This Vicious Grace
the romantic, unforgettable fantasy debut of the year
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4.3 • 7 Ratings
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- £2.99
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
Her gift can save . . . or it can kill.
'Riveting, passionate, and full of high stakes danger' Tamora Pierce
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?
Serpent & Dove meets The Bodyguard in this romantic, thrilling fantasy debut!
PRAISE FOR THIS VICIOUS GRACE
'A wonderfully fun time from start to finish' Hannah Whitten
'The perfect blend of humour and heart' Allison Saft
'This book is incredible' Lauren Blackwood
'Remarkably fresh' Ayana Gray
'Sure to be a favourite for fans of Stephanie Garber, Leigh Bardugo and Kerri Maniscalco' Lyndall Clipstone
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Blessed by the gods, a thrice-married, thrice-widowed 18-year-old must learn to control her power to prevent calamity amid rebellion in Thiede's mesmerizing debut. Cued-white Alessa Paladino's blessing is also a curse. As the Finestra on the island of Saverio, she has little magical ability of her own but can amplify the mystical powers granted to individuals, called Fonte, by the goddess Dea. Finestra and Fonte are expected to collaborate, oftentimes through marriage, to save Saverio from Divorando, an apocalyptic day of reckoning on which Dea's opposition, Crollo, would decimate the island with his "devouring minions." Yet all three Fontes have succumbed to Alessa's fatal power, and when her guards turn against her, convinced that her death will save Saverio, she hires outsider Dante, a "bronzed" muscled mercenary, for protection. His job is to keep her safe, and his presence helps Alessa wrangle her gift, but secrets from his past may yet lead to Saverio's ruin. Though the worldbuilding is occasionally thin and familiar, it's complemented by rich, descriptive writing and anchored by a clever heroine. Thiede weaves political intrigue, power struggles, and faith with intense romance in this immersive series opener. Ages 13–up.
