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!

• Southeast Asian inspired fantasy
• She is a Lightweaver and he is the Master of the Shadowforged Legion.
• Politically driven arranged marriage
• A true enemies to lovers (the TENSION!!)
• Slow burn (the pining!!)
• Dual POV

When I first heard about this book I was really excited. Filipina author writes a fantasy heavily influenced by our culture? I couldn't hit request faster. I'm happy to say that I very much enjoyed reading this, and I'm a hundred percent invested in this story and characters.

I will admit, though, that it took me a good while to get used to the storytelling. Being a Romantasy newbie, I wasn't sure if I was just not used to the feeling of being overwhelmed with so much information right from the get-go. I decided to push through anyway, and by the time I reached Part 2 (maybe a quarter way through) I couldn't put this book down.

The world-building, I think, is what I appreciated and loved the most; from the customs, to the food, to the names. All these little details that I recognize, being Filipino myself, was really special.

Thrilling, exciting, and filled with delicious tension and banter. The way I need the next book asap isn't even funny.

Thank you so much, Avon, for the ARC!

I received this advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This novel surprised me! I was definitely enjoying the fantasy storyline and the world building of this novel. Although the love story is built on fairly obvious tropes, it was still enjoyable to read and the story was well designed. So often plots are obvious, but this one managed to eke out a few twists and turns I didn't see coming. This novel almost had a steampunk feeling, between the magical elements and the technological advancements we see throughout the storyline.

I greatly look forward to reading the sequel!

In addition, our two protagonists are flawed but well-rounded in their own challenges and personal stories. I think this is part of the magic in the plot given that the two characters were at one point on two different sides of the war, their ongoing conflicts are fed by mutual distrust and the simple fact of being raised on one side or the other.

I particularly liked at one point how the author included an argument between the two characters stemming from the origin of the wars, and exactly whose country was at fault. It might sound trite, but these are actually the things that would bother two parties in trying to form an alliance after such a conflict. But being raised on either side of the war means their perspectives are completely opposite, and perhaps both have been fed convenient lies. I particularly enjoyed this detail, as it is such a clear-eyed criticism of ongoing challenges in the modern world with truth and accountability. I also think this is a clear jab at colonial rule and how the victors get to write history.

I strongly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a fantasy series set in a magical world, on the brink of ongoing warfare.

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon was by far a favorite read of the year so far for me. I cannot wait for everyone else to read this fantasic fantasy book. Everyone and anyone who loves a fantasy romance will fall in love with The Hurricane Wars. It's funny, well-written and overall a very entertaining read. It was really hard for me to pull away from reading it and I just wanted to live in this world for as long as I could. The characters were flushed out and you could see both their sides. Gah, I loved this book and I cannot wait to read more from Thea Guanzon!

The only downside to reading this book was that I will have to wait quite a while for the second book.

I will definitely be recommending this book to everyone I know and I won't ever shut up about it.

The Hurricane Wars tells the story of a girl, a boy, and several kingdoms mired in both earthly and godly conflict. Debut author Thea Guazon (who you might know as Diasterisms) does a wonderful job of creating worlds steeped in old magics and ancient grudges, where temporary truces with your sworn enemies are necessary for the future of your homeland. This is the first book of a trilogy, and while we arrived at the lovers portion of enemies-to-lovers rather quickly, there promises to be plenty of intrigue and conspiracy that will keep readers on their toes. Thank you to Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the ARC!

So if you love fanfic writing, I’d say 4 stars, but realistically, we are looking at a 3.5 star rating.
Firstly, it’s an enjoyable read. I will definitely continue the story and support the author in whatever else she publishes!
This is 100% Reylo fan fiction, which there isn’t necessarily anything wrong with that as I went into the story knowing this. Just a bit of a disclaimer before anyone else dives in!
The author hit everything right with the slowburn enemies to lovers and pining over one another. I throughly enjoyed that theme of the story and it’s a nice setup for the 2nd book.
I will say that this is extremely heavy worldbuilding- we’re going into a high fantasy setting with this. The first few chapters of the book are extremely hard to follow as it’s setting up the world. We’re being spoon fed the world versus being shown it. I’d say that the first few chapters, if edited right, could change my whole perspective on the book as a whole
Additionally, our FMC loses her best friend in the turmoils of war and isn’t sure if she’s alive or not- the book sets up like we WANT to care about the side characters, but I couldn’t care enough for it to be a driving plot line in the story. And the second half of the book is no action at all. It just goes into the arranged marriage between the two main characters and the politics involved. Very heavy on the tropes!
I think the author is gaining their footing with this book and the second one will be a home run!

