As someone who really enjoyed the first book. The sequel fell flat overall for me. I loved seeing all my favorite characters again. However, the romance was severely lacking in the sequel. I loved Dante and Alessa very unsatisfying this time. The lack of communication between them and keeping secrets wasn’t my favorite. I hate miscommunication in romance books. Since most issues can be solved just by being honest. All in all it was nice conclusion. While still holding on to the action and adventure in the first book.

A gripping, romantic finale filled with magic, sacrifice, and self-discovery. Dante and Alessa’s bond shines as they fight fate—and their fears—for a future worth saving.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this.

I LOVED the first book in this series. Like absolutely loved it. Compared to that, this was a bit of a let down. It was still good and I’m still happy with how it ended but it really wasn’t as strong as the first book.

I also will admit that I probably should have reread the first book before diving into this because I had forgotten a lot. It came back to me but I would recommend reading both books together to maximize retention.

There was a lot going on in this story and it didn’t really all come together until the very end. I did love the way it all came together and I loved the way the romance evolved in this story.

I think this is a solid duology for romance / action / fantasy fans with my only note being to read them relatively close together as there are a lot of little details to remember from the first book to the second.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book did not live up to the hype of the first book, which I loved. I don't want to bring the ratings down by posting the rating on GoodReads.

My heart! I laughed. I cried. I swooned. Dante and Alessa and the whole cast of characters were amazing!! I was not ready to say goodbye!

DNF'd at 20%

I tried really hard to get into this now that I've read the first book. But I just couldn't. It was a struggle to really get into book one and I had hopes that this one would be able to get me more invested. It didn't. I think after awhile I just didn't want to read it and kept putting it off. I did try and I like certain elements, but the historical theme and the characters just don't keep me invested enough.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC. This is my honest review.

I was excited to read THIS CURSED LIGHT since the first book's ending left us with a few interesting unanswered questions. I was also unsure whether this sequel (and finale!) would be as good as the first book, especially given it has to stick the landing when it comes to wrapping everything up. And overall, THIS CURSED LIGHT was a skillfully rendered sequel... despite the fact that book one remains my favorite of the duology.

Our knowledge of this fictional setting, including its lore and history, grows a fair bit in this installment. There's brand new places visited, for one thing, and there's also more revealed about the ghiotte and their part to play in this conflict between gods. Being able to enlarge the setting and set-up for a book series is always something I enjoy encountering, and this was well-done to be in line with the plot. And speaking of the plot, I was also quite hooked! The stakes are higher (namely the fate of the whole world & humanity is now in the hands of our two main characters), and new characters are introduced (which also means additional character relationship dynamics). These new elements are balanced well with the existing found family (I really adore this group!) and the aftermath of everything that occurred in the first book (both physical and emotional). And catching some ways that the plot mirrors (in a distorted way because it's unique to this book) the previous book was fun as well! I also thought that this book ended the series on a note that felt right for the story, though it does feel a tiny bit rushed.

But once again, it's the characters that really stood out for me in THIS CURSED LIGHT. Alessa is still a main point of view in this story; her struggles have now turned towards figuring out what her future holds and what she wants for herself. Her relationship with Dante is going through some growing pains, and while that's a sensible occurrence given 1) they've both changed after what they went through, 2) there's still a fear of being completely vulnerable and honest with another person, and 3) there are unavoidable secrets in some of the precarious situations they're in , it does lead to some frustrating moments to read. Still, it does make their relationship feel more real and relatable outside of the fantastical circumstances they find themselves a part of. It's great to see that Alessa retains some of my favorite character traits - namely bravery, selflessness, intelligence and a genuine care for other people; but it's also nice to see that she's still just a very human girl with all sorts of feelings.

It's pretty clear though that THIS CURSED LIGHT is giving us readers the chance to see Dante's side of the story in a more intimate way since he gets regular perspective chapters in the book. It's his turn to grapple with his trauma, history and identity, especially since he's confronted with obstacles at every turn (including suppressed feelings he doesn't want to address). Much like Alessa, my favorite things about Dante still remain true, but he too is also very clearly just a human boy also having some very real intense feelings about all of the things. And that made me want to give him a big hug (or shake him hard, it depends on the situation) as he worked his way through it all, which I was totally rooting for him to do.

Even though I do think the ending is a little rushed and there are some characters and world bits that could have been revealed less bluntly, HIS CURSED LIGHT is still overall an effectively written sequel and ending for this series that I enjoyed.

Super delayed review because I must have pushed the wrong button somewhere. Anyway! I felt this sequel was a bit stretched in terms of plot, but I enjoyed the unique world from This Vicious Grace and the characters so didn’t mind spending more time with them. A little risqué, but age-appropriately so (mostly bawdy jokes and innuendos). A memorable FMC. Overall, a pleasant summer read best enjoyed with a slice of lemon cake.,

3.75 Stars This book made this series, I would even say better than the first. It is fleshed out and while the first novel is needed for the development of the characters, this one makes them come to life.

3.75 starrs
I really enjoyed This Vicious Grace, and really enjoyed how this book wrapped things up. I do wish there had been more with the fighting the villain, as it didn't take up too much page time despite being talked about so much. But otherwise, a good conclusion!

