Thank you Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Holy moly, words cannot explain how much I loved this book! I was absolutely hooked and the bodyguard trope?? YES PLEASE.

This book was so much better than I had anticipated. Everything from the plot to the characters to the setting was amazing, and I immediately fell in love with the story. This is a perfect book for people wanting to get into the fantasy genre. It wasn't too complicated and it was easy to follow.

After that ending... I need more. Like right now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me an eARC to review!

This was really fun! I think my best description of this is Shatter Me meets Blood and Ash but make it YA and Italian. Could it probably have done with a bit more world-building? Sure, but who doesn't love a bodyguard romance while a big bug army is threatening your idyllic island home?

I put this in the same category as Defy the Night and Once Upon a Broken Heart - for me very enjoyable and incredibly readable reads, but I'm a little scared to go poking around too much at it. But when lately I've felt very bogged down by bloated page counts and first books in series that seem to be more like prequels, it's much appreciated to find something you can just get lost in for an afternoon. Dante was the classic brooding type with the tragic past, Alessa the touch-starved Chosen One, but something about this just kept pulling me back in for more. Will be very interested to see what book 2 brings!

"Keep your gods and goddesses on their pedestals if you want, but the rituals, the rules, the isolation? You know that it isn't from them, right? That's written by mortals. Men, mostly. We have a bad habit of locking up people who scare us, and the thing that scares men with power most is a woman with more of it."— This Vicious Grace, Emily Thiede.

This Vicious Grace is the YA fantasy debut of Emily Thiede, and also one of the books that was on my most anticipated reads of 2022. I am very happy to share my thoughts today after finishing it yesterday. Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Shoughton for the opportunity of reviewing it earlier.

This novel follows the very complicated life of Alessa, the new Finestra. Her role is simple: save Saverio. Dea, Alessa's goddess, chose her in gifting her a immense power that could help her fight dangerous demons, called scarabeos. But so far, Alessa only perceives this gift as her doom; every person she dared love died by her hand. Literally, her touch kills every man and woman who enters into contact with Alessa's skin. The girl is desperate—to understand this power, to save her island, and to love. But threats are everywhere, and the only way to protect herself from them is to hire a young man, Dante. Together, they will discover themselves and the length of their powers, counting down the days before Divorando, their fall.

I really like this story. It was rich in information and the world-building was pretty well-done in my opinion. I'd say that this first novel is introductory: there is surely a plot-driven part to it, but the characters take most of the space in the story. We readers face a lot of psychological questioning from Alessa and Dante, concerning who they are and who they thrive to become. Alessa was very interesting in her positioning as a Finestra, the savior, and as a woman who is conflicted between her role and her wish to be a very normal girl. Also, I think that her relation with her family participated in this conflictual identity.

As for Dante, he is a loner, a wanderer, someone who tries to define his contours and his identity, but who struggles not to let people do it for him. All throughout the novel, he is torn between how he perceives himself and how people regard him. In accepting to help Alessa and staying by her side, I believe it's easier for him not to be influenced.

About the story, now, I unfortunately had a very fragmented reading, which made the information quite hard to remember and digest sometimes. There were a few moments which I thought were dragging, but it didn't prevent me from enjoying the interactions between all characters, especially between all the Fontes/Fonti. I love Kaleb and Kamaria. They both had a very strong personality that gave a little spark of fun and joy to the story.

Overall, this novel was a very nice read. I would totally recommend it to lovers of Kingdom of the Wicked, only for the very Italian-inspired atmosphere, and to fans of Shadow and Bones for the chosen-one trope. I am very excited to read the next book and to discover more about the story, how the characters will evolve, and what will happen to some of them.

3.5⭐️

So I don’t knke if I struggled with this one because I’m in a slump, or because it’s a fantasy book or what but this just didn’t excite me as much as I thought it would.

I really did like some parts of this and I was smiling along with it but I also cannot remember a lot of it and I’ve only just finished.

This did remind me a lot of shatter me and from blood and ash which are two of most liked series, but I think I was just in too much of a slump to enjoy it thoroughly. Maybe I need to reread when I’m in a fantasy mood.

