Two rivals torn apart by a dark memory reunite on a deadly hunt—and in an irresistibly twisted fairy tale—in the next steamy standalone fantasy romance from New York Times bestselling sensation Kerri Maniscalco.
A wicked prince determined to save his kingdom.
Gabriel Axton—infamous as the Prince of Gluttony, the self-proclaimed rake of rakes—has always lived for indulgence: in delicious food, in tantalizing women, and most of all, in the thrill of the hunt, where his love of danger can take over. But when his favorite adventure takes a deadly turn, he realizes something is very wrong in his demon court. With the clock ticking, he must turn to the only one who might uncover the truth: a journalist he has spent a decade avoiding…
A reporter hell-bent on finding the truth.
Adriana Saint Lucent has been on the hunt for years—if she could just report something damning enough about that no-good scoundrel Gabriel Axton, she knows others would finally see the demon as she does. But she never expected to turn up a rumor too terrifying to be believed: could the ice dragons to the north be growing restless? Drawn into the secrets of the Underworld, Adriana’s investigation leads her into the place she dreads most…Axton’s infamous court.
A dangerous rivalry—and deliciously twisted fairy tale.
To stop darkness from falling over their kingdom, Axton and Adriana will have to unite against an escalating danger. But with each holding tight to their own secrets, can they find the truth before it’s too late? And what will they do with an equally troubling rumor: that they might not actually hate one another, after all?
I'm mostly on instagram--where I'm always ready to talk fictional crushes and nerd out over books. (Okay, okay. And I've also been known to share snippets and teasers from my upcoming novels, if you're into that sort of thing...) Please feel free to chat with me there @KerriManiscalco. I love talking with fellow readers!
Kerri Maniscalco grew up in a semi-haunted house outside NYC where her fascination with gothic settings began. In her spare time she reads everything she can get her hands on, cooks all kinds of food with her family and friends, and drinks entirely too much tea while discussing life’s finer points with her cats.
She is the #1 NYT and USA Today bestselling author of the STALKING JACK THE RIPPER quartet, the KINGDOM OF THE WICKED trilogy, and her forthcoming adult debut, THRONE OF THE FALLEN, set within the KINGDOM OF THE WICKED universe. Two other un-named titles will also be set within the KOTW world and will follow two different princes.
the house would be spotless, food prepared, lawn mowed, bed made (so we mess it up again), whatever he wants.
jumping back into the world of the wicked is never not fun. i honestly forgot Prince Gluttony existed in the prior books so i went into this with zero expectations. i’ll admit, it was slow at some parts and my eyes grew tired but nonetheless i fear, i ate this shit up!
honestly anytime Gluttony opened his mouth or entered a room i thought, “raw, no questions asked.” i’d follow this man home if i could. anytime i read this pov and he was describing Adriana my brain gained a wrinkle. 🧍🏻♀️
my only qualm about Adriana was that i wish she more of a backbone. the banter was exquisite don’t get me wrong but i couldn’t help but think “come on girl, tease him back.” but i digress. she honestly ate tf down anytime she wrote about him in the papers. like girl wasn’t gonna let go of that decade long grudge against him and i applaud her for it. 👏🏽
the mystery behind the romance was interesting for the most part, i can’t lie, there’s no way i could’ve predicted that ending.
this quote felt like a brick that was gently kissed before it was thrown at me “i have hungered for you in ways you cannot comprehend. i’ve craved you. more than my sin. you haunt me, Adriana. my dreams are the only time i get to worship you.” may this type of love kidnap me. 🩵
Well. That was…. Something. Honestly it was giving bland unseasoned chicken. I LOVE THE TASTE OF NOTHING!!!
No but in all seriousness this actually pains me because I absolutely LOVED throne of the fallen and was so excited for this book! But it just didn’t do it for me at all!
To say I was bored would be an understatement. The overarching plot lacked any and all substance. The stakes were so low they were in the basement and at the end of the day I just simply did not care about it. I felt like the same conversations and scenes happened over and over again and it was extremely dragged out.
