- Goodreads
- 3.9
- pages
- 416
- October
- 2020
Emilia wants revenge on the witch who cursed her family, but to get it she must make a deal with the Prince of Demons himself. Together they must solve the mystery behind her family's curse, all while resisting a dangerous attraction that neither of them expected. It's dark Italian folklore meets enemies-to-lovers with real teeth.
What is Kingdom of the Wicked about?
Emilia di Carlo is a witch living in secret in nineteenth-century Sicily, where her kind are hunted by humans who fear them and demons who want their blood. She runs a restaurant with her twin sister Vittoria, keeps her head down, and follows her grandmother's rules: never reveal what you are, never use dark magic, and stay away from the Wicked, the seven demon princes of Hell.
When Vittoria is found murdered, her body bearing the marks of a dark ritual. Emilia breaks every rule. She summons Wrath, one of the seven princes, to help find her sister's killer. He is exactly what his name suggests: cold, controlled, and radiating a fury that makes the air vibrate. He is also the last person she should trust, and possibly the only one who can help.
The investigation pulls Emilia into the demon underworld, where the seven princes are locked in their own power struggle and human witches are currency. Someone is murdering witches according to an ancient ritual tied to the gates of Hell, and Vittoria's death was not random, it was the first move in a game that has been planned for centuries.
Emilia's magic is stronger than she knew, darker than she was told, and connected to the demon princes in ways her grandmother never explained. The deeper she goes, the more she realises that the line between witch and demon, between good and wicked, is not where she was taught it was.
Read it if you want
The Sicilian setting is rich and specific, the food, the markets, the churches, the heat. Maniscalco uses the sensory details of southern Italy to ground the supernatural elements in something tactile and real.
Wrath is a standout love interest. He is not charming or playful, he is intense, territorial, and operates on a completely different moral framework than Emilia. The tension between them works because it is rooted in genuine cultural and species differences, not just attraction.
The mystery structure is well executed. The witch murders follow a pattern tied to biblical and occult mythology, and Maniscalco reveals the connections at a pace that keeps you guessing without withholding too much.
The food. Maniscalco writes food scenes the way romance authors write love scenes, with attention, desire, and sensory detail. The Italian cuisine is practically a character.
The magic system blends Italian folk magic with demonology in original ways. Emilia's power feels dangerous and seductive, which mirrors her relationship with Wrath.
Content warnings
Show the content warnings
Murder and crime scene descriptions (witches found ritually killed). Violence throughout. A twin's murder drives the plot. Dark magic and demonic summoning. Themes of religious persecution of witches. Manipulation and deception by supernatural entities. Moderate sexual tension (the spice escalates significantly in later books). A character's understanding of her own identity is systematically dismantled. Historical setting includes period-appropriate misogyny.
Full plot and ending (spoilers)
The killer reveal is close to home: Antonio, the holy boy Emilia grew up with, has been murdering the witches, Vittoria included. He was a weapon more than a mastermind. Envy helped engineer the killings to sabotage his brother Pride, because Vittoria was tied to a prophecy Pride was trying to see through.
Vittoria's secret is the bigger bomb: she was secretly married to Pride, king of the demon princes, and was working her own plan to stop the end of the world foretold in that prophecy. The perfect twin Emilia thought she knew had an entire hidden life.
There is also the matter of the summoning. When Emilia called Wrath in the opening chapters, the ritual bound them together in ways neither intended, and that bond complicates every scene between them.
The ending commits. Pride, speaking through Antonio's body, asks Emilia to take her sister's place. To get answers and stop the killings she agrees to marry him, signs away her soul, and follows Wrath to Hell. Book one closes with her leaving the mortal world entirely, which is exactly where Kingdom of the Cursed picks up.
Where it sits in Kingdom of the Wicked
Kingdom of the Wicked is the first book in the Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy. Followed by Kingdom of the Cursed and Kingdom of the Feared. The spice and scope escalate significantly across the series. Read in order.
Kingdom of the Wicked: FAQ
How spicy is Kingdom of the Wicked?
Kingdom of the Wicked is rated 2 out of 5 on our heat scale, which we call warm. The Spice Guide explains what each level means. Spice Guide
Is Kingdom of the Wicked a standalone?
No. Kingdom of the Wicked is book 1 in the Kingdom of the Wicked series by Kerri Maniscalco. It is the place to start. Kingdom of the Cursed comes next. Kingdom of the Wicked reading order
What are the content warnings for Kingdom of the Wicked?
Murder and crime scene descriptions (witches found ritually killed). Violence throughout. A twin's murder drives the plot. Dark magic and demonic summoning. Themes of religious persecution of witches. Manipulation and deception by supernatural entities.
How long is Kingdom of the Wicked?
Kingdom of the Wicked is 416 pages. At an average pace that is roughly 9 hours of reading.
When was Kingdom of the Wicked published?
Kingdom of the Wicked was first published on October 6, 2020.
Is Kingdom of the Wicked OK for teens?
It is better suited to older teens. At 2 out of 5 there is some on-page intimacy, written softly. Check the content warnings too.
What should I read after Kingdom of the Wicked?
If you liked it, try A Rivalry of Hearts, Furyborn or Ruthless Vows. They share the tropes that make Kingdom of the Wicked work. A Rivalry of Hearts, Furyborn, Ruthless Vows
