I really wanted to love this one, the concept sounded so interesting but the execution didn’t live up to my original hype. I just didn’t feel like the writing flowed very well and the characters felt underdeveloped

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. Thank you, Hodder & Stoughton, for the chance to read and review Kingdom of the Wicked.

Emilia and her twin Vittoria are streghe, witches and they live secretly among humans, protecting each other, their family and their secrets. When Vittoria is brutally murdered, Emilia, devastated and furious, decides to do anything in her power to avenge her and seek vengeance, even using dark magic. When a spell invokes Wrath, one of the Wicked princes she has been warned about all her lives, Emilia strikes a deal with him to find Vittoria's murderer. Soon, between demons, spells, recipes, shapeshifters and murders, Emilia will have to learn to trust herself, her magic and to play a lethal game against unknown forces.


Kingdom of the Wicked is the first novel of a new series written by Kerri Maniscalco. Set in Sicily, the story is told by the main character, Emilia, who is strong-willed, fierce and ready to do anything to get answers and vengeance. Soon, she will learn that the tales her Nonna told her about aren't tales at all. Stories and monsters are real and in her city and she will face dangers in her search for vengeance and truth. The story is captivating and Emilia is a strong character, funny, witty, stubborn, refusing to let her fears stop her.
Her relationship with her family is sweet and intense and I love the way the author wrote about their connections, the family's restaurant, the Nonna's stories and protections, tales and spells.
The most interesting relationship is between Emilia and the demon she invoked, Wrath, in a game of stubborness, seduction, lies and plotting, while facing each other and the other demons and princes in the city.

I really loved reading Kingdom of the Wicked. The story is intriguing, the characters well written and interesting and I loved reading about food and recipes and family stories. With plot twists and a cliffhanger ending, Kingdom of the Wicked is a perfect first book and I can't wait to know what will happen next.

Ahhhhh I don’t even know where to begin with this review because I absolutely LOVED this book! I have frantically been trying to find out more information about book 2 because I’m DYING to know what happens next!

Kingdom of the Wicked follows Emilia, a stretge witch who one dreadful night finds her twin sister Vittoria has been killed. She is full of rage and vengeance and will stop at nothing to find out what happened and make someone pay. This includes using magic she shouldn’t be and summoning Prince of Hell, Wrath. Her grandmother warned her of the princes’ powers but of course she didn’t listen.

I was glued to the story from the first chapter and was already fairly certain this was going to end up 5 stars. The writing and story had me hooked!

I have always had an obsession with the 7 deadly sins, I honestly have no idea why but this books take on them is amazing. The world building, the supernatural beings/elements are so well thought out and I enjoyed every second of it.

I did really like Emilia as a character which is rare for me as she did have instances of making dumb decisions for the sake of the plot which usually annoys me. However, I was able to look past those in this case.

But the real star of the show has to be Wrath. He is everything I love in a book guy, he’s mysterious and clearly hiding secrets but I love him regardless! The chemistry between him & Emilia is so addictive, there’s so much banter and sexual tension that had me screaming just kiss already!

I couldn’t recommend this book enough! I honestly haven’t stopped thinking about it since I finished reading. If you’re a fan of dark magic, witches and secrets then this is definitely for you!

⁠I absolutely adored this book and highly recommend it. It had everything I love - witches, demons, romance, enemies-to-lover, the underworld - all amidst an evocative Italian setting. ⁠

Emilia was a wonderful main character and I completely sympathised with her desire for vengeance. I appreciated the focus on the importance of family and loved the emphasis on food as a means of bringing people together. Wrath was the perfect foil to Emilia. I lived for their bickering and reluctant partnership and I can't wait to see where their story goes next.⁠ Kerri definitely excels at writing male love interests!⁠

The mythology of the story was perfectly handled and was so intriguing. I wanted to know more and more about everything. KINGDOM OF THE WICKED allowed so much more scope for the author to demonstrate her creative potential compared the STALKING JACK THE RIPPER and it was subsequently engaging from beginning to end. The epic ending will leave you desperate for the sequel though!⁠

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'd been waiting for this to come out for a while so I was so happy when I was approved an e-arc.

