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

Thank you to Wednesday books for letting me read an ARC through Netgalley for an honest review !

I really loved the first book in this Duology and I couldn't wait to read the second one ! I was so excited to receive an ARC and OMG, it was sooooo good !

This Cursed Light was amazing. Once I started it, I couldn't stop reading and I was sad when it was over.

The secret of this Duology is the banter between the two main characters: Alessa and Dante ! Their chemistry is amazing and the author is so good in writing their dialogue. The tension, we could literally feel it on the page ! It's like it was circling from the book to my hands !

I loved to learn more about Dante's origins in this one.

I was sad to let those characters go. I can't wait for everyone to read this epic conclusion.

And for the people who haven't read it yet, go, you can Binge read it !!!!

Read if you love :

✨ YA Fantasy ;
✨ Tension and Banter;
✨ Bodyguard X chosen ;
✨ She can't touch anyone ;
✨ Magic
✨ Gods feud.

I read an arc of This Vicious Grace two years ago and it's no secret that I liked it but I found some things a little cringe and others very rushed and poorly developed, even though I recognized the immense potential of this author !

I really liked This Cured Light and I can confirm that the author has improved a lot, the writing is fluent and captivating, the development of the story is never boring and the characters are very funny, well characterized and with a love story of a next level !
I laughed a lot, Dante, Alessa and the whole cast of characters are crazy, very funny and I fell in love with everyone. I cried, I got emotional, I got obsessed and then I cried again once I finished the book! It was truly an addiction. A truly perfect ending.

Some moments remain crazy and quite cringe, considering that it is a romantasy book set in Italy, and I am Italian, some things about Italy like the food, some words traditions are crazy and not true but it doesn't matter because they remain very funny!!

This Cursed Light is out everywhere today. Don't miss it!
Thanks to Netgalley, Wednesday Book and Emily Thiede for providing me with this ARC!

I loved this follow up to This Vicious Grace and it was a really wonderful conclusion to the duology. My favorite duologies (and series generally) build on the world they establish in the first book, expand beyond it and test the characters even more. This Cursed Light delivered on that promise and more. We get more Alessa and Dante, their blossoming romance developing even more in this second book. Their relationship is established in TVG, but it is understandably tested here as Dante goes on search of people more like him and they both struggle with wanting to be the person the other deserves. I was impressed with how mature both of them were even if at times their equivocating and secret keeping felt like too much. At the end of the day, their love for each other was special and carried the day and I love that so much. I did miss their banter from the first book, but it makes sense that now that they are together their inner insecurities may be the thing keeping them apart moreso than their situation previous.

The little found family from TVG is still present here in This Cursed Light and their dynamic was so much fun. I adore Kaleb so much now which is hilarious considering how little I liked him at first. I loved having them all team up and work together in different capacities and it was a joy to be with them in this book.

The overall conflict did feel earned and expansive in this book. I think some of the conflict might be a little surface level but at the end of the day I'm here more for the relationships than for outright battle.

Why isn't this series a five star for me? I'm honestly not sure. I had the best time reading it and wanted to pick up both books whenever I put them down. I think maybe some of the world building is a little lacking and the book lacks some of the depth I think it could have had, but I would absolutely count this among one of the best YA fantasy duologies out there and heartily recommend it. Particularly if you like Divine Rivals I think you will enjoy this. The ending was a little rushed maybe? I would have liked a little more but ultimately I adored this series.

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Publication Day!!!

Wow, Emily Thiede, please never stop writing. I am so unbelievably torn apart at the fact that there is a real possibility we'll never get more from these characters. I did rate this a four because the first 100 pages were (just in my opinion) really rocky feeling to me. The emotions where there and expected after facing the horrors of book one, but the actions of Dante in the beginning I felt just really didn't feel fit his character well? It felt like a different Dante. However, the rest of the story was amazing and I am so so so thankfully to have been able to read this early and annotate it on my phone! I cannot wait for my fairyloot copy to come in the mail.

If you at all enjoyed book one PLEASE pick up book two! What an amazing story.

