One of the most fun YA fantasy books I’ve read in a while. I immediately fell in love with Alessa and her voice, and I wanted to root for her especially in her heartbreaking circumstances. The narrator did a great job capturing the voice and atmosphere. I heard that this book was basically a romcom with darker fantasy elements. That premise intrigued me, and the story definitely delivered. There was such funny and witty prose, while also being intense and very emotional. And the romance is *chef’s kiss.* Do you like the part in X-Men when Rogue sees Wolverine win a cage match and is like, “Yep, that’s the guy I want to protect me”? Because that is basically this book. It’s Rogue & Wolverine but with a closer age gap so there can be romance. There is a great cast of characters and it was exactly the mood I was wanting to read right now. I know this will be a favorite of so many readers when it comes out!!!

This book was so unique!
Our main character Alessa has been chosen by the gods to be the next Finestra. As the Finestra, she is supposed to choose a partner (not sure of the spelling, fuente? Listened to the audio) and together their gift will be magnified by Alessa's gift and they will be able to defeat an invasion of demons. Except Alessa keeps killing her partners just by her touch.
The magic system was so interesting. I don't think I have read about a magic system like this before. It was a little confusing at first, but by the end I had a really good picture of these gifts and how they worked. Not everyone has a gift, but Alessa needs to choose the one she thinks will be the most useful in battle (as long as she doesn't kill them first).
Alessa was a great main character. She really took her position seriously and even though her own island was starting to think she might be better off dead so a new Finestra could be named who wouldn't kill everyone they touched, she wanted more than anything to help. She hires an outsider (Dante) to become her bodyguard and learns his darkest secret, but his secret might be able to help her. Dante is the bad boy type and I really enjoyed is character too. Alessa also has her candidates for her partner and by the end I came to really enjoy the unlikely friend group they made up.
This book was for the most part fast paced and interesting. It was easy to listen to and the narrator was fantastic. The ending was an incredible whirlwind that kept me on the edge of my seat. We got a great wrap up, but at the same time a little bit of intentional confusion and lead up into the second book which I already can't wait to read!

What a stunning and perfect book. I was originally drawn to this book for the cover - and come on, it is gorgeous - but stayed for the magic system, peril, and high-stakes of this fantasy world! Our main character is the savior chosen by the gods, trained to save her island, and unable to touch another human without the risk of killing them. As the Finestra, she is also a magical conduit for a partner's power, but without control of her own abilities and strengths, even wedded partners are not safe. But her island is not safe either with an impending invasion... high-stakes, remember? I cannot get over how much I loved this book and as a language enthusiast I was also happy with the Italian influence and proverbs throughout the book. This will easily make it to my top books of 2022!

This book is the start of an obsession and I fell straight into it's trap. I absolutely adored this story and the beautiful writing that allowed it to flourish as wonderfully as it did, This tale drips fantasy, but it's so much more than that. Beneath the fate woven long before Alessa, is a love that we watch develop slowly. We see how looks form into more between who is known as Mr. Grumpy and our main. She isn't quite sunshine, but she is compared to him. Their dynamic shapes before our eyes in such a cute fashion. The world created here feels so intriguing, but I'm hoping we get a bit more of it in the other books, For this book though, the world building isn't overwhelming, like it can be with others,

This was a fantastic debut!

The Italian-inspired fantasy world was mesmerizing, and I appreciated the distinctive storyline. It little while for the story to really get going, but now I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel!

🎧 The audiobook quality was wonderful. The narration was clear and emotive.

Special thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
This Vicious Grace is such a fun book and a breath of fresh air in YA Fantasy. Thiede perfectly manages to blend dark fantasy, romance, and humor to create a delightfully original story. I love her spin on the chosen one and found family tropes, but I especially love her take on the body guard trope. Dante and Alessa have one of the cutest romances I’ve read in a long time… though I will say Caleb is my favorite. Love me a sarcastic asshole!
Thiede’s writing style is also very fun and easy to follow. Her writing is descriptive enough to paint a picture, but not to the point where I get lost in a sea of adjectives. I was also lucky enough to get the audiobook arc, and it was expertly done. Carlotta Brentan and Michael Gallagher did an amazing job. The only reason this isn’t a five star read is it didn’t feel world changing to me. I enjoyed the story and I’m definitely looking forward to book two, but it’s probably not one I’ll reread often.
Overall, This Vicious Grace is a great read and I’d highly recommend picking it up!

