Thanks to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed this at 20% of the way through.

The beginning was worldbuilding whiplash. And not even *good* worldbuilding--just...throw you in the middle of a fight and hope for the best whiplash. I was so confused by all the unexplained terms and worldbuilding until I looked up GR reviews and said this is Rey/Kylo (Star Wars) fanfiction originally.

And THEN the story finally made sense. The protagonist is Rey, and the "somehow cute" murdering bad boy is Kylo. There are ships but technically they're in the water but will continue to be described as if they're flying through the sky....there's the Force but it's called something else.

I've read other Reylo books before and they have better writing than this. I wish the author and editors worked together to make sure the story really disconnected itself from Star Wars entirely. This book is just a dark romance with minimal fantasy in the background.

Buddy read with Zana

I would like to preface that Zana and I read things other than colonizer romances, even if it doesn't seem that way. Is this a new genre? Colonizer romantasies?

I would also like to preface that had I known this was a converted Reylo fanfic, I would not have requested it. When I read The Love Hypothesis and realized how familiar it felt, I remembered that the fanfic was better. I wonder if that is also the case here.

The beginning was slow. I was ready to two-star this like I did with every other YA romantasy I read this year. Side note, please stop calling romantasy fantasy. It is, at best, fantasy lite. Very very lite.

I also wasn't really sure where Thea's Filipinx heritage was going to come into play, because the story felt very white, as so much fantasy is. And what would I have preferred, a "normal" romance, or colonization?

This review is sounding very negative. I promise, it's not. Things eventually pick up. I think Zana ended up enjoying it more than me, but there are parts I liked. Tall man and small woman aside, the story really begins to come into its own once we let go of Talasyn's pretentiousness. Alaric is always going to be an asshole, but we're into that, aren't we? Well, I am. I need help, but do you?

For those that read enemies-to-lovers and dabble in YA/NA romantasy, this will be an easy read for you. You will eat this shit up and then ask for more. However, I have problems with the genre as a whole, and often look for things to nitpick. Some of the flowery descriptions could use some editing. And by editing, I mean deletion. "It made her think of rough silk and honey mead in an oaken barrel." Silk? Mead? At the same time? Separately? What does this mean?

This book converted me somewhere around the marriage of convenience trope. I am trash for that. I am trash for many things. I would've given an extra star for more smut, so can we add there? Please? Reylo fanfic is unhinged. Give me some A/B/O. Give me anything. That glorified handjob is not it.

More funnies. "Something had seized within his chest." I think that's a heart attack, bb. Also all of the euphemisms. Less euphemisms. More sex. If this turns into a closed door series, I'm out. That last 5% got a little hot and heavy, but not as hot and heavy as I would like. So, more of that, if anyone is listening.

If you're still here, thanks for listening to this rant.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

This is going to be huge when it's out, it was so so good!! I really enjoyed this and cannot wait for the sequel because that cliffhanger is going to haunt me!!!!!!!

This one has me torn. There were some things I liked and some things I didn’t like. The writing itself is pretty well done for a debut (a trend I’ve been noticing a lot lately in fantasy and I’m HERE for it). I liked the small blend of sci-fi (I was not expecting this). I also enjoyed the dual POV — I feel like it’s not often that I get to read an enemies-to-lovers that has both (or all) love interests POV’s. It also had some of my favorite tropes:
* lost heir
* enemies to lovers
* warrior FMC
* one bed trope
Here’s where I’m torn: the plot is really giving nothing new (I know it’s fanfiction-ish or based so I’m not being too harsh on this point). You’re literally thrown into this book —and I do like that in a book, but only if it’s pulled off well, and I think this struggled a little bit with that. There were so many different things and different time jumps and different places all over the world all within the first 10ish chapters (roughly) that it gave me whiplash. And lastly, I’m still confused on the magic system. Maybe it was explained well and I’m just missing it, but I need a deep dive into this system because I don’t understand the rules it complies to or where it’s from or how it’s sourced. And the Aether realm??? What the hell is even that?? Nexus points?? Where do they come from??
All in all, 3.5 rounded to 4. I WILL read book two, I think this series could go places. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

Hello! If you loved Fourth Wing, better listen up! With all the elements of easy to read fantasy and tension you could cut with a knife, the Hurricane Wars is perfect for anyone looking to get further into fantasy. I cannot emphasize enough how lovable this book is, and I can't wait for everyone to enjoy it as much as I did.

I am completely in awe of this book, and it absolutely deserves the hype it has been getting!

The formula for this was really unique and different. It begins with a brutal, violent war, and a frightening altercation with the man who later becomes our MMC. Its interesting to have a story start this way, as I am used to having spent time with a lot of the characters and get attached to them before the action breaks out, and at first I wasn't sure how I felt about this happening in reverse. I was worried it would take some of the intensity out of the story if I didn't know these characters prior to them experiencing this level of tragedy, HOWEVER, I am happy to report that this formula actually made perfect sense and served the story incredibly well in the long term.

This enemies-to-lovers story is TRULY rooted in a lot of hurt, hatred, violence, and years upon years of warfare separating the two. The conflict in the beginning makes this so much more sinister as the two continue to encounter each other later. The tension was thick, the banter was delightful, and the whiplash the characters felt over their own attraction to one another felt visceral and intuitive. It was truly unique and impressive, and left me feeling unsure what was going to happen next at every turn.

Also, this WORLD! It is so full and immersive, with beautiful imagery and the most natural world building. The magic is completely enchanting and different, and I felt like I could imagine it in full in my head. The political intrigue is thick as well, and its genuinely quite difficult to decide who you trust or believe.

You may have heard that this story began as a Reylo fan-fic, and maybe this has enticed you even more! Or maybe you're not sure that this is your thing. But, if you like a genuine and well-handled enemies to lovers story? A Southeast-Asia inspired fantasy with rich world building and unique magic? A conflict that keeps your heart pounding and leaves you questioning everything you know? If you like any of these things, this IS your thing (I promise!) It does keep the spirit of some of what we know from Reylo, but there is so much that is brand new and creative and stunningly unique. I just loved this, and I think the hype it has received is completely well-deserved!

Thank you so much to Avon & Harper Voyager & NetGalley for this eArc! I will be watching like a hawk for news of book two!

Growing up as an orphan in a war-torn country, Talasyn became a soldier at fourteen, fighting along with her countrymen against the evil Night Emperor and his deadly forces. Talasyn has a special nascent magical power that involves using an intense light to form weapons and potentially, wipe out enemies. The Night Emperor had previously all but eradicated her kind. Her country’s forces are losing at a devastating pace so when Talasyn sees an opportunity to eventually turn the tide, she must take it while going against her whole nature.

The emperor’s son, Prince Alaric, has been essentially brain-washed by his father to despise and distrust Lightweavers such as Talasyn. When they encounter one another on the battle field, each is intrigued but they still consider themselves deadly enemies. Alaric’s family Shadow powers are made from darkness, the Shadowgate, but instead of being only opposing, somehow the light and dark can be complimentary.

Forced into an uneasy union by the Emperor and Talaysn’s recently found family in yet another country, she and Alaric must learn to work together before there is little left of their world from the destructive forces of reigniting a never-ending war as well as a natural disaster in the offing.

Talasyn and Alaric spend most of their time verbally, and at times physically, assaulting one another once they are in forced proximity. Talasyn is very young, only twenty, while Alaric is seven years older. Her lack of maturity, big learning curve as a being part of a new society, and his being dominated by his father even after Alaric is named Emperor, keeps them in constant turmoil.

Since this story is essentially a Star Wars, Kylo-Ren fanfic, many elements will seem familiar. Naturally there is quite a bit of world building for this epic style fantasy story. While some of elements are enjoyable, and I understand the pattern is somewhat laid out by the homage, Talaysn and Alaric’s constant strife riddled relationship is difficult to take at times. Some parts are repetitive and unnecessarily lengthy bogging down the story. Readers who enjoy this story will look forward to the next installment which is sure to be an intense ride.

I’m not sure any combination of words in this review will do justice to how incredible this book is. This is without a doubt one of my absolute favorite reads of 2023. I devoured this, and every time I took a break I was sad I was that much closer to the end.

From the very first page, this story sweeps you into the wind of a fast paced, high stakes, war torn fantasy novel. The way the author is able to describe the scenes made it very easy for me to see everything as if I was watching a movie in my head. The flow is perfection and i truly could not put this down.

This is probably the truest enemies to lovers story I’ve ever read. These two HATE each other which makes the slowest of slow burns hit all the more harder.

There’s not one aspect of this story that I did not love. It’s incredible and will be in my top recommended reads for a long time. I can’t wait to see how the author continues this series!

I ended up having a pretty good time with this book! It's a true enemies to lovers romantasy - the main characters attempt to kill each other multiple times and despite having some conflicting feelings here and there early-ish in the book, they really don't become lovers until quite near the end. I honestly prefer slow burns for enemies to lovers, I think it feels much more realistic.

