Kingdom of the Wicked

"Man had a funny way of blaming the devil for things he didn't like..." * Emilia and her twin sister, Vittoria, are witches who live amongst humans in Sicily and, together with their family, run a well renowned restaurant. When Vittoria misses a shift, Emilia goes in search of her sister only to find her brutally murdered and her body desecrated. Emilia is hell bent on seeking vengeance at any price, even if it means turning to dark and forbidden magic. It's not long before she finds herself paired with Wrath, one of the Wicked and a Prince of Hell. Together they must try to figure out who is responsible for murdering these witches before it's too late... * "He was death and rage and fire and anyone stupid enough to forget that would be consumed by his inferno..." * Seven deadly sins? Check. Witches? Check. Mouth-watering Italian food? Check, check, check! Honestly, a friendly warning, don't read on an empty stomach! This book has a tendancy to make you want to indulge in yummy culinary delights. I loved this book and the murder-mystery vibe mixed with the supernatural. I really enjoyed the gothic and Halloween (my favourite holiday) feel to the story and, of course, I'm a sucker for romance so when I see a brooding Prince of Hell and a sassy witch coming in to her own power... it's a no brainer that Emilia and Wrath have got my vote. So much happened in the last third of the book that I was left reeling. I just honestly couldn't get enough of it. * "Fear made monsters of men..." * There were a couple of times I had to go back and reread whole scenes just to make sense of them. I would have liked to have seen a little more from Emilia and Wrath in terms of enemies-to-lovers banter and chemistry. But these are really minor issues and I'm sure my questions will all be answered in the next book/s. Roll on October and Kingdom of the Cursed (especially now its New Adult)... * "You always have the power of choice, even when those choices seem limited..."

Kingdom of the Wicked is a moody, atmospheric dive into a world of witches, demon princes, and slow-burning tension. Kerri Maniscalco creates a rich, sensory experience—full of decadent food, gothic settings, and crackling chemistry between Emilia and Wrath. The mystery kept me intrigued, and the slow-burn romance had just the right amount of teasing fire. Emilia’s grief-fueled determination gave the plot real emotional weight, and Wrath? Utterly magnetic. The dynamic between them was easily the highlight of the book—equal parts banter, danger, and undeniable pull. That said, while I really enjoyed the story, it didn’t quite tip into five-star territory for me. Nothing was wrong, per se—it just didn’t hit that extra gear. I wanted a bit more intensity in the plot's stakes or emotional payoff to fully sweep me away. Still, this is a strong, addictive start to a series, and I’ll absolutely be picking up the next one. If you love enemies-to-lovers tension, witches, and a dash of dark magic, Kingdom of the Wicked is well worth your time.

‘Kingdom of the Wicked’ follows Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria, witches who live secretly among humans in order to avoid 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, then sets off to seek vengeance at any cost – even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden. This book has been my most anticipated read of the year, being a huge fan of Kerri Maniscalco’s works and admiring her skills as a writer. So, there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to love this book, I just didn’t expect to love it quite this much. Emilia made for an absolutely brilliant protagonist. She’s brave, self-assured and slightly stubborn at times. She’s someone who takes no nonsense, not even from demons from Hell, and is desperate to avenge her twin sister, no matter what that would cost her. She’s an incredibly admirable protagonist, and it was a joy to read her journey from start to finish. Wrath was another character who was deeply enjoyable to read about, exploring his relationship with Emilia with the use of luscious description and bouncing dialogue. They interacted beautifully together, spitting bile at one another until their relationship softened more and I loved every moment I read about them. Although, Vittoria wasn’t mentioned much within the novel, her character meeting an unfortunate end quite early on, there was still a lot of character modelling involved in Maniscalco’s writing. This was a brilliant technique, making you feel for the characters after her death and caring about them; I was truly devastated, Emilia and Vittoria’s relationship being wonderful to witness up until that point. The writing itself is wonderfully written, with lengthy descriptions and entertaining dialogue. The setting was explored beautifully through interactions between the characters, with explanations dotted around for those experiencing language barriers. That’s not to say that this book holds your hand however, being subtly done to not draw you away from the story itself. Overall, I adored this book. Maniscalco truly has a talent for writing and that shines through in this novel. It was an absolute joy to read and I will be returning to it again and again.

