5 out of 5 stars!

I mean this had me at witches and demons but my god this was so addicting. I read every chance I could I couldn’t stop.

You’ve gotta love a vengeful woman

Everyone has to read this immediately come on now

This was a mixed bag for me. I really enjoyed the setting and thought that Kerri Maniscalco did a really good job evoking the sights, smells and tastes of Sicily. I thought that the premise was interesting and the various kingdoms and princes of Hell are definitely something I would like to find out more about. I didn't love the characters and felt that there wasn't any chemistry between Emilia and Wrath. I also thought that the writing itself was a bit repetitive and simplistic - lots of sentences beginning with 'I' which got a bit annoying for me. Overall, this was an enjoyable enough read and I am interested enough in the world to pick up the sequel, but it's not a new favourite for me.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Alas, this one was not my cup of tea. Reads like an ACOTAR and Caraval fanfiction mashup, but more boring and with a heroine who is as dumb as a box of hair. Predicable and unoriginal story. Unfortunately, I also made an attempt at the sequels because they were for sale in Amazon store and reading-friends were raving about how it the series got better in books 2 and 3. They lied. The sequels were worse. I should have spent that £1.89 on chocolate instead.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the reading copy.

Kerri Maniscalco is an excellent author and has shown incredibly growth from her previous series over to this one. I will say that at times it was very clear that she wanted to write this for a more adult audience but wasn’t quite sure how to do that

This book was... hilarious in the best and worst possible ways. I am Italian and I can say that lots of the cultural references and linguistic choices were *interesting*. Some bit of it were wrong (no one would call a Domenico Dom, but rather Mimmo, to mention just one), but it was actually funny to read about how an American sees us and I believe this is a problem when a white author talks about a POC culture, a straight author talks about queerness, a neurotypical talks about neurodivergence and so on. When an American talks about 1800s Italy, well it's just funny to me.
The problem with the book was the lack of character building, the randomness of the world building and the complete lack of pathos, for me. I didn't care one bit about anything that was happening, aside from the food that was mentioned lmao. The plot was basic and I was expecting more romance, to be honest, since this isn't enough of a fantasy to stand on its own, for me.

So I can appreciate this book in the sense that it was a fun read, had a lot of the tropes that I enjoy and was pretty fast-paced but I just couldn't quite vibe with it. It was fun but it really wasn't anything special. It took me a while to get through and felt like quite a slog. I won't be continuing with the series but I can completely understand why it became so popular.

For some reason I was hesitant to read this book and kept putting it off…how silly was I? This book had me hooked right from the start and I did not put it down until it was finished. The characters were all intriguing and although I did pick the ‘devil’ fairly early it did not take anything away from the book. I found myself standing where the characters were and seeing what they were seeing which I often struggle with in other books. The main characters were angsty and I found myself wanting them to be more than what they were.
The ending came way too soon for me and I cannot wait to read the next book.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy to review

I have not read Jack the Ripper series or any other book by Kerri Maniscalco before and this book is my first. I had high expectations for this book since it is so hyped. Though I enjoyed the next book in the series (Kingdom of the Cursed), I was not a fan of Kingdom of the Wicked.

Emilia and Vittoria are twin sisters but they are as different as twins can be. Vittoria is bold, outgoing and likes to experiment whereas Emilia is the innocent, prudent girl who loves cooking. They are secretly witches but they live as ordinary people, running a well-known sicilian restaurant. Everything goes on as usual, until one day, Emilia finds Vittoria murdered, her body mangled beyond recognition. Wrecked with grief and anger, she sets out to find Vittoria's murderer. Even if it means using dark magic or teaming up with one of the most dangerous princes of Hell. As she uncovers secrets of her sister and grandmother, she begins to doubt if her sister's murder is indeed what it seems to be or if it's just a play in a greater scheme.

I absolutely adore the 19th century Sicilian Palermo setting. The writing style was easy to understand. The descriptions of food is just mouth watering. I loved the concept of Hell, its gates and princes of Hell being named after the seven deadly sins. The banter between Emilia and Wrath was hilarious. Wrath is the most well-mannered, gentleman-ish morally grey character I have ever read. The fact that Wrath, being a prince of hell- loves Cannoli, is cute as hell too.

The biggest reason I gave this book 3 stars is because I was not able to get involved with the plot. It was like, I was aware of reading, instead of feeling like watching the events unfold (I don't know if I making sense now). Anyway, that made it harder to remember the course of the story. Everything beyond the basic information about hell and its princes felt like information dump and I was truly not able to remember them. By the time I finished the book, I had to skim through it all over again, because the ending just didn't make any sense. The pace was a bit inconsistent too. The ending was predictable but it also promises a good storyline in the next book.

Overall, I feel that Kingdom of the Wicked is a good one-time read. Moreover, now that I have read the next book in the series, this series is totally worth it!

I thank Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Jimmy Patterson Books for providing me with an advanced reader's copy. I requested for this book at both the publishers' netgalley page (just in case one of them rejects) but both of them approved my request. All opinions are my own.

Really enjoyed this! The atmosphere was amazing, and all of the delicious food descriptions had my mouth watering. I do think most of the book was acting as a set up for the books that will follow, but I’m very excited to continue reading Emilia’s story!

Thanks to Hodder for the review copy. The writing around food and grief drew me in, but unfortunately I was put off by the telegraphed twists and turns and the unhealthy romance. If you're not overly enamoured of the male love interest (like me), you'll find it a little tough-going in places. Overall, solid but unremarkable.