*Book Review*
THIS CURSED LIGHT x Emily Thiede

☆☆☆☆☆/5 stars

Book 1 introduced us to Alessa and Dante, the world building and government....but book 2 was even better than the first. We get to hear more from Dantels pov, and we get to see how much he struggles with some of his life experiences/choices and to really see how deep his love is for Alessa. The book is more action-packed and showcases bantering between characters we know and love, traveling, near death experiences, and a band of new characters. Even though this is the end of the series, these characters definitely have a way of sticking with you even after you turn the last page. Thanks, NetGalley and Emily Thiede, for the opportunity to read this fantastic novel.

I really liked the characters and that’s the main driver of my rating here. Not all that much actually happened throughout the book and most of it was very predictable. I feel like this duology really only needed to be one book. The ending was anticlimactic and repetitive. Also the cat is so poorly woven into the story. That being said, I didn’t hate the story, there just wasn’t too much to it in my opinion. I also felt like Dante and Alessa’s lack of communication about their issues wasn’t exactly befitting their relationship.

I got an arc on NetGalley for a free and honest review.

Six months after saving the island, Alessa wants her happily ever after with Dante. He's convinced the gods aren't finished with them, and a kiss from her could kill him now that he doesn't have powers. They plan to find the exiled ghiotte to restore his powers and create an army powerful enough to save them all. Alessa has her own secret, and the mysterious city of the banished could possibly be more dangerous than they thought. Dante must ultimately choose which side he is on.

This Cursed Light is the sequel to This Vicious Grace and is the second half of the Last Finestra duology. It begins several months later, with much of the damage from the Diverando fixed up. Alessa has headaches and flashes of others' emotions from time to time. Dante is hiding how inadequate he feels without the healing factor that made him a ghiotte, even if the people had historically persecuted them. With a prophecy of sorts hanging over their head about the onslaught from the gods coming, it's a ticking time bomb that they're planning to fight against. Their best bet is finding the other ghiotte and hoping that they would help fight the creatures, but convincing them is no easy task. Understandably, they're not too enthusiastic about saving the people who would have cheerfully killed them all and aren't quite ready to be an army.

Alessa and Dante tell each other and the people around them half-truths, and dance around their feelings for one another. They fully acknowledge that they love each other, but the ghiotte would never accept the Finestra among them, and Dante has to hide so many things as he tries to get their cooperation. In the midst of this drama are some fun moments between them as well as with the Fontes that Alessa had collected to help her defeat the creatures. They all play off each other beautifully, and I enjoyed their friendships. This plays a role all the way to the end, which felt a bit like a deus ex machina. (Or Dea ex machina in this case?) But you know what? I don't mind, there deserves to be a happily ever after, and the team has certainly earned it.

When I first read Emily Thiede’s debut This Viscous Grace, I couldn’t shut up about it. I couldn’t remember the last time a YA fantasy had me so excited and I was recommending it to anyone I possibly could. When I found out it was going to be part of a duology, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel. Unfortunately This Cursed Light failed to land quite the same punch that its predecessor did. Now by no means is this a bad book, far from it actually. But my expectations were high and I was ultimately let down a bit.

While I couldn’t wait to return to the world that Thiede created I had a hard time diving back in at the beginning of the book and the feeling lingered for most of my journey through this book. I just couldn’t connect to the characters and plot fully the same way I did before. Now there was much to like about this book. The characters were strong, and I truly love both Alessa and Dante. The larger group dynamic was also very enjoyable. The writing and descriptions of emotions could be quite beautiful as well.

Unfortunately there were just a few moments where the pacing felt off, the plot a bit simple and the tension/wit of the romance lacking a bit from the already established strong romance from book one. While I definitely don’t regret reading This Cursed Light and might even re-read this with a fresh mind in the future, I was left wondering if this sequel was entirely necessary or if it distracted from the utter brilliance of what came before. 3.5-3.75 stars.

While I am incredibly grateful for this ARC, I will be withholding my review until the SMP strike has ended. Thank you!

