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Kingdom of the Wicked #3
Kingdom of the Feared
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2022)Emilia is reeling from the shocking discovery that her twin sister, Vittoria, is alive. But before she faces the demons of her past, Emilia yearns to claim her king, the seductive Prince of Wrath, in the flesh. Emilia doesn’t simply desire his body, she wants his heart and soul—but that’s something the enigmatic demon can’t promise her.
When a high-ranking member of House Greed is assassinated, Emilia and Wrath are drawn to the rival demon court. Damning evidence points to Vittoria as the murderer and she’s quickly declared an enemy of the Seven Circles. Despite her betrayal, Emilia will do anything to solve this new mystery and find out who her sister really is.
Together Emilia and Wrath play a sin-fueled game of deception as they work to stop the unrest that’s brewing between witches, demons, shape-shifters and the most treacherous foes of all: the Feared.
Emilia was warned that when it came to the Wicked nothing was as it seemed. But, have the true villains been much closer all along? When the truth is finally revealed, it just might end up costing Emilia her heart.
Two curses.
One prophecy.
A reckoning all have feared.
And a love more powerful than fate. All hail the king and queen of Hell.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stalking the Jack the Ripper series comes the steamy conclusion to Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy.
When a high-ranking member of House Greed is assassinated, Emilia and Wrath are drawn to the rival demon court. Damning evidence points to Vittoria as the murderer and she’s quickly declared an enemy of the Seven Circles. Despite her betrayal, Emilia will do anything to solve this new mystery and find out who her sister really is.
Together Emilia and Wrath play a sin-fueled game of deception as they work to stop the unrest that’s brewing between witches, demons, shape-shifters and the most treacherous foes of all: the Feared.
Emilia was warned that when it came to the Wicked nothing was as it seemed. But, have the true villains been much closer all along? When the truth is finally revealed, it just might end up costing Emilia her heart.
Two curses.
One prophecy.
A reckoning all have feared.
And a love more powerful than fate. All hail the king and queen of Hell.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stalking the Jack the Ripper series comes the steamy conclusion to Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy.
417 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 2022
About the author
Kerri Maniscalco
15 books31k followersI'm mostly on instagram--where I'm always ready to talk fictional crushes and nerd out over books. (Okay, okay. And I've also been known to share snippets and teasers from my upcoming novels, if you're into that sort of thing...) Please feel free to chat with me there @KerriManiscalco. I love talking with fellow readers!
Kerri Maniscalco grew up in a semi-haunted house outside NYC where her fascination with gothic settings began. In her spare time she reads everything she can get her hands on, cooks all kinds of food with her family and friends, and drinks entirely too much tea while discussing life’s finer points with her cats.
She is the #1 NYT and USA Today bestselling author of the STALKING JACK THE RIPPER quartet, the KINGDOM OF THE WICKED trilogy, and her forthcoming adult debut, THRONE OF THE FALLEN, set within the KINGDOM OF THE WICKED universe. Two other un-named titles will also be set within the KOTW world and will follow two different princes.
For more information, visit Kerri online:
www.kerrimaniscalco.com
www.facebook.com/KerriManiscalcoAuthor
Follow Kerri on Instagram:
instagram.com/kerrimaniscalco
Kerri Maniscalco grew up in a semi-haunted house outside NYC where her fascination with gothic settings began. In her spare time she reads everything she can get her hands on, cooks all kinds of food with her family and friends, and drinks entirely too much tea while discussing life’s finer points with her cats.
She is the #1 NYT and USA Today bestselling author of the STALKING JACK THE RIPPER quartet, the KINGDOM OF THE WICKED trilogy, and her forthcoming adult debut, THRONE OF THE FALLEN, set within the KINGDOM OF THE WICKED universe. Two other un-named titles will also be set within the KOTW world and will follow two different princes.
For more information, visit Kerri online:
www.kerrimaniscalco.com
www.facebook.com/KerriManiscalcoAuthor
Follow Kerri on Instagram:
instagram.com/kerrimaniscalco
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 13,867 reviews
September 27, 2022
EVERY FUCKING CHAPTER, PAGE, AND SENTENCE WAS A SLAP !!! kerri maniscalco did not come to fucking play with this final installment. SHE SIMPLY DOES NOT MISS!!! my expectations were high af and they were fucking exceeded!!🤧🤧
this book was female fucking rage, fury, wrath, passion, savagery, frenzy, violence, and ferocity all in one. it immediately picks off right where book 2 ended. soon we are brought forth another mystery and apparently NO ONE IN THIS BOOK CAN BE FUCKING TRUSTED!! i’m telling you right now, every theory you had about Emilia, Wrath, and the plot itself…throw it out the fucking window because you don’t know shit. i felt like i was seeing heaven while reading this book when i’m literally reading about a book set in hell.🔥
now that Emilia is the bad bitch that she is. all that is left is for her to get her happy ever after with Wrath. but these bitches are constantly being thrown curve balls that at one point i threw this book to the moon. Y’all think Wrath is the only one known for his angry? wait until you read about, Emilia, this baddie’s fury. ❤️🔥
in between all this we get a LOT MORE SEXY TIME AND HOLY FUCK SOMEONE CALL 911 BECAUSE I DIDN’T THINK IT WOULD GET THAT RAUNCY?!?!! they’re animals i’m telling ya. Ok lemme just.....▄█▀█⚫️
we also get more scenes with the other princes of hell and some of their backgrounds stories. I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD IF I DONT SEE KERRI WRITE A SPIN OFF IM GONNA VOMIT!
As this book was wrapping up, it got to the point in which i thought i’d have to give this book a lower rating because of certain plot points…but FUCKING NO because kerri pulled through and gave us the ending that we not only wanted but deserved!! i hope she gets her ass ate for that one ☝🏽
the entirety of this series has grabbed me by the throat, smacked my ass like a drum, broke my legs, penetrated me deeply imaginatively so, had my legs divorcing, planted its DNA so deep inside of me that now idek wtf to do with my life. and it’s the way this cliff just appeared in front of me.
this book was female fucking rage, fury, wrath, passion, savagery, frenzy, violence, and ferocity all in one. it immediately picks off right where book 2 ended. soon we are brought forth another mystery and apparently NO ONE IN THIS BOOK CAN BE FUCKING TRUSTED!! i’m telling you right now, every theory you had about Emilia, Wrath, and the plot itself…throw it out the fucking window because you don’t know shit. i felt like i was seeing heaven while reading this book when i’m literally reading about a book set in hell.🔥
now that Emilia is the bad bitch that she is. all that is left is for her to get her happy ever after with Wrath. but these bitches are constantly being thrown curve balls that at one point i threw this book to the moon. Y’all think Wrath is the only one known for his angry? wait until you read about, Emilia, this baddie’s fury. ❤️🔥
in between all this we get a LOT MORE SEXY TIME AND HOLY FUCK SOMEONE CALL 911 BECAUSE I DIDN’T THINK IT WOULD GET THAT RAUNCY?!?!! they’re animals i’m telling ya. Ok lemme just.....▄█▀█⚫️
we also get more scenes with the other princes of hell and some of their backgrounds stories. I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD IF I DONT SEE KERRI WRITE A SPIN OFF IM GONNA VOMIT!
As this book was wrapping up, it got to the point in which i thought i’d have to give this book a lower rating because of certain plot points…but FUCKING NO because kerri pulled through and gave us the ending that we not only wanted but deserved!! i hope she gets her ass ate for that one ☝🏽
the entirety of this series has grabbed me by the throat, smacked my ass like a drum, broke my legs, penetrated me deeply imaginatively so, had my legs divorcing, planted its DNA so deep inside of me that now idek wtf to do with my life. and it’s the way this cliff just appeared in front of me.
Currently reading
February 6, 2023drafting as we speak. xoxo
FEBRUARY 2023 UPDATE: yes!!! There are more books coming in this world! Three new ADULT titles were announced last month, each will follow the story of a different prince. The first book, THRONE OF THE FALLEN, is Envy's story. The second...well...there are definitely some clues and hints in KOTF. The new stories are now ADULT because they are told from the prince's POV's and they definitely aren't teens. THRONE is up for pre-order and releases October 2023. I am dropping tons of teasers on IG and hope you are as excited as I am!!!!
FEBRUARY 2023 UPDATE: yes!!! There are more books coming in this world! Three new ADULT titles were announced last month, each will follow the story of a different prince. The first book, THRONE OF THE FALLEN, is Envy's story. The second...well...there are definitely some clues and hints in KOTF. The new stories are now ADULT because they are told from the prince's POV's and they definitely aren't teens. THRONE is up for pre-order and releases October 2023. I am dropping tons of teasers on IG and hope you are as excited as I am!!!!
December 25, 2023
Wrath and Emilia could have just signed up for PornHub and people will cheer.
