Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked, 1)

Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop

Maniscalco continues to weave magic into her writing with Kingdom of the Wicked, creating a mesmerizing new dark fantasy that will leave the reader wanting more.

Amazing Plot
Kingdom of the Wicked is an incredible story following Emilia in Sicily as she strives to solve her sister’s murder and recon with the fact that all the stories her grandmother told her were real.

Emilia is a witch descendant of the Moon Goddess, and even though she did believe in her magic, she never believes in the tales of the Malvagio, the Princes of Hell, or demons.

It is such a tension driven story following Emilia as she deals with losing her twin sister. However, how she deals with it, delving into the dark arts, creates much tension for the plot and story.

Seeing the story unfold makes for an addictive read because Maniscalco never gives anything away to the reader. The constant twists and turns make the mystery intriguing, keeping the reader spellbound. The mystery and tension create the perfect atmosphere for the story to be haunting and spellbinding.

There is also depth to the story about good versus evil, light, and dark. It does have this powerful message behind it about how humans have choices and, in the novel, much like real life, choices determine if something is good or bad. Once again, it goes towards intent, making the reader question everyone in the novel and do a double-take with Emilia as she tries to solve her sisters’ murder.

Great Character Dynamics
Maniscalco also does a fantastic job with her characterization. Alongside how she tells a story and sets up a mystery, Maniscalco continues to create complex and memorable characters with strong dynamics.

Emilia is a clever young woman. She has this wonderful personality and love of cooking that makes her compelling and relatable as a character. What Emilia has is a passion that connects to the reader. She loved her family and her sister fiercely and it resonates throughout the story. Her love for her family drives Emilia onward, and it helps that she is intelligent enough to put all the pieces together.

Maniscalco shows the reader how her mind works, and it is brilliant how her mind works.

As for her relationship with Wrath, it was well done. Maniscalco stays away from cliches as she puts these two characters together. There is a level of unpredictability here that captures the reader’s attention. It is hard to say where their dynamics are going to go and that is what makes it compelling.


Kingdom of the Wicked is a fantastic novel. The plot remains unpredictable, filled with twists and turns that enchant the reader, wrapping them in a cocoon of darkness and magic, keeping them hooked until the end.

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Wow, this was actually very good. I have so many series that I have been reading that I wanted to stay away from another but went ahead with this Trilogy. Halfway through I like it so much I order the 2nd book which came today.

The storyline is really good, the build ups are really good, the chemistry between Wrath and Emilia is mouth watering. So much mystery and suspense in this book, truly enjoyed. Emilia is a smart little cookie, very clever. The ending will have you on pins and needles and foaming at the mouth for the 2nd book.

Nicely focused on Italian tales of witches/devils/etc. Story line not as developed or detailed as Sarah Maas, but willing to try another in the series.

Felt like it was poorly written the main character was annoying as heck and all the other character debts were paper thin.

3.5, not baddddd, just doesn't stick out to me much