Three weddings. Three funerals. Alessa’s gift from the gods is supposed to magnify a partner’s magic, not kill every suitor she touches.
Now, with only weeks left until a hungry swarm of demons devours everything on her island home, Alessa is running out of time to find a partner and stop the invasion. When a powerful priest convinces the faithful that killing Alessa is the island’s only hope, her own soldiers try to assassinate her.
Desperate to survive, Alessa hires Dante, a cynical outcast marked as a killer, to become her personal bodyguard. But as rebellion explodes outside the gates, Dante’s dark secrets may be the biggest betrayal. He holds the key to her survival and her heart, but is he the one person who can help her master her gift or destroy her once and for all?
Emily Thiede’s exciting fantasy debut, This Vicious Grace, will keep readers turning the pages until the devastating conclusion and leave them primed for more!
MY REVIEW
Three weddings and three funerals-Alessa’s gift is supposed to save the world but ends up killing every suitor she touches. With only weeks left to save her island home, time is running out for Alessa to not only find a suitor but stop the invasion. Alessa’s task is anything but easy, and when a powerful priest casts doubt among the faithful, Alessa quickly discovers that not everyone is on her side. Desperate to survive, Alessa seeks help from Dante, an outcast who has been marked as a killer. Will Dante be able to help Alessa or will his secrets destroy everything? There’s only one way to find out….
What an exciting ride! This Vicious Grace is a little slow to start, but don’t let that discourage you. This book has fantastic world-building and a plot that will leave you on your toes.
Alessa is strong, yet determined to live up to the expectations the gods have set before her. Her mission: find an acceptable suitor, harness his power, and save their island community. Sounds easy enough, except everyone she touches ends up dead. After an attempt on her life, Alessa doesn’t know who she can trust, and that’s how she finds herself with the mysterious Dante. Dante could care less about Alessa’s agenda, but for reasons he can’t quite understand, he takes Alessa up on her offer. Together, these two make quite the unexpected pairing. Their chemistry leaped off the pages and had me dying to know what would happen next.
This Vicious Grace is a heart-pounding and refreshing fantasy novel that will keep you glued to the pages. This story is filled with magic, mystery, and intrigue. At times, I wondered how this could possibly be a debut novel, as the words just flew off the pages and consumed me. I fell in love with the characters and am absolutely dying to find out what happens next. This story took me by surprise in the best way and I look forward to checking out more from this author in the future.
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book via the publisher & NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*
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