It is always lovely to discover that a novel you’ve been highly anticipating lives up to your hopes, and that’s definitely what happened with Kingdom of the Wicked! Kerri Maniscalco’s newest series starter centers around Emilia, a streghe (witch) who is determined to use all the resources at her disposal in to discover who brutally murdered her twin sister Vittoria… even if it means using forbidden dark magic. And even if it means working with one of the Wicked, princes of Hell she’s been warned about all her life. As she digs deeper into the mystery of her sister’s murder, Emilia will soon discover that everything might not be as simple or straightforward as she expected.
So many things about Kingdom of the Wicked really appealed to me: the atmospheric setting of a small coastal Italian town (including a few mouthwatering descriptions of Italian food), the magical goings-on and lore, the dark and moody tone, the engaging murder mystery plot and the interesting cast of secondary characters (especially Wrath, one of the Wicked who I found as alluring as Emilia did). But to me, the true standout element of this book is Emilia and her compelling character journey. She transforms from someone content to live within her boundaries into a young woman who is capable, clever and coming into her own power. She’s certainly not perfect and neither are the circumstances she finds herself in, but that personally just added to how real she felt to me as a reader.
I really enjoyed Kingdom of the Wicked, friends, and loved the time I spent immersed in Emilia’s tale! It’s definitely a story that captured my attention from the start. If you enjoy your fantasies with a dash of dark magic, devilry and death, this is definitely a novel I’d recommend adding to your TBR list.
Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked #1) was released on October 27, 2020 by Jimmy Patterson.
I received an ARC from the publisher for review. All thoughts are my own.
I still can't wait to read this one!
ReplyDeleteI loved this one! I also completely fell for Wrath and can't wait to see what else is in store for this series :]
ReplyDelete-Heather | Nerdy By Nature Blog
I was really excited for the witchy elements of this book but I have to admit, I think the food descriptions were truly the best part!
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