Kingdom of the Cursed (Kingdom of the Wicked, 2)

I loved, loved, loved the first book in the series so much I pre-ordered the second... it was not great.

Kingdom of the Cursed begins with Emilia and Wrath traveling through the Sin Corridor. It's a test of sorts to figure out which Sin she best aligns with, and it's no surprise in which House she has the most traits. I really liked the idea of Emilia being tested right from the start, and I loved Wrath at her side the whole way.

The story was repetitive throughout. Every time she described Wrath it was the same and although I loved the character, I was bored of hearing how powerful he was, and how everyone feared him. I also grew bored of the lengthy details of every outfit Emilia and Wrath wore.

Most of the time it felt as if finding out who murdered her sister was an afterthought that was mentioned now and again as the story progressed as a reminder of what her goals are.

Now for the Spoliery reasons why I didn't love this book. If you don't want to know, stop reading....
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Several chapters were devoted to training Emilia how to recognize the subtle touch of one of the princes influencing and bending her to their will. Over and over again, Wrath states that if she doesn't learn to protect herself from their influence, she'll suffer for it at the Feast of the Wolf... and yet she doesn't. Not once during the whole celebration of the Feast of the Wolf does any prince try to use his influence on her, making the training meaningless. I kept waiting for her to show off what she learned in all her lessons, and I was sorely disappointed.

Although, that bothered me a great deal, what happened next at the Feast of Wolf made me want to throw my book at the wall. Throughout the book it is stated that the Guest of Honor will have to give up one fear to the crowd. Emilia is afraid of what fear will be exposed, and of how it could be used against her. I loved the idea of how a secret fear revealed could easily raise the stakes for her. Moreover, I wanted Wrath to step in to offer up one of his secrets to protect her. I came to the conclusion that Kerri couldn't come up with a good fear for Wrath, and subverted expectations with a cringeworthy alternative.

Why it took Emilia so long to figure out that Wrath was the King, I'll never guess. I guessed it right from when he was left to accompany her to Hell, and everything he and his subjects said, made it all the more clear.

I'll likely read the third book to see how it ends as I do really like Emilia and Wrath.

Blood and bones. I have no words for this book. It simply consumed me. Is it possible that I am still under the influence of a certain demon prince? Full of mystery, secrets, deception, scheming, beautiful gowns and feasts. The worldbuilding was so opulent, decadent and deliciously sinful. I'm even tempted to visit. Emilia, do you remember in book 1 you said you wanted forbidden love and impossible odds? There was so much angst, dominance, tension and steam between my favorite enemies and lovers. Emilia is such a firecracker here and Wrath exudes power, protectiveness, and SWEETNESS. They're meant to be *chefs kiss*

My only complaint is that I wished there had been more page time with the other Princes of Hell. Aside from that, it's cruel that we have to wait another year for the conclusion. So cruel *cries softly*

What I loved:
» opulent & decadent worldbuilding
» Emilia's flaws & growth
» Wrath's acta non verba
» games & secret agendas
» Princes of Hell
» side characters
» mystery
» curses
» food 'buon appetito'
» NA, steamy romance

I can’t believe the age recommendation is 9-12 grade?! The amount of sex in this book even made me blush. The House of Gluttony is disgusting (which I get, Gluttony is gross), but the author didn’t need to get into such detail of the explicit sex on tables, etc. I also feel like Emilia goes back and forth too much about her feelings toward Wrath. It’s like she has no self respect. I was disappointed in this book, which is too bad since I was really looking forward to it.

I went into this series not expecting to like it but ended up really enjoying the series. Yes there are some adult scenes in the book but let's be honest what teenager already doesn't know this stuff anyway?
The main character for the first and second book pretty much is very head strong and treats the main male lead like hes the worst thing in existence. Has he lied to her a few times? Sure. Has he withheld information most definitely. But no one is perfect and we can all say we have done the same. What becomes clear is that no matter how many times she gets angry with him he is always there for her. Kind of making her look like a over exaggerating young adult who can't control her temper. It is also worth it to point out he cannot tell her certain things because of a curse he is physically unable to. Honestly I feel bad for him. Throughout the series so goes back and forth with her feelings with him and she did annoy mr at certain parts but overall I would say relationships are complicated and this series definitely takes that and paints a picture of how things aren't always so black and white.
The series reminds me very much of Sarah j maas court of thorn and roses which is a favorite.

I read the frist book and was hooked on finding out about how it was going to end. It was so-so.

Pros: interesting meeting more of the princes of hell. The story line is intriguing and an overall very easy read. I completed both books within three days. It was a nice change from my regular reading choice as it wasn’t heavy or contemplative. The plot was easily figured out but still fun to see unfold.

Cons: Not sure why the writer is obsessed with descriptions of outfits and food. Seriously annoying I started having to actually skip several paragraphs at a time because I was just sick of reading about them. Also I get we all love sexual tension but this is to much and was infuriating how long it drags on. Anyone saying this is erotica has obviously never actually read any. Yes there are some sex but nothing on erotica level. I actually found it to be very tame and mostly a let down.

Overall if you want something easy and entertaining with a small amount of sex sprinkled in I would recommend. However if your looking for some epic adventure on the level of George R.R. Martin or J. R.R. Tolkien this not it. Especially if you want PG.

I wanted to like this book so much but it was to much fluff & repetition going on. There was not enough action in this book and the dialogue between emila & wrath was so annoying & Cringe. But overall it’s okay. It could have been so much better!

I found Kingdom of the Wicked at walmart a few months ago and I was intrigued by the cover art. I opened it up and read the sleeve then flipped it over and read the back and it seemed interesting enough so i bought it. I finished it at the end of September and I was so upset that I had finished it. I IMMEDIATELY went to google to see if there was another one and sure enough Kingdom of the Cursed was to be released at the beginning of October. I obviously preordered it. And now, here I am, 300 pages in. Still obsessed, still wanting more, and definitely not ready to finish this one. I’ve never read a book so fast. It’s definitely a page turner. I’ve had to force myself to stop reading and go to bed for the past few nights. I HIGHLY recommend if you’re looking for an exhilarating, saucy read. This is 110% my favorite series to date. Fingers crossed for a 3rd book🤞🏻

I love the way she writes! The story is awesome, and the way it unfolds little by little is perfection!

I am a huge fan of this author. When I saw this series I couldn’t wait to start it. This is such a good story line and well written as always. I could not put it down and when I did, I kept thinking about it. I cannot wait for the next book to come out.

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.