Scan barcode
mari1532's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book.
Thoughts: I want to preface this review by saying I absolutely loved This Vicious Grace. I read that book and I did not stop talking about it for almost a month after I read it. Needless to say, I was very excited about this book and my expectations were very high.
I was truly ambivalent about the first 50% of this book. I think that I struggled with the secret-keeping that was going on between Alessia and Dante. In the first book, you see them come together and collaborate on how to win a war. Now that they have won the battle for some reason I am supposed to believe that Alessia isn't as sure as Dante that things are unfinished and that they need to keep secrets from the other in the guise of keeping the other safe. It was a lot of emotional withholding and given the investment I already had in the characters from the first book a little frustrating.
That being said, I did enjoy that this book focused more on Dante and his history and perspective. It was a nice reflection of Alessia's story in the first book and it helped to endear me to the character further. Although I did expect that the search for his group of people would take a bit longer than it did in the plot it was nice to see a new cast of characters that were supportive of Dante, whereas, in the first book, he was very much an outsider. I also did think that a few of the instances with his family were a bit cliche, but Theide did convey their mutual love for one another.
The final 50% of this book really captured my attention and reminded me of all the things that I loved about the first book. The interplay between characters, the danger, the hope of survival. I cried at certain parts of the ending. Certain Godly aspects of the ending were a bit zany, but within the context of the world that Theide constructed did make sense to the plot.
I did not enjoy this book as much as the first one in the series, but I do think that this book did justice to the characters and the overall story. I would recommend this book. It's got adventure, romance, danger, political intrigue, and a cat.
Thoughts: I want to preface this review by saying I absolutely loved This Vicious Grace. I read that book and I did not stop talking about it for almost a month after I read it. Needless to say, I was very excited about this book and my expectations were very high.
I was truly ambivalent about the first 50% of this book. I think that I struggled with the secret-keeping that was going on between Alessia and Dante. In the first book, you see them come together and collaborate on how to win a war. Now that they have won the battle for some reason I am supposed to believe that Alessia isn't as sure as Dante that things are unfinished and that they need to keep secrets from the other in the guise of keeping the other safe. It was a lot of emotional withholding and given the investment I already had in the characters from the first book a little frustrating.
That being said, I did enjoy that this book focused more on Dante and his history and perspective. It was a nice reflection of Alessia's story in the first book and it helped to endear me to the character further. Although I did expect that the search for his group of people would take a bit longer than it did in the plot it was nice to see a new cast of characters that were supportive of Dante, whereas, in the first book, he was very much an outsider. I also did think that a few of the instances with his family were a bit cliche, but Theide did convey their mutual love for one another.
The final 50% of this book really captured my attention and reminded me of all the things that I loved about the first book. The interplay between characters, the danger, the hope of survival. I cried at certain parts of the ending. Certain Godly aspects of the ending were a bit zany, but within the context of the world that Theide constructed did make sense to the plot.
I did not enjoy this book as much as the first one in the series, but I do think that this book did justice to the characters and the overall story. I would recommend this book. It's got adventure, romance, danger, political intrigue, and a cat.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Grief, Classism, and Deportation
kirstenf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
frantically's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I went into this with very low expectations because I was sooo disappointed by the recent Fairyloot sequels (Foxglove, Lightbringer, Cage of Dreams) but this was fun!
It was very different from the first book with a different setting and a lot of new characters, so it feels a bit disjointed but at the heart of it we still have Alessa and Dante and they are my sweethearts š«¶š»
There's kinda OW drama (but also not??) and either way, you know I HATE that shit ughhh š
The pacing was really good at first but towards the end it draggged and that's probably when it went down from 4 stars to 3 for me!
I think if I read these back to back I would've liked it more because with the long wait I honestly just forgot loads of the characters lol
Also: authors should start being brave enough to kill characters again!!
It was very different from the first book with a different setting and a lot of new characters, so it feels a bit disjointed but at the heart of it we still have Alessa and Dante and they are my sweethearts š«¶š»
There's kinda OW drama (but also not??) and either way, you know I HATE that shit ughhh š
The pacing was really good at first but towards the end it draggged and that's probably when it went down from 4 stars to 3 for me!
