This is my favorite read so far this year, even bumping House of Sky and Breath off the top! This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede is a high fantasy about a girl chosen by the goddess and tasked with saving her home. I absolutely loved the world-building, the desperation of impending doom that haunts every page, and the flickers of hope that flash when we need it.

Alessa was chosen by the goddess when she was 14. She is one of the strongest Finestra the island has ever seen, but that strength is also a curse. As Finestra, Alessa acts as a power amplifier, directing and controlling her Fonte’s gift. However, Alessa’s touch is deadly. She cannot control how much of the Fonte’s power she takes and as a results kills them. Now after three failed Fontes, Alessa is desperate. Her people are questioning if she is from Dea or Crollo, sent to destroy them. After an assassination attempt to bring forth a new Finestra fails, Alessa must find someone she can trust and a Fonte to save her home.

I love Alessa. She is so lonely and closed off from all around her. She cannot touch anyone for fear of killing them, and as a result she is starved for touch, desperate to find a Fonte who can withstand her, someone that can simply give her a hug. My heart was so broken for her in the beginning. Her only friend is her twin brother, who technically isn’t even supposed to acknowledge her anymore as a part of her becoming Finestra. After two failed assassination attempts, Alessa seeks out Dante, a street fighter, to be her bodyguard.

Dante *sigh* I love him too. While the story is told almost entirely from Alessa’s perspective, it is so easy to fall in love with him. He is constantly telling Alessa how untrustworthy he is, that he is cruel and unkind. Yet his actions speak louder than his words, which is why Alessa seeks him out in the first place. But there is SO much more to him than meets the eye. He sees Alessa for what she is, a girl blessed with a gift she didn’t want and cursed as a result. He offers her companionship and his own knowledge of the ancient texts may prove useful as he helps her determine a way to work with her Fontes.

This debut took me completely off-guard. Thiede’s world-building is outstanding. I love the blend of fantasy and the Italian-inspired island. She’s built an entire religion and mythology into this book. It’s immersive, beautiful, and haunting all at the same time. I found myself invested in Alessa’s fate within just a few paragraphs of the opening pages. With the Divorando–the demon horde purge from Crollo–approaching, it adds a sense of urgency to the story, conveying Alessa’s desperation to the reader. I could not sit it down!

Overall, I loved This Vicious Grace and eagerly wait its sequel. YA fantasy fans will devour this one and delight in the characters, the world, and the battles that ensue. If you are a fan of YA fantasy and enjoy a little romance with a lot of fun banter, I highly recommend it.

This was just as good as the cover made me believe it would be! It was a little slow moving to begin with, but once the backstory was built up a bit the pace picked up and the story really took off. I loved Alessa and Dante, and eventually the Fontes as well. Can't wait to read the next in the series!

The Quick Cut: A girl chosen to save her island from evil creatures struggles with her abilities when it kills her partner three times in a row.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing the ARC for an honest review.

If you were chosen as the savior of your people, would you know that you could do the job? Or would you feel like an imposter doing the impossible? For Alessa, this is a struggle as the Finestra.

Alessa is feeling the pressure to succeed. She was chosen as her island home's Finestra: a girl who will select her partner and help harness their power to defeat the evil coming to end their home. It should be simple enough, but Alessa has selected three partners and killed them all in a row. Now her own soldiers think she's the problem and have tried to kill her. Can she find the right partner and save everyone? Or is she doomed to fail?

Fantasy is one of my favorite genres, but that makes me a fickle reader. Having the right balance of world building and character development is essential for me to enjoy the journey. In the case of this story, the focus was put on character development, so I felt frustrated by the lack of answers in the setting. If you're a reader who prefers a character focus though, that won't be a problem for you.

There was a lot about the world building that left me puzzled. Clearly there are multiple islands and each one as a Finestra selected. However, how do they know who that is? How come some islands have no issues and others do? Is Alessa's struggle a common occurrence or a first time one? The story drops you in the middle of the action, so a lot of the setup felt a little slim to me. With that being the case, I found myself asking questions instead of really getting into the story itself.

This book's saving grace is the relationship between Alessa and Dante. My favorite moments reading was when these two would bicker back and forth with one another. They have such a natural chemistry that makes you want to root for them. Alessa has so much pressure on her and she needs a true partner. Dante is that partner she has needed in how he pushes her to be better and makes her feel support. These two together are the best part of the story.

A novel with character focused writing.

My rating: 3.25 out of 5

It’s no wonder This Vicious Grace is one of the most highly anticipated books of the year. A remarkable fantasy that follows a lonely heroine who seems to kill everyone with her touch, this tale is one meant to be savoured.

If you’ve read the synopsis, the plot itself isn’t all that dramatic or complex. The end of the world is coming (again, kind of) and a new heroine called the Finestra – apparently it means literally “window”? – has risen to once again fight off a horde of demons in the shape of giant beetles. Oh, and this is because the gods are feuding and one believes mankind is worth saving but only if they prove themselves in such battles.

Seems familiar enough right? It’s The Chosen One archetype who saves the world. Or at least, has the weight of the world on her shoulders. What makes this more exciting then?

Personally, I admire Thiede’s writing as this is her debut. Lush and filled with quotes I wanted to highlight, it truly drew me into the world and the story. What made it more outstanding, though, is the characterization of our protagonist, Alessa.

For the most part, this book is stuck with Alessa. She’s isolated with very few interactions as, well, her touch clearly kills people. Right off the bat, we’re introduced to her at a funeral of her third dead partner (in the battle sense but still) and helplessness is an understatement here. The progression she makes from this frustrated and guilt-ridden girl who carried the weight of the people on her island to someone who believed in herself and her ability to fight for them was truly the highlight. It’s why I love YA because there’s nothing quite like it elsewhere in literature that does this characterization as well.

But of course, what’s equally great – if not even better – about this book is the wonderful love interest. Ah, Dante. Can we just take a moment and admire how wonderfully crafted he was? I think I need a fan.

Everyone wants the brooding bad boy with a soft, gooey heart deep, deep inside as the love interest. Well, I’m happy to say he fits that bill perfectly. Dante reluctantly gets dragged into protecting Alessa as he has no agendas about her role as saviour for their island. He had his own troubles to deal with to care. While he fits the stereotype we all want to read about in a love interest, I liked that he still had surprises in him. Like his penchant for proverbs, including the really obscure ones. Go figure. He has the brawn and the brains.

Often I find in books that the authors want us to believe in the love that forms in their characters simply by telling us they feel these things. But there’s not enough substance to really believe it as the reader who hasn’t spent much time around these characters and is limited to what we see on the page.

This is so far from that and I’m so happy to say I felt the love grow between Alessa and Dante. This tale may focus on self-growth and learning to love yourself even when all the other voices tell you how you’ve messed up, but it’s also a ridiculously beautiful love story between two people who are quite different on the surface but perhaps are the two loneliest people who really needed one another. Isn’t that already so exciting to see on its own to drive you to pick this book up?

I wanted to give this book full rating for most of my read through. Without giving anything away, I will say the climax was a little disappointing to me. It built up so much throughout as Alessa prepared to face the battle she knows is coming, but I guess the resolution felt a little too predictable and neatly wrapped. I kept wondering how there would be a book two but it does leave us with threads for what’s to come.

Perhaps I’m just being picky. This book really was a fun dive into the world of Saverio and I can’t wait to see where we go next from here.

Overall Recommendation:

This Vicious Grace showcases the way to go for an astounding fantasy that doesn’t require a super complex world or plot yet still packs a mean punch to the heart. If you love the bodyguard romance, go no further because Dante is set to steal your heart from all the rest with his stoic and brooding exterior that hides a heart of gold. The Chosen One archetype is strong in this one but it carries enough differences to give the oomph factor that is uniquely its own. Emily Thiede’s debut was unputdownable and you should grab it when it comes out.

