Kerri ManiscalcoKirja-arvosteluja

Other than wanting to give Aubrey Rose a piece of my mind, this was a great read.

after all that talk about staying pure...i ended up skipping a few chapters
dnf

I had a few issues with this book but overall it was fairly good.

Honestly, Thomas is a snarky Sherlock Holmes

Like the ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses) series, this was another series that I was hesitant about because (in my library at least) it's listed as YA. And again, like ACOTAR, the first book is fine when it comes to young adult, but after that, the rest of the books in the series should be considered "new adult." This story is about two sisters in Italy who, after one of them is murdered, discover there's more to their shared history and family than they realized. The surviving sister, Emilia, is thrown into a world of more powerful magic than she could have ever guessed, and finds herself face-to-face with Wrath, a prince of Hell, who she has trapped and has asked for help in finding her sister, Vittoria's, killer. Throughout their time together, she realizes that perhaps Wrath isn't as "wicked" as she thought, and they actually come to care for each other. The book had me guessing the entire time about who the killer was, and as someone who comes from an Italian family, I loved the fact that much of the magic talked about, and the words used, were Italian. Again, this is another great book with a very strong female character and amazing world building.

Fieldnotes:
London, 1888

1 Overly Plucky Teenaged Girl with an Unhealthy Obsession with Science and the Dead
1 Deceased Mother (Scarlet Fever)
1 Overprotective Germaphobic Father
1 Hair-Obsessed Brother with Ever-Changing Interests

1 Uncle Specializing in Autopsies
1 Bright but Arrogant Assistant & Student of Forensic Medicine
1 Manhandling, Irksome Superintendent of Police
1 Clumsy, Near-Sighted Mongrel

1 Forensic Medicine Class at Harrow (??) that works on ACTUAL cases (??)
London Necropolis Railway
Very Modern Ideas Regarding Sex Workers
A Spot of Profiling
The Greatest Show on Earth
Bedlam

3 Links Between Victims of Jack the Ripper and the Wadsworth Family
3 Increasingly Insane Letters
1 Carriage Marked "M" for Murderer
1 Cryptic Death Pronouncement
1 Seance

Dark Secrets Within the Wall
2 Secret Laboratories
Galvanic Experiments that Would Make Dr. Frankenstein Proud

Gruesome Illustrative Photos

The Long Version:
I don't know why I keep reading YA Jack the Ripper books - every time I end up irked. In this case, our overly plucky teenaged investigatrix is 17-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth, only daughter of a lord. She has a truly unhealthy interest in the science of death (and a complete disdain for proper attire while autopsying and disregard for the poor servants who have to try to save her many blood-stained silk slippers). She essentially interns with her forensic pathologist uncle in Highgate (despite the distance from Belgravia - it is NOT THAT CLOSE) who is feuding with her father because his medical degree didn't allow him to save her mother from the scarlet fever she contracted while nursing Audrey Rose. She has some guilt-related mommy issues.

Her father, Lord Edmund Wadsworth, has responded by isolating himself, becoming extremely germaphobic and relying on his laudanum to get himself through the days. Thankfully, her dandy of an older brother Nathaniel helps her circumvent the most stringent of his restrictions.

Anyway, she banters hostilely with her uncle's arrogant (but, of course, handsome) Sherlockian assistant Thomas Cresswell, and the three of them essentially profile Jack the Ripper and speculate that he is attempting to perform an organ transplant (which has never been successfully done).

There are a lot of truly implausible moments where a 17-year-old gently born GIRL is wandering the streets UNCHAPERONED and hanging out ALONE with a teenaged boy. Not to mention being allowed to examine MURDER VICTIMS in the SLUMS in the EAST END. There is very little Victorian hand-wringing. There is not even an APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF HAND-WRINGING because this is INSANE. There are some very modern ideas about sex workers that are distinctly out of place given Audrey Rose's circumstances, but this didn't bother me as much as everyone acting like being a policeman (even superintendent) was a prestigious career for a NOBLEMAN in 1888. We've just dropped a mostly modern teenager into a facsimile of the Victorian era and given her teen Sherlock as a boyfriend.

There is a lot of incredibly awkward flirting, which I found less cute and more strange and...well, flirting over CORPSES isn't a thing that works for me, honestly.

