Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - This Vicious Grace

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This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede

28 reviews

evarinya's review against another edition

medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

It's heartbreaking.
I loved this book so much. Up to the ~70-80% mark this was an absolute 5 star read for me.
Interesting premise, cool magic, fun dynamic between the MC and the love interest...
And then the last 20% happened and... no. Just no. The rest of the book was 2 stars at most for me. Just... randomly put together plot elements that, in my eyes, stopped making sense halfway through (those last 20%), the ending seemed to be simply dramatic for drama's sake and I just... didn't find it engaging anymore.
List of things I didn't like behind spoilers:

The random back and forth of Aldrick being "good" vs "evil", the random 180 of Alessa's parents / her mother specifically, the whole treason plotline the moment Dante was captured (also the hints that he was tortured, like, wtf?), the end battle didn't capture me at all anymore (though I don't know, maybe it was well written, I had just... lost any sort of interest in what's happening at this point), and the consulted "she was dying (wtf were all of her guards doing??), then he saved her and died, but she saved him and so he didn't die, but his gift just... vanished? Don't know, don't care anymore. But that he lost his gift at the end was a major gut-punch for me that made the whole reading experience worse.

I know that there's a second book but I really don't want to read is anymore... And that breaks my heart after this book was so good for so long... But that's what it is. Sadly.

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fiercereadsfiction's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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tamsterdam_reads's review against another edition

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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? No

4.75

Really enjoyed this! Especially loved the romance storyline between the main characters and enough happened within the story that I felt fulfilled even though it ends on a cliffhanger.

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witcheep's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This Vicious Grace is a book that explores the themes of duty, belonging, and connection through FMC Alessa's character and offers different points of view with different characters. Even if the themes are heavy and the subjects often near traumatic, the tone of the book is quite lighthearted and makes it an easy and fast read.

"I'm tired of being a title rather than a person, I guess."

The main character Alessa is the Finestra, a goddess-chosen magical person who holds the highest rank of the country, but in return is required to give up everything from her previous life, including her name, family, and even the ability to touch people. The Finestra is also expexted to fight an army of foes of the enemy god together with another magical person, a Fonte. She hasn't found that other compatible Fonte yet, and time is running out. Because of this, Alessa has become a secluded young woman who has been touch-deprived for years – a husk of a person, really. This seclusion and touch-deprivation echo the struggles familiar to so many from the pandemic, and makes Thiede's writing more powerful because of it: so many of us can relate to the extreme situation that Alessa is in.

When Alessa gets the chance to touch again by trying to connect with a Fonte, she takes it ravenously – and it ends in the death of the Fonte too many times because her magic is too strong for the touch. This grants the secondary foes in the book, a religious group of men, a somewhat justified claim to want to murder her as a false Finestra. After multiple attempts on her life, Alessa doesn't trust anyone, and seeks for protecion from a disinterested party by hiring a lone street fighter Dante as her body guard.

Dante says he is not kind, but Alessa decides his actions show otherwise: Dante builds Alessa's confidence up by gentle bullying, and Alessa begins to regard them as friends with the potentiality for more.

Dante squinted, and she smiled brighter. If he was going to tease her about reading smutty novels, she'd fight back by working innuendo into every conversation.

They both are lonely teenagers with recent years in their lives holding such dark times for them that they both have had to grow up fast and become as adult-like as they can to fill in the roles that keep them alive. They open up to each other about their secrets and offer each other support.

Slowly, Alessa begins to grasp how she can touch other Fonti, by practicing with Dante. With each other, they find moments of respite and become more juvenile at times. And, of course, a romance blossoms between the two of them.

Quote in spoiler:

" Sorry you're stuck with me, then. I'm new to this whole... cuddling... thing."
She patted his arm with a perky, "You're doing fine."
"You're desperate, and I'm here, eh?"
"Exactly." She paused. "Thank you."

In the plot, slowly, the concrete truths and rules of ancient sacred texts are questioned by finding alternative translations and interpretations, and Alessa pieces together that the core of the sacred text is community: "Together, we protect. Divided, we unravel." This has traditionally been interpreted to mean the connection between the Finestra and their one Fonte. Gradual spoilers of plot progression: 1.