I really like Alessa and I felt quite bad for her. I really liked Dante and his humour and teasing. I liked the whole friend group and the sort of found family trope with them.

I did have to relisten to the ending because I couldn’t believe he died and gave her his power. I was not really expecting that!

Thank you for netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this arc in exchange of my honest review.

This Vicious Grace is a debut by Emily Thiede

Perfect for anyone who likes god given magic, fantastic banter, slow burn romance, and an impending apocalypse.

Alessa has been chosen by the gods to be the saviour of her village in the upcoming apocalypse, however she can’t do it by herself. Her power is meant to magnify her partner’s magic, but there is a problem, she kills every person she touches. After the death of her third partner the islands losing faith and her own soldiers try to assassinate her. Enter Dante *swoon* an outcast with his own dark past. Alessa hire’s him to be her bodyguard but he ends up being a lot more.

I cannot wait for the next book, I have so many questions that need answering!

Perfect for anyone who likes god given magic, fantastic banter, slow burn romance, and an impending apocalypse.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me a ARC.

3.5* rounded up.
I quite liked this but I just didn’t love it. There were a few too many convenient plot shifts and it all just felt a bit contrived. This definitely felt YA, either that or I'm old.
Was really excited about the premise and the cover is gorgeous but it took me ages to actually get invested in the story and even then it was a bit frustrating. There was little or no explanation for why this battle happens, and why it keeps happening. Also if she was struggling then how had anyone else succeeded in the past?
I did enjoy the romance but I’m not sure if I would describe it as a comedy. I thought Dante was probably the most interesting character and curiosity about his story will probably be what gets me to read the next instalment.
The concept of mistranslation and things being twisted over time was really interesting but again hopefully the next book will explain more.

Headlines:
The evil saviour
Deadly touch
Connection and hugs

This Vicious Grace is a story with an Italian world at the centre. Pasta and baked goods feature but this isn't a recognisable world we know, it is one full of grey characters, a chosen fighter in the Finestra Alessa and a daunting day of reckoning ahead.

Alessa had a deadly touch and she was matched into coupledoms with chosen individuals to leech their powers. It was a pretty sick parasitic relationship but she was forced into it. It was a sad state of affairs witnessing Alessa's life, with no family who cared, guardians who had a job to do and no friends surrounding her. Her loneliness was palpable and sad. This made the appearance of a friend something meaningful.

The read was very ebb and flow for me. Early investment was there and it got more exciting for me when Dante appeared and from halfway but I didn't feel fully into the story or the characters and I can't quite put my finger on why.

I didn't love This Vicious Grace but I think many will.

Thank you to Hodder Books for the review copies.

I loved This Vicious Grace! A fresh new perspective on YA/NA historical fantasy,, the Italian setting, angst, curses, and romance combined to leave an unforgettable book!
Dante is one of my favourite characters and Alessa definitely wasn't your typical YA female lead. I especially liked the supporting cast of characters as they developed.
Can't wait for the next one to see what happens!

Alessa just wants to be done, but with only weeks left till an apocalyptic plague devours everything on her Island, and three deaths behind her, she desperately needs to find the Fonte to her Finestra, the person whose power she can use to keep the deadly force at bay, hopefully not killing themselves in the process. She's desperate, and her island know it, tensions are running high and there has been more than one attempt on her life, so she does the one thing no one will expect, hires her own guard, an outcast named Dante who is gruff and standoffish, but takes his job extremely seriously. But Dante has secrets, secrets that could unravel the lore behind all that Alessa knows, he could be her saviour or her destroyer, only time and a little faith will tell.