The story follows Emilia, a witch from long lineage of witches, who finds her twin brutally murdered. To try and discover what happened she inadvertently summons Wrath, one of the seven Princes of Hell, to help her discover what has happened.

Emilia is the more reserved twin compared to her sister Vittoria but the journey to finding her sister's murderer, coupled with her grief and being tied to a demon Prince, brings out a more ruthless and pragmatic side of Emilia.

The book is set on Palermo, Sicily and I think the author does a great job of painting a vivid backdrop of Sicilian culture, language and food.
Emilia's family own a restaurant where she loves to cook and create new recipes, but be warned, it'll make you So hungry. I'd recommend having some Italian dishes on stand by!

I really loved Emilia, Wrath and their relationship & chemistry. It grew naturally throughout the story and Emilia managed to keep her head even as her attraction grew, which I found refreshing.
She also unashamedly loves to read steamy romance novels and I love the normalisation of that.

This book is dark, gruesome, steamy, intriguing and fun and I really loved the cliffhanger ending!

However, I had to knock it down a star for a few reasons;

Firstly, I would've liked to have seen more of Vittoria before she died, and I was also a bit frustrated about how her death came about.

Secondly, there is a big lack of POC characters. The story is set on a small island so I can *kind of* understand the lack of diversity, but there are also 7 Princes of Hell, 4 of whom we meet in this book, and as far as I can remember they're all described as having 'golden skin'. Please correct me if I'm wrong though!
I just feel like this was a missed opportunity, they're literally demon Princes - they can look like anything!
There is one man, Anir, who works for Wrath who is a POC but that seems to be it.

Lastly, there was no Queer rep. Tbf, there weren't a lot of characters outside of Emilia's family and the Princes but there was no mention of any queer folx or relationships. But I'm hoping maybe in book two, in a different environment, there might be some more diversity.

I'm not trying to nitpick because I genuinely loved the story but I think it could have a bit more inclusion.

Kingdom of the Wicked is the first in an all new series from Kerri Maniscalco. This is my first time reading a book by this author – I’ve long been intrigued by her Stalking Jack the Ripper series but I’ve never gotten around to reading it. When I heard she was releasing a new book featuring princes from Hell and a quest for vengeance, I was immediately sold. This is a dark and compelling tale – it’s beautifully told and definitely one of my favourite reads of 2020.

The story follows twin sisters Emilia and Vittoria. The sisters come from a long line of witches who live secretly among humans. When Vittoria is brutally murdered Emilia swears she will find out who the killer was and have her vengeance. She will stop at nothing to find out who is behind it – even using the dark magic her Nonna has forbidden her to use.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the vivid Italian setting, the fascinating magic system and the idea of the seven princes of hell. Emilia’s family run a restaurant and there’s quite a lot of descriptions of food that sounded so incredible it made me want to get on a plane to Italy right now. The story is really fast paced and there’s plenty of action as Emilia tries to solve the murderers, out-manoeuvre the princes of hell and battle some demons in between.

The characters are also incredibly well depicted in this story. Emilia is a clever and headstrong protagonist. She does what she has to do to protect her family and find out the truth of Vittoria’s murder. I also thought Wrath was a brilliant character – he’s so sarcastic and aloof, I absolutely loved seeing the banter and relationship evolve between the two.

Kingdom of the Wicked was a book I didn’t want to end and as soon as I turned that last page I was desperate for more. If you’ve been curious about this one I’d definitely recommend picking it up and I will be eagerly awaiting the second instalment in the series.

2.5 (rounded up)

I couldn't put it down and yet there is glaring plot holes and things doesn't make sense? The atmosphere could have been better and time jumps could have been managed better too. The depiction of grief is barely there, and there should be less book with first person point of view.

The mystery’s undeniable pull, matched with the fast pacing and Maniscalo’s flowing prose makes Kingdom of the Wicked a wild and glittering ride through a world of ancient magic and devilishly handsome lords of the underworld.

I loved the Sicilian setting that Maniscalo brought to life so vividly, especially the culture’s penchant for delicious food and the importance of family bonds. I honestly felt like I was walking the streets of Emilia’s hometown right along with her.

