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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. Review previously withheld in support of the pro-Palestine St. Martin’s Press reviewer boycott. All opinions are my own.
This Cursed Light is a great conclusion to Emily Thiede’s debut duology, The Last Finestra, with an equal balance of wider political stakes and swoony romance. There’s a lot going on, with the story picking up six months after the end of the last book, and the story revolving around Alessa and Dante helping to assemble an army to take on the gods. The politics and strategizing in particular was a lot of fun, and it made for a fast-paced read, even with its high page count.
The character work was also pretty great. Alessa has changed due to what she’s been through, with her mental health taking a massive hit. Dante also intrigued me a lot more, due to him being a POV character, and being more fleshed out as a result. Their relationship also felt more complex, with them not being able to touch due to him having lost his powers, but that translated into solid romantic tension. There’s definitely some miscommunication issues here, which can be irritating to have introduced with a dual-POV romance, but there was enough going on and high enough stakes for them, that I wasn’t as annoyed as I sometimes might be.
I enjoyed this book and series overall, and would recommend it to readers looking for YA fantasy romance.
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:
Yes
This Cursed Light is the sequel to This Vicious Grace and concludes the Italian-inspired YA fantasy duology The Last Finestra. Alessa and Dante have saved their island and its people, but not without consequences. Instead of getting their happy ever after, Dante has lost his power and is plagued by nightmares of another final apocalypse sent by their gods while Alessa senses a growing darkness within herself. Believing he must locate the exiled ghiotte to form a complete army, Dante enlists Alessa and the other Fonti and Finestra on a mission to recruit his long lost people before it’s too late.
Emily Thiede is amazing at creating authentic relationships in romance and just like the first book, I was so obsessed with this world. The way the main couple navigates their trials in this book is truly refreshing. Despite facing apocalyptic threats and constant external chaos, they manage to maintain open, honest communication. This stands in sharp contrast to many contemporary romances where even thirty-year-olds struggle with basic conversations. Watching these teenagers handle their relationship with such maturity is a poignant reminder of what genuine communication looks like.
I deeply connected with Alessa and her internal struggles, however, as the book illustrates, sometimes letting go of those we love is the best choice. While the romance at the heart of the novel is exceptional, the world-building felt somewhat lacking. I might not have recalled all the details from the first book, but I struggled to grasp the significance of the final battle and the stakes for Alessa until the very end. This left me feeling that the plot was more of an in-depth look at the couple's relationship dynamics than a gripping narrative. I also found the secret-keeping between Alessa and Dante a bit challenging to follow.
On a lighter note, the book’s humor was a delightful surprise. Even amidst the intense and serious themes, there were moments of levity that made me laugh, giggle, or even gasp in surprise. As someone who enjoys a good pun, I particularly appreciated the witty banter between characters. Their conversations, whether about their feelings or playful jokes about pirate ships, added a charming layer to the story and made the characters feel genuinely relatable. This book was an absolute joy to read and solidifies Emily Thiede as one of my new favorite authors.
I wasn’t ready to bid farewell to Alessa and her world. I resonated so deeply with her journey that I found it hard to let go.
*Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC.
Emily Thiede is amazing at creating authentic relationships in romance and just like the first book, I was so obsessed with this world. The way the main couple navigates their trials in this book is truly refreshing. Despite facing apocalyptic threats and constant external chaos, they manage to maintain open, honest communication. This stands in sharp contrast to many contemporary romances where even thirty-year-olds struggle with basic conversations. Watching these teenagers handle their relationship with such maturity is a poignant reminder of what genuine communication looks like.
I deeply connected with Alessa and her internal struggles, however, as the book illustrates, sometimes letting go of those we love is the best choice. While the romance at the heart of the novel is exceptional, the world-building felt somewhat lacking. I might not have recalled all the details from the first book, but I struggled to grasp the significance of the final battle and the stakes for Alessa until the very end. This left me feeling that the plot was more of an in-depth look at the couple's relationship dynamics than a gripping narrative. I also found the secret-keeping between Alessa and Dante a bit challenging to follow.
On a lighter note, the book’s humor was a delightful surprise. Even amidst the intense and serious themes, there were moments of levity that made me laugh, giggle, or even gasp in surprise. As someone who enjoys a good pun, I particularly appreciated the witty banter between characters. Their conversations, whether about their feelings or playful jokes about pirate ships, added a charming layer to the story and made the characters feel genuinely relatable. This book was an absolute joy to read and solidifies Emily Thiede as one of my new favorite authors.
I wasn’t ready to bid farewell to Alessa and her world. I resonated so deeply with her journey that I found it hard to let go.
*Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC.
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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:
Yes
The main characters felt realistic and which makes me not wanna move on from them. The Fonti team were all likable too, and had more funny banter than the first book.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
slow-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
I was skeptical for about 300 pages that this was going to become a decent sequel. It felt childish, at times, but the ending made it worthwhile.
I think if I hadn’t waited a year between book 1 & 2, I would have had a better experience.
I think if I hadn’t waited a year between book 1 & 2, I would have had a better experience.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5/5
“I think that’s what love is. Letting yourself be vulnerable.”
The only in the moment thoughts I wrote down:
* Aaaahhh I hate when they can’t touch! Ugh!
* Why didn’t I see that coming?
Again, this book just swept me up and carried me until the end! It was invested in the characters (old and new) and the resolution. I thought the dealings with the “gods” was really interesting with how it all played out.
This one definitely had more swearing, sexual scenes, and sexual innuendos/jokes than the first one. But the sex scenes, while vague, could be fairly easily skipped.
“I think that’s what love is. Letting yourself be vulnerable.”
The only in the moment thoughts I wrote down:
* Aaaahhh I hate when they can’t touch! Ugh!
* Why didn’t I see that coming?
Again, this book just swept me up and carried me until the end! It was invested in the characters (old and new) and the resolution. I thought the dealings with the “gods” was really interesting with how it all played out.
This one definitely had more swearing, sexual scenes, and sexual innuendos/jokes than the first one. But the sex scenes, while vague, could be fairly easily skipped.
leaned way too hard on the miscommunication trope and honestly didn’t need to exist, the first book was great but this one was just meh