This was so good! I loved the first book so I knew I'd love this book too. But I wasn't prepared for just how amazing it would be!

The author did a fabulous job wrapping up the duology in a nice little bow. Overall it was a great second book and I liked the ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for allowing me to read this book ahead of release in exchange for my honest opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, This Vicious Grace, so I was so excited to be able to read this one. While the writing isn’t as strong as the first book, it was still very enjoyable. I really love how unique the storyline is, and being able to return to Alessa’s story. Would easy recommend these books to anyone who loves YA!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 stars

I wasn’t sure what to expect for this sequel and was presently surprised! The author did a great job keeping the pace interesting as well as making the plot different from book 1!

Alessa and Dante are so sweet and I loved watching them work together to save the world again. I enjoyed that this took place in a different area as that helped make the book feel more unique. I also liked that it was flipped where Alessa was more out of her element.

Alessa being vulnerable and real was so refreshing. I enjoyed she was bad at fighting and cried easily. I loved watching her and Dante fall in love again and continue that relationship. The author did a great job of growing the other character relationships as well.

Dante, my poor sweet summer child, you really have had trial after trial. This book mostly revolved around Dante and his heritage. It was fascinating learning more about him and the ghiotte. It was cool to meet some characters from his past and see that dynamic. I loved how protective he was of Alessa and how driven he was to win.

Overall this book concluded the series well. I enjoyed that this focused more on Dante and his struggles and Alessa got to support. I enjoyed seeing more of the wide characters and their relationships grow. The plot was steady and I enjoyed that there wasn’t useless filler chapters.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Emily Thiede for letting me read this ARC early!

This Vicious Grace is one of my all time favorite books, and I did a reread prior to starting This Cursed Light. We follow Dante, without his ghiotte abilities, and Alessa who still has her powers. They still can't touch without hurting Dante, naturally. Dante has horrific visions, and Alessa is quickly going insane. The crew bands together to search for the ghiotte, mixed with a few romances, and some tension. I think this was the perfect ending to this duology.

This was the perfect conclusion to a duology that picks up exactly where the first book left off.
Alessa and Dante, the heart and soul of this series, shine brightly in book 2. Their characters are everything I could have hoped for, and I especially appreciated the bonus of Dante's point of view, which added depth to their dynamic and made the story even more wonderful to read.

The first half of this book had me on an emotional rollercoaster, screaming at the main characters and wondering if the plot would ever find its footing. But then, like a beautifully crafted puzzle, everything seemed to fall into place during the last 20% of the book.

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

This might have been one of my most anticipated reads of the year. It was so nice to see the beloved characters from This Vicious Grace return in This Cursed Light. This time, they (minus two of the fonti) set off on a quest to find the ghiotte, Dante's people, who were thought to be dead, but are actually living in exile. Dante has been having visions of a coming battle and a cryptic verse appears to predict that the gods will test humanity again during the next eclipse.

Throughout the story, Alessa is literally losing her mind. It took me a while to recognize her mental decline...perhaps I was just too excited to see what would happen, but the deterioration could have been more obvious for some of us! I didn't read it as a gradual thing until a few chapters from the end.

The final three chapters were heart wrenching. It's not quite as brutal as the battle scene in the first book, but just as emotional. Tears were shed!

I'm glad we got our happily ever after, though I wouldn't object to spin-off novellas for Kaleb and Adrick or Kamaria and Talia. I did find myself wondering what happened with Crollo and Dea. Was it really all a game? No hard feelings? Crollo just walks away?

This book was ok, verging on good. I loved the original characters but felt like the newly introduced characters lacked proper motivations or realistic reactions. They felt fairly two dimensional. Aside from that. I love the descriptive language and the interesting world building in this duology, and of course the covers are STUNNING. I did devour the last little bit of the book when the conflict hit its peak. All in all I wouldn’t necessarily reread this one, but will DEFINITELY be rereading book one which I absolutely looooooved.

This Cursed Light picks up exactly where This Vicious Grace ended and the angst levels are incredible.

Dante and Alessa are a wonderful couple, and I love both of them. However, exactly like the teenagers they are, they make some really stupid decisions which caused unnecessary drama - but conflict is what fiction is about!

My only complaint is that the ending felt a little deus ex machina-esque to me. The author had done such an incredible job setting up corners to back her characters into that it seemed like the only way out was a deus ex machina.

But that's okay, I was happy they had a happy ending regardless. :)

4/5 stars.

Delightful beyond measure. Truly everything I could have hoped for in a sequel! Challenging and unexpected but also delightfully fun and comforting. I love these characters and this story line. Alessa comes into her own in a way that is both thoughtful and natural; the evolution of her character arc has been a joy to read. I truly started This Vicious Grace not liking her at all, but like most teenagers she matures in her attitude and outlook and by the end of this book I was so proud of her!

