I was halfway through This Vicious Grace when I finally determined why I was experiencing the vague sensation of deja vu, only to realize this book is From Blood and Ash… in Italy. The main character Alessa is the sacred, chosen savior of her people and as such has lived a life of isolation in training, cut off even from her own family. This all changes when she recruits a Handsome and Mysterious Man™ named Dante as her bodyguard, a stranger burdened by an unknown past. This book admittedly paints a much richer, more vibrantly imagined world than JLA’s shoddy worldbuilding but the core dynamic of the two leads is remarkably similar. Alessa however faces a distinctly different challenge in her role as savior of her people, with her having unintentionally killed her previous three spouses before consummating the marriage with her lethal touch. It’s a setup that blends familiar tropes in a new setting, the greatest strength of the work as a whole.

The tricky, icky thing about the whole “my touch kills everyone but you, my beloved” is that it makes the entire physicality of the relationships between the main leads feel a bit… by necessity. Like, Alessa has no other options for physical comfort than Dante and has lived her entire life before him essentially touch-starved. Whenever this type of trope appears in fiction it always begs the question - is their relationship one based on convenience or actual genuine connection? The idea of a One True Love miraculously being the only person who can tolerate the other partner’s deadly touch toes the line between fated mates and just simple plot convenience. I can’t help but compare this book to the Shatter Me series, which despite all its flaws at least gave Juliette a choice between Adam and Warner.

Romance aside, I’m also just a little baffled by the amount of recent YA fantasy that have cast the main conflict of the series as some completely non-human threat that exists like a horde of Marvel-esque monsters to be destroyed en masse in some final battle. In These Violent delights, it was murderous insects. In This Vicious Grace, it’s swarms of bug-like demons whose invasion looms on the horizon as a known threat the heroine must one day save her people from. It’s these kind of generic, non-human entities that I find cause me to disconnect from a fantasy story because it’s always the machinations of human beings that I find the most interesting as threats. And while the world and lore itself was distinctive enough for the genre, the characters’ dynamic wasn’t enough to completely make up for the generic plot in this book for me, in the end.

Thank you to the publisher MacMillan Audio for providing an audiobook ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

Alone in the world with a fatal touch, Alessa the last finestra must decide to help save a city that wants to rally against her or let them all perish in the apocolyse. First, she needs to master her "gift" aka deadly touch and find a Fonte who will not die at her hands. The fonte will magnify her powers, so she can be the town's savior.

When I think of alienation, I think of Frankenstein. Yet, in This Vicious Grace the main character is very much aleinated by the people she is expected to save. but Alessa is no Frankenstein. She is just a girl. Alas, she unintentionally killed three fontes with her fatal touch. So, as much as she wants to be a savior to her town, she questions if a mistake has been made and the wrong person has been blessed.

How does one come back from assasination attempts and deep betrayls to save a city from demons hordes, and find a fonte to magnify her gift? Hire a droolworthy bodyguard. If Alessa can't touch him, she can oogle him. Who's going to stop someone with a deadly touch?

The foribben romance with a mysterious, self-proclaimed badboy Dante is full of witty banter and excitement. Alessa feels that for the first time in a forever, she's met someone who treats her like a normal girl. Swoon!

This Vicious Grace is an amazing debut! It's incredibly well-written and the worldbuilding is amazing. I definitely got invested in Alessa's story. I need the sequel as soon as possible! This Vicious Grace tore my heart out, and I weep for the last finestra.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I really liked this one!!! Dante and Alessa's relationship just makes me giddy. He is a guard to protect her but not without some mysteries on himself. I can't wait for the next one and I highly recommend the audiobook.

Narrators Carlotta Brentan; Michael Gallagher did a great job.

I received this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

******UNPOPULAR OPINION************

1 star and that's being generous for the cover. The premise sounded good but this mediocre and predictable. I almost DNF'd this but continued until I was done hoping this book would change my mind; it did not.

