This book was amazing. No trace of second book syndrome AT ALL. It picked up right after This Vicious Grace ended with Dante and Alessa together but things are not perfect in their world. Dante’s vision haunts him in nightmares and he feels lost without his ghiotte healing power. Alessa is also experiencing nightmares and unusual episodes.

As they try to find the missing ghiottes, they get closer and closer to each other and their found family stands with them to face whatever is coming.

This book was a perfect blend of fantasy and romance. Everyone should have someone love them like Dante loves Alessa. I highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys fantasy romance with found family, high stakes battles and warring gods.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This cursed light- 3.75⭐️ 2🌶️

New Adult
Fantasy Romance
Dual POV
🏳️‍🌈 Side characters
Found family
Journey
Savior Storyline
Self Discovery
God/goddess Magic System
Closed door spice


This was such a great duology! It is set 6 months after the end of the first book and gives a new POV! Both the MC’s were unique and separate. I never felt like they were blending into the same character, the way some book couples do.

The angst from book 1 was so good, this book wasn’t quite to the same level of intensity, but still had a slow burn vibe. It was interesting to have the main POV from book one state that she has to let the MMC be the savior so specifically. It was a little bit of a 4th wall break. The FMC was so well emotionally developed in the first book, I was a little disappointed that the MMC didn’t get the same amount of emotional focus… while at the same time being disappointed that the FMC just took a solid step back, causing the whole book to seem a little unfocused.

When it came to the big bad… I feel that the premise of the battle was really interesting, but concluded way too quickly. There was so much nuance that could have been explored, and instead it was glanced over… the first book had some of this issue with execution.

I loved getting to know the old characters better, but the new characters were very surface level and seemed like they were just full of hot air. They didn’t seem to have much of their own character arcs, which made them feel more irrational, erratic and unmoored.

Man, we’re there a lot of dirty jokes and innuendos. It was interesting to see this book go more conservative, in the spice department, having fully closed door romance scenes. Generally, a second book goes in the opposite direction. This book was more solidly “Young Adult” than the first.

It wasn’t as strong of an ending as I hoped, but it was a very good duology!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an Advanced eReader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Gosh, I adored this duology! I am sad that it is over, frankly, but I did love every minute I was immersed in this world with these characters. Just as in the first book, I adored the people who Alessa is surrounded by. I loved all the humor despite the darker tone of the story, and I loved the adventures and high stakes. Admittedly, perhaps the stakes felt a tiny bit less high, but it doesn't matter. It was still a very satisfying conclusion to the series and that is what I am here for at the end of the day! That's it; that's the review.

Bottom Line: I could keep talking, but if you are looking for very cool world building, amazing characters, found families, a very swoony romance, and a lot of dark humor, this is the duology for you!

Always a classic with Emily. I love me some Dante too!! I think it was very interesting and intriguing. This book kept me hooked all through

This Cursed Light wrapped up the story that started in This Vicious Grace. I enjoyed my time back with the characters and the world, dealing with the fallout of book one and learning more about Dante's people. I was hampered by the fact that I didn't reread book 1 beforehand, and so had to reach back and really recall what happened in the first book. All in all this was a fine book, but as I recalled more about book 1, I think that a lot of the drama, the tension of the romance, and the driving action was not super present here. Still a fun read for those who like the characters and want to learn more, but acted as more of a coda, rather than a new and fresh adventure. 3.5 stars

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as This Vicious Grace. The writing is still very surface level. This was one of my critiques from the first book. I wanted more details and more development into the world building and with the characters but everything was just brushed over and scenes were ended abruptly.

What I loved the most in the first book, was Alessa and Dante’s relationship and their witty banter but sadly I felt that was lacking in this book.

I still recommend the first book though.

ARC review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️ for This Cursed Light by Emily Thiede.
Alessa, Dante, and the gang go on a mission to find the hidden Ghiotte. They need to join forces and end the battle of the gods once and for all.
While I enjoyed this book, it unfortunately wasn’t as good as the first one. It was lacking the banter and spark between Dante and Alessa. Dante was very much caught up in his past and trauma, which was great to see his growth, but the romance definitely took a back seat. I loved getting a better look into all the side characters this go around. Ultimately I’m glad for the opportunity to read it and wrap up this world.
Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday books for the opportunity to read this arc.

While I enjoyed this book I will not be publicly reviewing it until SMP addresses the boycott in response to their employee.

Honestly i’m quite surprised. I must be honest I didn’t remember a lot from book 1 diving into book 2 and I still don’t remember a lot so I thought it was going to be hard reading it. Also the second book is always tricky because most of the time i find them quite boring or lacking BUT surprise surprise I was actually really into it.

I read it pretty quickly and was really interested in the story but mainly the romance that I absolutely adored. I hate whenever the couple is actually a couple because it becomes boring but because there were some “complications” in this relationship it was really entertaining and I loved knowing how they were going to overcome those.

The plot was still nice but maybe a bit lacking. What I mean is that sometimes things were happening outside of the narration and then characters would talk about it as if we knew and it was obvious when it wasn’t ? For instance the way the darkness spreads through Alessa, we know it but we don’t really get to know the depth of it on the pages but then she says how deep it is as if it was a well known fact from the beginning. I don’t know but it felt off sometimes.

It’s still a really good book especially if you love vibes over plot even though there’s still a good plot and battle going on.

✨ "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.