Be sure to pick this one up if you like All the Stars and Teeth, Serpent & Dove, or Italian inspired fantasy!

This was different. Not bad at all, but not exactly incredible except it was. This was different. Not bad at all, but not exactly incredible except it was.

Oh my goodness, I absolutely loved everything about this book. The world Emily Thiede made for this book felt so fresh and interesting that I still think about it days after I finished the book. There was just the right amount of romance and I'm an absolute sucker for the grumpy protective love interest so I was lapping that up. And to top it all off it was an Italian world, which I feel you really don't see a lot of in fantasy novels. It seems like whenever someone's writing something in that area they just go with Greek or Roman culture because it's easier, so this was really a breath of fresh air.
My only regret is that I read this book so early and now I'll have to wait over a year for the next one.

A story I knew little about going in, but that I enjoyed every single page. Props to Carlotta Brentan and Michael Gallagher for bringing the voices to life. There was so much going on narratively that I wondered what else could be thrown at me, and for the book to end the way it did? The anticipation is killing me for the next installment.

The development of characters had me rooting for characters I did not like at first glance and the tension between Alessa and Dante had me swooning. The way Emily Thiede described certain moments had me pause and savor the beauty of Alessa's feelings. But also all the innuendos?! A true path to my heart. I cannot wait for the next book. Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook!

Ok so this is a SERIES. I don’t know how I didn’t notice that until I finished it but its book 1 which is good because I enjoyed it as a story. I’m a sucker for the ‘Chosen one’ and definitely a sucker for touch-starved heroine so here we are.

In this story, an island’s nation defense against demons that have destroyed most of the rest of the world is one person chosen every few years called the Finestra who is capable of taking the magical gifts of their chosen partner and amplifying them allowing them to fight off the attacks. Alessa was the most recent chosen but finds herself unable to perform her needed tasks because she can’t help but accidentally completely drain and murder anyone she touches. How will she save her nation especially when they themselves begin to doubt and threaten her?

It’s very Rogue from X-men, who I love so this really worked for me.

The world building was interesting though not elaborate and at points I did get confused about a few certain things which I don’t think were explained quite enough (or I just missed it but I’m normally pretty good at details…). The power system is pretty typical but used in a very cool way and the system of having an amplifier character at the center was super interesting to me.

Alessa doesn’t have powers herself and hires a guard of a street fighter she has seen previously. Of course, he turns out to be more than meets the eye and leads to romantic entanglements. I did actually really like the romantic subplot in this. I tend to like the touch and affection starved leads which Alessa is dealing with and he was at least a decent romantic lead.

The side characters are a fun and dynamic group and I really look forward to more of them in upcoming stories. A lot of the middle of the book was just them hanging around and bonding while trying to work with Alessa to not be murdered but it was enjoyable and entertaining even if not moving the plot forward rapidly.

It feels very YA with high stakes and low consequences but it is YA so enjoy it or don’t, duh.

Overall, I enjoyed this while I was listening and will definitely check out the next in the series. This audiobook was narrated by Carlotta Brenton and Michael Gallager who did a good job.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A captivating read with its creative worldbuilding and cast of complicated characters. The slow preparation and buildup to the battle to save every living thing is worth the wait. From the hero whose deadly touch has killed three to the outcast who secretly holds a power of his own to the mismatched group of would-be heroes who can’t seem to cooperate with each other, this debut will hold your attention til the heartbreaking end. I especially enjoyed the narration of the audiobook with the consistent voices assigned to each character and the fluent pronunciation of each foreign word. I was able to easily visualize every scene while listening.

Rich in Italian culture mixed with vivid imagery and a slow burn, enemies to lovers, forbidden romance captivates you from page one. I was entranced with the lore of the Finestra and how Alessa breaks all the rules as she fights for friendship, trust and love in this fantasy world. Caleb was the perfect comedic relief to complement the seriousness of the plot, and Dante’s history of being misjudged and being told he was worth nothing really tugs at your heart. I cannot wait for the sequel!

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel & can’t wait to read the next. I will say, I sped the audio up to 2x and the voice became a bit metallic / tinny sounding. But I really enjoyed the storyline, character development and unfolding of the story.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

I really enjoyed this fantasy novel! Alessa was deamed the newest Finestra and must find her matching Fonte. However, in her quest to do this she has ended the lives of 3 men. With a war on the way and people growing weary of her abilities, Alessa is running out of time to prove herself.

