warned them about the seven princes of hell and the dangers of going outside in the dark since they were little girls. They never truly believed these tales... Until one of them is murdered. Desperate for vengeance, Emilia seeks to find out the truth about what happened. To help her, she summons one of the princes of hell, Wrath. They must work together to find the real killer and solve an ancient prophecy in the meantime.

The premise of this book was so, so good. It started off very well and I was immediately sucked into the story, wanting to find out more about these princes and the myths about them. I think Emilia's grief was portrayed well, I could really feel the shock when she found her sister and how horrible it felt when Emilia was in her room, alone, everything still the same and yet irrevocably different. I could feel her anger and need for vengeance, too.

Some things however didn't sit so well with me. There was a hint of a love story unfolding between Emilia and Wrath. At first they hated each other, but they learned to respect one another. It's just that in the same scene where it seemed they found each other, Emilia also decides that she can't trust him. I mean, she's been saying she can't trust him from the beginning, so why did she jump him to begin with? Her character just feels a little inconsistent in her choices, not just romantically but in general. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will pick up the second book when it comes out!

Oh my gosh this book, I could not stop reading. I have read Kerri Maniscalco books before and this one met my expectations. This one was filled with adventure, action and magic! Plus the cover is just perfect for it. I have to buy it. Yup I will buy it. 

The summary is listed up above. I am not going to repeat it. I just want to express how I felt and what jumped out at me while reading this amazing story. 

The beginning was a little slow but gave me a background on Emilia and her sister. I enjoyed the stories that Emila’s grandmother passed down to her and her sister tied to magic, witches and demons. As I continued to read on and on waiting for the book to kick up some action, I eventually got my wish! I was hooked! I could literally feel Emilia’s emotions in everything from being innocent, to sadness, to revenge, to being bold, to feeling lust and desire, and feeling strength to kick butt! It was awesome, so awesome. I wanted to know what was going to happen next for Emilia with each page I turned. There were twists and turns that kept my attention. I could not stop reading it. 

Emilia, she goes on adventure to find her sister’s killer which ends up having lots of things happening. One heck of a roller-coaster! You should have seen me turning the pages to wanting to know. Now some of the creatures that show up in this story are pretty freaky. I could picture them appearing before my eyes and I would be running away unless I had power to take them down. (I can dream can’t I?) Some of the other characters in this story are related to magic such as Wrath and his brothers. My my..the story gets more interesting!

Wrath shows up. Damn! The way he and Emilia just talk just sends sparks. Anyone else feel that? These two just connected. I cannot explain it. Maybe it’s enemies to friend thing to sweet on each other thing? I do not know. I thought at first they were just using each other, but my hunch told me there could be more? I could be wrong. The way the story ended, it could go either way. 

Anyways, the way Wrath conducted himself was interesting because he did come across as a demon and yet was particular about clothes. He is a clothes snob? I loved that! Will he be particular about clothes in the next book? I was still trying to figure him out and is still trying to figure him out. What was his next move? 

I have to wait for the next book. I want it now. Anyone else feel that way? What did you think of this story when you read it? Would you want to be Emilia? If you read the book, do you think her decision at the end was worth it? 

FYI: the mention of food in the book sounded soooo yummy while I was reading it. I actually craved for Italian food. Maybe I should order some take out one day.

I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

I have recently been in such a witchy mood and this book had me right from the start! I loved the Italian world and how magic was so seamlessly drawn through it. It felt so real. 

The characters were so great! I loved the Emilia and Wrath scenes and want more of them together. Their banter really gave me life. 

The end though. What was THAT!! I need the next book now because I have too many questions and not enough answers!!

So confession:  I love Sicily.  I went there to study Italian.  So when I started reading this and realized that the author got Sicily so right, I was already in.

What kept me in, though, were the characters and their story.   I found myself falling in love with all the characters and hoping against hope that things would be okay.

The story is dark, intriguing and well written.

Well worth the read.

Looking forward to the next book in the series!

*ARC via Net Galley

Kingdom of the Wicked is the perfect Halloween read that we've been waiting for, with magic, a Prince of Hell, and a creepy murder mystery. 

At times I felt the story was a bit more complex than it needed to be, almost as though the author was trying a little too hard. But I absolutely loved the storyline, and thoroughly enjoyed the main character. It was a fun ride, and I can't wait for the sequel!