Cannot recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley, Emily Thiede and St Martin's Press Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 6/28/22

Three weddings and three funerals-Alessa’s gift is supposed to save the world but ends up killing every suitor she touches. With only weeks left to save her island home, time is running out for Alessa to not only find a suitor but stop the invasion. Alessa’s task is anything but easy, and when a powerful priest casts doubt among the faithful, Alessa quickly discovers that not everyone is on her side. Desperate to survive, Alessa seeks help from Dante, an outcast who has been marked as a killer. Will Dante be able to help Alessa or will his secrets destroy everything? There’s only one way to find out….

What an exciting ride! This Vicious Grace is a little slow to start, but don’t let that discourage you. This book has fantastic world-building and a plot that will leave you on your toes.

Alessa is strong, yet determined to live up to the expectations the gods have set before her. Her mission: find an acceptable suitor, harness his power, and save their island community. Sounds easy enough, except everyone she touches ends up dead. After an attempt on her life, Alessa doesn’t know who she can trust, and that’s how she finds herself with the mysterious Dante. Dante could care less about Alessa’s agenda, but for reasons he can’t quite understand, he takes Alessa up on her offer. Together, these two make quite the unexpected pairing. Their chemistry leaped off the pages and had me dying to know what would happen next.

This Vicious Grace is a heart-pounding and refreshing fantasy novel that will keep you glued to the pages. This story is filled with magic, mystery, and intrigue. At times, I wondered how this could possibly be a debut novel, as the words just flew off the pages and consumed me. I fell in love with the characters and am absolutely dying to find out what happens next. This story took me by surprise in the best way and I look forward to checking out more from this author in the future.

This story is so much fun! The world building was a little weak, I had a lot more questions than the book had answers, but it almost didn't matter. The slow burn romance at the center was more than captivating enough to make up for it. Add on top of that my weakness for a found fily story, and this is one I couldn't put down. I am eagerly awaiting part two!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede is an absolutely amazing YA fantasy that combines magic, adventure, and romance. The story revolves around Alessa, who has been cursed to kill every man she marries. When a swarm of demons invades her island Alessa hires outcast Dante to become her bodyguard. But is Dante hiding a dangerous secret? Can Alessa trust him with her life? And her heart?

Here is a captivating excerpt from Chapter 1:

"Three weddings.
Three funerals.
A better person would have been devastated, but Alessa bowed her head to hide dry eyes as she knelt before the jewel-encrusted coffin on the altar. The temple beneath the Citadella smelled of mildew and death, the air thick with dust motes drifting like the ghosts of fireflies.
She would cry. Later. She always did. Being widowed at eighteen was tragic, after all, and none of her partners had deserved to die. Still, it was difficult to muster tears for yet a third time."

Overall, This Vicious Grace is an amazing YA fantasy that will appeal to fans of Together We Burn or A Far Wilder Magic. One highlight of this book is the amazing world-building, which I believe may be Italian and possible Catholic-inspired. I really enjoyed learning about the religion in the world and learning about the "Old Language," which the people sometimes use instead of English. Another highlight was the final battle scene, which was epic and exciting and everything I wanted. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of YA fantasy, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in June!

Unfortunately, I feel like This Vicious Grace fell into the trap of relaying the majority of the plot through poorly developed dialogue and character development. Every single conflict resolved quite easily. I felt that there was little sense of urgency despite the looming threat of a major catastrophic event. In fact, this main character is some sort of Chosen One and is supposed to be training to defeat this evil force. I get that’s hard for an 18-year-old, but she spends the majority of the book:

- Running away from her citadel despite threats on her life
- Thinking about the hot guy she just met
- Inviting the hot guy she just met back to her place
- Having the new random hot guy she just met live in her room without anyone knowing for like 2 months
- Thinking about how lonely she is
- Not training for mysterious battle
- Thinking about how much she sucks at being The Chosen One
- Hanging out with her friends
- Getting drunk and kissing hot guy

This Vicious Grace took all of the YA fantasy tropes and wrapped them up with some random Italian proverbs and phrases. As someone who speaks Italian, I felt like the author was trying to show off their knowledge of basic Italian in the cringiest way possible.

It was unfortunate how the majority of the main character’s development relied on her relationship with the hot guy. I wish that she had been more complex or had some sort of unique realization about her powers, but she remained quite basic the entire time. I was less annoyed by how cheesy the conclusion ended up being than how bored I was the entire time. I have read this exact story a hundred times.

