Many thanks to Wednesday books and NetGalley for a gifted early copy of this book! It is Emily Thiede's debut and I was really excited to read it. I was promised banter and wit and it delivered on that!

Alessa is the chosen Finestra to help her country battle against this evil beetle demon bug things that come every few years. She's had to leave her family and life behind to live in the castle and get trained on Finestra life. As a rule, she is supposed to pick a Fonte and marry them to help amplify her power and be a success in killing the bug demon things. Unfortunately, Alessa is so powerful she has killed multiple partners and is running out of time.

When someone tries to kill her, she goes looking for someone outside the palace to be her bodyguard and well, you can see where this is going. They trade some verbal barbs but he sees her for who she is and isn't afraid to be honest which is exactly what Alessa needs. Dante becomes the single most important person in Alessa's life and even when a secret is revealed that changes things, Alessa doesn't give up on him.

In the mean time, there are several characters who end up in Alessa's circle of friends and I loved them all. Even the ones I hated at first. It has such a nice sense of found family and I enjoyed it.

I will say the book took a while to get going and once it got going, it stopped too soon. That's the reason for my 3.5 star rating. I wanted a little less on the front end so we could have more on the back end. And woah there cliffhanger ending that I immediately screamed give me book two now please.

Anyway, This Vicious Grace comes out on June 28 and it's a YA Fantasy with some romance in it. I enjoyed it

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. However, after starting this book and reading a few other mixed reviews here, my interest has dropped. The writing failed to grab me and it just didn't feel unique in any particular way or that it would turn into anything unique. Rating does not reflect a true opinion.

This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede

A beautifully refreshing debut, with a gorgeous cinematic & Italian inspired setting. I thoroughly enjoyed Thiede’s lush & atmospheric prose, and her ability to balance the story with humor & darkness.

The characters are layered and well developed, I connected with so many of them in different ways. And the romance… ah, the romance. A delicious slow burn of forbidden love with a grumpy love interest is always a favorite of mine. The romcom style banter had me hooked from their first scene. I would follow Dante anywhere—skip book boyfriend & go straight to book husband.

I can't wait for book two!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this amazing ARC! This Vicious Grace comes out on June 28th 2022. If you haven’t already preordered this beautiful book, I highly recommend you do!

I thought about DNFing this book in the first 25% and now I regret finishing it. There's nothing really BAD about it; it was just painfully average. There's no real character development and while there is a lot going on, it's all presented in such a superficial way, I just didn't care.

I will not be continuing the series.

A great story about a different kind of loneliness. Alessa is a Finestra and she must find her partner, the Fonte, to give her power to save the world. Her island is relying on her to save them from the demons about to attack. Yet she has had 3 weddings and 3 funerals and remains alone. The island is in imminent danger and someone is out to kill Alessa. When she finds Dante, a beautiful and dangerous young man to keep her safe while on her search, she also finds a different kind of love.

This was a fun and lovely romantic story with a bit of adventure. I enjoyed the world building Emily Thiede wove into this story, demons, magic and folklore. It will be a perfect summer read for those fans of fantasy, romance and adventure. And I'll admit the great start to a series I will follow.


Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

It started off really good and I was very interested in the plot, but it seemed like when the love interest entered, everything else fell back to support the romance. And frankly, I didn't find the romance to be anything special or even that cute, and I was disappointed at the lack of progress in the main storyline where the end of the world was supposed to happen while the main characters were bickering and having a sexual tension. Maybe if I expected to read a fantasy novel I wouldn't have been disappointed. The side characters unfortunately weren't fleshed out enough for me to care about them. The writing itself was pretty good, even if the story was unremarkable.

I really enjoyed this story and am eager for the second to be released. It felt similar to a Hunger Games theme but a totally different storyline / plot. I really enjoyed the characters and the development of the plot itself. I highly recommend this!

