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Kingdom of the Wicked  By  cover art

Kingdom of the Wicked

By: Kerri Maniscalco
Narrated by: Marisa Calin
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Publisher's summary

A James Patterson Presents novel

From the number one New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series comes a new blockbuster series....

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....

©2020 Kerri Maniscalco (P)2020 Jimmy Patterson

Critic reviews

"An intoxicating, tightly plotted feast for the senses with a dramatic cliffhanger."—Kirkus Reviews

"Lyrical writing and an immersive atmosphere accompany a well-built world rooted in 19th-century Palermo, especially evocative descriptions of food prepared in the family's restaurant, while intriguing plot twists round off the novel."—Publishers Weekly

"The characters are richly drawn; the worldbuilding is smart, based on historical events and infused with magic; and the page-turning plot is a force to be reckoned with. Food, family, magic, and romance are threaded into this propulsive story, making it a thrilling, wondrous, and atmospheric tale."—Booklist

What listeners say about Kingdom of the Wicked

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Best Voice Actress for the Book!

This book is sooo good. First I’ll say that I listen ton the audiobooks. The voice actress was so amazing and this was one of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to. She got the voice perfectly. Her switch to a masculine voice was flawless and sounded genuine. She was truly an actress, not just someone reading the book!

The book itself was amazing. There was a more mystery aspect to it with such a dark, almost gothic feel to the story and setting. It felt very ominous and I kept anticipating something bad to be lurking around every turn of the page. Emilia’s grief and pain at losing her sister was raw and real.

One thing I will say is that both twins run into danger with too much secrecy and no thought. It didn’t work out well for one sister, and the other decided to do the same. They both felt the need to take on the tasks themselves instead of asking for help. After Vittoria dies, you would think Emilia would learn her lesson and ask for help. Although her grandmother had been keeping secrets from her for her entire life, so I see why Emilia didn’t want to ask her for help. And if she did, the story would not have progressed the same. You can tell not everything the grandmother believes or says may be the whole truth of the matter and it’s up to Emilia to figure things out on her own.

I don’t see why the grandmother kept so many secrets. It was annoying. The twins may have been better able to protect themselves if they knew what they were and what they had. To keep them ignorant made them vulnerable.

I like the idea of the Seven Deadly Sins being represented by princes of hell. Their powers were off the sins and they used them to enthrall and be-spell people.

I love Wrath. And I am a sucker for romance in the story. There are some reviews that complain about it being an insta-love story with little interaction between the two characters. It’s definitely not instant love! They don’t even like each other. They’re bound together and definitely intrigued by each other. They have an inkling that they could be more but it’s only mentioned once. He’s reluctant to be stuck with her and she’s still convinced of her hatred for him. Yes, they do feel desire for one another and you can see it leading somewhere. I can’t wait for the rest of the books to come out and see their relationship progress. Especially after the ending and the trouble it will cause between the two of them in the next book!

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22 people found this helpful

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nothing special

The MC was a bit dumb, the MC love interest, a mighty demon, was the typical hot, snarky, secretly In love with the MC but acting like he hates her, we all know and love, and frankly, saw it in a gazillion other books of that sort.
but it was still a fun read,and menage to keep my interest. to shame i solved the grand mystery in the second chapter.
oh, and the narrator is great. appropriately dramatic. i listened to a lot of books with her,and she never disappoint.

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18 people found this helpful

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Maniscalco does it again!

I loved the first series I listened to by Kerri Maniscalco and this first book in a new story did not disappoint. The story was enjoyable & had a good mixture of magic, mystery and a little creepiness. The narration was SO good! This was the perfect last read (listen) of October, although I’d enjoy it any time.

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    3 out of 5 stars

Lacking the charm of Kerri's last series

I had some issues with this story. While it was interesting in its setting and execution, parts of the story didn't make sense and the ending left me a bit confused.

***SPOILERS***

The MC has a really close bond with her sister because they were born twins. They are not alike in personality and these girls can run around in semi-historical Italy with no question about their whereabouts. The grandmother is apparently a very powerful witch who didn't tell her grandchildren anything about themselves and obviously has the powers to figure what her granddaughters are up to, but for plot reasons, she plays a background character that fills in information...sort of. The MC parents have no powers and do nothing except becoming liabilities. The MC moves out of their house for like a week to be protected by her demon boyfriends and her parents don't call the police or even seem to care that she left and moved in with some boy they have never met. Not to mention the fact that a bunch of girls, one of their daughters included, have just been murdered....like who does that?

What kind of daughter doesn't even think that would bother them? How would her grandmother allow that!? The part really bothered me for some reason.

I felt a lot of parts of this story were scattered and disorganized which I would have been ok with if it hadn't been Kerri and her previous series wasn't so polished. There were also random parts of the book that would have dramatic music that was supposed to make it more theatrical but I found it weird...if you are going to put them in a few serious scenes then put them in all of them. The romance was also very meh.

The ending didn't make much sense either and I didn't find her "descent into evil" mentality to be explained well enough in the plot...maybe the second book will be better. Either way, I didn't end it wishing the second one was coming out soon as I did with her other series.

The performance was still very enjoyable and the accents spot on. I will still check out the next one because I love Kerri and support her work.

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6 people found this helpful

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The worst part of this book is having to wait for the next one

Ugh really?!?! How am I supposed to wait?! This was so SO good - really the only thing I hated about it is that it ended and now I have to wait. Gorgeous read!

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JennMoon

What a fun ride! I cannot wait for the next book. If you like From Blood and Ash, Kingdom of Exiles and Rhapsodic, you will like this book. It’s not as spicy but the story is so good. It’s a journey with twists and turns that you won’t suspect. Also the narrator is one of the best I’ve listened to honestly. She absolutely brings this story to life. Hoping they keep her for the series.

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The Narration Was Everything!!!

For a lesser narrator, I wouldn’t have made it through this book. Her story telling, her voices, her accents; delicious!

The story; eh. Kind of like watching lost. I’ve got a good sense of the predictable things that will happen but also it feels like the author is always asking more questions. The answers are never satisfying.

The protagonist is a bit whiny. But I didn’t mind because the narrator. Otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered.

I do like that the protagonist solves her own problems and doesn’t need to be rescued.

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Instant Favorite

Everything I loved about Kerri Maniscalco’s first series, she fulfilled and expanded with this book. Her dialogue and banter has always been my favorite, but I was truly NOT prepared for the perfection that is the conversations between Emilia and Wrath. She struck a perfect balance between danger and desire, and if you are looking for a TRUE enemies-to-lovers book, this is it.

Her world-building was absolutely stunning, full of rich sensory details and a powerful, nuanced narrator in the protagonist. I absolutely adore her, and rooted for her even when she was walking that strange moral line in pursuit of vengeance. The ending had me screaming in my car, and I’ve already pre-ordered book two.

Finally, the narration was FLAWLESS! Honestly, I couldn’t pause this for anything. Her voice is the perfect level of intoxicating needed for a dark story of witches, demons, and Italian streets. I adore her accents and emphasis, and the emotion she pours into the main character’s internal dialogue. This is absolutely a new favorite!

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  • Na
  • 12-21-20

Love Love Love

I absolutely loved this book and can't wait for the second book! It kept me very interested. I didn't want to put it down!

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Amazing

I love Kerri Maniscalco’s work! Kingdom of the Wicked had me laughing and swooning. I highly recommend this book to all. Marisa Calin’s performance blew me away. This is a must read!!

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