This was a fun read, but I do feel like the food had more of a character development than anyone. On that note I'm off to find a prince of hell and some arancini.

Ok, how have I only just realised that Maniscalco is the author of both Kingdom of the Wicked and Stalking Jack the Ripper? I feel like so many things now make sense that didn't before! I'd had Kingdom of the Wicked on my kindle for quite a while. I was intimidated by it for reasons I still don't understand. Recently, I saw some fab reviews for it, which encouraged me to push it up my TBR. I loved everything about this book! I would of read it in a single sitting if I could. I wanted to devour it. Unfortunately, you know, life... Last night I had to force myself to stop reading and go to bed, or else I knew I would not be up in time to get my kids to school today! I got the impression that the seven princes of hell were based on the Lanterne of Light definitions; Lucifer being Pride. It was interesting to see the reflection of this in the book, although -apart from Lucifer- we learnt of no other prince's true-name. Perhaps the sequel, Kingdom of the Cursed, will shed more light on whether this was indeed the case. I adored Emilia. I usually favour a dark, fierce, female protagonist, which- in this case -would of been Vittoria. But Emilia had a quiet fierceness all her own. I loved watching her character evolve and develop throughout the story. There were some things that caused me slight confusion. I didn't fully understand the rules of binding when she first used the summoning spell, and the revival of the forgotten "invisible demon", on Page 143 completely baffled me. However, my main issue was the time period -or lack thereof. I was constantly asking myself "What era is this?! There's mention of pen and inkpot, corsets and chamber pots, which leads me to believe it is set in the past. Yet the behaviour and language of the characters, along with other clothing described, feels modern. Having said that, I loved this book and have just pre-ordered the sequel!

Overall, it’s cool. The world is familiar with just enough unique aspects to make it feel fresh. I love the idea of the Princes of Hell being Sins and how their powers work. Every time we met a new one, it was so cool to see how their sin was their personalities too. And there was a lot of thought behind how each sin worked. Like Lust makes the FMC feel pleasure and happiness but the pain of removing those heightened feelings made him the worst sin. The romance between Emilia and Wrath felt really quick to me and for sort of no real build up. The banter was great between the two and I loved how they both challenged each other but I feel like the sexual tension could have been focused on a bit more so that the romance wouldn’t have felt as quick. I do think Emilia was my favourite aspect of the book. She starts off being very quiet and conservative in her magic to then being ready to take down anyone and anything. It was refreshing to see that take on an FMC. It did take a while to build up the pace and was a lil confused throughout but I’ll definitely read the rest of the series. If you like gothic and spooky vibes with witches and demon princes then you should definitely give this a go

I loved this part of the collection. Have enjoyed reading of Orin’s character since book one and was really delighted that he was given his own tale. Loved the dynamics btw the two central characters and enjoyed the quest element of the trilogy.

This book took me on a wild ride. My range of emotions I felt while reading this was non-stop. The setting, atmosphere and characters, I couldn't get enough. I was invested in the plot and the numerous plot twists from beginning till the end. KM's creativity really shined through with this book, it has such a unique magic system and the different classes of witches and demons. Also the whole Seven princes of Hell is something I haven't read before, I'm excited to see more of their world. (some small spoilers) I loved the depiction of grief and depression in this book. How the weight of sadness can be unbearable, especially alone, when your most loved and future are taken from you right before your eyes and dealing with the loss but also carrying on with your life best you can. I also think KM did a really good job portraying not only the different stages of grief, but to also tell the reader that there is truly no wrong way to grieve. Heartbreak can be sadness and pain, but it can also be anger and revenge. The way Emilia did not stop with her want for revenge was inspiring, however wrong it may be. I could see Emilia's and Wrath's sizzling chemistry from the beginning, they would be each others saviour but each others downfall. I just wished we got more of them together, and showing their feelings. Hopefully we will more in the second book. I’ve always had a thing for the dark and mysterious bad boys, which made Wrath an instant favourite. The minute he arrived on the page, I was bewitched. His interactions with Emilia reminded me a lot of Jude and Cardan in the sense that a girl who various supernatural creatures view as weak, ends up controlling the actions of their supernatural love interest. Plus their banter! I loved it, it reminded me a lot of Lou and Reid. it was one of the best parts of the book. Now the final big reveal, I guessed quite early on. I just saw it coming but it didn't make it any less good! The only thing I didn't really expect was Emilia's final choice, and how Wrath acted towards her, it's all very mysterious. Plus as any good fantasy book it ended on a HUGE cliff-hanger, and supposedly the next book isn't until 2021!! please say it isn't so!! Hopefully that might change but I'm excited nevertheless!