I seriously Don't know what to think about this book. Did I like it or not? it was actually very intriging, I liked the characters, the twin witch sisters that are separated by a tragic event. I liked Emilia, with her vengeful heart and I liked wrath, that brought a very sexy romantic twist to the story. I have to say that the end had me wondering what the next installment would have for us, and if i wanted to read more. very confusing

4.5/5 (but more 5 than 4) :D

This book was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I haven’t read from the writer yet, but I really want to and I know I’ll love the other series! So when the publisher accepted my request through NetGalley, I was so happy.
The protagonist of the book is Emilia. Together with his twin sister, they were witches. Their grandmothers warned them of the Malvagris, the seven princes of Hell. Emilia never believed in their existence until one day someone starts to murder witches, and Emilia had to think through what she believes.
I loved the book from the first moment. Loved the cooking, and the dark atmosphere was my favorite. If there are mistakes in a book, but I like its atmosphere/ world, I can overlook its mistakes. This is what happened here too. I loved the dark atmosphere of the book, and next to it the Italian life and food… Perfect. I really liked the writer’s style, too. I also adored the world. The demons and princes were interesting, I liked the witches, that the witches conjured with the help of plants and other objects, and they had almost no power in themselves, and I also really liked that religion had a lot of power.
I found a few mistakes in the story. The beginning is quite a world-building. I have heard from many people that they were bored at the beginning. I loved the beginning, maybe between 50-70% started to get a little boring. Besides, a few parts were predictable. I already knew who the killer was after the first murder was mentioned. I liked the story anyway, although there was a couple of logical mistakes.
The characters were not outstanding to me. I would have been interested in Vittoria, sometimes I didn't know what to do about Emilia. I liked a lot of cooking in the beginning, unfortunately much less appears later. Emilia had almost no strength, I would have been happier if she had been much more badass. The main “love interest” was interesting. I usually fall for the good guys, but I was a fan of him. But I didn't found out what team he plays, what was his motivation. Maybe I felt he was too “good”, but since I couldn’t figure out what he was doing, I still wait with this conclusion :D
I can’t wait for the sequel, I really loved it. Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read. 

Hungarian review: 
Rettentően vártam ezt a könyvet! Nem olvastam még az írónőtől, de nagyon akarok, és tudom, hogy imádni fogom a másik sorozatát! Így, amikor NetGalley-n keresztül a kiadó elfogadta a jelentkezésemet, ugráltam örömömben.
A könyv főszereplője Emilia. Ikertestvérével együtt boszorkányok, akiket nagyanyjuk egész elétében a Malvagrik, a Pokol hét hercegétől, és a démonoktól óvott. Emilia sosem hitt a létezésükben, mígnem egyszer csak valaki hallott boszorkányok sorát hagyja maga után, és Emiliának végig kell gondolni hogy miben is hisz.
A könyv már az első pillanattól megfogott. Emilia imád főzni, és mellé a könyv sötét hangulata engem kilóra megvett. Ha egy könyvben vannak hibák, de a hangulata/világa nagyon bejön, akkor el tudok nézni neki hibákat. Itt is ez történt. Imádtam a könyv sötét hangulatát, mellé pedig az olasz élet és ételek… Tökéletes. Az írónő stílusa is nagyon bejött. Világ is nagyon tetszett. A démonok és a hercegek érdekesek voltak, tetszett a boszokrányok, hogy inkább növények és egyéb tárgyak segítségével varázsolnak a boszik, és magában nincs szinte semmi hatalmuk, ezenkívül az is nagyon tetszett, hogy a háttérben mégis sokat számított a vallás is.
Amibe bele tudok kötni az a történet. Az eleje eléggé világfelépítés. Sokaktól hallottam, hogy unták. Nekem bejött a legeleje, talán 50-70% között kezdten unni egy kicsit. Kicsit nehezen ment. Ezenkívül kiszámítható volt pár rész. A gyilkost az első gyilkosság említése után már tudtam, hogy kicsoda. Amúgy tetszett a történet, bár volt pár logikai baki.
A karakterek számomra nem voltak kiemlkedőek. Engem Vittoria érdekelt volna, Emiliával néha nem tudtam mit kezdeni. Tetszett elejében a sok főzés, sajnos később sokkal kevesebbet jelenik meg. Emiliának szinte semmi ereje volt, örültem volna ha sokkal badass-ebb lett volna. A fő „love intrest” nekem bejött. Általában a jó fiúkra bukom, de ő eléggé bejött. Mint akrakter, én nem tudtam átlátni. Talán túl „jónak” éreztem, de mivel nem tudtam átlátni, hogy mit miért csinál, ezzel a konklúzióval még várnék :D
Alig várom a következő részt, nagyon imádtam. Köszönöm a kiadónak, hogy lehetőséget adott, hogy elolvassam. Mostmár nagyon ideje lenne, elolvasni a másik sorozatát is az írónőn

Kingdom of the Wicked is a darker fantasy story about witches, demons, and black magic. It follows Emilia as she seeks vengeance on the death of her twin sister. She meets one of the Princes of Hell, Wrath. Despite the scary stories she's been told about Hell, Emilia is torn about whether Wrath is truly aiming for the same goal as she is in finding the murderer. The story is rich with plot and there is so much world-building. I found myself really immersed in the story and really enjoying the tensions building between our two characters. There were times when the plot was a bit predictable, yet often times it took on twists and turns that I never expected. A really good read, and I'm itching to get my hands on the next book!

