Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Publisher: 27th September 2022 by Hachette Australia
Pages: 400 pages
Genre: fantasy, young adult, paranormal
My Rating: 3.5 cups
Synopsis:
Emilia is reeling from the shocking discovery that her twin sister, Vittoria, is alive. But before she faces the demons of her past, Emilia yearns to claim her king, the seductive Prince of Wrath, in the flesh. Emilia doesn’t simply desire his body, she wants his heart and soul—but that’s something the enigmatic demon can’t promise her.
When a high-ranking member of House Greed is assassinated, Emilia and Wrath are drawn to the rival demon court. Damning evidence points to Vittoria as the murderer and she’s quickly declared an enemy of the Seven Circles. Despite her betrayal, Emilia will do anything to solve this new mystery and find out who her sister really is.
Together Emilia and Wrath play a sin-fueled game of deception as they work to stop the unrest that’s brewing between witches, demons, shape-shifters and the most treacherous foes of all: the Feared.
Emilia was warned that when it came to the Wicked nothing was as it seemed. But, have the true villains been much closer all along? When the truth is finally revealed, it just might end up costing Emilia her heart.
Two curses.
One prophecy.
A reckoning all have feared.
And a love more powerful than fate. All hail the king and queen of Hell.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stalking the Jack the Ripper series comes the steamy conclusion to Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy.
My Thoughts
Kingdom of the Feared is the conclusion of the KOTW trilogy and, as always, it is somewhat bittersweet to say goodbye to characters and this world. Overall, this book provides a resolution that ties the plot together well in a satisfying way that leaves no loose ends for the central characters.
“What if I don't want to be feared?”
Sadly for me, however, this book didn't quite live up to the prequels. It just didn't have the same tension or constant edge-of-your-seat suspense that made the last two so enjoyable. I didn’t feel the same connection to the main characters. Their relationship, whilst it progressed sexually, didn’t really advance in any other way. There was a lack of sweet encounters, conversation and chemistry, which made their interactions feel less romantic and tender. Both characters had separate agendas within the storyline and, as a result, they didn't work together as much to determine who committed the murder or resolve any other plot points.
I felt like there was no real climax/crescendo; everything gets solved - very easily at times - with very little build up or anticipation, which makes the pace of this book feel quite slow. I wanted conflict, drama, action or battles but events seemed to tie up too neatly. There were some plot twists that kept things interesting, overall however, it was a little all over the place with the overwhelming smut/spice taking away from it and, at times, feeling extremely out of place. All the sex scenes really failed to add anything to the story and felt unnecessary. Despite this, the portrayal of Vittoria as the book progressed was amazing, and the relationship she and Emilia have was incredibly complex, layered and unpredictable.
“Shadow witches … ‘Shadow' because you possess a mere shade or shadow of your true power. 'Witch' because with so much dilution of your magic, that is what you are. What all witches are - descendants of goddesses.”
From Kerri, readers come to expect perfection and her crown slipped a little with this final entry. Time and again she gives readers such unique worlds with dark magic and wickedness; whilst this book did have its flaws, it was no exception. The writing style and prose, as is typical of the author, was absolutely superb and totally immersive. Excitingly, there was also the sense that the journey’s of some characters remained unfinished, so perhaps we can expect some spin-offs in the hopefully not-to-distant future (YAY!!)
‘Whatever you do, you must never speak to the Wicked. If you see them, hide. Once you've caught a demon prince's attention, he'll stop at nothing to claim you. They are midnight creatures, born of darkness and moonlight. And they seek only to destroy …’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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