Book Review: Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco
Gabriel Axton is many things, chiefly the deliciously sinful Prince of Gluttony and a shameless, self-proclaimed rake of rakes. His immortal life is one of unadulterated indulgence but when an organised hunt takes a deadly turn, he realises something is very wrong within his demon court. With the clock ticking and his beloved ice dragons a danger to both themselves and his House of Sin, Axton must turn to the one person who can uncover the truth: a journalist he’s spent a decade avoiding, even though she occupies his thoughts on a frustratingly frequent basis.
Adriana Saint Lucent has been hunting for a story to finally bring Gabriel Axton to his knees. She hasn’t forgiven him for breaking her heart and she wants to see him suffer the way she did when he caused a scandal that ruined her chances at a happy ever after. When her search leads her to a revelation that’s too terrifying to be believed, Adriana finds herself reluctantly uniting with the wicked prince against an escalating danger. But with each holding tight to their own secrets, and the lines of hate and love becoming increasingly blurred, they must work together to unravel the truth or risk their mutual demise.
Gentlemen of vice are especially nice, since their filthy tales contain an abundance of spice.“
Returning to Kerri Maniscalco’s Kingdom of the Wicked world is always a debauched delight, yet the author’s spin-off books – which started with last year’s Throne of the Fallen – are a world away from the where the original series began. Gone is the Italian influence and the more tame YA tone of KOTW. What we’re treated to instead are steamy adult standalones with a regency-inspired backdrop that delve more deeply into individual princes’ stories. With Prince Envy as its lead, TOTF was the ideal introduction to this new direction for Maniscalco, offering a solid fantasy plot to make the book feel fresh, thrilling and darkly whimsical. Throne of Secrets might have an equally enigmatic prince at its heart but where TOTF balanced the romance and fantasy to perfection, TOS struggles with its pacing and exposition.
As a book with a central character who’s the embodiment of gluttony, you’d expect the story to be brimming with indulgence, and it truly is. But whilst the steamy romance felt justified and well-earned in TOTF, Throne of Secrets feels a little more gratuitous, leaning more heavily on the Bridgerton season two-esque love story. A little too heavily if you came to this book hoping for a magic-infused plot to rival the cryptic treasure trail game of its predecessor.
If you’re willing to look beyond this book’s slightly weaker plot and rushed relationships, there’s still a lot to enjoy – the biggest draw, of course, being Gabriel Axton. Maniscalco understands her wicked characters so well and she does a stellar job of making each prince of sin individual in not just their motivations but their personalities too. Where Envy was mysterious and guarded, Gluttony is all charm and charisma. He’s also something of a secret romantic, harbouring lustful thoughts about the one person he shouldn’t and revelling in trying to win her over to his dark side. Adriana for her part is just as determined and stubborn as the prince she’s trying to knock off his throne. It makes for a lively push-pull, rivals-to-lovers dynamic that sizzles whenever the two characters are within sight of each other.
It’s a genuine joy to have the princes (minus Pride) working together, rather than fighting against each other, to help Gluttony when he needs it most. There’s also a fun scandal sheet slant that’s part Gossip Girl, part Lady Whistledown, which keeps the book witty and light-hearted. And if you love a story with cute yet bitey baby dragons who can reduce a prince of darkness to the role of doting guardian, then you’ve come to the right place with this book. It’s a shame that the wider plot involving the dragons isn’t built on stronger foundations, but for pure entertainment, delightful banter and a wildly obsessive romance between its central characters, Throne of Secrets is second to none.
★★★★
Throne of Secrets was published by Hodderscape on 14 November 2024
