Throne of Nightmares by KERRI MANISCALCO is a new action-packed standalone romantasy.

Set in the same fantasy world as Maniscalco’s best-selling ‘Prince of Sin’ series, the story follows Prince Sloth and his partner Lore searching or the deadly Book of Nightmares: a book filled with dangerous magic.

Read on for a Q&A with Kerry.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Prince Sloth hates leaving his enchanted library, but when a forgotten deity threatens the very fabric of the Underworld, he’s thrust into a race against time. He must find the Book of Nightmares – an ancient artifact that has the power to break worlds – before it unleashes a deadly game to free its master, the Goddess of Night. When a betrayal leaves him marked, and desperate, his path collides with a young woman who possesses the legendary Phoenix Tear – a portal stone unlike any other.

Lore Brimstone has always loved getting lost in a book – but she never meant literally. Yet, after visiting a traveling caravan, she quickly finds herself transported to a terrifying but oddly familiar world – with a calculating prince at her side. Realizing they are living out her favourite novels one by one, they face off against an increasingly dark magic as they try to survive the story.

As Lore and Sloth navigate the pages of her beloved novels gone wrong, she must channel her inner main character to defeat the Book of Nightmares before the wall between the gods and mortals comes crashing down, dooming them all.

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MEET KERRI MANISCALCO

What inspired you to write Throne of Nightmares?

I wanted this novel to feel like nostalgia in a way – whether readers are familiar with movie classics like The Neverending Story, or The Goonies, or The Mummy, or Indiana Jones, or even Night at the Museum, I loved the idea of striking that balancing of fantasy-adventure-romance for Prince Sloth. Since he’s known for his enchanted library, I wanted it to include stories within stories, and get our bookwork out and about on his very own adventure.

Did you draw on any myths, folklore or literary inspirations to help craft the world in your story?

I always do historical research for background inspiration, Greek Gods, Roman Gods/Goddesses – but not any one thing. I like references for starting points, then I let my muse run wild.

What can you tell us about the Book of Nightmares and its significance?

It’s an ancient artifact that’s imbued with dark magic and if it’s placed in the wrong hands, no realm in the Seven Circles universe is safe.

Which parts of writing Throne of Nightmares were the most rewarding for you?

Lore Brimstone – our FMC – is by far one of my favourite leads. She’s a librarian from a small-town, she’s OBSESSED will all things fiction, and it was an absolute joy to craft her character and see how her dynamic unfolds along with the more serious Sloth.

How did you approach writing the ‘story within a story’ structure, where Lore lives out her favourite novels?

I came up with a few stories and plots that I imagined would be fun to visit, and that would also fun for the plots to go wrong. I tried to vary the genres so book lovers could experience their own favourite tall tales. Any time I can make my characters’ lives more difficult , or create added tension is an opportunity I can’t pass up.

What’s your favourite romance trope?

I love rivals to lovers so much. There’s just so much room for crafting tension and that’s my very favorite aspect to any romance novel – the tension that builds and builds until you’re screaming for it to snap already.

What do you hope readers take away from this story?

I hope they see a little bit of themselves reflected in Lore – she’s the reader who comments on my social media, begging for a teaser, the hopeless romantic who kicks her feet at every declaration of love, the one who’s cheering for the villain to get the girl, and who can’t wait to discuss THAT chapter with her best friends. I’d like to think there’s a little Lore Brimstone is all of us, and I hope readers enjoy her journey.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kerri Maniscalco is the #1 New York Times and international bestselling author of the ‘Stalking Jack the Ripper‘ series, the ‘Kingdom of the Wicked‘ series, and her adult fantasy romance ‘Prince of Sin‘ series. Her upcoming book is the new standalone romantasy Throne of Nightmares.

Kerri grew up in a semi-haunted house outside NYC, where her fascination with dark, atmospheric settings began. To date her books have been translated into more than twenty languages and have been viewed on TikTok a few hundred million times.

Visit Kerri Maniscalco’s website