How much does the end of a book influence your overall experience?
Let me tell you, I was frustrated for fully 80% of this book, but then it all came together and I sobbed for the last 10 chapters or so. And the epilogue was perfect.
This book relies heavily on the characters dealing with the trauma of the last book in unhealthy ways. Especially hiding their feelings and struggles, not being truthful, withholding important information, feeling unworthy, and generally making things worse by not using their words. Which look, I get it. Dante in particular had a massive change due to what happened during Divorando. And actually so did Alessa. But instead of relying on each other and their friends, they bottle everything up. And the consequences are not good, especially once they’re in the ghiotte settlement.
Thankfully everyone is finally forced to come clean, and that’s when the book is really beautiful. Everything really comes together then, and truly the emotions were overwhelming then. I still think the first book is the stronger of the 2, but the end was just completely perfect and made up for a ton. I’d definitely recommend the duology.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced read for review. All opinions are my own.

This Cursed Light was the perfect sequel and conclusion to This Vicious Grace. This Vicious Grace is one of my favorite fantasy books and I was so excited to be reunited with Alessa, Dante, and all their friends in the sequel!! I absolutely loved the humor and heart in this book. Seeing all the funny quips and banter between the cast of characters in this book was hilarious. I loved seeing Dante grow closer to the group as well and (if begrudgingly) call them his friends too.

Speaking of Dante, I loved that we got his POV in this sequel! It was so great seeing his character development and perspective on the Fonti and the politics of Saverio. Most of all, I died seeing him be SO DOWN BAD and obsessed with Alessa. In This Vicious Grace, he was always the grumpy love interest, but in This Cursed Light we truly see how in love he is with Alessa and how he would literally lay down his life for her (again). The numerous terms of endearment and loving phrases he'd tell her in Italian had me swooning! I love them so much <3.

As mentioned, I hate letting these characters and world go, but I can't wait to see what Emily Thiede writes next! I'd rate this book 4.5 stars.

This book was a very solid read that kept me riveted from start to finish, and I would HIGHLY be encouraging everyone to read it and have a physical copy to have on their shelf as well. As that cover is simply begging to be displayed. So good!

I absolutely adored This Vicious Grace and this sequel has been one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Sequels are hard, so I was nervous going into this because I had no clue what to expect and where we'd go from book 1, but I'm so happy I wasn't disappointed. First off, Dante and Alyssa are as wonderful as they were in book 1. I am a big fan of seeing a relationship go through both lows and highs in books as I think it adds dimension to the characters and seeing that in This Cursed Light was spectacular because it really added to how much I loved these two characters and their journeys both together and separately. There were some moments where I wanted to scream at them to talk to each other, but those were also the moments that broke my heart the most because it's so evident how much they love each other, even when they can't always be as up front about it as they may desire to be. Their journey together is honestly one of my favorite romances and, as I said with This Vicious Grace, Alessa is such a wonderful character and I love seeing so much of myself in her and the ADHD rep is phenomenal. Also, I was REALLY happy to get so much more Dante in this one with his POV throughout. It really rounded out the story for me and provided so much more on Dante, some of the world building lore, and the overall story as a whole.

Plot wise, this one kinda followed a similar path as the first one in that they are training for something big towards the end. However, what they're training for and how it all comes to fruition is very different. We get new characters in this, but I still think the Fontes are my favorite side characters because they are just so much fun and have become really vital to Alessa and her story, and it's great to see how Alyssa began with no friends to having a true family who would do so much for her! I will say that I did guess a big piece of the plot twist, BUT I wasn't totally correct in all that I guessed, which was nice. I do think some parts were a bit rushed (whenever I think things are rushed, I always wonder if that was the author or the editor's doing?), but overall, this was an amazing end to this duology and tbh I'm really sad not to have another book in this series and saying goodbye to these characters!

THIS CURSED LIGHT is the sequel to THIS VICIOUS GRACE. I imagine that writing a sequel continuing an existing romance (albeit one with new pressures) is challenging. I loved the interplay between many of the characters (Kaleb and Aldrick made me laugh often). I also loved Dante as he found those he imagined dead and gone - his interactions with Talia were great.

Even though this was a good read, I found it more challenging to read than the first book. Perhaps it was the shifts within chapters between characters (which I felt were less in the first book), or that the relationship between Alessa and Dante seemed more forced? While I enjoyed it and would still recommend the duology, the first book felt like a stronger read than the second.

