Emily Thiede

This Vicious Grace

Nina May

She loved her home. She loved the people of Saverio. She would protect them at any cost. It seemed so simple now, It hadn't, not so long ago, but the past month had teminded her about love, and she'd never forget again.

Thats the thing with religions. It's a mean to justify cruelty. For example think about slavery, class systems, witch hunts. So much was and is justified because 'that how it's written'.

"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."

Elin Hakvoort

His eyes were open, but he couldn’t see.

Papa always said any problem looked better in daylight, but it would take a wickedly bright sunrise to improve hers.

This vicious grace is about found family, self acceptance, doubt, loss, forbidden love, opposites attract, a chosen one without a choice, good vs evil, class systems, italian and magic. 🍋🌊

Alessa, the main character & savior, who not even herself knows why she got chosen by a god, faces a rocky journey to accepting herself & her power. Along the way she finds love and good in someone who is supposed to be this dreadful guy (but really isnt). 

The good vs evil takes such extreme measurements that one 'evil' god tries to destroy the island & its folk by sending devilish dragons (still unsure about that), which leads to the 'good' god granting one person with god-alike powers to magnify the power of a 'fonte'. Who conveniently tuns out to be Alessa.

The 'saint' status has regulations which force her to be isolated for a long while, until she has to find her battle partner & fonte in one gifted fellow (who keeps dying, rip) and fight this inevitable 'evil'. 

So here's my critic: I don't like the simple good vs evil. Yes, her love interest is supposed to be evil but turns out good, but what about the whole system? At the beginning, the author explains in a few pages why the 'evil' god (Crollo) dislikes humans so much but that's all. And for his sent devish creatures (that also aren't that in depth descriped,  expect that they're horrible and unpredictable) to be the big endgame enemy is too vague for me.

To add that up, the majority of the book is about finding a fonte, Dante & preparing to fight, but barely about the fight itself that is feared the entire time.

The positive: I love Alessa's character growth throughout the book, other characters being explored more and the bound they begin to share with her. Emotions of the protagonist are such an important part to understand where the book is heading and continue reading and I respect the author of how realistic and empathetic she wrote Alessa and the others. (Just the detail towards the plot bothering me haha)

This vicious grace is about found family, self acceptance, doubt, loss, forbidden love, opposites attract, a chosen one without a choice, good vs evil, class systems, italian and magic. 🍋🌊

Alessa, the main character & savior, who not even herself knows why she got chosen by a god, faces a rocky journey to accepting herself & her power. Along the way she finds love and good in someone who is supposed to be this dreadful guy (but really isnt). 

The good vs evil takes such extreme measurements that one 'evil' god tries to destroy the island & its folk by sending devilish dragons (still unsure about that), which leads to the 'good' god granting one person with god-alike powers to magnify the power of a 'fonte'. Who conveniently tuns out to be Alessa.

The 'saint' status has regulations which force her to be isolated for a long while, until she has to find her battle partner & fonte in one gifted fellow (who keeps dying, rip) and fight this inevitable 'evil'. 

Spoiler:

So here's my critic: I don't like the simple good vs evil. Yes, her love interest is supposed to be evil but turns out good, but what about the whole system? At the beginning, the author explains in a few pages why the 'evil' god (Crollo) dislikes humans so much but that's all. And for his sent devish creatures (that also aren't that in depth descriped,  expect that they're horrible and unpredictable) to be the big endgame enemy is too vague for me.

To add that up, the majority of the book is about finding a fonte, Dante & preparing to fight, but barely about the fight itself that is feared the entire time.

The positive: I love Alessa's character growth throughout the book, other characters being explored more and the bound they begin to share with her. Emotions of the protagonist are such an important part to understand where the book is heading and continue reading and I respect the author of how realistic and empathetic she wrote Alessa and the others. (Just the detail towards the plot bothering me haha)

Mel 

4.2 stars

Surprisingly, really good. I recommend reading this without reading the blurb. Very readable and easy to fly through. Dante and Alessa are quite likeable. Can’t wait to read the conclusion!

I liked it. It was a very easy read. The story/plot is super interesting! I loved the sayings at the beginning of every chapter.

I did not really feel the connection between the main character and her so called ‘friends’, but I do love them all. I would have loved to see a little more quality time. 

I also loved the storyline around Padre Ivini. It really shows how conspiracy theories can affect people. I still can’t forgive Adrick though, trying to kill your own sister? No. At first I thought he had a relationship with Kaleb, because in the beginning of the story Kaleb said he knew Adrick and Adrick said he knew someone in the Cittadella (but if it wasn’t Kaleb, then who was it?). And, what happened to Ivini after the battle? Did he survive?

And will we ever know who tried to kill her that one night? I thought maybe that was Adrick too, but I don’t think it was ever mentioned. 