Overall, This Vicious Grace brings nothing new to YA fantasy.

I enjoyed this book so much! I loved the similarity to the Hawthorne story "Rappaccini's Daughter" and how well the author did at making you feel the intensity Alessa's isolation. The majority of this book was dark and tinged with her loneliness and fear. This made her friendship with Dante so much more satisfying. They were fun to see together, with lots of great banter and tension. He always put her first, even before he really knew her. I also loved the evolution of the other potential partners, and how Alessa interacts with them. This was a wonderful book about fate, love, and friendship.

This Vicious Grace is a multi-layered fantasy debut that will make you swoon and shed a tear. The romance, slow burn, and tension made my heart swoon. Talk about those moments of butterflies and denying our feelings. If you are searching for a fantasy romance, you have to add This Vicious Grace to your TBR now. Because Alessa's relationship put me through the wringer. The angst over wondering if their love is enough versus the precious moments.

Besides the romance, what I also loved was Alessa's character journey and the themes Thiede explores. Alessa couldn't help but break my heart. Feeling so isolated, she's deprived of human contact because everyone is afraid of her - at the very least. She believes in her monstrosity, in her own isolation and danger. So, in some ways, she becomes it. In This Vicious Grace, her story becomes about realizing that we don't have to be alone. That when we are taught to fear ourselves, we can never harness our own potential.

frankly I don't even remember reading this book properly after the first quarter because it quickly lost its charm. Most of the scenes dragged unnecessarily. Right from when Alessa employs Dante as her bodyguard till the end where they figure out the "solution", everything came too easily to Alessa. Besides, we don't have a proper villain and the stakes relating to the whole "stopping the invasion" never felt as serious as they were projected to be. I would say the magic system is quite interesting and even Alessa's struggle with her powers were conveyed really well.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: Fantsy series (book 1)
𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩: eARC

𝙁𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚:
“Power had been a bad thing for so long, something she needed to suppress, control and fear. But this… this was power too. The power to give, to connect, to convey the thoughts and feelings she had no words for.”

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙:
AWESOME magic system
Italian inspired fantasy setting
Morally gray characters
Slow burn/forbidden romance
Found family

𝙁𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬:
I went into this ready really not knowing much about the book or what to expect, and was blown away with how good it was. It’s got slow burn romance, found family, an interesting magic system, political and religious strife, and a mix of tradition, change, trust, and betrayal.

The romance is slow burn, a little angsty, and oh so worth it. Alessa is the chosen Finestra, searching for her Fonte to help balance and focus her immense power. Her whole “I can’t touch anyone without hurting them” thing really turns up the romantic tension and I am HERE FOR IT. Dante, her grumpy guard, is a swoony male lead who will protect at all costs and struggles with his secret past (honestly, it reminds me a little bit of Poppy and Cas from FBAA). Snarky banter, forbidden romance, one bedroom… check check check yes please.

There’s a great cast of side characters with well developed personalities, back stories, and growth throughout the book. Even the characters I didn’t like at first became more likable as the story progressed. There’s a strong element of found family and I can’t wait to see what our little band of heroes does in the next book.

Y’all, this book is fantastic and a solid 5 stars for me. I already can’t wait for book 2!

“It wasn’t easy to find a look that said ‘Welcome, suitors. Please perform for the right to marry me, and I will try not kill you.’”

This book has it all: witty banter, great side characters, beautiful love story, epic world building.

Alessa has been chosen by the gods as the Finestra. Her job is literally to save her people from incoming war. But her power lies with finding a partner who she can harness their power. The problem? She keeps killing everyone she touches.

This was such a page turner. The writing was great. The romance is top-tier. The friendships are goals. It’s one of those books that I just couldn’t stop thinking about. Cooking dinner? Thinking about Dante. Stuck in traffic? Thinking about Dante. Walking the dog? Thinking about Dante. You get it….🤷🏼‍♀️😂 If you like fantasy books (or even if you’re new to the genre!) please pick it up. You’ll think me later.

I’m going to need that sequel ASAP!

This book was such a fresh take on fantasy with an original idea that I delved into! This story was unlike anything I’ve read in a good way. I was not disappointed.

The Magic system was interesting. You have a Finestra, who absorbs the powers of her Fonte, who is the one who actually has the powers.

Alessa is the Finestra and she is trying to find the right Fonte for her considering she’s killed the previous 3 with her touch.
I loved Alessa abs I loved seeing her growth and development. She was so timid at first; following the rules and being isolated from everyone.

The Divorando (the battle between the Finestra and the demons with wings; the scarabeo) is coming soon so she must find a new Fonte so she can save her island, her home.

There are attempts in her life so she hires a guard. Ugh, Dante. How I absolutely loved Dante. Their banter gave me life and I loved watching their relationship develop.

Dante is hiding a pretty big secret that I did not predict. On top of all that going on, Alessa meets all the other possible Fontes she could “marry.”

I loved those scenes where everyone is training together. I grew to like all the Fontes especially Kamaria. She had me cracking up!

The battle scene was intense and the last 20% had me in the edge of my seat! Not gonna lie.. there were some tears shed.

There is a slight cliff hanger and now I’m ready for the next book!

Highly recommend if you want something different in a YA fantasy with a badass heroine and a rough on the outside, sweet in the inside hero. The romance gave me life in this book!

This title was wonderful, I could see it as it happened and I cannot wait for the next in the series. As this is an ARC, I have a wait! I will be purchasing this for my library and already have people waiting for it. I loved the history, the adventure and the way the story was woven together. Well done!

Wow. An absolutely stunning YA fantasy romance with great narration by Carlotta Brentan and Michael Gallagher. Emily Thiede created such spectactular characters that you can't help but cheer for throughout the entire book. Not to mention, who doesn't love a forbidden romance with a "bad boy"? The world and magic system in this book is easy to understand, unique, and intriguing. I loved the Biblical parallels with the savior / antichrist and end times. It played out so well in this book, creating an atmosphere where peril and hope are on opposite sides of a balanced scale. I'm very emotionally invested and could use book two like, yesterday, based on that ending! This will definitely be going on my list of favorites of the year!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the copy of this ALC.

5/5 stars! This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede is one of my favorite 2022 books. It’s a YA fantasy debut, which will be released in June. I was drawn to the premise of this Italian-inspired book, especially the apocalyptic stakes and the supernatural elements.

Alessa is the chosen Finestra for her island. She must find and bond with a Fonte—a partner. In doing so, she will enhance her partner’s magical abilities in order to thwart an apocalyptic threat to their island. The only problem: her touch has killed her first three Fonte prospects.

With the island’s faithful citizens growing suspicious of Alessa, a rebellion breaks out. Now, Alessa’s life is in danger from those who believe she must be sacrificed, so she enlists a bodyguard named Dante for protection. But he has a mysterious past that may put Alessa in more danger.

The worldbuilding had unique mythology. Since it was fantasy, there were some terms and legends to learn, such as ghiotte, scarabeo, and Divorando. However, the author made this immersive world very easy (and fun) to understand.

The slow burn romance and flirtatious dialogue between Alessa and Dante were so sweet! The journey of their relationship was beautiful, and it added another layer of stakes to the final battle. The romance scenes between Alessa (18) and Dante (20) in the last half of the book seem appropriate for upper YA.

I loved everything about this book, like the banter between characters. Some of my other favorite elements were the political and religious undertones, as well as the main character’s struggle of isolation. I think the inner journey of Alessa is relatable, especially to readers during this pandemic.

I am SO excited that this is a duology because I connected with the main characters and the secondary characters, such as the other Fonte prospects. Oh, and the ending had a jaw-dropping revelation.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to review a digital arc. The advance copy of this was so polished that I sometimes forgot I was reading an arc. I can’t wait to buy a physical copy. This Vicious Grace will be released June 28.

This unique magical system had me intrigued. Three weddings, three funerals. Alessa’s purpose is to magnify her partner’s magic, not kill it, but it’s too powerful. She can’t control her magic and soon her own Soldiers are out to kill her. With Dante she should be safe, or is he the one to end her once and for all?
.
This is a solid debut. I’m interested to see what this author writes next. Thank you @wednesdaybooks and @netgalley for an advanced copy.