I went into this book with super high expectations after some blogger friends rated it highly, which is why it might not have wholly hit the mark for me. As much as I enjoyed this book, there were just a couple of things that made sure I didn't love it. This Vicious Grace is told solely from Alessa's POV, and what a sad and heartwarming POV it is. After being chosen as the next Finestra, essentially the saviour of the Island, Alessa had to loose everything, her name, her family and be known only as Finestra. No one could touch her, except the person she chose to become her Fonte, and with Alessa having accidentally killed her first three picks, no one is exactly jumping at the chance. She is a woman starving, for friends, for family, for human touch, but she is also someone afraid of getting too close for fear of what she will do. It's incredibly easy to empathise with her character and you can't help but want her to get a happy ending, no matter how far off that may seem.

As well as Alessa we get a stand out cast of side characters from the Fonte's she trains with, to the previous Finestra and Fonte whose job it is to get her ready for her duty. All of these characters add to Alessa's emotional journey in some way, but the person who has the biggest impact is Dante. Their relationship doesn't start off on the best of terms, Alessa thinks Dante is a killer and Dante thinks Alessa is some kind of spoiled fanatic living her best life in a safe tower until she performs her duty. But their truths are wholly different and, while there were some things about their relationship I didn't love, their support and belief in one another was something special.

One thing I loved about this book was the magic system and I am so happy to learn this is the first in a series because I have questions! Thanks to meddling Gods centuries ago, every generation see's the birth of a Finestra, a girl with no power themselves but the ability to expand that of their chosen Fonte, someone born with a magical power. On the day of Divorando an ancient plague attacks the city and this holy pair are called upon to dispatch it and keep the Islanders safe. How Theide weaved Italian mythology and world building into her story was expertly done, there were no major info dumps and I found everything extremely easy to understand. The story kind of lacks pace in certain parts and then the end was far too rushed in my opinion. I wanted more of the battle and the lead up to it, but because the author took her time getting there, it all just felt a little rushed and under developed.

Now for the romance which was one of my big sticking points of the book. It just felt too fast for me, Alessa thinks that Dante is a killer for the first part of their journey and still makes googly eyes at him, like I understand she is a girl starved for attention but still, have some standards woman. She also spends a good portion of the book throwing herself at him and making innuendos and while were supposed to guess Dante likes her back, the author didn't effectively show this and I found it a little uncomfortable in parts. I would have liked for their relationship to progress a little slower, letting them get to know, trust and believe in one another Platonicly before any romance kicked in.

This Vicious Grace is the perfect story for those who love a fast paced YA fantasy, with plenty of world and character building. It certainly ended with a band and I'm incredibly excited to see where the author is going to take the story in book two.

This Vicious Grace has fantastic worldbuilding and characters you’ll immediately fall in love with. It’s an engrossing read from start to finish.

I really warmed to Alessa and felt so sorry for her. She’s been thrust into a life she didn’t ask for or want and there’s all this pressure on her to save everyone. She’s been forced to give up her family and basically live a life of solitude. And now, after killing her third husband, she feels even more isolated than ever and faces the anger of everyone as they no longer have faith in her to save them. It was heartbreaking seeing her so defeated and I hated how no one could see how lonely she was and how much she craved company. I loved her character development as she slowly gained more confidence in herself and her ability. I was really rooting for her to show everyone what she could do. Despite all the barriers she faces, she still comes out strong and I was in awe of her transformation by the end of the story.

I loved Dante too. He’s very guarded but unwavering in his role as Alessa’s bodyguard. I’m not normally one for romance, especially when it’s such a significant part of the story, but the relationship between Alessa and Dante was perfect. It started off with Alessa convincing him to take on the job of her bodyguard and not really knowing one another. However, as the story progresses they grow closer and learn more about each other. It was so good to see Alessa finally having a real friend and being able to trust someone. I can’t wait to read more about them in the sequel.

The worldbuilding was excellent. There’s a lot to take in but it doesn’t feel rushed at all. The beginning is so intriguing and grabs your attention right away. From there, you slowly learn more about this world and Alessa’s role in it. I did enjoy the worldbuilding, but the characters definitely won me over the most.

I’m going to be eagerly awaiting the sequel now after reading that ending! It was very suspenseful and has really left me wanting more. I can’t wait to see what happens next with Alessa and Dante!