I was also really interested in Renata and Tomo. I really thought Tomo was going to do something bad… but no hahahha. I would love to know their story. I feel like there’s more behind it.

Something I didn’t like was that the whole setting could change in the next paragraph. One sentence ago they were in a certain room and the next sentence they were in a totally different room without explanation. 

This story does not have a plottwist, but to be honest… it didn’t need it. The story itself is interesting enough and I felt very satisfied after reading it. I just want to know more about this world, the Gods and all the characters. I’m really curious about the next book. Will my questions get answers?

I liked it. It was a very easy read. The story/plot is super interesting! I loved the sayings at the beginning of every chapter.

I did not really feel the connection between the main character and her so called ‘friends’, but I do love them all. I would have loved to see a little more quality time. 

I also loved the storyline around Padre Ivini. It really shows how conspiracy theories can affect people. I still can’t forgive Adrick though, trying to kill your own sister? No. At first I thought he had a relationship with Kaleb, because in the beginning of the story Kaleb said he knew Adrick and Adrick said he knew someone in the Cittadella (but if it wasn’t Kaleb, then who was it?). And, what happened to Ivini after the battle? Did he survive?

And will we ever know who tried to kill her that one night? I thought maybe that was Adrick too, but I don’t think it was ever mentioned. 

I was also really interested in Renata and Tomo. I really thought Tomo was going to do something bad… but no hahahha. I would love to know their story. I feel like there’s more behind it.

Something I didn’t like was that the whole setting could change in the next paragraph. One sentence ago they were in a certain room and the next sentence they were in a totally different room without explanation. 

This story does not have a plottwist, but to be honest… it didn’t need it. The story itself is interesting enough and I felt very satisfied after reading it. I just want to know more about this world, the Gods and all the characters. I’m really curious about the next book. Will my questions get answers?

Full review coming soon over on my channel Sam Talks Books 

Samantha King

Lorna Beckett

Can a fantasy story be appropriate for summer? Emily Thiede proves with her debut This Vicious Grace that fantasy books can be summer reads as well. I was completely transported to this fictional Italian-inspired island enjoying the atmosphere as well as the excellent-executed romance.

Too be honest, I was not immediately captured by the plot. It took me a couple of chapters to understand the world and the stakes. When the plot arc was clear, I could not put the book down. Despite the high stakes, the possible demise of the whole island, it was a fun and entertaining book. Several scenes made me giggle out loud. Furthermore, the found family trope made the book feel warm and fuzzy. The plot was at times a tad bit predictable. This, however, did not diminish the charming quality of the story. Continuing, the ending felt a bit rushed, and it left some questions unanswered. Therefore, it is a good thing that there will be a sequel.

My favourite aspect of the story was the romance between the heroine, Alessa, and herself assigned bodyguard Dante. They had a lot of great chemistry and banter. Their will-they-won’t-they romance added addictive tension to the story. Another aspect I loved was Alessa’s growth as a personal. At the beginning, she was quite bitter and lonely due to the traditions surrounding the saviour of the realm, but she slowly became more confident and hopeful once she started to make friends. Furthermore, the side characters were entertaining as well, especially Kaleb who definitely stole my heart towards the end. I loved that collaboration and teamwork was an important aspect of the story and that it showed the different personalities of the side characters. I did not like the relationship between Alessa and her twin brother. In my opinion, he was too easily redeemed. My own criticism for the characters is that the motives and ambitions of some of the characters were not as clear.

I enjoyed the writing style. The Italian phrased added to the atmosphere and the richness of the world. In addition, the writing had a beautiful quality to it with lots of empowering quotes. Emily Thiede also did a great job of writing dialogue between characters especially Alessa and Dante. I also appreciated the dual perspective of both Alessa and Dante. Both perspectives were equally interesting and fun.

The story is set is an Italian-inspired world and this made clear through the language, food, traditions, clothing, and architecture. All of these aspects made the world feel rich and atmospheric. The magic system was based on elemental magic. I loved that teamwork enhanced the power of magic. However, the magic system remained vague. I would have liked to see more structure and more detail about the magic system. Also, I missed some context and history about the world and why there is an apocalypse every couple of year.

In conclusion, I had a blast reading This Vicious Grace. It is a well-written, solid fantasy debut. I loved the plot, the characters, and the romance.

Rating breakdown: plot (3.5/5), characters (3.75/5), writing (3.5/5), worldbuilding (3/5), overall enjoyment (/5)

Trigger warnings: Death of a loved one, violence, discrimination between fictional species, manipulation.

