This Cursed Light: A Book Review

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023. And I think my expectations were way too high. 

First of all, the plot was too similar to This Vicious Grace. I wanted it to dive deeper and to get more epic and tense. It didn't feel tense to me at all. And once again, the villain is so removed from the story that there's no tension besides an impending deadline. I liked this plot in This Vicious Grace, but it felt too repetitive and lackluster in This Cursed Light. 

I also was disappointed with the romance. Alessa and Dante lost all their witty banter and their loyalty to each other. There was too much arguing for my tastes, and it felt like they were either mad at each other or lusting. I missed their old relationship! 

I also was annoyed with the dialogue in general. It felt immature, especially with all the innuendos. The dialogue felt young adult, but the innuendos felt out of place. I also didn't love the side characters as much, and their dialogue came off as too cheesy for me. 

In my opinion, I wished This Vicious Grace had been a standalone. There really is no need to continue their story with this sequel, and I think I'll pretend that this one doesn't exist. Maybe my expectations were just too high for this. I hope it finds readers who love it more than I did!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 3
Plot/Movement: 2
Character Development: 2
Overall: 2

Thank you, Wednesday Books and NetGalley, for the arc!

Release Date: December 5, 2023

Trigger/Content Warnings: a couple brief open door scenes, fighting violence and death, swearing

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!