Compelling and a delight to read, Vicious Grace is easily one of the most entertaining adventures of the summer! The integration of the Italian language and culture bolster the authenticity of the setting and made it very easy to get absorbed into the story.
Bantering and teasing between Dante and Alessa is simply my favorite scenes in the book. Dante is going to have MAJOR fans when this book comes out! Bodyguard, suave, sarcastic, but kind, protective, and A BOOK LOVER! Where can I find a Dante for myself?!
Vicious Grace is the first in the duology that leaves you very satisfied but curious about the next arc in the story. Overall I highly recommend this book!

I cannot wait till this book comes out to Spazz about all the wonderful, lovely aspects that I love about this book!!!

‘This Vicious Grace’ was an EXCELLENT read - it honestly took me by surprised how much I loved it! Especially being dubbed YA fantasy, I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy it as much as NA/Adult fantasies - I was wrong.

Filled with tropes like the chosen one, bodyguard/forced proximity and a dash of slow burn romance, this fantasy will appeal to so many readers.

Alessa is the Finestra - one half of a whole who can save her people from uncertain death. She only needs to choose a Fonte…. And not kill them.

After three chosen Fonti have died, Saverio is losing faith in Alessa, and Divorando is quickly approaching. Divorando happens every five years. It is the day scabareo will darken the skies and attack any and all in their path - the Finestra and her chosen Fonte being the only ones to prevent the destruction of all of Saverio. If only Alessa could avoid killing her Fonte…

Alessa is our main character who is easy to love. Her arc was excellently done - she could certainly be self-sacrificing throughout most of the story, but it was never annoying or distracting.

Dante is swoon-worthy with arguably the best backstory and arc. His development throughout the story was masterfully done, and merged so seamlessly with the story - definitely my favorite character!

The magic system was easily understood but still interesting. It added tension and dynamic between characters while being a strong base for the storyline. Fontes possess magic while one Finestra is able to magnify and wield it on a grand scale. An excellent premise for the story!

The book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger and I’m already desperate for more. Mark your calendars for release date because you don’t want to miss this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and WednesdayBooks for this digital ARC!

Advanced reader copies are such a fun way to expand your reading repertoire and get to know so many fin titles that you may not have in the first place. It can be hard not to just judge them by the cover, but I'd heard vaguely about This Vicious Grace before, so I was stoked when I got to read it!

Stuck in a world of isolation after three failed marriages that ended in funerals, Alessa is stuck fearing the coming swarm. As the Finestra, she is the only one, along with a Fonte, who can save their island, but the people no longer have faith in her. With death threats coming in left and right, she decides to head to the slums, finding Dante, ever the cynic, and hires him as her bodyguard. But he has his own secrets, and when he finds his way into Alessa's heart, she has to wonder if he will be her destruction or salvation. Amazing read, kept me on my toes in the best way, and more than enough tears, 9/10.

--- SPOILERS AHEAD ---
 
Okay so, first off, the Dante and Alessa thing was very obvious and trope-y, but its one of my favourite tropes and I love that. Scary moody man with dark past and saviour who should love someone else? Iconic. I also really enjoyed the fact that the Fonti weren't specifically all men, so it was definitely more queer-friendly than I was expecting. All the Fonti were amazing and their character development was on point.

I hate reading books that have just come out because I am very impatient and the fact that I have to wait a year until the next book comes out is a tragedy and I will die on this hill. I need it right now. I am quite curious for the next book, as the big battle already happened, and I have a feeling the next one will be a lot more character-based, which I am stoked for.

I really liked the book, but looking back, I have no idea how it was so long. I did read it as an e-book, but I feel like not enough happened for it to be 900+ pages, which is weird because it was wonderfully paced. Maybe I am just impatient, who knows. Overall, amazing for a debut and cannot wait for the sequel!!

This Vicious Grace is a sultry, gorgeous fantasy that has everything I love in a book: a brave, smart, witty heroine, slow burning forbidden love, enemies-turned-friends, a unique magic system, adventure, and a terrifying enemy.