OH MY GOSH! WHAT A STORY!!!! To say I loved every word of this book would be an understatement. Thiede blew me away with her voice and her characters. I cannot wait to see what's next in this world. Excuse me while I anxiously wait for book #2

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book, my thoughts are my own.

This was a huge let down,
Maybe if I did not read as much as I do, if this was the first YA fantasy I have ever read and was in the beginnings of my reading journey I would've loved it.
Unfortunately for it, it is not the case here.

This is like a carbon copy of things I have already read in YA, with clichés and overly simplistic characters, wrapped in a story where everything conveniently happens for our MC.
The thing I was most looking forward to was the magic system and world building, there is little to none, what is said about the magic is overall vague when you are left with a compilation of questions and explanations that don't really make a lot of sense. The characters have no depth, the author confused character development with banter, I don't feel like I care about and know any of these characters. They have cliché dialogs, moments and realizations.
While I love a bodyguard romance, what is meant to be a fantasy novel should not be felt as an excuse to be able to have a romance. Everything felt like a set up for the romance, which made no sense since this isn't a romance or wasn't meant to be. The reading is nothing special, unfortunately is boring, again cliché and not particularly enjoyable.
There are so many other books I love that have character building, depth, rich fantasy world and magic system with original storylines.

Don't waste your time, probably one of the worst books I read this year this was mediocre to read at most.
I cannot with a good heart recommend it when there are so many other better books out there waiting to be read.

1/5 stars.
Bookarina

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty.


Right off the bat, I was intrigued by this story because it bases the premise of the story on mythological deities that have gifted humanity to protect themselves from evil monsters set upon them by a malevolent god who punishes them with bouts of attacks in anger.

Alessa, the newest Finestra, had been chosen to be paired with her Fonte, a blessed pair with magic to stop the assault of monsters. The problem however is that Alessa has now gone through three Fontes, each dying after trying to imbue their power with hers. Lost and scared, she feels that she's letting everyone down - and everyone seems to feel that she is right.

Unrest begins to surface as Alessa quickly tries to find another Fonte in time when she's attacked, not once but twice. Unsure of who to trust, she decides to enlist a man who seemed to be the only one she'd witnessed defending a child without any hidden agenda.

Her touch can kill. Desperate for human touch and thirst for affection, she finds herself letting her guard down with the young man as he begins to teach her to trust again.

This was definitely one of those reads you don't find often. Mixed with history and intrigue, I found myself constantly trying to slip in time to finish this story. I'm happy to see it will be a series and hope to continue.

My Rating: 4.5 (rounded to 5)

4 stars

This is a debut slow burn ya fantasy romance, and the first in a duology and it was a good read! I really liked the mixture of Italian influences and magic given by deities and let's throw some demons in there as well. I honestly really enjoyed this book. The romance was definitely at the forefront of this book especially since Alessa has killed 3 suitors already.

the reason for the missing star is mainly world-building issues it felt really info-dumpy and like the author, just kind of threw things at us. There were some pacing issues and while there was a lot of effort put into the main characters the side characters definitely needed help.
I look forward to reading the second book in this duology when the time comes though!!

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

"She might be one stitch in the tapestry, but every stitch had a purpose, and threads couldn't become art without them. To become one of many, she had to be one."

I really enjoyed This Vicious Grace. It's a unique story that kinda turns the savior trope on its head--a savior that keeps accidentally killing her partners? I'm a sucker for found family and the swoonworthy romance. It did take me a week or two to get through the first 1/3 of the book, but after that I finished it within 24 hours. There's also an undercurrent theme of faith and how we interpret tradition/beliefs based on how they've always been interpreted, not necessarily their intended purpose. It feels timely.

I thought the world building was well done, however there were times when I couldn't tell if the setting was an alternate world or like a post-dystopian/apoptalytic world when the MC references the other islands, especially given the names of various characters and their descriptions that seem to come from different cultures of our world (does that make sense?).

