Book Review: Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco
Written by Safa Alhassan
I've just read my first fantasy book in a long time, Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco. Where do I even begin? It's three words. No, four words actually. I loved loveeeeeeed it! It was an amazing read. Throne of the Fallen is the first book from the Prince of Sin series by Kerri Maniscalco. At first, I thought it was a standalone adult fantasy until I realised there is also Throne of Secrets, which I still haven’t found in any Nigerian bookstore, unfortunately.
So let me give you a little back story about this book. The first time I saw Throne of the Fallen was at a book store; Rovingheights in Abuja. I can't lie o, i was a little skeptical, considering the genre and how massive the book was. I wasn't sure if I'll enjoy it. All I wanted to do was grab Dream Count by Chimamanda Adichie, which is a very safe genre and an author I am familiar with. Then I just thought to myself that you know what, let's take that leap and just do something out of our comfort zone. I went to booktok and also checked Goodreads for what the girls are saying about the book and i said "errrrm okay, interesting!" I've read books in a lot of genres but these past year I find myself drawn to contemporary African fiction which you'll probably notice from some of the books I've reviewed in the past. I feel like it's been so because my book club is sort of based primarily on stories of female African authors especially stories that uplift women and tell tales that people are somewhat afraid to admit. Anyway, I picked up this adult fantasy and a bunch of others as well and I've not smiled this widely and genuinely about a book in a very long time. It was so enjoyable and freeing that I let my guards down. I felt like I didn't need to analyze or fight off some ugly narcissistic male which unfortunately is what most African literature thrives on. Do you not agree with me? It's the sad reality for a lot of African women. Well as much as this is a happy review, let's just pretend, agree to disagree and move on.
Do you know this song, Ordinary by Alex Wareen? This book, Throne of the Fallen is everything that song is talking about.
The MMC (male main character), Prince Envy, the demon Prince of Sin was my favorite. The banter, the spice, the slow burn, the "touch her and you'll die," the possessiveness, jealousy; everything was spot on. It’s like a twisted fairy tale, but this time, she didn’t want Prince Charming. She wanted the Devil. And she got him.
The FMC (female main character), Camilla, an artist, wasn't exactly the infamous midnight runner, Cinderella princess in distress. Well, maybe to a very small extent, but she was fierce, expressive, and knew what she wanted. The book is like a fusion of Bridgerton, Twilight, and Van Helsing. I really don’t want to give much away, but it’s about Prince Envy, who rules over the sin of envy and loses half his court. To get it back, he must participate in a dangerous game orchestrated by Lennox, the Faerie King. His fate becomes tied to Camilla, and from there, chaos, chemistry, and conflict ensue.
Envy was everything, and I enjoyed reading his dialogues. When he said, “You’re mine,” I screamed. He said that a lot, actually. Or when he said "I want only you" and meant every word. He’s just that manly man who would do everything and anything for his princess and would literally breathe down her neck while keeping an eye out for any intruder, mortal or immortal, who so much as thinks a foul thought about his princess. Did I say “touch her and die”? Yes, touch her and die.
Since he’s the prince ruling over envy, his sin is fed by every ounce of enviousness and jealousy. He could also read minds and expressions, and it was so beautiful how he read Camilla so well. Even when he didn’t need to hear her thoughts, he could still tell what she was feeling. That level of intuitive connection was just powerful. It reminded me of someone. The book ended in the best way possible. I loved it. I felt like I was on a journey, and then it just ended abruptly. I wished it could linger for longer. The characters felt so real, like I was living with them, experiencing every emotion. When I finally finished reading the book yesterday night at about 1am or so, I had to sit with my thoughts for a while. I immediately started missing the characters and I knew I had just fallen in that category of people that wish they could experience a book for the first time again.
I think the themes that have stayed with me long after finishing the book are power, possession, and intense love. The book showed how power can be both alluring and dangerous in relationships. Envy’s brand of love is intoxicating. That fierce, protective, “I’ll burn the world for you” kind of devotion gives butterflies and goosebumps. His possessive nature, while romantic in a fantasy context, made me reflect on how that kind of intensity might play out in real life. Would we truly want someone so consumed by love that they’d kill for us or would we call that toxic? It’s a fine line between protection and control. However, intense love feels like fireworks that just sweeps you off your feet and just keeps drowning you in passion. I mean, we all have that desire to be deeply seen, valued, and chosen, don't we? It's very emotional and it makes your heart race. Envy isn't even mortal. He's more or less the god of jealousy so just picture how intense his feelings were. He would cross worlds for you. He literally had to sometimes (very very few moments) keep himself away from ripping out the hearts of some nitwits that were causing troubles for Camilla only because he needed to appear civil and make more strategic moves that wouldn't put her in harms way. But talking about real life situation now, that intensity can overtime lead to a burnout if the people involved are not emotionally secured and have healthy communication. On the other hand the other subdued kind of love is a little boring. What do you call it? Balanced love? Am I laughing right now? Lol... Of course it is boringgggggg. Balanced love is very quiet, safe and often steady. It doesn't scream "you're mine."
That said, Envy’s protective nature was what captivated me the most. His intense love never for once crossed into emotional harm. Everything was about her. Even when he had a good reason to doubt her, he still gave up everything he had and i mean everything, just to ensure she is safe. He took out everything and anything that tainted her peace. His immortal strength, charisma, confidence and that godly arrogance cannot be contended and his sin cannot be contained but he was the softest, most gentle, vulnerable and most playful with her. He, a ruthless demon that doesn't spare his prey didn’t even see himself loving Camilla. He's been hurt in the past and that hurt was what cost him his court but regardless he broke his rules for Camilla and fought for her life. But let me ask you a question: is intense love better than a more subdued, balanced relationship? What do you think?
The book is about 561 pages or so, and I read it in just 5 days. I would have finished earlier, but i had other things going on. I practically devoured it every chance I got. Most times, I had a cup of tea beside me, and it was memorable. Am I smiling thinking about this book? God, yes! Whatever Kerri Maniscalco put in this book, the magic has worked on me.
Also, I need to mention that it reminded me of being a child again, ransacking the school library for every Enid Blyton book. My imagination sprang wild, and it excited me. This is my first adult fantasy, and I absolutely love it. I have nothing to compare it with yet since i haven't read any before this, but I think this is an impressive start and now I’m very eager to read more. It awakened my inner child, and I found myself escaping from boring reality just to read.
I’ll recommend Throne of the Fallen to everyone who wants to read a good book. It’s not complicated, it's just long. You’ll need commitment. But it's worth it and I'm jealous that you get to read it for the first time. I got the beautiful black hardback copy of the book, and it looks great on my ever growing library shelf.
Brilliant 👍
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