trilogy review | kingdom of the wicked – kerri maniscalco

Hello! Today’s trilogy review is for Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco. I’m joining the blog tour that I participated in 2020 into this review as well. Now that I have read all three books, I think Kingdom of the Cursed is my favorite as it developed the romance between Wrath and Emilia to a whole new heights, and we were transported into the world of the vices which was interesting to say the least!

Navigate through this post with the titles below:
🐍 #1: Kingdom of the Wicked | 💀 #2: Kingdom of the Cursed | 👑 #3: The Kingdom of the Feared

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Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

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Series: Kingdom of the Wicked #1
Published October 27th 2020 by Jimmy Patterson
Age Range: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Synopsis:

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… 

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

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Thank you, Book Terminal Tours for selecting me as one of the participants in the #GetWickedTour. Check out the other creators included in this tour!

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I would like to start off by saying, I’m pretty obsessed with this new series already. It’s perfect for autumn. All of the elements of the spooky season is packed in 448 pages. Witch magic, princes of Hell, murder mystery, rituals and creepy settings (& more supernatural beings to come). If I’m not mistaken, I’ve never read any book set in 1800s Sicily so this was incredibly exciting to read.

Also, as you prepare to go on an adventure, be warned that you’re to be bombarded with yummy descriptions of Italian cuisines and pastries because Emilia’s family owns a restaurant, and they’re always cooking. I couldn’t stop drooling. Even a Hell prince can’t deny it.

“I do not wish to taint my body with the foulness of human food,” I mocked. “But desserts are acceptable.”
He didn’t deign to respond. Instead he rummaged in the bag, frowning at the emptiness.

Each of the seven princes of Hell reflects one of the Seven Deadly Sins. It influences their power, personality and identity. As someone who adores when books incorporate things like Seven Deadly Sins, the Zodiac signs or Astrological signs, this was a dream come true. An intriguing concept was that different ingredients, requirements and rituals were used to summon the various royal Houses.

Through Emilia’s perspective, Kingdom of the Wicked explored the concept of witch magic and its history, and demon magic as she interacts with Wrath and his brothers. Interestingly enough, as readers witness how different both magic systems are, there’s similarity as well. What I hope will be further developed and fleshed out in the subsequent books is the different types of witches.

Of the pair, Vittoria is the vivacious, adventurous and daring twin. Emilia’s contented with a book, cooking in their family restaurant and a mundane life. When Vittoria is found murdered, Emilia’s life is thrown into disarray. Determined to find out who and why her sister is dead, Emilia turns to an unusual ally. She summons Wrath, one of the princes of Hell, to help her figure things out. Wrath has secrets of his own and his motive is unknown.

“By earth, moon, and stone, bless this hearth, bless this home.”

Thoroughly in love with the romance. The build up between Emilia and Wrath was filled with tension from the start. They couldn’t trust one another but had to work together. Slowly, feelings started growing into attraction but nothing too much yet. I love a good slow-burning romance. One brooding Hell prince who can be sweet and a witch determined to find justice for her sister. This pair is going to face lots of obstacles in the future.

Overall, great start to a new series by Kerri Maniscalco. Witchcraft, demon magic, and other supernatural beings. A blooming romance that’s already filled with tension. I’m unbelievably pumped for you guys to read Kingdom of the Wicked.

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The next review is for the second book, Kingdom of the Cursed!

Navigate through this post with the titles below:
🐍 #1: Kingdom of the Wicked | 💀 #2: Kingdom of the Cursed | 👑 #3: The Kingdom of the Feared

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Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco

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Series: Kingdom of the Wicked #2
Published October 26, 2021 by Hodder & Stoughton
Age Range: Young Adult/New Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Synopsis:

After selling her soul to become Queen of the Wicked, Emilia travels to the Seven Circles with the enigmatic Prince of Wrath, where she’s introduced to a seductive world of vice.

She vows to do whatever it takes to avenge her beloved sister, Vittoria… even if that means accepting the hand of the Prince of Pride, the king of demons.

The first rule in the court of the Wicked? Trust no one. With back-stabbing princes, luxurious palaces, mysterious party invitations, and conflicting clues about who really killed her twin, Emilia finds herself more alone than ever before. Can she even trust Wrath, her one-time ally in the mortal world… or is he keeping dangerous secrets about his true nature? 

Emilia will be tested in every way as she seeks a series of magical objects that will unlock the clues of her past and the answers she craves…

One sister. 
Two sinful princes.
Infinite deception with a side of revenge… Welcome to Hell.

