An absolutely stunning conclusion to the Last Finestra duology.

I will provide public feedback when St. Martin's Press addresses the recent actions of its marketing team on social media.

The sequel to "This Vicious Grace" takes place six months after the end of that book, and focuses on Alessa and Dante's search for the giotte to fight the (next) upcoming battle and hopefully restore Dante's powers. The setting remains strong, an Italian-inspired fantasy world, but I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the first. Thiede does a good job alternating between Alessa and Dante's POVs as they each work through their individual past traumas, but the magic I felt between these two in book one was nowhere to be found here. They were way too angsty about each other and I missed their stellar book one banter and chemistry. I could have used a little less drama and worrying and more time with all the really enjoyable side characters. Also, the huge battle the book is leading up to is a major letdown - I think I was at 90% before it even started! I hope that Thiede writes some books or at least short stories featuring her side characters, as I will definitely come back for those. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for a digital review copy.

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

I enjoyed being back in this world, though I was having some difficulty remembering some of what happened in the first book. I think ET did a good job of referencing past scenes without detailing too much and I found myself remembering what was probably the most important parts.

But I'm having mixed feeling about this sequel. It started off pretty entertaining and I was intrigued by the storyline that was going to unfold, but the whole middle of the book just sagged for me. And I didn't end up connecting to this story half as much as the first. The writing felt very surface level with very little development. It felt like I was reading a play-by-play of what was happening without any of the emotion.

I enjoyed the end once everyone really started working together, but I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. Since everything was very surface level for me, I can't tell if the ending was just an easy way out or if that was what was supposed to happen considering Dea and her godly mechanizations.

Overall, the characters were very enjoyable and I liked the overall teachings that this book was trying to impart, but it fell a little short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this earc

I’ll start with the fact that I absolutely loved book one and couldn’t wait to read the sequel

Sadly, the sequel didn’t bring out the same feelings in me as the first book did.
The relationship between the main characters definitely felt off. Don’t get me wrong. I understand that they had to find they way back to each other. But they just lied so each other so much. Like Alessa’s blackouts. And Dante not really having his magic back.

The plot for this book also fell flat for me. Everything just felt a little too convenient. Exactly, the couldn’t find any ghiotte for years but it took Dante asking one person and there they are. They had a date when the big batter would happen? Just weird. Dante lost his powers but don’t worry. They got magic waters to fix that. Every time there was an issue, the fix came way too easily.

The ghiotte is no better. They barely let them in but then forgave all the lying? Didn’t feel right.

I also wasn’t a huge fan how every person had to be paired up with someone. Again, going back to everything just falling into place.

After the first book, which kept you on your toes the whole time, book two was very predictable and left very little to chance.

I didn't really enjoy the first book in the series, but was really hoping the second would win me over because I really do love the concept of this series... Sadly, that was not the case.

While I had a good time reading the first book in this duology, I found myself quickly losing steam with this book. While the prose is equally as well written and smooth as the first book, the general sense of the story feels much younger on the YA spectrum than the beginning of the story. It fell into more predictable traps and typical YA holes, which ultimately took a unique story and made it fairly run of the mill. The surprises were easy to guess and made the story feel like it wasn't heading anywhere exciting.

That being said, there were a lot of elements that I enjoyed, particularly the whole Dante and Alessa being unable to touch and building that tension between them. It added a nice extra layer to their relationship and kept me invested in seeing them through to the end. I also love a good queer found family, and being able to dig into Dante's backstory was very entertaining.

All in all I think this book is doing some things pretty well but not doing enough to really sell the whole package. As someone who has read a ton of fantasy, this one didn't stick out for me personally. The few bits and pieces that I liked weren't enough to really get me invested, but I can see younger audiences who are just finding their love of fantasy books really enjoying this duology. I'd give this a 2.5 for my own personal tastes, but I'll round up to a 3.

Thank you to St. Martians Press and Netgalley for the gifted eARC.

This is the second book in The Last Finestra series. While I didn’t wholly enjoy the first book I was rooting the the second one to put a little more skin into the game.

In this book we got to have multiple points of view which is refreshing. We also got more of Dante’s backstory which was nice. But I wasn’t a fan of how Dante’s and Alessa’s relationship progressed, it kind of annoyed me.

The first book wrapped up the major plot issue, they defeated the evil. But I’m wondering if this book was really needed. Overall I wasn’t thrilled with it sadly.

This Cursed Light is a fast-paced and intense conclusion to The Last Finestra duology. The story follows Alessa and Dante six months after the end of the first book as they search for the ghiotte to create an army that can win the upcoming war and, hopefully, restore Dante’s lost powers. With a darkness growing inside Alessa, secrets, lies, and an impending battle looming, danger is ever-growing and ever-present, and Alessa and Dante are tested at every turn.