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This is such a great book! I was very interested in the plot so, even if my expectations weren't really high, I really wanted to read it. BUT let me tell you!!! I love love loved it. It's a big YES for me.

Alessa Paladino is the Finestra chosen by Dea in the city of Saverio and she has to marry a Fonte in order to amplify their power with her magic and save the city. However, three times she had chosen a Fonte, married them and all three of them had died because of her touch and her magic. Now everyone is scared of her, the other Fontes (or better, Fonti) don't want to be by her side to work with her and many people tried to kill her multiple times; hence, she decides to hire a personal guard chosen by herself. He is known as the Wolf, his name is Dante and he is an outcast marked as a killer with the tattoo of a knife on his arm. He swears to protect her until she finally chooses her (hopefully) last Fonte before the war, however, even though both Alessa and Dante have a lot on their plate, things don't really go as planned for them.

First, the city map is so so so gorgeous. Second, I loved how the author decided to mix in the story the Italian language and Italian culture and I really appreciated it (I'm Italian). Third, every chapter starts with an Italian proverb and an English proverb with the same meaning and the truth is that many of these Italian proverbs were unknown to me and, if not for the English ones, I would have never known their meaning lol.
Furthermore, I really liked how the characters are described and how they grow together throughout all the story, especially Alessa and Kaleb. It is indeed true that "union is strength". Obviously my favorite Fonti are Kamaria, Kaleb and Saida.
Moreover, my love for Dante is ever-growing, especially when he calls Alessa "Luce mia", I'm sobbing. I love him if you couldn't tell.
After all, I even liked Adrick and Nina, but only at the end of the story because she finally stopped whining and did something useful; same thing goes for him.

Last but not least, I cried, at least a couple of times. But it was all worth it. The pain was also worth it.

My rating: 4/4.5!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have great distain for this book because with a little tinkering it could’ve been phenomenal. For something with such an interesting concept, the execution was lacklustre, boring, and forgettable. The writing did nothing to uplift the story. The author spent minimal time worldbuilding, so the setting did not feel authentic, and while the magic system was explained, it was not at all interesting. The characters were one-to-two dimensional at best, each having little growth on their own or together. The romance was unoriginal, relying too heavily on tropes done to death to be enjoyable. An author cannot base a relationship on witty banter alone, nor can they rush to throw characters together the way Thiede did with Alessa and Dante. The “friendships” also felt unrealistic, like the author wanted to force the characters to get along for the sack of the rushed ending. The plot was predictable, also trope-heavy and a bit try-hard considering most of the action was at the end. I expected more, especially considering we were supposed to be dealing with the apocalypse and deadly situations. Little urgency and more meandering made this a frustrating read. I would not pick up the next book.

The grumpy bodyguard and sunshine girl trope comes out in full force here, except our girl, Alessa, has had the sunshine burnt out of her through the repeated failures of having killed every suitor she's married, where none were supposed to die.

An imperfect heroine whose love never wavers for the country that has begun to hate her in their fear, she persists through sheer determination alone, and Dante is drawn to her like a moth to a flame. I loved the exploration of their relationship, especially in navigating ideas of touch starvation and their romance stood out to me as the strongest point of the book.

I enjoyed the found family aspects and the growth of the friendships between Alessa and the Fontes, though I felt like this definitely got sidelined compared to the romance brewing between Alessa and Dante. Keeping my fingers crossed to see more of the dynamics of their newfound friendships being explored further in the next book!

The world-building was certainly fascinating, however, I would concur that there are some moments, especially at the start of the novel, where it felt like there was a bit too much info-dumping at one go. Nevertheless, I still really enjoyed the book!

As a debut novel, I'm certainly impressed enough and I can't wait to see what Emily Thiede has in store for us in her next installment!

I did it again. I requested another first volume of a series. At least this time it's supposed to be a duology (yes, I'm planning on reading the sequel).