Essentially all of my two stars go to Prince Gluttony, Axton… the man that you are. I LOVED HIM! He’s funny, has good banter, a filthy mouth and will absolutely make you giggle and kick your feet. It’s a shame that he was this books only redeeming quality. Unfortunately there’s only so much a good MMC can do to hold a book together.
Adriana our FMC…. Uhm. GO GIRL GIVE US ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!! Being in her head was putting me to sleep. Her character, like this book just lacked seasoning and zest and any sort of spice!!! Was she insufferable? Definitely not, she was just…. There?
The romance started out really good, I was eating up the banter and the enemies to lovers but that took a sharp turn for the worst at around the 45% mark. All of a sudden Axton was entirely obsessed with her for quite literally no reason, it was very obvious they didn’t actually view each other as enemies anymore and the tension just disappeared. Which made me so mad because they had so much potential. After that any and all of their chemistry that they kind of sort of built disappeared and never came back. And that quickly pulled me out of the story. The icing on the cake was him professing his love for her out of nowhere after they’ve spent little to no time together. Ugh idk it was just a hard no for me. I also still felt like she didn’t even like him in the end IT WAS SO WEIRD!! Their relationship gave me second hand embarrassment!!
The ending was also so rushed and clunky and all over the place. I just…. No. I know this is essentially word vomit but this just felt like a mess to me 😭😭
That being said I will still read the next book in the series I’m hoping this was just a fluke.
ive read a lot of sequels lately, so its a relief to finally pick up a book knowing its going to be a self-contained story that doesnt require me to remember what happened in the first book. lol.
and, i have to say, this is pretty close to being KMs best book. its the addictive, stay up past your bed time, guilty pleasure kind of read that ive been needing. the entertainment value of this is high and does a great job at delivering what it promises. the romance to plot balance is much better than in the first book. i enjoyed the royal competition, the mysterious curse affecting the dragons, as well as discovering the cause behind a decade of hate between adriana and gabriel.
and it was almost a perfect 5 star read except for the ending. everything seems to be in a rush to be resolved, making the ending feel pretty flat. if i could rewrite it, i totally would have changed . it definitely would have suited the tone and vibe of the story and finished it off with a bigger oomph. but thats just me.
overall, im immensely pleased with this and had a lot of fun reading it.
I didn’t realise how much I missed this series until I started reading this book. I’m so glad I finally picked it up. I hope Kerry Maniscalco writes a hundred more of this (or at least as many as there are Princes of Sin left).
To begin with, I really liked the plot. Honestly, I would love any plot that involves dragons, especially one as intriguing and mysterious as this one. Naturally, the world-building was amazing, particularly the lore on the Hexed Objects.
However, it took a while for the story to pick up. It was interesting enough to keep me focused, though. Also, and I say this lovingly, authors have got to stop using the word ‘bud’ as a euphemism for…well, you all know what I’m talking about. There are other, better ways to describe those specific body parts.
Moreover, Gluttony and Adriana were adorable. I loved their antagonistic dynamic. They were genuine rivals-to-lovers. They had that “they ‘hate’ each other but in a horny/kinky way”. Although there should have been more smut.
Lastly, I loved the other Princes of Sin and their roles in the story. Their bromance was so good. However, Silvanus, Gluttony’s ice dragon bestie, was my favourite character. I love dragons when they are as petrifying as they are sassy. He had an awesome storyline, too.
“I thought you were the most devastating thing I'd ever seen. A comet speeding directly at me. And I was so lost to your splendor, I didn't care if you wiped me clean of the realm, so long as I got a chance to admire you, even from a distance.”
500 pages of mess, is what this was. Gabriel and Adriana had no chemistry and i never believed they had deeper feelings than wanting to have sex with eachother. it felt like there were 70 different plotlines happening all at once and none of them flowed coherently with the other. the fact that the book has ICE DRAGONS and couldn’t even deliver on that front is unbelievable .. im just baffled at this point honestly 😭
Gabriel - aka prince gluttony, loves to over indulge himself but more than anything he’s all talk and i don’t know why he has the reputation that he does. the way he instantly became obsessed with Adriana in the second half, had me wondering if i was missing something cause i seriously don’t get why he’s even interested in her. i don’t think he’s the worst character ever, i actually did kinda like him but i wish he had a different love interest cause he deserves better imo.
