Review: Kerri Maniscalco’s final book, “Kingdom of the Feared,” is one hell of a ride! 

 

Maniscalco turns up the heat in Wrath and Emilia’s relationship. The pain, deception, and suffering that they have experienced is no match for the love they have for one another. Though the explicit scenes were a bit too numerous for me personally, romantasy readers will love the steamy direction this book takes! 

 

At the same time that Wrath and Emilia’s relationship is developing further, so too is Emilia as a character. I absolutely love her character arc throughout this series. At the start of book 1, Emilia is very innocent and naive. By book 2, she is consumed by wrath and vengeance stemming from the murder of her sister. In this final book, the reader is exposed to a more merciful side of Emilia. Despite all of the trials and tribulations she has faced as a result of uncovering her past, Emilia is willing to let go and move on to get her happily ever after. 

 

Unfortunately, that hard won happily ever after is overshadowed by loose threads that are not fully resolved by the book’s end. Deep down I am secretly hoping that these threads will get tugged on in a future spin-off series (fingers crossed). 

 

For now, Maniscalco’s shocking twists more than make up for any feelings of discontent. The revelations that were made all throughout the book had me constantly backtracking and re-evaluating the previous novels. I thoroughly enjoyed every bombshell and was left agape more times than one. 

 

Maniscalco also uses Emilia to introduce the reader to Sloth, the seventh prince of hell who did not grace the pages of “Kingdom of the Wicked” and “Kingdom of the Cursed.” While he outwardly appears lazy, looks can be deceiving. His unique characterization makes it clear that he is just as wicked as his brothers. 

 

Over the span of several late nights spent reading “Kingdom of the Wicked” and “Kingdom of the Cursed,” I grew rather attached to the characters and the world that Maniscalco created. While I am sad that “Kingdom of the Feared” marks the end of Emilia and Wrath’s story, I am at peace knowing that it also marks the beginning of their long rule over the seven circles.