Alessa is a young Finestra: a window to the gods’ power and the only person who can save her island from the creatures coming to attack. She must marry a Fonte, a person whose magic she can amplify. However, she has married three Fontes — and killed them each time. Alessa must figure out how to stop her powers from killing her spouses before her home is invaded.

This is my favourite debut fantasy so far this year. Thiede is a confident writer who completely immersed me in the story. Alessa is so real: she’s brave but battles loneliness, self-doubt, and fear. She hires Dante, a bodyguard with a secret, and their attraction sizzles. I also loved all the potential Fontes who each had their own personalities and individual relationships, and the mysteriousness of the magic.

Thiede addresses a number of themes, including the price of isolation, the corruption of authority and religion, the importance of bravery and kindness, and the danger of prejudice. There’s a depth to This Vicious Grace that I wasn’t expecting. And, of course, there’s a fantastic battle between giant demon bugs and humans with magic and swords.

I can’t wait for book 2 in this duology.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for my review copy of this book.

This Vicious Grace, Emily Thiede's debut novel, shattered my heart, put the pieces back together, punched me in the gut, and finally gave me a cheeky grin and wave as it walked away, leaving me to eagerly await the second book in this duology. My response to this rough treatment is to quote an old meme at Ms. Thiede: "I can't believe you've done this."

Alessa is the Finestra of Saverio. She has the god-given power to draw on the magic of someone else (her Fonte) by simply touching them, and amplify it, using it as a weapon to defend the island from the inevitable onslaught of demon swarms that periodically attack the island. In theory, at least.

In practice, her power has the potential to kill, because it affects everyone she touches, not just her Fonte. She must make sure her skin is covered at all times, because a normal person would feel blinding pain if they brushed against her bare skin, and would die from prolonged contact. That is a given. However, as it turns out, her power is so strong that prolonged contact also kills her Fonte(s). No Finestra before her has killed their Fonte. And Alessa has killed three.

This unprecedented complication has led many of the scared citizens of Saverio to cling to the teachings of a rogue priest, Ivini, who is preaching that Alessa must be a false Finestra sent by Crollo (the god who also sends the demon swarms), and that the only way a true Finestra may rise is if they kill their false Finestra. Followers of Ivini begin making attacks on Alessa's life. One attacker actually tries to strangle her in her own bedroom, and the guard at her door who was supposed to be preventing such things tells her that she should have let the man kill her, as he helps the man away.

Not knowing who she can trust, Alessa reaches out to a young man she hadn't even met, but had seen looking at Ivini with disgust while the priest spread his lies. He is Dante, a cage fighter at a run-down bar near the docks, where the marked (criminals) congregate after dark, not being allowed into the city proper past curfew. Dante bears the mark of a killer, but Alessa disregards it--after all, she has killed three people before, albeit unintentionally.

At first, Dante refuses to be her bodyguard, regardless of Alessa's willingness to pay him. He only grudgingly agrees when Alessa cries, and promises him a place in the safety of the Fortezza when the demons attack--something that no marked criminal has access to.

Thus begins a beautiful partnership. Alessa finally has a (reluctant) companion, something which she has lacked since becoming Finestra, because everyone is too scared of her. Dante is as surly and brooding as someone tall, dark, and handsome can be, but despite his insistence that he is not a good person, Alessa never sees any evidence to convince her of this. In fact, quite the opposite.

The threat of Divorando (the attack by the demon swarm) looms, and Alessa has yet to choose a new Fonte from among the candidates who are left. She is terrified that the same thing that happened to her first three Fontes will happen to the next one as well. When pressed to make a choice, she instead invites all the remaining candidates to the Citadella, (the palace/fortress where the Finestra, Fonte [if living], and army reside), so that she can better get to know them and become familiar with their powers. Refusing to pick someone else to die, Alessa will not choose her new Fonte, but rather, the Consiglio (church/governing body) will--unless one of the prospects volunteers.

The day the potential Fontes arrive at the Citadella, their welcoming party is interrupted by a gruesome sight: Soldiers carrying in the corpse of a freshly killed demon, a scarabeo. This is the First Warning. Once Crollo sends his first warning, the people of Saverio have one month to prepare themselves for Divorando.

