My heart, it's like a loaded gun: THIS VICIOUS GRACE.

This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Alessa is a Finestra, revered in her society for a magical gift that is supposed to magnify the power of her partner, called a Fonte. The only problem is that Alessa keeps killing her Fontes instead. Three weddings, three funerals. Now a foreseen swarm of demons is heading toward their island, and Alessa must find a Fonte before it's too late to save her homeland. Her fellow islanders are frustrated and turning against her, so Alessa hires an outcast named Dante to protect her. Dante helps her refine her gift, but his secrets may also doom them all.

At first, I was not sure I would enjoy this book. It felt long and confusing as could be. There is a lot of terminology to learn, and it did not seem like everything was explained very clearly. It took me some time to get into the story. However, once Dante appeared on the scene, I was totally sucked in. Not that Alessa (aka Finestra) isn't a great character. She's pretty awesome--spunky and tough, but thoughtful, too. However, Alessa and Dante's friendship and chemistry made the story for me.

I loved the themes in this one--learning to work together versus tackling problems alone; not fearing the unknown; and pushing back on tradition. I guess all of those hit home for me! I am a sucker for a heroine coming into her own. And Dante was the best--who doesn't love a brooding hero with a (secret) heart of gold, right?

This had a rather abrupt and worrisome ending, but there's a sequel. I'll need to read that right when it comes out! Also, fun fact, my daughter's (very awesome) second grade teacher is thanked in the acknowledgements of this book! 3.5 stars.


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