Ohhhhhhh

I really, really enjoyed this! Honestly it was none stop and the only reason it didn’t get 5 stars (and this may be on me), I found it slightly difficult to keep up with everything and everyone.

Really loved the characters and the elements that were introduced throughout, it will be interesting to see the brothers in action.

What was so interesting is seeing how the emotions were effected with each interaction and how powers were woven in.

After that ending I genuinely have NO idea what’s going to come AND I don’t even know/understand what’s going on with certain characters.

Added bonus the copy I own is stunning! Can’t wait to carry on with this series!

Well where do I start with this one?

It originally wasn't on my radar as I hadn't liked the SJTR books, but then a friend mentioned that it had the 7 princes of Hell and demons in it and I was sold!

A couple of friends had read and loved this but I still went in with low expectations just in case and now I think this may be one of my favourite books of the year!

The suspense was great, I didn't see any of the twists coming and don't get me started in Wrath! He's probably my favourite character!

It did end on a cliffhanger though and how on earth am I supposed to wait a year for the sequel?!

Kerri Maniscalco is an author who I discovered last year, after reading her Stalking Jack the Ripper series, which I loved! So, when I found out she was writing a new series Kingdom of the Wicked I knew I had to read it and was ecstatic when I received an e-arc. As soon as I jumped into it, I was captivated and it certainly exceeded all of my expectations.

Emilia and her sister Victoria are streghe, witches that secretly live among humans. One night, after Victoria misses a dinner service at the family restaurant, Emilia investigates and soon finds the body of her sister. Devastated and fuelled with revenge, Emilia sets out to find out who did this to her sister, even if that means using dark magic. Emilia soon meets Wrath, one of the seven demon brothers who has been tasked with investigating the murder of women on the island. Emilia is soon drawn to working with Wrath, but it is clear that this mystery is due to take a sinister turn.

WOW! Is the first thing I can say about Kingdom of the Wicked. As soon as I started reading I knew I was in for one hell of a ride, and this didn’t stop until I finished the very last page. I love a murder mystery and this one certainly kept me on my toes, and I honestly couldn’t tell what was going to happen next. With most mystery novels I like to take a stab at guessing who’s behind the crime, but with Kingdom of the Wicked, I couldn’t tell. You get taken on this whirlwind, with twists at every corner and you are left breathless come to the end. I don’t think I’ve read a murder mystery quite like this one in a while, and I’m not sure if anything will be able to beat it if I’m being totally honest.

The setting within Kingdom of the Wicked was STUNNING! Set against a nineteenth-century Italian backdrop, the descriptions of the surroundings were poetic, almost lyrical at times and this helped transport my mind into this Sicilian village. Also, the food! Oh, the food! You could certainly tell that Maniscalco had a passion for Italian cuisine through the way she wrote about each dish, including every little minute detail. I must admit, I was left feeling rather hungry after finishing the book.

Emilia was a character who grew, as the story progressed. At the start, she’s quiet and in her sister’s shadow. However, after discovering her sister’s body we see a different side of her. Fuelled with rage, grief and revenge we see her grow in confidence and willingness to do whatever it takes to find out what happened to her sister. Wrath, well he was certainly something else! I found his backstory to be rather intriguing and I am looking forward to finding out more in book two. The way the demon brothers are based on the seven deadly sins is such a unique twist, and yet again I am looking forward to seeing how that develops. There was also a slight romantic plot within the story, which was steeped in sexual tension, and I found myself becoming invested in this subplot. I am eager to see what happens between these two characters as the story progresses.

Kingdom of the Wicked was a thrilling, compelling read that had me gripped from the very start. This world that Maniscalco has created is rich in magic, history, mystery and incredible sounding food, and I, for one cannot wait to get my hands on book two.

Where do I even begin with this beaut of a book? The storyline was intense and exciting. The characters were engaging and I felt like I instantly became attached to each of them for different reasons. However, can we please talk about Wrath? Hello! He was everything I want in a dark and brooding soul. He was everything I didn't know I was missing in my life! The interaction between Wrath and Emilia is delicious! Speaking of delicious, the descriptions of food made hungry....after most chapters I found myself starving and just wanting to shovel fancy pasta into my mouth! I NEED THE SEQUEL ASAP!!