If this was named 'Kingdom of the Horny', I would have probably understand and give another star for living up to its title but uh.... no 🫶🏻
If this was named 'Kingdom of the Horny', I would have probably understand and give another star for living up to its title but uh.... no 🫶🏻
October 18, 2022
2.5 stars⭐️
buckle up bitches because i have opinions on the conclusion of the series. (seriously i don’t shut the fuck up for a while, so don’t say you’ve not been warned).
firstly, my main issue with this book is the way it’s been labelled and promoted— someone needs to deep-dive into the progressing phenomenon of smutty fantasy romances being marketed as YA books. or just generally, books with explicit content being promoted as YA. because it’s becoming so commonplace now and i find it so odd that it’s allowed?
this book is on Goodreads’ ”YA Releases September 2022” and ”YA Novels of 2022”... so it is YA? but then, the book tags for this on Goodreads also label this as NA? so what is it? because Emilia was fully sucking dick in a gondola. we’re told she swallows it too, go Emilia! so there’s no vagueness. nothing is implied. it’s explicitly shown that they’re doing all sorts of horny shit. (and not just Emilia and Wrath, but other characters, too).
i mean, don’t get me wrong, im a romance smut lover. go scroll through my read shelf and you’ll be assured... but it just makes me feel so weird to read explicit smut in a book that’s labelled YA and marketed for young people💀 first SJM started doing it, then JLA... now this trilogy?
just market the books as adult fantasy!! just be straight up!! this “meeting in the middle” type marketing really bugs me since, yeah it widens the target audience for different demographics, but certain scenes should not be read by younger teens.
i couldn’t get invested in the opening smutty scene because all i could think of is “this has been marketed for teens, bro”. so i scoured the internet for the age rating and see if the series is still YA, or if it’s been changed into NA instead... but the Barnes and Noble, and Amazon sites both said the age is 16 and up, with both sites labelling the book as both YA and NA. pick one!! and i still don’t think 16+ is the right age group either (more like 18+). i think vague inferred sex in YA is fine because most teens are familiar with the concept of sex. but just the way it’s written here (and in other “YA” books) just leaves such a gross taste in my mouth.
i just think this needs to be fully marketed as New Adult. some teens don’t want to read explicit sex like that. and technically, by most standards, people wouldn’t consider it appropriate for teens in the YA age-bracket to read this kinda stuff.
the book needs a clearer marketing strategy— pick one! new adult or young adult, straddling the line of both just doesn’t make sense to me.
i know i sound like a blithering old granny but, as someone who read SJM in her youth starting a series that started off YA then gradually became NA (without me having a clue), i would have liked some warning💀
and i guess this segues into my first main issue with the actual story itself... and yeah, you guessed it!! ✨sex✨
(this is also the spoilery part of my review, so congratulations on making it this far! you got through all of my whinging... enjoy the rest of my review where i also whinge, just with a few spoilers here and there).
all Emilia thought about was sex💀💀💀
i kid you not her head was empty other than thoughts of sex. it just got progressively worse and worse, like i am not exaggerating when i tell you she thought of little else but sex for the majority of the book. or if it wasn’t necessarily sex, everything just had sexual undertone to it or was motivated by sex. it was actually so exhausting.
Emilia is so horny she heard lapping water and automatically thinks:
bold of you to assume your pussy would taste like a royal feast. as a regal resident of hell, all i could think of was this
Emilia and Wrath gave the vibe of those couples who have to let EVERYONE around them know they fuck. a lot. all the time. that they have high sex drives and can’t keep their hands off each other. (think MGK and Megan Fox type of weirdly annoying). we get it. shut the fuck up, i beg you.
i mean, girly you just found out your dead twin sister who you believed was brutally murdered is in fact not dead but riding Wrath’s dick is all you seem to want to do? i mean... i get it, i do. he’s Wrath but... you know, the not-so-dead-twin-sister dilemma????
speaking of Vittoria, our not-so-dead-twin-sister...
i need to formally apologise to Vittoria, Goddess of Death, the superior twin sister, master manipulator and the realest, baddest bitch about... i am so sorry i ever called you a bland, caricature villain. i judged you too harshly, baby girl, and for that, i will never forgive myself.
she was the best character in this book, HANDS DOWN!
granted, she didn’t have the best start for me because yeahhhh, that introduction was a bit cliche— all she needed to do was twiddle her lil moustache and voila! caricature villain. her interaction with Emilia felt kinda surface-level and cheap, i just wasn’t feeling it. but the more Vittoria is explored, her complexities and nuances were explored too.
Emilia’s scenes with Vittoria were without a doubt the best part of the book. i really grew to love and understand their bond, and it’s not a simple one which im really glad Maniscalco portrayed— they were at each other’s throats one minute, while being adorably sisterly the next. it was wonderful.
the scenes without Vittoria bored me. she was my saving grace.
actual live footage of Vittoria helping me stagger my way through this book, a true guiding light:
so what im trying to say is... when Emilia wasn’t with Wrath, the plot was pretty good.
i have two arguments for my hypothesis:
still, whenever Emilia has questions, he either vaguely avoids answering or just point blank ignores her... then they fuck. repeat. i hereby dare Wrath to try and go five minutes without getting his cock out. just have a day off, man.
Vittoria @ Wrath:
seriously, every plot twist and bomb she dropped was so good. the Shifting Isles reveal. the truth about their Nona. who the “Feared” are. Vittoria came to show all these other bitches up, i loved her. Wrath honestly felt like a secondary character to me in this final instalment because he felt so... passive. Vitoria and Emilia really propelled the plot forward. with Wrath everything was so stagnant.
and as much as im quite indifferent to Emilia, i will give her props for being more of an active character this book. granted, parts of the plot were still far too convenient with Vittoria telling Emilia a bunch of shit, but Emilia did figure some stuff out herself so well done bestie! when you’re not thinking about dick you actually have enough brain cells to be smart, wow.
meanwhile, the writing style, again, was superfluous. i skimmed paragraphs upon paragraphs of Emilia saying the same shit in a different font over and over again— it was my issue with the previous book, and my review of that goes into more detail. i cba rehashing old issues lol.
and i skimmed most of the sex, too. after you’ve read one scene, you’ve read them all. it didn’t really add anything to their relationship. i wanted the softness and the romance, not the hardcore porn lmao. i loved the soft way Wrath loved and took care of Emilia in book one. bathing her with her favourite bathing products. nursing her back to health when she’s sick. weaving her favourite flowers into her hair. the tenderness of their previous relationship seemed to completely disappear? in favour of... really cheap smut. it just didn’t suit Emilia and the type of character she was— it was kinda like she was pretending to be something she wasn’t.
filling a book with smut doesn’t equate to romance. gimme the soft shit<3 so the romance lacked (i truly didn’t care about Wrath and Emilia whatsoever), the plot was decent in the first half and much better in the second.
but ultimately, the story wasn’t very climatic. despite the twisty revelations, there was no big crescendo, no build up to the pinnacle of the story— the whole book had a very... underwhelming pace. there was no action. very little intensity. i wasn’t on the edge of my seat at all. i was expecting some clash of powers or slaying of enemies, just something.
there was nothing. truly, this book is more so about explaining all the ominous shit that happened in the first two books. Emilia puts the pieces together (or is blatantly told what happened), and every mysterious encounter she’s previously had now makes sense. which was a relief, to be honest, because it did answer some questions that previously really bugged me😭 but this meant there was no actual plot for this book.
so, now that ive finished this trilogy, i honestly feel indifferent more than anything. despite my very long review full of opinions... this whole trilogy has been pretty average and underwhelming. i think it had the bones to be a lot more complex than what it was, but Maniscalco just didn’t delve deep enough either the characters while focusing too heavily on a smutty romance that felt like catering to fan-service more than it being relevant to the actual story.
and the fact there’s probably gonna be a spin off????
Pride and Lucia >>>>>> Pride and Vittoria. ily girl, but Lucia and Pride are serving all the best tropes. i have a vision of Vittoria being sapphic, tell me y’all don’t see it too?!
but im so glad im finally done with this series, it was a mess lmao. and i will be waiting for the spin off💅🏻
”I chose happiness over fear,” I finally said. “And I’d choose it again without any regrets.”
buckle up bitches because i have opinions on the conclusion of the series. (seriously i don’t shut the fuck up for a while, so don’t say you’ve not been warned).
firstly, my main issue with this book is the way it’s been labelled and promoted— someone needs to deep-dive into the progressing phenomenon of smutty fantasy romances being marketed as YA books. or just generally, books with explicit content being promoted as YA. because it’s becoming so commonplace now and i find it so odd that it’s allowed?
this book is on Goodreads’ ”YA Releases September 2022” and ”YA Novels of 2022”... so it is YA? but then, the book tags for this on Goodreads also label this as NA? so what is it? because Emilia was fully sucking dick in a gondola. we’re told she swallows it too, go Emilia! so there’s no vagueness. nothing is implied. it’s explicitly shown that they’re doing all sorts of horny shit. (and not just Emilia and Wrath, but other characters, too).
i mean, don’t get me wrong, im a romance smut lover. go scroll through my read shelf and you’ll be assured... but it just makes me feel so weird to read explicit smut in a book that’s labelled YA and marketed for young people💀 first SJM started doing it, then JLA... now this trilogy?
just market the books as adult fantasy!! just be straight up!! this “meeting in the middle” type marketing really bugs me since, yeah it widens the target audience for different demographics, but certain scenes should not be read by younger teens.
i couldn’t get invested in the opening smutty scene because all i could think of is “this has been marketed for teens, bro”. so i scoured the internet for the age rating and see if the series is still YA, or if it’s been changed into NA instead... but the Barnes and Noble, and Amazon sites both said the age is 16 and up, with both sites labelling the book as both YA and NA. pick one!! and i still don’t think 16+ is the right age group either (more like 18+). i think vague inferred sex in YA is fine because most teens are familiar with the concept of sex. but just the way it’s written here (and in other “YA” books) just leaves such a gross taste in my mouth.
i just think this needs to be fully marketed as New Adult. some teens don’t want to read explicit sex like that. and technically, by most standards, people wouldn’t consider it appropriate for teens in the YA age-bracket to read this kinda stuff.
the book needs a clearer marketing strategy— pick one! new adult or young adult, straddling the line of both just doesn’t make sense to me.
i know i sound like a blithering old granny but, as someone who read SJM in her youth starting a series that started off YA then gradually became NA (without me having a clue), i would have liked some warning💀
and i guess this segues into my first main issue with the actual story itself... and yeah, you guessed it!! ✨sex✨
(this is also the spoilery part of my review, so congratulations on making it this far! you got through all of my whinging... enjoy the rest of my review where i also whinge, just with a few spoilers here and there).
all Emilia thought about was sex💀💀💀
i kid you not her head was empty other than thoughts of sex. it just got progressively worse and worse, like i am not exaggerating when i tell you she thought of little else but sex for the majority of the book. or if it wasn’t necessarily sex, everything just had sexual undertone to it or was motivated by sex. it was actually so exhausting.
