[Warning: Spoilers below]




This one was a disappointment for me. I loved This Vicious Grace so much -- and part of the reason I loved it so much was because it was such a deeply feminist book, focused on Alessa's journey to harness her powers and save her people. This one focused largely on Dante and ... the "Dante has to save the world" vibes just were not it for me. A lot of the new characters introduced were annoying and underdeveloped (like why would Dante's childhood bff who he last saw when he was *six* be so obsessively protective of him?)

It was really disappointing to go from a book where Alessa is reclaiming her power and leaning into the badass she is to a book where she's basically just simping for Dante and her big contribution is to die (which is a trope I *hate*). I never thought there was a world where she stayed dead so it made the ending anticlimactic (also the way Dante "saved" her... doesn't entirely hold together).

I'll still read whatever Thiede writes next but this was a disappointing ending to this duology.

“A year ago he would have let the world burn. Now he had a month to save it. For her.”

I’ve had the pleasure of reading some really fun and exciting sequels this year, so This Cursed Light is in great company.

Alessa and Dante were supposed to finally live in peace after saving the world and overcoming death, but the gods were nowhere near finished with them. They are both plagued by strange visions in the wake of Divorando that suggest another battle is yet to come - one they cannot win without the help of a fabled army.

I was so pleased that we finally get Dante’s POV because it added such depth to his character and the trauma he’s endured. And finally understanding how dedicated he is to Alessa, regardless of their circumstances, made my heart swell. Despite all they’ve already been through, there are still shades of the witty snark that made me fall in love with them as a couple in the first place. But they felt more insecure in their relationship than ever before, which led to more than a little miscommunication. In fact, it felt like they hid everything from each other and spent more time apart than together.

So much tension and effort is put toward preparing for an inevitable battle that I was slightly disappointed the fighting scenes weren’t longer. The whole cast spent so much time training that I would’ve enjoyed exploring exactly Alessa and her fontes could really do in a fight, especially with the aid of an army of ghiotte. Though I suppose in the end, it was never about the actual violence for the gods of this Italian-inspired fantasy world and their wager. The stakes have always been tied to the choices of the characters and the lengths they'd go to for each other.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

4.5 stars!!

I loved This Vicious Grace so much and was delighted when I was sent an e-mail saying I was pre-approved to read the sequel, This Cursed Light!

It’s always hard for sequels to live up to the original story - especially when the original is so incredibly well-loved, the stakes are high! I believe that Emily Thiede did a phenomenal job making sure this story could stand on its own two feet.

It was so nice to be reunited with Alessa, Dante and the posse as they team up with the ghiotte to save the world once again post Divorante. I loved the adventure that we were able to go on with our familiar friends and the ups and downs we chased with the new characters introduced. There’s plenty of witty banter between Dante & Alessa - and there was huge character development for Kaleb and Adrick especially.

There are a lot of surprises throughout this installment that I don’t want to spoil for readers - so please just trust me when I say this duology is absolutely worth it! It’s such a fun read that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish - there’s so much growth that we see from the first book and unexpected twists and turns that will keep you turning the page to find out what’s going to happen! The epilogue is absolutely beautiful and I think this story wraps up in a satisfying way.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Wednesday Books for providing the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to reading more from Emily Thiede - I love her writing.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This Cursed Light was a fantastic read, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I must say I did love This Vicious Grace a touch more, but I still thought that this was a fantastic end to the duology. Ms. Thiede made me both love and hate characters, and feel entirely engrossed in the world she spun. My formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

This Vicious Grace was one of my favorite books of the year in 2022. I loved it and have been impatiently waiting for This Cursed Light. The is indeed one of my most highly anticipated reads of the year, and it does live up to that excitement, even if it is not quite as compelling as the first book.


I loved being back with these characters and getting to see many of the side characters back together and working together was great. I enjoyed the development of Alessa's brother and her fonte (fonti?). I also loved much of the banter and dialogue that drives most of the story- this is very much Dante's story and it is nice to get to see him explore his past and his identity. Without spoilers, there is also a lemon fight that is "chef's kiss" perfection, and overall the dynamic between Alessa and Dante remains true to the original book, though I'm always frustrated when characters don't talk to each other.

