This Cursed Light

Publication Date: December 2023| Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: An underwhelming conclusion to the duology, but worth reading if you really liked the first novel.

2/5 Stars

Book Summary: Six months after saving the world, a new threat emerges. Desperate to seek answers to what is coming, Alessa, Dante and their friends try to locate the exiled Ghiotte to recruit as allies. Between Dante’s lack of powers and Alessa’s new growing darkness, it’s more challenging than ever. What does it cost to save the world again? And who will be willing to pay the price?

My Analysis: I was very underwhelmed by this conclusion to the duology. To me, the best part of reading This Vicious Grace was the banter and relationship between Alessa and Dante. In this one however, I found that to be severely lacking and their interactions seemed more immature than before. I was also put off by the repetition and inconsistencies that were present throughout. Hopefully this is something that will be fixed as a final edit, but the fact that I noticed so many was disappointing. What do I like about this series? The magic system. It is very creative and I really like the idea of the Finestra amplifying powers of those around her. The underlying concept was there but just didn’t work well with how it was written. If you really enjoyed This Vicious Grace then it is worth a read to have a conclusion and to learn a bit more about the magic the characters hold.