Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked #1) By Kerri Maniscalco [Review]

RELEASE DATE: October 22nd 2020
AUTHOR: Kerri Maniscalco
GENRE:  Young-Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance.
PUBLISHER: Jimmy Patterson
SUMMARY: 

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…

 

“Love is the most powerful magic. Above all else, remember that. It will always guide you where you need to go.”

Kingdom Of The Wicked is the new YA series of Kerri Mansicalco who’s the author of the hit YA historical murder mystery series Stalking Jack The Ripper.  I loved Aubrey and Thomas and I was super excited when I first heard about this book. The cover looks absolutely gorgeous. I’m a great fan of YA paranormal romance and this book didn’t disappoint me. It has everything I’ve ever wanted. There’s murder mystery, witch craft, wicked demons, and slow burn enemies to lovers romance.

Twin Sisters Emilia and Vittoria are witches who are secretly hiding among humans to avoid persecution. Since they were young their grandmother warned them to never remove their amulets from their body and always stay away from the wicked. As they grew older, one day they remove the amulets just for fulfilling their curiosity and something changes inside them and they swore to never do that again. Their village is currently in fear with the serial murders of women who’re also witches. One day, when Emilia’s sister doesn’t return home, she searches for her and finds her dead body with her heart taken out. Devastated Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance. To find her answers, Emilia summons a demon, but she soon realizes that he wasn’t an ordinary demon. He’s one of the wicked demon princes named Wrath. They hate each other, but they do share a mutual goal, to find the killer and stop the murders.

I loved Emilia! She’s stubborn, bold, and a fierce heroine. She don’t have any kickass fighting skills but she does have a strong will and she never gives up easily without a fight. I enjoyed the sisterbond between the twins even though it was a short part. Wrath is definitely a swoon worthy character. He’s one of the seven demon princes Emilia’s grandmother always warned her about. I’m glad he’s not cunning like other demon princes. I really loved the slow burn romance between Emilia and Wrath especially their banters. They’re hilarious and fun. Coming to the secondary characters, I liked Emilia’s grandmother and also the other demons princes who’re cunning, wickedly handsome and smart.

The plot was entertaining throughout. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the witch murders. I actually predicted the killer’s identity but it still didn’t hinder my enjoyment. Absolutely loved the dynamic between Wrath and Emilia. There’re few twists in the plot that I didn’t see coming.  The pacing was good. It was neither slow nor fast. As always, the author’s writing style was engaging and captivating. It’s a bit different than Stalking The Ripper series. The whole book was written in Emilia’s first person POV. I loved the world building. The story was set in 19th century Palermo, Italy. It features Sicilian Cuisine, language, famous landmarks, and culture. I’m not familiar with Italian culture, so I’m not sure if everything is accurate or not.

Overall, this was a great start to a new series! It’s a perfect paranormal murder mystery with a dash of romance. As expected, the book concludes with a cliffhanger and I can’t wait for the sequel.

Recommend it?
YES

I highly recommend this book if you’re into handsome demons, and enemies to lovers romance!

——–EMILIA & WRATH ——-Image Source: Pinterest

 

MY RATING:

[4/5 Stars]

So, What do you think of this book? Have you read it yet? Do you Plan to read it?
Please feel free to comment below!

See You In The Next Post and Have a Great Day! 🙂