Review: “Kingdom of the Wicked” is the first book I have read by Kerri Maniscalco and her writing is wickedly delightful! 

 

In the author’s note, Maniscalco dedicates the book to her great grandparents who immigrated to the United States from Siciliy. Much of the story takes place in this region of the world and Manisclaco does a fantastic job immersing the reader in Sicilian culture. One way she does this is by describing the dishes from Sea and Vine, the di Carlo family restaurant in a way that made my mouth water. Maniscalco also weaves the Italian language into the text and uses imagery to help the reader learn more about the island’s important landmarks, like the Capuchin Catacombs, which is something I appreciated. 

 

While real places are referenced throughout the story, Maniscalco makes it clear that there is an otherworldliness by introducing different types of magical creatures. Emilia herself is a streghe (witch) with the ability to see a person’s aura and summon fire. Many witches populate Sicily (though most stay in hiding throughout the duration of the novel alongside demons, vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters) and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the history of their existence regarding the First Witch.  

 

The most intriguing of Maniscalco’s supernatural beings are the princes of Hell. There are seven of them ruling over the kingdom of the Wicked and each one corresponds to one of the seven deadly sins. Maniscalco does a great job making each prince different from one another and perfectly characterizes them according to the sin they embody. 

 

Aside from Maniscalco’s creative spin on the seven deadly sins, my favorite thing about this novel is the chemistry between Emilia and Wrath. Their verbal sparring matches are incredibly entertaining and Wrath’s inability to let Emilia suffer is adorable. As the mystery surrounding the death of several witches deepens, Emilia and Wrath are forced to grow closer in order to find the answers they are looking for, making for some swoon worthy moments.