This Vicious Grace follows Alessa, a young Finestra destined to save her island from demons. Of course, she can't do it alone and needs the help of a Fonte. Unfortunately, Alessa already killed her three first Fontes... If her power allows to amplify those of the Fontes, her touch can also kill. Since she has been found out as the new Finestra, she has lived pretty isolated : her family cannot treat her as one of their own, she can't touch anyone except for her Fonte, thus leaving her ostracised from the same society she is supposed to save. As she hasn't been able to keep a Fonte alive, a priest starts to tell everyone that she is not a real Finestra and that she is sent by the god who wants to destroy them all, something he wants to prevent by killing Alessa so that the new Finestra can "ascend". When one of her guards tries to kill her, Alessa decides to choose her own bodyguard in none other than Dante, a man marked as a killer. Dante is to protect her until she chooses her new Fonte buuuut he hides a secret that could change everything...

The worldbuilding in This Vicious Grace was interesting, inspired by italian culture which I had never seen in a fantasy story. The names, the titles are in italian but it is considered by the people of this world as an ancient language. Fun fact, "finestra" means window, which tarnishes a bit the image of a savior, even if the meaning is explained in the book. Every chapter begins with a quote in italian that is, thankfully, translated, as I don't really understand italian.
The lore behind the Finestra and the Fontes is explained by a war between two gods. I thought it was sometimes a bit difficult to comprehend, but I liked that some characters questionned the rituals surrounding the Finestra, like why she has to be isolated, why she has to marry the chosen Fonte, etc.

The lore threw me off a bit because the beginning was pretty slow and I wasn't sure of what was real or not. Like the attack of the demons, I thought that maybe it was all just a legend, but the former Finestra charged to train Alessa had been confronted to them, so I guess it was true after all. I also was bothered with some inconsistencies, like, why has Alessa been married only three times in five years if the attack of the demons was so imminent?

I really liked the characters and their development. Of course I loved Dante and also discovered a side to Alessa that I wasn't really expecting. The other Fontes were also great, even if I felt that the inimity to friendship was pretty sudden. And if you like the ~power of friendship against evil forces~ trope, you'll be glad to read this book.

A detail that I loved so much was : the HUGS. Readers can quickly and easily understand that Alessa yearns for human contact and touch (she doesn't even dare to touch an animal in case she kills them). So when she gets hugged, you can feel her happiness, and for me it was so much more important than other forms of physical contact (IYKYK).

In short, a very good read with an ending that promises new adventures unheard of in this world.

Rep : the Finestra-Fonte couple doesn't have to be composed of a woman and a man
TW : blood, death, mention of death

Absolutely loved this. Thank you net-galley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me an arc.

I loved this book so much - immediate five stars. The world building and drawing on Italian culture and lore was really interesting and nicely done.

The writing style was beautiful, there was a lot of descriptive language that I really appreciated.

The characters are thoroughly fleshed out and I loved both Dante and Alessa’s arcs and thought they complimented each other well.

Overall, I think this is perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalo, Raven Kennedy and Holly Black.

Couldn’t recommend enough.

This book was so good and so fun to read. I was close to tears when finishing it. I don’t even know what to talk about because I think I’m already in a book hangover and I don’t want to wait another year for the next book😭

I was trying to read this at every chance I had. On the bus to and from work, at work (during lunch of course..), before bed, in bed, in the morning in bed, during breakfast. Surprisingly it still took me two days to read but I’m glad because I got to savour every second I was reading.

Alessa’s growth was just astounding to see and I couldn’t help but feel so proud for her. Her friendship with Dante was absolutely perfect at pushing both their boundaries and challenging their beliefs. Their banter in every scene were my favourite parts.

Even the growth of the other Fontes (sorry- I mean Fonti) was developed perfectly. You can flick from the front to the back of the book and see a complete difference and yet it didn’t feel rushed at all. Their growing trust and friendship was so heartwarming.

Even the battle scene at the end had me on the edge of my seat. It was written perfectly and had me wanting to cheer and sob all at once.

Basically I need the next book NOW please and thank you

From the first page I knew that I was going to enjoy This Vicious Grace. It just was so easy to read it, the pages melted away and I didn’t want to stop reading. I needed to know what happen next. Not so surprising that it turned out to be my favourite read from last month. Even when I had to take pauses, my mind stayed with the story eager to know what happen next to Alessa and Dante.

