Thursday, November 5, 2020

Review: Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco



*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Publisher
 Jimmy Patterson
Release Date
October 27, 2020
Pages448
Source: Hardcover

THE STORY:

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 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 at is seems...
BUY LINKS: The Lit. Bar    |    Amazon


RATING:

ONE-WORD REVIEW: SEDUCTIVE

TAG LINE:


Whatever you do, you must never speak to the Wicked.

OPENING LINE:

Nonna Maria buzzed around the kitchen like she’d guzzled every drop of espresso in the restaurant.



REVIEW:

This book. This bookkk y'all. I LOVED it! KINGDOM OF THE WICKED is dark, seductive, and everything that first made me fall in love with Young Adult fiction. For the last couple of years, so many YA books have had intriguing premises I was excited to read but lack the right execution. The stories fell short because they didn't have that spark KINGDOM OF THE WICKED has that je ne se quoi
“Whatever you do, you must never speak to the Wicked. If you see them, hide. Once you’ve caught a demon prince’s attention, he’ll stop at nothing to claim you.”
This was my first book by Kerri and I was not let down. The pacing of KINGDOM OF THE WICKED was perfect for the plot. Not once did I feel the story drag--never needed to force myself to continue on or rush to the "good part."

“A woman with a little power was terrifying to some.”

Speaking of the plot, Emilia is a young witch left devastated when she discovers her reckless, funloving twin sister's mutilated body in the creepy catacombs of a monastery. Grief-stricken and filled with rage, she goes on the hunt for vengeance that leads her to the demon Prince of Wrath. Binding the demon prince of Hell to her, the enemies must work together to discover who murdered Emilia's sister and other young witches in their city. 

A twig was just a bit of broken wood until it had been sharpened into a spear.”

The emotional and sexual tension between Emilia and Wrath was intense. The witty banter, the chemistry--Chef's Kiss. And whenever they came together it was tantalizing! 

“I understood why some thought kissing one of the Wicked was addictive. Each time his tongue touched mine, it felt as if the ground beneath me quaked. Like we were a cataclysmic event that shouldn’t be.” 

Ordinarily, I hate cliffhangers but WOW. KINGDOM OF THE WICKED's cliffhanger was so good I'm not even mad. This story destroyed me in the most delicious way and I would sell my soul to get my grubby paws on the sequel ASAP.
“Man had a funny way of blaming the devil for things he didn’t like.”

Kerri's writing flowed well and her turn of phrases were right up my alley. All in all, I loved KINGDOM OF THE WICKED and highly recommend it to anyone willing.


CHARACTERS:

EMILIA MARIA DI CARLO: I really connected with Emilia. She's the quieter, calmer, safe sister. She lived by the rules and preferred fictional worlds over the dangerous real one. Until those she loved most were threatened.

“Emilia Maria di Carlo didn't do danger. My sister was the adventurous one - I was satisfied with safe, clean fun. Give me a steamy romance novel with forbidden love and impossible odds.

THAT was the kind of adventure I could get behind.”

PRINCE OF WRATH: Mysterious and intriguing, Wrath was also surprisingly "human" compared to his brothers. I wanted to trust him so badly. To believe this coaxing, seductive demon Prince of Hell was capable of genuine feelings. Powerful, handsome, and more than a touch wicked, he's the sinfully perfect love interest I love reading.

“He was death and rage and fire and anyone stupid enough to forget that would be consumed by his inferno.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kerri Maniscalco grew up in a semi-haunted house outside New York City, where her fascination with gothic settings began. In her spare time, she reads everything she can get her hands on, cooks all kinds of food with her family and friends, and drinks entirely too much tea while discussing life's finer points with her cats. She is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stalking Jack the Ripper quartet.

***Check out Kerri Maniscalco's website for more information about her and KINGDOM OF THE WICKEDHERE

Happy Reading!

 

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