I think if I read these back to back I would've liked it more because with the long wait I honestly just forgot loads of the characters lol
Also: authors should start being brave enough to kill characters again!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Chronic illness and Sexual content
Minor: Grief, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
"Everywhere, there was light. And for as long as there was anyone alive to look for her, she would be there, too, in the shimmer on the ocean, an arc of color in the sky after rain, or the gleam of stars to light their way. No matter how lonely, no one was truly alone."
ā½ This Cursed Light was a great sequel! This Vicious Grace could have been a great standalone, so a sequel wasn't 100% needed for me, but the author did a great job exploring new settings and deepening her lore in this book! I also liked that it provides an insight into life after the big battle. In This Cursed Light, Alessa has just come to terms with the cost of their victory on Divorando and the effects that Dante is still suffering. She's ready for a quiet, comfortable life after all the misery and bloodshed, but it seems like Crollo and Dea have one last challenge for them. I really felt Alessa's despair when she found out that she was still not done and her loved ones were in danger again. I appreciated that the story also delved into mental health and the trauma the Finestre and Fonti have after their big fight. We meet another Finestra called Ciro and Alessa can connect to some of his feelings, though their trauma isn't exactly the same. Dante's also dealing with the loss of his powers and his identity as a ghiotte. The author did a great job looking at the aftermath of the big battle and showing how the characters have changed. Alessa and her friends set out to the continent in order to find the rumored city of ghiotte that'll be attacked by Crollo during the next eclipse!
ā½ I loved getting to know the ghiotte more! After the first book focused on the Cittadella, Finstra and the Fonti, we're finally digging deeper into the ghiotte. They've been outcasts all their life and have built their own community in Perduta that only welcomes others like them. Therefore, they aren't thrilled about the blessed coming along with Dante, as they trust no outsiders. I felt for Dante as heās caught between two worlds and hasnāt told them that he no longer has his powers. It was a surprise that we ended up meeting his oldest friend Talia! I can understand why she was wary of Alessa and the others, as the blessed have not been kind to her people. It was so interesting exploring the ghiotte community, especially as Dante has to convince them to work together. This book touches upon the prosecution of the ghiotte but also the possibility of peace between them and the blessed!
ā½ Alessa and Dante definitely got me emotional in his book! They deserved to be happy and at peace, but they still faced many complications, from the bad omens Crollo sent to their past trauma. I felt bad for Dante because heās struggling with no longer being a ghiotte and not having a purpose anymore now that the war is over. His life was very different from Alessaās, so heās not good at all the traditional stuff she grew up with. My heart also broke for Alessa as she wants her hard-earned peace, but she has to fight again.
ā½ I also loved Alessaās and Kalebās friendship so much! Their bickering is always so entertaining and I loved that they had each otherās backs! Kaleb has really grown on me since the first book and Iām glad he hasnāt forgiven Adrick as easily as everyone else. Though I did enjoy their hate-to-love romance and wish they had their own companion novel!
ā½ The story could be a bit slow at times and parts of the ending were anti-climatic. These were probably my only complaints about the story, as the middle of the book was pretty slow-paced compared to the beginning and ending. The very end of the book was ultimately satisfying for our characters, there were just a couple of small things I wasn't happy with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death and Grief
booksalacarte's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This cursed light- 3.75āļø 2š¶ļø
New Adult
Fantasy Romance
Dual POV
š³ļøāš 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 MCās 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 wasnāt 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 didnāt get the same amount of emotional focusā¦ 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 badā¦ 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 overā¦ 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 didnāt seem to have much of their own character arcs, which made them feel more irrational, erratic and unmoored.
Man, weāre there a lot of dirty jokes and innuendos. It was interesting g to see this book go more conservative in the spice department, being fully closed door scenes. Generally, a second book goes in the opposite direction.
It wasnāt as strong of an ending as I hoped, but it was a very good duology!
Thank you to St. Martinās Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an Advanced eReader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
New Adult
Fantasy Romance
Dual POV
š³ļøāš 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 MCās 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 wasnāt 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 didnāt get the same amount of emotional focusā¦ 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 badā¦ 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 overā¦ 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 didnāt seem to have much of their own character arcs, which made them feel more irrational, erratic and unmoored.
Man, weāre there a lot of dirty jokes and innuendos. It was interesting g to see this book go more conservative in the spice department, being fully closed door scenes. Generally, a second book goes in the opposite direction.
It wasnāt as strong of an ending as I hoped, but it was a very good duology!
Thank you to St. Martinās Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an Advanced eReader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail