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witcheep's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"I'm tired of being a title rather than a person, I guess."
When Alessa gets the chance to touch again by trying to connect with a Fonte, she takes it ravenously – and it ends in the death of the Fonte too many times because her magic is too strong for the touch. This grants the secondary foes in the book, a religious group of men, a somewhat justified claim to want to murder her as a false Finestra. After multiple attempts on her life, Alessa doesn't trust anyone, and seeks for protecion from a disinterested party by hiring a lone street fighter Dante as her body guard.
Dante says he is not kind, but Alessa decides his actions show otherwise: Dante builds Alessa's confidence up by gentle bullying, and Alessa begins to regard them as friends with the potentiality for more.
Dante squinted, and she smiled brighter. If he was going to tease her about reading smutty novels, she'd fight back by working innuendo into every conversation.
They both are lonely teenagers with recent years in their lives holding such dark times for them that they both have had to grow up fast and become as adult-like as they can to fill in the roles that keep them alive. They open up to each other about their secrets and offer each other support.
Quote in spoiler:
She patted his arm with a perky, "You're doing fine."
"You're desperate, and I'm here, eh?"
"Exactly." She paused. "Thank you."
In the plot, slowly, the concrete truths and rules of ancient sacred texts are questioned by finding alternative translations and interpretations, and Alessa pieces together that the core of the sacred text is community: "Together, we protect. Divided, we unravel." This has traditionally been interpreted to mean the connection between the Finestra and their one Fonte. Gradual spoilers of plot progression: 1.
Hope is what must be found in a YA book, and that is what is drizzled throughtout This Vicious Grace to finally be bathed in at the end. The ending of the book sets up the premise for the sequel, and I'm interested to see where Thiede takes the main characters from here.
Review written 17.3.2024
Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment
Moderate: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Sexual content, Blood, and War
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Classism
qatkatcat's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Death, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
zarhara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death and Torture
one_more_chapter96's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gore, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, and War
Minor: Child abuse, Torture, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
xtsukix's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
wrensreadingroom's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Classism, and Deportation
joygarcialim's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
The main characters were kind of bland and replaceable. They didn’t really stand out individually and the writer didn’t give them enough personality to show what their characters were supposed to be. Other than Alessa and Dante of course. Alessa is kind of a woe-is-me character and I get that her life is difficult in many regards but that’s most of her personality. Dante is a tortured devil archetype and kept saying he was evil with no proof. I get that they lived in a world where that mentality is enforced on him but it wasn’t really explained well. Dante was the most interesting character imo.
The chemistry between Alessa and Dante seemed kind of awkward too. There didn’t seem to be a reason they were in love with each other, other than their deep-rooted insecurities.
The world-building wasn’t great either. It was there but it wasn’t at the same time. It was just kind of vague but written about enough to let readers know it was there. The author emphasised a lot more on the romance part than the fantasy part.
Overall, very underdeveloped and poorly executed.
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse and Fire/Fire injury
kirstenf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Deportation
Minor: Sexism and Medical content
ewatt33's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Death, Blood, Grief, and War
marine2907's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail