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This Cursed Light
by Emily Thiede
This Cursed Light is the second book in The Last Finestra duology by Emily Thiede. After saving their island from destruction, Dante and Alessa have to confront an even greater threat as the gods demand a final test. Haunted by his lost powers and the risk that Alessa’s touch could kill him, Dante sets out with Alessa and their friends to find the exiled ghiotte, hoping to regain his abilities and form an army to defend humanity. However, Alessa’s growing darkness and the dangerous secrets of the city of the banished complicate their quest. Faced with impossible choices, Dante and Alessa must decide whether to sacrifice their love to save the world or let it burn.
As with the first book, This Vicious Grace, I really enjoyed all the innuendo and the banter between all the characters (not just between the two main characters). Despite the high stakes that they face, they did feel like 18 year olds having fun and being themselves. There's a casual tone to this duology that I really like. The returning side characters from book one, plus new side characters, are another highlight and there's definitely a found family vibe with the group. It felt like this book gave proper focus to the impact of book one's ending on both main characters, but without it being overplayed just for drama's sake. I liked the awkwardness that Alessa and Dante initially had with each other in this book - it made them feel genuine.
I loved book one, which culminated with the big battle that they'd all been training for. In comparison, book two's culmination wasn't quite as grand. It was maybe just a big act to follow. The final battle here was a bit of an anticlimax but there was some emotional chapters that followed it that did hit. Given the high stakes from book one, the stakes in book two just felt a bit lower.
It was another fun, easy read that I finished in one day, just like This Vicious Grace. The duology is really original, with its fantasy-Italy setting and the Finestra/Fonti magic system. The romance between the main characters felt like the focus in this book and it was a strong duology. I'd recommend this as a YA romantasy duology that tells a complete story and has Grishaverse vibes.
As with the first book, This Vicious Grace, I really enjoyed all the innuendo and the banter between all the characters (not just between the two main characters). Despite the high stakes that they face, they did feel like 18 year olds having fun and being themselves. There's a casual tone to this duology that I really like. The returning side characters from book one, plus new side characters, are another highlight and there's definitely a found family vibe with the group. It felt like this book gave proper focus to the impact of book one's ending on both main characters, but without it being overplayed just for drama's sake. I liked the awkwardness that Alessa and Dante initially had with each other in this book - it made them feel genuine.
I loved book one, which culminated with the big battle that they'd all been training for. In comparison, book two's culmination wasn't quite as grand. It was maybe just a big act to follow. The final battle here was a bit of an anticlimax but there was some emotional chapters that followed it that did hit. Given the high stakes from book one, the stakes in book two just felt a bit lower.
It was another fun, easy read that I finished in one day, just like This Vicious Grace. The duology is really original, with its fantasy-Italy setting and the Finestra/Fonti magic system. The romance between the main characters felt like the focus in this book and it was a strong duology. I'd recommend this as a YA romantasy duology that tells a complete story and has Grishaverse vibes.