As many reviews have noted, the initial worldbuilding in this book is quite the slog. It really wasn't until 20-30% that I honestly understood anything that was happening. I was really worried that the rest of the book would be a similar experience but thankfully everything got better and much more digestible.

I was super excited about the inclusion of dragons and was really excited to see how they would be incorporated....and they end up being merely a blip in the book. Perhaps they will play a bigger role in subsequent books since this is clearly a series set up, which I would be happy to see!

After the first 20% or so, the writing is pretty digestible - I think fans of Fourth Wing will like this a lot if they can get past that initial world building. And yes, this is definitely Reylo fan fic - if that's going to bother you, I guess I suggest not reading?? The inspiration is pretty clear from the outset but honestly I don't mind that and I think the inspiration was blended well into the world that Thea Guanzon creates.

I liked all the relationships that we got to experience with the characters and am glad the book was dual POV since I think it allowed us to get to know both characters and at least a little bit about their motivations, even though I still have some questions about Alaric's.

Read this for:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Political Marriage of Convenience
- Reylo fanfic
- Slow Burn
- Asian inspired fantasy
- Forced proximity
- War

If you liked Fourth Wing and think you can handle the slightly more complex world building, I do recommend this one! I'm excited to see where this story goes next and am so glad we are in a world in which these stories are being told!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5 stars rounded up.

I was very surprised that I ended up liking The Hurricane Wars! I'm definitely not a huge fan of romantasy, but I thought that the romance was executed really well in this one. Sure, the actual romantic scenes and situations were pretty predictable, but the huge lead up hooked me right in.

Talasyn is your typical stubborn, author self-insert, ~Strong Female Character~ suffering from lots of trauma. Alaric is also your typical broody, shadow daddy suffering from mommy and daddy issues. So, really, there's nothing new here.

But somehow, it all worked for me. I honestly don't know why. And I'm speaking as someone who dislikes the romance genre in general.

I had a couple of bookish friends DNF this novel in the first 25-30%, so ymmv. But I actually loved that section of the novel. Sure, the prose has sprinklings of purple in it, but I didn't find it too distracting from what the author was trying to convey.

But I'll admit, it was slightly confusing at first because the author threw everything at the reader all at once, and there was a huge action scene in the beginning that made it hard to acclimate to the world, the characters, and the magic system.

But I stuck with it, and it paid off.

The world building and magic system were so engrossing and they were both deeply intertwined in such a comprehensive manner. As a fantasy lover, I absolutely loved this! It was so cool to see how certain characters (Alaric and Gaheris with the Shadowgate, Talasyn with the Lightweave) lived with their magic and how they used it. I also loved how magical technology was a huge part of this world, with the aether hearts powering the ships and the stormships with their storm powers. So, so cool!

Since the arc didn't have a map, it was really hard to understand the geopolitics (which was a really huge deal in this story), so it was hard to make out who the players were. But at the end of the day, it turned out to be Everyone vs. Kesath, the Ultra Mega Colonizer Shadow Empire.

After the 40% mark, the story turned into a typical romantasy with the marriage of convenience trope up the wazoo. There weren't really any plot twists to throw a wrench into things, which is why this isn't a solid 4 or 4.5 stars for me.

And as much as I hate the colonizer romantasies that are cropping up like mold this year, I actually ended up liking Talasyn and Alaric's relationship. It wasn't overly offensive. Both are on (mostly) on the same level, without a terribly skewed power imbalance that usually makes colonizer romances feel majorly icky.

I will say though, I absolutely <i>hated</i> how the author used italics so liberally to emphasize certain words. (See what I did there? lolll) It feels very amateur fanfic and I seriously hope she stops doing it in the rest of the series. Like, okay, readers understand what you're trying to say/emphasize because of context clues, duh!!

Also, constant descriptions of Alaric's silver/flint/grey eyes, his tousled dark waves, pale skin, broad body, blah blah blah Adam Driver, yes, we get it!!! Maybe this is just a romance genre thing and I'm not used to it. Idk.

Anyway, if you'd like to give BIPOC-authored romantasies a try, The Hurricane Wars is a good place to start.

I'm definitely staying around for the sequel.

And as an Asian-American from Maritime Southeast Asia, I appreciate the little tidbits scattered throughout the story! (ex. soy "pudding", ikan, etc.)

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this arc.

Wow. I've been hearing nothing but incredible things about this book and all the hype has totally lived up to it so far. This romantasy was everything and I loveeed it. I didn't realize it was Reylo fanfic until afterwards but I totally see it now!

This was fun-bad at first but now it's just bad-bad.