Will Alessa ever find out why the broody Dante insists he is a terrible person, even when he doesn't seem to be? Will she and Dante's working partnership blossom into something more? And most importantly, will Alessa finally be matched with a Fonte who survives her touch, so that together they may save Saverio from certain doom? Heh, I know the answers to these questions, but if you want to, you'll have to read the book.

As for the reviewy part of my review: This book is full of so many tropes and I am living for it.

Mysterious, broody love interest with a heart of gold? Check.
Bodyguard trope? Check.
Oh my God, they were roommates? Check.
Friends to lovers? Check.
Found family? Check.

I think there may be more than that, but those are all I can recall right now. The thing is, when some authors use a lot of common tropes they seem to overdo it, and it can come off as cringey. Thiede's use of tropes, however, is so well done that they fit into the story perfectly and don't seem forced. The tropes don't really stand out because the reader is so immersed in Alessa's story, and super-invested in her relationship with Dante. (It's me, I'm the reader).

Thiede's writing is reminiscent of Tamora Pierce's, in that she builds a lush, diverse, believable fantasy world, and uses beautiful prose when it's called for, but doesn't take herself so seriously that she's beyond putting in a few crude jokes or innuendos when warranted. While the stakes are high, and the pace teetering on the edge of being suspenseful, the reader has many chances to stop and breathe (and laugh)...(okay, and swoon, too) during the scenes that are primarily the characters getting to know/spending time with each other. Also, Thiede, like Pierce, writes some kick-ass, strong females.

Something else Thiede writes particularly well is character arcs. There is one supporting character *cough*Kaleb*cough that when introduced, I couldn't stand. Like, in a "I hope this character dies" kinda way. However, over time, he became tolerable. And suddenly, toward the end, I realized that I would actually be upset if he was killed. Another example is Alessa's character arc. At the beginning she is meek and obedient (not in a cloying way, though, she's still likeable), because although she is Finestra, she feels powerless. Her world is defined by the rules of others, and her inability to connect with anybody on a personal level (because they're all terrified of her) has left her a lonely shell. To everyone in Saverio, she is the Finestra, not a person. Nobody even knows her name. She's not allowed to tell them. As Alessa gets to know Dante, she begins to feel empowered. He doesn't treat her with the terrified deference she's used to from people in her vicinity. Even when the potential Fontes, who are essentially her equals in status, shy away from her, Dante treats her like a person, and she begins to feel like one again. I'm not going to spoil anything, but by the end, Alessa knows how to take control, and get shit done. If the rules don't make sense, she breaks them, and dares anyone to call her on it. She is their Finestra, after all. But now she sees herself as more than just that, and it shows in the way she leads her army.

Any nit-picky issues I might have had with This Vicious Grace were completely overshadowed by Thiede's amazing characters and plot. I don't really even remember the small things that momentarily snagged my attention. I was too busy reading on, because I wanted to see what happened next.

I give this book 5 big ol' shiny stars, and I eagerly anticipate the sequel.

This book is emotional and faced paced. Its plot is tight and well-foreshadowed. The romance is beautiful, if a little desperate (on both sides).

Here is my video review: https://youtu.be/bqJ33eMl384?t=625

Alessa is the chosen one. It's not going so well, because her magic-amplification powers keep killing anyone she touches instead. She has a limited time to become the warrior she is destined to be, before a swarm of killer bugs comes for her home.

Yes, the impeding insect apocalypses is technically the main action plot of this book, but the focus of the book is split between Alessa's self-actualization and the romance. I liked all of these parts, but the standout was the romance. It was building from the beginning, but the couple didn't really come together until much later. When they finally did, it was cute and satisfying.

This book is fantastic because it isn't afraid to get emotional. When Alessa is overwhelmed or angry, we feel it too. I think it's that rawness and intensity that make this book feel YA. But in content (oooh boy, there's a lot of sexual innuendos, etc), it's more mature than that and reals like a book written for Adults. I wish more books would add in some of that teenage-angst feeling that this book is so good with, because it makes the experience richer. That's the best part of the genre of YA, and one of the reasons why so many people love it.