The romance felt dark and dangerous, filled with a burning desire that made this such an addictive read. Watching the sparks literally spark off the page as Emilia and Wraith’s enemies to lovers trajectory took off. Their interactions also allowed for some humour that was a welcome relief for the grim reality of Emilia’s predicament throughout the story.

I loved Emilia’s character, the rage and intrigue that fuels her to solve the core mystery of the book and face off against antagonists far more powerful than she can imagine without even flinching.

Kingdom of the Wicked was a sexy and seductive read. I absolutely cannot wait to see what Maniscalo does with the sequel after that absolutely killer ending, I’m so excited to travel into this other world with Emilia.

Tis was my first time reading Kerri Maniscalco’s work and all I can really say is it was alright. I did enjoy the story but also found it incredibly predictable and even slightly slow at times, bordering on boring at times.

The biggest plus for this book was the description of the food. This was just jam packed with the most delicious sounding meals and dishes imaginable. Though I do protest at the main character seemingly inventing bruschetta! I really did enjoy the premise of the book, it had real promise for me it just didn’t pay off. I really liked the magic system but it felt very sporadic and never fully explored. The concept of the 7 brothers of hell as representatives of the seven deadly sins was great but the ones we got to meet and the manner in which we met them was just lacklustre. It came off a little bit side quest in a video game to be honest. Go meet Envy, couple of lines of dialogue, tick him off the list, go meet Greed, couple of lines of dialogue, tick him off the list, with out them seemingly adding much to the overall story. It felt repetitive and I got a little board with it.

The romantic plot line felt like was so predictable you could see it coming a mile off. I love a good trope but I really appreciate when an author adds a little twist or a new angle to it but I could guess exactly how it was going to play out from the beginning which was disappointing. The plot also heavily relied on the MC just overlooking very obvious clues and foreshadowing, not talking to the right people or asking them obvious questions, which occasionally got frustrating.

Overall, it was fun but not without its faults. It did cliffhanger, at a point where it was beginning to take a different turn so I think I may actually enjoy book 2 more and will be reading it. If you have a soft spot for the more classic YA dark fantasy you will enjoy this.

2.5 stars
This is a case of “it’s not you, it’s me”. But do take my review with a grain of salt, I’ve seen some favorable reviews so far. This just wasn’t for me.

Kingdom of the Wicked follows Emilia as she tries to uncover the murder of her beloved twin, Vittoria. In doing so, she accidentally summons Wrath, a demon prince from Hell. They both work together to uncover the mysteries linking them both.

I absolutely loved the descriptions of the food. It was fun and vivid. I found myself drooling over the food from time to time. That being said, Maniscalco’s writing was simplistic and easy to read. This made for a fast-paced, quick read. However, in some instances, the pacing was extremely slow and it took a while for the plot to get going. But this is only the first book of the series, so I can look past that.

In terms of world-building, it was not enough. I was intrigued by the demons from Hell but we didn’t get much information regarding them. However, judging from how the book ended, this will be rectified.

Emilia was an okay protagonist. I found her to be a bit too impulsive. She doesn’t stop to think about anything. I wasn’t really a fan of her. I felt like I’ve read someone like her in so many books before. She had no qualities that made her stand out. The one that did not make sense as we are told Emilia was a witch, but she did not believe in supernatural creatures, such as demons and vampires. This was really odd.

I wished we got more insight into Emilia and Vittoria’s relationship. I wanted to see why Emilia did the things she had to do. It was not enough telling me why they were close, it needed to be shown.

In terms of romance, it felt a bit forced. Don’t get me wrong, I love the enemies-to-lovers trope but in this book’s case, it was not executed well. The banter between Emilia and Wrath felt so forced and random. I also felt they had no chemistry. Hopefully, we actually get to see more of their deep conversations in the sequel.

Overall, this was a solid read but it did not capture my attention. I do recommend if you love interesting lore and dark, vivid writing.