This duology was fantastic!! I loved the first book so much and the second book did not disappoint. The banter, the sexual tension and that ending!!!!!!! Omg I loved everything about this book and I’m so sad it has to end!!!

I have so many emotions for this book. It was an absolute rollercoaster. I was happy, then sad, happy again, heartbroken for a minute, and then happy once again. The banter between Alessa and Dante was entertaining, I loved it along with the banter between the rest of the characters. The build-up to the conclusion was never-ending. It was never dull. I would have liked to see more of the God's, but it wrapped up the characters and storyline quite beautifully.

After absolutely loving This Vicious Grace, I’ve been highly anticipating This Cursed Light. But instead of getting an ending I loved as much as this series’ beginning, I read a continuation that just had me going “eh”.

To begin with, I will say that This Cursed Light does a good job with it’s characters. After meeting such a close group of fonti in the first book, one of the biggest things I was looking forward to was seeing these characters again. I really enjoyed reading these characters joke around with each other and be there through the toughest moments solely because they cared for each other.

I do also want to point out that, while the first book was undoubtably queer, this book seemed to bring it up to an unabashed level. Very early on in This Cursed Light, we point out that a character from the first book is only attracted to people of the same gender, and while I didn’t get the feeling from either my first or second readthrough of This Vicious Grace, I really did enjoy seeing this character get their own side-story romance throughout this sequel.

(I only wish I could have seen a little bit more of it in the first book. It felt almost out of place here.)

The plot for This Cursed Light, on the other hand, felt weak. At the end of This Vicious Grace, Dante has a vision that Crollo will return, and that they will need help from the ghiottes in order to win against this new threat. Of course, I was very interested in seeing an adventure where our returning characters sought out a race of people thought not to exist anymore, but I felt as though This Cursed Light was a little too vague in this adventure. So many exciting things were happening in this book, but the narration never seemed to dwell on it and make them the big moments they should have been.

I also felt as though the ending of this book was weak, especially on the subject of learning what this new, terrible plot made up by Crollo contained. Maybe it is because this series reminds me of another book series I’ve read before (and no judgement for books being similar to others–with how many books exist in the world, there are bound to be similarities!), but I could very easily tell some of the things that were going to happen before they occurred.

(I wish I could do a side-by-side, spoiler filled comparison of the two series. I find my similar thoughts on the two interesting, but I have no one to share it with.)

In all, I ended this book feeling let down. For how much I was anticipating this sequel, it ended up being just “fine” for me. I didn’t hate it. Didn’t love it.

But I wanted to love it.

“She clutched at him, his name on her lips a plea for salvation. He’d kneel at her altar and pray for their lives.

We start the book with Alessa on her way back from a celebratory trip and Dante having bought the bar where he used to fight – I guess they paid him for helping defeat those bug things?

“Slayer of demons, she wore the spoils of victory on her skin.”

Anyway, Alessa and her Fontes were away, and Dante was having dreams of blood and death.

“No more demons. No more wars. It was time to begin the rest of her life.
Happily.
Ever.
After. “

But no one believed him – and you know what? Alessa should have believed him.

“Ciro and Diwata’s vessel was larger and more elegant than any of Saverio’s, but it was still a floating death trap. She eyed the smudged horizon warily. If the crew felt it was safe enough to depart, it must be. Then again, hundreds of ships had sunk throughout history after crews made similar decisions. Thanks to the Cittadella’s logs of maritime deaths and injuries, she knew of a dozen ways to lose a limb or perish at sea.”

I wish the adventure part of this book was a little more detailed, or longer because I love when characters have to travel somewhere in books.

What?” Kaleb clutched his chest in mock outrage. “You mean to tell me this gods-sanctioned marriage of convenience hasn’t evolved into a love match?

I didn’t really care for Kaleb much in book 1, he was kinda just there, you know? But I enjoyed the fluff out of his character in this book. He was pretty much the definition of comedic relief and I highlighted a ton of quotes from him.