Emilia is so horny she heard lapping water and automatically thinks:
Thinking of waves lapping made me think of Wrath’s skilled tongue and all the things he’d done to me with it. I squeezed my eyes shut, but that only brought on memories of Wrath between my thighs, a king indulging in a royal feast.
bold of you to assume your pussy would taste like a royal feast. as a regal resident of hell, all i could think of was this
Emilia and Wrath gave the vibe of those couples who have to let EVERYONE around them know they fuck. a lot. all the time. that they have high sex drives and can’t keep their hands off each other. (think MGK and Megan Fox type of weirdly annoying). we get it. shut the fuck up, i beg you.
i mean, girly you just found out your dead twin sister who you believed was brutally murdered is in fact not dead but riding Wrath’s dick is all you seem to want to do? i mean... i get it, i do. he’s Wrath but... you know, the not-so-dead-twin-sister dilemma????
speaking of Vittoria, our not-so-dead-twin-sister...
i need to formally apologise to Vittoria, Goddess of Death, the superior twin sister, master manipulator and the realest, baddest bitch about... i am so sorry i ever called you a bland, caricature villain. i judged you too harshly, baby girl, and for that, i will never forgive myself.
she was the best character in this book, HANDS DOWN!
granted, she didn’t have the best start for me because yeahhhh, that introduction was a bit cliche— all she needed to do was twiddle her lil moustache and voila! caricature villain. her interaction with Emilia felt kinda surface-level and cheap, i just wasn’t feeling it. but the more Vittoria is explored, her complexities and nuances were explored too.
Emilia’s scenes with Vittoria were without a doubt the best part of the book. i really grew to love and understand their bond, and it’s not a simple one which im really glad Maniscalco portrayed— they were at each other’s throats one minute, while being adorably sisterly the next. it was wonderful.
”Don’t. I see what you’re thinking, and I swear I’ll slow your heart until you lose consciousness.”
“You know”—I looped my arm through Vittoria’s and started walking down the cobbled road that was nothing more than an illusion—“someone once told me hate is rooted in passion.”
the scenes without Vittoria bored me. she was my saving grace.
actual live footage of Vittoria helping me stagger my way through this book, a true guiding light:
so what im trying to say is... when Emilia wasn’t with Wrath, the plot was pretty good.
i have two arguments for my hypothesis:
1) whenever Emilia and Wrath were together, all her thoughts revolves around sex. all of the detrimental, urgent issues surrounding her become non-existent the moment her mind drifts to sex.
2) Wrath is still super fucking vague about everything that has happened in the past. Vittoria was the bad bitch doing business deals, evil villain monologues and kidnappings while divulging all of plot twists and big revelations. everyone say thank you to Vittoria for doing what the Wrath couldn’t do in three whole books :)
still, whenever Emilia has questions, he either vaguely avoids answering or just point blank ignores her... then they fuck. repeat. i hereby dare Wrath to try and go five minutes without getting his cock out. just have a day off, man.
Vittoria @ Wrath:
seriously, every plot twist and bomb she dropped was so good. the Shifting Isles reveal. the truth about their Nona. who the “Feared” are. Vittoria came to show all these other bitches up, i loved her. Wrath honestly felt like a secondary character to me in this final instalment because he felt so... passive. Vitoria and Emilia really propelled the plot forward. with Wrath everything was so stagnant.
and as much as im quite indifferent to Emilia, i will give her props for being more of an active character this book. granted, parts of the plot were still far too convenient with Vittoria telling Emilia a bunch of shit, but Emilia did figure some stuff out herself so well done bestie! when you’re not thinking about dick you actually have enough brain cells to be smart, wow.
meanwhile, the writing style, again, was superfluous. i skimmed paragraphs upon paragraphs of Emilia saying the same shit in a different font over and over again— it was my issue with the previous book, and my review of that goes into more detail. i cba rehashing old issues lol.
and i skimmed most of the sex, too. after you’ve read one scene, you’ve read them all. it didn’t really add anything to their relationship. i wanted the softness and the romance, not the hardcore porn lmao. i loved the soft way Wrath loved and took care of Emilia in book one. bathing her with her favourite bathing products. nursing her back to health when she’s sick. weaving her favourite flowers into her hair. the tenderness of their previous relationship seemed to completely disappear? in favour of... really cheap smut. it just didn’t suit Emilia and the type of character she was— it was kinda like she was pretending to be something she wasn’t.
filling a book with smut doesn’t equate to romance. gimme the soft shit<3 so the romance lacked (i truly didn’t care about Wrath and Emilia whatsoever), the plot was decent in the first half and much better in the second.
but ultimately, the story wasn’t very climatic. despite the twisty revelations, there was no big crescendo, no build up to the pinnacle of the story— the whole book had a very... underwhelming pace. there was no action. very little intensity. i wasn’t on the edge of my seat at all. i was expecting some clash of powers or slaying of enemies, just something.
there was nothing. truly, this book is more so about explaining all the ominous shit that happened in the first two books. Emilia puts the pieces together (or is blatantly told what happened), and every mysterious encounter she’s previously had now makes sense. which was a relief, to be honest, because it did answer some questions that previously really bugged me😭 but this meant there was no actual plot for this book.
so, now that ive finished this trilogy, i honestly feel indifferent more than anything. despite my very long review full of opinions... this whole trilogy has been pretty average and underwhelming. i think it had the bones to be a lot more complex than what it was, but Maniscalco just didn’t delve deep enough either the characters while focusing too heavily on a smutty romance that felt like catering to fan-service more than it being relevant to the actual story.
and the fact there’s probably gonna be a spin off????
Pride and Lucia >>>>>> Pride and Vittoria. ily girl, but Lucia and Pride are serving all the best tropes. i have a vision of Vittoria being sapphic, tell me y’all don’t see it too?!
but im so glad im finally done with this series, it was a mess lmao. and i will be waiting for the spin off💅🏻
”I accept our bond. I give my heart, my soul, my power to thee”
November 16, 2022
The only good thing about this book is the spice✨
The author completely messed up in this one. I think the sole purpose to write this book for her was to write smut, which is nicely done but the overall plot has nothing to offer.
The characters have such a huge personality change and by that I mean just Wrath. Wrath, like the name suggests means extreme anger. But imagine taking a bucket full of ice cold water and pour that on Wrath. You get the picture? There is no Wrath in this book.
Emilia? Her whole personality is just the fact that she wants sex. She occasionally thinks about her sister but mostly it's just sex. Oh and she will often say "goddess above" to make you think she's doing something. News flash- she's not.
The author had not much to offer in this book. I could've blamed it on my reading slump but I'm actually out of it so it's definitely the book. It seems like there's going to be a spin off series, I'm not sure if I'll read it. Most likely won't, but we'll see.
~•~•~
A Christian Perspective (for Kingdom of the Wicked- and for the series)
As this is a work of pure fiction, I'm considering it as it is. My own beliefs are not causing any sort of hindrance in my rating. While I've read a lot of fantasy, and I do cause it's one of my favourite genres- I do not agree with everything I read. It is meant to be taken as a work of fiction, aka not real.
So this one, had a lot of building on Hell, and fallen angels- aka demons, summoning demons, witchcraft and the whole concept of selling one's soul. Obviously, as a Christian I do not agree with any events in the book that happened. But it can bring one bit of peace knowing that it's not non fiction.
Coming to Antonio's character- any man who tries to do good (work of God) by using evil, especially through the means of fallen angels aka demons.. isn't doing the right thing. I just had to say that, because people do create false ways of judgements in their heads even if they believe they're doing the right things.
Selling one's soul? Emilia points out that it should not be easy. But reality is, that it is easy cause when the moment of temptation comes, when the moment you want everything you desire is right in front of your eyes; the devil will try everything in its power to get you to sell your soul. I hope if a time like that arises in your life, you're able to resist, flee and rebuke.
In short, as a Christian, this book is not easy to read. I took it as a work of fiction, if there are any Christians who want to read it- I suggest doing so only if their conscience allows it.
The author completely messed up in this one. I think the sole purpose to write this book for her was to write smut, which is nicely done but the overall plot has nothing to offer.
The characters have such a huge personality change and by that I mean just Wrath. Wrath, like the name suggests means extreme anger. But imagine taking a bucket full of ice cold water and pour that on Wrath. You get the picture? There is no Wrath in this book.
Emilia? Her whole personality is just the fact that she wants sex. She occasionally thinks about her sister but mostly it's just sex. Oh and she will often say "goddess above" to make you think she's doing something. News flash- she's not.
The author had not much to offer in this book. I could've blamed it on my reading slump but I'm actually out of it so it's definitely the book. It seems like there's going to be a spin off series, I'm not sure if I'll read it. Most likely won't, but we'll see.
~•~•~
A Christian Perspective (for Kingdom of the Wicked- and for the series)
As this is a work of pure fiction, I'm considering it as it is. My own beliefs are not causing any sort of hindrance in my rating. While I've read a lot of fantasy, and I do cause it's one of my favourite genres- I do not agree with everything I read. It is meant to be taken as a work of fiction, aka not real.
So this one, had a lot of building on Hell, and fallen angels- aka demons, summoning demons, witchcraft and the whole concept of selling one's soul. Obviously, as a Christian I do not agree with any events in the book that happened. But it can bring one bit of peace knowing that it's not non fiction.
Coming to Antonio's character- any man who tries to do good (work of God) by using evil, especially through the means of fallen angels aka demons.. isn't doing the right thing. I just had to say that, because people do create false ways of judgements in their heads even if they believe they're doing the right things.
Selling one's soul? Emilia points out that it should not be easy. But reality is, that it is easy cause when the moment of temptation comes, when the moment you want everything you desire is right in front of your eyes; the devil will try everything in its power to get you to sell your soul. I hope if a time like that arises in your life, you're able to resist, flee and rebuke.
In short, as a Christian, this book is not easy to read. I took it as a work of fiction, if there are any Christians who want to read it- I suggest doing so only if their conscience allows it.
September 30, 2022
i love the direction this series went with book #2, and i think this concluding installment does the overall story justice. its books like these that perfectly argue why the NA genre needs to be more of a thing in the publishing world.
while this didnt quite excite me as much as ‘kingdom of the cursed’ (its honestly a perfect sequel with literally no flaws), i still really enjoyed being in the world of the seven circles and exploring all of the different kingdoms of the demon brothers, as well as some new places and characters. the plot is also wrapped up very nicely and everything that began in book #1 gets resolved in a very satisfying way.
overall, a fun series - one i can see myself rereading.
