A review by bookcheshirecat
This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede

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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