Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco; Narrated by Marisa Calin
Jimmy Patterson Books / Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: October 27, 2020
ISBN: 9780316428460
Twins Emilia and Vittoria are part of a long line of witches, which they keep secret to avoid persecution. One evening, Vittoria goes missing. When Emilia finds Vittoria’s body, her heart missing, she vows vengeance and will do anything to find her sister’s killer even if it means using dark magic and joining forces with the Wicked, princes of Hell that have their own nefarious agendas. If Emilia doesn’t keep her wits about her, the price of vengeance just might be too high.
The audiobook has an underlying haunting quality that can be attributed to the sporadic use of music and the occasional gutteral voice echo. Marisa Carlin, the narrator, also does a good job of providing distinguishing voices for the many characters.
Kingdom of the Wicked is for fans of the television show, Supernatural. For other, similar dark fantasy reads, try the Three Dark Crowns series by Kendare Blake and the Caraval series by Stephanie Garber.
-Lorrie Roussin
Other Nominated Titles
- Beautiful Wild by Anna Godbersen; narrated by Amy McFadden (November 3, 2020)
- A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson; narrated by Gibson Frazier, Candace Thaxton and Kevin R. Free (January 19, 2021)
- Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao; narrated by Feodor Chin and Emily Woo Zeller (November 10, 2020)
- The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold; narrated by Thérèse Plummer (February 9, 2021)
The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the field nomination form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.
Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten. The previous years’ lists are available on The Hub.