"The stars incline us; they do not bind us."
My Rating: ★★★★≛
Genre(s): New Adult Fantasy, Dark Fantasy
Publication: October 5, 2021 (Jimmy Patterson)
***CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR KINGDOM OF THE WICKED***
Synopsis:
One sister.
Two sinful princes.
Infinite deception with a side of revenge . . . Welcome to Hell.
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 . . .
Review:
Wow. What a ride this was. I enjoyed Kingdom of the Wicked well enough, but I wouldn't say I loved it, so I wasn't sure what to expect from Kingdom of the Cursed. However, I now fully understand the hype surrounding this series. This book was absolutely addicting. I listened to the audiobook, and I found myself putting in my earbuds during every spare moment, I was so desperate to learn more about Wrath, to watch Emilia's incredibly satisfying arc play out, to try to figure out what would happen next in the Seven Circles -- what mysteries Emilia would try to unfold. I was practically enraptured. It's a very character-driven book, more so than the first one, which may be why I liked it so much.
To anyone who has read Kingdom of the Wicked but has not yet read Kingdom of the Cursed, be forewarned. While Kingdom of the Wicked was considered young adult, Kingdom of the Cursed is very much not. It is definitely adult, or new adult, and it is exceptionally ~spicy~, so take that as you will . . . .
Though Emilia sold her soul to marry Pride and become Queen of the Wicked, much of the story takes place in House Wrath, while Emilia waits for her prideful husband-to-be to deign to collect her. As such, Emilia's search for answers as to who killed her sister begins with her learning as much as she can about Wrath as well as the other powers that be who have influence in Hell. While she works to unravel the mystery of her sister's death -- all the while uncovering truths about the witches and her own magic that her family had kept hidden from her -- she trains with Wrath to protect herself from the influence of the other Princes of Hell. At the same time, Emilia must reconcile Wrath's betrayal with her feelings for him -- romantic and otherwise.
Emilia's relationship with Wrath is the highlight of the book, as the tension between them makes for some incredible character development on both sides. Together, they share some very tender and intense moments, and while we already had some idea of what kind of person Emilia is from Kingdom of the Wicked, we really get to know Wrath's true character. I, for one, am immensely satisfied with the kind of person Wrath turned out to be -- but I will say no more, as figuring him out is one of the best parts of the book.
Believe it or not, this story about curses, demons, violence, seduction, and sin is ultimately a tale about the power of choice. In many ways, Emilia is the definition of an empowered female character. Throughout the book, Wrath is constantly telling Emilia that she will always have a choice, and though she doesn't believe it at first, she gradually takes this to heart and, in turn, becomes powerful. Watching as a character becomes empowered and takes their fate into their own hands is such a satisfying thing to experience, and it is part of what elevated this book for me. It was there in the first book, but it seemed like a much more prominent theme in this sequel.
The only thing I didn't love about this book was the plot structure. Like the first book, I found it to be a bit all over the place and hard to follow. However, it was definitely easier to keep track of/make sense of Emilia's thought process, and it didn't just feel like she was bouncing from place to place as in Kingdom of the Wicked. I did enjoy the substance of the plot, though, and it was interesting to learn more about the Seven Circles and what life is like in Hell. There were also a few different plot twists that were wild, one of which I sort of guessed, but even so, my jaw dropped with each reveal. These plot twists have made me infinitely more excited for the third book.
Kingdom of the Cursed is a huge step up from its predecessor, so much so that I want to go back and read Kingdom of the Wicked to see if I can pick up on what people fangirled over about that book -- given the quality of the sequel, I'm sure there's something I missed. Such is the danger of listening to audiobooks. Regardless, I am now hooked on Emilia and Wrath's story and their world, and I am dying to read the third book. I have to say, I am beyond bummed that I have to wait a whole year to learn how their story ends -- I need it now!
Content Warnings: death, dismemberment, violence, sex
Comentarios