Leanne Olson

by Emily Thiede

Releasing June 28, 2022 from Wednesday Books

This Vicious Grace is a sultry, gorgeous fantasy that has everything I love in a book: a brave, smart, witty heroine, slow burning forbidden love, enemies-turned-friends, a unique magic system, adventure, and a terrifying enemy.

Alessa is a young Finestra: a window to the gods’ power and the only person who can save her island from the creatures coming to attack.  She must marry a Fonte, a person whose magic she can amplify.  However, she has married three Fontes — and killed them each time.  Alessa must figure out how to stop her powers from killing her spouses before her home is invaded.

This is my favourite debut fantasy so far this year.  Thiede is a confident writer who completely immersed me in the story.  Alessa is so real: she’s brave but battles loneliness, self-doubt, and fear.  She hires Dante, a bodyguard with a secret, and their attraction sizzles.  I also loved all the potential Fontes who each had their own personalities and individual relationships, and the mysteriousness of the magic.

Thiede addresses a number of themes, including the price of isolation, the corruption of authority and religion, the importance of bravery and kindness, and the danger of prejudice.  There’s a depth to This Vicious Grace that I wasn’t expecting.  And, of course, there’s a fantastic battle between giant demon bugs and humans with magic and swords.

I can’t wait for book 2 in this duology.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for my review copy of this book.