Challenge Corner discussion

From the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series comes a new blockbuster series…

Two sisters.

One brutal murder.

A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself…

And an intoxicating romance.

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe – witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden.

Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked-princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems…

So I think my fairyloot box, which should have this book, got delayed. Not sure if I'm going to get it this month. Do mind moving this BR to next month? If not, it's okay. I'm just now sure when I'm going to get the book or box.

I'm more than okay to push back to november ^^ I'm behind on a few brs..

Kelly wrote: "I'm more than okay to push back to november ^^ I'm behind on a few brs.."

Want to do November 14th?

Alaina wrote: "Kelly wrote: "I'm more than okay to push back to november ^^ I'm behind on a few brs.."

Want to do November 14th?"

Sure

Starting today!

I think I will dive into physical books this weekend. I just have to do one errand at Target, which seems dangerous, but after that I should be good and I can read :)

Ch 13 -(view spoiler)[I don't think I'm going to be into the romance in this book. (hide spoiler)]
Ch 22- (view spoiler)[I was anticipating a sister bond but the twin died almost instantly and we didn't get the time to connect with her. (hide spoiler)]
Ch 31- (view spoiler)[I don't like the FMC. She's annoying me sometimes. (hide spoiler)]
Finished - (view spoiler)[So, it wasn't horrible but it wasn't great either. I might have to stay clear from this author since I didn't like her other book Stalking Jack the Ripper either. The whole "Pride/Envy/Death/Wrath" thing felt a bit forced and unnatural like it was there only to try to make the story more interesting but failed. Some of the things made me cringe and roll my eyes. And I didn't get the "intoxicating romance" the synopsis promised. The reveal about Antonio was also predictable... (hide spoiler)]

Going to start this sometime around Thanksgiving. Not sure when but I do have it with me!

Oh man 2 stars?

Yeaah... I didn't like it. But if you liked her other books maybe you'll like this one?

The book cover looks really pretty though 😂

It’s purple 🥺

Alaina wrote: "The book cover looks really pretty though 😂"

Ahah I wouldn't say a skull and a snake coming out of its eye socket is pretty but it's alright :P

Alaina wrote: "It’s purple 🥺"

Do you have a special edition? All I see is brown on Goodreads ^^

Kelly wrote: "Alaina wrote: "It’s purple 🥺"

Do you have a special edition? All I see is brown on Goodreads ^^"

I got fairyloots edition! It has black sprayed edges as well

Ooh nice! I hope you'll like the book then

Yeah I’m hoping since the cover is gorgeous. It’s gonna suck if it doesn’t

So I read the prologue lol but then it got busy at work.

Ch 6: (view spoiler)[Honestly, I'm not surprised that her sister is dead. Ever since they were 8 it seemed like she was really invested in the demons. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 17: (view spoiler)[So no one has told them about stranger danger right? OR trusting your gut? Nah, not seeing that since she's just following her damn charm to some sketchy ass door. Honestly surprised that she's still alive lol. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 28: (view spoiler)[Wait did he just say the real messenger? Like from his brother? So confused. Unless that guy was his messenger.. ugh, so many people are involved and I just want to know who is behind all the murders. Right now, I'm thinking it's the brotherhood.. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 42: (view spoiler)[Okay, first off.. her grandma is a complete bad ass. I love her. Also does the tattoo basically mean that Wrath can't give her soul away? Or am I just overthinking things.. (hide spoiler)]

I barely remember this book already so I wont really be able to answer you ahah

Finished: (view spoiler)[Ugh, did she somehow magically change pride to wrath before signing in blood? Anyone? Anyone? I just got a whole book full of their tension and betrayal.. and I get pride in the end? I feel betrayed by this book. (hide spoiler)]

Kelly wrote: "I barely remember this book already so I wont really be able to answer you ahah"

lol it's all good

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RESTARTING NOVEMBER 1ST, 2021

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I'm absolutely loving this book!

32%

(view spoiler)[I wonder what their family stole from the devil? And I wonder why their charms will no longer work one day? And why do they need a protection ritual once a year?

A blood debt?

They were witches that were descended from a goddess? And there were thirteen witch families but they kept to themselves because it was too dangerous to meet even though they used to have a coven?

I wonder if the one that killed Vittoria was a demon prince? Emilia said that the aura was black with gold dust mixed in. And that was not the aura of a human, apparently. Or at least, not one that she had ever seen. The figure noticed the necklace that she wore too, so something's up. It also occurs to me that maybe the figure that she had seen standing over her sister and licking her blood hadn't even killed her? Perhaps it was someone or something else and the figure happened upon her and couldn't resist taking some blood? For whatever reason a supernatural being would need or want to ingest blood. Or maybe it was because she was a witch descended from a goddess and her blood is special?

I wonder why Vittoria's heart was missing? And I keep wondering if maybe Vittoria had been seduced by a demon prince or had been secretly meeting with one? Or someone. Perhaps when she took off the necklace as a child it allowed the demon princes to affect or find her? Whatever the case, I think that she was definitely keeping secrets before she died. I mean, Emilia kept the secret about being able to see the auras of people. Did Vittoria have a similiar skill or perhaps a different one? And why was she wearing that white dress when she had been killed? That screams all kinds of red flags to me. Being killed in a white dress like a sacrificial virgin or even the fact that she was wearing a white dress in a holy house when she had been killed like a bride? I have so many thoughts and none of them are probably what's the truth. And her necklace was missing too which was odd since they never removed them.

So Vittoria had been using dark arts? And was hiding things. So she was summoning demons? And the spell on her diary wasn't of this realm?

Something tells me that using her own blood for the demon summoning is a bad idea.

So the protection portion of her summoning thing is forever?

So did Vittoria summon Pride or the actual devil? And did she really intend on marrying the devil? If so, why? Wrath said that Pride had to get married to a witch to break a curse on him. So only Wrath and Pride know which girls they are asking to marry him. But someone else is killing them before they can agree or not so does that mean that the one who is killing the witches is someone that doesn't want Pride's curse broken?

What the hell is a shodow witch? Okay, the encounter with Envy was strange. He offered her to join his house and when she declined he all but said that she should choose a house to align with or someone else would make the choice for her and implied that his brothers would hunt her down. He said she was a shadow witch so that must really be something special if all the princes are going to hunt her down.

Claudia said that no one knows what the curse really is. If it was placed on the devil or if it was placed on witches. It could be the price that La Prima paid for the vengeance spell she cast on the devil for stealing her first born's soul. And from that time he was trapped in hell and couldn't move through realms but his brothers could. So it sounds like Pride is the actual devil. And she made it sound like the curse also included a component to make the witched forget about what it is. And supposedly, the Wicked are looking for La Prima's missing spell book and Emilia thinks that maybe her sister had found it and the pages that she found for summoning the demon were part of it. (hide spoiler)]

Alaina wrote: "Ch 6: [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I felt the same thing. Like she was overly interested in demons and almost romanticized them. Obsessed maybe? She was clearly dealing with some heavy things when it came to demons and hiding it from her family. I mean, she was practicing dark arts and summoning demons and planned to marry the devil. She was clearly not who they thought she was. (hide spoiler)]

Starting this now!

Prologue: (view spoiler)[Ahhhhhhh! The beginning always sucks me in. I'm so excited to jump back into this one! (hide spoiler)]

♛Vanessa♛ wrote: "I'm absolutely loving this book!

32%..."

Wow. Long ass comment BUT you made so many good points! Definitely seeing this re-read a bit differently.

♛Vanessa♛ wrote: "Alaina wrote: "Ch 6: [spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

Yes, that is allll true and I still feel the same about her this time around.