The writing in this is just awful. It's SO repetitive, the world-building is clunky, and the foreshadowing is heavy-handed as hell. I try to give a new fantasy read the benefit of the doubt at first, especially when it comes to world-building elements, because I've read plenty that really take off and become something fun and wonderful after a rough start. <i>The Hurricane Wars</i>, unfortunately, never hit that point for me. As soon as big plot developments make me roll my eyes, I know it's time to put the book down.

This is also the most obvious Reylo-Fanfic-Turned-Book that I've read so far. The political dynamic of the Allfold and the Night Empire is a straight ripoff of the Rebellion and the Empire, just on a continental scale instead of a galactic one. I'll give the author points for expanding a bit on the magic system, but "aether" is still very much The Force. Our MC/Rey stand-in is an orphan who was abandoned in a remote city and made to fend for herself, with only flashes of memory connecting her to her past. I didn't get far enough to figure out the love interest's whole deal, but I certainly have a few guesses.

Definitely disappointed because this was a super hyped one for me, but I really couldn't get past the writing.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyage as well as NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

-enemies to lovers
-an epic fantasy war
-a marriage of convenience

These characteristics made The Hurricane Wars one of my most anticipated reads for the year. I was thrilled to receive an arc.

While the premise and tropes hooked me in, unfortunately I struggled with this one. The world building was not fluid and left me confused at numerous points. The characters themself seems a bit juvenile though this book is dubbed as an adult fantasy. I was left wishing that we had more happen.

I am hoping that the next book matures a bit in both its writing and with the characters.

The Hurricane Wars is officially one of my new favorites of all time. It was beautifully written with characters you can really connect with, and it surely kept me on the edge of my seat.

This book was ok. It checked all the mandatory boxes of a YA fantasy series and for this reason it didn't feel unique or engaging. Coupled with a clunky writing style and stereotypical characters, I was not captivated enough with this one to desire continuing with the series at large, but mine is merely one opinion.

》ARC Review: The Hurricane Wars《

The Hurricane Wars is the first installment of a fantasy romance series that brings excitement, thrills, and a healthy serving of angst. While this book ultimately wasn’t for me, it absolutely will be for many others.

The story was originally published a “Reylo” fanfic, and the Star Wars inspiration is heavily felt to the point of distraction (for me!) within this book. Nevertheless, this book absolutely delivers in making the enemies-to-lovers trope-led protagonists actually feel like genuine enemies, creating an intriguing atmosphere, filled with anticipation wondering how the two’s intertwining arcs will develop.

》The Leads《

Talasyn. While Talasyn is based on Star Wars’ Rey, she never felt like any character but her own. I never looked at Talaysn and noted features of Rey from Star Wars, I only ever saw Tala. She easily became my favorite character and my favorite part of this book.

I immensely enjoyed following her journey, she lifted this narrative and made its journey worthwhile.

Alaric. While Talasyn felt very much her own character, the same cannot be said of Alaric.
Alaric had the looks, motive, and surliness of Kylo Ren and (to me) the angsty backstory of Zuko from Avatar:The Last Airbender. He was never just Alaric in the way Talasyn was just Talasyn. His character was a constant reminder of this story’s origin, which was ultimately very distracting.

That said, I do credit his character for advancing the romancing in this part love story. I liked how it softened the edges of his character.

》The Enemies《

The book absolutely excelled in delivering the “enemies” part of enemies-to-lovers trope. Far too often I read romances with this trope and the leads are hardly enemies. At best, they tend to be rivals with a bit a banter. In Hurricane Wars, Talasyn and Alaric are truly, genuinely enemies. With their own beliefs and stance, having in place a firm line between the two. And it doesn’t simply go away because an attraction emerges. No, they are an opposite sides of a war from start to end, and I do very much find that component a fascinating one to follow as the story further develops.

》The Lovers《

While this book delivered on enemies, I wasn’t quite as convinced on the lovers side of the trope.
One second our leads are trying to kill each other, the next there is an abrupt mutual attraction and obsessive lust by part of Alaric. It was rather jarring. I would have liked a build up to it, and more importantly, more emphasis on the emotional attraction, rather than just physical. I do think we see a bit more of that from Alaric, but from Talasyn, all I got from her was how her eyes ate up Alaric. Not so much her heart.

I would have greatly appreciated more romancing, but I do think this perspective may change as the next books come along, allowing that to further develop.

》The World-Building and Pacing《

The world-building is expansive, but it’s the type to easily get lost in because it builds on top of itself throughout the course the narrative. Part I was especially tough to get through, so much focus was on the world-building that the pacing felt off— I never felt I had time to stop and get to know the main and supporting characters being introduced (and killed off). It’s the critical moment to establish a connection to the main players, instead I was left scratching my head, feeling at a standstill as the world rushed by.