“Dea and Crollo disagreed about whether humanity deserved to exist, so they made a bet, and we’ve all been pawns in every round since. But all games end eventually, and now things have changed.”

I want to emphasize that I did like this book, it was funny (a saving grace honestly, the funny parts were great) and had some nice plot twists, but the negatives started to overpower the positives in the end for me.

“Dante leaned, a mere sway toward her, then caught himself, dragging a hand through his hair with a low “Fuck.””

The banter between Alessa and Dante was still really great, I love how they respond to each other, but I do wish there was more of them in this story. If they had been separated for the book, that would have been understandable, but they were all still together and yet, not?

“He never knew how to soothe her when she dreamed about his own death. It had happened a few times in the months after, and she’d been wracked with guilt each time, as though he might have forgotten that he’d died if she didn’t remind him.”

Alessa was clearly having issues in the beginning and middle of the book, but instead of trying to understand them and manage them, she just hid everything or brushed it off as nothing. That isn’t a theme in books I like, so that was an issue for me. I get not telling her friends, she hasn’t had friends in a long time and she didn’t want to frighten them off, but not even admitting to herself or Dante? No.

“He’d been too damn busy feeling bad for himself and mad at the world, and mad at her—there it was, yes, mad at her—to see it until that moment. Not mad because she’d taken the life he’d willingly offered, but because she’d given it back with a piece missing.”

This leads me to my next issue – Dante. I realllly liked him in book 1. This book? Not so much. He was wallowing, whining, rude to the Fontes and Alessa, constantly thinking about how much this sucked, and just generally feeling sorry for himself. I know that his powers were integral to him, but it was kinda annoying. And when he stopped this internal (and external) behaviour, it was so abrupt that it was rushed and not well done.

“I’d spend a hundred years in chains for one day with you.”

The ending was also very short, I would have liked more of everything. Overall, I still did enjoy this book, but it wasn’t as much as I enjoyed book 1.

“I’m so sorry.” Alessa reached up to touch Dante’s cheek. “You have to let me be the hero this time.”

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and the author for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

“You just need to find the right person.”
“Ha!” Saida chucked a pillow at her. “Easy for you to say. You found your true love at eighteen.”Alessa’s cough sent a puff of powdered sugar into the air. “And he died.”
“Yeah, but he’s fine now,” Kamaria said. “All’s well that ends well.”
“I can barely touch him!”

THIS CURSED LIGHT is the finale in THE LAST FINESTRA duology and follows Emily and Dante six months after the events of THIS VICIOUS GRACE.

I absolutely adored reading THIS VICIOUS GRACE and was so excited to receive an arc for its sequel. Emily Thiede is a master of worldbuilding, characterization, and swoon-worthy romances.

I loved the new side of the world we visited in this, with the home of the ghiotte. I did miss some of the characters from the last book, but I loved the new characters we met! They were all so well-developed and had their own complete arcs.

Dante being edgy and dramatic in the beginning was a little difficult to power through, but it was justified, given all he was going through. Despite that initial struggle, I really enjoyed having Dante’s POV added. The character voices were distinctive and Thiede switched between them with ease. And the character! Development! Not just for Alessa and Dante (though they learn and grow a LOT) but for the minor characters as well!

I also appreciated Emily showing the trauma that Alessa and Dante went through and them trying to work through that while preparing for a second war that they want no part of, instead of them blindly jumping into it like we see in a lot of fantasy books. Their reluctance to save the world a second time was honestly refreshing to see and felt very realistic.

THE LEMON-THROWING FIGHT SCENE?? RIP ME IN HALF IT WAS SO CUTE and the perfect balance right before the pain started. I was smiling and giggling the entire time!

THE ENDING MADE ME CRY SO HARD when Alessa was dying and noted that the people we lose are all around us as long as we’re around to remember them. It was a bit of a quick wrap-up for a battle they spent the entire book preparing for, but it made me so emotional that I didn’t even care.

I would love reading more in this world, but I love that Emily quit while she was ahead and made this a duology instead of stretching the series out unnecessarily.

