“You lost, little bird?”


The Hurricane Wars is more than a fantasy novel, it's a journey into the depths of human resilience and the uncharted territories of magic and emotion. Guanzon's deftly crafted prose interlaces with a world both beautifully imagined and hauntingly familiar - a nation ensnared in the grip of conflict, where darkness vies with light, both on the battlefield and within the hearts of its characters. Talasyn's concealed light magic and Prince Alaric's shadowy prowess mirror the duality of their world, while their union hints at a potential to transcend the boundaries that divide. In a tapestry woven with secrets, power, and the promise of salvation or ruin, The Hurricane Wars beckons readers to explore not only the clash of forces but also the intricacies of connection and the untamed potential of their union.



“Shall I simper while millions suffer under your tyranny?”



What to expect:
* Enemies to Lovers
* Slow Burn
* Forced Proximity
* Nations at War
* Exquisite World-building
* Lush Landscapes
* Vibrant Filipino Culture
* A Journey of Self Discovery

The hurricane wars was like three books in one. In this first installment too many things happen. In the first half we got a lot of action, a lot going on at the same time, a lot of plot twist and revelations but towards the 50% mark the book dragged a bit. I think that for this reason I couldn't give it 5 stars, I had a hard time moving on after passing the first half but the reality is that this book is amazing.

The world building and magic system are some of the best I've read in my life. Although The Hurricane Wars is a romantic fantasy book, the romance does not make the fantasy part into the background. Here I have to admit that it was quite difficult for me at times to be able to organize this whole world in my head because the E-Arc does not come with a map. When I asked the author, she told me that the final version will have maps, so I'm looking forward to rereading the book with my final edition.

Now let's talk about the romance. Talasyn and Alaric are two frustrating idiots who made me so mad because I LOVE THEM AND THEY HAD TO BE TOGETHER BUT THEY DID NOT COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER. Do you want an enemies to lovers with forbidden love, arranged marriage, mutual pining and a lot of miscommunication but at the same time they never stop being enemies? this is your book. And even if this doesn't sound very compelling to you, you have to read this book. Trust me.

I enjoyed this story, the characters, and the setting, but it’s not without its flaws. It felt very much like Star Wars fanfiction, and the pacing was pretty inconsistent. Overall it was a fun and worthwhile read, but I think there are other fantasy stories that tell the narrative better.

The Hurricane Wars is a difficult book to review because folks will either like it or hate it depending on what they come in expecting.

Going in, I knew this was a highly anticipated release by those who originally read Thea Guanzon's work online as a Reylo Fan Fic. Fans were so numerous this picked up by a traditional publisher and here we have it.

What I didn't expect was how closely the story would mirror the Star Wars universe (but add water and different names for the force) and how silly some of that would feel. For example, the MMC's father is literally called "The Emperor." The MMC's magic is "Dark" whereas the FMC's is "Light" etc. If you are interested in a complex world with a high fantasy epic feel with maybe a little romance thrown in, this is likely not the book for you.

My biggest difficulty with the story is that the first 100 pages or so tries to give us that epic world building anyway. Here we are introduced to multiple characters, overloaded with technical terminology, info dumped on years of war history only to see one side ultimately fall, all to frame why the two characters hate each other so very very much, Sadly, it is poorly done.

However, turn to Part 2 of the book and you get a much different story- the one I believe most of the fans of this book were here for the whole time.
Enemies must now work together,
in forced proximity,
amidst sexual tension,
deflecting with delicious banter,
into the slowest burn ever!!!

It's well done and certainly entertaining. It just takes about 30% of the book to get there. If you want enemies to lovers on the level of "I hate you and I would betray everything I hold dear to admit otherwise" you will likely be quite happy with what The Hurricane Wars offers. By the end I I certainly was!

Many thanks to Harper Collins and Net Galley for access to an eARC of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

Really engrossing, Loved the writing and storytelling. But it did sometimes take me out when I would remember that this is Reylo fic.