I could get over a wallpaper historical with modern sensibilities if this was fun and clever, but the tone felt off. Not to mention our heroine was TSTL, insisted on doing truly stupid and dangerous things with no thought for potential consequences and then got fixated on who she decided was the culprit - evidence and her own observations be damned. I guessed the culprit and most of the why early on, which wouldn't have been a problem if this had at least been suspenseful and/or wrapped things up sensibly. For me and my tastes, it did neither.½

This was a big disappointment. There has been so much research done in the 100+ years since the Ripper murders......and little to none of that appeared in this book. For a "historical" novel, there is no feeling of being in Victorian London gained from reading the book. The novel also lacks in the "why" for why Jack commits the murders. The reader can guess different possibilities, but the author never researched the psychology behind such things and/or incorporated into the novel. We read this in our book club, and this was pretty much the consensus among all of us. There are much better historical fiction and serial killer novels set during this time period.

If you are really tempted to try this, check it out from the library.½

I loved this book so much! The setting of 1800s in Italy was so perfect for it. Witches ✔️ demons ✔️ princes of hell one leach of the deadly sins✔️enemies to allies maybe lovers later ✔️ all wrapped up in a murder mystery. I loved wrath so much. The writing style is so easy to read and follow along without being boring. Can’t wait to see what happens in the second book

Absolutely loved this series!

If you're looking for a satisfying ending to a series, this is not it. Not an element of the main character's personality was left by the end of the book.

Unfortunately, this just didn't hit the mark for me. Where the story began, rooted in Italian folk magic, family, community and the dynamic of a coven, feels as though it has all been thrown out the window. It feels like this has been done in service of the romantic subplot, which is now the most interesting thing about the story.

Hoping that the final book in the series will bring things together.

The best part about this book was the Italian folk magic.

I'm interested to see where the story goes, but for now it feels as though the only thing pulling you through the series is the promise of romance and plot, not the actual presence of it.

Its an okay book. In my opinion, it kind of lacks creativity.

I stopped reading this a couple chapters in and went on to another story before coming back for a second try. I'm very happy I gave it a second shot as it quickly turned into a story that pulled me in. Camilla remains an enigma for most of this tale, not only to others, but in some ways to herself. The reader's perception of her can't help but follow that paradoxical arc, making the intrigue factor that much greater.
Factor in all the supernatural characters and realms, not to mention all the steamy interactions between the Prince of Envy and Camilla, and you have one heck of a read.

I also really loved listening to this read. It was another very atomperic read and one that gave me upper Ya vibes and had some steamy elements to it. I also really liked the various twists and turns that was presrnt in this story!! I also loved the new setting from this story!! Some elements of this new setting gave me percy jackson vibes. This was another read that i really loved the audibooks!! I need to tackle the sequel soon as well!!

I really loved this wicked world and loved the witchy world. I also was super invested in the mystery. It was such a fast pace read. However because it was such a fast pace story, it sometimes was harder to follow the storyline at points. I grew to the love the pairing at the heart of it. It was such a great read, and the mystery at the heart got me. I really am excited for book 2!

* I got this book for review from the publisher*

I really enjoyed diving back into this world. I really loved not only the new setting and the mystery that was developed in this novel. I thought the end of the novel was a tad rushed and not as tighly constructed as at the previous book. I really enjoyed the new dynamics between Audry and Thomas. I really thought their relationship was so unique in this novel. I did miss some of the side characters we met in book one. I am really excited to dive into future books from this season!

I really enjoyed this story. It was the prefect fall read. I fell in love with the both these main characters. I just was so captured by not only the characters but also the mystery. I loved how Kerri told the story and also how it was still in lines with the real murders but she also made it more streamlined and interesting story. I was also love the photo accents in the story because it made the atmosphere of the story even more creepy. I was totally wrong about who was Jack and that was perfectly fine. I enjoy this story a lot and want to read book 2 soon!

I also really loved listening to this read. It was another very atomperic read and one that gave me upper Ya vibes and had some steamy elements to it. I also really liked the various twists and turns that was presrnt in this story!! I also loved the new setting from this story!! Some elements of this new setting gave me percy jackson vibes. This was another read that i really loved the audibooks!! I need to tackle the sequel soon as well!!

I really loved this wicked world and loved the witchy world. I also was super invested in the mystery. It was such a fast pace read. However because it was such a fast pace story, it sometimes was harder to follow the storyline at points. I grew to the love the pairing at the heart of it. It was such a great read, and the mystery at the heart got me. I really am excited for book 2!

* I got this book for review from the publisher*

I really enjoyed diving back into this world. I really loved not only the new setting and the mystery that was developed in this novel. I thought the end of the novel was a tad rushed and not as tighly constructed as at the previous book. I really enjoyed the new dynamics between Audry and Thomas. I really thought their relationship was so unique in this novel. I did miss some of the side characters we met in book one. I am really excited to dive into future books from this season!