Verdict: Excellent start, then descends into Q&A.

*Content warning for gore.*
It's 19th Century Italy. Emilia and Vittoria are twins witches entrusted with powerful necklaces that should never touch. When Emilia's twin is murdered, she wants revenge and will even go as far as secretly summoning a demon in pursuit of finding her sister's killer.

The atmospheric setting combined with the use of Italian such a natural, smooth way made it very easy to love. I also loved how Emilie started out as the cautious twin but became more adventurous through necessity. The best bit about the book is the killer opening with all the right gothic witch vibes. It was insta-love for me with this book, and I thought I was preparing to write a raving review.

The story descended into Q&A pretty quick after the blurb hooks were done. It made sense at first: capture a demon, question him. Then go find another demon, question them...repeat. Then it became the story crutch, where the only plot progression was a Q&A or rhetorical snarky questions to disguise the Q&A.

I wanted to live more in the fabulous world set up in the few first chapters - not read an FAQ about it!

I've seen a lot of reviews say that the writing is very easy to get along with it, which I guess is true...but I found the writing kind of meh. It straightforward and heavy on internal thoughts, with most of what happens explained several times with different musings, theories, and little sense of urgency, especially during action scenes. It has voice, but not much spark, which I think ultimately affected the pace for me.

The book felt loooong too. It has some great moments but it's a tad predictable. Also, the drama could have possibly been avoided if the Nan acted to protect her grandchildren - which given her character, I think she would have. So the plot is kind of thin in that respect.

That said, it ended in a very interesting place. I have a feeling book two might be where the story really kicks off, and I'm curious to see where it's heading. I think the next book might be everything I wanted from this one, so I might not be done with this series yet.

Source: Thanks to publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

It really is worrying me that I now have to wait A WHOLE YEAR to get my hands on the sequel to this book. It was intense (and made me incredible hungry for pasta) all the way through. I loved the characters - Emilia's nan was amazing. I still have hope that Wrath is going to pull through - please!!!

I am immediately adding all of Kerri Maniscalo's other books to my wish list in the meantime.

Oh, that joyous feeling when one of your most anticipated books of the year turns out to be one of your favourites. Yep, I’m getting it out of the way early that Kingdom of the Wicked was one of the best books I’ve read this year and one you guys should all pick up soon!

This is the first book in a new series following Emilia, a streghe – or witch – who after discovering the body of her twin sister, vows to find her sister’s killer and to get revenge. But doing so involves using the kinds of dark magic her Nonna warned her against and when she summons one of the Wicked, Wrath, a Prince of Hell she winds up discovering her sister was involved in a web that was a lot more dangerous and complicated then she’d ever have expected.

Can I talk about Wrath first? Like, I loved Cresswell in the Stalking Jack the Ripper books but Wrath was amazing and definitely a new book boyfriend. Just. Wow. He’s as angry as you’d expect when considering his sin but he’s also intelligent, witty and very picky about what he wears. I love his attitude and everything about him. Let’s not lie, he sounds hot too. Sorry to be shallow but I can’t resist.

Emilia was a great main character. In the beginning she was someone happy to sit and let things happen to her at first but as soon as her sister dies she seems to discover herself in her need for vengeance. I loved that she wasn’t trying to stand out and be different but she still know what she wanted and would work hard to get it. Family is important and I love her knowledge of food. Even if so much of the food talk made me seriously hungry. I need Italian food now. But I do love when the food featured sounds so good because it makes me want to try out some of the suggestions.

Together Emilia and Wrath are going to make a powerful couple. I loved their bickering, I loved the fact they kept calling each other witch and demon. So many of their scenes would work with an OTP of mine and that gave me so much pleasure. But despite the fact they anger each other a lot, they work well together and I look forward to seeing how they explore the world around them as the series goes on. They’re a match made in hell and I love it.