Unfortunately, it is the source of the conflict between the god's in this world and the reason for the main conflict that is the weakest part of the story. On the one hand the resolution has all the feels and got me invested despite the weakness in the world building, But it still came up a bit simplistic to me and underwhelming.

But what makes me keep reading is Alessa and Dante, and they do not disappoint, though they both have moments that frustrated me. This is a solid YA romantasy and a satisfying ending to the duology.

Thanks to Wednesday Books, St, Martin's press and Netgalley for allowing me access to an eARC in exchange for this fair review.

This book was good until the end. For most of the book, I was satisfied and a bit relieved. Mainly because Dante was more of his own character versus a supporting role like he was in the first book. I wish the other characters had more purpose other than supporting Alessa. The storyline was interesting and I was very curious to see where it was going. I kept questioning where the author was taking it but I believed the end would tie up all the loose pieces and everything would finally make sense. Unfortunately, I didn't get the closure I was waiting for. The ending made sense but it also made the entire book seem pointless at the same time. I had a lot of questions left when I finished the book. Why have them searching for the ghiotte and building an army that was never supposed to fight only for it to really serve no true purpose? Why does sacrificing Alessa's life benefit the majority of the people and why did Dante need to lose his powers? Why did Alessa's touch destroy the fountain? I don't understand how Alessa's sacrifice teaches anyone a lesson as Crollo and Dea said it should, especially when no one would ever know the truth and Alessa lives anyway. Dante and Alessa kept secrets from each other for most of the book but when they were finally revealed it was very anticlimactic. The grand finale I was waiting for was quite underwhelming.

This was a pretty satisfying end to a series. The basic theme really drives through to the story, you can just feel the people who were wronged's resentment towards those who wronged them. It's also a peak in the book of those who wronged them. The guilt they feel and their need to make things right. Or need to not feel guilty anymore. Though I do admit I would like to see more of Giotto's perspective after this series. The world-building shows a new perspective on how religion can misinterpreted as well.

My heart. I love them so much. I got really emotional reading this so many times. Dante is bae. Great conclusion to a well written series!

I loved book one but book two wasn’t an enjoyable reading experience for me. I’d give this 3.5 stars if I could. Most of the book made me mad. I strongly disliked Talia she was so rude to Dante’s friends and expected him to be nice to hers. And Dante is so oblivious and was okay with his friends getting treated that way. Most of the book made be hate this for Alyssa and I admire her so much more for sticking through it and still trying to be a good person because I would’ve been done with his new friends a lot sooner. 80% in things started getting better for me.

I think the writing was amazing and it was really easy to get sucked into the story and Emily is an author I would instant buy from. I just didn’t like feeling upset for Alyssa for that long and my rating is purely based on my reading experience and themes that I’m not a fan of. I would still recommend people read this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Emily Thiede for the chance to read this ARC!

While I had fun reading This Cursed Light, it felt more like This Vicious Grace 2.0 than its own story. TVG did so much so well. I thought Alessa’s arc was fantastic, the romance was impeccable, the setting and descriptions were gorgeous, and the central themes were consistent. It’s been a few days since I finished TCL and I’m still scratching my head because I can’t quite place my finger on why I didn’t enjoy this nearly as much as TVG. I think I just wanted more, but it felt like duology plateaued at the end of TVG and stayed there for all of TCL.

I appreciate how Emily Thiede explores trauma and how it affects personal growth and our relationships with other people. I enjoyed tension and issues between Alessa and Dante for the first half or so of the book, but it quickly started to get old. Constantly hearing from each of their POVs that they are awful and the other doesn’t love them is exhausting. The dual POV just didn’t work for me. Alessa and Dante felt like they were repeating each other, which really slowed the story down.

I was looking forward to understanding the magic system more in TCL, but that didn’t happen. I’m past expecting magic to be explained and have logic in YA and NA fantasy—especially fantasy romance—these days. There seemed to be much more focus on Alessa and Dante pining for each other and feeling awkward and out of place in their society that magic was put on the back burner.

Overall I think This Cursed Light was fine. I’m sure most people who enjoyed This Viscous Grace will be happy with TCL.

2.5 stars. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up This Cursed Light on December 5, 2023.

I had such high hopes going into this book because I gave This Vicious Grace five stars. But it felt like I was reading a completely different story, with less compelling characters and a plot that wasn’t necessary. The story skipped around so much that I felt like I had no time to settle in with the characters and feel what they felt. We just skipped from moment to moment with almost no transition or explanation.

