Throne of the Fallen

cassidy

I will read ANYTHING Kerri Maniscalco writes 😍

"I don't even know where to begin... I was SO excited to jump back into this world and I love that this world expands past what we know from the KOTW trilogy. I am eager to see more of this world as Kerri Maniscalco continues to write about these characters and locations. I was (still am) a 5-star fan of the KOTW trilogy so I was counting the days until this book came out! Jumping back into a new story with another of the sinfully delicious Princes, who could resist? I was stoked that we were getting Envy's story as the first breakout book from the original series. I think it was really well done for people who didn't read the KOTW books, and this being their first introduction. It gave you enough information to understand what came before without feeling like it was repeating every detail from the first 3 books. It also totally stands on its own feet as a standalone or separate series if she continues with Envy before moving onto the next Prince. You could start with this book and have no clue there was a trilogy that came before and was connected. I was super intrigued with this story. Wrath may always be Daddy for me, but he definitely has some competition with Envy now. Learning more about Envy and what drives him, his insecurities, his abilities, his unique personality, was beyond interesting. Being able to be inside his head, it was just fascinating. And Camilia's character was perfect. I loved their banter and their relationship as it evolves throughout the book. She, herself, is a force to be reckoned with from the first time we meet her (even if she wears the persona of a meek woman because of her circumstances in the beginning). There was such a fire in her. It's what made the enemies to lover's trope work so well. They both had these walls up and they both were so stubborn and hardheaded that it made me want to throw my kindle across the room multiple times (in a good way! lol). Her special ____ (don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it yet) was so unique and special and unlike anything I've read so far. It was a super cool _____ to have, that held a lot of foreshadowing for what was to be revealed later in the book. Let's not forget 'THE GAME', I love a good mystery, with riddles and intrigue. Where the stakes are high, and nothing comes easy or without a price. I think this plot was really fleshed out and I didn't feel like any questions were left unanswered. It was also done in a way where you felt like you could read another whole book about these characters, and it wouldn't be boring or uninspired. There world is so vast, and I think in this book especially you realize just how big it really is. The worldbuilding is beautifully done. Just as before, her descriptions really bring the place to life in your mind. The author doesn't skimp on any details when describing the landscapes and lands. And in the background of the main plot there are so many pieces moving to set up however many more books she decides to write in this world next. I feel there were certain things left unresolved intentionally for the setup of more books. Trying to guess which Prince we will be getting a book next felt like a game in itself. Kerri leaves all these tid bits from each brother that every time you think you absolutely know who will be next you are left second guessing yourself, but by the end of the book I think I had it figured out. Only time will tell. 🤞🤞 This is a new adult book so there is spice and "grown up" scenes and omg they are so good. Whenever a book has spice in it there is always the debate of whether it overpowered the plot, served the plot, or was just its own separate thing. In my opinion, the spice for sure served the plot. It wasn't overwhelming and it didn't feel like spice just for the sake of spice. The scenes were hot and heavy, descriptive, and put in at the most perfect times. For someone like me who loves dark romances, romantasy, spice, and such, this was *chefs kiss*. Just straight up yumminess. I have 0 complaints about this book. It will definitely be a part of my top reads this year and I 100% recommend it to everyone! ["

Show more

January 26, 2024 Verified Purchase

Katie Beasley

Prince of Hell Meets His Match!