Kingdom of the Wicked was everything I hoped it would be. The moment I saw the cover and read the description I knew I was going to love it. 
I enjoyed the incorporation of the seven deadly sins as the princes of Hell. We didn't get to meet all of them but at the moment all I care about is Wrath. He was honestly one of my favorite things about this book. Well, him and the world-building. It was exquisite. 

Emilia is a great female lead. I admit, some of her actions were questionable but I admired her determination to find her sister's killer and prevent any more witches from being brutally murdered. Despite her immense grief, her quest for vengeance gives her purpose. Putting her fears aside, she summons a demon but gets more than she bargained for when said demon turns out to be a prince of Hell. A prince of Hell that she unwittingly binds herself to...
Can I just say that I loved Emilia and Wrath's interactions? Maybe I'm a sucker for an enemies-to-lovers romance but I'm rooting for them to somehow find a way to be together. 
Speaking of romance, there is very little here and that's okay. I appreciated the slow-build of chemistry because they are after all enemies. Emilia has been raised her whole life to fear the Wicked so despite how charming Wrath could seem at times, I'm glad this wasn't a case of insta-love. 

About the mystery, Murder mysteries are great but I had my suspicions about who the culprit was and ended up being correct. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story though.

My main complaint (which isn't a true complaint at all) is that ending on a cliffhanger like that is torture! I hate that we have to wait until next year but I'm incredibly excited to see how book 2 plays out.

Full of magic, murder, delicious food and a dash of romance Kingdom of the Wicked is a dark, spooky read that was perfect for October (or fall)!

*this review will be added to my blog and other social media platforms shortly*

“Love is the most powerful magic. Above all else, remember that. It will always guide you where you need to go."

Kerri Maniscalco is one of those authors I've wanted to check out for a while now, but never actually did. Her series Stalking Jack the Ripper just seems to be written for me and I thought her concepts really couldn't get better from there on, but then this book gets dropped, and I—I have no words.

This book is a dark fantasy with witches and demons SET IN ITALY! Everything about this setting is just utter perfection and one of the many reasons I was so intrigued by this story. The vibe was just a big yes and aah I need more books like this. Seriously, this is like my ideal dark fantasy.

Another thing that definitely added to that vibe is Kerri Maniscalco's writing style because wow. I completely fell in love with it and aaah. There are beautiful lines like the quote I picked, but also other gems like: "Why do villains always wear black?" "Better to hide the blood with, witch." Like, how can you even THINK I can resist such quotes?

Now, the characters might even be better than the vibe. I know, shocking! But Emilia is literally my new queen, I just love her so much. I could really connect with her! Also, this book is full of morally grey characters and I'm here for it, just so you know.

The romance made my heart stop beating (maybe I also cried...just maybe) and that's all I'm gonna say because I'm not ready to talk about it yet. 

However, for some reason, I just can't give this book 5/5. I don't know exactly why because I'm A MESS over this book, but I have a gut feeling the sequel is gonna fill that empty spot either way. Talking about the sequel...2021? I NEED IT NOW!

So ehm yeah, I'm pretty obsessed. I just want more and don't know what to do with my life until I get it. Dark fantasy lovers will absolutely devour this book! Kingdom of the wicked gets a 4/5 from me! Kept me up all night...

Love,
Alissa

I haven't read anything by the author before, and I know she is very famous for her Stalking Jack The Ripper series, which I have to say that I have sitting on my TBR. When I got this in my ARCs, I interpreted it as a sign to start reading her work. So, I gave this and chance and it left me wanting to read more of her.

Before starting to talk about the book, I wanted to advise some readers on some trigger warning that might affected some readers if they decide to read this book. The trigger warnings are: descrptions and metions of gruesome murders. I only say this in case it is a sensitive topic for any of you.

Apart from that, I have to say that this book was right up my alley when it comes to the things that it had. I mean... who doesn't like some witches, demons, spells and murders. I like eveything about that, so I was immediately drawn by this book and its story. The dark part kept you guessing all the time, which I also liked!

As for characters, I can't not mention Emilia. She had this will for vengeance, this strength and bravery that was really admirable, and made you want to chace her adventures on each page.

In the darkness, with only a sliver of moonlight illuminating the earth, the cathedral stands looming in front of you. Small, flickering candles in the windows give this place a breath of life, but all you can sense is death. You take a step inside, shutting what little moonlight there was out. Hesitantly you descend into the catacombs... you don’t have a choice. You must learn the secrets, you must discover why the demons are present, you must learn why evil is penetrating the earth. Your grandma always told you to beware of the demons and their ability to lure you in. But right now you don’t have a choice.

