Kingdom of the Cursed (Kingdom of the Wicked #2) – Kerri Maniscalco

Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton 
Pages: 448
Release Date: October 5, 2021

Haven’t read the first novel, Kingdom of the Wicked? Check out my review HERE!

After selling her soul to become Queen of the Wicked, Emilia travels to the Seven Circles with the enigmatic Prince of Wrath, where she’s introduced to a seductive world of vice.

She vows to do whatever it takes to avenge her beloved sister, Vittoria… even if that means accepting the hand of the Prince of Pride, the king of demons.

The first rule in the court of the Wicked? Trust no one. With back-stabbing princes, luxurious palaces, mysterious party invitations, and conflicting clues about who really killed her twin, Emilia finds herself more alone than ever before. Can she even trust Wrath, her one-time ally in the mortal world… or is he keeping dangerous secrets about his true nature? 

Emilia will be tested in every way as she seeks a series of magical objects that will unlock the clues of her past and the answers she craves…

One sister. 
Two sinful princes.
Infinite deception with a side of revenge… Welcome to Hell.

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Despite rating Kingdom of the Cursed four stars I enjoyed it much more than Kingdom of the Wicked, which I also rated four stars. Kingdom of the Cursed is more adult in its sexual content and more intricate in its mystery plot.

Kingdom of the Cursed is similar to ACOTAR in the way that Maas aged up ACOMAF. Kingdom of the Cursed is not a young adult novel and for it to be shelved there is quite concerning considering the sexual content is fairly descriptive and not at all fade to black. However, chapter 17 is questionable in its sexual content and didn’t need to be written the way it was written to progress Emilia’s magical mastery/development.

The reason I rated the novel four instead of five stars is the lack of answers and Wrath. Kingdom of the Cursed answers quite a few questions readers have at the end of Kingdom of the Wicked, however these questions almost become irrelevant considering the turn of events at the end of the novel. The direction the story can take from here is promising, but could be disappointing if not handled correctly.

There are a lot of secrets yet to be revealed to Emilia that hinder Wrath’s development as a character and his budding relationship with Emilia. There are glimpses of his character beneath the very closed off demeanor he presents to the world. Unfortunately, these glimpses are far and few between which hampers his development as a character.

Overall, Kingdom of Cursed is a much more adult entry into this world while giving readers more mystery and intrigue.

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Have you read Kingdom of the Cursed? What did you think?