"I absolutely loved the Kingdom of the Wicked series and am honestly a little disappointed in myself for putting this one off for as long as I have. With that being said, I really enjoyed this one but didn't love it as much as the original trilogy. I think Emilia and Wrath are just different LOL. With that being said I LOVED the setting in this one. We were in a quaint town and then ended up descending into a new House of Hell- Envy's. I liked the dynamic between Envy and Camilla- I love it when there are rules set up that you just CAN'T wait to be broken. Envy's were no different. This felt very Bridgerton to me. Very high society with balls and intrigue and drama. I liked the introduction to other isles and creatures in Hell. Looking at you vampires. I liked Camilla's character a lot. You couldn't help but be intrigued by her. I knew the whole time there was some major secret at play but did NOT see the actual secret coming at all. I also liked Envy's mysteriousness. I loved how all of the princes are brothers and care about each other and needle each other, but they also understand that being a prince of Hell is cutthroat. No weakness can be shown. I liked the ins and outs of the story and the journey that we got to travel with these two. I did absolute LOVE the spice scene but was kind of sad that we only got one major one LOL. Overall though I liked these two together. It was like the saying "when you know, you know, and these two knew that they were for each other. I liked how their magic played well together. Camilla has one mission right now, and that is to get back her freedom. By any means necessary. Except this one. She will not paint a hexed object no matter how much it will help her. But she finds herself backed into a corner. An unwilling participant in a centuries old game. Which is how she finds herself working with Envy, a prince of Hell. Why does he have to be so attractive? Why does she have to feel this way with him and not other men? Why does HE of all people have to be her guide through this game? But Camilla has a secret that no one can know. She decides that she will play this game to her advantage and help Envy out as much as she can. Because the more she is around him and his house the more she realizes all is not as it seems. The closer she gets to the end of the game, the crazier the adventures become all the while she is trying and failing to protect her heart. Envy has made it clear he is a one nigh man- no more. But after they spend their night together Camilla finds herself pushing his buttons to see which one of them will cave first. Before they can though, her secret is revealed and she hopes beyond all hope that Envy cares for her as much as she cares for him. She knows it looks bad, but she just needs to explain. If he will listen. Envy is on a clock. He has to follow the clues and be the winner in order to save his House from this curse that has been a plague for so long. Which is how he finds himself above ground at an art gallery trying to convince this human woman to paint a hexed object for him. There is something about her though that catches his eye beyond normal. He feels like there is more to her than meets the eye. At first she says she will not help him, but then things change and here they are. Back in Hell trying to beat the clock and save the day. The more he is around her though the more he realizes how drawn he is to her. The more he wants to know her secrets. The more he wants to protect her from all that is happening in his world. He has one rule and that is one night only. But after the night he spends with her, he finds himself wondering if he could do more. With her. But now he knows who she is, and he really doesn't know what to believe anymore. I loved jumping back into this world with all of the teasers for the stories to come. I loved how many creatures and fun adventures were in this story. It took me a minute to warm up to Envy- he was kind of a jerk from the beginning. But it was all a front. I loved how much he cared but also how scary he could be. I loved the dynamic between the brothers and the glimpses we got of Emilia and Wrath. I am looking forward to continuing this series and watch all of these princes meet their matches! ["

Show more

June 19, 2025 Verified Purchase

Jessica

A good read

"I think I enjoyed this book more in the beginning. Sort of a Bridgerton mixed with fae. The world was intriguing, and I enjoyed the story for the most part. The characters and some of the game and history became a little hard to keep straight. The story fell slightly flat for me after a while, like nothing super exciting was happening. I did enjoy the banter which made me want the MMC and FMC together even more. The secrets they were keeping from us got a little boring after a while and honestly I wasn’t shocked to my socks when they were finally revealed. I hadn’t guessed them, I was just tired of waiting for them. I like that this book is something I could read in between series without feeling like I had to jump straight to the next one. B not sure about reading #2 yet, but I’m keeping it on my TBR for now. Overall I enjoyed the book. Just not UP there with some others for me. ["