I’m always scared when going into a new series by an author that I love so much in case, for some reason, I don’t love it as much but that was not the case here. I absolutely love this book so much and honestly, it beat all the expectations I had for this book. The characters, the plot, the magic, the lore and just the level of detail was perfect! I cannot believe I have to wait for the next book in the series after that cliffhanger!

Okay, let me take a moment to stop gushing over my absolute love for this book and break down what made this book an easy five star read.

The characters in this book are so well written and so developed that you cannot help but grow attached to them and their story. Emilia was such a wonderful and strong-willed character that you couldn’t help but root for her on her journey to find out who killed her sister (which my heart still aches over). At times she was reckless but that made her so much more realistic. If my sister had been murdered I would do everything I could to get vengeance and that makes Emilia and her journey relatable.

Wrath is now officially my new bae and honestly, I adored his character and his personality. Also, let’s be real I’m a sucker for an enemies to lovers trope and this one knocks the nail on the head. I loved the chemistry and the tension between Wrath and Emilia. The banter between the two was superb and I honestly need more of it.

The side characters in this book were also great and developed ones who helped aid the book and it’s plot. I loved seeing the different princes and how they each had their own individual quirks and behaviours!

The whole entire premise of this book was just phenomenal. The setting, the magic system, the mouth-watering descriptions of the food and the world building in general were just all spot on and had me so captivated and engrossed in this unique world that Kerri Maniscalco has created. The Kingdom of Wicked completely takes hold of you and I never wanted it to let go. I need more of this world and these characters. This story is so dark and full of twists that I didn’t see coming and welcomed with open arms.

Honestly, I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of YA Fantasy. This is such a brilliant book and everyone should read it and suffer alongside me as we wait for the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what an absolutely amazing story teller! The way the author built this world, characters, and everything was just amazing! It was beautiful and easy to imagine, because the author had it developed in such a flawless manner! The story was absolutely riveting and held my attention from page one until the very last page! I’m not a huge fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction reader, but would read anything that this author put out, since it’s just so flawlessly written! An intriguing story that well grip you in a choke hold, until you finish! Highly recommend to those who love authors who basically write a book so perfectly it is able to be easily watched in your mind, while reading!

Thank to the publishers and Netgalley for an E-Arc copy of this book. Even though I was gifted this Arc all opinions are my own. What can I say but wow, I really enjoyed this. Kerri Maniscalco became an auto buy author, after reading her amazing Stalking Jack the Ripper series. I really enjoy her writing style and love how she crafts strong characters within her books. I really enjoyed the fantastical twists within this book. Th plot arc of the demon princes being the seven deadly sins, was inventive and engaging. Emilia is a strong woman, who will do anything to find who her sisters murderer is. I really enjoyed the family dynamics and her Nonna is wonderful. The author once, again has written an engaging mystery with twists and turns. She also knows how to write a loveable bad boy. If you have not picked this up yet, then I highly recommend that you do. I loved it so much I immediately ordered a hardcover for my library. I cannot wait for book 2.

4.5 stars

The ARC of this book was provided by the publishers Jimmy Patterson and Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I know it may sound unbelievable, but I never read anything by Kerri Maniscalco, this was the first book I read by this author and I can happily say she has already conquered my heart.
Kerri Maniscalco’s writing style is one of the perks of this novel. Her writing was really easy to get into and everything flowed smoothly and perfectly. I was hooked from the start and the book managed never to lose my attention. I was continuously intrigued and eager to see how the story would unfold.
Apart from that, the true top notch of Kingdom of the Wicked is the concept at its heart. The world the author created is so fascinating and quite unique: especially the fact that there are seven princes of Hell who are the embodiment of the seven deadly sins.

Regarding the characters, I appreciated a lot Emilia’s. I know some people think she was a little bit too naïve at times to be the heroine of the book, but in my opinion her mistakes and her greenness contributed to making her a realistic character. She’s not perfect and that’s absolutely fine. Wrath was one of my favourite characters. I always have a soft spot for these dark, charismatic, and mysterious characters, I admit it.

The only thing I can complain about is the mystery aspect. In my opinion, some things and twists concerning the plot were a bit predictable, as well as for the culprit of the murders, but I have to admit that I enjoyed them a lot nevertheless and that’s because I was really invested in the story.

