There exist certain stories, dear reader, that seize hold of one’s imagination and refuse to let go—tales woven of shadow and starlight, of witches who dare and demons who beguile. Kerri Maniscalco’s Kingdom of the Wicked is precisely such a tale, and if you have turned its final page with a heart both satisfied and hungry for more, you have come to the right place.
What follows is a most carefully curated collection of books that capture that same delicious darkness—stories where magic crackles in the air, where enemies become something far more complicated, and where love blooms in the most unlikely and perilous of circumstances.
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
In the shadowy lanes of a city that recalls the witch trials of old, a most peculiar marriage takes place. Lou le Blanc is a witch who has forsaken her magic to survive in a world that would see her burn. Reid Diggory is a witch hunter sworn to destroy her kind. When circumstances force these two into an impossible union, neither can foresee how thoroughly their carefully constructed walls will crumble.
This is enemies-to-lovers at its most exquisite, dear reader. Like Emilia and Wrath, Lou and Reid are bound by circumstance yet separated by everything they believe. The tension between them fairly crackles off the page, and the French-inspired setting drips with gothic atmosphere.
A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair
In the glittering city of New Athens, where ancient gods walk among mortals, Persephone—Goddess of Spring—finds herself at a card table opposite the most dangerous being in existence. Hades, Lord of the Underworld, offers her a wager she cannot refuse, and thus begins a bargain that will change everything she thought she knew about herself.
Much like Emilia striking her deal with the Prince of Wrath, Persephone discovers that making bargains with dark and powerful beings leads one down paths both treacherous and intoxicating. This modern retelling of the beloved myth burns with passion and consequence.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Jude Duarte was a mere child when she was stolen away to the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Now, ten years hence, she wants nothing more than to belong in this world of immortal cruelty—even if the wickedest prince in all the realm seems determined to make her life unbearable.
Prince Cardan is everything a villain should be: beautiful, terrible, and utterly compelling. The dance between him and Jude—each scheming, each refusing to yield—will remind readers why they fell for the dangerous romance in Maniscalco’s world. This is a tale for those who like their love interests with sharp edges and sharper tongues.
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
In a realm ruled by vampires, one human woman has survived against impossible odds. Oraya, adopted daughter of the Nightborn king, enters a deadly tournament to prove herself at last. But survival requires alliances, and hers comes in the form of Raihn—a ruthless competitor who is everything she should despise.
Described as “The Hunger Games meets vampires,” this tale delivers the same breathless tension and slow-burning romance that makes Kingdom of the Wicked so irresistible. The tournament setting provides constant peril, while the forbidden attraction between Oraya and Raihn proves utterly impossible to resist.
Gild by Raven Kennedy
King Midas possesses the fabled golden touch, and Auren is his most precious treasure—a woman turned to gold and kept in a gilded cage. She has told herself this is love, this is safety. But when she is taken from her king, Auren begins to discover that freedom wears a different face than she ever imagined.
This dark reimagining of the Midas myth is not for the faint of heart—it is lush, atmospheric, and unflinching in its examination of what it means to be truly seen. Fans who loved the power dynamics and slow revelations in Maniscalco’s series will find much to savour here.
Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan
A girl who speaks to gods. A prince hiding a monstrous secret. A boy made of darkness and blood magic. In a world torn by holy war, these three unlikely souls must forge an alliance to end the bloodshed—even if it means betraying everything they hold sacred.
Emily A. Duncan’s prose is sharp as the razor blades her blood mages carry, and her Slavic-inspired world drips with frost and danger. The moral complexity here rivals anything in Kingdom of the Wicked, and the romance—oh, the romance is devastatingly good.
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Poppy has been raised as the Maiden—untouchable, unseen, destined for a sacred Ascension. Her life has never been her own. But when a guard with golden eyes and a wicked tongue enters her world, everything Poppy thought she knew begins to unravel.
This is fantasy romance at its most addictive. The slow-burn tension between Poppy and Hawke will have readers turning pages late into the night, and the world-building reveals itself in layers that consistently surprise and delight.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
In the enchanting lanes of Prague, a blue-haired art student named Karou lives two lives. By day, she sketches monsters. By night, she runs mysterious errands for the creature who raised her—collecting teeth of every kind. When a beautiful and haunted stranger appears, Karou is drawn into a war between angels and demons that will reveal truths about herself she never imagined.
