Scan barcode
A review by mcdermottcecelia
This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow! Emily Thiede has blown it out of the water in her fantasy debut This Vicious Grace. The book follows Alessa, the Finestra, who is supposed to marry her partner (each called the Fonte) and use their power to fight the impending doom. The problem is the Finestra killed the last three Fonte as soon as they were wed through a single touch alone. When the island is reliant on Alessa using her combined power to save them all, this begins to present a problem both for our main character and her people who are losing faith in the chosen one. This distrust leads Alessa to hire Dante to be her temporary bodyguard until she can find a surviving Fonte, and the majority of the novel takes place once the two have come together.
This was a fantastic debut to a new fantasy series. The way Thiede writes is really beautiful, and the book really starts to ensnare the reader once you get through the beginning worldbuilding section like any fantasy novel. The characters were lovable and dynamic, and it was clearly intentional how they were developed in a way that can really connect with the readers. I found myself really rooting for the main cast, but there was also the perfect balance between characters and plot, which is especially important in fantasy novels to me. The plot's pacing was great, and it felt like the story really progressed forward rather than circling around since the Finestra has gone through the search for a new Fonte multiple times before. The worldbuilding was easy to understand, and it wasn't too difficult to grasp the political complexities of being a leader in the island's capital. I felt like the main conflict was believable, and the conclusion was well-paced. The story felt pretty complete despite being the first of multiple in this series, but Thiede's writing and characters leave the reader wanting to hear what comes next. It took me a little bit of time to get immersed in the story initially, so I was a bit taken aback when I later realized this is on par to be one of my favorite reads of the year. I'm looking forward to reading what comes next!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This was a fantastic debut to a new fantasy series. The way Thiede writes is really beautiful, and the book really starts to ensnare the reader once you get through the beginning worldbuilding section like any fantasy novel. The characters were lovable and dynamic, and it was clearly intentional how they were developed in a way that can really connect with the readers. I found myself really rooting for the main cast, but there was also the perfect balance between characters and plot, which is especially important in fantasy novels to me. The plot's pacing was great, and it felt like the story really progressed forward rather than circling around since the Finestra has gone through the search for a new Fonte multiple times before. The worldbuilding was easy to understand, and it wasn't too difficult to grasp the political complexities of being a leader in the island's capital. I felt like the main conflict was believable, and the conclusion was well-paced. The story felt pretty complete despite being the first of multiple in this series, but Thiede's writing and characters leave the reader wanting to hear what comes next. It took me a little bit of time to get immersed in the story initially, so I was a bit taken aback when I later realized this is on par to be one of my favorite reads of the year. I'm looking forward to reading what comes next!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!