After the ending of this novel, I can’t really wait to read the next one in the series!

This was my first time reading a book by Kerri Maniscalco. I’ve been hearing so much praise about her Stalking Jack the Reaper series for years so when I saw she had a YA fantasy about witches and demons coming out this autumn, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to delve into the author’s writing. I was expecting a dark witchy book to set the tone for the spooky season but, unfortunately, this didn’t deliver.

Kingdom of the Wicked is a historical fiction fantasy story set in 19th century Palermo. Emilia di Carlo, an eighteen-year-old shadow witch, has spent all her life hearing her grandmother’s tales and warnings about the seven demon princes of Hell. But she never though she would get to see those creatures; that is, until she finds one of them standing over the mutilated body of Vittoria, her twin sister. Seeking answers and vengeance, Emilia ends up magically bound to Wrath, one of the Wicked.

The premise had potential, but I soon got frustrated with the book due to the continued foolish and reckless decisions Emilia makes throughout this instalment. Moreover, her family sees how she continuously puts herself in danger and they don’t step in, which is especially shocking considering that the murderer who killed Vittoria is still free and killing more witches. Honestly, the decisions of the characters didn’t make any sense. Even Wrath, being an immortal being with centuries of experience, makes childish decisions. And don’t even get me started with the plot holes or how predictable was the identity of the murderer.

Another issue I had with this book is the complete lack of descriptions. The author says there is a monastery, a cathedral, a house. What kind of constructions are those buildings? How are they structured? Who knows. There are no descriptions, just a bunch of ingredient lists of the recipes from the family’s restaurant. In my opinion, when an authors don’t show the places to the reader, they are manifesting a carelessness of the scenarios.

I was expecting to find an enjoyable YA read in Kingdom of the Wicked, but it just fell flat for me. I thought it was getting interesting around the 60% mark, but a few pages later proved me wrong. Moreover, the romance was pretty lackluster. Honestly, if I hadn’t buddy-read this with a friend, I would probably have DNF’d it.

Kingdom of the Wicked is the new historical-fiction / fantasy about witches and demons (the Wicked) by the author of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series.

I entered in to this novel only having read Stalking Jack the Ripper, a novel which I absolutely detested. I put it down for around a year before I picked it back up, having finally found the willpower, to power through into the ending. After that, despite owning the sequel (I was so sure I was going to be a fan) I did not continue on with that series.

So, when this was announced I went 'hmmm' because it sounded amazing but so did SJTR, and look where that got me. But the pretty cover and the premise hooked me in, and I decided to give the author another shot.

And for most of the book, I was glad I did. The novel opened with a whooping heap of pathetic fallacy, with the raging storm, wind beating on the windows, loud, angry, scared . . . reflecting part of the mood in the cabin, signaling the lurking danger that the twins are unaware of, as their Nonna begins to tell them a story about the evil Wicked . . . It was incredibly atmospheric, and I was immediately pleased that the prologue was drawing me in further, and hadn't turned me away.

And so the book continued, showing Vittoria and Emilia ten years later, working in their family restaurant. Their Nonna is still overly superstitious and protective, warning the girls of danger that they refuse to take as seriously as her. And then the worst happens, Vittoria is murdered, found by Emilia herself - who instantly regrets not listening to her Nonna's warnings, and for not paying closer attention to her sister, and for not believing her when she said she summoned the devil . . .

So, Emilia goes on a mission to avenge her sister - was it the man she found above her sisters body, who fled in to the night? - which leads to her unravelling secrets about her family lineage, her sisters secret and the identity she kept hidden, and the Wicked Prince Wrath.

And my goodness. Wrath was an excellent character. I thought he was hilarious! His dry humour and no nonsense attitude gave me a good giggle. Emilia and him had such good chemistry, and I loved all of their scenes together and was continually yelling at the page whenever they had an angsty interaction that was filled with subtle (not) yearning.

And it was all well and good.

But then it just got messy. I don't think it's me, I was reading this book pretty closely, but the ending suddenly appeared and all these answers came tumbling out and I sat there like

Wait, what?