I like that the story gives both Alessa’s and Dante’s perspectives in this book. Where the first book was more Alessa’s story, in this book we learn so much more about Dante’s character, and I like that the chapters switch perspectives. Alessa and Dante are such great characters, and their physical and emotional journey both individually and together are intense! However, I missed the proverbs that began each chapter in This Vicious Grace. I felt like those added so much to the story and was kind of disappointed they weren’t continued in this book.

The romance between Alessa and Dante is a main focus of this book, as the characters face major turmoil in their relationship. I loved the romance and the push and pull between them. The chemistry is every bit as electric and intense as it is in the first book. There’s definitely a shift in their relationship as the couple gets used to their new life, deal with issues of self-worth and fear of rejection, and face some other harsh realities. It’s interesting to see how they handle all of these new obstacles now that their dynamics have changed. Like the first book, both characters are forced to make life or death decisions, and the pair rarely has a minute to themselves, though they definitely take advantage of it when they do!

One of my favorite parts of the story is the found family element Alessa and Dante have with many of the dynamic side characters. Alessa and Dante travel with an amazing and loyal group, and seeing them support each other and stand in solidarity really highlights the themes of friendship and loyalty. I’d love to see a spin-off that focuses on some of these characters.

The world-building is strong too, and I enjoy Thiede’s immersive writing style. It’s so easy to visualize the world and characters, and though I didn’t love the ending and predicted a couple of the twists, it was overall an entertaining conclusion to the duology. Thanks to Wednesday Books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Alessa and Dante did it- they defeated the evil threatening their island. Yet their victory has come at a terrible cost. Dante barely escaped death and finds himself without his powers. While Alessa tries to help, she has her own struggles to deal with. Can their romance survive the traumatic events they went through? Soon, it becomes clear that the evil is spreading to other islands. Dante and Alessa must work together to rally their friends for one last epic battle.

This Cursed Light is a fantastic conclusion to The Last Finestra duology. I really enjoyed This Vicious Grace, but I loved This Cursed Light even more! Readers already know and love these characters, so the interactions are filled with even more heart and humor. In this book, the worldbuilding was expanded and interesting details were woven in. The writing was filled with witty banter and simply hilarious. I found myself highlighting multiple funny quotes and romantic sections.

Dante and Alessa’s romance is so heartfelt and I loved that we got to see what their romance looks like after the villains have been defeated (or so they think). They are both compelling characters who will do anything to protect the people they care about. I really loved seeing more about Dante’s past and what it means to have always been treated as different. The side characters are incredible! I particularly enjoyed Kaleb and Adrick’s relationship and character growth.

I would highly recommend this duology, especially for fans of Allison Saft and Rebecca Ross. I’m looking forward to seeing what Emily Thiede writes next! Thank you to Emily Thiede, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

A very solid follow-up and an HEA for the duology as a whole. I really enjoyed getting Dante's perspective and understanding his character on a much deeper level, and the queer found family surrounding the two MCs continues to be a delight. The main apocalypse plot and the resolution felt a little muddled to me and not quite up to the established stakes, but the epilogue was so cozy and a perfect note to end on.

I absolutely adored the first one, and while my memory of it was a bit fuzzy, this book definitely weaves in reminders seamlessly, so I think both people who haven't read the first one in a long time and those who just picked it up right after finishing the first one will both be able to read it without feeling confused or bogged down.

This Cursed Light picks up several months after Divorando, and while Dante is physically healed, he still doesn't have his ghiotte powers which is impacting his mental state negatively. Meanwhile Alessa is dealing with the aftermath of touching a scarabeo and there's a darkness creeping in her mind. Dante's still seeing visions from Dea, so they gather the gang to find the ghiotte stronghold and fight the final battle against Crollo.

This book is so good. I will say there's a lot of melodrama in here, but it makes sense and isn't pointless. There were a couple of miscommunication issues which are not my favorite. I love Alessa and Dante as a couple, and though Dante has softened, he still keeps that grumpy exterior we all know and love. Some of the quotes... I am a puddle of lovesick goo on the floor🫠

The gang is still great, the found family is strong here--they add needed levity to the whole "the world is ending" plotline.

I called some of the twists and turns, but that's not necessarily a bad thing! Some reveals just didn't shock me as intended.

My one pet peeve is that some of the language used is a bit too... modern? It felt a bit jarring to go from this land of no electricity and dresses and no technology to hear some descriptions that didn't fit with the implied time period. The ending was also a bit rushed, and I wanted to know if Kaleb and Alessa got a divorce/annulment? Was Dea giving them hints to save Alessa, or did that count as going against the terms of the bargain? Did Blaise live? Will Dante get some therapy? Will everyone get some therapy??