When an ARC became available for This Vicious Grace, I was instantly drawn to the gorgeous cover and interesting premise. With the tagline: Three Weddings. Three Funerals. How could I not be intrigued? I don't read much fantasy anymore but decided to give it a chance. I ended up devouring this book in just two sittings.

Alessa is the Finestra; a holy being in charge of saving her island from an impending attack. She must marry and join with a Fonte to combine powers before the impending battle. Unfortunately, every Fonte that she's joined powers with she's inadvertently killed. After Alessa survives an assassination attempt, she hires a bodyguard but Dante is hiding secrets of his own. Can Alessa control her own powers enough to protect the island and save humanity?

Emily Thiede writes an impressively rich Italy inspired fantasy world. I loved how the romance was very central in a fantasy style novel. The battle scenes were my least favorite of the book but that's expected from a mostly romance reader. The character of Alessa showed growth throughout the novel becoming more confident and sure of herself. I loved seeing her balance being a divine being and the person she was before she was chosen. Dante was grumpy, snarky, nuanced and totally swoon worthy. I love a hero who is gruff towards everyone but the heroine. The scene where Dante and Alessa are playing a drinking game and asking each other questions was one of my favorites. The secondary characters had depth and really helped to propel the plot.

This was simply a beautiful debut fantasy romance novel from Thiede. I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in the series to see what happens next with Dante and Alessa. Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Thiede, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

#netgalley #thisviciousgrace #thelastfinestra #emilythiede #stmartinspress #wednesdaybooks

Thank you so much, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Alessa's gift is supposed to magnify a partner's magic, not kill them, but unfortunately that's the case. Now, with only weeks left until demons devour everything and everyone on Saverio, Alessa is facing a powerful priest convincing the faithful that killing her is the only way to save the island and its inhabitants. Desperate to survive, Alessa hires an outcast marked as a killer as a bodyguard, readying herself to face unrest, rebellion, finding a partner and controlling her power. As her and Dante's relationship deepens, Alessa is left to wonder if he can help her master her gift, before it's too late.

This vicious grace is Emily Thiede's debut and it has everything you could dream of: magic, a riveting setting, slow burn, teasing, dark fantasy, romantic comedy, hilarious moments and banter, flirting and secrets, myths and lies. It's passionate, hilarious, wonderfully written and I loved everything.
Right away the reader is thrust into a world filled with magic, myths, tradition and, following Alessa's POV, is able to understand the setting, the stakes and what's happening. Alessa is a young woman, chosen to be a Finestra, with a powerful gift she can't control, forced to leave her family, everything, even her own name, behind, in order to be a powerful protector of Saverio, her island home, inspired by Italian coastal cities.
The ancient language is Italian and the author uses English and Italian, beginning every chapter with a proverb in both languages, using Italian for titles, events and more.

In a world where she's forced to abandon everything and becoming an entity, Alessa almost cancel herself, following rules and traditions, trying to control her magic, becoming more and more alone and lonely, isolated from everything and everyone. Until an assassination's plot forced her to hire Dante and their peculiar relationship, made of banter, teasing, half truths and attraction, bring them both to become more and more confident of themselves, embracing their identities and realizing the truths surrounding them and their island home.
I loved how this book mixes romantic comedy, filled with steamy moments, funny teasing and flirting, with both characters growing up, accepting and embracing themselves, finally seeing themselves for their qualities and not for what others see and want from them. How Alessa and Dante accept their own names and not their titles, fighting back against rules and impositions, and becoming more and more confident in themselves and each other, accepting others in their lives.

The setting itself is very intriguing, inspired by Italian coastal cities, with their lemons and ancient language, proverbs and traditions, demons and magic. I also loved the side characters and how each of them were skillfully written with their own fears, desires and bonds. I mostly loved Kamaria and Kaleb, they were pretty amazing and I really appreciated how Alessa's and Dante's growth was accompanied by the other Fonti's acceptance, love and bonding.

With myths, rules and demons, this book is a winwhirld of ups and downs, personal growth, romance and funny moments and with its ending I definitely can't wait to read the sequel!