Ch 1-10: (view spoiler)[Ugh, back in this lovely Sicilian life. I'm honestly still not surprised with what happened to her sister but her going down the same path to figure out who killed her.. eh, I feel like things aren't going to match with what she was taught all her life. Or maybe they will be. Either way, I'm digging this re-read! (hide spoiler)]

Ch 11-20: (view spoiler)[hahaha I still die over their first meeting. I also think them working together will shed some light on some of the things lurking in the dark. I just want answers. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 21-30: (view spoiler)[I have so many questions and suspicions right now. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 31-40: (view spoiler)[BUT WILL HE DO THIS?!?! (hide spoiler)]

Ch 41-Finish: (view spoiler)[I am completely freaking out right now. Oh man. It was a good decision to jump into this before the sequel. Heck. A great decision really. I'm so excited. (hide spoiler)]

Whoo I'm reading this now!

Alaina wrote: "Ch 1-10: [spoilers removed]"

Yeah, probably not a great idea to follow exactly what her sister did

Ch 1-10 (view spoiler)[ It's sad that her sister died and I'm worried that Emilia will go too dark in her vengeance. It makes sense that Wrath would be the one to come since that's her main emotion right now. (hide spoiler)]

Aly wrote: "Alaina wrote: "Ch 1-10: [spoilers removed]"

Yeah, probably not a great idea to follow exactly what her sister did"

Rookie mistake!

Aly wrote: "Ch 1-10 [spoilers removed]"

Wow. I didn't even think about her emotion!

50%

(view spoiler)[Well Emilia is just meeting all the princes of hell, isn't she? She found the gambling token in her sister's hiding spot and then was able to locate the illegal gambling den of Greed. I was amused that she was able to trick an extra question out of him by watching how she phrased her questions.

Did Vittoria find the lost spellbook buried somewhere? Could she really hear magical objects?

So the Horn of Hades is a key that locks the gates of hell. But it is really the devil's horns that he cut off himself. And the necklaces that they have been wearing their whole lives are the horns. I really think that there is a lot their grandmother has been keeping from them.

Her grandmother said that they are star witches. Which I came to understand that it is the same as shadow witches, which is what demons call them. And star witches used to keep hell creatures from the human world. I don't know, it was kind of confusing. And then her grandmother was attacked by an invisible demon, or at least I think that's what happened. And the demon had stolen her amulet.

Well, I don't know if going into that hell creature's lair was the best idea.

So Wrath saved her even though he said that he wouldn't. And she got her sister's amulet back, so there's that.

Wrath told her that shadow witches were witches that had more demon blood. That one of her ancestors had slept with a demon. And probably not that distant of a relative since Envy could tell she was as shadow witch by looking at her. She said that her family line was goddess blessed and not daughters of darkness. That her grandmother said they were guardians between realms. I wonder what the truth actually is though. (hide spoiler)]

Alaina wrote: "Ch 1-10: [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yeah, her sister really seemed fascinated by demons instead of afraid of them like their grandmother had tried to instill in them. I wasn't surprised that Vittoria had gone down a path with demons and ended up dead. (hide spoiler)]

Alaina wrote: "Ch 11-20: [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Haha, I know. I love their banter. And I am dying for answers over here. My head is filled with all this information but enough is missing to confuse the heck out of me. (hide spoiler)]

Alaina wrote: "Ch 21-30: [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[This is me right now too. (hide spoiler)]

Aly wrote: "Ch 1-10 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yeah, vengeance is definitely her path right now which is so off for her character since she was always the more controlled sister. But I guess that grief can do that to a person. And I was curious why Wrath was the demon that was summoned. I mean, she didn't specify if to be him so why was he the one that showed up? (hide spoiler)]

Alaina wrote: "Ch 11-20: [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ It was great seeing Wrath so baffled by Emilia. He's like "wow you're so naïve that I'm a bit scared" lol. She was just so pissed off. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 11-20 (view spoiler)[ I like seeing some of Wrath's brothers and the qualities they have as the seven deadly sins. I wonder if Greed killed her sister to get the amulet? I don't trust any of them and I think she should take Wrath up on the protection bond. (hide spoiler)]