A review by dragonwriter
This Cursed Light by Emily Thiede

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Alessa’s work is not done, as much as she wants it to be. Dante is back, but his ghiotte powers are gone, making their relationship once again rough. To make matters worse, Dante returned from death with a warning. The gods have grown bored with their cycle of war, so they’re setting up for one final battle, and this time, the fate of the world will rest on the ghiotte. Cast out by the people in years past, Alessa, Dante, and the others have to find the hidden city of the ghiotte and convince them to put the past behind them and fight. But a choice looms on the horizon. Still suffering headaches and blackouts from touching a scarab, Alessa is slowly deteriorating, and Dante is unable to help her. Their only hope is that the gods fix the damage they’ve caused once Alessa and Dante win this final battle.

I positively adore this duology! The endless flirting and banter had me cackling! The innuendos and teasing are on point--and yes, there are several light spice scenes and a lot of longing. There was a moment I was worried there would be a miscommunication trope (hate those), but it was cleared up quite quickly. I loved Alessa and Dante’s relationship, with all the sweet pining and teasing--every time they were together, I was rolling with delight. I also really liked how Alessa and Adrick were able to repair their relationship, and how they grew together. The ending had me in tears! I had to remove my glasses, I was sobbing so hard! But the epilogue made me SO happy! I highly recommend this duology!