A review by roxxie
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Kingdom of the Wicked ♦ Kerri Maniscalco | Review

I can definitely say, that I loved this book and I could hardly put it down. The idea to use the seven deadly sins as characters just caught me right from the start.


Kingdom of the Wicked ♦ Kerri Manscalco

Opinion

Witches and demons, pretty much the devil himself as well. Enemies to lovers, and betrayals at every corner. That would pretty much sum it up, if I were to end my review right here. This dark urban fantasy book could really cast a spell on me.

Because of her dramatic writing style and attention to detail, Kerri Maniscalco has produced a chilling and intriguing feast. Her attention to Sicilian cuisine and culture is captivating! It left me craving for some good Italian food way too often.

I find it fascinating how Emilia’s relationship with her family was mostly shaped by food and the family business. That and, of course, witchcraft. But also interesting is the fact, that Maniscalco used her real family’s restaurant as a model for this fictional one.

Maniscalco spins a really captivating tale about evil curses and the Wicked, also known as the Princes of Hell. The underground royalties are hunting for Emilia, as well as other things to gain their freedom from a curse. I adored the Princes‘ mystique. I enjoyed reading about the connection between Emilia and Wrath and how it already developed during this first volume of the series.

Emilia comes around as a strong female, and I especially enjoyed her development in general. She faced the consequences of her decisions head on and whoever dared to stand in her way to seek partly brutal retributions for her sister’s murder. Wrath turned out to be as devilish as he can be as a Prince of Hell. But he also surprised me with a lot of his actions. I really don’t want to spoil anyone reading this, but telling more about the plot.

Conclusion

★★★★★

The quarrels between Emilia and Wrath kept me on edge. I squirmed at the end’s cliffhanger because I am really eager to find out what happens next. I’m dying to devour the next book, which I will pick up very soon. The Kingdom of the Wicked is such a fantastic beginning to the series!


This review was first published at The Art of Reading.