Scan barcode
abcdefgerda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Okay I was getting some serious Cruel Prince(Holly Black) and Gilded(Marissa Meyer) vibes, both of which are some of my top 10 books so suffice to say I was really liking this story.
Emilia is badass and hot femme fatale but also scared and vulnerable and makes dumb mistakes and we love her for it honestly.
Wrath is a Drama Queen and it just might be the best thing I've witnessed this year. Truly. If drama was a sin, he'd be named that instead.
Overall we have a ton of demons and dangerous beasts and betrayal and mystery and familial love and spells and betrayal and dark princes. And the gorgeous gowns and hairstyles and gowns(!!!!)
Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Vomit, and Religious bigotry
taryn_g's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry
anastashamarie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Tuck in, little witches and surly demons. This might turn rambling like I got stuck between worlds in a scrying session.
šThe whole time I was reading/listening to it, I was thinking this would be a 4-star read for me. Yeah, it had some problems (which I'll get into). But I loved the magic system and the setting. I loved the concept of the 7 Deadly Sins embodied as demons and the ways that their powers manipulate humans. I loved Emelia's and Wrath's banter. (And okay, like I said, the narration really made this one.)
š”ļø I liked the characters, too. Some people complain about Emilia being dumb, and though I definitely think there certain things she did or didn't do only for the obvious sake of the story, I don't think "dumb" is the way I'd describe her. She thought these demons and dark forces were scary stories made up her Nonna to scare little witches into saying in bed at night. She was very traumatized by seeing the brutalized bodies of people she cared about and by witnessing multiple graphic attempted murders. I don't blame her if she didn't always ask the right questions or if she fell prey to immortal beings who spend their whole lives trying to trick humans. 2 months ago, she didn't even know they existed. She's pretty adaptable, all things considered.
I also liked Wrath and the ways that he wasn't nearly as stoic or good at hiding his emotions as he might have thought. I liked his insistence on consent and choice and the ways that the demon magic just enhances what people already feel or desire. I liked that he clearly had his own motivations and seemed genuinely ambiguous throughout much of the story. I wouldn't call him morally grey, per say, because he doesn't actually do anything bad. Maybe morally shadowed...I'm still not totally sure what his ploy is, but I'm very curious as to where his story will go next.
š But oof, the ending just left so much to be desired that I had to take another star. I get that it's meant to set up the storyline for the rest of the books. But so many of the characters motivations seemed loosely strung together by the end and nothing is as well tied-up as I thought it might be. New characters are introduced up until the last few pages, but in a "better shove this in my hidden pocket before I forget it like Emilia keep forgetting her chalk" sort of way, not in a necessarily intriguing sort of way. Personalities seem to suddenly flip flop. Clues that were presented seem to now be forgotten.
And speaking for clues, I feel like I needed a Handy Dandy Notebook to keep track of the spells and symbols and other hints littered throughout, because Emilia was finding paw prints I couldn't even see (I think because they're as invisible as a umbra demon). Meanwhile, Emilia is out here just drawing connections out of thin air. She suddenly remembers seeing symbols before that I don't remember ever being mentioned (because they weren't) and is like "oh, a clue!" I feel this could have been solved by more showing and less telling in the book; more descriptions of the scenes and interactions and behaviors. In other words, I wish more clues were dropped so the audience could play detective, too.
š Still, even though I didn't rank this as highly as I hoped, I'm very excited to read the next one. I borrowed this from Libby and will probably buy an actual copy of it to keep on my own shelf I liked it so much. I'm just hopeful the next ones redeem some of the ending of this one for me, otherwise I'm sending them back to the summoning circle.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Cursing and Religious bigotry
Minor: Sexual content, Vomit, and Alcohol
_savannahreads_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
sirkeili's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The plot really picks up towards the end, and some lore is actually given, albeit a tad predicatable if you are reading the context clues correctly.
I mean, you're telling me that this-
āNo one knows for certain, (...) Some believe it refers to the use of light and dark magic. Few think it means a prince will fall in love with a witch."
Overall, this book was a tad slow on the uptake, but it was quite a nice starting point for the series. Emelia's revenge has only just started, and I am eager to see the wrath (yes, I went there) she brings down upon the princes, and those who ultimately have caused Vittoria's death. I am also keen to see what Wrath's part to play will be, as he was little too quiet and unnaturally withdrawn at the end. I know he's strategizing, but how he plans to fulfill his plan is something look forward to watching.
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual content, Torture, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Drug abuse, Genocide, and Kidnapping
ka_ke's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Self harm, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
rensreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
it makes sense why its wrath who she summons. her twin is dead, her grief is choking her daily, and no one is doing anything to try and solve her sisterās murder. summoning rage and fury itself? thatās a given.
emeliaās moods give me a lot of whiplash though. her character didnāt have any substance and she played the damsel-in-distress role so often that i hardly think her capable of figuring out who ate the last cannoli, much less a murder and bringing hell down to its knees.
wrath was a complex character and it was pretty clear who the authorās favorite was. if she had put even half as much of an effort as she put into wrathās character into emelia, then maybe she would be decent instead of all-around pathetic.
that ending was meh and i could tell
also pride x emelia? as if. sheāll be back in wrathās arms soon enough. doesnāt help that heās acting like such a dick though so i guess weāll see if they even deserve to be together in the next book.
this gets 3.25 stars from me. it had promise but the execution of it all was terrible.
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Stalking
the sexual harassment and violence happens after emelia meets lust, so do with that what you will.a_libra_library's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Murder
nota_candycaine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Toxic friendship
gattolinos_nerdy_nook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I loved the characters in this story. Emilia and Wrath were fun to read and has me even more intrigued to see them in the next book considering the how they have left off in the end of this book. I also liked how each of the Princes of Hell were introduced and how each embodied their sin. I also really liked Nonna Maria and am excited to learn more about her and the family history.
Speaking of family history, the story and lore were very interesting and quickly had me hooked. I want to more about what happened in the pasty with witched and demons and everything about the blood curse. I am excited to see more about the Wicked realm and met the remaining Princes. A part of me also hopes we will see her sister but I'm unsure how likely that will be in the forthcoming books.
I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. The fact that Kingdom of the Cursed is New Adult has me super excited. This book though was a good read and really sets up for the next book well.
I recommend this series to the fantasy romance readers out there.
Graphic: Death and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Blood, and Religious bigotry