Lisa van der Heijden 

ＢＯＯＫ ＲＥＶＩＥＷ

 

Title: This Vicious Grace

Author: Emily Thiede

Pages: 431

Published: June 2022

Rating: 3.8/4.0

 

Can a fantasy story be appropriate for summer? Emily Thiede proves with her debut This Vicious Grace that fantasy books can be summer reads as well. I was completely transported to this fictional Italian-inspired island enjoying the atmosphere as well as the excellent-executed romance.

 

Too be honest, I was not immediately captured by the plot. It took me a couple of chapters to understand the world and the stakes. When the plot arc was clear, I could not put the book down. Despite the high stakes, the possible demise of the whole island, it was a fun and entertaining book. Several scenes made me giggle out loud. Furthermore, the found family trope made the book feel warm and fuzzy. The plot was at times a tad bit predictable. This, however, did not diminish the charming quality of the story. Continuing, the ending felt a bit rushed, and it left some questions unanswered. Therefore, it is a good thing that there will be a sequel.

 

My favourite aspect of the story was the romance between the heroine, Alessa, and herself assigned bodyguard Dante. They had a lot of great chemistry and banter. Their will-they-won’t-they romance added addictive tension to the story. Another aspect I loved was Alessa’s growth as a personal. At the beginning, she was quite bitter and lonely due to the traditions surrounding the saviour of the realm, but she slowly became more confident and hopeful once she started to make friends. Furthermore, the side characters were entertaining as well, especially Kaleb who definitely stole my heart towards the end. I loved that collaboration and teamwork was an important aspect of the story and that it showed the different personalities of the side characters. I did not like the relationship between Alessa and her twin brother. In my opinion, he was too easily redeemed. My own criticism for the characters is that the motives and ambitions of some of the characters were not as clear.

 

I enjoyed the writing style. The Italian phrased added to the atmosphere and the richness of the world. In addition, the writing had a beautiful quality to it with lots of empowering quotes. Emily Thiede also did a great job of writing dialogue between characters especially Alessa and Dante. I also appreciated the dual perspective of both Alessa and Dante. Both perspectives were equally interesting and fun.

 

The story is set is an Italian-inspired world and this made clear through the language, food, traditions, clothing, and architecture. All of these aspects made the world feel rich and atmospheric. The magic system was based on elemental magic. I loved that teamwork enhanced the power of magic. However, the magic system remained vague. I would have liked to see more structure and more detail about the magic system. Also, I missed some context and history about the world and why there is an apocalypse every couple of year.

 

In conclusion, I had a blast reading This Vicious Grace. It is a well-written, solid fantasy debut. I loved the plot, the characters, and the romance.

 

Rating breakdown: plot (3.5/5), characters (3.75/5), writing (3.5/5), worldbuilding (3/5), overall enjoyment (/5)

 

Trigger warnings: Death of a loved one, violence, discrimination between fictional species, manipulation.

Hard for me to get into at first because I guessed the solution too quickly then got super annoyed that it took the characters 300 pages to figure it out but it was a very good story. I feel like it ended too abruptly even though it is set up for a sequel. I just wish we would have gotten a little more before this one ended. Still a wonderful story that made me want to drink fresh lemonade on the beach.

Cassidy Webb

This Vicious Grace follows Alessa, who with her God given power of magnifying her partner's magic, is supposed to save her Island from a swarm of giant insects sent to devour them all. The catch? She kills every person she touches, until she meets Dante.

So, the premise of this story really intrigued me. It sounded original and complex. But the execution was lacking in my opinion.

The fantasy element to this story had so much potential, and I felt like it became a secondary plot and got completely drowned out by the romance within the book. All the action was within a few chapters thrown together towards the end of the book and didn't feel like it had the power and determination behind it that it should have.

The romance within this book definitely took precedence. However, it felt forced and predictable and like it was there to fill in where the fantasy side should have really been adapted and allowed to develop.

The whole book just felt too convenient with a plot twist at the end to allow for a sequel that isn't really needed.

Victoria Justice

This Vicious Grace follows Alessa, who with her God given power of magnifying her partner's magic, is supposed to save her Island from a swarm of giant insects sent to devour them all. The catch? She kills every person she touches, until she meets Dante.

So, the premise of this story really intrigued me. It sounded original and complex. But the execution was lacking in my opinion.

The fantasy element to this story had so much potential, and I felt like it became a secondary plot and got completely drowned out by the romance within the book. All the action was within a few chapters thrown together towards the end of the book and didn't feel like it had the power and determination behind it that it should have.

The romance within this book definitely took precedence. However, it felt forced and predictable and like it was there to fill in where the fantasy side should have really been adapted and allowed to develop.

The whole book just felt too convenient with a plot twist at the end to allow for a sequel that isn't really needed.

I really liked this book because it seemed very different and original to me. I loved the Italian proverbs and the culture touches. I felt like I was on that island while reading this book. 

This Vicious Grace

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