"A twig was a just a bit of broken wood until it had been sharpened into a spear.Grief carved me in half.And fury honed the pieces into a weapon" 5 FREAKING FAT STARS First off kerri- how could you stop there?? that should be the eighth sin lol Aside from having a stunning cover, my first thought after starting the book is that it has a great many blends of my favorite genres and traits to quench my fantasy loving soul's thirst- Historical fiction, set in Italy, murder mystery, broody hero with MANNERS(yes I put that in all caps because the seems to be a rarity these days in books ;) ), forbidden romance, atmospheric ambiance with all the fantastical elements to captivate you with the perfect amount of spook but not outright scare you and last but not least a reserved MC lead that learns to kick ass as she goes "Emilia Maria di Carlo didn't do danger.My sister was the adventurous one- I was satisfied with safe,clean and fun.Give me a steamy romance novel with forbidden love and impossible odds" I loved Emilia ever since I read these lines, she is definitely my kind of girl, she is level headed, smart and extremely sassy and gives two squats if she had to fight the devil or the God for justice. When her beloved twin is brutally murdered, she ventures into an unexpected path with dangerous secrets and 6 foot 2 inch calamities, she keeps surprising herself at her own strength that she could draw when she believes someone she loves is in danger. I am not usually a huge fan of single POV's or internal dialogues but I loved Emilia's witty brains and its sassy comeback's, I have so many favorite lines from her. I wished we had more of Wrath but I have a feeling we will see a heck lot of him in the upcoming books, he is broody with a hard shell exterior but you couldn't help but notice his good internal aspect peeking through often. I was sold when I read that there is a romance angle between a demon and a witch but what I didn't expect is a romance that is a chef's kiss- don't get me wrong because this doesn't mean there is a lot of steam but there is lot of rationale to it which I always prefer over meaningless steam. Now that we talked about characters lets talk about the plot- Man Oh Man! did Kerri knock it out of the park with the masterful intrigue she weaved into the this fantastical mystery? I would say a 100% yes- she is exceptionally good at deflecting the reader from seeing what is right before their eyes, that being said I did see bits of it coming but the bread crumbs that she left leading to unravel the mystery is excellently executed, however I have 1 million questions and I wanted to be like Emilia and write all of them down, the gothic element of the book adds perfect balance to its demure historic fiction premise Its a perfect book for the spooky season to pick up but I can't make any promises that by the end of it that you won't be willing to sell your soul to the devil or make deals with demons (pun intended) for the next book or for the answers you might need ;)

Très bon début de série, où des sorcières affrontent des démons de l'enfer. Les personnages sont attachants, les descriptions de repas mettent l'eau à la bouche. On comprend l'attrait des démons. J'ai lu les 2 premiers tomes dans la foulée et le 3ème un peu plus tard (j'ai tout relu depuis le début !). Je ne vais pas tarder à commence la 2ème série.

i didn’t expect to love this book so much, and WRATH omg dont even get me STARTEDD with him😩!! we also see the queen emilia she’s slowly turning into a baddie and i heard that she will go into a full baddie mode in the 2nd book, hopefully when im not broke i will get the 2nd book ASAPP!! miss kerri didn’t fail to serve✨💅🏻