A lot of the magic wasn’t explained super clearly, the characters felt like caricatures of themselves, and overall I just didn’t feel motivated to pick it up. It pains me to say it, because I love this author and the first book, but this one was a miss for me.

It might be up your alley if you enjoy training montages and forbidden love, and miscommunication. But all in all the sequel wasn’t for me.

This Cursed Light is the second book in the Last Finestra duology and should be read in order. After saving the world, Alessa and her companions are home and ready to live their lives. Dante is still struggling with the loss of his powers and the inability to touch is putting a strain on his and Alessa’s relationship. But the Gods are not finished with them yet, the big bad is coming and Dante will have to ask his people for help. Secrets come to light as Alessa and Dante’s love story test their wills and limits to reach a hard won and satisfying HEA in this exciting fantasy duology’s conclusion. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

The saga of series ending badly for Sarah continues.

This wasn't the worst ending I've ever read. It wrapped up character arcs nicely and finished off all of the plot lines. There weren't any major personality shifts for the MCs, and I still enjoyed the fantasy version of Italy.

I firmly believe Alessa and Dante are some of the best YA characters I've read in a while. Their POVs switched cohesively, and they have strong personalities. Alessa and Dante are working through shared and separate trauma. We see them struggle to get over childhood hurt and how it affects their abilities to form healthy relationships, platonic and romantic. It's rare to not have YA books where the main characters make dumb decisions for the purpose of furthering the plot. They are both sharp, and come with flaws.

The romance I loved so much intially fell apart in This Cursed Light. Dante and Alessa's sharp dynamic was completely absent. I missed the wit, sass, and humor that made me fall in love with them in the first book. They got stuck in a miscommunication loop, falling into the classic YA trap of "I'm not good enough for you, why do you love me." In small doses, I can deal with this trope, but it permeated the whole novel, up until the epilogue. Sure, there were fleeting moments of the iconic wit and dialogue, but overall, it was replaced with a weird back-and-forth dynamic.

When Dante and Alessa weren't working through couple therapy, they were bundles of raging hormones. While it only had one or two vague sex scenes, the amount of innuendos and talk about bodies looking sexy was too much for me. If I was looking for smut, I would be in the adult section. This isn't really the author's fault; publishing companies need to market for the right audience. I know this will boil down to personal opinion, but this is not intended for a younger audience. Lots of dirty jokes and heated statement that no fourteen-year-old has business reading.

Much like This Vicious Grace, the villain plays a fleeting role. The big bad is overplayed and talked to death, but facing the villain takes up hardly thirty pages. There's so much prep and anxiety over an evil that is underwhelming in the end, when it has the potential to be terrifying. Thiede spends too much time prepping her characters for a ludicrously quick battle. The preparation is repitive as well. Majority of the time the preparation is reading about soldiers training, over and over again.

If Thiede doesn't give the side characters their own books, I'm rioting. More often than not, they are relegated to therapy roles or moments of humor, which is a shame. They are all so witty and fun, yet they never reached their full potential. I would have liked to see them not play the roles of psychologists and comedic relief.

If you loved This Vicious Grace, I do reccomend you read the sequel. It still was fun and charming. If you don go in with high hopes for the romance, and are ready to admit the villian is too similar to the first book, you'll set yourself up for success.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

In her much-anticipated sequel, Thiede pits her impassioned lovers and their allies up against a new threat, a battle promised by the gods to be an even bigger test of the heroes’ mettle that the war they faced at the end of book one. While we don’t know much about what’s to come this time, the book follows a similar structure to book one, as the central cast of characters prepares for battle, while also building friendships, grappling with complicated family relationships, and falling in love. Thiede flips the focus from heroine to hero, though both have plenty of page time, as Dante’s struggle to reframe his identity after the loss of his powers takes center stage, a challenge that proves especially complex since the story takes the group into his old community. Outsider becomes insider. The elite become the ostracized. No one’s on familiar footing. Meanwhile, Alessa struggles with a growing darkness inside her. And while the lovers engage in lots of flirty banter that keeps the tone relatively light overall, we know a menace looms on the horizon, and when it comes, readers will be flipping pages through the climatic action scenes, hoping the lovers not only emerge victorious, but also get their longed for happily ever after. Fans of book one will likely devour this, and be eager to see what Thiede sets her hand to next!