Thank you to the publisher for my arc!


I’m not sure how I feel about this. I enjoyed the fantasy aspect but I wanted more out of the romance. It was slow moving at a snail like pace and I understand everything that happened is setting up for a sequel but good lord give me more instead of the massive amount of info dumping.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an ARC of The Hurricane Wars

I wanna preface this by saying this was one of my most anticipated reads of this year. However, it did not deliver for me. Though I can acknowledge that I'm in the minority and it seems like most early reviews are positive. So I'm glad others are enjoying it at least.

Reading this gave me the same anxiety of walking into an upper level history course halfway into term and the teacher expecting you to know everything for a pop quiz. I literally had no idea what was going on. There is zero back end effort on the world building and lore. The only reason I knew what was going with the two leads is because it's a Reylo fanfiction. There are dragons in this book, but they have absolutely no bearing on the story. You could replace them with 100ft Teletubbies and I don't think it would change anything.

Likely with more editing, thorough would building, and better character development this could have been a knockout.

“And perhaps this too, was how a war began. In the space between heartbeats.”💜

Thank you to Harper Voyager publishing and Thea Guanzon for providing an ARC copy of the Hurricane Wars for my honest opinion!!! My dreams have come true!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

This book is THE BOOK for the enemies to lovers trope lovers!!!! I was here for the romance! It was so addictive! The tension was this emoji; 😫

This book is my number one anticipated read of the year and it did not disappoint!!!

The world was so unique, based off of the author’s home: the Philippines. And it was so cool to learn about the magic system, the politics, the weapons and ships they use. I will say that going in right from the start of the book you are dropped into action and at first it is a little difficult understanding everything so be prepared to use your brain a little bit to understand the world and who is who. But once you have an understanding of the magic and the world it is just a wild ride of adventure and enemies to lovers!

Also, I know y’all, and yes. They do hold knives to each other's throats 🥰 Silly little things.

This book was such a refreshing read compared to a lot of the YA books I have read to before, it genuinely was such a unique story that I will never forget and now I am sad that I won’t get a hold of the second book for who knows how long!!

I definitely will be reading it again when it comes out on October 3rd.

There is a beautiful edition from Barnes and Noble that is now available for preorder! I will link it in my story because it genuinely is so pretty and THE MAP IS EVERYTHING!!!!!!! 😭😭😭😭

I have to admit it took me a little while to get into The Hurricane Wars. The beginning just throws you into the plot and action and doesn't do the best job of explaining anything. I found myself wading through it until there was a bit of a pause and more things were explained. I did end up enjoying the rest of the book. There's a lot of tension and some interesting plot reveals. I like the dark vs. light magic. This is also definitely a true enemies to lovers book, which can be hard to find. That being said, it's very heavily inspired by Reylo, to the point where I couldn't imagine Alaric as anyone but a younger Adam Driver. I didn't necessarily have a problem with it. However, the plot and worldbuilding are a little convoluted. There are a lot of elements that feel more sci-fi than fantasy. Despite the messy feel, once I got through the beginning, I enjoyed the heart of the story. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Hurricane Wars Review:
{Out October 3rd}

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and @harpervoyagerus for this E-Arc!

I absolutely adored this book, fans of The Poppy Wars and Fourth Wing will love this one!

The Hurricane Wars is a Southeast Asia inspired fantasy featuring enemies to lovers romance, political intrigue and a gripping story!

What to Expect:

Tropes:

⛩️ Southeast Asian inspired Fantasy
📖 Political Intrigue
⚔️ Enemies to Lovers
🐉 Dragons
✨ Magic
👑 Emperors, Lost Royalty
🔥 Slow Burn

Overview:

The main character Talasyn, grew up as an orphan in a war sticker land under siege by the Night Emperor. When the emperor’s only son and heir, Prince Alaric is tasked to end and threats to his father’s tyrannical rule, Alaric finds himself at a crossroads when he witnesses Talasyn on the battlefield and their powers of light and darkness merge and create a power like never seen before. The story follows Talasyn and Alaric’s fight to end the Hurricane Wars by using their magical powers (ability to wield light, and shadow magic)

#thehurricanewars #netgalley

Summary of review: My expectations were too high, but Hurricane Wars was an engaging and quick read if lacking in some aspects.