4.5/5!
really good, i kinda get Emilia. she suffered a loss. she was not prepared for the world of evil and death but she really wanted to pull herself together and get a revenge. also i knew who the bad guy was from the start but meh that's okay. liked Wrath a lot.
overall a good read and i am waiting for part 2 in october.

I have such conflicting feeling about this book, on the one hand i loved the characters mostly Wrath, I liked the banter between Emilia and Wrath, and the world and magic system did intrigue me, along with all the prince's of hell, but did I really like this book? No, not completely, maybe half and half.

It really had potential to wow me with the hell prince's and the wicked magic and what I was really excited for was the hell underworld, but that isn't in this book obviously it will be in book 2. But my biggest problem with kingdom of the wicked was the amount of same scenario moments and the fact that I knew who the killer was after her sister was murdered. Essential this book follows emilia questioning hell prince's over and over again and running from hell beasts while trying to solve her sister's murder.

I think I will love book 2 but this one just didn't fully work for me, love the characters and the wickedness of everyone totally makes me excited for kingdom of the cursed!


Thank you so much to the publishers at netgalley for an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

i absolutely loved this book, magic and mayhem are princes of hell. What a book and one i would highly recommend and cant wait for the next instalment. ND what ever ya do never speak to the wicked ha ha me nana tells me this all the time. Read it even if ya think its not ur cup of tea ya cant help but love it.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!
It was exciting and the pacing was utter perfection!
I loved the interactions between the characters and the slow build of their relationship.
I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!

I didn't go into this book expecting to enjoy it so much! The synopsis didn't make it out to be my cup of tea, but having loved Kerri Maniscalco's Stalking Jack The Ripper series, I wasn't going to pass it up. And I am SO glad that I didn't! The characters were wonderful; Kerri knows how to write couples and the banter and chemistry between Emilia and Wrath was just *chef's kiss*. The mystery, too, was intriguing and further highlights Kerri's skills in weaving devious plots! I read it in a day, it is a quick, thrilling and deliciously humorous read!

As a fan of Kerri Maniscalco (loved Stalking Jack the Ripper series), Kingdom of the Wicked was my most anticipated read in2020. Not only that, but Kingdom of the Wicked plays with a few of my favourite tropes: enemies to lovers, avenging a family member, a gothic atmospheric read, and mystery. What else could I want?

𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐇:
• interesting premise, full of promise
• loved the setting, descriptions
• ending definitely has me hooked

𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐄:
• plot felt messy due to certain areas were rushed (character dynamics, reactions to certain scenarios)
• the MC made some terrible decisions (due to poor decision making, rash, and stubbornness) and thus it felt frustrating at times

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫: fans of enemies to lovers, MC willing to do whatever it takes for the family

𝐂𝐖: death of a loved one (family death), description of gore, grief

I will read the sequel and I'm quite excited and intrigued.

Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher (@) for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠: 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐣𝐨𝐲.𝐜𝐨𝐦

A book that by now, many a bookworm has read, Kingdom of the Wicked is a dark fantasy, with a focus on the 7 deadly sins personified.
By the ever wonderful Kerri Mansiscalco, this was sure to be one hell of a read (pun intended) and it certainly did not disappoint.


I have loved some of Kerri's previous books (and as usual, fallen victim to not picking up books to finish a series...) so it made sense to request the eARC of this late last year. And the fantastic team at Hodder granted my request! But then I lost track of time, and completely forgot I hadn't posted my review, so whilst this will be a little dusty, I still urge you to continue on!


This book was so completely unexpected for me! The twists and turns were fantastically written and planned out, and the characters relatable and realistic. And the magic... Oh the magic makes this so memorable!
I'm so used to seeing magic that is over the top and whimsical, but this focuses on a realistic side, based on actual beliefs, and that makes it even more memorable. I loved the intricacies and the family aspect.


Emilia and her sister Vittoria are part of a prophecy, and a clan of witches known as Strega, forced into hiding to avoid persecution. Warned of the dark and handsome princes of hell, they grow up knowing never to summon them lest the end of the world begins. But when Vittoria goes missing, and strange goings on begin, Emilia finds herself colluding with Wrath in order to figure out what happened to her sister.
What follows is an adventure where Emilia comes face to face with more the brothers, and inevitably falling for the morally grey Prince of Wrath (and I mean, who can blame her? Morally grey characters are... *chefs kiss*)


There isn't space in this book for a lull in action. The pace is fast and thrilling, and I was so disappointed when it all ended, I'm waiting ever so patiently for the next book.

This was sadly not for me. I found myself being uninterested in the story and the characters. I don't think I will pick up the sequel.

This was fine for the beginning section but the more i read, the more i didn't enjoy it. The premise was interesting but this just didn't deliver what it needed to. The writing was fine but it could have been much better.

I Did have a chance to read this one before it’s release back in October and for me I found it good But I didn’t get any Wow factor from it or amazement. It for sure wasn’t a bad book let me say that, i just felt a little underwhelmed by it. That’s only my opinion though because I’ve seen quite a lot of people really enjoy it. I will say though my fav part about the book are the Two Main characters and if you know my reading tastes inside a book.. you will know that I have to enjoy/love the characters otherwise more often than not i will just put the book down! I always give them fair chances 😆