When her twin is murdered, a young witch strikes a deal with a Prince of Hell to find the killer — and the demon is far too willing to help.
- Score
- 74.7
- Spice
- 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️Sweet
- POV
- first
- Ending
- HEA / HFN
Spice: Slow-building tension with mild heat; spicier as the series goes on.
Tropes
Content warnings
Curated signals, not an exhaustive guarantee.
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What readers think
Readers consistently praise the lush, immersive Sicilian setting — 19th-century Palermo, Capuchin catacombs, and Italian food descriptions are cited as standout strengths. The witty, combustible banter between Emilia and Wrath earns near-universal enthusiasm, and the slow-burn tension is frequently described as 'deliciously tortuous.' The demon princes of Hell concept is considered a fresh and compelling hook. On the critical side, many reviewers find the first book functions more as an atmospheric setup than a satisfying standalone — pacing slows mid-book and the mystery's resolution is telegraphed. Emilia is occasionally criticised for making illogical decisions, and Wrath can feel underwritten compared to the world around him. Goodreads rating sits at approximately 3.86/5 across over 300,000 ratings, reflecting strong enjoyment tempered by 'good not great' reservations from readers expecting a tighter plot.
Read it if
- · Readers who love gothic, atmospheric historical fantasy with a slow-burn romance between a witch and a morally grey demon prince
- · Fans of Italian folklore, Sicilian culture, and richly sensory world-building woven into a revenge mystery
- · Anyone who enjoyed ACOTAR's enemies-to-lovers slow burn and wants a darker, more gothic equivalent with a murder-mystery plot
Skip it if
- · You want a spicy or explicit romance — Book 1 is firmly closed-door with only a kiss
- · You need a fast-paced, satisfying standalone plot — the first book is largely setup with a cliffhanger ending
- · You are sensitive to graphic violence against women, body horror, or detailed depictions of murder and desecration
If you liked this
- · For fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses (Maas) — forbidden slow-burn romance with a dangerous supernatural love interest and a headstrong heroine navigating a deadly world
- · For fans of Nevernight (Kristoff) — dark, gothic atmosphere, Italian-adjacent setting, morally complex characters, and literary sensory detail
- · For fans of The Beautiful (Ahdieh) — lush historical setting, murder mystery, and slow-burn romance with a dangerous immortal in a richly atmospheric world
- · For fans of Caraval (Garber) — immersive, sensory-rich fantasy with a mystery at its heart and a heroine driven by devotion to her sister
In this series
Part of Kingdom of the Wicked — read in order:
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