Adriana - besides being boring as hell, her greatest offense is coming off like a judgmental hater more often than not. she jumps to conclusions repeatedly and despite not having all the information, she walks around as if she knows better somehow. it felt to me like she didn’t even want to be in Gabriel’s vicinity, let alone being “in love” with him. i never felt any connection to her character and her chapters had me ready to give up.
the only things i did enjoy were seeing Gabriel’s brothers, especially my favs Envy and Camilla. the dragon fights were entertaining when they happened and it was nice seeing Blade again (I NEED A BOOK ON HIM NOW TYSM!). everything else about this just got on my last nerve and made absolutely zero sense. the “enemies / rivals to lovers” was flimsy to say the least. the whole thing with the ball and the quill? HUH 🧐 i should’ve known the odds weren’t in my favor when i had to buy the audio just to finish this.. DEPRESSING.
“I have hungered for you in ways you cannot comprehend. I've craved you. More than my sin. You haunt me.”
you all know i keep reading these books because they are truly so much fun, but they are just never perfect reads for me. and also let me remind you that i have praised each book in this world for the amazing twists and turns! so imagine my surprise when i thought this was going to be a five star, because i loved these characters and circle of hell so much, only to be delivered the most nonsensical twist ever. and maybe that’s my bad, for hyping and awaiting what i was really sure would be a mind blowing reveal… only for foolishness.
so in this new spinoff series, we follow a new prince and get to see his hell domain (my jjk biased fingers wanting to type expansion) - and this one follows gluttony, who i truly ended up falling in love with. this story is also a loose cinderella reimagining, where our other mc, adriana, is just trying to make life more bearable for her and her stepsister, while working as a journalist, reporting things that others might not want her reporting. you know, like how ice dragons are attacking and our prince is trying to keep it undercover while he figures out what is going on. So gluttony (aka: gabrielle), assigns adriana to report on his own fantasy love island competition to find a suitor to help him rule his circle of hell. yet, both of them can’t seem to exactly remember things that took place in the past, and you as the reader are trying to piece things together alongside them.
i adored both characters, and their banter was truly 11/10. i loved the setting, and i am always going to eat up a dating competition side story. i actually enjoyed the sex scenes in this, and for the most part didn’t find anything too cringe like i did with book two! and this even has a very adorable baby dragon! truly, the only other negative thing i can say, aside from the twist in this being outlandish, is that you can just tell that this author is a fan of bridgerton, and at times i felt like i was reading from a blue haired lady whistledown. but truly, i had a really good time with this and i am excited for what (and who) comes next!
trigger + content warnings: debt, talk of money problems, abusive home, loss of father in past, grief, battle, blood, drawing blood to do a blood oath, violence, unwanted sexual advances, drinking, magical memory violations
The question is not which prince this is about, or what the cover is going to look like. The question is whether I can wait till September for this release without losing my mind.
Finished reading 12/31/24: The plot was kind of wack, but I loved the characters.
“I have hungered for you in ways you cannot comprehend. I’ve craved you. More than my sin. You haunt me, Adriana.”
I have mixed feelings about this book. On one side the plot was interesting and the pacing was well done, but on the other side I didn’t connect with Adriana and the romance development was uneven. I really enjoyed the dragons in the book, but the history of the dragons was nonexistent. The writing was descriptive, although a bit average. Adriana was okay as a character, although she was flat and didn’t have much character development. Also I didn’t agree with some of the decisions she made. For the most part I didn’t connect to Adriana, although I am close to my sister like she is. I really liked Axton, he’s protective, mysterious, and powerful but he was arrogant. I enjoyed how the romance between Axton and Ariana started off, the banter was great and they both disliked each other. But then Axton fell in love too fast and there wasn’t much development in their relationship. The chemistry and tension between them was well done, but there was a spark missing. The ending felt rushed, but I did enjoy that the plot was resolved. Overall this book was okay but the romance development was uneven and Ariana was an underdeveloped character.
This was my most anticipated read of the year, and it left me extremely frustrated. I loved the first book, but this one was a chaotic mess. Several plots were attempted simultaneously and while they were connected, it felt like I was reading three different books at once, and none of them delivered.