Laini Taylor’s prose is nothing short of magical—lyrical, surprising, and utterly transporting. This is a tale of forbidden love between sworn enemies, of secrets and sacrifice, and of discovering one’s true nature against impossible odds.
These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan
When Brie’s sister is sold to the cruel King of the Unseelie Court, Brie will do anything to save her—including making a bargain with the king himself. But her mission requires infiltrating the Seelie Court by posing as a potential bride, and both courts harbour princes whose seductive charm threatens to undo her completely.
For readers who adored the bargains and betrayals of Kingdom of the Wicked, this fae-filled fantasy delivers deliciously. The rival courts, the dangerous princes, the impossible choices—it is all here, wrapped in beautiful prose and genuine peril.
The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw
Two centuries past, three sisters were drowned for witchcraft in the cursed town of Sparrow. Now, each summer, they return—possessing the bodies of local young women to exact their revenge, luring boys to watery graves. Into this town of dark secrets comes a stranger, and Penny Talbot finds herself desperate to protect him from a curse that has claimed so many.
Atmospheric and haunting, this is gothic fantasy at its finest. The sisters’ story echoes the bond between Emilia and Vittoria, and the romance that blooms amid danger and ancient magic will enchant readers who appreciate love that defies even death.
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
Signa Farrow has always been followed by Death—quite literally. Every guardian who has taken her in has met an untimely end, and now she resides at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy. When the family matriarch’s ghost appears claiming she was murdered, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer.
This gothic mystery romance offers the perfect blend of dark intrigue and swoony tension. Death as a love interest is handled with surprising tenderness, and the Victorian-esque setting provides the atmospheric richness that Kingdom of the Wicked readers crave.
Twin Crowns by Katherine Webber and Catherine Doyle
Two sisters. Two kingdoms. One throne. Wren has been raised to steal her twin sister’s crown and restore magic to a realm that has long feared it. But infiltrating the palace proves more complicated than she ever imagined—especially when a certain palace guard begins to see through her disguise.
For readers who cherished the sisterly bond at the heart of Maniscalco’s series, Twin Crowns delivers that same emotional core wrapped in political intrigue and delightful romance. The dual perspectives keep the tension high throughout.
Witches of Ash and Ruin by E. Latimer
In a small Irish town, a coven of witches must band together when a serial killer begins targeting their kind. But the investigation draws Dayna deeper into a world of ancient magic and impossible choices—and into the orbit of a fellow witch whose presence unsettles her in ways she cannot explain.
Dark, atmospheric, and steeped in Irish mythology, this tale delivers the witchy vibes readers adored in Kingdom of the Wicked. The mystery element adds delicious tension, and the romance is both unexpected and deeply satisfying.
The Witch Collector by Charissa Weaks
Every harvest, a collector comes to claim a witch for the Frost King. Raina has spent years plotting revenge against this custom that stole her mother. But when the collector finally comes for her, she discovers that Alexus is not at all what she expected—and their forced alliance may be the only hope for saving her people.
Enemies-to-lovers with all the reluctant proximity one could wish for, this tale features a mute protagonist whose strength lies not in her voice but in her unbreakable will. The slow-burn romance will satisfy those who appreciated the tension between Emilia and Wrath.
Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
In a palace ruled by a cruel demon king, Lei is stolen from her home to become one of his Paper Girls—concubines selected for their beauty. But within the palace walls, she finds both danger and unexpected love with a fellow Paper Girl, and together they begin to dream of rebellion.
This tale of resistance and forbidden love in a demon-ruled kingdom offers a different perspective on the demon romance readers love. It is fierce, emotional, and ultimately hopeful—a story about finding light in the darkest of places.
Which Book Should You Read First?
If you hunger most for that delicious enemies-to-lovers tension, reach for Serpent & Dove or The Cruel Prince. If mythology retellings set your heart aflutter, A Touch of Darkness or Gild shall serve you well. For those who cannot resist a dark and deadly competition, The Serpent and the Wings of Night awaits.
But truly, dear reader, you cannot go wrong with any tale upon this list. Each offers its own particular magic, its own brand of darkness and romance intertwined. And is that not what we seek when we close one beloved book and reach for the next?
Happy reading, and may your shelves overflow with stories worth staying up far too late for.