↠ 4 stars
while this didnt quite excite me as much as ‘kingdom of the cursed’ (its honestly a perfect sequel with literally no flaws), i still really enjoyed being in the world of the seven circles and exploring all of the different kingdoms of the demon brothers, as well as some new places and characters. the plot is also wrapped up very nicely and everything that began in book #1 gets resolved in a very satisfying way.
overall, a fun series - one i can see myself rereading.
↠ 4 stars
October 2, 2022
My favorite part was when it ended
September 29, 2022
2✨ (spoiler free)
“Tell me every dark desire, Emilia. Every fantasy you wish to come true. And I vow to make every one of them happen.”
Well, I’m sorely disappointed. After 2 books full of questions, curses, and wicked political games, this is was the conclusion?? I was bored. I had to force myself to sit down and actually read it.
We get the answers we’ve been waiting for. But you would think 3 books later Emilia would have grown up and become less naive. Nope!!! Just because she has powerful magic doesn’t mean she’s a powerful fmc, and I wish Maniscalco understood that.
The pacing of this book was awful. I feel like the last 50 pages were extremely boring. There were no epic battles. The political schemes between houses and species were even missing. The “villain” reveal from the end of book 2 was completely underused and I really hated how that all played out.
There is also a very common YA fantasy romance trope that happens in this book that I don’t want to give away since it’s a new release. However, I am so mad that Maniscalco put this in the book, regardless of the ending. The feminist in me was screaming.
Wrath was great but honestly I was even underwhelmed by him. The romance that we’ve all been waiting for for 2 books was steamy, yes, but I felt like his actual character got completely watered down.
So, the plot and pacing weren’t great. Emilia annoyed me. Wrath was boring. The villain was lame. I really was super disappointed in this conclusion. Maybe my expectations were too high. I do feel like Maniscalco is 100% setting up another series in this world though. Maybe I’ll give it a shot if it happens. There are enough supernaturals and princes of Hell for her to write more. Maybe she’ll commit to writing actual wicked characters next time.
“Tell me every dark desire, Emilia. Every fantasy you wish to come true. And I vow to make every one of them happen.”
Well, I’m sorely disappointed. After 2 books full of questions, curses, and wicked political games, this is was the conclusion?? I was bored. I had to force myself to sit down and actually read it.
We get the answers we’ve been waiting for. But you would think 3 books later Emilia would have grown up and become less naive. Nope!!! Just because she has powerful magic doesn’t mean she’s a powerful fmc, and I wish Maniscalco understood that.
The pacing of this book was awful. I feel like the last 50 pages were extremely boring. There were no epic battles. The political schemes between houses and species were even missing. The “villain” reveal from the end of book 2 was completely underused and I really hated how that all played out.
There is also a very common YA fantasy romance trope that happens in this book that I don’t want to give away since it’s a new release. However, I am so mad that Maniscalco put this in the book, regardless of the ending. The feminist in me was screaming.
Wrath was great but honestly I was even underwhelmed by him. The romance that we’ve all been waiting for for 2 books was steamy, yes, but I felt like his actual character got completely watered down.
So, the plot and pacing weren’t great. Emilia annoyed me. Wrath was boring. The villain was lame. I really was super disappointed in this conclusion. Maybe my expectations were too high. I do feel like Maniscalco is 100% setting up another series in this world though. Maybe I’ll give it a shot if it happens. There are enough supernaturals and princes of Hell for her to write more. Maybe she’ll commit to writing actual wicked characters next time.
October 6, 2022
Kingdom of the Feared was a complete waste of anticipation, expectations, time, money and all the trees that had to be cut down in order for this to be put on paper.
I'll start by saying sex ≠ romance. I wish people nowadays understood that. I have nothing against sex in romance books or in real life. I love reading smutty books. What I have something against though is when the whole relationship development is based on that alone, with no further romantic elements. This is not an erotica book. If so, I wouldn't say a damn thing. This is romantic fantasy/fantasy romance. Add to that that it's also marketed as YA novel, something this book is clearly not when you explicitly tell your readers she gave a blowjob in a gondola and swallowed too.
All Emilia and Wrath did whenever they were together always turned sexual. Every. Single. Time. I wanted them to have some cute, heartwarming moments together without that, but I didn't get what I wished for. Emilia was only thinking about jumping on Wrath's dick every opportunity she got and it got annoying really fast. I get it. I really do. That's part of the relationship too. But there are other aspects too. Also, she had bigger problems and she found out that her sister is actually alive, but who the hell has time for that?
I'm more of a quality vs quantity kinda person, so I found all the sex scenes entirely unnecessary. They didn't really add anything. If you've read one, you've read them all. And they weren't even good.
Now, my other issue was how anticlimactic, unsatisfying, unimpressive and disappointing the entire plot was. Yes, there were good parts and many questions were answered, but there was no big conflict, no drama, no action, no big battle, no pinnacle anywhere. Everything resolved quite easily in my opinion. I wanted to be on the edge of my seat, dying from agony, but instead I was bored out of my mind.
And don't even get me started on the overly excessive descriptions of everything, whether it be a place, a room or an article of clothing, and Emilia's repeating thoughts worded slightly different over and over again. No, ma'am.
I also didn't like the fact that the hints for a spin-off that were thrown in the book revolved around one man and two women. If there is indeed a spin-off in the future, I wish I'm wrong and the author doesn't pit two women against each other for a man, who's canonically unfaithful and doesn't deserve either of them. Let the girlies end up together. Now, that's something I'd like to read.
I forgot to mention Emilia got on my nerves a lot. Not just because of her sex-crazed state, but because I felt like she was trying too hard to be tough and badass. I don't quite know how to explain it. She just gave off weird vibes the whole time.
I'm lowering my rating to 2 stars, because while writing this review i realized i was too generous with my original rating.
*********
2.5 stars⭐
I should have lowered my expectations for this one, then I wouldn't have been so disappointed. I don't even remember why or how I liked the second book.
Full review to come.
I'll start by saying sex ≠ romance. I wish people nowadays understood that. I have nothing against sex in romance books or in real life. I love reading smutty books. What I have something against though is when the whole relationship development is based on that alone, with no further romantic elements. This is not an erotica book. If so, I wouldn't say a damn thing. This is romantic fantasy/fantasy romance. Add to that that it's also marketed as YA novel, something this book is clearly not when you explicitly tell your readers she gave a blowjob in a gondola and swallowed too.
All Emilia and Wrath did whenever they were together always turned sexual. Every. Single. Time. I wanted them to have some cute, heartwarming moments together without that, but I didn't get what I wished for. Emilia was only thinking about jumping on Wrath's dick every opportunity she got and it got annoying really fast. I get it. I really do. That's part of the relationship too. But there are other aspects too. Also, she had bigger problems and she found out that her sister is actually alive, but who the hell has time for that?
I'm more of a quality vs quantity kinda person, so I found all the sex scenes entirely unnecessary. They didn't really add anything. If you've read one, you've read them all. And they weren't even good.
Now, my other issue was how anticlimactic, unsatisfying, unimpressive and disappointing the entire plot was. Yes, there were good parts and many questions were answered, but there was no big conflict, no drama, no action, no big battle, no pinnacle anywhere. Everything resolved quite easily in my opinion. I wanted to be on the edge of my seat, dying from agony, but instead I was bored out of my mind.
And don't even get me started on the overly excessive descriptions of everything, whether it be a place, a room or an article of clothing, and Emilia's repeating thoughts worded slightly different over and over again. No, ma'am.
I also didn't like the fact that the hints for a spin-off that were thrown in the book revolved around one man and two women. If there is indeed a spin-off in the future, I wish I'm wrong and the author doesn't pit two women against each other for a man, who's canonically unfaithful and doesn't deserve either of them. Let the girlies end up together. Now, that's something I'd like to read.
I forgot to mention Emilia got on my nerves a lot. Not just because of her sex-crazed state, but because I felt like she was trying too hard to be tough and badass. I don't quite know how to explain it. She just gave off weird vibes the whole time.
I'm lowering my rating to 2 stars, because while writing this review i realized i was too generous with my original rating.
*********
2.5 stars⭐
I should have lowered my expectations for this one, then I wouldn't have been so disappointed. I don't even remember why or how I liked the second book.
Full review to come.
December 10, 2023
“I always knew you. And always will. Your soul calls to mine. It’s a feeling of coming home. Of peace. No magic can duplicate it.”
i actually wasnt expecting to have enjoyed this as much as i did???
"Every villain thinks themselves the hero. And vice versa. In truth, there’s a little villain and hero in each of us. Depending on the circumstances."
wrath and emilia have my heart completely <3 i adore them so much and although a decision at the end annoyed me, kerri did something to make up for it so!! i liked the message behind it butttt it's still a bit disappointing🫣 (hence the 1 star drop in rating along with the fact that the ending kinda felt a little underwhelming) otherwise!! honestly the common complaint i saw in most reviews i didnt really notice as much?? i think it helped that i came in with super low expectations because i ended up really loving this unexpectedly?? but yes omg emilia and wrath scenes were SO SWEET and with all the revelations in this book i appreciate their scenes in kotw and kotc so much more🥹🫶 and truly loved seeing how much emilia has changed, like in kotw she was innocent and naive, then in kotc she's all for revenge and full of anger and finally with kotf she goes thru growth of letting go of her all consuming anger and revenge and wants for love and i- its so beautiful🥺🥺
"He looked like someone who understood, intimately, what it was like to lose everything. To be forced to stand when you wished to fall. To get up on your own and defy the hand of fate that brought so much pain by smacking you down time and time again. To choose to live and flourish despite the bad. And most important, to dare to dream of better days while your current world was a living nightmare."
also the way my love for envy and gluttony sky-rocketed ???? especially with envy (that precious moment between emilia and him i just-) omg im even more excited now to get to his book (ALSO THAT BONUS CHAPTER???) and then with gluttony--when wrath was talking about how much gluttony had missed her and the whole setting his baby dragons to chase emilia stopppp my heart🥺 AND sloth!! he was barely there but just that one scene with him, i already love that guy he's such a mood.
there's also vittoria, and honestly... i dont hate her? like i despised her in the beginning and although i still find her immensely insufferable, im just 🤷♀️ on her. i think its way more dislike than like actually but i see how complicated of a character she is (still my least fav character of the whole cast (right after greed actually))
ALSO im so team pride & lucia, altho if lucia finds someone else even better because truly she doesnt deserve to expereince that pain again BUTTT pride and lucia are SO meant for each other and would serve the best relationship (better than vittoria and pride at least😭 im always a sucker for "character A not having her memories and falling over again with character B"🫶
but yes i will so be reading the other books with the princes of hell (i mean theres still so many things we dont know especially!! like what were the curses placed on each of them👀). i will say im excited for pride's book but i will not be looking forward to his if its going to be love triangle because that sounds painful😭
"What happens after the last chapter? That is the part of the story I'm always most intrigued by. Who rises up next, a hero or villain? There are certainly many more tales that have yet to be told."