I cannot express how excited I was for this book, and the scream I scrumpt when I received this e-arc. I don't think this is a totally unbiased review because I really loved the first one! Regardless, I really loved this duology and it will always have a very special place in my heart.

Thank you so very, very much to Netgalley and the publisher for graciously allowing me to get my grubby little hands on this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!:)

Very mixed emotions about this one.

I will say this: I liked it, but I feel like it was an unnecessary sequel.

This book was just okay in most areas to me. Like it was didn't have me dying to read more, or excited to see the ending. I felt very meh about it. To be honest, I didn't LOVE the first book, but I did enjoy it enough to the point where I was interested in reading this title as well. I feel like if you didn't LOVE the first one, you won't enjoy this one. This story and its characters are an investment that I couldn't bring myself to make. And I just couldn't get myself to connect to the plot. The overall writing was good, but I did think the pacing dragged. I just had a very meh feeling about this book.

Personally, I don't think it was the book's fault. I really do think it was because I didn't love this series. This wasn't one of those series I was crazy about. The book itself is good, and it does provide a decent conclusion to this duology. I don't think this sequel was the best fit for me as a reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

Overall Rating 3.5/5

in this sequel to this vicious grace, we follow alessa and dante six months after the events of the previous book as they search for other ghiotte to create an army and hopefully restore dante’s powers.

this vicious grace easily became an all-time favorite of mine last year, and i have not-so-patiently been awaiting this sequel since. the angst in the last book was one of my favorite parts about it, and that was definitely not missing from this one! because dante’s powers were gone, he and alessa couldn’t touch, which of course led to lots of tension.

we also got to know dante a lot more in this book since his pov was included! i already loved him, but it was so great to get to know him even more.

overall, this was such a satisfying sequel, and although i’m sad to say goodbye, i loved going on this journey and can’t wait to read whatever emily thiede writes next.

This Cursed Light was a wonderful and beautiful conclusion to the Last Finestra duology. I adored this book and enjoyed every minute.

This Cursed Light picks up a few months after the events in This Vicious Grace, shortly after Divorando, where Alessa and her Fonti successfully battled the scarabei. The day was won, but not everyone came back from the battle unscathed. Dante's ghiotte powers seemed to have disappeared, and it has been difficult for him to accept losing such an integral part of his personality. Alessa is ready to pass on the powers of the finestra, wanting a simple life with Dante and her new found friends. But Dante is receiving visions, dreams, suggesting the Crollo is not done with them just yet, and they must seek out the remaining ghiotte who have gone into hiding if they wish humanity to survive what is to come. Will Alessa and Dante risk it all to save the world, even if it means losing each other?

This was a really beautiful conclusion to this fantastic YA series. I loved This Vicious Grace, and I felt that This Cursed Light was a perfect companion and conclusion to this duology. While This Vicious Grace followed Alessa and her struggle as finestra and the lead up to the Divorando, This Cursed Light is primarily Dante's story, and follows the team as they seek out the remaining ghiotte. Dante is struggling with the loss of his healing gift, and the strain it is causing on his relationship with Alessa. Meanwhile Alessa struggles with her own darkness since the battle, and worries about what will happen with these new and fragile relationships if she exposes the truth. The team travels to new lands in this story, which is an exciting change of pace, and we get to see the friendships between Alessa and her fonti grow deeper. It is also really wonderful to see how gaining the acceptance of the ghiotte affects Dante for the better, having been considered an outcast for most of his life in Saverio. It was fun to see some new characters too, like Talia and Matteo, as we learn more about the ghiotte and Dante's past.

The love between Dante and Alessa is at the heart of this story. Their love for each other is clear, but they also struggle to feel worthy of each other. Both Dante and Alessa experience a lot of growth and some hard lessons in this book, but their support and care for each other really shines.

Overall, I thought This Cursed Light was a really wonderful and engaging conclusion to The Last Finestra duology. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for an electronic advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Duets are difficult to finish at times, they fall into tropes we readers see often in short series (e.g., “I’m not good enough for you” trope). While this trope does have its place in fiction, I wish it wasn’t a predominant theme in this book. I also wish there had been a little more to the villains.

Overall a very enjoyable series!

Having read an arc of this vicious grace, I was desperately waiting for This Cursed Light to come out. So you can imagine how pleased I was when I was given an arc for it!

As one of my most anticipated reads for 2023, I couldn't wait to get into it. I missed the world that Thiede built in TVG, and I was so glad to be back in it. It took me a little bit to get to grips with where we were in the story when I jumped back in, because we were a few months after the events of TVG but once I found my feet it was everything.

