EMILY THIEDE
(Book 1 in the The Last Finestra series)
Synopsis:
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?
My rating: ★★★★★
Categories: YA, fantasy, romance
Content:
Language: Semi-frequent use of minor language, a few uses of stronger language ("s").
Violence: The main character is able to kill with her touch. Much of the book is focused on her working through her fear of the violence she causes. Attempted murder and religious assassinations are described, as well as stabbing and blood. The overarching plot of the book involves a war involving vicious flying monsters who the MC is expected to kill in order to protect her people from. There are mentions of violent mobs as well, and suicide is contemplated several times.
Sex: There are several allusions to sex and sexual topics. The female main character mentions she wants to lose her virginity and she is noted to read "inappropriate" material. There are several kisses and one fade-to-black sex scene.
LGBTQ: The MC has married both men and women, though she is not necessarily attracted to both. A few side characters are mentioned to be possibly bisexual. One of female side characters is explicitly mentioned to "prefer women."
My Review: So. That was pretty amazing. The world, the characters, the development, the plot, the cliffhanger—
Needless to say, I cannot wait for the second one. I really connected with Alessa and understood her struggles. Her relationship with Dante and the Fontes/Fonti (the candidates to be Alessa's "partner") felt so organic. It's rare to find anything unique in books these days, but I really felt like the plot and the role of the Finestra were something new. I'm so excited to see what Thiede has planned next (and please, please just let Dante and Alessa be happy in the end).