The themes in this story are rich as well. As the chosen one, Finestra, Alessa is restricted. She must follow the religious-traditions and societal-norms that her political position demands. A large part of her character arc is wrestling with those ideas, and trying to find what the right thing to do is.

The only part about this book that bugs me is that many of the "changing-societal-norms" moments felt like they weren't properly earned. As the chosen one, Alessa has political influence. But also when your theme is that she is chained by that political position, using it to create change-societal-norms feels like working backwards. And because this book is so fast paced, we don't get to really feel that She Is Chained By Her Position before she transitions into Rebellion Against The System Mode.

The book that this one reminded me most of was Fire, by Kristin Cashore.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC and eARC of THIS VICIOUS GRACE, coming June 28 from Wednesday Books!

Alessa is a “reluctant chosen one” grappling with the worry that she’ll fail to save her people from the impending apocalypse, where she and a partner must battle a horde of demons! The problem: she can’t keep her partners alive, thanks to the lethal touch of her gift. When her own mentors can’t be trusted, Alessa heads to the city’s underbelly and hires a bodyguard, Dante. He is somehow the perfect combination of traits from Kaz and Matthias, if that makes any sense.

The banter between Alessa and Dante had me giggling so many times. I’ve highlighted so many quotes, some funny, some deeply resonating. This book grapples with loneliness in a way that hits close to home.

There is one steamy scene, but no explicit language is used.

Wow! Kudos to Emily Thiede - I want book two of The Last Finestra right now! Hope the wait isn't too long. I certainly don't want to forget the story line before I can pick it up again. This is quite a fantasy debut. It's exciting and the tension builds and builds. I felt both hope and despair, sorrow and joy while reading this.

The blurb: "Three weddings. Three funerals. Alessa’s gift from the gods is supposed to magnify a partner’s magic, not kill every suitor she touches.

Now, with only weeks left until a hungry swarm of demons devours everything on her island home, Alessa is running out of time to find a partner and stop the invasion. When a powerful priest convinces the faithful that killing Alessa is the island’s only hope, her own soldiers try to assassinate her.

Desperate to survive, Alessa hires Dante, a cynical outcast marked as a killer, to become her personal bodyguard. But as rebellion explodes outside the gates, Dante’s dark secrets may be the biggest betrayal. He holds the key to her survival and her heart, but is he the one person who can help her master her gift or destroy her once and for all?"

I truly loved the characters, they fit the bill perfectly; especially Alessa and Dante. They betrayals were horrifying and made me angry. The determination and courage shown by Alessa was amazing. I loved the story.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on June 28, 2022.

This was a solid debut that could have used some more editing - it's about 75 pages too long and has some quirks that just don't work, like the translated colloquialisms. It's the kind of fantasy I would have loved at 16, though, and I think it'll certainly find its audience.

*3.75
Thank you very much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Emily Thiede for an advanced reader’s copy of This Vicious Grace.

Overall, this was a delightful and quick read and I had such fun reading the interactions between Dante and Alessa. More often than not, I’d be (delightfully) caught off guard by some of their banter which was so fun to read. Speaking of Dante, he was one of the major highlights of the book. His character was so interesting and I adored his personality. In connection, I enjoyed the way the author expanded on Alessa’s deadly power and explained the logic surrounding its flaws. Speaking of Alessa, I found her characterization so refreshing in a YA book as a seemingly extroverted character.

However, while I liked this story very much, I found that it had a lot more potential for world-building as this story felt so centred on the romance that other aspects of the story consequently suffered. For instance, I’m a bit confused about the Island’s society and how it is run. There is no clear governmental system on this island, no clear explanation for the world itself and the other islands that exist (such as are they in connection with one another? How are they run? Who is in charge of the military? Is the island run by a monarchy? An aristocracy? Who makes all the big decisions for the civilians? How does Alessa have this much free reign even though she is ‘God-chosen’?). As such, the background felt empty and shallowly explored though there is so much potential to delve into it and I really want to know more.