__________
[Feb.5, 2022]: i love how the skull in each book keeps getting more and more weared down
THE COVER LOOKS SO CREEPY THOUGH I LOVE IT
__________
[Dec.14, 2021]: well that was a missed opportunity😭
kingdom of the feared doesnt hit as hard as kingdom of the damned :')
__________
okay after that ending, i can literally picture this being called Kingdom of the Damned and the cover being red LIKE I FEEL IT WOULD WORK SO WELL😩
also plz i need to know more about the princes sdfsfgsfs
____
[July 31, 2021]
I NEED THIS RIGHT NOW PLEASE AND THANK YOU.
____
Reviews:
Kingdom of the Wicked: ★★★★★
Kingdom of the Cursed: ★★★★
December 30, 2022
DNF @ 25%
I knew going in that this was probably going to be really bad (because the 2nd book was one of my worst reads of 2022), but it was going to bother me to read 2 out of 3 in a series. At that point just finish it out, right?! Well, Kerri Maniscalco spelling her own character's name wrong TWICE in the first five pages of the book was a good indicator of how this was going to go...
I gave this book 100 pages. Enough for the plot to start moving and to get a good feel for the book. It's terrible. Not only was it not getting better, but it was actively getting worse. Every issue I had with the previous books just continues to get worse and compound more on top of it and Keri Maniscalco clearly gave up on even attempting solid writing and plot and is just fluffing pages with cheap smut. In a YA book. I cannot stress enough that this is published under a YA imprint and marketed and sold as a YA book. In no universe is this a YA book.
The plot is non-sensical, the main character is one of the most insufferably stupid MC's I've ever read (who will contradictorily also have big epiphanies completely out of nowhere just to advance the plot), and the sharp turn from YA to NA in book 1 and then NA to Adult in book three seems like an obvious crutch used when the author either got bored of what she had planned or realized it was needed to actually keep readers interested.
There was an interesting initial concept in book 1 that never reached a good potential, got so much worse in book 2 where she started (in my opinion) using the promise of smut as a crutch in an effort to keep readers interested and distract from terrible plotting, and that problem has gotten ten times worse in this third and final book. Not worth me suffering through another 300 pages.
I'm trying really hard to let myself DNF this. There's no reason I should suffer through something that isn't enjoyable just to finish it for the sake of finishing and I'm trying to make my brain accept that. I'll be returning the book to the library ASAP (because of course it's a library book, I knew I didn't want to waste money on what was probably not going to be a good book) so that it's out of sight and hopefully out of mind.
First DNF in years, hooray for me.
I knew going in that this was probably going to be really bad (because the 2nd book was one of my worst reads of 2022), but it was going to bother me to read 2 out of 3 in a series. At that point just finish it out, right?! Well, Kerri Maniscalco spelling her own character's name wrong TWICE in the first five pages of the book was a good indicator of how this was going to go...
I gave this book 100 pages. Enough for the plot to start moving and to get a good feel for the book. It's terrible. Not only was it not getting better, but it was actively getting worse. Every issue I had with the previous books just continues to get worse and compound more on top of it and Keri Maniscalco clearly gave up on even attempting solid writing and plot and is just fluffing pages with cheap smut. In a YA book. I cannot stress enough that this is published under a YA imprint and marketed and sold as a YA book. In no universe is this a YA book.
The plot is non-sensical, the main character is one of the most insufferably stupid MC's I've ever read (who will contradictorily also have big epiphanies completely out of nowhere just to advance the plot), and the sharp turn from YA to NA in book 1 and then NA to Adult in book three seems like an obvious crutch used when the author either got bored of what she had planned or realized it was needed to actually keep readers interested.
There was an interesting initial concept in book 1 that never reached a good potential, got so much worse in book 2 where she started (in my opinion) using the promise of smut as a crutch in an effort to keep readers interested and distract from terrible plotting, and that problem has gotten ten times worse in this third and final book. Not worth me suffering through another 300 pages.
I'm trying really hard to let myself DNF this. There's no reason I should suffer through something that isn't enjoyable just to finish it for the sake of finishing and I'm trying to make my brain accept that. I'll be returning the book to the library ASAP (because of course it's a library book, I knew I didn't want to waste money on what was probably not going to be a good book) so that it's out of sight and hopefully out of mind.
First DNF in years, hooray for me.
September 29, 2022
WE GET IT you have sex
March 20, 2022
Giving one star isn’t enough, I need Kerri Maniscalco to stop writing
October 12, 2023
“Show me why they call you the Wicked.”
Spice Meter: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
It's such a blessing when the book you had such high expectations for delivers so spectacularly. Not that I expected anything less from this series and Kerri Maniscalco. Masterpiece isn't an adequate enough word to describe it. Besides, this book, in particular, might actually be my favorite one. I love how the story unfolds. The revelations are insane, and there are plenty of moments that left me shooketh. Also, I especially loved the ending. There was a moment I wasn't pleased with at all and was worried about how it would affect my rating, but as it turned out Kerry Maniscalco was only being a mean tease again. I honestly think she might be a sadist, but seeing how much I enjoyed her books, I might be a masochist myself, so I guess it works.
In addition, naturally, Emilia and Wrath are the same sexy badasses that they were in the last two books. Even more so than before, actually. It's amazing to see them both reach their full potential. Plus, their dynamic and chemistry hit new heights. They are finally together and, therefore, become a team. They work so well together, they understand and love each other so deeply nothing can get between them. Not any amount of magic, curse, or manipulation thrown their way. They find each other again, no matter what. Their relationship is so beautiful and emotional, and it wrapped up so wonderfully.
Lastly, I am even more in love with the Princes of Hell than I was already. It appears that the ending is open-ended enough to hint at the possibility of spin-offs coming our way. Not everything is fully resolved and if the bonus content is any indication, we're getting a Prince Envy book in the foreseeable future. I can't wait to read his story and I hope there will be more books on the rest of the Princes. For example, Pride's backstory is mentioned regularly in the series and I am dying to know what happens between him Lucia, and Vittoria. Regardless, each of the Princes has his own appeal. I have to admit, though, that Sloth might be my favorite one. He just took my breath away.
Who could possibly read:"All he does is lounge about with his books. His House is one giant, messy library." and not go completely feral for the guy. I happily volunteer to be his love interest whenever Kerri Maniscalco writes his book.
Bonus Chapters:
Wrath's POV
Envy's POV pt1
Envy's POV pt2
Author's Notes
Every time I see someone post the exclusive bonus content of a book for those of us who are international, my heart grows three inches. Bless you all. You're doing the lord's work.
Furthermore, the content consists of scenes with Wrath's and Envy's points of view, as well as some author's notes. Wrath's and Envy's content in particular are fantastic, obviously. Not that Kerri Maniscalco's notes aren't fascinating, it's just that the others have delightful spice, and important information on the books to come. I was on the fence about which Prince would get their own book next, but since Pride's story is only addressed through Wrath's point of view and Envy's is through his own, I am more inclined to believe it will be Envy's story.
Spice Meter: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
It's such a blessing when the book you had such high expectations for delivers so spectacularly. Not that I expected anything less from this series and Kerri Maniscalco. Masterpiece isn't an adequate enough word to describe it. Besides, this book, in particular, might actually be my favorite one. I love how the story unfolds. The revelations are insane, and there are plenty of moments that left me shooketh. Also, I especially loved the ending. There was a moment I wasn't pleased with at all and was worried about how it would affect my rating, but as it turned out Kerry Maniscalco was only being a mean tease again. I honestly think she might be a sadist, but seeing how much I enjoyed her books, I might be a masochist myself, so I guess it works.
In addition, naturally, Emilia and Wrath are the same sexy badasses that they were in the last two books. Even more so than before, actually. It's amazing to see them both reach their full potential. Plus, their dynamic and chemistry hit new heights. They are finally together and, therefore, become a team. They work so well together, they understand and love each other so deeply nothing can get between them. Not any amount of magic, curse, or manipulation thrown their way. They find each other again, no matter what. Their relationship is so beautiful and emotional, and it wrapped up so wonderfully.
Lastly, I am even more in love with the Princes of Hell than I was already. It appears that the ending is open-ended enough to hint at the possibility of spin-offs coming our way. Not everything is fully resolved and if the bonus content is any indication, we're getting a Prince Envy book in the foreseeable future. I can't wait to read his story and I hope there will be more books on the rest of the Princes. For example, Pride's backstory is mentioned regularly in the series and I am dying to know what happens between him Lucia, and Vittoria. Regardless, each of the Princes has his own appeal. I have to admit, though, that Sloth might be my favorite one. He just took my breath away.
Who could possibly read:"All he does is lounge about with his books. His House is one giant, messy library." and not go completely feral for the guy. I happily volunteer to be his love interest whenever Kerri Maniscalco writes his book.
Bonus Chapters:
Wrath's POV
Envy's POV pt1
Envy's POV pt2
Author's Notes
Every time I see someone post the exclusive bonus content of a book for those of us who are international, my heart grows three inches. Bless you all. You're doing the lord's work.
