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Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco Book Review
- Savannah Boone
- Apr 21, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 29, 2022
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
Rating
Content Warning: Gore, Violence, Self-harm, Grief, Death, Smut
Review
Much like the first book, this one did not disappoint! The plot twists, the foreshadowing, the romance, it was wonderful! I literally cannot wait until the third book. I pre-ordered it right when I finished this one. I thoroughly enjoy this world and can't wait to be immersed in it again.
Pros
>A map!
>The romance
>Characters
Cons
>Rushed plot
>Confusing scenes
Plot
That ending should be illegal! How can Maniscalco tease us with Vittoria still being alive and in hell AND JUST END IT?! I need the third book now but it doesn't come out until September! I'm going to go crazy waiting to find out what happens next.
The fact that the old woman in the tower was the Crone was *chef's kiss.* I knew she was someone, but I did not see that coming! Nor did I see Wrath being the devil and the necklaces being his wings! I want to know what happens when he puts them together. will he get his wings back? Will all hell break loose? (Pun intended).
Now, the sexual tension in this installment was spot on! It was crafted beautifully and I enjoyed every second between Emilia and Wrath. This book was definitely more new adult than young adult, and I am here for it! Give me more of this in the next book!
However, the plot felt more rushed in this book and a little scattered. Outside of the romance (which was amazing~), events were flying by and the plot devices were convenient. So, it was a bit lackluster. Instead, the character's are what held my attention through most the book.
Example, I want to talk about the even at Gluttony's house with the horse and the nightshade. What the fuck was that all about? It felt like an and put in out of convince. I could not for the life of me figure out why it was happening or what the point of it was. And then Emilia just comes back to the house like nothing happened? I feel the scene or gaining knowledge about the nightshade could have been done differently.
Characters
Emilia
Okay, so I understand that hell is affecting and exaggerating the main sin, but damn, Emilia is very violent in this book. I don't particularly like it, but I understand it.
Emilia also came into Hell with the mind set to gaslight, gate keep, kick ass, and take names later. She wanted answers and she wasn't playing around! I gotta give it to her for keeping her head about her and focused on solving her sister's murder.
Wrath
Wrath has softened quite a bit in this book, but I love how threatening he is to everyone but Emilia. And the fact that he was willing to give up a truth in Emilia's place says a thousand words! But, there were also a few scenes that were red flags in the way he treated Emilia. Then again, he is the devil, so he kind of has an excuse? I don't know. Wrath falls into a bit of a gray area for me as his character develops.
Side Characters
Being able to see the other sins interact with each other and Emilia traveling to different houses was awesome. They're characters are what I expected and more. I just wish we had a bit more interaction with the other sins/houses besides the event at the end. I mean, Emilia is in HELL for gods sake. Why wouldn't we see more of them?
Writing
Again, the writing was beautifully done and the characters were solid; the gore and smut scenes were on point, and it truly felt like a magical, devilish world. I love how the characters of each house were written. Generally, they seem pleasant and then their favored sin comes out. It just puts an unsettling feeling in my chest, but damn I loved it.
Conclusion
Love, love, love this book and series! This book was better than the first, but I took it down a start because of the confusing scenes at Gluttony's house. I'm slowly warming up to cliff hangers at the end of books, but only if I can get the next one right away. And this ending is no exception. It was wonderful and heart wrenching and I was caught in disbelief. I had to take a day to sort my feelings out after this ending.
Cover Art
Again, Liam does an amazing job at capturing the cold elegance of the book. Probably my favorite out of the two covers!
What did you think of the book? Do you have anything to add, good or bad? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
If you want a more brief review, view my "to-read" list, or what I’ve read before 2022, you can follow my Goodreads page by clicking the link below.
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