The perfect way to finish the duology, I know I will be going back to reading it again in the future, because I love Alessa and Dante so much!

A beautiful finale for this duology. Emily Thiede writes such a lush environment of a fantasy based on Italy with characters that are so incredibly human, albeit ones with incredible powers. Alessa and Dante are arguably some of the best main characters I have read in awhile. They just go together so perfectly, and seeing them truly come to terms with their pasts and various forms of grief was development I really enjoyed seeing. Some of these passages really hit hard too, but were healing in their own way. One of the issues I had in the previous book was that the secondary characters felt very flat. I was pleasantly surprised with this installment in how much I enjoyed more exposure of these characters and really getting to know them a lot more. Although Alessa and Dante's relationship changed at the start at the book (imagine wanting to touch someone SO badly, but you couldn't), the pining and tension they had was sizzling, and I think it worked out for the best. I hope that Thiede comes back to this world to dive more into them. I don't think I'm ready to leave this world Thiede has created!

The only issues that I have with this book at the moment is that it doesn't quite read YA and the pacing was still a bit off to me. For a book that is marketed as YA, there sure are quite a few implied sex scenes and several sexual innuendos throughout the book. The pacing for the book was good for a majority of it, but having several chapters being focused on training for a huge war/battle, for it to only last such a short amount of chapters was anticlimactic. In all, I did enjoy the ending. I thought it wrapped up the book very nicely, I wish there was more of a focus of the world after Crollo's army was defeated. I just don't think I was completely ready to leave Alessa and Dante so soon!

Again, I REALLY hope Thiede comes back to this world, as it was so much fun to be immersed in. I cannot wait for her next book! Definitely an author to keep an eye on.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

First off, thank you to NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review. While I enjoyed this sequel, it was really just ok for me. It’s cute and wraps up everything, but felt a little empty and for whatever reason it reads way younger than book one. And while the MCs retain their characterizations, the supporting characters that are left by the wayside. They’re only brought in for spurts of relationship advice or to lend their powers as needed.

The relationship is also not the same from the get-go. The trope of the book is “I think I’m not good enough and I can’t communicate.” The spark, wit, and tension just isn’t there anymore as they get stuck in the same communication-loop. There are a couple fade to black sex scenes, but they appear out of nowhere and lead to nothing.

And finally, the ending. While it wraps everything up nicely and answers any questions, it’s not strong. Just like in book one, we spend the whole book being told it’s the apocalypse, but then the evil is defeated within minutes with little fuss. And the motivation for the evil? So anti-climatic. We read about this army training for 200 pages just for them not to be needed?? Because just kidding, this is all about the MCs and the rest of the world is incidental.

All that being said, if you read book one and enjoyed it I would recommend this as well. You get all your answers and it’s still a captivating plot.

This Cursed Light

The heart felt moments were truly beautiful. And there is a seemingly diverse cast. But overall, it was pretty anticlimactic. It’s possible that it was just because I was able to guess the twists early on. I really wanted to love this one and no one is more upset than me. 😭 It was just them prepping for another war, only this time, they didn’t know what was coming. There were some more moments of growth and self reflection which was great. It just seemed like it could have been done in the first book. Or maybe the side characters could have become the main characters for this one because they stole the show. I could have read a whole book focused on the new romance that was introduced and would have loved it so much more.

LGBTQ Rep
Content: innuendo, off page intimacy, violence, war, death of children

3 and a half stars. Rounding up to four.

Alessa has done her duty as the Finestra now she’s ready to live in peace with Dante. However, Dante is convinced that Crollo is preparing another attack, and he no longer has his ghiotte powers. Convinced that finding the exiled ghiotte is the only way to defeat Crollo, Alessa, Dante, and their friends set off. If that’s not complicated enough, Alessa is silently struggling with deadly complications from the last war. Can Dante and Alessa save the world one final time?

This Cursed Light is the final book in The Last Finestra duology by Thiede. In this installment Thiede expanded her world building by taking the crew to the continent. It was really interesting to see how the ghiotte made a life for themselves in an area no one else wanted to inhabit. One of Thiede’s strengths is her ability to craft descriptive worlds where you feel like you’re part of it. The other strength that really shines in Thiede’s writing is the found family character relationships. That’s primarily what kept me invested and reading. The banter between characters is so fun and natural feeling, not to mention Alessa’s never ending innuendos. Unfortunately, the plot pacing felt off for me in that it slowed down too much at times and became so focused on Dante I actually forgot Alessa had her own issues. Overall, though, I thought Thiede created an engaging tale of good vs evil.