Alessa embraces a new interpretation of a larger togetherness

where she surrounds herself with a group of Fontes, and goes even further than that by encouraging the whole population to unite against their common enemy god's army, leaving behind their differences in class and virtue.

This is a raging success, and perhaps a too easily found one, but one that can be expected from a YA book.

Hope is what must be found in a YA book, and that is what is drizzled throughtout This Vicious Grace to finally be bathed in at the end. The ending of the book sets up the premise for the sequel, and I'm interested to see where Thiede takes the main characters from here.

Review written 17.3.2024

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teaand_tomes's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book immediately grabbed my attention with its intriguing premise, captivating magic system, rich lore, and well-developed characters. Alessa, the protagonist, is such a palpable character that I was immediately drawn into her story.

The slow-burn romance between Alessa and Dante is exquisitely portrayed, adding depth and emotional intensity to the narrative. Their connection and chemistry are beautifully explored throughout the book.

I really appreciated the emphasis on the importance of connection with others. The author skillfully highlights the power of relationships and how they shape the characters' journeys.

The cliffhanger ending left me craving for more. It was well-executed and left me eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series.

The writing in this book is excellent, bringing the story to life with vivid descriptions and realistic dialogue. The tension is palpable, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The twists and reveals throughout the story are jaw-dropping and add an extra layer of excitement and enjoyment.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading This Vicious Grace. It is a captivating fantasy debut by Emily Thiede that will keep readers engaged from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book to fans of fantasy and romance genres.

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qatkatcat's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was a breath of fresh air in the YA genre. The mediterranean influence was a wonderful change from the typical high-fantasy/ northern European plot. The use of the Italian language throughout was brilliant, and the evil-shiny-beetles were too cool!! The romance was a perfectly-timed slow-burn with a charming couple dynamic. If you’re looking for something unique, fairy-free and romantic, this is it! Highly, highly recommend!

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zarhara's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

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readwithria's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional lighthearted tense fast-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

5.0

This Vicious Grace absolutely blew me away! One of the best books I’ve read this year, 5 stars!

Alessa goes through so much growth in this book! She steals every inch of agency she can find, and I love her so much. She learns how to ask for and accept help, she learns how to advocate for herself, and she learns so much about her strength. She’s told for so much of the book that she’s too much - too much power, too much time, too much effort - and she proves to them all that she’s exactly what she needs to be.

This book has such strong themes of connection and community. The found family element was such a surprise, but an absolutely lovely one! The romance was SO CUTE 🥰 Dante is such a sweetheart, even if he acts like an asshole, and he stands up for what he believes in in so many ways. He has so much strength, and he shares it so willingly!

There were twists I didn’t see coming, new informations that I discovered as the characters did, and so many quotes I will want to revisit in the future! But for now I’ll leave you with this:

“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.”

I absolutely cannot wait to read the sequel. 5 stars!

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wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

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joygarcialim's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

The writing wasn’t particular bad, but extremely monotonous and mediocre. A lot of things happened without a lot of things happening. It was just small little things that didn’t contribute to the plot or made a difference to writing. There were bits that were poorly executed and I had to re-read multiple times to try and perceive what the author was trying to convey. There’s the endless stream of proverbs that did nothing and had absolutely nothing to do with the writing as well.

The main characters were kind of bland and replaceable. They didn’t really stand out individually and the writer didn’t give them enough personality to show what their characters were supposed to be. Other than Alessa and Dante of course. Alessa is kind of a woe-is-me character and I get that her life is difficult in many regards but that’s most of her personality. Dante is a tortured devil archetype and kept saying he was evil with no proof. I get that they lived in a world where that mentality is enforced on him but it wasn’t really explained well. Dante was the most interesting character imo.

The chemistry between Alessa and Dante seemed kind of awkward too.

There didn’t seem to be a reason they were in love with each other

, other than their deep-rooted insecurities.

The world-building wasn’t great either. It was there but it wasn’t at the same time. It was just kind of vague but written about enough to let readers know it was there. The author emphasised a lot more on the romance part than the fantasy part.

Overall, very underdeveloped and poorly executed.

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