Talasyn has been living in a war-torn country for as long as she can remember. She fights for her country while hiding her true identity. As a Lightweaver, The Night Empire wants nothing more than to destroy her. The Nigh Empire’s son, Alaric, should kill her, yet finds himself unable to. When they accidentally find out their power combines into a new phenomenon, the two of them are forced to work together for the good of their countries.

A true testament to the author’s skill is how quickly I flew through this book. In two days, I devoured a novel just shy of five hundred pages. The writing style flowed in a way that was easy to fall in and get lost in the story. It was an engaging read while still being descriptive in prose and having an entertaining dialogue.

Hurricane Wars got off on an awkward footing. Wartime is a perfect backdrop for fantasy novels, but our story begins at the end of this decade-long war. I went in expecting political intrigue and wartime strategy, something similar to The Poppy War. Instead, it was more focused on the romantic aspect. I’m puzzled as to why the book is named after the war when it only plays a role in the first quarter. The characters I was just starting to get to know, her comrades, fade out and aren’t brought up again. It switched focus almost immediately to Nenavar and The Night Empire making a deal to avoid war, but the political negotiations still took the back burner in favor of the romance. I would say this book falls more into the romantasy genre than high fantasy.

Talasyn and Alaric’s relationship made sense to me, even though I didn’t buy it. Talsayn is lonely and was abandoned in a cruel orphanage as a baby. She has known nothing but hardship and yearns for love. Alaric is in a similar position, having grown up under his father’s abuse. Both are very broken people, who lash out like wounded animals. Talsayn and Alaric's relationship was born out of circumstance and desperation; while not enemies by the end, there are still a lot of wounds that have to heal before Talasyn and Aaron can truly find love.

The world-building needed a lot of work. While it’s clear that the novel is South-Aisan in nature (I grew up in South Asia) it felt very generic. The food descriptions made my mouth water, but most of those dishes are served in lots of countries, not just the Philippines. Most of the time the characters are interacting on a warship or the palace, and the dialogue takes precedence over describing their surroundings. This was disappointing, as I was expecting a lush world, but wasn’t given much to go on. I was hoping for more exploration of the magic system, which was neat: pulling from the aether, a dimension on top of our world. The idea of having nexuses of power for each type of magic user was a unique idea but in the end, didn’t play a big role. We only explore Light and Shadoweavers, the delegation of our two main characters, but I would have loved to know more about how the powers work for everyone else who can access the Aether world.

It’s odd when a first book falls prey to second-book syndrome. This felt like a prequel to the real story. There aren’t many plot points, and the ones we do have are just handed to us. There was no mystery or intrigue, no slow reveals or build-ups. Certain reveals could have been alluded to, which would have made for a stronger plot, but instead, they are just blurted out and we move on from them quickly. While not much in terms of the action happens, we get to know all of the key players and the necessary history to get to the meat of the plot.

Despite my gripes, I still had a fun reading experience. I’m curious how the second book is going to play out, now that character introductions and the beginning stage of the romance are out of the way. This will really appeal to those who love romantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. 💜

"Hate is another kind of passion."