In addition, because the romance dominated so much of the story, Alessa’s relationships with her friends suffered. By the end of the story, I did not quite believe the depth of the relationships as much as the author was trying to make it out to be. I really wish these friendships were fleshed out, and her relationship with her brother as well, as I’m kind of disappointed by this aspect. This cycles back to the lack of world-building based on how a majority of these side characters are also god-touched — but how do they get chosen? How and when do these powers develop? I might have missed this part in the story but I do wish it was more clear.

Continuing, though I know this is technically YA, I was caught off guard by how these characters spoke — as they spoke in such a modern dialect that it clashed from what time period the story eluded to. But I think this is just a personal taste thing.
I'm also not sure about the ending, as it feels a bit underdeveloped which makes sense for a YA book but I wonder if there is enough substance at the end for readers to invest in to pick up the next book. I'm thinking that this book could've been a really good standalone.

Overall, a solid debut from the author, I had so much fun with this one and I'm looking forward to the next one.

This Vicious Grace was so good.
I enjoyed the premise and the characters. It’s been awhile since I felt like I could sink into a good YA fantasy that didn’t somehow feel either too young or frustrating in regards to the MCs decision making process, but I didn’t feel like that at all with this one.
I loved the blend of fantasy, Italian influences, magic, and romance. Even though Alessa was somewhat sheltered, I love that she had a backbone and rebellious streak.. and one that wasn’t so bad it felt over the top and unrealistic for her background.
The romance and the whole fate of the world hanging in the balance made me feel like I was on the edge of my seat. I definitely recommend This Vicious Grace and I’ll definitely pick up the rest of the series once it releases!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Actual Rating = 3.25 stars

"The divine pairing existed as a constant reminder that no one could survive alone, that shared strength was their path to salvation. Hence, a Finestra could only magnify someone else's gift."

Man, I have some complicated thoughts about this book and it took me like, two full days to decide on a rating, which I'm still somewhat up in the air about.

Our MC, Alessa/"the Finestra," is a religious figure who can amplify the powers of magical people by touching them except, oopsie, she keeps killing them by accident. Growing increasingly desperate and increasingly unpopular, she hires a hot bodyguard named Dante and has all the magic users come to the Vatican-esque castle she lives in and shit gets real from there. So, the setup for this novel is both pretty cool and relatively unique for a YA fantasy.

Unfortunately, therein kinda lay the problem. I don't think this book should've been YA. Basically, what I wanted from this novel was more; more of the world, more of the magic, more of the relationships between characters (including the romance), and more emotional depth, given the genuinely dark themes discussed. For all that this book was almost 500 pages, I still feel like it was underdeveloped. I think if this was an adult fantasy, where Thiede really could've leaned into the complexity of the world and the intensity of the ideas, I would've enjoyed it more.

Does that mean the book was bad? Absolutely not. It was a fun read and I do plan on continuing the series. I just think it could've been a 5-star but was held back from its potential by the target demographic.

Some other random thoughts:

- I really liked Alessa. She was relatable and, though she could definitely be whiney, I think it was always reasonable given her situation. I also loved that she tried to find humor in her increasingly messed-up life, as that's a strategy I tend to use myself. The relationships between her and the other characters were also super interesting though they could've been developed more (anyone sensing a theme in this review?).
- The Italian-inspired world was pretty cool, definitely not something you see a ton in fantasy/YA fantasy.
- There are some info dumps and similar other missteps common in debut novels, but nothing that was a major turn-off.
- The banter between Alessa and Dante was pretty solid, especially when she intentionally used a ton of innuendo to make him laugh.
- There was one kind of "big reveal" moment that was super easy to guess. That didn't detract from my enjoyment of the novel, but still. I have a note in the text saying "so blah blah blah is blah blah blah" a full 25% of the book before it was confirmed.
- There were a few POV changes near the end of the book that probably could've been a bit clearer, especially since the story up to that point had been entirely focused on Alessa.
- The end of this book definitely sets up the sequel but without having a cliff-hanger, which I always appreciate. That said, I was a bit let down by the ending which, again, felt underdeveloped.