Kerri Maniscalco’s Kingdom of the Wicked is a dark, intoxicating, and utterly enthralling fantasy that seamlessly blends murder, mystery, and romance with deadly magic and seductive danger. If you love enemies-to-lovers romance, morally gray antiheroes, and a world dripping with gothic atmosphere, then this book is an absolute must-read. A Sinister Mystery & A Determined Heroine The story follows Emilia di Carlo, a young Sicilian witch whose world is shattered when she discovers her twin sister, Vittoria, brutally murdered. Desperate for answers, Emilia does the unthinkable—she summons a Prince of Hell. But instead of getting the information she needs, she finds herself caught in a deadly game with Wrath, a demon who is as dangerous as he is alluring. Emilia is a fantastic protagonist—driven, intelligent, and fiercely loyal. Her grief and rage push her to defy everything she was raised to believe, leading her deeper into the dark, seductive underworld of the Wicked. Watching her unravel the truth behind her sister’s death while battling her own growing attraction to Wrath is an electrifying journey. The Dark & Lush World of the Wicked Maniscalco’s world-building is stunning—steeped in rich Italian folklore, ancient curses, and a mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. The setting, from moonlit cobblestone streets to secretive underground lairs, is dripping with gothic allure. Every page feels like a step deeper into a dangerous, enchanting world where demons walk among mortals and power is always bought at a price. The Seven Princes of Hell, each representing a deadly sin, are one of the most intriguing aspects of the book. Wrath, Pride, Envy, and their brothers are deliciously sinister, but it’s Wrath who steals the show. His chemistry with Emilia is pure tension—a perfect blend of reluctant allies, unspoken attraction, and undeniable danger. A Romance That Smolders The romance in Kingdom of the Wicked is slow-burn perfection. Wrath is the ultimate dark antihero—ruthless, cunning, and deeply enigmatic, with secrets that will leave you craving more. His relationship with Emilia is charged with tension, banter, and a simmering intensity that is impossible to resist. If you love a romance where trust is hard-won and danger lurks in every shadow, this book delivers in spades. Why You NEED This Book ✔️ A Spellbinding Murder Mystery – If you love dark mysteries woven with supernatural elements, this book will have you hooked from page one. ✔️ Witches, Demons, & Deadly Curses – A world filled with magic, deception, and an age-old war between mortals and the Wicked. ✔️ A Heroine Worth Rooting For – Emilia’s journey from grief to vengeance is compelling, emotional, and empowering. ✔️ A Sinister & Seductive Antihero – Wrath is equal parts danger and temptation, and every scene with him is pure gold. ✔️ Twists That Will Leave You Reeling – The plot is full of secrets, betrayals, and jaw-dropping reveals that will keep you turning pages late into the night. Final Thoughts Kingdom of the Wicked is a sensory feast—dark, immersive, and utterly bewitching. Kerri Maniscalco has crafted a story that is as seductive as it is sinister, pulling you into a world of blood-stained secrets and forbidden magic. With gothic ambiance, a gripping murder mystery, and a romance that will leave you breathless, this book is utterly unmissable. If you love enemies-to-lovers tension, morally gray antiheroes, witches, and a mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end, Kingdom of the Wicked is the dark fantasy you’ve been waiting for. 🔥 Would I recommend this? Absolutely. This book is magic wrapped in sin, and I loved every second of it.

Il libro è molto scorrevole, ha una trama avvincente ed è scritto veramente bene. Non fatevi spaventare dal fatto che sia in inglese, in quanto lo stile dell'autrice è molto scorrevole e comprensibile, ovviamente è necessario conoscere la lingua, ma non ho trovato terminologie o frasi particolarmente complicate. La storia nonostante sia la "classica" vicenda si streghe, demoni etc. è molto interessante, è adatta ad un pubblico anche giovane, visto che non ci sono scene adulte. Sicuramente preordinerò il sequel in uscita a ottobre (Kingdom of the cursed). Ci sono delle scene di violenza un po' crude, ma niente di estremamente terrificante, quindi può essere una lettura adatta anche a dei ragazzini. Penso verrà presto tradotto in italiano siccome gli altri lavori dell'autrice sono già stati tradotti e pubblicati. È un buon libro, se non vi "turba" la classica storia di streghe buone/streghe cattive/demoni cattivi, enemies to lovers etc.. lo troverete una lettura molto scorrevole ed interessante. Se invece siete alla ricerca di qualcosa di più particolare, che non rientri nei "soliti" classici con streghe & co, oppure che abbia un sistema di magia diverso dal sito potrebbe annoiarvi.