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

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press Group for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars

I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. This Vicious Grace has an excellent storyline that is elevated by top notch dialogue and a truly swoonworthy romance. The story follows Alessa, a young girl that is chosen by the gods and given the gift of magnifying a partner’s magic to save her people from demons. However, Alessa’s powers cause her to kill anyone she touches, including her past three partners. When a powerful priest convinces the faithful that the only way to survive is to kill Alessa, her own soldiers turn on her. She seeks help from an outcast with a dark past and convinces him to be her bodyguard. His secrets may be the key to Alessa mastering her gifts or they may destroy her.

Gah. This was amazing. The world building was so perfect and I loved Alessa’s commentary on her world and her role as “savior”. She was an excellent main character and made me laugh out loud many times. Dante is that “if they make a movies out of this, I will hate whoever they cast as him because they will never compare” level of perfect. Alessa and Dante together are basically a grumpxsunshine romcom dropped into a fantasy novel. I. Loved. It. I am desperate for the sequel.

Fans of Zodiac Academy, Serpent & Dove, and From Blood and Ash will love this book. All the stars.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Alessa is the chosen one – the Finestra – and each Finestra needs a Fonte – a person blessed by the goddess Dea with a unique gift – to work in tandem to protect their home island from the inevitable attack that comes every so often.

There can only be one Finestra at a time, but there are many Fonte, lucky for Alessa, she can choose her partner – except she’s killed the last three she chose just by touching them.

This story goes with your typical “chosen one” troupe and switches it up, and I think that’s why I enjoyed it so much. It was something familiar with something new.

The world building in this book is incredible, but it never felt too complex to grasp and understand. It’s set in an Italy-inspired world with Italian words dispersed throughout the book but again, it never felt forced. I felt like I understood and could picture this world easily.

Alessa never asked to be the chosen one, and she hates that she has killed three of her partners – she’s an easy to like person. She wants to do her duty to protect the island she calls home but she doesn’t know how when she can’t harness or work with a Fonte without killing them. Alessa grows over the course of this story and I appreciate when protagonists actually learn along the way.

When she discovers those sworn to protect her are trying to kill her, thinking if she dies another Finestra will rise and perhaps be better, Alessa takes matters into her own hands and hires her own personal bodyguard, Dante.

I loved Dante from the minute we met him. He isn’t just a fighting brute and Alessa realized that, which is why she wanted him to protect her. We learn a lot about him throughout the story too and how despite being a fighter, he’s also a thinker.

The romance in this is the slowest of slow burns but its so delicious and wonderful, trust me when I say its worth the burn.

When a Finestra choses a Fonte, they are typically both a fighting team and romantic pair. Some possible Fonte choices for Alessa were other girls so this world doesn’t seem to be against queer relationships – even though we don’t see any queer relationships on page. One thought I had while reading this was what a great opportunity for a polyamorous relationship this story would have been with the Finestra and her Fonte and in this situation, her bodyguard. But alas, that is not this type of story. (And I mean nothing against the author, she didn’t want to write that, so she didn’t have to. I simply think this world would accept a poly relationship and it would have been interesting.)

This is scheduled to be a duology but I’m pleased to say while the ending is a slight cliffhanger, its not the worst kind of cliffhanger. Its more like, “We solved some of the problems but theres still more to be done” kind of ending. So you will feel satisfied at the end, but left wanting more.

Overall, I’m excited for this book to be released and see what everyone else thinks of it, I enjoyed it a lot more than expected and can’t wait to discuss it with others!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of THIS VICIOUS GRACE by Emily Thiede. It took me a minute to get into this book, mostly because it took a minute for the romantic interest to be introduced—but once he was, that was the end. The romance really made this book for me. The epic fantasy battle was honestly something I felt very little tension about—I knew they'd win, I even had a pretty good idea of how they'd win, and I wasn't worried about it. Dante and Alessa, however—I was STRESSED for them. Their imminent separation brought me so much pain, and their banter was literally laugh-out-loud hilarious—"Did I hurt you?" "That's my line." They had the best tension going on between them. Alessa's feelings of failure as the chosen one were also so real and unique. Toward the end, everything just started to feel to light-hearted and predictable, but that's okay because I heart Dante and Alessa forever.