Kingdom of the Wicked was just... wow. Once I picked this book up there was no putting it down. Witches, demons, darkness, spells that need broken? This book had all of the darkness wrapped into its pages and I was here for it. It constantly kept me guessing too, which I loved!

Emilia’s character was someone I could get behind. Her will for vengeance, her strength, her bravery — I loved following her across each page as she uncovered the secrets behind the deaths of witches and the reasons demons were haunting the earth.

I won’t say any more to avoid spoilers... all I’m going to say is get your hands on this book!

TW: Gruesome Murders, Witchcraft, Demons.

This was interesting take on witches and the seven deadly sins. I loved the Italian setting and I really liked the main character. I would like to see more expanse on the magic system as some parts of it still feel a little confusing and more of an expanse on the romantic relationship as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange of an honest review.

Kingdom of the Wicked
Genres: Historical Fantasy, New Adult, Upper YA.

I literally screamed when I saw I could request KOW and then, three weeks later, when I was approved for an arc.

Kerri Maniscalco is one of my favorite authors and the STJR series is a beloved of mine, so naturally, I was excited to dive into this new world.

Kerri not only outdid herself as a writer, but she outdid the amazing-ness of STJR. 

Kingdom of the Wicked is a gothic tale of horror, family, love, temptation, magic and fantasy set in 19th century Italy. I’ve never been to Italy but with the lush descriptions, I could really picture myself in one of the many alleys Emilia wandered in.

Emilia & Wrath’s dynamics were everything I wanted to read this 2020. Their dialogue and banter was full of tension that made my stomach  churn.

And the plot, I still can’t believe all the things that happened and I’m hope in 2021 I’m lucky enough to read an arc of KOW’s sequel. 

Definitely, my best 2020 read!

This was my very first Kerri Maniscalco book and oh my goodness, it did not disappoint! I absolutely loved the premise and the atmospheric world-building. The story was captivating and engaging and holy cow I could not stop turning the pages! This was a fantastic read! I highly recommend!

Thank you JIMMY Patterson and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.

3,5 *

This is the second book I’ve read written by Kerri Maniscalco and I liked this book more than I did with Stalking Jack the Ripper, which I know many people love.

The writing style was something I like in this book, it kept me reading this book and dive into this world.
I really enjoyed reading this book for about 70%, the last 30% I got disappointed by the way the story went, it was hard for me to keep reading this book to finish it. The world building was interesting and I liked Wrath really much. The main character Emilia was someone I couldn’t really relate to, the decisions she made through to the end weren’t things I liked. In addition to that was it obvious for me which person was the killer. I hoped it wasn’t someone that obvious for me, so I got disappointed at the end.

Overall was it for the most part a book which I liked to read and I think I’m going to read the second book when it comes out.

**4.5-stars**

Emilia and her twin sister, Vittoria, are witches, who live secretly among humans on the island of Sicily. Their family runs a renowned local restaurant, where both girls work. At eighteen years old, they've been raised hearing the lore of their family, and other beings of the underworld; mostly at the knee of their beloved Nonna.

But these stories become all too real after Emilia discovers the body of her murdered sister. Overcome with grief, Emilia's saving grace seems to be her need for vengeance. Her overwhelming need to find her sister's killer keeps her from wallowing in despair for too long. Pairing herself with a Prince from Hell, Wrath, Emilia begins to follow clues through the shadow-ridden Sicilian streets, as more and more witches fall to the same fate as Vittoria.

In the beginning, I'll admit, I wasn't sold. It started a little slow for me. The first couple of chapters seemed generic. Emilia felt like many YA characters I had read before. I was sceptical.

However, I am so happy to report, I had no reason to be. Once Emilia and Wrath met up, everything began to fall into place and I ended up really enjoying this. While the format was slightly typical, as far as enemies-to-lovers tropes go, I still thought it was special; and I love that trope. I thought the evolution of their relationship was perfectly paced and the way they worked together, two thumbs up. Until the bitter end, I was with them, hook, line and sinker.

As the story unfolded, I was so impressed with Emilia's guts and determination. She's up against some super scary forces, yet never backs down. Pushing herself to the limits, her ability to stare straight in the face of danger was admirable. By the end, she's one of my new favorite heroines.

As far as Wrath goes, we stan. Everything about him, from his snarky attitude, his knowledge of all things dark and hellish, his tattoos, his sexy outfits, I loved it all. I also feel like we have so much more to learn about him. Fingers crossed this happens moving forward in the series.

The atmosphere is top notch as well and I liked how Maniscalco didn't shy away from some very dark images and scenes. This last bit of this book was absolutely wild and I cannot wait for the next one to be released!!! Seriously, is it too early to request a copy!?

Thank you so much to the publisher, Jimmy Patterson, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I truly appreciate it!