Reviews with content warning for Violence - This Vicious Grace

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede

32 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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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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xvicesx's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious 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

4.0

Deeply enjoyed this. The writing really pulls you in and the characters are deeply lovable. You can't help feeling bad for Alessa and the deprivation she's experiencing or root for the slowly blossoming relationship between her and Dante.

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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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bookcheshirecat's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

4.0

“Keep your gods and goddesses on their pedestals if you want, but the rituals, the rules, the isolation? You know that isn’t really 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.”

➽ Buddy Read with Destiny ❤️

➽ This Vicious Grace is such an underrated Fantasy!! I don't think I've heard many people talk about it, but it was so good and unique. The story follows Alessa, a Finestra who is tasked with fighting a swam of demons that will try to devour her homeland. The power gets passed down from the previous Finestra and allows her to amplify other powers. She's supposed to have found her Fonte yet, a person with magical powers that she can strengthen in order to fight the impending threat. There's only one problem: Alessa's magic has killed the three Fonte who have tried. At this point she's getting desperate, as they need someone by her side, since her power relies on others. The worldbuilding was so interesting, I loved that it was Italian-inspired! It was nice that the Fonte were people of all genders and that the bond between Finestra and Fonte doesn't have to be romantic. It's a traditional bond, but not really like a marriage, so Alessa would be able to have another romantic partner.

➽ I really enjoyed Alessa and her character Arc! When she became the Finestra, she was stripped of her name and family, so she's been living in the holy Cittadella for most of her life, separated from everyone else. Alessa tries so hard to help her people, but she can't get her powers in control and fears touching others, as it could kill them. The situation is getting desperate as others have taken to calling her a 'false Finestra' and turning against her! I loved how the story explored how stifling all the traditions were and how Alessa has been isolated all her life and treated like a religious prop. She's experiencing true companionship for the first time in years and questioning if she should go along with everything the elders are saying. I loved the taking back agency, but still struggling with her powers and the guilt of killing her previous Fontes.

➽ I loved all the relationship dynamics!! Alessa's final attempt to find a Fonte doesn't start well as the contestants aren't thrilled to be her next victim and don't have much faith in her. I loved how they still slowly grew to respect and like each other, as Alessa really needed a support system. Even unlikable characters like Kaleb became endearing in the end! Of course I also adored the romance. Alessa hires a personal bodyguard, as she no longer trusts her staff. Dante's a trained killer from the undercity, but at least his loyalty can be bought. He ends up accepting her offer and begins to change her perspective. As an outsider and someone who'll be left to fend for himself when the monsters arrive, he's much more critical of the Cittadella. Alessa and Dante's bickering was so much fun and I liked how he tried to help her accept her powers!

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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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xtsukix's review against another edition

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hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved every moment of this. The ending ripped my heart out, sewed it back together and then stomped on it for good measure. This is one of the best fantasy romances I have read in a long time and I will cherish it. It really has a bit of everything I love in it, so it kind of feels like I was meant to read this. I absolutely cannot wait to continue this series and hope that my bleeding heart can mend itself. I really want to see Alessa blossom as a character and I really believe we will see that progression.

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kassidyreads's review against another edition

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hopeful tense 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

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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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