The beginning sparked my interest in both Adriana and Gluttony—a charming duo with undeniable chemistry. The subplot involving the ice dragons was intriguing enough to keep me engaged. However, once I hit the halfway mark, everything plunged downhill rapidly.
The competition for Gluttony's hand was so absurd that I rolled my eyes repeatedly. I have no patience for that kind of trope, and it utterly fell flat here. Adriana felt like a character from a different story, drowning in a role I hated from the start. By the end, she became insufferable as a reporter, and it was frustrating to watch her not be as implicated in the plot as the blurb promises. She had no backbone and practically fell in Gluttony's lap at any chance, no matter that she was upset with him in the previous chapter.
She barely resembled the demon she was supposed to be, and her connection to the sin gluttony was nearly non-existent. Gluttony transformed into the type of love interest I can’t stand, and their chemistry faded just like my hopes for this book. Honestly, by the end of the book, I wanted him dead. It’s clear the author lacked a cohesive vision for the story and just threw in every possible trope and plot line to stretch it to 500 pages of meaningless content.
The plots became so convoluted that I eventually found myself questioning why any of it mattered. The miscommunication trope was overused and predictable. When the reason for their so-called animosity was revealed, I couldn’t help but laugh at its ridiculousness.
The romance failed to create any genuine connection. I didn’t believe for a second that Gluttony was in love with Adriana or that she felt anything for him. At some point, I wondered if this had any romance in it cause it sure didn't feel that way to me. The ending left me speechless at how ridiculous it was. I’m thoroughly disappointed with this book, especially since it had such a promising start that did not hold up.
"I've adored you from nearly the first moment I saw you. I loved you when I didn't like you. I loved you when you bested me. And when I bested you. I love your smart mouth, your clever mind, your darkest fantasies. Your brightest joy. I love that you never let me win, that any victory I have is fleeting but earned. And I will live out the rest of eternity loving you."
Another incredibly engaging story from the great Kerri Maniscalco.
I really love this universe that she has created for us. All of the little details she provides for each court really helps the world building and keeps you wanting to learn more about absolutely everything.
I don't remember Gluttony ever really standing out for me in previous books before this one was announced, but I really enjoyed his character and his quest to see his court saved. All in all, he was a pretty great romantic interest and his relationship with Adriana was really entertaining, what with them constantly needling each other 😍
Adriana was also a pretty good FMC. She was smart, opinionated, steadfast in her beliefs and feelings. And this will play to my main issue with this book, I wish she played more of a starring role in the overall conflict of the story.
My biggest issue with this one was even something that Adriana brings up herself several times throughout the book. She wasn't really being seen as an equal in this story, mostly in regards to the main conflict. And that is brought up again in her internal monologue after everything is resolved, and honestly, Gluttony never really does anything, imo, to make up for that.
But this series is just so fun to read and I will recommend it to anyone who will listen 🩵
I should have lowered my expectations going into this book. But I went into this thinking it was going to be one of my favorite reads of the year.
The first half started out SO STRONG! Adriana and Gluttony were amazing. Their banter had me giggling and kicking my feet and I had SUCH A CRUSH ON GLUTTONY omg. He might be my new favorite Prince in this universe.
The plot had such great potential as well. But it felt like it was put on the back burner to focus on other things. The romance wasn’t as strong as I expected it to be either. It started off great. Enemies to lovers. And if you read the Kingdom of the Wicked and Throne of the Fallen before this you see their relationship in those books as well. At first I loved the pacing with it, I loved their thought processes about their relationship with each other. UNTILLLLL the last half. Why was my man Gabriel Axton suddenly SOOOO OBSESSED? The gifts came out of nowhere and he’s suddenly so in love with her?
That leads to the end of the book. The plot twist? Be so for real with me right now. Talk about lackluster. The culprit was found. But no action was taken? They were just… let go? Even though the person before that was accused was literally taken away and interrogated and their house was turned upside down inside out. Makes no sense to me. The book kind of just…. Ended? It was so unsatisfying to me. I still very much recommend this series. And I’m hoping Lust is next!!!
Kerri Maniscalco has done it again folks. Yet another amazing adult fantasy read!!