Furthermore, the content consists of scenes with Wrath's and Envy's points of view, as well as some author's notes. Wrath's and Envy's content in particular are fantastic, obviously. Not that Kerri Maniscalco's notes aren't fascinating, it's just that the others have delightful spice, and important information on the books to come. I was on the fence about which Prince would get their own book next, but since Pride's story is only addressed through Wrath's point of view and Envy's is through his own, I am more inclined to believe it will be Envy's story.
January 31, 2023
"Rise," he said softly. "Just as they always feared you would."
You know when they say be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it?
This book was everything I'd wish for this final book to be, and yet, I'm sad to admit I probably should have wished for something else, too, to completely satisfy my Kingdom of the Wicked addiction.
(I'm sorry in advance if this bunch of nonsense will be full of typos and incongruous, but it's late and I've been awake since 2012, but I just finished this book and I can't start another one or do anything else really, without putting down some thoughts, first)
Let's be honest.
Writing sequels worthy of a spectacular first book mustn't be an easy job, but if there's an author I know would accept the challenge and ace it, it's Kerri Maniscalco.
I'm putting myself in her -and every author I'm a fan of's- shoes as I write this review.
It's not a completely positive one, but I'd like to spend a moment before the book analysis to tell whoever's reading this that, yep, this final book was objectively disappointing, but in my heart, it was also a perfectly imperfect novel that I don't regret reading.
My obsession with this series is pretty recent. I've read Kingdom of the Wicked for the first time in January and even if I simply loved it, I didn't feel like I was ready for the sequels. That is, until a few months later (about a couple weeks ago), I stumbled upon a beautiful fanart and I just had to pick up the whole thing again and loved it even more this second time around.
Kingdom of the Cursed wasn't perfect -and I've explained why in my review-, but I still felt like the majority of it worked for me.
And finally we have this book that was, yes, a nice way to end a trilogy I've come to love, and yes, very entertaining but also...not.
I have to agree with those reviewers who said this book felt different and that the plot was a tad all over the place while also getting lost amidst too much smut, at the same time. I also felt really overwhelmed by how things concerning the stratospheric build-up the author's been crafting around Emilia's identity eventually ended.
Sure, all the questions I've had ever since I first read KotW were answered, but I didn't expect them to be presented so matter-of-factly and with little to no conflict.
Sure, some things felt a little rushed and some loose threads will unfortunately remain such, but I feel like the author had so many holes to cover, she said fuck it, and chose to focus on those she thought the readers would like to see fixed the most.
One of the things that I loved the most about this series is that the general setting and the characters reminded me of one of my favorite trilogies, The Worldwalker by Josephine Angelini, and the whole atmosphere gave me major Constantine meets and have a threesome with ACOMAF vibes; it basically was a mix of a lof of pieces of media I simply adore, with the addiction of an original plot and an enemies-to-lovers romance to die for.
Kingdom of the Feared gave me all of this, but spoiled it with a familiarity, a steadiness I wasn't ready for.
Nothing felt new, the plot staled and the romance I found so exciting and breathtaking in the previous books, was a little too prominent in this one.
Remember how a week ago I almost chocked on a slice of pizza while reading a steamy scene from KotC? And it was a mild sexual one, even?? KotF brought me the whole thing, several times, and the only thing I chocked on was a blasphemy because, come on???
And mind it that this is coming from someone who lives by the the smuttier, the better mantra.
I just wanted some actions, damn it, and for once it wasn't of the in the sheets kind.
There were moments I felt my heart sink a little for how ridiculous they were, and moments I was amazed by Maniscalco's genius.
It was honestly a rollercoaster I shouldn't have rode on on a full stomach.
I know I'm making it sound like this book was a disaster, but I promise it wasn't.
There were many things I liked, in the end; for example, I appreciate the positive turn Emilia's character's made since the slight downfall it endured in the second book. She confirmed herself like the real badass I knew she'd become.
I know, I know, the fact that she was constantly making eyes at Wrath and begging for his demon disco stick turned old after a while, but honestly, can't blame her, especially if being horny all the time didn't get in the way of her getting shit done.
I'm a huge fan of the soulbond aspect of their relationship. Very romantic and very Feysand-like of them.
Something I've got to give Maniscalco's credit for is that Emilia and Wrath, as the main couple, don't ever spend a lot of time apart and, while they (and me, vicariously through them) have never experienced the emotional moment of reuniting after a long period, they work great together, solving mysteries and threading plots between a fuck and a blowjob, like the two warm-blooded royal bitches they are. Super cheesy, yes, but overall worthy of a favorite ship title.
Where Wrath is concerned, I couldn't be happier with his development. I read a couple reviews complaining about how dull his character felt, especially for a demon prince who's the embodiement of wrath, and while I can see where they're coming from, I personally didn't notice that big of a difference in his behavior or overall characterization. I actually found him to be very linear and coherent, and it was nice seeing him lose control when his Emilia was involved. You know what would have made this even better, tho??? A chapter or two from his perspective.
I'll keep dreaming, and maybe one day I'll be rewarded for my strong will and weak panties.
I also really really reeeeeeeeally loved we got to see more of the other demon princes and the witches lore was interesting to learn about.
Finally, I can't not mention the world-building. I think the underworld Maniscalco's created is interesting and while hell looks more like the set of Bridgerton than the fire and torture version we're all used to, it was a nice take and an effort I didn't dislike.
While this wasn't my favorite book of the trilogy, KotF definitely was the one that was fuller in terms of plot and the one that entertained me the most after the masterpiece that is KotW.
I also might have or might have not teared up a little when I turned the page, read ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and realised I'd reached the end of the series.
Sorry for being a sap and for having a soft spot for dark and broody immortal boys and their badass wives, I guess.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
There are so many more things I could say about this book, but I'm trying to keep this review as spoiler-free as I can and I wouldn't be able to collect all the thoughts I have roaming around my head right now, anyway, so I'll just leave it here and maybe revise it in a couple months.
Soooo, in conclusion: this book sucked a little and it could have been 100 times better than it actually was, but it also wasn't as bad as I probably made it sound to be.
I expected perfection because that's what KM's got me used to, and I shouldn't blame her for slipping.
I, however, give myself permission to sulk for a day or two.
After that, I'll dig out all the Kerri Maniscalco's books I haven't read, and binge on them like there's no tomorrow.
Thanks for the journey, dear author.
E' stato un piacere.
ACTUAL RATINGS 3,5/5
October 8, 2022
everyone who says ‘it’s so good’ is lying to you. the plot is a mess, the timeline is a mess.
i was confused throughout the whole book as if i missed a book in between this and kotc. The so called villain changed every chapter, emilia’s personality as well.
The sex scenes were cringe, i can’t believe her editor let her publish this. This book needed like another good year of editing before it was supposed to hit the shelves.
i was confused throughout the whole book as if i missed a book in between this and kotc. The so called villain changed every chapter, emilia’s personality as well.
The sex scenes were cringe, i can’t believe her editor let her publish this. This book needed like another good year of editing before it was supposed to hit the shelves.
October 9, 2022
➽ 1.) Kingdom of the Wicked ★★★
➽ 2.) Kingdom of the Cursed ★★★
was this my least fave in the series? YES! could i still not put it down? YES AGAIN!
tw/cw: blood depiction, getting blood for magic, kidnapping, captivity, murder, death, grief depiction, violence, war themes, and abandonment.
Blog | Instagram | Youtube | Ko-fi | Spotify | Twitch
➽ 2.) Kingdom of the Cursed ★★★
was this my least fave in the series? YES! could i still not put it down? YES AGAIN!
tw/cw: blood depiction, getting blood for magic, kidnapping, captivity, murder, death, grief depiction, violence, war themes, and abandonment.
Blog | Instagram | Youtube | Ko-fi | Spotify | Twitch
October 29, 2022
3.5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
“I want the demon, not the prince. Show me why they call you the Wicked.”
I'll keep it vague and non-spoilery as I usually do.
Kingdom of the Feared marks the conclusion of the trilogy and it's always bittersweet to bid these characters farewell.
Kerri Maniscalco rendered such a unique world brimming with dark magic and wickedness and I believe there is an opportunity to explore more of it if she ever considers to do spin-off books.
The spice was IMMACULATE.
Kerri kept us on edge for two years and she delivered!
I'm torn between rating it 2.5-3/5🌶 but it's definitely spicer than I expected.
I think there are some plotlines that felt to me were easily resolved and rushed—and I do have some qualms about a certain character's development (or lack thereof) which is why I didn't give this a 5-star rating.
I can feel the melancholy kicking in. I hate saying goodbye.
“I want the demon, not the prince. Show me why they call you the Wicked.”
I'll keep it vague and non-spoilery as I usually do.
Kingdom of the Feared marks the conclusion of the trilogy and it's always bittersweet to bid these characters farewell.
Kerri Maniscalco rendered such a unique world brimming with dark magic and wickedness and I believe there is an opportunity to explore more of it if she ever considers to do spin-off books.
The spice was IMMACULATE.
Kerri kept us on edge for two years and she delivered!
I'm torn between rating it 2.5-3/5🌶 but it's definitely spicer than I expected.
I think there are some plotlines that felt to me were easily resolved and rushed—and I do have some qualms about a certain character's development (or lack thereof) which is why I didn't give this a 5-star rating.
I can feel the melancholy kicking in. I hate saying goodbye.