1. The realtionship between Alessa and Donte is WONDERFULLY written. I felt all of Donte's concerns to be valid.
2. The other characters in the book really were just "there." Not much character development in any of the characters besides the main two.
3. The world just was not described or set up well- I was confused about what was where, and then what the other locations mentioned were like.
4. I truly enjoyed the book, I saw there is a sequel and I will definitely read it.
5. I think this is a good introductory to fantasy novels for an older teen who is maybe just getting into the genre, a true fantasy reader would have found some major holes/problems with the book.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4781646110

Why did I love This Vicious Grace more than I ever expected to!? The trope of "her touch kills" may seem cliché, but I loved this fresh take on it. The magic and world and politics all made complete sense to me. I was here for this bodyguard romance! The slow burn was perfection. I loved this on audio. I would listen to it any chance that I got. I also liked the way it ended. It set us up for a sequel but I didn't feel like a cliffhanger. This book has my favourite trope ever- found family- and I loved the way it was handled. So sweet! There was a lot of action as well. A perfect balance of romance, friendship, and politics. I cannot wait for the next book in this series, and I don't say that often!

This was such an interesting concept
I really enjoyed the Italian inspo, the words and phrases thrown in there were really cool
I also really enjoyed the main character’s powers- she is not able to touch anyone or else they die *gasp*!
Alessa is the “chosen one”- she has a special gift from the gods and therefore she must chose a partner who she can bond with and magnify their magic
However, Alessa has tried to bond with 3 partners and has accidentally killed then all
Now, with a looming threat on the horizon and the people starting to doubt her, Alessa is desperate to find a new way to chose her next partner
After an assassination attempt, Alessa no longer feels safe so she goes in search ror her own bodyguard
She meets grumpy and broody Dante and immediately hires him to protect her
Dante eventually agrees and then two create a very sweet friendship
I really enjoyed Dante’s character and how he was one of the few who was able to actually tease and banter with Alessa
Alessa also drives Dante crazy which was hilarious- they were super cute together
However, Dante has mysterious secrets and the truth could be the biggest betrayal yet……

This book has me feeling so conflicted
Although I did enjoy the idea of it and the magical elements I did feel like it was hard for me to connect/care for the characters
Especially the side characters
I also wish the world and magic system was explained more as I feel I don’t fully understand it
Overall, it’s an enjoyable read but I wish it had a bit more depth
I feel like a lot of people will like it especially fans of From Blood and Ash

This book had literally everything: fantasy, magic, potential apocalypse, romance, tear jerking moments and an epic cliff hanger!

I am such a sucker for a bodyguard trope and this baby delivered. There was so much to love about the debut novel and but the real stars were Dante and Alessa. There interactions with each other were *chefs kiss*. Unlike most authors who try to write this trope, there wasn’t a huge power dynamic between them. They viewed each other as equals and I cannot say enough about that. It was so refreshing to listen to. While the beginning was info-dumpy the middle and end really pulled everything together. I’m kicking myself for not realizing this was going to be a series! I cannot wait for the sequel.

Side note: the audio was beautiful, the narrator nailed it and made me feel apart of the story.

Thank you NetGalley for the free audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

A good addition to your YA fantasy and romance shelf with some lovely themes and decent worldbuilding. Good banter. Nice development of side characters. The family was the weakest development for me. The stakes didn’t always feel high but I enjoyed the characters enough to make this a thumbs up.

I expected to enjoy this book, but I ended up loving it. Thiede has taken aspects from comics and fantasy that I adore. Chosen family and a power scorned and rolled it into this beautiful story of not only dedication but also love.

I did not expect the love that bloomed between Dante and Alessa but I found myself craving it, and the way in which Thiede handled the progression was impactful.

Alone and isolated, without companionable or loving touch, our heroine is expected to fulfil her role as Finestra and save her people and island. But being alone is never the key and with Dante's help, Alessa begins to see a way out, a way for her to have friends and perhaps even find love.

I really enjoyed this book! I really enjoyed all of the relationships and the way that they changed over the course of the story. I liked the world and the magic. I liked the main character wasn't perfect and was in fact kind of a mess. My biggest complaint was that it took so long to find the solution to Elessa's gift/problem. I feel like it was very obvious from the beginning and should have been tried before there were 3 funerals. This book is a YA book, so maybe the target audience wouldn't notice. This wasn't enough to hamper my enjoyment of the book, and I still highly recommend it.