Alessa is unsure if she truly is the chosen one, The Finestra. Her gift from the gods is supposed to magnify the power of her partner’s magic, but unfortunately three weddings have led only to three separate funerals. Terrified of being touched and killing another, she finds herself both terrified of the people around her, and the pending invasion of a swarm of hungry demons coming to destroy her home. It is her duty to match with a magical partner and defeat the demons, or her entire homeland will be destroyed. After an assassination attempt from one of her own soldiers, Alessa hires a personal bodyguard. Dante is marked as a killer with a tattoo on his wrist. With that mark, he will not be allowed within the protective walls during the demon attack, but rather would have to fend for himself. Alessa’s offer to have him act as her bodyguard is too good a deal to pass up, and he may be the one person who helps her master her gift.
Emily Thiede’s fantasy debut is fascinating. Her world building is believable and entertaining, especially as we find out more about both Alessa and Dante. The side characters in this book help imbue the book with fantastic energy, leaving the reader, or listener in the case of the audiobook, to find themselves enraptured with the world Thiede has created. I’m excited to see what happens next in The Last Finestra series.
This Vicious Grace is now available.