You do NOT want to miss this! This Cursed Light is a FANTASTIC sequel to This Vicious Grace. I was a little nervous because I enjoyed the first book so much, but this one exceeded all of my expectations. There was never a dull moment. Things that I loved in the first book are in this one as well, such as the banter, the dynamic side characters, and the romance. Many of the characters in the first book are in this one, and there are also new characters that definitely add to the story. There is a lot of character growth in this one like there was in the first book with both the old and new characters. Their conversations made me laugh sometimes and also want to cry (I can't explain why, because I don't want to spoil it, hehe). We get to read more of Alessa's and Dante's story from both of their perspectives. Don't even get me started on how Dante speaks in Italian sometimes! Anyways, Alessa and Dante have many uphill battles to face with trauma from what they went through in the first book, but also new challenges from the journey they go on in this book. I feel like they stayed true to their characters. Something else I liked was the setting. It's the same vibes as the first book, but I feel like the world-building was better, and I was fully immersed in the story. As far as the plot goes, the stakes are even higher in this one than in the last book. Buckle up, because it gets pretty wild! I was on the edge of my seat for almost the whole book (well, on the edge of my bed, but you know what I mean). Overall, this duology has become one of my favorite series, and I HIGHLY recommend it to all the fantasy lovers out there. Whatever the author writes next, I cannot wait because I will definitely be reading it.

4.5 (rounded to 5 stars)

The Cursed Light expands on the world from the first book and introduces some fun new character dynamics!

We pick up six months after the ending of the events in the first book. Alyssa is returning from a diplomatic trip and reunites with Dante who is still not feeling fully back to himself. Everyone is still trying to heal altogether from the war, but Dante is sure that this isn't the end and Crollo will be back. Dante and Alessa as well as the crew of Fonti leave to find the missing ghiotte and figure out what they must to do stop the next battle deigned by the gods.

I think my expectations were a bit high going into this book, and because of that it took me some time to feel fully invested in the world again. I found the modern language to be a bit more jarring this time around and I'm not sure if that was in there in the first or more pronounced in this one? I also felt at the beginning of this novel, Dante and Alyssa were both being extremely immature. I really thought they would have grown from the events of the first book, but I struggled with how they were treating each other. They definitely won me over again of course and I loved their banter between them and the loving relationship they have. I think most of the issues I found was that there was just a lack of a plot until the Ghiotte are found. Once the plot centers around the upcoming battle again, I found myself immersed and excited when reading.

There are so many more elements to found family in this book, especially since Alessa and Dante were so isolated in the first. There are some fun new romances to be found in the book and we really get further character development of the group as we learn more about them (and of course some new ghiotte characters). Kaleb is a treasure and the perfect source of comedic relief in this book. We also get some insight into Adrick and his choices and how he mends his relationship with his sister and looks out for her.

Regarding our main characters, Dante is definitely one of my favorite book boyfriends and he truly goes on his own healing journey in this book as he finds himself again after losing his powers. He struggles so much of what his purpose is and strengths being a ghiotte and having to rediscover himself. Alessa at the same time is also going through her own struggles with her relationship with Dante and confidence in herself. The battle of Divoronado really affected her and she is scared what that might mean for the future. Reading how they found each other again and their commitment to each other really touched me and I felt this was a fitting follow-up to This Viscous Grace.

We got more expansion in the world, more questions answered about the lore, and developed characters that made their own found family. I was surprised how the ending shook out and was happy with the epilogue and the individual happiness our characters found. This duology is definitely a favorite!

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

This Vicious Grace was a five star read last year but This Cursed Light was just as good, if not better. Beautifully written with a killer plot, I was gripped from the start and adored that ending! Already can't wait to reread it!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: death of parents (past), societal ostricization, violence, PTSD, war scenarios

This is the sequel to This Vicious Grace, you must read that one in order to dive into this one.

Okay I'm going to do my best to be vague to avoid spoilers but gosh did these books feel like the perfect book ends to each other. The shift in Dante and Alessa's relationship as they both figure out their identity, and trust in love. The found family, vengeful gods, and just a tender romance. The absolute angst of Alessa finding Dante, of finally being able to touch him and that being taken away.

These books are favorites and while I'll miss Dante and Alessa I'm so glad they got their hard eanred HEA.

Steam: 2.5

When the gods make the rules, the players must choose: Sacrifice their love to save the world, or choose love and let it burn?

An excellent sequel, maybe even better than the first!

My first thought after finishing this book was that I had a lot of fun reading it. I'm sad that it's only a duology. I would have loved a third book in this universe.

This book mostly centered around Dante and his plot development. It's a nice contrast to the first book being about Alessa and her struggles with being the Finestra.

Because the book was shorter, I found that there was some plot points that weren't explored as much as they could have been. For example, SPOILER, Alessa's descent into darkness. It was hardly talked about or explored until the third act where it was decided that it was a big deal.

This book shines when it puts an emphasis on found family. Dante finding a home with the people who shunned his people, as well as the people that are apart of his community. Emily Thiede is a great character writer and it shows in both 'This Vicious Grace' and 'This Cursed Light.'

Thank you to St. Martins Press and netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.