I'm definitley interested in the sequel and thought the set-up and reveal was really well done.

A few favorite quotes:
"Then let them walk around you." (<-- I loved that intro to Dante's character!)

"You're the hero. I'm just asking a girl to hold my hand."

"Together, we protect. It's in every song. On every mural. Maybe it's what Dea wanted from the beginning. She told us to find safety in connection. In community. We--the people--wrote it down and turned it into a million rules regulating what a Finestra could wear, touch, love, or speak to. The gods didn't make those rules. That was us."

"Justice. There was no justice in putting someone on trial for what they were, not what they'd done."

"We're stronger when we love more, forgive more. Not less."

Alessa is a Finestra, chosen by the goddess Dea to protect humanity by fending off demons who will attack her island on the day of Divorando. To do so she needs to bond with a Fonte and magnify their power as she prepares for the return of Crollo's demons named scarabeo. Three partnerships and three funerals later, Alessa’s power has turned deadly, killing each of her chosen suitors and inciting rebellion among the population outside the Citadel's gates. Desperate, when even her own guards turn against her, Alessa hires a reluctant street-fighter to become her personal bodyguard. Dante may be the only person who can help her master her deadly gift before time runs out.

"This Vicious Grace" had a lot of potential, but fell flat. The concept which includes a lot of Italian influences could've been more interesting if the story moved at a faster pace, had better dialogue and the characters weren't so one dimensional. The writing did nothing to help the story. At times, it felt like certain friendships were forced together to keep the push the plot forward without filling in the blanks to explain the changed dynamic. There needs to be more to relationships than banter to help solidify them. In addition, the urgency of the impending situation was lacking, especially when you consider how everyones lives were at stake.

I think it's also important to note that "This Vicious Grace" explores events and actions that may be triggering to some readers including war, violence, attempted murder, suicidal ideation, death of parents (past), physical injury and death.

Despite the cover being absolutely gorgeous, I wish there was more focus on the fantasy elements than the predictable romance. I didn't fully understand the world, making it much more difficult to enjoy. If the characters were more developed I may have cared about the outcome too. I hope others are still able to find some joy out of this story and I most likely would still read any continuation.

Look at me branching out with a YA fantasy! This was a really interesting book. I loved the premise because who doesn’t love a teenager being her home’s only salvation?! The relationship between Alessa and Donte was great - a bodyguard trope is so much fun for me (re: Kevin and Whitney in The Bodyguard will always be my gold standard). I know my fantasy lovers will enjoy this one but I also hope the YA and romance lovers will branch out!

I really liked the plot of this book. It felt well constructed as well as the characters I really could not put this book down! I also found both cover designs to be gorgeous. Going back to the plot, I found the magic system to be refreshing, and very intriguing. It was nice to see a new magic system built into its political system.

A fantasy thriller that has a bodyguard love interest?? I really wanted to love it but it fell short.

I really need someone explain the premise to me because there’s infodump but at the same time not enough infodump.

Apocalypse is coming and Alessa is chosen by the gods to stop it. Her touch is too powerful and amplifies her partners. But it’s very strong and killed her last three husbands.

When her guard tries to kill her in her sleep, she takes things into her own hands and hires a criminal she just met to become her guard. It’s ok, he’s hot.

Dante was the best part of the story. I really wanted to love the world, I did like the Italian world building. But I felt lost in this fantasy and it never found it’s footing with me.

The story was slow and the romance was slow too.

Her family sucks especially her twin brother.

This book was amazing. I coudn't put it down. It was magical. Higly recommended! The characters, the plots, the writting: wonderful and perfect.

I loved This Vicious Grace and I cannot wait for the sequel! Alessa was a compelling main character and I felt for her going through terrible things essentially alone. I also really loved seeing her be accepted by her found family and of course, watching the progression of her romance with Dante. A fun and original fantasy that I'll be recommending to my teens.