I really enjoyed this story. It was the prefect fall read. I fell in love with the both these main characters. I just was so captured by not only the characters but also the mystery. I loved how Kerri told the story and also how it was still in lines with the real murders but she also made it more streamlined and interesting story. I was also love the photo accents in the story because it made the atmosphere of the story even more creepy. I was totally wrong about who was Jack and that was perfectly fine. I enjoy this story a lot and want to read book 2 soon!

Link to video review: https://youtu.be/Oe1sCtbt8lA

Holy hell. I thought I was prepared for Kerri Maniscalco's first official adult novel after what she published for the last two KINGDOM OF THE WICKED books. I was not prepared at all! Those are tame in comparison to THRONE OF THE FALLEN. If the rest of her stories about the demon brothers are like this one, take all my money.

THRONE OF THE FALLEN was so much better than I ever expected. I mean, I knew it was going to be good. I love each of Ms. Maniscalco's books. Her debut novel, STALKING JACK THE RIPPER, was so good that I knew she would become one of my favorite authors. So when I say THRONE OF THE FALLEN was better than my expectations, that's saying something because my expectations were already high.

In particular, Ms. Maniscalco blew my mind with how well she portrayed Envy and his sin. The jealousy Camilla and Envy experience throughout the novel is the stuff of songs. The slashed-your-tires, busted-your-car-windows, burned-all-your-stuff type of songs. Given that I wasn't certain how Ms. Maniscalco would be able to portray Envy to be as powerful as his brothers, I finished the novel in awe. Through THRONE OF THE FALLEN, I now understand how Envy can be as powerful as Wrath and Fury.

As for the demon prince, if you thought Wrath was the embodiment of danger, I would say that Envy is even more dangerous. He is as arrogant as you would expect the Prince of Envy to be, but he backs up that arrogance in every way. And I mean every way. Whew.

Camilla is the perfect counterpart for Envy. From the opening scene, we learn she is feisty, not prone to simper or kowtow to the "superior" men unless forced to do so for her safety. That she remains independent in a society that frowns on independent, unmarried ladies is a testament to her intelligence and cunning. We quickly learn that she does not often let her emotions rule her actions, remaining clear-headed when the circumstances are at their worst. But what makes her Envy's perfect foil is that she never backs down from Envy. Every threat, every show of power, every demand, every command - she is his equal for all of it.

She not only stands her ground, but she also manages to throw Envy off his game. Watching the prince stunned to speechlessness at her taunts or struck dumb by her actions is half the fun of THRONE OF THE FALLEN. It also leads to some of the spiciest scenes I've ever read. They are also quite memorable; I might not ever be able to read about a throne without recalling one particular scene ever again.

But those scenes are more than pleasurable. They serve a distinct function as they become power plays between the two, further defining their relationship and showing each other (and the readers) who they are at their core. It is how we discover that Camilla is anything but a prim and proper young woman, no matter how she appears that way at the beginning. I did mention she was Envy's equal, and the bedroom is no different. She matches his depravity in every way, and it's so much fun.

The best thing about THRONE OF THE FALLEN is that it is more than a story about Envy and his potential love interest. We get a deeper dive into the Seven Realms, spending time with his brothers and seeing them from another point of view. We get to see other realms and learn more about the power struggles being played in them. In general, we get a much more robust picture of the Underworld and a greater sense of the numerous secrets that fuel the place.

The crux of the story is tragic and indicates that Envy isn't quite the devious sinner he appears to be. As for the game, every clue leads to another twist or another shocking reveal. All I could do was sit back and let it happen. I was so caught up in Envy's and Camilla's story that I did not want to stop to make predictions or try to solve the many riddles.

The big reveal at the end was, for me, every bit as shocking as it was intended to be. Some of that is because of what we find out, but some of the shock is also from how we find out and what happens afterward. The seven Princes might be dangerous, but the Big Bad Envy and Camilla must face at the end is true evil. He is so bad that I am slightly frightened of Ms. Maniscalco's mind for devising such horrible characters and macabre scenes.

With THRONE OF THE FALLEN, Ms. Maniscalco confirms her place among my auto-buy authors. I feel it is her best novel to date. Her roots might be in the YA realm, but her strengths are definitely in the adult fantasy romance category. In THRONE OF THE FALLEN, she created a complex and compelling story in which the spiciness is part of the character development. I am so happy that there are more books about the other brothers in our future, although, by now, I will read everything Ms. Maniscalco publishes.

4.25 spicy romantasy with a plot½