If RF Kuang had a book baby with Sarah J Maas, you might get something like The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon. It's intelligent and romantic with worldbuilding that's rich and vast, complex characters whose deep traumas resurface again and again, and a magic system that is so nuanced and rooted in its setting you will feel like you're reading something special. And it is. I stayed up until 2am to finish reading this book, and now my fiancé is a bit grumpy at me this morning! 😂

The writing is everything. Thea uses elevated language and sentence structure that is such a delight to read. She gives us two POVs: Talasyn and Alaric, who have a seven-year age difference between them. This is the most believable depiction of enemies-to-lovers I have ever read. So many books give you a surface-level ETL romance, but Thea's depiction of the relationship between Talasyn and Alaric is sooo complicated and wrapped up in the war and their childhood traumas that it often gets in the way of what their hearts are trying to tell them. This isn't an insta-love story, but it is one in which the characters are inexplicably drawn to each other, and as the plot thickens, we see qualities of their magic that seem to enforce that.

And the dialogue. The dialogue! It is hilarious, sexy, emotive, and I'm tempted to immediately read through the book again.

THW is the most achingly slow burn I've ever read in this genre—it is deliciously frustrating and just builds and builds and builds by the time you finish the book, if you're like me, you'll want to cry because while we do get something very hot and sexy, it isn't nearly enough, and you JUST KNOW the big one is coming. A devastating hurricane of passion is on its way, and I've nailed down the furniture in anticipation, ready to weather it all. Thea's writing in the intimate scenes is intoxicating, and you know the payoff will be worth it.

I am so happy this book exists. The representation of Filipino culture is beautifully done—the colorful clothing and cosmetics, our boisterous banquets, the mythology woven into the story (the bakuwana are incredible and gave me chills, likewise the lore of the moons). Several times reading I was overcome by a yearning to return to the Philippines to take in the mountains and volcanoes, the lush jungles, the small monkeys, the islands and water, and the delicious FOOD. There's a scene where the FMC introduces the MMC to taho and I squealed because it reminded me of the time I introduced my now-fiancé to taho when we visited the strawberry fields of Baguio.

I am so invested in this series. Beyond Talasyn and Alaric, I loved the politics and conflicts of this world between the invading Shadow Empire of Kesath, the Philippine-inspired Nenavar Dominion, and Sardovia. The story takes place in the midst of an ongoing and bitter war, which lends to the complexity around the MCs and their struggles to accept their feelings.

I am NOT OKAY with that ending. Thea gave us a sense of how difficult Alaric's childhood was and now I WORRY for our shadow boy.

"Alaric remembered how that night had marked a change in Gaheris, manifesting in little cruelties and obsessions that piled up over the years..."

If you stay, his mother had whispered, there will be nothing left of you.

What are we calling Talasyn + Alaric? Talaric?? I am hopelessly Team Talaric. The last 10% of this book is just... 🔥🔥🔥

Thea Guanzon is one to watch.

The Hurricane Wars is the tale of fantastical magic and strategic politics with the romance of its two main characters being the center of story.

This book I found to really focus on Talasyn, her people and her motivations. She’s definitely the character that moves the story forward. While we do get an idea of Alaric and his backstory and thought process not everything is unwrapped yet, which I think leaves some suspense for the reader when thinking of this books sequel. The romance between Alaric and Talasyn, is also a great example of how to the enemies to lovers trope the right way. The stakes felt real and their reasons for their hatred for one another were justified. I also felt like their relationship growth made sense, enemies to lovers will often have the characters flipping their opinions very suddenly but Talasyn and Alaric’s relationship is moving at a more realistic pace considering where they started.

An issue that I come across most often when reading high fantasy novels is that of pacing. I usually find a portion of the book to be moving too slow and this book didn’t have that problem in my opinion. Although, my main issue with the book would have to be the tone of the novel. When reading the writing and characterization comes across more YA than adult which did feel out of balance with the more complex world and ages of the characters. With that in mind, I would recommend this book for people who are transitioning from YA fantasy to adult fantasy. The writing and main characters read younger but the world is more complex than most YA stories which makes it feel like the middle ground between YA and Adult fantasy.