This Vicious Grace is a spectacular beginning to a new fantasy series. Being in a major book slump lately, the last three or four books I picked up just seemed to hit wrong. From the first page, this book hit a homer with characters that draw empathy and win over the heart. Alessa is chosen by the goddess to be the Finestra, the savior of her people from a swarm of demonic bug things. She’s supposed to choose a partner to share powers with but she has killed her last three Finestros. Everyone seems to want her dead so she turns to a street fighter for protection. Alessa makes Dante her personal bodyguard. Bonding over a shared loneliness and feeling like outcast, Dante and Alessa train for the battle ahead and maybe a happily ever after. Flawed, complex characters drive an original story of danger, action, and revelations to a story that fantasy lovers will fall in love. The only bother is stressing that book two is a year away. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

Alessa is the latest in a long line of individuals chosen by the goddess Dea to protect humanity, She is a Finestra, destined by the gods to bond with a partner, known as a Fonte, and magnify their power to fight evil. Unlike the Finestras before her, Alessa can't seem to reign in her power. Instead of magnifying her Fonte's power, she has just ended up overloading them, leading to their death. Three funerals later, the island of Saverio is starting to lose patience. Alessa is running out of time to protect her island home from Divorando, the predicted return of the hordes of giant bug-demons sent by the evil god Crollo to purge the islands of life.

When an attempt is made upon her life and she starts to feel unsafe in her heavily guarded castle, Alessa makes an unconventional move and hires Dante, a street fighter, to be her bodyguard. Little did she know that Dante might hold the key to controlling her power and saving humanity. As Divorando looms closer, this secret gets harder to keep, and it may drag both of them down with it.

While there are many aspects of this debut that I enjoyed immensely, the best are the two main characters. Alessa is an interesting protagonist to follow, simultaneously naive and wise beyond her years. Her struggle with loneliness makes her incredibly relatable. Dante, her bodyguard, shines just as bright. He’s faux grumpy, cynical, and the kind of love interest you can't help but fall for. Their relationship grew naturally and really made the story. The scene and characters around them are what make this book unique. The Italian-inspired history and mythology are new and intriguing. I am looking forward to the next in this series!

Loved the magic in this, the whole thing was incredibly atmospheric.
Demons and magic and a lovely slow burn romance. I was definitely in it for the romance. The whole thing was a lot of fun.

Thank you so much #MonstrousGirls campaign from Deborah Falaye, Vanessa Len, and Emily Thiede for sending me an eARC of This Vicious Grace!

"'Becoming Finestra was like drowning. You go every day of your life without noticing the air in your lungs, and suddenly you're plunged into deep water, and air becomes the most precious gift you never knew you'd be given and never thought would be taken away.'"

CW: war, violence, alcohol use, blood, internalized self-ableism, familial estrangement, implied PTSD, assault (not sexual), attempted murder, a character considers taking their life, murder, mob violence, death, child neglect/abuse, accidental death of a child.

*4.75 stars*

I absolutely LOVED this book! The tropes, the worldbuilding, the characters (and their banter), and the story were so good! There were a few bumps in the road (little things), but this is still one of my favorite reads of the year!

First of all, let's talk about the cool worldbuilding with the Finestra and Fonte system (combined with the theocracy and religion of Dea and Crollo), the Italian pieces (food, phrases, select words, the buildings, even the lemons), and the magic. I loved seeing that magic in Saverio had limits, something I don't see a lot in YA fantasy. The Finestra and Fonte system was unqiue and cool. I also thought the little touch of tattooing the Saverio's criminals with a symbol of the crime they committed was super interesting!

Secondly, I liked how the worldbuilding helped the plot. The Finestra and Fonte system was put into place because the amplification magic of the Finestra helps defeat the scarabeo during Divorando (which the WHOLE book builds up to). I enjoyed the high stakes and time limit Alessa had to deal with as Finestra. Additionally, the tropes blended perfectly into the plot. The one downside to the plot was that the ending was way too fast-paced (I mean, the battle on Divorando lasted only a chapter or two). The rest of the story was paced perfectly though. With the battle on Divorando, I think Alessa's solution for how to control her powers better was too simple (and how the solution worked too easily in the actual battle).