Goodreads

Book Depository

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Kingdom of the Cursed was what I wanted and more. In Wicked, every vice is amplified. To avenge her sister’s death, Emilia sold her soul to the devil. Wrath was tasked to transport Emilia to meet her betrothed, Prince of Pride. While in the House of Wrath, Emilia is determined to find out more about Wicked and the history of the place. In the meantime, she meets the other Princes of Hell. 

Emilia armed herself with knowledge and suspicions, without truly trusting any of the princes, and tries her best not to fall for the temptations. Aware of the consequences of getting played into the hands of the Princes, Emilia is careful with her actions. Mysteriously, Emilia kept having short scenes of dreams or flashbacks which featured a person with no face. 

In Wicked, Wrath and Emilia got into steamier situations than I had anticipated. Their relationship bordered on love and hate. Even though she’s engaged to the devil, things somehow just developed between her and Wrath. Since vices are amplified, Emilia couldn’t recognize her true feelings regarding Wrath. Is she lusting after him because of the seductive environment or is she slowly falling in love with the enigmatic prince?

Wrath, though hiding things from Emilia, is sensitive to her needs. He specifically requested mortal ingredients to be brought to the House of Wrath so that Emilia could cook and be surrounded by something familiar. While his protective nature comes out often, Wrath gives Emilia space to make her own decisions. 

The whole setting of Wicked was fascinating. The lore behind the seven sisters, seven stars, and seven sins were fun to discover as well. The Hell Princes were intriguing characters with their own personal agenda, especially Envy who spends quite a bit of time with Emilia. All of them made quite an impression. 

Overall, all love, no complaints. I loved Kingdom of the Cursed with Emilia and Wrath’s feelings deepening.

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The next review is for the last book, Kingdom of the Feared!

Navigate through this post with the titles below:
🐍 #1: Kingdom of the Wicked | 💀 #2: Kingdom of the Cursed | 👑 #3: The Kingdom of the Feared

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Kingdom of the Feared by Kerri Maniscalco

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Series: Kingdom of the Wicked #3
Published September 27, 2022 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Age Range: Young Adult/New Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Synopsis:

Emilia is reeling from the shocking discovery that her twin sister, Vittoria, is alive. But before she faces the demons of her past, Emilia yearns to claim her king, the seductive Prince of Wrath, in the flesh. Emilia doesn’t simply desire his body, she wants his heart and soul—but that’s something the enigmatic demon can’t promise her.

When a high-ranking member of House Greed is assassinated, Emilia and Wrath are drawn to the rival demon court. Damning evidence points to Vittoria as the murderer and she’s quickly declared an enemy of the Seven Circles. Despite her betrayal, Emilia will do anything to solve this new mystery and find out who her sister really is.

Together Emilia and Wrath play a sin-fueled game of deception as they work to stop the unrest that’s brewing between witches, demons, shape-shifters and the most treacherous foes of all: the Feared.

Emilia was warned that when it came to the Wicked nothing was as it seemed. But, have the true villains been much closer all along? When the truth is finally revealed, it just might end up costing Emilia her heart.

Two curses.
One prophecy.
A reckoning all have feared.

And a love more powerful than fate. All hail the king and queen of Hell.

Goodreads

Book Depository

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Oh man, we started spicy between Emilia and Wrath, as soon-to-be Queen and King of Hell. The boat scene to Greed’s territory (wow) and the insane teasing in the gambling hall (hot damn). The attraction is intense. They are bound to be Queen and King, but the obstacles are in abundance. Emilia realized that while Wrath is willing to be with her, something is stopping him from giving her his heart. What wouldn’t Emilia do for her love? I love a bad bitch. 

By the end of Kingdom of the Cursed, Vittoria’s death is revealed to be false. Now, Emilia will find out what Vittoria is plotting all along and what’s her true identity. While Emilia is going to be Wrath’s equal as his Queen, there’s a whole other identity that Emilia will claim in Kingdom of the Feared. In the meantime, Vittoria is suspected to be a murderer and became an enemy of the Seven Circles. While Emilia has no idea what Vittoria has planned, she will figure out why the events unfolded this way. 

Goddesses to be unleashed, curses to be broken, lives to be taken, vices to sin, memories to be restored. Kingdom of the Feared had all these and more. I can’t believe this is already the end of Emilia and Wrath’s story, but I’m holding onto hope that we will be blessed with at least one more series set in Hell. I mean, the way things developed between a goddess, a prince of Hell, and someone else, this love triangle will be explosive. 

I want more.

other books by the author

series review | stalking jack the ripper – kerri maniscalco

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