Because it just did not make sense! After the entirety of the book - and this is not a short book by any means - that's how it ends? And I'm not saying this because I'm bitter it didn't end in a romantic declaration of love. It just seemed the author forgot to actual show & tell the reader that was going on, but instead sped through it, without realising the audience isn't in her head and doesn't have the knowledge of the story as she does. It seemed contradictory, rushed, and just not very cohesive. Like I get it, but I also don't get it? I don't want to give spoilers - but AHHH. It is SO frustrating. Seemed like Maniscalco went for the shock factor, leave it on a cliffhanger, we will work through the facts and make it clearer in the sequel ending . . .

And I'm not a fan.

I didn't expect an entire resolution in this, knowing that it will have a sequel. But I did expect an ending that would draw the threads together, to show a well developed character and plot arc, and this just did not have it. Which is such a shame, because most of this book was brilliant and had the potential to be wholly incredible.

Alas, it was not. 3 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Is it weird to say that I'm in love with Wrath? Because I am. The writing was just as magical and beautiful as other Kerri books but this one was just completely captivating in every sense. I loved the slight romance, and the take of the seven deadly sins and prince's of Hell. This was such a great read and I'm already desperate for book two!

This was a really solid read for me. Definitely a 4/5 stars.
You can definitely see how Kerry Maniscalco has grown in her writing even since the last instalment of the Killing Jack the Ripper series.
This story had so many amazing themes, such as culture, family bonds, witchcraft, revenge and a dash of mystery for good measure.

I was very quickly absorbed into the setting of this book. Set in Sicily you definitely get a feel for the culture and food with Maniscalco's delicious descriptions that made you hungry while reading. The only issue I had with the setting was that it wasn't clear WHEN the story was set. From the context throughout the story you could gather that it was at least a historical setting based on the clothing and lack of technology. But having a time stated at the start or in chapter headings would have really helped.

Another strength this book had was the elements of witchcraft. This was definitely a magic system with rules and culture at its core, which is always a personal favourite to read from.

I also want to mention the characters, who felt very fleshed out to me, I especially enjoyed Emilia and Vittoria's grandmother. She just leapt off the page.

I'm not very familiar with Sicilian folklore so I'm not sure if the spin on the prince's of hell and seven deadly sins is something that links with that, or if it was a new twist that the author made up (I'll have to do some further research on that) but I think we got a decent amount of world and lore building with this aspect and I can't wait to see what else happens, especially with how the first book ended.

I also enjoyed this slow-burn "hate to lovers" romance. Too often I find with YA fantasy that even if it is part of a series the romance plot is too much of the main focus and the fantasy and world-building tends to suffer as a result. I'm happy to note that it didn't feel the case for this book.

Overall there were only a few things that took me out of the story and affected my star rating.
Mainly, the fact that Emilia's family went into hiding without her during the last third of the book. Especially with how protective her grandmother was with the twins this just really struck me as not being realistic to the character's motivations and seemed written in for plot convenience.
Secondly, relating to my first point was how Emilia's family just sort of faded to the background and were appeased with a note from Emilia saying that she was leaving and went to stay with Wrath at the palace ruin. Again, this just didn't seem realistic for me.

I did end up guessing quite early on about one of the twists in the mystery surrounding Vittoria's murder at the beginning of the book. However, every time I put the book down I was thinking about it and itching to continue reading so honestly, the fact that one of the twists was a little predictable to me didn't really hinder my enjoyment of the book as a whole.

A dark, intoxicating tale of a beautiful young witch, a troubled demon, and their epic romance, set against a lush 19th-century Italian backdrop.

Hook this book into my veins because it gave me life.

You’ve got witches. You’ve got magic coming out of every orifice. You’ve got murder. You’ve got Princes from motherfucking hell. And you’ve most definitely got a good ol’ plot twist.

Descendants from a very, very long line of witches, our pal Emilia and her twin sister, Vittoria, live quite happily nestled in Sicily, Italy going about their daily lives.