You know how we’re always collectively complaining about books being sold as enemies-to-lovers when they’re just people-who-vaguely-dislike-each-other-to-lovers?
THIS is enemies-to-lovers AT ITS BEST.
The angst, the tension, the denial, the banter, the slowest (but also deepest) burn, it was absolutely perfect and I have lived in this book for three days.
The writing was amazing, the author has undoubtedly a gift for storytelling; the worldbuilding was rich, with vivid and immersive description of the magic, the lore of the world is engrossing and I can’t wait to find more about it in the next book. I really appreciated the small details about the matriarchal ways of the dominion and the originality of the magic system. The characters are also well fleshed out and complex, and not only the two main characters, I love how Talasyn draws on her anger for her magic but is still deeply caring.
I will say that I waited to be in the right mood to read it because the beginning was a bit demanding attention-wise and I would not have been able to follow the technical parts of the descriptions at the start while I was in a slump. But I don’t regret waiting for a second because once the story grabs you, it doesn’t let you go.
I’m now realizing how screwed I am because this book isn’t even out yet and I already can’t wait for the second one.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

The Hurricane Wars started out so strong. I loved the action and magic system a lot especially the magic power technology. The battles and the whole war conflict had me so invested. So I was little disappointed when about 30% in all the action is completely over. I really expected more of this book to actually take place during the actual Hurricane War. I still enjoyed the rest of the book but it dragged a bit by the end. The tension with the enemies to lovers plot was excellent though. If that’s a trope you enjoy you won’t be let down. I am interested to see how the next book follows up but I am not desperate to read it immediately. Overall I loved the world and the characters but the plot was not as strong and action packed as I wanted it to be.

"The Hurricane Wars" by Thea Guanzon left me with a conflicted impression after a weeklong struggle to finish. This enemies-to-lovers tale faltered in its execution, as the characters lacked the chemistry crucial for such a transformation. The initial 60% of the book felt slow, akin to watching paint dry, compounded by pacing and editing issues that disrupted the narrative flow. While the world-building and magic system were commendable, the promise of dragons fell flat, briefly mentioned despite foreshadowing. A perplexing time skip in the first half added confusion rather than intrigue. Predictable plot points, especially a surprise royalty subplot, lacked impact. The major drawback for me was the uneasy romance between the female lead and the male lead actively harming her people—a complex theme that felt discomforting rather than profound.

Thank you, AvonBooks, HarperVoyager and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“How unsettling, that evil could have a human face.”

This was beyond my expectations. It is 100% on track to be a mind-blowing enemies to lovers(?) hopefully *fingers crossed* because wow this was a whirlwind. It was fast paced in my opinion. So much was happening at once and I was left completely hooked. I did not want to put it down, that's for sure. The plot just kept moving.

The setting/world building was glorious. I loved the aether and elements (don’t even think I’m about to explain this because I will fail miserably), it was a fascinating concept. The way I pictured it was similar to renewable energy but there are some people that are born with the ability - aethermancers - that can traverse and command a specific element. I will say being introduced to characters, titles, cities, etc. started off rough for me. It's sometimes difficult to grasp things I can’t necessarily pronounce, but it got easier as I was sucked into the story.

The political intrigue is intense. I feel like so much was revealed but we are just getting a taste of it in this first book. I tried my darnest to read between the lines and I know I have about 100+ highlights trying to figure it out but who knows. I’m here for the ride.

Our main MCs are both a mess. I loved them but sometimes I just wanted to shake them. There is plenty of miscommunication because they are on opposite sides of a war and are very confused by feelings they’ve never felt before. Talasyn is a fiery BAMF. She was an orphan for 14 years of her life and then thrust into a war that finally provided her food (rationed of course). There was so much mystery surrounding her character in the beginning and I loved getting to know her character more throughout the book. Sometimes she was maddening with her attitude but honestly it fits perfectly with her upbringing and unstable environment. Alaric is a shadow daddy. He was just as frustrating as Talasyn but there is so much depth to his upbringing and being raised in a war that I couldn’t help but sympathize. The things they thought about each other, their banter, their similarities, I thought it was all executed perfectly.