I enjoyed the angst between Dante and Alessa, and did really like the characters, but had a hard time getting into this one. The second POV was a great addition. I would've loved this to be a standalone! I really loved the first one, so I'd still recommend this duology to YA fantasy fans.

3.5⭐️

I have to say I enjoyed the first book more. The writing felt a little more amateurish this time around. I did still enjoy the side characters and wanted to see how the final battle would go. Glad the FMC and MMC had a happy ending as well. Overall it was decent!

This Cursed Light is a great YA fantasy read. I loved This Vicious Grace, and this sequel was just as nice. It was fun to return to this rich world that Emily Thiede has created with this duology.

This Cursed Light picks up six months after the events of This Vicious Grace, and finds Dante and Alessa dealing with the aftermath. Dante has lost his powers and without them he can no longer touch Alessa without being hurt or worse. Dante convinces Alessa and her Fonte friends to travel to find his people, the ghiotte, in hopes that they might know a way to restore his powers.

Dante also wants to find the ghiotte, and try to convince them to join Alessa to battle an ancient evil. When Dante was dead, the goddess Dea told him that the god Crollo would be sending another attack soon. When they find the ghiotte, it’s not the warm welcome Dante was expecting. Dante, Alessa, and their group must earn their right to be in the ghiotte town of Perduta. They have to act fast because the final battle with the gods is fast approaching, and without the help of the ghiotte, they don’t stand a chance.

This Cursed Light built upon the world of the first book and did a great job of expanding it with new characters and places. I enjoyed seeing some of the existing characters get more fleshed out and it was fun meeting new characters. The magic system and mythology of this series is fantastic and I’m actually sad it was just two books. This one seemed a bit rushed towards the end so it could be finished. Overall I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend adding it to your TBR.

3.75 rounded up. It was perfectly fine! There were moments I loved, especially the beginning chapters and the epic battle at the end, but overall, it just wasn't "for me" in the same way This Vicious Grace was specifically for me. I still love these characters with my whole heart, and I look forward to reading whatever comes next from Emily!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, even if it took me ages to get to.

This is the second installment in Emily Thiede's Last Finestra series. You really do need to read the first in the series, This Vicious Grace, to understand what is going on. The book picks up with Alessia returning home to find a lot has changed since she began her journey. Dante has spent his time apart building a new life and trying to figure out who he is without his powers. Alessia and Dante spend the book trying to figure out how they can fit back into each other's lives.

I was glad to get Dante's point of view in the second book. This Vicious Grace was one of my favorite books last year and I was excited to pick up the next installment. I feel like it had a complete story and wrapped up things nicely. This was a little more angsty than I prefer but that's kind of to be expected in a YA book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Theide, and St Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. #netgalley #stmartinspress #emilytheide #ThisCursedLight #TheLastFinestra

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
This Cursed Light releases December 5, 2023

3.5

Following the events of the latest Divorando, Alessa, Dante, & Co. journey to find the exiled ghiotte after they receive warning of a time-sensitive attack coinciding with the eclipse.

I really enjoyed the change of setting and the built up tension between Alessa and Dante.
The dual perspectives and sense of found family with the other ghiotte and Fonti made for a strong second installment.

I hope this isn’t the last we see of these characters! I’d love a queer spin-off series focusing on Adrick/Kaleb and Talia/Kamaria.

I thought I would forget everything since it's been so long since I read This Vicious Grace - I read an arc back in 2021! I picked this up as my commute ebook and I don't know why it took me so long to pick up this sequel finally.
This was so funny exactly my type of humour, I was giggling out loud a few times. Alessa and Dante's banter was great!
I was a little confused about the world but was mainly here for the vibes.
I probably should have reread book 1 before diving into this one... I thought this was a satisfying conclusion to this world, but felt kind of long...
3.5 ~ 4 stars
arc provided by Netgalley

I had so much fun with this one! I enjoyed This Vicious Grace and enjoyed seeing this conclusion to our characters!

Was halfway through reading but ran out of time to finish it last year! What I read was amazing though

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. Review previously withheld in support of the pro-Palestine St. Martin’s Press reviewer boycott. All opinions are my own. 

This Cursed Light is a great conclusion to Emily Thiede’s debut duology, The Last Finestra, with an equal balance of wider political stakes and swoony romance. There’s a lot going on, with the story picking up six months after the end of the last book, and the story revolving around Alessa and Dante helping to assemble an army to take on the gods. The politics and strategizing in particular was a lot of fun, and it made for a fast-paced read, even with its high page count. 

The character work was also pretty great. Alessa has changed due to what she’s been through, with her mental health taking a massive hit. Dante also intrigued me a lot more, due to him being a POV character, and being more fleshed out as a result. Their relationship also felt more complex, with them not being able to touch due to him having lost his powers, but that translated into solid romantic tension. There’s definitely some miscommunication issues here, which can be irritating to have introduced with a dual-POV romance, but there was enough going on and high enough stakes for them, that I wasn’t as annoyed as I sometimes might be. 

 I enjoyed this book and series overall, and would recommend it to readers looking for YA fantasy romance.