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Quick answer: If you loved The Kingdom of the Wicked, try Kingdom of the Cursed, Stalking Jack the Ripper, The Cruel Prince, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Serpent & Dove and Practical Magic. Each one pairs a witch, demon or fae with dark magic, a revenge plot and an enemies-to-lovers romance.
Kerri Maniscalco's novel follows Emilia di Carlo, a witch in nineteenth-century Sicily whose twin sister is murdered. Seeking revenge, Emilia summons Wrath, one of the Wicked Princes of Hell, and the two form an uneasy alliance as she hunts the killer. Readers love its Italian setting, its witchy family lore and the slow-burning tension between Emilia and Wrath. These books share the same mix of dark magic, mystery and forbidden romance, from YA picks to spicier adult romantasy.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Heat level | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of the Cursed | Kerri Maniscalco | Mild to spicy | readers who want more Emilia and Wrath |
| Stalking Jack the Ripper | Kerri Maniscalco | Clean | readers who want more Maniscalco |
| The Cruel Prince | Holly Black | Clean to mild | readers who love scheming royals |
| A Court of Thorns and Roses | Sarah J. Maas | Spicy | readers who like dark fae courts |
| Serpent & Dove | Shelby Mahurin | Mild | readers who like witches and witch hunters |
| Practical Magic | Alice Hoffman | Mild | readers who love witch sisters |
| The Witch's Heart | Genevieve Gornichec | Mild | readers who like mythology |
| A Discovery of Witches | Deborah Harkness | Mild | readers who like slow-burn supernatural romance |
| Quicksilver | Callie Hart | Spicy | readers who want darker fae |
| The Serpent and the Wings of Night | Carissa Broadbent | Spicy | readers who like vampire courts |
| Daughter of Smoke & Bone | Laini Taylor | Clean | readers who like angels and demons |
| Shadow and Bone | Leigh Bardugo | Clean | readers who like dark powers |
| Hex Hall | Rachel Hawkins | Clean | younger readers |
| The Bridge Kingdom | Danielle L. Jensen | Spicy | readers who like spies and royals |
| Wintersong | S. Jae-Jones | Mild | readers who like dark romance with music |
1. Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco
Emilia travels to the underworld as the future queen of Hell and plays a dangerous game at court.
Best for: readers who want more Emilia and Wrath.
2. Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
In 1888 London, a young woman studying forensic medicine hunts Jack the Ripper.
Best for: readers who want more Maniscalco.
3. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
A mortal girl fights for power in the High Court of Faerie and clashes with a cruel prince.
Best for: readers who love scheming royals.
4. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
A huntress is taken to a faerie land and drawn into its politics and romance.
Best for: readers who like dark fae courts.
5. Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
A witch is forced to marry a witch hunter in a story of enemies to lovers.
Best for: readers who like witches and witch hunters.
6. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Two sisters raised by their witch aunts try to escape the family curse.
Best for: readers who love witch sisters.
7. The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
A witch falls in love with Loki and raises his monstrous children.
Best for: readers who like mythology.
8. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
A historian and reluctant witch falls for a vampire.
Best for: readers who like slow-burn supernatural romance.
9. Quicksilver by Callie Hart
A thief is dragged into the fae lands by a dangerous warrior.
Best for: readers who want darker fae.
10. The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
A human enters a deadly vampire tournament.
Best for: readers who like vampire courts.
11. Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
An art student raised by chimaera discovers who she really is.
Best for: readers who like angels and demons.
12. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
An orphan discovers a rare power and a dangerous general.
Best for: readers who like dark powers.
13. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
A teen witch is sent to a reform school for magical delinquents.
Best for: younger readers.
14. The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
A princess trained as a spy marries a rival king.
Best for: readers who like spies and royals.
15. Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
A young composer enters the Underground to rescue her sister from the Goblin King.
Best for: readers who like dark romance with music.
How to Choose
Start with Kingdom of the Cursed if you want more of Emilia and Wrath. For witches and witch hunters, choose Serpent & Dove or Practical Magic. If you love scheming royal courts, try The Cruel Prince or A Court of Thorns and Roses. Readers who want spicier adult picks should choose Quicksilver, The Serpent and the Wings of Night or The Bridge Kingdom, while Hex Hall and Daughter of Smoke & Bone suit younger teens. If the murder mystery side drew you in, Stalking Jack the Ripper shows Maniscalco's love of dark investigations.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kingdom of the Wicked YA or adult?
It is usually shelved as YA, though the later books in the trilogy are more mature.
How many books are in the series?
There are three: Kingdom of the Wicked, Kingdom of the Cursed and Kingdom of the Feared.
Is Kingdom of the Wicked spicy?
The first book is mild, and the romance heats up in the sequels.
Who is Wrath?
He is one of the seven Princes of Hell, summoned by Emilia to help find her sister's killer.
Is it enemies to lovers?
Yes. Emilia and Wrath start as reluctant allies who distrust each other.