How a Well-Intentioned Program Has Trapped Millions in Debt
Josh Mitchell’s “The Debt Trap” traces the history of the student loan program, and where it went wrong.
This Novel Is a Record of Its Own Failure. Somehow It Succeeds.
“The Luminous Novel,” by Mario Levrero, is a diary of a doomed project, one that leads the reader to surprisingly optimistic conclusions.
Book Review: ‘Something New Under the Sun,’ by Alexandra Kleeman
What constitutes an emergency? That is one of the questions posed by Alexandra Kleeman’s latest novel, “Something New Under the Sun.”
Human and Animal Predators Together in the Scottish Highlands
“Once There Were Wolves,” a new novel by Charlotte McConaghy, features a preternaturally sensitive wolf biologist, her traumatized twin sister, 14 gray wolves and a skeptical rural community.
Adrift in a Ghostly Paris, With a Void in His Soul
In David Hoon Kim’s debut novel, “Paris Is a Party, Paris Is a Ghost,” a grieving expatriate looks for fulfillment in a city of longings and letdowns.
Joyce Carol Oates Explores the Cruel Course of Grief <div id="gtx-trans" style="position: absolute; left: 129px; top: 28px;"> </div>
In “Breathe,” Oates’s new novel, a woman navigates the shock and painful journey of a loved one’s terminal illness.
Four Nuns and a Halfway House for Recovering Addicts
In “Agatha of Little Neon,” Claire Luchette’s winning debut novel, religious life collides with the pungent reality of the secular world.
May the Family Secrets Always Be at Your Back
In “We Are the Brennans,” Tracey Lange tells a yarn about an Irish American clan with a lot to hide.
Book Review: ‘The Husbands,’ by Chandler Baker
In her new novel, “The Husbands,” Chandler Baker turns the Stepford formula upside down.
'Afterparties' Is A Bittersweet Triumph For A Fresh Voice Silenced Too Soon
Anthony Veasna So's posthumously published short story collection offers a smart, compassionate take on the push-pull of growing up first-generation Cambodian American.
Kingdom of the Wicked
UnCovered review by Elizabeth Sausto, ACLS Galloway Branch
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco is unlike anything I
had ever read before. The story is set in 19th century Palermo,
Sicily, where witches live secretly among ordinary humans. One of these
witches- a young woman named Emilia- helps run her family’s restaurant
alongside her twin sister, Vittoria. Then, one night, Emilia finds her twin
brutally murdered. Driven by vengeance, Emilia goes so far as to summon a demon
in order to find her sister’s killer, only to accidentally call upon Wrath, one
the Wicked- princes of Hell she has only heard about in cautionary tales.
Together, these unlikely allies must work together to solve not only Vittoria’s
murder but a series of killings on the island.
The dynamic between the two main characters, Emilia and Wrath, is fascinating yet complicated. Though Emilia knows she shouldn’t trust a demon, let alone one of the Wicked, she can’t help but feel drawn to him, especially after he saves her life. At the same time, Emilia knows that Wrath has his own reasons for allying himself with her. This is not only because Emilia has bound Wrath to her with magic, but because the demon is trying to secure his own freedom from Hell.
Things only become more complicated when Emilia confronts other members of the Wicked, Wrath’s brothers, who each represent the seven deadly sins. They are cunning and cruel, so Emilia knows that Wrath is no different, yet he seems to treat her with a grudging sort of respect that has nothing to do with magic…
On a different note, being of Italian descent and the daughter of a former sous chef, I was very drawn to the Italian words that are used on and off in this novel and also the intoxicating descriptions of food that appear throughout the story. Since Emilia’s family runs a restaurant, Italian dishes are often brought up, and the details of the various meals were enough to make my mouth water. These depictions of Italian cuisine were a nice interlude from the darkness that permeates most of the story.
All and all, Kingdom of the Wicked was a thrilling read. I had never read a mystery before, and this novel was a brilliant first outing for me into the genre. It is the first of a series, so I am anxious to see how Emilia’s quest proceeds in the book’s sequel, which is set to be released later this year.
The Novel That Inspired Harry Styles and Emma Corrin’s Upcoming Film
Published in Britain in 2012 but only being released in the United States for the first time now, “My Policeman,” by Bethan Roberts, depicts a passionate love triangle between a married couple and an older gay man in 1950s Brighton.
Start-Ups Are Not Great for Marriages
New novels by Tahmima Anam and Y.Z. Chin feature South Asian American women facing disadvantages in tech.
A Russian Immigrant To The U.S. Humorously Recounts Her Experience, Love For America
It's a particular pleasure to see our splintered country through the eyes of Margarita Gokun Silver, a determined and appreciative emigree, in 'I Named My Dog Pushkin.'
(Image credit: Thead Books)
In 'Goldenrod,' A Poet Finds Lessons In The Good, The Bad And The Unexpected
Maggie Smith's new poetry collection considers the human tendency to search for universal truths — but she looks for those truths in things we can see every day, as ordinary as rosebushes and rocks.
(Image credit: Atria)
Think Sustainability Is Simple? This Sheep Farmer Would Like a Word.
Can farmers make money without wrecking the land? That’s the complex question James Rebanks tries to answer in his new book, “Pastoral Song.”
Feeling Lost? These 3 Fantasy Novels Will Help You Be The Hero Of Your Own Story
Sometimes books can be a literal escape, not just a figurative one. Our critic Alethea Kontis recommends three fantasy novels that helped her along the way as she escaped an abusive relationship.
(Image credit: St. Martin's Griffin)
Monsters And Magic Run In The Family In These 2 YA Novels
Six Crimson Cranes and The River Has Teeth — two new July YA novels — both focus on monstrous mothers and folkloric family magic. But apart from that, they couldn't be more different.
(Image credit: Knopf Books for Young Readers)
Cults, College Dropouts and the Art of Control in Two New Story Collections
Alix Ohlin’s “We Want What We Want” and Genevieve Plunkett’s “Prepare Her” explore desire and alienation.
Author Helen Hoang Talks Sex, Autism And Freedom
This summer, Code Switch is laser-focused on books that teach us about freedom. Today, we're in conversation with a romance novelist whose own identity helped inform a rich cast of characters.
(Image credit: Eric Kieu)
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