In all, this is definitely one of my favorite duologies of all time, and I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'M NOT CRYING; IT'S JUST RAINING ON MY FACE. A perfect ending to the duology: funny and emotional. The banter between Alessa and Dante is romcom perfection, and the dual perspectives allows the reader incredible insights into both of their minds and hearts. It also answers a question not many books do: What happens to the boy and girl after they save the world? The supporting cast add to the story perfectly; they're all well-rounded and each stands out on their own. And, of course, the plot is fascinating and fast-paced. Just make sure to have some tissues handy, okay?

4.5/5

I was a little nervous to read this one because I have a few other series that disappointed me this year. They were good, but they didn't quite deliver for me. But...BUT Emily Thiede wrote a conclusion to her The Last Finestra duology that is packed with themes of sacrifice, belonging, and a whole lot of heart.

I'd forgotten how much I missed Alessa, Dante, and the rest of the gang. The continuation of their story was powerful and bittersweet. Theide did a nice job of balancing the heavier subjects with cute interjections of Alessa and Dante's flirting as well as humor from some of my favorite side characters (Kamaria and Kaleb).

The plot moved along pretty quickly. It dipped a couple of times, but Theide always made sure to pepper in moments of action to keep the story lively. The conclusion of the story did a nice job of wrapping up some unanswered questions.

I can't wait to see what Emily Theide does next, but I am a fan. Definitely add this duology to your list if you haven't already.

This was a fun ride! I want a Kaleb spinoff, more of him please.

Alessa and Dante kind of annoyed me but maybe I’m just moody this week. Over all i genuinely enjoyed.

Our characters should be in the clear after the last book… right? Except Alessa’s story was never the typical one in their culture, and the danger is not over yet.

The second in the duology, this installment starts some months after the last book ended, and we get to catch up on all that’s changed with our characters. Dante has lost his powers, and Alessa is finally beloved by her people (you know, after they all but turned on her).

I’m a romantic, so I was instantly worried for Alessa and Dante’s relationship— for good reason. Can they touch each other? How is everyone going to treat Dante, who was basically a pariah before? Especially now that Alessa is in such a different position?

We have high stakes! Save the world, and two young people finding their way back to each other as circumstances divide them. And it’s well done. No spoilers, but I love how these character gravitate toward each other regardless, and how great their friends are. The community they live in annoys me sometimes (as it’s intended to), guiding them in the wrong direction, but I do love YA characters who ignore the much older adults telling them wrong. (I’m sure my mother is screaming somewhere, ha!)

If you want a satisfying and powerful ending to an excellent YA fantasy romance duology, read this! Read both books— they’ll be up on Best YA Fantasy lists to come, deservedly so! I highly recommend— this publisher and their authors do right by the genre and readers.

Firstly, I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

'This Cursed Light' is the sequel to Emily Thiede's 'This Vicious Grace' where we follow the story of Alessa and Dante and some other wonderful characters. This sequel takes place following the events of the first book and let me just say, I did not feel like this second book suffered from that "sequel book syndrome". I loved that we got so much more of Dante's POV in this book. In the beginning I found myself on this rollercoaster of annoyance right alongside him. Following the events of the first book, we really got to travel through all of the characters fears and frustrations and how all of these events built up new conflicts and worries amongst the characters.

Alessa and the gang travel in efforts to find the other Ghiotte in hopes of uniting together to fight against the upcoming threat that Crollo is sending. And also in hopes of restoring Dante's powers. But all is not so simple hehe and right when you think they got it figured out... they don't. Live for the drama.

I think this this a perfect YA duology for younger audiences and even fans of YA. The dialogue is fun and the banter is my favorite.

My only thing was I think the pacing in the beginning to middle is what through me off slightly because it took off so fast and then I felt like suddenly I was trying to get through 75 or so pages.

Otherwise, I think this was a wonderful read and I can't wait for more from Emily Thiede.

Emily Thiede is so good! I knew from the first book that I was going to love these characters. This was another one I added to the classroom library.