Kingdom of the Wicked

This book contains subtle feminist themes, expressed through its portrayal of witchcraft. In the novel, witches are matrilineal and inherit their abilities from their mothers. This represents the real-world association of witchcraft with women: Throughout history, women have disproportionately been persecuted for practicing “witchcraft,” a term that was often used to condemn women who did not fit into social expectations. In this work, witchcraft is implemented symbolically as an indication of women’s agency, even within patriarchal structures. The alignment of food preparation and magic, as Nonna uses fennel to cast a protection spell on Emilia, reframes domestic work, stereotypically the responsibility of women, as something with inherent value and power. The fear of being condemned by the Catholic church or ostracized by society draws on real-world dangers women historically faced. In this book, Maniscalco incorporates feminist themes into the practice of magic to establish a protagonist who is not bound by the sexist traditions of the late 19th century.

Emilia must leverage the agency her magic grants her to attain what she wants in the face of danger. As a young woman living in 19th-century Sicily, Emilia is at a disadvantaged social position compared to her male counterparts. She uses her magic to account for some of this disparity, such as when she uses containment spells to hold Wrath in the summoning circle. In manipulating the world around her, and especially in exercising resistance to male characters, Emilia illustrates how this greater agency offers her more opportunity for self-expression. At the end of the book, as she leaves to confront the demons, she expresses greater confidence and is “completely through with feeling sad” (341). This coincides with her rapidly increasing magical abilities: She casts spells of greater power than she has ever expressed before, uniting her identities as a witch and a woman. Magic enables Emilia to create her own plan in life, which is representative of the feminist idea that every person should be free to live their life as they choose.

Conversely to Emilia’s expression of agency, the violence against young women in this work represents the dangers women of the late 19th century faced. Because women are a marginalized group in society, they are at greater risk of being assaulted. When each witch agrees to the marriage bargain with Pride, they are killed to prevent the curse from being broken. Women are the key to ending the curse, indicating their inherent power, yet men like Antonio and Envy kill these powerful women to protect their own interests and maintain their own power. The brutal nature of the murders further highlights the power disparity between men and women. As Emilia investigates the murders, she makes herself more vulnerable to attack by attempting to challenge the existing power structure. Emilia’s increased powers equip her to confront these dangerous men, but the witches who were murdered were also talented and experienced. This illustrates that even with greater agency, danger exists for those who do not live according to the expectations of others.