September 28, 2022
i can’t believe this is the same author who wrote sjtr.
don’t even ask me what happened in this book…because i don’t know. i feel like i lost a lot of my initial interest during the wait for this book and i didn’t remember much of what happened in the previous books so 😭😭
the first book was like 70% plot and 30% romance. the second book was 70% romance and 30% plot. and now this book, it’s 90% romance and 10% plot. i literally don’t even know what’s going on BECAUSE THERE IS NO PLOT. it’s a miracle if there isn’t a smut scene every three chapters.
the potential was there in the beginning of the series but then kerri maniscalco started focusing on adding smut than actual plot points which in my opinion just ruined the book series
don’t even ask me what happened in this book…because i don’t know. i feel like i lost a lot of my initial interest during the wait for this book and i didn’t remember much of what happened in the previous books so 😭😭
the first book was like 70% plot and 30% romance. the second book was 70% romance and 30% plot. and now this book, it’s 90% romance and 10% plot. i literally don’t even know what’s going on BECAUSE THERE IS NO PLOT. it’s a miracle if there isn’t a smut scene every three chapters.
the potential was there in the beginning of the series but then kerri maniscalco started focusing on adding smut than actual plot points which in my opinion just ruined the book series
October 30, 2022
“Tell me every dark desire, Emilia. Every fantasy you wish to come true. And I vow to make every one of them to happen.”
3.5 stars
This was an enchanting and intriguing fantasy about love, revenge, and power. Kingdom of the Feared follows Emilia as she deals with issues of her past that have come to the surface while also trying to solve a murder. At the same time Emilia and Wrath must stop a war that is brewing between witches, demons and shapeshifters.
I liked this book, but I was disappointed compared to the second book. The premise was interesting, but the book was boring at times and the pacing was inconsistent. I liked Emilia, she is strong, stubborn, compassionate and brave, but at times she was naive. I liked that we saw Emilia grow and learn more about herself, but I felt that she lacked depth. I love Wrath, he is charming, mysterious, and devilishly handsome. The chemistry between Emilia and Wrath was so good! I really felt a connection between them. The spice was so hot!! There were a few surprising and plot twists that I didn't expect, but I was hoping for more of a wow factor related to the mystery. The ending was good and I'm happy that the story was resolved, but I was hoping for more action.
3.5 stars
This was an enchanting and intriguing fantasy about love, revenge, and power. Kingdom of the Feared follows Emilia as she deals with issues of her past that have come to the surface while also trying to solve a murder. At the same time Emilia and Wrath must stop a war that is brewing between witches, demons and shapeshifters.
I liked this book, but I was disappointed compared to the second book. The premise was interesting, but the book was boring at times and the pacing was inconsistent. I liked Emilia, she is strong, stubborn, compassionate and brave, but at times she was naive. I liked that we saw Emilia grow and learn more about herself, but I felt that she lacked depth. I love Wrath, he is charming, mysterious, and devilishly handsome. The chemistry between Emilia and Wrath was so good! I really felt a connection between them. The spice was so hot!! There were a few surprising and plot twists that I didn't expect, but I was hoping for more of a wow factor related to the mystery. The ending was good and I'm happy that the story was resolved, but I was hoping for more action.
July 6, 2021
The second book hasn’t been released yet but I know this third one will slap 😩👀 can’t wait✋🏼
October 1, 2022
2.5⭐
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it was a huge disappointment.
I'll begin by saying that this series started out strong. The first book was excellent. The second was less so, but I thought it was just a bridge type of sequel in a trilogy, so I didn't mind that it was overly long and that nothing important seemed to happen. I thought the second book was just setting up an epic ending, and I was excited for it.
However, there was nothing epic about this book.
For starters, the characters were incredibly flat. The main villain reveal from the last book was amazing, and yet this part didn't utilize it at all. Vittoria was boring and lost all allure only a few chapters in, leaving me sorely disappointed. But still, she wasn't the worst character by far.
Wrath was reduced to a character whose only important trait was that he is hot and wants Emilia. All the complexities the first two books hinted at were simply ignored, and we were subjected to scene after scene of him and Emilia having sex in the most unfortunate of times.
And Emilia herself... If there is one thing i hate, it's the trope of the FMC giving up her magic for her lover and the "greater good". I don't care that it got resolved in the end — I was on the verge of DNFing this as soon as it happened. Beyond that, there was not a single coherent thought in Emilia's head throughout the entire book. All she could think about was sleeping with Wrath, and I just found it to be very irritating and just too much.
Speaking of the smut — this was much more explicit than I expected. And honestly, I don't mind that one bit. But there was so much of it and the two characters thought of nothing else but boning each other that I'd actually categorize this as erotica with a badly executed fantasy twist. The world is burning and the stakes are high but our main duo is — you guessed it — debating on how to fuck each other this time around. I just started finding it off-putting at a certain point.
Considering how many orgasms we were forced to witness, this book was entirely anticlimactic. The big bad curse that needed breaking resolved itself within a chapter, the villains weren't really villains, and so many side plots were just left hanging. This didn't feel like a final part in a trilogy at all, and that annoys and saddens me a lot.
It had so much potential, but it seems like the author got sidetracked with including popular tropes and focusing on the romance. By doing that, she lost track of everything else that mattered and reduced the book to boring smut and poor, repetitive, purple prose writing.
All in all, I'm very disappointed. I hope others like this more, but it seems like I definitely wasn't the target audience for it.
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it was a huge disappointment.
I'll begin by saying that this series started out strong. The first book was excellent. The second was less so, but I thought it was just a bridge type of sequel in a trilogy, so I didn't mind that it was overly long and that nothing important seemed to happen. I thought the second book was just setting up an epic ending, and I was excited for it.
However, there was nothing epic about this book.
For starters, the characters were incredibly flat. The main villain reveal from the last book was amazing, and yet this part didn't utilize it at all. Vittoria was boring and lost all allure only a few chapters in, leaving me sorely disappointed. But still, she wasn't the worst character by far.
Wrath was reduced to a character whose only important trait was that he is hot and wants Emilia. All the complexities the first two books hinted at were simply ignored, and we were subjected to scene after scene of him and Emilia having sex in the most unfortunate of times.
And Emilia herself... If there is one thing i hate, it's the trope of the FMC giving up her magic for her lover and the "greater good". I don't care that it got resolved in the end — I was on the verge of DNFing this as soon as it happened. Beyond that, there was not a single coherent thought in Emilia's head throughout the entire book. All she could think about was sleeping with Wrath, and I just found it to be very irritating and just too much.
Speaking of the smut — this was much more explicit than I expected. And honestly, I don't mind that one bit. But there was so much of it and the two characters thought of nothing else but boning each other that I'd actually categorize this as erotica with a badly executed fantasy twist. The world is burning and the stakes are high but our main duo is — you guessed it — debating on how to fuck each other this time around. I just started finding it off-putting at a certain point.
Considering how many orgasms we were forced to witness, this book was entirely anticlimactic. The big bad curse that needed breaking resolved itself within a chapter, the villains weren't really villains, and so many side plots were just left hanging. This didn't feel like a final part in a trilogy at all, and that annoys and saddens me a lot.
It had so much potential, but it seems like the author got sidetracked with including popular tropes and focusing on the romance. By doing that, she lost track of everything else that mattered and reduced the book to boring smut and poor, repetitive, purple prose writing.
All in all, I'm very disappointed. I hope others like this more, but it seems like I definitely wasn't the target audience for it.
October 7, 2021
Just finished reading KOTC. That ending was brutal so, when’s this coming out??? 😤😤😤😤
And yes, I’m well aware KOTC only came out 2 days ago. BUT I feel so damn robbed from the way it ended!!! 😭😭😭😭
And yes, I’m well aware KOTC only came out 2 days ago. BUT I feel so damn robbed from the way it ended!!! 😭😭😭😭
June 8, 2023
What a hot mess. This is the book equivalent of "let's throw shit at the wall to see what sticks"
Plot holes up the wazoo, the continued stupidity of Emilia, character motivations that made ZERO sense, reasons for why things could/couldn't happen made ZERO sense, and conflicts are laughably easy to solve.
Then there's the smut. Ughhh. Not only was it void of all heat, but some of the scenes also made me snort out loud. You know you're in trouble when you're laughing at a book instead of feeling any kind of fire.
Did Maniscalco have a plan for this book back when she was writing book one? I highly doubt it.
Maniscalco also has no faith in her readers to understand what's happening on the page, so we're left with a book that is shockingly heavy-handed.
(If you know me, you know that I take personal offence to an author treating me like I'm an idiot.)
This was bad. Bad enough that I don't care what kind of reception the new spin-off books have, I will not be reading them under any circumstances.
Watch my review on TikTok here.
Plot holes up the wazoo, the continued stupidity of Emilia, character motivations that made ZERO sense, reasons for why things could/couldn't happen made ZERO sense, and conflicts are laughably easy to solve.
Then there's the smut. Ughhh. Not only was it void of all heat, but some of the scenes also made me snort out loud. You know you're in trouble when you're laughing at a book instead of feeling any kind of fire.
Did Maniscalco have a plan for this book back when she was writing book one? I highly doubt it.
Maniscalco also has no faith in her readers to understand what's happening on the page, so we're left with a book that is shockingly heavy-handed.
(If you know me, you know that I take personal offence to an author treating me like I'm an idiot.)
This was bad. Bad enough that I don't care what kind of reception the new spin-off books have, I will not be reading them under any circumstances.
Watch my review on TikTok here.
Want to read
July 30, 2021i feel like this should be called kingdom of the damned
July 19, 2023
Gerade weil ich Band 1 und 2 SO SEHR geliebt habe, tut die Bewertung mir echt weh, leider überwog bei "Kingdom of the wicked 3" jedoch die Enttäuschung. Die Richtung, die mit diesem Band eingeschlagen wurde, entspricht nicht meinem persönlichen Geschmack. Auch wenn ich die Wendungen in Ansätzen spannend fand, konnte die Umsetzung mich nicht überzeugen - vor allem in Hinsicht auf die Nachvollziehbarkeit und Glaubhaftigkeit. Vieles wirkte auf mich erzwungen/ ausgedacht, in dem Sinne dass es nicht logisch/ verständlich erklärt wurde. Beispielsweise gibt es eine Stelle, an der die Protagonistin sich an etwas erinnert, es wird jedoch nie aufgearbeitet, an was. Insgesamt war es mehr Tell als Show. Von Wraths Brüdern z.B. habe ich mir doch mehr Facetten versprochen, gezeigt zu bekommen, was sie zu den Wicked macht und voneinander unterscheidet. Oberflächlich erschien mir auch die Beziehung zwischen unseren Protagonisten. Da der Fokus nun auf dem Spice liegt, kamen die Handlung und die Fantasy-Aspekte (epischer Schluss-Kampf zum Beispiel) vollkommen zu kurz. Das Ende wirkte dadurch übereilt, unaufgeklärt und es bleiben viele Fragen offen. Ich bin sehr traurig, dass es für mich so geendet hat, die Reihe werde ich dennoch in positivster Erinnerung behalten🥹🫶🏼
ACHTUNG AB HIER SPOILER!!!