Speaking of Alessa and Dante, they were the perfect main characters. They were both colourful, without being too much. The chosen one desperate for human companionship and proving herself, and a broody bodyguard with a heart of gold. I’m not usually a person who likes broody and stand-offish guys, but Dante won me over. Probably because he wasn’t just broody for the sake of it.Their relationship was spicy, and sweet, and they cared so much about each other. Also I don’t think I’ve ever read a better story with the “forced intimacy ” trope. And when it come to the other characters I was happily surprised in how the story evolved with them. I wasn’t expecting a found family story, but I’m not complaining as I’m a person who adores that trope.

The story was intriguing and highly engaging, you never knew what to expect around the next page and the main conflict was very noticeable throughout it. It’s a wonderful fantasy read, not at least thanks to it’s main characters. Because you will end up caring about them. I highly recommend you to pick up this book, and if you’re looking for a spiritual successor to Serpent and Dove - this is the one for you!

This book was such a breath of fresh air.

The magic system was super interesting and really unique. It was also really thoroughly explained, if a tiny bit info-dumpy at times. The setting felt very real and the characters who made up the wider world really added to the realism of the island. They acted really authentically out of fear and I thought Emily Thiede did a great job of showing that widespread fear.

The characters are really where this book shone. Both Alessa and Dante were wonderful. They were really fleshed out and I had a great understanding of their mindsets and personal demons. Even though we were predominantly in Alessa’s head, I didn’t feel like Dante was left as an afterthought at all. The romance also felt really natural. There was no insta-love, though there was a little insta-lust, and Alessa and Dante built up a really strong friendship connection before things went further. I will say this book has a bit more sexual tension than most YA books, and some steamier moments, so that’s something to keep in mind for younger readers. The banter was spot on and innuendo-ridden.

The group of fonti was just the best. The found family vibes really made the book for me and they were all just so lovable. The moments featuring the whole group were my favorites.

The story tied up really well but left enough questions that I am super excited for book two. I would recommend this one for fans of Kingdom of the Wicked.

Content warnings: Death, violence, war, physical injury, attempted murder, imprisonment, child abuse, racism (of an in-world race, not a human race.)

DNF 35%

This book is too bland for my taste. There's a lot of info-dump with unexplained terms and a world-building that is too superficial. The italian setting is just here for the sake of appearing original but you could swap it with another one and you wouldn't see the difference. It just doesn't add anything.

The author has a real problem with italics. Almost every page contains italicized words. It's so annoying! It feels like she thinks the reader is too simple-minded to understand what she wants to convey. It's even more irritating when it's to insist on trivial information.

The characters are not great either. I don't care about them. I'm not interested in the slightest in their stories. I'm also tired of MCs who are ready to sacrifice themselves for people who want them dead. Where is the survival instinct? There was an opportunity to make Alessa a complex character but, no, she has to be the good girl who would willingly die without a fight. No thanks.

We don't really feel the stakes nor the danger of the creatures. We know nothing about this war between humans and monsters despite the old conflict involving them. It is slow and nothing exciting happens... I expected better.

She would kill for a hug.. literally.

The second I started this book I knew I would be obsessed. I enjoyed the Italian setting it took place in. I loved how sarcastic and witty Alessa was. I felt like this book had everything I love: slow burn romance, magic, strong main characters, political interest, found family, ect. This was such a stunning, exciting and thrilling debut novel. Dante and Alessa are everything. The banter is incredible and the chemistry is off the charts. I love how we got to see them become friends before anything else. There were so many fun moments between them, like getting drunk and playing truth or dare… which I’ve never seen in a fantasy book, I thought it was a cute fun element. The ending was little overwhelming, but again I have to remember this is a debut novel. Very excited to see where the author takes the story in the sequel!

I loved the narrators, felt like they brought the book even more to life!

Thank you Wednesday Books for sending me an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!!