While I did not like this one as much as I did the first one, that is in no way me saying that I didn't like this! This series holds such a special place in my heart and I could truly read another 100 pages of this book. It was pretty long but it really didn't feel like it. It was such a fast read and I found myself getting lost so easily within this world.
I absolutely looovedd the enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Prince Gluttony and Adrianna!! It's one of my favorite tropes for a reason and this was such a good example. If I had to nitpick one thing it was that the E-T-L trope got dragged on maybe a bit too long?? Like it was 400 pages of "hatred" and then maybe 100 pages of love and it just felt more rushed towards the end.
The actually plot of this book was really interesting and entertaining! Yes, there's a lot of spice and that's a major chunk of this book (just like Throne of the Fallen), but I really enjoyed the dragon aspect and it kept me invested the entire time.
Overall, I have loved just about everything Kerri Maniscalco has written, and I believe I will continue to do so. She is an auto-buy author for me and this is exactly why. Her books are gripping, enticing, spicy, and you can't help but just have fun!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buddy reading this with my beautiful bestie Taylor (even tho she started a couple days before me hehe) 🩵
i was so ready to give this book 5 stars, until i got to the ending. DONT EVEN TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT ENDING. i wanted more lust and more details about the competition and i wanted the ice dragons to be more involved.
throne of secrets sets the expectation that the main plot would be about adriana (a journalist who's discovered a lead on ice dragons going rogue) and gabriel (prince of gluttony who's trying to stop a war with said ice dragons) teaming together to uncover the truth of why the ice dragons have been attacking.
...that definitely doesn't happen.
instead it's gluttony and his brothers figuring it out and adriana only joins in at around the 70% mark, which honestly is just way way too late. by that point i was skim reading most of the ending.
i loved prince wrath and prince envy's books but prince gluttony's missed the mark. it's sad because the main plot had soooo much potential, but all the side plots made the book super disorientating and all the foreshadowing and "plot twists" had no subtlety.
the side plots that felt like they should've been main plots:
1. gluttony and adriana hate each other thanks to a 10 year misunderstanding and spend their days trying to annoy the other because they're kinda obsessed with each other.
2. gluttony and adriana have secret makeout sessions in a secret club that hides your identity and has them both wondering who their masked/glamoured lover truly is.
3. gluttony hosts a bride contest and adriana's little sister is chosen as a contestant. it almost gives cinderella x bridgerton season 2, and ngl kinda would've loved this as the main plot
the worst part of all the side plot drama is that majority of gluttony's pov focuses on the ice dragons rather than adriana and when he does think of adriana, his thoughts are split across 3 side plots so the intensity just isn't there. I wanted him obsessed with the devious reporter that gets under his skin, but he's so concerned about the ice dragons and the secret lover and the bride contest, that adriana barely gets any time.
all in all, a disappointing read. remind me to never indulge in this one ever again.
“I have hungered for you in ways you cannot comprehend. I’ve craved you. More than my sin. You haunt me.”
I enjoyed and liked Throne of the Fallen, but omg did I love Throne of Secrets! If The Bachelor and Kate and Anthony’s story from Bridgerton met fantasy with dragons, this would be it!
House Gluttony has been hiding a secret that could be devastating for the kingdom, and Adrianna is the one reporter who knows something’s off and wants answers. But Gluttony aka Axton needs to distract this clever, smart, nightmare to his sanity of a woman, the one who has hated him for a decade. The way to do that is to host a match tournament where Adrianna reports all the happenings, a la Whistledown style
“You’re going to be the end of me. And I fúck¡ng welcome my demise.”
Gluttony had me starry-eyed for him! 🤩 I didn’t think he could surpass Envy, but oh he did. I loved the way his house was described in that gluttony isn’t just for eating, but also in anything that can cause a thrill. And in this case, Adrianna is taking over all of his senses.
“I was too busy thinking of how distractingly beautiful you are in that gods-forsaken dress to indulge anyone else’s desires.”
Adrianna had me wanting to embody her! She kept Axton on his toes, never backing down, which made the banter so addicting! I could not get enough of them!