Also konkret: Wie sieht dieses "Regieren" für Emilia und Wrath überhaupt aus? Was wird aus Vittoria und Pride? Wofür entscheidet Claudia sich? Werden die Hexen zurückschlagen? Was ist mit den Vampiren? Wie genau funktionieren die Wanderinseln? Wie sah also Emilias Leben als Fury aus? Im Sinne von: Was haben die gestohlenen Erinnerungen ihr genommen? All in all bleiben noch mehr Fragezeichen in meinem Kopf auch bezüglich des Fluchs und inwiefern jetzt alles aus Band 1 eine Lüge war ... keine Ahnung, irgendwie war diese Richtung wohl einfach nicht meins🥲
ACHTUNG AB HIER SPOILER!!!
Also konkret: Wie sieht dieses "Regieren" für Emilia und Wrath überhaupt aus? Was wird aus Vittoria und Pride? Wofür entscheidet Claudia sich? Werden die Hexen zurückschlagen? Was ist mit den Vampiren? Wie genau funktionieren die Wanderinseln? Wie sah also Emilias Leben als Fury aus? Im Sinne von: Was haben die gestohlenen Erinnerungen ihr genommen? All in all bleiben noch mehr Fragezeichen in meinem Kopf auch bezüglich des Fluchs und inwiefern jetzt alles aus Band 1 eine Lüge war ... keine Ahnung, irgendwie war diese Richtung wohl einfach nicht meins🥲
December 4, 2022
I’m so annoyed. The first half of this book was going pretty strong. The plot was getting convoluted, but I wasn’t reading for that (😏), so I kept rolling.
It’s somewhere around the 60% mark that it switches completely to convoluted plot. There were now too many conflicts, too many side stories, too many obstacles. I couldn’t keep it all straight, nor did I make much effort to.
I full-on hate read from 80% on. That’s when I realized we were just in the lazy epiphany after epiphany mode. I can’t stand this type of storytelling. All Emilia did was look at someone and then suddenly she knew the answers to any/all mysteries surrounding that character, then travel for two pages to the next person and repeat. Completely threw the ending away. Every single conflict (all 3000000 of them that were introduced in this book) was solved through these ~magical revelations.~
These magical revelations were the exact reason I didn’t care for this author’s Jack the Ripper series. I thought maybe she’d fixed that for this series, BUT CLEARLY I HAVE BEEN DUPED.
Also, Vittoria was completely pointless. It’s like the book couldn’t decide who was our actual villain and then eventually just forgot about having a villain at all. I still don’t understand the purpose of half the battles in this. They just sort of faded into the background and we’re forgotten about after awhile. I’m mad.
It’s somewhere around the 60% mark that it switches completely to convoluted plot. There were now too many conflicts, too many side stories, too many obstacles. I couldn’t keep it all straight, nor did I make much effort to.
I full-on hate read from 80% on. That’s when I realized we were just in the lazy epiphany after epiphany mode. I can’t stand this type of storytelling. All Emilia did was look at someone and then suddenly she knew the answers to any/all mysteries surrounding that character, then travel for two pages to the next person and repeat. Completely threw the ending away. Every single conflict (all 3000000 of them that were introduced in this book) was solved through these ~magical revelations.~
These magical revelations were the exact reason I didn’t care for this author’s Jack the Ripper series. I thought maybe she’d fixed that for this series, BUT CLEARLY I HAVE BEEN DUPED.
Also, Vittoria was completely pointless. It’s like the book couldn’t decide who was our actual villain and then eventually just forgot about having a villain at all. I still don’t understand the purpose of half the battles in this. They just sort of faded into the background and we’re forgotten about after awhile. I’m mad.
January 1, 2023
Welcome to another episode of Cyra hates everything! Today we will be discussing this abomination! Hooray!
This review will involve spoilers. They will be tagged but sometimes GoodReads decides to be a pain in the ass and mess with the tags on the mobile version so read at your own risk.
I know I started off with strong feelings but hear me out, I'm just so angry that this series got progressively worse. This one was my breaking point. My 13th reason honestly. Let me explain;
The Writing Style
I think my main issue with this series in general was that I found the author's writing style to be annoying, especially after the second book. Whenever Emilia was thinking about herself or her actions or her husband, she just sounded like an egotistical brat who was trying way too hard to be cool and edgy. There is a difference between being confident and being an arrogant prick who tries just so hard. I've been trying to find just the word to explain the way this book was written and I have finally found it: Cringy.
This book can be turned into a Disney Channel Original Movie if you remove the smut. Because the author tried so hard to make Emilia a badass but ended up making her sound like a character from Descendants and that was an insult to Descendants. I wish I was joking because this is literally how I saw the characters. (Go to minute 2:32 to be exact.)
The rhythm of the story was very odd either. Generally speaking, a story would have a set-up, a confrontation, and a resolution. So three-act structure. This book had like seventy-eight different acts and one drunk plot. The author tried to make multiple mysteries and stress triggers just to fail in all of them.
This book also had way too many loose ends for my taste. A lot of random arcs that just got lost in the main plot line which wasn't even a proper plot as I mentioned before.
The Smut
Fellas, the end of days is upon us because even I for once was fucking tired of reading smut. After the first half of the book, I just started skipping them. How this book works is that either something horrible/dangerous happens or Wrath gets down and dirty with Emilia. No in-between. No other scenes serve the plot. Either their lives are in danger or they are smashing booties.
I also can not believe this book is still being sold as young adult. If teen me read this book she'd convert back to religion and take holy water shots.
The Characters
Emilia, Queen of the Insufferable
I can't with this girl, I swear. It was so fucking hard to get through this book reading from her POV. She was extremely naive, excruciatingly loyal, and just awfully stupid. She was throwing anger tantrums like a toddler instead of acting like a future queen. She was loyal to someone who betrayed her and her trust multiple times on so many levels. And I'm sorry but she can't rule a realm when she can't even control her own reactions.
Wrath, The Trophy Husband
He had no other business than being a horny handsome husband and looking powerful. I can't even find the words to talk about him because there is nothing to talk about. He had the personality of a fucking concrete wall and that's about it.
Vittoria, ???
And lastly… The very reason why this book got a two-star rating from me instead of three…
The Ending
KOTW 𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐
KOTC 𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐
This review will involve spoilers. They will be tagged but sometimes GoodReads decides to be a pain in the ass and mess with the tags on the mobile version so read at your own risk.
I know I started off with strong feelings but hear me out, I'm just so angry that this series got progressively worse. This one was my breaking point. My 13th reason honestly. Let me explain;
The Writing Style
I think my main issue with this series in general was that I found the author's writing style to be annoying, especially after the second book. Whenever Emilia was thinking about herself or her actions or her husband, she just sounded like an egotistical brat who was trying way too hard to be cool and edgy. There is a difference between being confident and being an arrogant prick who tries just so hard. I've been trying to find just the word to explain the way this book was written and I have finally found it: Cringy.
This book can be turned into a Disney Channel Original Movie if you remove the smut. Because the author tried so hard to make Emilia a badass but ended up making her sound like a character from Descendants and that was an insult to Descendants. I wish I was joking because this is literally how I saw the characters. (Go to minute 2:32 to be exact.)
The rhythm of the story was very odd either. Generally speaking, a story would have a set-up, a confrontation, and a resolution. So three-act structure. This book had like seventy-eight different acts and one drunk plot. The author tried to make multiple mysteries and stress triggers just to fail in all of them.
This book also had way too many loose ends for my taste. A lot of random arcs that just got lost in the main plot line which wasn't even a proper plot as I mentioned before.
The Smut
Fellas, the end of days is upon us because even I for once was fucking tired of reading smut. After the first half of the book, I just started skipping them. How this book works is that either something horrible/dangerous happens or Wrath gets down and dirty with Emilia. No in-between. No other scenes serve the plot. Either their lives are in danger or they are smashing booties.
I also can not believe this book is still being sold as young adult. If teen me read this book she'd convert back to religion and take holy water shots.
The Characters
Emilia, Queen of the Insufferable
I can't with this girl, I swear. It was so fucking hard to get through this book reading from her POV. She was extremely naive, excruciatingly loyal, and just awfully stupid. She was throwing anger tantrums like a toddler instead of acting like a future queen. She was loyal to someone who betrayed her and her trust multiple times on so many levels. And I'm sorry but she can't rule a realm when she can't even control her own reactions.
Wrath, The Trophy Husband
He had no other business than being a horny handsome husband and looking powerful. I can't even find the words to talk about him because there is nothing to talk about. He had the personality of a fucking concrete wall and that's about it.
Vittoria, ???
And lastly… The very reason why this book got a two-star rating from me instead of three…
The Ending
KOTW 𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐
KOTC 𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐
Shelved as 'on-pause'
April 13, 2023dnf @ i don't even know what percent
i just can't, i've been reading this book since february and i feel such an obligation to finish it and i hate that feeling. i'll pick this up again, but just not now
i just can't, i've been reading this book since february and i feel such an obligation to finish it and i hate that feeling. i'll pick this up again, but just not now
September 27, 2022
”His skin was as soft as silk, but his arousal was stronger than steel.”
And this unfortunately sums up everything you need to know about this waste of money right here! What was she trying to say? Did she enjoy killing trees? I wonder if this line was sounding poetical in her mind… get me out i’m begging you GET! ME! OUT!
Go back writing YA we’ve had enough.
And this unfortunately sums up everything you need to know about this waste of money right here! What was she trying to say? Did she enjoy killing trees? I wonder if this line was sounding poetical in her mind… get me out i’m begging you GET! ME! OUT!
Go back writing YA we’ve had enough.
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