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stuffed_with_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I like the setup and premise. The mystery was fun, if a bit predictable. Don't read read this book when hungry, I kept wanting Italian food after every reading session! My biggest concern was towards the end I got confused on character motivations but hopefully that is explored in the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Vomit
aurora4847's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Kingdom of the Wicked is a lot of fun. It intertwines familiar aspects of Catholicism with a new twist with the sins as Princes of Hell. While the magic system could have been fleshed out further, it felt more balanced than many others, showing some of the consequences of using too much power. The banter was bantering for sure. The more tender moments were very sweet, and I can't wait to see how the relationships develop in the sequels. It's fairly obvious who the original enemy is, but there were enough twists and turns and additions along the way that it didn't matter as much that that was predictable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Mental illness, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Mental illness, Sexual content, Torture, Excrement, Vomit, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Classism
The main characters are postitioned against the local church and a religious brotherhood. There are portrayals of people driven mad by magic, displaying signs similar to certain types of schizophrenia. These people are positioned as victims, and are not regarded with kindness from all. There is a relationship between an 18 year old and an ancient demon. There is a lot of sexism from the religious order towards witches and women in general. There is a moderately graphic description of evisceration. Mild sexual content, nothing further than intense kissing. Blood in rituals. Loss of a close family member and multiple forms of grief associated with that. Two brief but lightly graphic torture scenes.kbowles24's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Vomit, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
msalexnicole's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I loved this book! It was mysterious, sexy, well written, dark, enemies to well enemies in this book, great banter, and hard to put down!
Overall: 4.5/5 stars
Spice: 0.5/5 (kissing and some descriptive language) this ramps up in book two!
The only reason I removed half a star was because the ending felt rushed. Other than then that unbelievably good read!
Overall: 4.5/5 stars
Spice: 0.5/5 (kissing and some descriptive language) this ramps up in book two!
The only reason I removed half a star was because the ending felt rushed. Other than then that unbelievably good read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement and Vomit
Minor: Sexual content, Torture, and Alcohol
mattiedancer's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco
**SPOILERS**
Writing: 2.5⭐️/5
The writing in this novel was serviceable at time, but lacked any real beauty. At times, the writing felt robotic: the rhythm of the sentences were unvaried, the word choices odd and chunky, and the emotion lacking from vital moments. It’s a shame the writing was so poor, because elements of the story were definitely compelling but lacked execution.
Characters: 3⭐️/5
I wanted to like the characters more than I actually did. Emilia had a very cool conception, but I wanted more depth with her emotions. While her personality itself was interesting, it wasn’t brought to life as well as I would have wanted on the page. I thought there were a couple of great character moments between Emilia and Wrath, yet I wish so deeply there could have been more. I also think that while Emilia’s family was relatively well-rounded, I would have loved more than a passing glimpse at her sister’s personality. It felt mainly like Maniscalco wanted her to be fun and quirky, and yet it came off as a bit chaotic and underdeveloped.
Plot: 3.25⭐️/5
The concept of this story is fascinating. And, while its execution was a little clumsy in spots, it read fairly well. A few snags, slow parts, and plot holes aside, I did fly through the story fairly quickly. At first glance it was fun; on deeper analysis, it’s definitely lacking depth and nuance. I do want to say that if you’re looking for a fun, fast-moving plot, this definitely might be for you!
World: 3.75⭐️/5
The world of this novel really grabbed me. On a personal level, I’ve heard many aspects of Sicilian folklore before, so it was rather fun to see them brought into this world as real-life magic. I enjoyed a lot of the references to Italian culture. I do think certain elements could have been introduced and explored a bit more deeply, but I did have fun with the world.
Who Should Read This Book?
Readers looking for a fast and fun book; Those who know some elements of Italian/Sicilian culture; fans of a decent, fast-paced fantasy romance mystery novel.
Content Warnings?
Blood, murder, injury, injury detail, murder, gore, body horror, sexual content (mild),
Post-Reading Rating: 2.5⭐️/5
The ending felt a bit forced to me. I didn’t enjoy it near as much as I did aspects of the middle, and I don’t feel a huge pull to read the next one.
