Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco Book Review
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Blurb
After selling her soul to become Queen of the Wicked, Emilia travels to the Seven Circles with the enigmatic Prince of Wrath, where she’s introduced to a seductive world of vice.
She vows to do whatever it takes to avenge her beloved sister, Vittoria… even if that means accepting the hand of the Prince of Pride, the king of demons.
The first rule in the court of the Wicked? Trust no one. With back-stabbing princes, luxurious palaces, mysterious party invitations, and conflicting clues about who really killed her twin, Emilia finds herself more alone than ever before. Can she even trust Wrath, her one-time ally in the mortal world… or is he keeping dangerous secrets about his true nature?
Emilia will be tested in every way as she seeks a series of magical objects that will unlock the clues of her past and the answers she craves…
One sister.
Two sinful princes.
Infinite deception with a side of revenge… Welcome to Hell.
Sensitive Content
Here is the potentially sensitive content I observed while reading this book:
- Alcohol
- Blood
- Confinement
- Death
- Drug use
- Emotional Abuse
- Gaslighting
- Gore
- Grief
- Injury
- Misogyny
- Physical Abuse
- Profanity
- Rape
- Sexism
- Toxic Relationship
- Violence
Ratings
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There are possible **SPOILERS** beyond this point!
Overall Rating
3.75/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Kingdom of the Cursed follows Emilia after she has sold her soul and agreed to go to Hell. Through tricks and schemes, Emilia uses the new environment of Wrath’s castle to learn as much as she can to solve the mystery of her sister’s murder. This book is told from a single POV, as we spend more time with the Prince of Wrath and his court. Can Emilia resist the seductive pull towards this prince to get the answers she seeks?
Kerri’s writing is so vivid and beautiful. This story is intriguing and I just love this royal aspect of Hell and the Princes that live there. I love the world she created and all the characters but one. I think there is something very gothic and mysterious about this book that will pull you in. The reveals took my breath away and I could feel like I was truly a part of this story. I really enjoyed the magic and the spice in this book. I, also, really loved the character development for Wrath. I loved seeing him be this softy for Emilia (in theory). The more I learned, the more I loved him. But, Emilia. Emilia is not my favorite. She lacks self-awareness and continues to be horrible to Wrath. I didn’t love the softness that Wrath has for Emilia (in practice) because she deserved more of his ire with how terrible she was to him. He never makes her responsible for her actions. Emilia doesn’t face the consequences enough for how conniving and disrespectful she is. I just could not connect to her pointing fingers at everyone but herself. Girl, get a grip. Right now, Wrath deserves better.
Will I be reading the last book in the series, yes. Will I probably grumble, yes. But I still have hope that once Emilia gets the answers she’s been seeking, she will be better. As a side note, the Barnes and Noble Exclusive edition has bonus chapter from Wrath’s perspective and it further solidified my love for Wrath. So I’ll definitely be hoping for HIS HEA in the next book.
Spice Rating
2.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️
There is open door sexual content as this series is now in the New Adult category age range
Setting / World / Universe
Kerri plays with the idea that Hell is frozen over in this story and I loved it! The icy imagery was beautiful. It was unexpected but one of my favorite parts of reading was the setting these characters were in. This would be a great book to read in wintertime. KOTW would be great for Fall. I wonder if KOTF will be good for spring.
Genre & Tropes
Genre
Historical Fantasy Romance
Tropes
- Enemies to Lovers
- Close Proximity
- Everyone Knows but Her
Favorite Quotes
“Tell me… I am your favorite sin.”
“You may destroy me yet.”
“Sooner rather than later if you don’t stop talking and kiss me again.”
“Are you sensing the knife I’m now considering stabbing you with, your highness?”
“If this is an attempt to change the topic, you’re failing miserably… I am even more interested in where this may lead, my lady. You forget what sin I rule over. I am rather fond of a bit of knife-play.”
“Fate may deal its hand, try encouraging our path or intervene, but we are ultimately free to choose our own destiny. Never doubt that.”
“Demanding, angelic creature.”
Intrigued?
Check out Kingdom of the Cursed on Amazon here.
