Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco: A Book Review
Genre: Fantasy
I was hesitant at first with the “James Patterson Presents” banner at the top of the book since I am not a fan of James Patterson (I don’t like his writing style), however, everyone had good things to say about the series on Bookstagram and the synopsis was intriguing – so I took the plunge – and I am so glad I can. Maniscalco writes a thrilling story about family, grief, vengeance, and magic – using the idea of the seven deadly sins to create a conflict as well as rallying point. Throughout the whole of the story, I felt like the truth the main character was being mislead in what the truth was and I was very interested to see if what we were being lead to believe was wrong. Unfortunately, by the end of the book, I didn’t have proof backing this belief.
What I truly enjoyed about Maniscalco’s story though was how she described magic. Typically, magic is either good or bad, used for gain or knowledge, separated from the natural world, its beings separated from each other – but Maniscalco describes magic differently. In Kingdom of the Wicked, though, magic is solely natural, having a give and take that worked differently than we might think. There was different types of magic – but it seemed that both needed to be known in order to be able to protect and fight. What seemed even more intriguing was the fact that Maniscalco’s magic was more of a part of life – a lifestyle – a true religion – than what most books I have read deemed magic to be. Whether she put a lot of research into witch covens and practices or follows the beliefs herself, Maniscalco’s care in representing the supernatural world was what I was extremely pulled toward and what I think really made the story.
Who would most enjoy the work and who should stay clear (if necessary):
Those that enjoy the supernatural and magic would most enjoy the book. If you are strictly Christian, you may want to stay clear since the description of magic is so well done.
Other books like the one reviewed:
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
| Plot: | 10 / 10 |
| Characters: | 9 / 10 |
| Writing: | 10 / 10 |
| Editor: | 10 / 10 |
| Total | 39 / 40 |
Title: Kingdom of the Wicked
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Edition: First Edition Hardcover
Published: 2020
Publisher: Little Brown
ISBN: 9780316428460
If you want to get it: Amazon; Barnes&Noble
Rosey Reviews 