The world-building makes the Star Wars inspiration all the more apparent. It’s easy to spot all the instances were lightsaber duels were happening and all the discourse of the Light and Dark side.

And then there were dragons.

Dragons suddenly appear, but are quickly pushed to the side. I never understood their importance; for me, their inclusion only served to add more unnecessary cluster to the world-building.

I do think beginning in Part II and I’d say all of the middle, up onto the final part of the book, the book finds a good pacing. I felt I could finally get to know our leads, experience their world, and anticipate readily (rather than exasperatingly) what would happen next. The pace wavers again towards the end, but the middle was strong enough to keep me going.

》The Beginning of a Journey《

The ending of the book clearly sets up for more. And I am intrigued to see if a character that went missing is found again and given their own arc— I’ll definitely be back if that happens!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 34%.

Listen. I wanted to like this so bad -- it's one of everyone's most anticipated reads for the year. But I'm a third of the way through and I cannot tell you what the main plot is supposed to be.

Twice now I've encountered a moment that made me think, "Ah, finally, we're setting up the plot! This is what the story will be about" only for the literal next page to be a time jump that summarizes what happened after that set up. (Insert Dr. Doofenshmirtz meme about having two nickels, IYKYK)

The pacing is all over the place, and there's so much telling instead of showing. When I learned that this was formerly a fanfic, it all made sense. I think this reviewer explained the fanfiction issue perfectly: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4654947360

I think you'll like this is you're a fanfiction person and enjoy that kind of writing or plot setup for an enemies-to-lovers arc.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon is the start of the Hurricane Wars Series.
 
This book is set in a Southeast Asia–inspired world and it was truly fascinating. The world is threatened by storms and a war, so all the characters must face massive obstacles. I also loved the author’s note that explains a bit more about how this world came about and it has such an important message.
 
Talasyn grew up as an orphan and she is struggling in this world but does her best to fight for freedom. She also has light magic and that was so unique, and I loved to follow her along as she is learning to wield this power and to discover more about herself.
 
Prince Alaric is the emperor’s only son and heir and his task is to eliminate everything that threatens their empire. And Talasyn turns out to be exactly that, so the enemies-to-lovers vibes are sizzling and strong in this book.
 
Talasyn and Alaric are a clash of light and dark and what they can create together is beyond stunning. They are going through so much in this book, and both are equals and such strong characters and I loved that. The concept of this book was absolutely amazing and I’m in love with this book and especially the romance.
 
Overall, The Hurricane Wars is a fantastic fantasy debut, and I already can’t wait for the next installment. 4,5 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

it's okay................ like a small drop in the sea that is enemies to lovers, it feels like a wasted potential. These charaters are actively in a war against one another have have killed people directly or in directly that the other loves but yet they can't kill each other because they feel some sort of ''pull'' to one another? Where is the guilt and the anger? It falls flat on its promise of any meaning full tension; they should have been genuine enemies for much longer and been more evenly matched so its not just him taking it easy on her even though they're at actual war and has killed one of his 'friends'.
Neither of them feel like leaders in their own rights, they shoulder responsibility but that doesn't make them leaders while in the war we should have seen talasyn take a more active role in the rebellion since she is quite literally a symbol of hope and she says something along the lines of ' vengeance is not justice' which I would have loved to see her make that distinction personally at some point in the war , maybe she gives mercy to enemies' soldiers instead of torture or she see's how they can't win the war and the rebellion's leadership just aims to do as much destruction as they can and she opposes this and that could have created some conflict between her and the rebellion leader once we find out her true identity.
Alaric could have been more also as they heir he should have more actually responsibility and not just a figure head, he should have had more anger with in him and we would have got to see him question his father and what the war is about and he horrified and realize that his father will never be satisfied and make plans to move against him,
The inadequacies of their leaders and they desire to make a different future could have given them mutual respect and understanding for each other, then we could have had an alliance then friendship then love .\
As it stand ther is no actual tension between the two, n lasting horror that readers feel from the war, it falls flat,

3.5 stars.

This book was harder for me to get into. When I read the synopsis I was really intrigued. When I read the authors notes in the beginning I was excited. But my brain was just not wanting to process what I was reading. It took me a few try’s to actually get started. Overall I liked it but I had a hard time reading it. I am not a huge fan of the writing style but still think the book is worth reading. I really want to like it more so I am going to give it another read through and also listen to it again in a month or so.