Kingdom of the Wicked 

by Kerri Maniscalco 

5 out of 5 

Synopsis 

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 as it seems… 

Review 

Emilia is about to discover that all her Nonna's warnings about demon princes are very true, and very dangerous.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are Italian witches, descended from a long line of Streghe.

Emilia is the quiet one, who is happiest in her family's restaurant, experimenting with flavours. She is always very careful to hide her magic from people around her, and she thinks her Nonna's stories about demons are just that - stories. She is content with her little life.

Her sister Vittoria is the adventurous one, the one who pushes boundaries and embraces all sides of her magic. Vittoria is the one who you could imagine as the leading character in this book...

But Vittoria is murdered, and it is up to Emilia to step outside her comfort-zone and work out who killed her sister.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, as Emilia bumbles along, in her attempts to understand demons and dark magic.

She has the inborn power and ability, but thanks to her strict Nonna, she lacks all knowledge of the dark side.

She accidentally summons a Prince of Hell, Wrath; and has to act carefully around him, knowing that any promises or deals will usually be in Wrath's favour.

I liked everything about the setting, and Emilia's love of food in Sicily. It just felt so real, and I thought the author did a great job of blending a real historical vibe with the paranormal elements creeping in.

The  demon princes always keep you guessing throughout the book, but they have had an eternity to perfect being devious and dangerous.

I also liked the non-demon elements that are thrown into the mix.

With rumours of Benandanti shape-shifters and the very real threat of witch-hunters, it all felt very relevant for its time.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to the rest of the series.

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