Thirdly, the characters were well done! Alessa, Dante, and Kaleb were all fleshed out really well (for the most part; their personalities were done well, while the backstories . . . not so much). I honestly didn't care about the other side characters, simply because we didn't really see them. I LOVED that Alessa was terrible at giving speeches and doubted herself AND that she discovered herself as the story progressed. I also loved how Dante had the same personality (maybe a LITTLE softened due to proximity to Alessa) and the twist of who he really was! Alessa and Dante's banter was *chef's kiss*.

Overall, a great read and a release you don't want to miss! I HIGHLY recommend it!

Thoughts

I liked the idea behind this book. I didn't like the execution. The worldbuilding, the overarching fantasy plot, the romance just didn't mesh well together. This book wanted to do and be too many things, and because it cast its net too wide, it wasn't overly successful at anything.

Pros
Balanced Stakes: The one thing that this book does get right is the balance between stakes. There are some grand, sweeping sort of end-of-the-world stakes that obviously have to play an important part in this plot. But these grand fantasy stakes don't entirely overshadow the more intimate interpersonal stakes that Alessa faces. She wants friends, companionship, and love, and these things are in danger just as the world is in danger. These stakes play hand-in-hand, not overwhelming or supplanting each other. It's a well-balanced, well-appointed fantasy story in this sense, not one note or one key.

Fontes: I liked Alessa's Fontes. I add a great ensemble-cast element to this book. I wish they had been included more (and not overshadowed by her more intimate romance plot). I didn't love the Fontes entirely. They're not fully developed, and their coming-around at the end of this book (which is less of a spoiler and more of an inevitability) felt rushed. I did, however, love their inclusion and the unique flair they added to this fantasy romance.

Selfless MC: I'm so used to main characters fighting for their lives even when they know that isn't the best or more righteous thing to do that it was pleasantly refreshing to read Alessa's perspective. She knows she might not live through this. In fact, she knows her life might come at the cost of hundreds or thousands of others, and she is willing to accept that she might die. She is so willing, in fact, that she's willing to sacrifice herself (by her own hand) if it comes to that. That's a different type of resolution and conviction than YA fantasy MCs usually so. There's a level of maturity there that I appreciate. Alessa stands out.


Cons
Descriptive Imbalance: There was far too much description in the worldbuilding early on. It was hard to get into the narrative itself. Later, this flips. The plot supplants the description, the setting, the intricate world set up in the first chapters. The flowery language at the beginning sets up certain expectations for the kind of fantasy to follow, and that fantasy doesn't prove to be the one Emily Thiede wrote.

Sexual Innuendo: It was too much. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: YA is meant to be a safe-space for romance readers. That doesn't mean YA romances are sex-less (though a lot of them are). It just means there are certain expectations when it comes to on-the-page content, including innuendos. This book had far too much foreplay to its sex scene, and the innuendos before and after were cringe-worthy. Whenever you have certain appendages being compared to a baguette, well... It's not a safe-space. It's an uncomfortable, awkward, and potentially gross space. This might fit the overall book market, but it wasn't age-appropriate for YA.

Convenient: The biggest problem I had with this plot? It was all just too convenient. Alessa meeting Dante (and then finding him later when she decided to employ him) just happened too easily. Convincing Dante to work for her was a snap. Convincing the Fontes to go along with her plans on numerous occasions felt too simple. There wasn't enough pushback. The pieces fall into place seamlessly, which left me wondering, How? How could it happen like this? Where's the struggle? Where's the fight? A convenient plot isn't fun to read. It's boring.


Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐
4/10

Those looking for another forbidden romance after Shelby Mahurin's Serpent and Dove will enjoy this new bodyguard romance. Those who enjoyed Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me will enjoy this new untouchable protagonist.