If you enjoy an enemies to lovers trope but rather than it being a fluid transition to the lovers part. This is the book for you. We’re talking enemies (trying to kill each other) to an array of other not so lover-y tropes (don’t want to spoil) to lovers for maybe 30 minutes (?) back to cordial (?) enemies. Yeaaaaa. Like I said, this was a whirlwind and both MCs give us consistent whiplash, but I am here for it with my chiropractor on call for the next book.

Now one of my top books of 2023. The incredible world building - an expansive and rich setting - left me in awe. I am bereft having finished this book and having to wait for the second book. Alaric and Talasyn were an incredible duo - truly the best enemies-to-lovers pairing I have read in a long time. It's a feat to write characters who truly hate each other and everything they represent, but also maintain a simmering tension. Thea Guanzon writes these characters like a pro. And the plots itself, it felt so unique because it's not your typical war book, in that we start with the war, it's quickly "completed," and then we are mostly experiencing the aftermath, which is arguably more fascinating, especially when Thea writes it. I will read anything she writes!!

I didn’t think I would like a sci-fi/fantasy book. But look out folks, here we are and this is without the doubt the best thing I have read in awhile. I would even dare say this is better than Fourth Wing *gasp* I know. But my opinion stands.

Here is why:
This literally cured my book slump that I was currently going through. I lost faith in romance and I didn’t have it in me to care for any romance in books anymore. Hence why I didn’t 100% Fourth Wing. The Hurricane Wars literally revived me from that pit of darkness.

The magic system.
This is a book that plays on the fantasy elements shadow and light magic. The shadow magic users have essentially eliminated the light magic users. As so they thought. It turns out that a member of the rebellion against the shadow users can use light magic. Her name is Talasyn, who is our female main character in this story. She is strong and courageous in what she does. She is not by all means a whiny character. She gets the job done and effectively.

The romance *chefs kiss*
This is truly an enemy to lovers, angst fantasy romance as well. None of that garbage where they get together ⅓ into the book or the FMC is salivating at the first look at the MC. I am looking at you Fourth Wing. Nope. This one made me hang literally off the edge of my seat wondering if this pair will get together. Or will they? They didn't instantly lust each other. There was a slow development of the relationship and the tension of the romance. The best thing I read in awhile.

The Characters
My love for MMC
Prince Alaric……I can’t get enough of you. You are my book boyfriend.
I really loved the dynamic between Prince Alric and Talasyn. They really fought one another. Magic and verbal jabs with each other. With them being opposing sides due to the mere fact of their magic puts them at odds with each other from the get go.

The Plot
Now I will say, the first 35% of this book is an information overload roller coaster. This author in the first 35% of the book puts you through so much world building and plot development that it can be a lot. A lot of things are happening with the war and what was going on with the characters. Since I was going through my slump, I almost DNF this. I know, I can’t believe it either. But almost did. For unknown reasons I can’t explain, I decided not to give up and push through. Worth the effort to get through. That sweet spot is 35% and it is golden in my eyes. It is one of those books I would recommend to get at least the 35-50% mark on this one before giving up.

Another thing is that the story starts one way, then totally and unexpectedly shifts into something different. Without really the plot, it was surprising and exactly what I needed.
I really enjoyed The Hurricane Wars. It is my new favorite this year.
There is not enough praise I can give this book. It is a book that you need to read to understand my love for this.

But the real question is, when will be the second book? I need it now.

This one unfortunately fell flat for me. I’m not sure where it really went wrong but I found it unnecessarily confusing and a bit repetitive. I knew that this was previously out in the world as a reylo fanfic, and if I hadn’t known that the world building would have had me COMPLETELY lost.
If you’re a romantasy fan, definitely give this book a try. I am sad I didn’t like it and might even re read eventually.

Thank you to netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!