Dark tales, prophecies, witches, and demon’s with a obsession for fashion–Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco is a spellbinding story of the lengths a person will go to for their family members. From the very first page I was enchanted and so enraptured that this has instantly become one of my newest favorite books.
Genres: Paranormal FantasyPublisher: Jimmy Patterson
Publication Date: October 27th 2020
Source: Owned
Format: Audible / Physical Copy
Two sisters.
One brutal murder.
A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself…
And an intoxicating romance.
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 that 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…
“There are victors and victims. Decide who you want to be. Or the choice will be made for you, witch. And I doubt you’ll like it.”
It has been 72 hours since I finished this book and I can’t stop thinking about it. This was everything I didn’t know I needed in my life and more. Kingdom of the Wicked spins the dark tale of Emilia, a witch whose life from birth has been soaked in prophecies. All her life, Emilia and her twin sister were taught to fear the seven princes of hell and to ensure that they never set foot in the human realm. But after the traumatic murder of her twin sister, Emilia is out for blood and answers and will stop at nothing until justice is served–even if it means summoning the devil himself.
Y’all–Kerri Maniscalco out did herself so much with this one that I don’t even know where to begin with this review. Maniscalco’s breathtaking writing style and imaginative settings were on full display with this book and I literally was on the edge of my seat every time I got a chance to pick this book back up. Let’s also not forget the spell-binding way she creates her characters and the chemistry between them.
I simply could not get enough of Emilia and Wrath. Emilia life was as normal as it could be for a witch in the streets of Italy. She worked at her family’s local restaurant with her twin sister, Vittoria, and her parents and Nonna. Life was simple for her and I honestly found her glow up to be the best part of the book. The death of her sister made her shift into this independent bad ass of a witch that I couldn’t help myself from shouting “YAS QUEEN!” in the middle of the night as I devoured the chapters. The growth she forced herself to go through in order to quench her revenge was one that was slow but oh so satisfying. She found her footing and somewhat of a place in this supernatural world, and I was living for it.
“Young women died. Life resumed. Such was the way of the world, at least according to men.”
There are no words to explain how much I loved Wrath, and how very much I wish he wasn’t fictional–as I have a desperate need. Wrath’s wit and charm (and obsession with fashion) is one of the many highlights that Maniscalco brings to this story. Wrath and Emilia’s constant back and forth and quirky snips were better than A1 steak sauce at the Fourth of July Picnic. I cannot brag enough just how much Wrath brought to the table and how he never brought Emilia down, but rather helped guide her and build her up in a way that was both subtle and resounding. Clutch your pearls and maybe even grab your Bible Ma–your daughter officially stans a prince of hell.
All in all, this was a fast pace and adrenaline inducing paranormal mystery that I am literally on my tippy toes waiting for the next book to release. I’ve already started theorizing about different things which I feel like that in itself is this highest form of praise I can give to a book or storyline. Maniscalco effortlessly captured not only my heart with this heart stopping story, but also my brain as–like I’ve said–I haven’t been able to get Kingdom of the Wicked out of my head since hitting the last page. If you are into upper YA (almost New Adult if I’m honest), and love a get enemies to possible lovers (to soon to tell!), revenge/mystery story–I genuinely think you should give this a go! And when you do finish it, come back and tell me how you liked it so I have more people to gush over this book with!
Huge shout out to Jamsu @ Jamsu Dreams for buddy reading this with me! Can’t wait for our next read! If you are interested in reading her thoughts on the book, click HERE for her review!
Ooh, this sounds really good! I have a hard time with books where people’s sisters die, but you are making it sound so wonderful I think I’ll have to venture outside my comfort zone.
Holy crap, now I am kicking myself for writing this new series off after being SO DISAPPOINTED with the way SJTR progressed and ended because this sounds so good?!?!? I might have to give her another chance.