Avery (Taylor's version)'s Reviews > Kingdom of the Wicked

“You always have the power of choice, even when those choices seem limited. Never forget that.”

I had a feeling going into this that I would either love it or hate it. I was thinking I would love it since I was already in love with Wrath based off of fanart and things I'd heard, and I did end up quite enjoying it!

I've read the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by this author and I loved it, and I feel like those books are similar yet not at all. They both have this same dark and creepy vibe and the whole murder mystery thing, but they're also just so different. (Also highly recommend that series, it's so good)

The Plot



The ambiance of the setting would be a perfect Halloween/October read. Too bad it's not October, but whatever.

The plot was actually pretty captivating. It was good from almost right off the bat, but as usual, I was a little confused, probably because I was skimming a little (I can't help it). I was mainly waiting the whole time for Wrath to come in, who was the highlight of this whole book.

I was decently interested in all the witch stuff, as well as learning more about the princes of Hell, who were all....something. Let's just say, the only one I currently like is Wrath.

I was also very surprised at some plot twists, though I honestly shouldn't have been, since I should've been suspecting everyone. I just hadn't expected this person.

Yeah so this plot description was really bad, because honestly I cannot think right now. You might be wondering "oh Avery, if your brain is all fried at the moment, why are you writing a review?" to which my answer is, I don't know 😁

“A good book was its own brand of magic, one I could safely indulge in without fear of getting caught by those who hunted. I loved escaping from reality, especially during times of trouble. Stories made everything possible.”

So true 😭

The Characters



Emilia was a decent enough main character. But, she was incredibly stupid at times and insanely reckless. I'm not a very revenge-bent person myself, so I could honestly never guess why Emilia did all the stuff she did for her sister. That sounds bad, but I couldn't. I can understand the first wave of grief, because that part is the worst, but I would never go around murdering people for murdering my sister. I don't even have a sister. So maybe that's just me, but that's how I feel.

Other than that, I did like Emilia. She is very fearless, which I must admire. Though, she did trust Wrath way too easily. What did she expect, he's a literal demon prince from Hell.

Wrath was amazing, as I expected. I shouldn't feel this way towards a demon but here we are. I couldn't even hate him in this after he did what he did, because I'd already predicted it. But seriously, he was never really the villain to me, even though he should be. But oh well. He was funny, sarcastic, evil (kinda), and what more could you ask for? It's a very toxic trait I have to fall in love with a freaking demon, but that is fine, I've come to terms with it. I cannot wait to read more about him in the next two books.

I hated Antonio from the beginning (mainly because Emilia was interested in him and I just want her to end up with Wrath. I'm aware that's really stupid) so I'm very smug about that.

Also, if Nonna had just told Emilia about like anything, so much stuff could've been resolved in an easier way and a lot of things wouldn't have happened. Blame it all on Nonna.

“One day you'll call me Death.
For now, Wrath will do.”

The Romance



I already know that the next two books are veering to the NA side so I think that's either going to be amazing or horrible. All I honestly care about is Emilia and Wrath finally get together, which they kind of did in this one (it was just a kiss) but that was a disaster. Their tension was A M A Z I N G and some scenes had me giggling so much (which is the best thing a book can do to me because it means that the book had an impact) and I cannot wait until I can read when they ACTUALLY get together. I'm sure it's going to be interesting.

“Love is the most powerful magic. Above all else, remember that. It will always guide you where you need to go.”

So overall, this was a great first read of 2023! This review was not good but just know, in my opinion, the book is! I'd highly recommend reading it around the time of autumn, because it definitely brings out the creepy vibes.

4 stars

“Your heart will conquer darkness. Trust in that.”

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MY PREDICTION WAS CORRECT. I'd guessed this would be a four star and look at where we are.

MY FIRST READ OF 2023 WAS A SUCCESS. Thank goodness it wasn't terrible or else that would've been a terrible start to the year. it was actually pretty good.

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