The hidden identity portion of the story had me kicking my feet in the air. There’s this club called Seven Sins, where Adrianna went to find more information on the rumored dragon issue. It is here she encounters a stranger that makes her feel alive. The stranger doesn’t mince his words for wanting her, and my gosh, I WAS MELTING!!
There’s this railing balcony-ish scene that had me 🤯🥵. Trust me, you’ll want to read it. 🤭
This book was pure vibes for me, and I was living for it!
- rivals to lovers - one horse - forced proximity - dragons and adventure - princes of hell - romantasy standalone
Sept 9: THE wAY i GUESSED THE TITLE 🫨 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.5 October 1st: This was an enjoyable read with some great moments, but I found the plot to be quite underwhelming overall. The characters and their chemistry really carried the story, but the plot itself could have used more development. The ending felt rushed and lazy, and not in a surprising or satisfying way. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up liking Gluttony. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book, which I’m sure will be focused on Lust (my favourite)!
Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco is the second installment in the Prince of Sin series, returning us to the rich, decadent world shared with Kingdom of the Wicked. This time, we follow Prince Gluttony—Gabriel Axton—who finds his court under dire threat from something he once cherished. Desperate to protect what remains, he hides the danger while navigating the venom-tipped words of Miss Adriana Saint Lucent, a sharp-tongued reporter determined to uncover every secret he’s buried. But fate, ever mischievous, binds them together under false identities. Their real selves are enemies, but in the shadows, love begins to bloom. What happens when the masks come off... and the truth cuts deeper than desire? ❄️
───♡─────────────
♡ What I adored: • Hidden identities + secret longing = my absolute favorite trope. The tension? Chef’s kiss 🖤 • Adriana’s sass paired with Gluttony’s slow, deliberate charm made for the most delicious banter • The spice was perfectly balanced—intense, but never rushed 🔥 • The pacing was tight, the stakes felt real, and I loved the threads of mystery woven throughout • That final twist?? I gasped
❀ Overall: Another devilishly perfect addition to Kerri’s world. While Kingdom of the Wicked will always be the series that owns my soul, Throne of Secrets still completely swept me off my feet. It gave me everything I crave in a fantasy romance: passion, politics, secrets, and slow-burn love. Kerri Maniscalco just knows how to build worlds that feel like velvet and sin—lush, dangerous, and impossible to leave and as long as she keeps writing about Princes of Sin, I’ll keep falling for every single one of them.
no reason for this to be 500 pages when it didn’t even have a solid plot. I dragged on for so longggggg and i felt like i was reading a bunch of nothing?? if i were to skip a few chapters i think i wouldn’t even lose the plot. in hindsight…this story felt very cinderella-esque with a ball, dark magic and ‘mc who has been mistreated by her stepmother’ type of situation.
the thing is that i knew what i was getting into, this series is more or less just a spicy romantasy with a subpar plot which i was fully ok with but it failed to deliver even on that front!!! i was sorely disappointed that this wasn’t even half as spicy as throne of the fallen…
the romance was simply NOT giving. super abrupt confession. ml just drops the bomb that ‘it has always been u’ without any sort of understanding built between two people who were at odds with each other for TEN YEARS. I wish it involved forced proximity so the leads were forced to constantly interact with each other like i was honestly starving for them to be seen on the same page
I’m a little flummoxed on how to review this book because what in the actual hell was that ending all about?
Reading this completely consumed me for two days and I absolutely loved the characters and most of their story. If you had asked me at 60% into this book how I think I would rate it I would have told you it’ll be a 5 star read 100%. Sadly though? The ending let me down. The last 50 pages felt so rushed and had such little pay off. I found the “villain” reveal in this story really underwhelming and really boring, like be so for real right now, that’s the twist we want to go with??? Really????. This book could have come up with something so much better and it’s so disappointing. I also felt like the last 10-15 pages rushed through parts of Adriana and Gluttony’s relationship and kind of ruined everything it was building towards.
I’m still rating 4 stars because as I said I really did love the majority of this book. I just wish the ending had been better.
dragons, enemies to lovers, amazing banter, so much tension, mystery, morally grey but completely in love book bf, SLOW BURN…this book is perfection 🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡😍😍😍😍