This Cursed Light begins by asking us what we would truly sacrifice for love. Beginning knowing that nothing is ever as simple as 'happily ever after', This Cursed Light begins on a tense edge of the knife. Reeling from the emotional whirlwind and actions of This Vicious Grace, for Alessa and Dante their journey and turmoil is far from over. They're still very much working through the trauma of the last book. I think what I enjoyed was how This Cursed Light works through their relationship.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for providing an advanced ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is set to release on December 5, 2023—a great pickup for a good read.

I loved the first book and was super happy to receive an advanced copy of "A Cursed Light." Alessa has won Divorando with the help of her chosen Fonte, her Fonti friends, and a ghiotte, Dante. Alessa, the other Fontes, and the rest of Saverio believe they are now safe from Crollo and his army. However, Dante believes they aren’t finished with him yet, and something worse is on the horizon. To prepare for whatever Crollo has in store, they will need an army of the beings the Church of Saverio banished—Ghiottes.

I appreciate the character development of Alessa and Dante, as well as the other characters in this story. No plotlines felt unfinished, which I appreciated. Although I liked how this book ended, I have one issue with it. In my opinion, I felt like the plot was slow for much of the book. It seemed like there was too much dragging on about Alessa or Dante’s trauma on a new journey, which felt unnecessary to the story. The book started to pick up around 80% of the book or so. Other than that, I liked the book and the following chapters made up for it.

The epilogue was beautiful and a perfect conclusion to this duology. The story presented in this duology is interesting and unique, and I would recommend you read it :)

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This Cursed Light by Emily Thiede was a highly anticipated read for me as I loved This Vicious Grace (book one). The author continues her Italian-inspired fantasy romance series with this exciting sequel.

The characters that the author continued to flush out were individually endearing and I loved seeing the relationships between them develop further. The author continued to find ways to raise the stakes that left me on the edge of my seat and unwilling to put this book down until I was finished reading.

Overall, I gave this book a four-star rating and would recommend it to anyone who likes action-packed adventure, twists and turns, loveable characters, and feel-good romance. Its sure to be a satisfying read!

I really loved this book! It was full of adventure and I loved how the author developed the characters! I was never bored because of how well the author kept the story going. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

I really enjoyed This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede and was looking forward to the second book in this duology. I follow Emily on social media and I know she's spoken publicly about how difficult the second book was to write, sophomore slumps, etc. I do think it shows in this book. It's not as cohesive as the first, the world building isn't as interesting and the plot feels tacked on to the first book just to make a two book deal. I did really love the interactions between Alessa and Dante in the TVG, Emily is excellent at banter and definitely has made me chortle out loud with some of her funnier bits. I just found that all of the obstacles and resolutions in TCL ended up being too convenient and the stakes didn't feel particularly high throughout the book. While I loved Talia of the Ghiotes, the rest don't make much of an impression. By the final battle of the book, I was completely disinvested in what would happen. I appreciate a happy ending but it does skew quite close the end of the first book. Also, there are a lot of formatting issues with the kindle. There is no break in the page to signify a shift of perspective (like switching from Dante to Alessa) and it reads very confusingly. For example, at 71% on the kindle it jumps from Dante speaking to Adrick: "You can't keep it from her forever." "I won't," directly into the sentence "As night fell outside their villa, Dante pulled a scarf from his pocket with a flourish, earning a very wary look from Alessa." Also at 85%, Alessa is speaking to Talia and then it jumps to Dante speaking to Blaise. It's just jarring. Overall, I look forward to what Thiede writes next - clearly we both have a love of romance and fantasy - but this one missed the mark for me.

After reading the first book in this duology I was looking for the riveting story to continue but sadly this second foray into this world was filled with angst, pettiness and many times just plain boring. It did give us some closure from the story in book 1 which without this book you would assume they would have to keep fighting for survival every 7 years but this could have been done as a novella with better results IMHO since I felt large portions of this book were filler or useless drama. I wanted to give this book at least 4 stars but when you compare it to the first book which was a "can't put it down" story, this one was closer to a punishment than a pleasure so sadly I am giving it 3 stars and wishing it would have been more.