Final Rating: 3⭐️/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content
spatterson7's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Body horror, Confinement, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Vomit, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
little_miss_book_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death, Gore, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Vomit
jacks_beloved's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was an absolute feast for me during my reading slump era, which has been prevailing over my life for as long as I can remember. The Kingdom of the Wicked was everything I was hoping it would be, and honestly, more. The pacing was fast and engaging. The mystery element was such that I couldn't put the book down even if I wanted to. The storyline of this book was all I could think about during my waking hours, and sometimes it even encompassed my dreams. The world-building by the author was absolutely amazing and the way she introduced us to the Princes of Hell and slowly immersed us deeper into the Kingdom of the Wicked (literally) had me on my toes, and on the edge of my seat. I can say with firm assurance that I was not bored for a single second.
The only reason I'm not giving this book a perfect rating is because I feel that the writing didn't flow so smoothly and sometimes it was difficult to keep up with where the author was taking us, because it seemed like she expected the reader to already have some idea about her vision. Secondly, I didn't feel the chemistry between Wrath and Emilia, and I feel their character exploration was comprised amidst the fast-moving story.
Overall, however, I would definitely recommend this book to everyone, since it's rapidly carved it's way into my heart (pun) as one of my favourite fantasies of all times.
The only reason I'm not giving this book a perfect rating is because I feel that the writing didn't flow so smoothly and sometimes it was difficult to keep up with where the author was taking us, because it seemed like she expected the reader to already have some idea about her vision. Secondly, I didn't feel the chemistry between Wrath and Emilia, and I feel their character exploration was comprised amidst the fast-moving story.
Overall, however, I would definitely recommend this book to everyone, since it's rapidly carved it's way into my heart (pun) as one of my favourite fantasies of all times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Gore and Grief
Minor: Vomit
gingerlaura's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book had all the right ingredients but lacked one major thing: world building. After reading this I still don't know the names of all the 7 princes of Hell, what era this book takes place in, what witches and demons are actually capable of, how the magic truly works...
Disappointed. That's what I am, because I was ready to love this book. The beginning started out strong, I was genuinely creeped out. And then I got bored for the rest of it.
The writing wasn't necessarily bad but there was just nothing interesting happening in this book. I also didn't really care for the characters, I thought Vittoria was the most interesting but she was dead throughout most of this book, so I guess that says enough. It just all felt like one big filler book for what's to come, if that makes sense.
I do think the idea of the story is interesting, and I get the picture the author is trying to paint but it didn't turn out quite that well. That doesn't mean I hated this book, it was just meh. Like I said, disappointing.
I don't think I'll be reading the rest of this trilogy, seeing the reviews it doesn't age that well, especially the last book in the trilogy. But by all means do pick this up if you like romantacy, you might like this more than I did.
Disappointed. That's what I am, because I was ready to love this book. The beginning started out strong, I was genuinely creeped out. And then I got bored for the rest of it.
The writing wasn't necessarily bad but there was just nothing interesting happening in this book. I also didn't really care for the characters, I thought Vittoria was the most interesting but she was dead throughout most of this book, so I guess that says enough. It just all felt like one big filler book for what's to come, if that makes sense.
I do think the idea of the story is interesting, and I get the picture the author is trying to paint but it didn't turn out quite that well. That doesn't mean I hated this book, it was just meh. Like I said, disappointing.
I don't think I'll be reading the rest of this trilogy, seeing the reviews it doesn't age that well, especially the last book in the trilogy. But by all means do pick this up if you like romantacy, you might like this more than I did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Torture, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Vomit
alxisrae's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
This book is the CW of YA. It wouldn’t surprise me if this became a CW series, and I don’t mean that as a compliment. Just…no. First 1/2 I was interested and it quickly became a muddled mess of a FMC that was reckless beyond belief and a messy as fuck timeline. Also there is no spice (not that a good book needs one) but for booktok to scream of the “spice” in this book….there is one make out scene. ONE. Just do yourself a favor and skip this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Violence, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Vomit