Show more

November 18, 2024 Verified Purchase

Rachel McDonald

Another Fantastic Tale of the Wicked

"Somehow, Kerri Maniscalco managed to do it again! I didn’t think it was possible to accomplish here what she did in three books of the Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy, especially in only one book, but she absolutely did! This managed to have twists, turns, and a romance plot within it that somehow had the same impact and surprises as Wrath and Emilia’s story did. Throne of the Fallen is all about Prince Envy, and the human artist he meets, Camilla. Envy has been roped into a game. With his court and his demons on the line, he’s playing to win and will do anything to do so. Camilla gets wrapped into the game, but has secrets that rival his. When the game begins, the two find themselves stuck with one another, and quickly find themselves playing another game—one that finds Envy’s one night only rule being tested. I was so happy to return to this world! I loved Kingdom of the Wicked and was so excited to be back with these characters. This book opens up the world a lot more. We not only see other aspects of the Shifting Isles, but we learn about the fae and their lands, and we visit the vampire’s land and meet the Prince who tried to kidnap Emilia. But there’s a lot more focus on the fae than I’d expected! It was great though, the Unseelie were wicked and cruel, and the past Envy had with them was delved into, finally revealing what happened to him. While Camilla has her own past with them, one that she wants to keep buried. The secrets and lies were very familiar! I’d loved how much I was shocked by the twists in the first trilogy, and this book manages to give just as many surprises. Camilla’s past leaves us with a lot of guesswork at first. Her own thoughts in her POV don’t give a thing away. While Emilia couldn’t remember her past, Camilla has merely buried hers so deep down, she refuses to even think of it. As the game progresses, we learn bits and pieces, and things begin to slot together. Still, I was so deep in the world I didn’t really think about it, just reading as fast as possible to take it in as quickly as I could, and didn’t totally put it together. So I was shocked once more when all the revelations hit! Kerri manages to weave everything together perfectly, so it all makes sense looking back, but if you’re not looking closely, you’ll completely miss it the first time! The game that was developed was also thrilling to follow. Envy is stuck playing this game because of a mistake he made many years ago. He’s blamed himself ever since, and cut himself off from letting anyone in. Emilia was able to see it when she and Envy were locked up together, and we delve into all of that here. But the game is being devised by a brilliant game master who not only loves chaos, but has a grander, much worse plan in mind. Everyone involved are pawns to him. Envy has to follow the clues and riddles laid out in time, while ensuring no other player wins. Trying to pick out other players along with unscrambling the riddles and clues, was so much fun! Poor Envy wasn’t having as much fun, especially when his entire court was on the line. They are falling apart, completely loosing themselves to madness. Tearing their own families apart and not even realizing it. Envy has to somehow protect them, expending his power, while also racing to win and save them. All the while, he’s distracted by the artist he’s shoved together with. His first clue being having her paint a hexed throne. She refuses, leaving him baffled. But he’s determined, and her denying him repeatedly only leaves him more interested. Camilla, meanwhile, refuses to paint a cursed object, yet finds herself not only drawn to Envy, but caught in a scheme by a human lord that leaves her with little in the way of options. When Envy discovers this, he finds a way to get her help, yet the game master requires her to tag along after. Envy is distracted by her, but trying to keep focused for his court’s sake. The two of them have the fun flirty banter I love. And as we go along, and leave the humans behind, more of Camilla’s true nature comes out. Showing her to be a perfect match for Envy. Just as good at games and playing as he is. They continually find themselves in terribly dangerous situations, and stroking Envy’s sin makes him more powerful, giving us tons of wonderful scenes of the two being jealous. I loved seeing how jealously powers him, and how the two were so perfect at inciting it in one another. Both are trying to protect themselves and their hearts from the other. Trying to convince themselves they don’t care deeply. But the heart doesn’t much care what someone wants. And they continually try to save one another. When we get to the climax, I was thrilled with how things eventually work out. It was surprising and yet perfect for these two! I loved getting into Envy’s head and seeing more of him. His relationship with Camilla is wonderful, and the game here was thrilling to follow. We get to see more of Sloth here too, which was really cool. Along with the vampires and fae. And we get to see Wrath and Emilia again! They were teased several times and I wasn’t sure we’d get to see them, so it felt like a real treat when we eventually did! I feel like Kerri managed to cover so much here, in much less time than she had with Kingdom of the Wicked. The economy of storytelling here was just fantastic. So much was fit in and it all felt natural to the way the plot unfolded. I can’t wait to see what comes next for this world. There are so many hints for the rest of the brothers. Each of the Wicked having their own potential storylines. Pride and Lucia (and Vittoria), Gluttony and the reporter, and now I want more of Sloth as well! Whoever is next, I will definitely be racing to read it as soon as it comes out. I loved everything about both of the stories we’ve gotten so far! ["

Show more

October 8, 2023 Verified Purchase

Jill

"You've destroyed me, Camilla. I want to return the favor."

"4.5 -⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 Throne of the Fallen is the first novel in the Adult Fantasy Romance series set in the same world of Kingdom of the Wicked series. It follow Camilla and the Prince of Envy as both are drawn into a competition that threaten their secrets...but also give them a chance to free themselves... After absolutely loving Kingdom of the Wicked I was so excited to dive into this new spin off series and it did not disappoint. Camilla is a woman of many secrets and talent and I really enjoyed that, despite having her POV, she kept things close to her chest. She meets Envy's banter with wit and poise but underneath there is a rawness to her that we get to explore as we continue. Envy and his POV was probably my favourite not only because of his devilish personality but also having a chance to peek behind the curtain. The struggles he is facing in his court and the desperation his is feeling to fix things drive him to seek out Camilla. Watching his motivation behind why he pursues her gradually change was a delight and the possessiveness that grows had me smiling. This book does contain spice. I would place it at 3.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. The spice between the two main character is a medium burn with some pretty steamy moments around the 30% mark but true spice won't hit until a bit later. I found when the spice truly hit I loved seeing the intensity of these characters finally being unleashed because the teasing throughout had me very much looking forward to the moment. The throne scene alone... In addition there are spicy and steamy moments that appear on page as the character enters various domains of sin. "You'll be shouting me name, Camilla. I will be your God, your Creator, your Destroyer, and every depraved dark think in between." In terms of world building I felt having read the previous series I felt pretty confident in these worlds but there is not a lot of world building here. There is lore and characters but a sense of place was not as clearly defined. The atmosphere helped keep me steady but it takes a bit. That said this book has a lot of nuance with mystery and secrets so part of the world is unraveling the truth between the realms and their inhabitants. The story itself is a mix of game, mystery, and intrigue that kept me on a ride from start to finish. I loved the tension that built with the stakes rising and watching the secrets and mistrust crumble between the characters. I did predict a few of the twists but that didn't stop my enjoyment. One thing I have scene Kerri do consistently is find ways to allow each character to truly grow and flourish not just alongside their partner but also independently. Seeing these characters together and apart drew me in and gave chance for some additional side characters who I did not expect to like as much as I did. The ending fit so well for these characters and has me eager to see what comes next. No cliffhanger. If you enjoy Kingdom of the Wicked and the world, a good bit of spice, and a story filled with secrets, high stakes, and tension you are going to love this! ["

Show more

December 14, 2023 Verified Purchase