And I’m quite sure things were super dandy until a murder threw Emilia on a mental path of soul searching and character development. You watch her go from a meek soul to a bad-ass woman hell-bent on revenge and only just discovering just how far rage can push someone. Except this someone has magic.

Whilst on her vengeance quest, she casually befriends Wrath (a demon prince from hell, naturally) and you quickly find yourself watching their love/hate relationship bounce off the walls in a chaotic fashion. I am here for that vibe, to be honest.

Yes, Kingdom of the Wicked is the first of a duo HOWEVER it doesn’t feel like it is. My pet peeve when it comes to a first in a series is rammed so full of plot/environment building vomit that it’s hard to know what’s going on and I’m real happy that the sick bucket didn’t need to be pulled out for this one.
And yes, there is AN INSANE cliffhanger at the end but it closes the book out perfectly.

This little nugget of a book has everything I could have wanted and more. I want to fill this with spoilers but I’m just going to tell you to go read it instead.

I already need book two.

Kerri Maniscalo's Kingdom of the Wicked is just the perfect fast paced, atmospheric YA read for this spoopy time of the year, and I had a lot of fun with it!

Set in a small Italian coastal town called Palermo, this story follows Emilia di Carlo, a young witch from a family of witches, as she strives to avenge the murder of her twin Vittoria, after she discovers her mutilated corpse. She soon learns that her sister is not the first to be faced with such a fate, and her investigations bring her farther from the human threat of witch hunters to something far more sinister. (Oooooh, spooky)

I went into this book with lukewarm expectations because I'd been seeing a lot of mixed reviews, and I have to say, I was very pleasantly surprised! The writing style was absolutely gripping for me! It wasn't very flowery, which is so not my taste, usually, but I just couldn't stop reading it! I think I finished this book in one sitting, and it's quite chunky, being over 400 pages long, so I call that a definite positive.

I adored the character of Emilia and her relationship with her sister Vittoria. I'd have loved it if we got to see them interact a little more. Like, I know, Vittoria is like...DEAD, but, still, I'd have loved a few flashbacks here and there, or maybe her ghost or something? I don't know! I just thought they played off of each other really well, and I'd have loved to see more of that! Wrath was pretty….generic, to be honest. He had very ACOMAF/ACOWAR Rhysand ~ vibes ~, and if that whole angry, brooding, dangerous but like in a sexy way, thing is for you, you'll love him. He really wasn't a favourite, but I did enjoy the tension! I thought the "romance" was a bit rushed, though! Like I totally understood why certain things happened and I understood why Emilia was so attached to Wrath and all that, but I still felt like they were just becoming friends towards the end and not falling in love, and I'd have loved to see that dynamic flourish more instead of making it a romance, you feel? Like, I don't hate what was there, but I think it would have been better another way is all.

Coming to the plot, it's really not unpredictable or shocking or jaw dropping, but it's super fast paced and fun! You'll know what's coming, but you'll still enjoy it because it was just a fun romp, really! My favourite parts were definitely the "detective" portions where Emilia would talk to people or discover a bit of evidence and go on a mental Sherlock tangent. Like yes, girl, go catch that murderer!

A thing I loved about this book, though, is how Emilia's grief and depression are both portrayed. Her anger and her pain and her sorrow were all very well shown, in my opinion, and all her flawed decisions made sense in context for me because of the emotional turmoil she was going through. So, even though I think she definitely suffered from Dumb Bitch Syndrome™, I didn't really fault her for it because in her position, anyone would be a dumb bitch, you feel?

The time period the book was set in wasn't specified, so I don't know if certain turns of phrases were era-appropriate or not, but a few phrases did feel a little out of place. It pulled me out momentarily, but again, I was just having a lot of fun so it didn't bother me that much. Not the best world building out there, but the atmospheric writing and the murder investigation-like plot make up for it and create a pretty interesting paranormal fantasy!

Overall, I absolutely enjoyed this book, but I definitely think this isn't everyone's cup of tea! If you like the typical YA story, and you're in the mood for a fast-paced, spooky ride, this is definitely the book for you! I had a lot of fun reading this, and I'm super excited to see how the author takes this series forward!