Review: The sequel to “Kingdom of the Wicked” is sinfully good! 

 

Maniscalco leans into the new adult genre with “Kingdom of the Cursed,” giving the reader more mature exchanges between Emilia and Wrath without going overboard. Many of the steamy scenes are perfectly woven into the storyline and do not take away from the plot, but rather contribute to it. Those scenes are also balanced out by Emilia and Wrath’s banter. No matter how many times they clash and despite it being against his nature, Wrath cannot resist caring for Emilia. They constantly switch between being enemies and lovers with each new apparent betrayal and wave of attraction, making “Kingdom of the Cursed” a compelling read. 

 

As Emilia and Wrath’s feelings for each other deepen, so too does the element of mystery. The reader is left in a state of utter and complete shock upon learning more about Emilia’s past. She is left to sort through what is fact and what is fiction while navigating through the Kingdom of the Wicked. 

 

As a reader, I loved exploring the seven circles of Hell and places like the sin corridor, that exist beyond the territories of each prince of Hell. House Wrath’s eerily cold setting perfectly captures the sin that its circle represents and Emilia quickly learns that it is drastically different than the other houses in proximity. Through Emilia, the reader is exposed to said houses and wonderfully chaotic characters like Gluttony and Pride, two princes that did not make appearances in the first book. 

 

I cannot wait to get my hands on “Kingdom of the Feared” in September because the reveals at the end of “Kingdom of the Cursed” were insane! Nothing could have prepared me for the huge plot twist. It was beautifully executed, well-planned, and quite frankly, blew my mind.