Review: Kingdom of the Feared

Title: Kingdom of the Feared (Kingdom of the Wicked #3)

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.

Review: Vespertine

Title: Vespertine #1

Author: Margaret Rogerson

Publisher: 5th October 2021 by Simon & Schuster Australia

Pages: 368 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: teens, young adult, fantasy, paranormal

My Rating: 3.5 cups

Synopsis:

The dead of Loraille do not rest.

Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living. She would rather deal with the dead than the living, who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past.

When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic. It is a revenant, a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard. Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come to Loraille, and only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has any chance of stopping it. With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time, Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself.

As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints, secrets, and dark magic, her bond with the revenant grows. And when a hidden evil begins to surface, she discovers that facing this enemy might require her to betray everything she has been taught to believe—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first.

My Thoughts

‘I imagined that if I listened closely enough to the stillness that yawned beneath the convent’s mundane everyday bustle, past the muffling hush of shadowed corridors and ancient stone, I would be able to sense it festering in the darkness of its prison.’

Vespertine is the story of Artemisia, raised by the Gray sisters who tend to the dead to prevent them turning into harmful spirits and waging war on the population.This is a solid start to a new fantasy series. Artemisia is a young introverted nun who finds her comfort zone challenged in order to fight these harmful spirits. 

“We have guarded Saint Eugenia’s relic for three hundred years. It cannot fall into the grasp of the unliving. They know that the revenant cannot be freed, only destroyed. Thus they seek to destroy it. It is our greatest weapon, and without it we have no defense.”

Vespertine is not ‘typical’ of Margaret Rogerson’s writing, having a far more somber tone and no romance as the driving force. Yet dig a little deeper and it becomes clear that that is a tale of a young girl who, after a difficult upbringing, is alone in the world and must push past her fears in order to grow and fully become her true self. The reader sees Artemisia evolve over the course of the book in a journey of self discovery and finding her true purpose in life. Her relationship with the revenant is a definite highlight and beautifully told. It is a most revealing friendship with a good balance between banter and growth.

‘How far would I go, if I had no other choice? I could no longer condemn those who had turned to heresy as a last resort - not now that I knew how it felt to see so many lives hanging in the balance, unable to help, the hopelessness and guilt closing in like the walls of a tomb. If there was any force that could save them . . .’

I did find this to be somewhat slow and heavy in dialogue but if you enjoy that aspect of a story, then the conversations between Artemisia and the Revenant are sure to please. There is a lot going on so be prepared as this is only the first installment and therefore you will be left with unanswered questions. One could say that this is more of a dark fantasy story about saints and the understanding of the many secrets history holds. It will be interesting to see where Margaret takes this world - a world of the restless dead with clerics, saints, relics and ghosts. 

‘Perhaps the decisions that shaped the course of history weren't made in scenes worthy of stories and tapestries, but in ordinary places like these, driven by desperation and doubt’

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.

Review: The Last Smile in Sunder City

Title: The Last Smile in Sunder City

Author: Luke Arnold

Publisher: 6th February 2020 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 352 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: urban fantasy, paranormal, mystery

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

A former soldier turned PI tries to help the fantasy creatures whose lives he ruined in a world that's lost its magic in a compelling debut fantasy by Black Sails actor Luke Arnold. Welcome to Sunder City. The magic is gone but the monsters remain.I'm Fetch Phillips, just like it says on the window. There are a few things you should know before you hire me:1. Sobriety costs extra.2. My services are confidential.3. I don't work for humans. It's nothing personal--I'm human myself. But after what happened, to the magic, it's not the humans who need my help. Walk the streets of Sunder City and meet Fetch, his magical clients, and a darkly imagined world perfect for readers of Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher.

My Thoughts

The Last Smile in Sunder City is Luke Arnold’s debut novel and the first in an urban fantasy series titled Fetch Phillips Archives. This is a dystopian work featuring ‘Sunder City’, a dark place holding a noir tale concerning the loss of magic post war.

The story features two timelines in its narrative - the present where Fetch is investigating a missing vampire and his flashbacks during the war and an event that still haunts him. For a debut novel, the world building here is pretty impressive, Luke’s writing quite good (if somewhat generic in places) and the characters held potential (although a little cliched at times).  

There is much to work with here given the concept of magic having disappeared and previously supernatural beings are struggling to survive. It’s dark and down with many a seedy person and place described. Whilst the plot has potential it is just a bit too slow and repetitive in places for me. All up, however, this was an interesting urban fantasy that had some interesting moments.

"I stepped back out into the main room to catch my breath. I couldn’t yet tell what it was that was bubbling up inside me, but something had snapped. I didn’t actually believe it yet. The hope was too dangerous. But just the idea ... What if we could fix it? What if, somehow, I could undo all those terrible things I’d done?  Emotion swelled in my chest. It was something unfamiliar. Hope. Just a bit of hope. That’s all. I’d forgotten what it felt like.”

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.