Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco is a stand-alone novel set in the same world as Kingdom of the Wicked. This time, we follow Prince of Envy as he is forced to participate in a game devised by the Unseelie Fae King in order to save his court. It takes place a few months after the original trilogy’s conclusion. However, he is not alone. Envy must enlist the help of Camilla, a gallery owner in the mortal realm. And failure to win the game could ruin both of them in different ways.
Synopsis
Sinner. Villain. Wicked.
The Prince of Envy has never claimed to be a saint. But when a cryptic note arrives, signaling the beginning of a deadly game, he knows it will take more than a hint of sin to win and save his falling demon court. Riddles, hexed objects, anonymous players, nothing will stand in his way, though none of his meticulous plans prepare him for her, the frustrating artist who ignites his sin like no other…
Virtuous. Darling. Liar.
The trouble with scoundrels and blackguards is that they haven’t a modicum of honor, a fact Miss Camilla Antonius learns after one desperate mistake allows Waverly Green’s most notorious rake to blackmail her. To avoid a ruinous scandal, Camilla is forced to enter a devil’s bargain with Envy, little expecting his game will awaken her true nature . . .
Together, Envy and Camilla must embark on a perilous journey through the Underworld—from glittering demon courts to the sultry vampire realm and beyond—while trying to avoid the most dangerous trap of all: falling in love.
Book Details
- Published: October 3, 2023
- Page Count: 627 pages
- Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Thoughts on Throne of the Fallen
Unlike the initial trilogy, which was told only from Emilia’s point of view, this book alternates between Camilla and Envy. It also contains more explicit content than the original series, with the two main characters tormenting each other for a long time before succumbing to their attraction. However, each has secrets they don’t want to divulge to the other, which causes frustration and curiosity in the other. With their mutual love of gaming, art, and jealousy, they are a perfect match.
I won’t go into specifics over how the games play out throughout the book, but it follows these rules:
- No magic can be used to influence nonplayers that directly relate to the clues.
- Each clue will lead to the next one, usually in the form of a riddle or an anagram or object they must obtain.
- Each player get 3 chances to move to the next clue, failure after the third means you are disqualified.
This is how Envy meets Camilla. One of his clues prompted him to enlist her help in painting a cursed object. Of course, the moment she does, she is drawn into the game, so helping him win benefits her as well. Not to mention that Envy is lead to believe that he requires her assistance with each of the following clues because he is urged to bring her along. So, for better or worse, the two must work together to win the game in order to recover the magic they have lost.
While we know Envy is keeping secrets from Camilla, we also know what those secrets are throughout the book. Camilla’s secrets, on the other hand, are merely hinted at. You can pick up on them, but they aren’t mentioned explicitly until the end of the novel. So, it was a guessing game to figure out what they were. She kept them hidden even from herself as they traveled from the mortal realm to the Seven Circles to Malice Isle to the Wild Court. That’s what made this such an interesting read. We were guessing along with Envy. Though I guessed the answers to her secrets several times as I read, but ended up dismissing them alongside Envy as not being correct. So, when the truth was revealed, it was both a surprise and not. Which I thought was a great execution of how those secrets were handled.
Especially since, while Envy and Camilla were playing the Unseelie King’s game, another game was taking place at the same time. One that was masterfully created in the background so that it didn’t come as a shock when it happened. Also, the clues that the two had to solve, while easy, never played out smoothly, so there was always the right kind of tension as they sought to beat the game.
Overall, I had a great time reading this book. I enjoyed the relationship between Envy and Camilla, especially the sexual tension of the jealousy scenes and the teasing games they played. Because Envy has a one-night-only rule, while they shared several moments together, they weren’t really together until towards the end of the book. However, if you’re looking for a slow burn, this isn’t it. The two had instant lust, although they don’t fully act on it right away. But it was still there. And the two were jealous of any attention the other got from the start.
I found Throne of the Fallen flowed much better than the original trilogy. In part due to the complexity of the main characters. I never found them tiresome, or got annoyed with them for keeping secrets. It made sense why they did even if it stroked arguments being the two. Also, I loved the banter between the brothers. While there was some of that in the first trilogy, there wasn’t much done in front of Emilia. Whereas Envy’s point of view allowed us to see more of it. Including the fact that they were constantly betting with each other and were in regular communication. Here I thought they weren’t that close. But that’s not true at all.
Not to mention that in the original trilogy, the first novel seemed vastly different from the subsequent two. This one was on par with the final book of the original trilogy, but aimed at adults rather than young adults/teens.
I’m looking forward to the next standalone novel, which will be about Pride. Will he end up with his consort, Lucia? Or will he end up with the Death Goddess? On this one, I’m siding with Envy; Pride will end up with Lucia. He’s gone too far in his search for her to wind up with the Goddess of Death. Plus, Vittoria is involved with the werewolves. Though hopefully we’ll have some closure on that chapter.
So, with all that being said I would give Throne of the Fallen a 4.5 star rating.
Love ya,
Mae Polzine
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