If you like
🌙 Sailor Moon
🍳Flynn Rider/Eugene Fitzherbert
🛏️ Only one room
🗯️Excellent banter
🍋 Food
✨ Magic
❌ X-Men

You'll love This Vicious Grace!
I read it in 2 days! Epic battles. Friendship. Rogue and Gambit style love.
ALSO IT'S GAY.

First off, huge thanks to Emily Thiede, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This book was so good!!

The Shadows Between Us meets Serpent & Dove in this magical story. Alessa is tasked with finding the perfect partner to win their upcoming battle against the evil army, but after three dead partners she’s losing hope and so are her people she’s supposed to protect.

In comes Dante.

I loved this bodyguard, enemies to lovers romance and I’m so glad I was able to read it. The banter between these two is incredible, and I loved watching their relationship grow as they stretched each other and became better versions of themselves.

I also really enjoyed the found family aspect of this book. It was really interesting how this started as enemies to family as well, and I loved seeing everyone’s relationships to each other by the end.

Overall, this book was great and a super fun read. I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next one.

Witty banter, fun side characters AND a new book boyfriend—- yes please!

This Vicious Grace threw you into Alessa’s world head first. I was cheering, laughing, and crying for her. This was a great debut and I need book two ASAP.

So. The first 50% or so will feel a bit repetitive. But I promise it is worth it; once Alessa starts to think for herself and use what (and who) is around her for her full potential, the book takes shape in interesting ways. The interplay of religion here is actually well done; the
book acknowledges the Divine but also the errs and strength of humanity. Particularly notable for me is the way people misinterpret text and create all these misconceptions based on their own reading of something.
Btw I actually cried at the (almost) end so that's something.Thatt, along with some language lessons, sets up a great cliffhanger to hinge the series on. I very much liked the growth in the characters, and a new set of deities and landscapes to learn about. 3.5 stars.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
This Vicious Grace is a fun romantic fantasy debut. I was immediately drawn to the Italian influences, from the worldbuilding to the language. The mythology and magic, and how it informs the protagonist Alyssa and her relationships with the others around her, are well-conveyed, and complex without bogging the narrative down. The central role of religion is so interesting, and I’m loving when fantasies like this one unpack that.
I really liked Alessa and was intrigued by her backstory and how that shaped her present circumstances. She’s been married three times before, and her touch has proved deadly in all those cases. And with Divorando—Doomsday—approaching, she is expected to do find another partner, a Fonte, and she’s also in danger due to the dark reputation her powers have given her. I love how, with these circumstances, she started off somewhat unsure of herself. Throughout the book, she becomes more confident in herself and her ability to find a way out of this.
Dante is kind of your standard grumpy, cynical, world-wary love interest, and while that’s not really my thing, I liked how it was executed here. And his interplay with Alessa is charming and endearing, with a focus on their mutual support of one another.
I really liked this, and am excited for what’s to come in the next book. If you enjoy fantasy with a heavy romance focus, as well as imaginative world building and magic with an emphasis on religion, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

This Vicious Grace was a lush and fast-paced YA Fantasy, that I enjoyed from start to finish! Being part Italian myself I really love the Italian influence and language! I really adored Alessa and Dante’s romance throughout the story, and Dante is one of my new favorite book boyfriends! I also enjoyed her progressing relationships with the other Fontes. It was so heart warming to see them all friends (even Kaleb) working together by the end of the book! I can’t wait to see what is going to happen next in this series, but that was definitely a great start!