Following in the footsteps of A Court of Thorns and Roses and From Blood and Ash, This Vicious Grace is a fantasy story that seeks to disrupt the common archaic fantasy conventions of a damsel incapable of helping herself. The difference being that this story is steeped deep in Italian lore and imagination.
I have said it before, but I will reiterate. As much as I love the fantasy genre, it is very heavily Anglo influenced. Meaning, a lot of fantasy narratives can feel derivative because they draw on the same source material—Northern European and Celtic folklore. This Vicious Grace does not follow in that tradition. Right from the very beginning the Italian influence was overtly apparent, and I actually found myself more engaged because of it. The way the world was constructed, and how the magic system worked felt so unique that I was fascinated. However, at the centre of all of that is the fact that this story, at its heart, is all about a young woman coming into her own and finding autonomy within a system that has raised her to be a tool or weapon wielded by a male hero. I think the feminist identity of This Vicious Grace is why I liked it as much as I did. It is outspoken and unapologetic, but not in a way that feels overdone.
As a debut novel, I can’t praise this book enough, and I rightfully look forward to the stories Thiede will give us in the future.

Listen, I've been chasing the high of loving a YA fantasy as much as I loved Raybearer, and while I have yet to find it, this one was pretty good.

Truly the only way I can describe this book is reverse Raybearer meets Ender's Game. I know it sounds wild, but like it kinda works really well. I will absolutely be picking up the second book and this book did such a good job or setting up the sequel while also feeling like a full story.

The world building was really fun. I enjoyed the Italian influence and thought it was a nice touch that I hadn't really seen before. The characters felt like modern teens but also fit really well into the story. I'm sure this will be a hit with people who like YA fantasy, but I think it has the ability to be picked up by people (like me!) that don't pick up a lot of YA fantasy as well.

Every page just gets better and better with this beautifully written novel. The setting is original and all the characters have depth. Trust me, you will not be able to put down This Viscous Grace.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going into this book, but I loved where it ended up! I felt for Alessa and her struggles, the pain of her past, her want to only be a good Finestra but to also want friends and love. Alessa, after having killed three Fontes, must choose another one because Divorando approaches and no one knows exactly when. But no one wants to offer themselves up as her new Fonte since she left her last three dead. Those on the island have lost faith in her as their Finestra and many want her dead. Alessa hires Dante as her body guard to protect her from assassinations, which she desperately needs if she hopes to save the island from the mass of demons headed their way. Dante becomes someone Alessa can count on and means on to control her gift while training with the remaining Fontes left to choose from. Will she learn to control it in time? Will someone volunteer to be her Fonte? Will she get the friends and love she has long desired? Who will get lost along the way? Can’t wait for book 2 to continue Alessa’s story!

I enjoyed the first half of this book. The world building was really interesting, the romance was fun (one non-explicit sex scene).

But in the second half….I found the plot very flat. I think this is best exemplified in the villain. The only villain I can really see is the horde of bugs that attack - they are mindless and it’s a sheer numbers game.

Everyone else though - the dissenters, the brother who betrays her multiple times, Nina who tries to kill her - everyone is forgiven. There’s even a scene with the parents asking for forgiveness which has literally no point other than to forgive them. This book lacks a complex force of evil that I enjoy in my fantasy reads.

This was an entertaining and atmospheric fantasy romance debut.
The developing relationship between Alessa and Dante was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed their teasing banter. The side characters added an amazing found-family aspect to the story, and I would have liked to know them each a bit deeper.
The Italian-tinged fantasy elements were wonderful, and it was easy to become immersed into the world. The final battle scene was a highlight!
I’m excited for the next book!

I was into this book from the first page, and it absolutely lived up to its amazing description. Books like this remind me why I loved YA fantasy forever and ever.

This was an interesting premise, and I really enjoyed the relationship between the two characters. The world and the magic were built well, and overall, I really enjoyed this!