The worldbuilding was spectacular. I love who the devil was, I loved the use of streghes and benandanti and how the magic is portrayed. I’ve already mentioned the use of food but I’ve got to add that again. Everything about this book was intriguing and delightful. I couldn’t put it down and honestly, I don’t know why it took me so long to get to. I’m excited to see where this world of demons, witches and shapeshifters is going to lead us and I need more now.

If you’ve not already picked up a copy – or got one through a book box – I highly recommend you do!

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.

3.5 stars

I have to start off by saying that the cover of the book is stunning (and just a little creepy, haha). I've read all except the last book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series and I enjoy this author's writing. That was once again the case when I started Kingdom of the Wicked. I love that about books, because it's so easy to fly through them.

When I read the prologue, I was all for the setting in Italy. I haven't read many books set there, so that was quite a pleasant surprise. I love reading stories about magic, witches and danger and that's what it seemed to promise. The first chapter is ten years after the prologue and if I'm honest it started a bit slow. Once Vittoria's twin dies, things start going pretty fast. She's out to find revenge and that makes perfect sense.

I thought Vittoria was an interesting character (even if she is a bit naive). Vittoria is clearly grieving the loss of her sister and I thought it was a good choice that the author spent some time with that. It's not something that just disappears and I'm glad it stayed part of this book. Our main character loves making food in the family's restaurant and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hungry while reading this one. The dishes they talk about sound amazing.

That being said this book didn't meet all of my expectations. The story is a bit slow and I would've loved a bit more time learning about the family and their magic. Also, the gates of Hell are slowly opening and we start meeting the Wicked-princes it all went really fast. It felt too easy at times. I really would've liked more time with that and also even more of Wrath. We get time with Wrath, but I still feel it stayed a bit too much on the surface.

At times Kingdom of the Wicked was also a bit predictable (I actually ended up guessing quite a few twists) and while I enjoyed the banter between Vittoria and Wrath, I also needed more. It just really felt like we were flying through everything at times, especially near the end. Even though I do have my notes, I did enjoy this one. It was an easy read and the ending did leave me wanting more. I love the atmosphere this author creates in the settings she chooses. I felt like I was right there with our characters at times.

Kingdom of the Wicked brings a new twist to the witch and devil story.




The leading lady of Kingdom of the Wicked is Emilia an 18-year-old twin in historical Italy. I loved Emilia her determination and fire draw me to her. Also, she is smart, loyal and enjoys cooking, She isn't perfect but she tries. Normally when I read a book that has twins as the main characters I get more emotional connections. I can see myself and my twin in those characters. But in Kingdom of the Wicked I didn't, I think it might be that I saw myself in both twins and would of do either thing.

One of my favourite aspects is that the seven princes of hell are based on the seven deadly sins. And the princes Emilia meets are deadly and sexy. Also how the power of the princes impacts Emilia, some make sense when connected to there sin, others are very smart in how they connect.

The main plot of Kingdom of the Wicked is the mystery that Emilia has to uncover and how it connects to the Wicked, the Witches and Emilia Family. The story kept me interested and even in places surprised me.

The pace for the book for me was in between medium and fast, it kept a good pace with moment towards the end where is sped up.




Kingdom of the Wicked has magic, romance and mystery in a historical Italian world. It a great read for fantasy fan.




My Rating for Kingdom of the Wicked is 4.5 out of 5.

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

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!

“There are seven demon princes, but only four di Carlos should fear: Wrath, Greed, Envy, and Pride. One will crave your blood. One will capture your heart. One will steal your soul. And one will take your life.”

Twins Emilia and Vittoria are witches. The have grown up listening to their grandmother's stories of wicked demons and the princes of the underworld. Beliving these stories to be just that Emilia goes about her days working in her family's restaurant, the Sea and Vine. Everything changes when a string of murdered girls leads to their small island villiage.

This was my first book by Kerri Maniscalco and I loved every second of it! It was the dark, vengeful tale I didn't know I needed. I love a book with a fast pace, and in Kingdom of the Wicked the excitement and suspence never seemed to stop!