3.5
This, to me, is a perfect read for any ya fantasy romance reader. Especially those that prefer romance to plot. I think this story about a touch starved, chosen one heroine finding someone she can safely touch is an enticing premise, but not necessarily one that’s very easy to successfully pulled off. I think that this one is very well-done and easy to be sucked into. The downside was that the rest of the story wasn’t quite as engaging as the romance was. I would absolutely still recommend this one though because I think it’s perfect for its targeted audience. I’d definitely recommend this to readers that enjoyed Serpent & Dove or Elizabeth Lim’s series’.

3.5 stars. The idea was good….. I enjoyed the characters, the concept, the mythology... The pacing was off to me though. There were whole sections that I felt were rather slow and then others that moved faster. Overall I enjoyed the characters and their development.

An attempt was made.

Sadly, this book was outrageously horrible. I went into it with such high expectations because the premise sounded really promising, but every page was just unbelievably worse than the one that came before it.

Everything felt pretty shallow from the world building, the characters, and even the storyline, itself. For a book with such high stakes, it didn't feel like that at all. As a reader, it didn't seem as if everyone's lives were at stake. If Alessa didn't mention it every five minutes all throughout the book, I would have forgotten that everyone on the island was facing impending doom. Then, the characters felt very one dimensional. I didn't find any depth nor did I connect with any of them, at all.

I do have a lot of other qualms and issues about this book so let me mention some of them:
- Like I said, it didn't feel like there was any urgency in the entirety of the story despite everyone's lives at stake.
- Alessa didn't feel too concerned for her safety even though she's "the chosen one," and everyone is relying on her to save them
- Almost spit my water when I got to this part but ... you're telling me that her own BROTHER told her to off herself and proceeded to act like it wasn't That big of a deal, like you canNOT be serious right now.
- Don't even get me started on the awkward lines between Alessa and Dante.
- Then, there were the religious parents that we saw Once--and they practically threw her out of the bakery, then suddenly--SUDDENLY--had a change of heart and went against the things they believed in out of nowhere.
- I don't even remember any of the side characters. In some books, whenever the MC's came off as annoying, I would turn my attention to the side characters, instead. But in this book none of them were remarkable enough to notice.

That's the gist of it, i guess. I believe that the author had a really great idea in mind, but struggled a lot when it came to the execution. Nevertheless, I would not recommend.

Alessa is supposed to have a gift to amplify a partner's powers, but the three men she married all died. A hungry swarm of demons plans to invade her island home, and a priest convinces the people that killing her will appease them. Alessa hires a bodyguard, but he has his own secrets that just might destroy her.

This is the first book of the Finestra series, and it's very well done. In this world, where language and names are a mix of cultures we recognize but primarily Italian, the goddess Dea saved people with three gifts, one of which was stolen. The Finestra will amplify the power that her Fonte has in order to fight off the scarabeo, creatures who arrive each Divorando to devour any or all living things left behind. The Finestra is kept isolated from those outside of the Citadella, the better to cherish the relationship with her mentors and Fonte. Unfortunately for Alessa, this made her crave companionship and ultimately fear her power when her two male and one female consorts all die with her touch. The people of her island nation of Saverio are relying on her to live beyond the day. The deaths of the Fontes have made the people (and Alessa herself) doubt her, to the point that people feel she should be killed so a new Finestra could be found. This leads her to find Dante, a surly fighter who reluctantly agrees to protect her from would be assassins.

I really enjoyed getting to know Alessa and the Fontes, who she brings into the Citadella to train with prior to choosing which one she would ritually marry. They each have their own personalities and fear the death they're sure will come if they get too close. At the same time, Dante upholds his end of the bargain to keep Alessa safe. She's so desperate for companionship, and he figures out part of the problem that led to her Fontes' death. They grow closer, but she also becomes friends with the Fontes. It's a fantasy setting, with an otherworldly enemy that knows nothing about families, love or trust, all of which drive Alessa.

This is the first of a series, so of course, there's something of a cliffhanger for future books to hook into. This is a fascinating world, one that feels like ours but is distant enough that we can accept their rules, religion, and traditions. I loved reading this and look forward to future books in this series.