I really enjoyed Maniscalo's writting style and the smooth flow kept me hooked. I loved all of the characters. Wrath was the broody and mean villian with a heart of gold I fall in love with everytime and his brothers were equally wicked.
While I enjoyed watching Emilia's character grow alongside her desire for vengence, I still believe she has a long way to go and I can't wait to read about it in the upcoming books!

My one complaint about this book is that I found the world building lacking. I would really like to learn more about the world the witches live in as well as their history and culture.

Overall, I truely enjoyed this story and I am dying for book two! Since finishing this book I have been reccomending it to everyone. If you are looking for a dark and wicked fantasy read, Kingdom of the Wicked is for you!

I have to say when I started this book I wasn't sure what to expect, I mostly got it because I liked the authors other work. I did enjoy it, it was full of adventure and I really enjoyed learning more about Hell, magic and demons. 

I enjoyed the setting of this book, it takes place in Italy, I'm not quite sure of the time period but its definitely historical rather than modern. I liked that the family had a restaurant and all the descriptions of food really made the setting stand out.

I did enjoy learning more about the magic, the Princes of Hell and curses in this story. It was all very interesting and I enjoyed putting together all the mysteries. It was dark and full of adventure and quite bloody in bits! The plot was captivating which made this a quick read, we are left with a lot of questions that makes you want to read more! It seems there is much more going on than meets the eye.

Emilia was an interesting character but I felt her personality was a bit all over the place. It was hard to get a feel on what she was truly like. I was surprised by the lack of romance in this book, this is not an issue for me as I don't like romance and having a demon prince be all loving and nice would have been very annoying.

Overall an enjoyable story full of adventure and mystery. I think the characters could have been better but they were good. I really enjoyed the plot and the dark undertones. I'm very excited to see more of the Kingdom of the Wicked in the next book!

Kingdom of the Wicked exceeded all my expectations - compulsively readable, I struggled to put KotW down, and seemed to speed through. I can't wait for the sequel!

Deliciously creepy and I love the new style of writing--the prologue sucked me in from the beginning and I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this! The ending, much like the 2nd book in the RIPPER series, left me a bit "huh?" but other than that, I really liked it

I loved this so much! The characters were great and the story itself was absolutely captivating.
Kerri Maniscalco delivered another brilliant book here and I can’t wait to read the sequel.

Thank you so much to Hodder for granting me early access to this title for a review via Netgally.

Kingdom of the Wicked was one of my most anticipated reads this year, the plot is intriguing, the cover is, frankly, amazing and there was a lot of noise around it. Maniscalco has a devoted following thanks to her Stalking Jack the Ripper series (one I have yet to read) and comes highly recommended from all sides. I was ready to dip my toes in the Maniscalco pool.

And Kingdom of the Wicked did not disappoint. While I didn't absolutely love it, I really enjoyed it. The premise was a supernatural feast and perfect for an October read. Maniscalco brings a simple yet moreish narrative style, introducing characters with ease and opening the story naturally.

This was another book I read incredibly quickly, although I certainly felt a lull 2/3rds of the way in. I found a lot of things just happened far too easily for my liking and I wanted more detailed explanations.

That being said, I did still really enjoy it. The plot was clever and it brought me a fresh tale of witches and demons - I live in hope that book two will give us the smut that was just teased in this one! Emilia started as a demure character who gradually came out of her shell, the death of her more outgoing sister seeming to push her to grow up a bit. I loved how sure of herself she became and it was refreshing to read about her insecurities throughout.

In terms of plot, the narrative was fast paced and interesting. It kept me guessing and I was invested in the murder mystery aspect of it. Supernatural murder mysteries work so well - give me more! The descriptions Maniscalco uses really get you invested, I could practically smell the food the characters were cooking - I love italian food, it’s all so tasty and every time it was discussed in the book I was practically salivating while mentally searching my cupboards for all the ingredients!

Kingdom of the Wicked definitely left me in a bit of a food hangover if not a book one. While I experienced that lull, it quickly picked itself back up and by the end I was desperately in need of book two. Such a shame I've got god knows how long to wait for it!

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.

Perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas and Claire Legrand! This was dark and lush with a romance that swept me away. If you loved The Stalking Jack the Ripper series, this will not disappoint!