I was so excited for this book to come out this year. The synopsis seemed very interesting and had intriguing fantasy aspects.
Starting off I did enjoy the behind the hurricane wars at the beginning of the book.
The story had such a unique magic system I wish we could have spent more time on it than what was given.
The relationship between Talasyn and Alaric was the span of at least 90% of the book if you can even call it a relationship. It is enemies to lovers but it felt like the lovers part never really happened. Talasyn has way to much inner conflict with herself to even begin to potentially fall in love with Alaric. The build up was at a glacial pace and I found myself just not being interested because nothing else was happening in the story to keep my attention occupied.
I also didn't like that the dragons were in the story as decorations. I love dragons. When there are dragons in a book I expect them to be apart of the main storyline but with this plot it just seemed that they were one off mentions to sound cool. There was so much potential to integrate them into the main plot to make it more interesting.
Overall it was enjoyable but lacked the suspense to hold my attention for more than a few chapters at a time. I wish more could have been done with the plot and the ending just didn't fit for me.

Thank‌ ‌you‌ Avon/Harper Voyager, Harper Collins Canada, and‌ ‌NetGalley‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌eARC

Actual rating: 2.75 stars
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I was really unsure about this one based on the synopsis alone so I’m really glad I got the opportunity to read this ARC - because unfortunately, I ended up not being the target audience for this story 😅
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This story was originally a Reylo fanfiction and I think it really struggled to take off from that origin. Not only because it feels like some words are just ctrl+F replaced, but because of the innate feature of fanfiction itself. With fanfiction, the readers are already invested in the characters, they’re already invested in the world - and my biggest gripe with this story is that there was no time given to become emotionally attached to the characters or the world before we were thrown into the plot. Only one character grabbed my attention, Khaede, but she quickly disappeared [I wouldn’t be surprised if she returned in later books tho].
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The relationship between Talasyn and Alaric takes up the majority of the plot and is not very enemies to lovers, but more like one side enemy, one side obsession. Also if you’re not a fan of “omg he’s so very big, and she’s so very, very smol” you will not like the repeated descriptions of them in this book 😂 - though I will admit, the singular spicy scene was pretty darn decent [it did miss enthusiastic consent though].
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Overall, I have no real issues with this book, except for its weakness in attachment - it feels very much like we’re assumed to be attached immediately and that just didn’t work for me.
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I entirely believe this will find its target audience and be a massive hit. I am just simply not a part of that audience.
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Hisses & Kisses 🐍
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*Thank‌ ‌you‌ Avon/Harper Voyager, Harper Collins Canada, and‌ ‌NetGalley‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌eARC. All Opinions are my own*

Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

Overall, this book was a fun fantasy. It’s heavy on the Reylo fan-fiction vibes, true enemies to lovers, and unique fantasy world. I loved the shiver-inducing romantic tension and how hard it made me root for the characters to be together.

I did feel like the world building was confusing, especially at the beginning and I just kept reading only half understanding what they were talking about. Later some things were better explained, but others seemed to just be thrown in there and then left without explanation, if that makes sense.

The pacing of the story was also a bit uneven. There would be awesome, tension filled scenes, and then a long lull. Since the book ended on a clear set up for book 2, I feel like parts of book 1 could’ve been edited better and we’d have gotten further in the story by the end of it.

I will definitely be picking up book 2 in the future and I will recommend this to fans of Reylo-coded fantasy!

This book was fine. It was easy to read, the prose was to my liking, the magic system was interesting and tala's relationships with her dad was a highlight.

Overall though I felt like the story lacked tension. In the overall plot and in the romance. The first half had a lot of action but once the war this book is named after is over it becomes all about the romance and not much happens. There's a lot of negotiations and Tala and Alarik denying their instant attraction for each other. There was a lot of this denial that it left me exhausted by the end. I never became invested in any of the characters.

I'm truly sad that I didn't connect with this book since I had requested it because it had sounded like a book I'd really enjoy.

This was everything I need in a book! The story line was captivating and really held my attention! I couldn’t put it down!

A few things to note before I go on to share my thoughts on THE HURRICANE WARS:

1) I was very excited when I saw the book deal for this title because the author is from the same small town in the Philippines as I am and we even went to the same school for some years.
2) I actually didn't know that this had its roots in ReyLo fan fiction until closer to when I picked it up (more on that later).
3) I generally don't look too much into comp titles (unless that's the reason the book hit my radar, which was not the case for this one) or full synopsis after the first time I see them for a book and gauge my level of interest.

Anyway, on to my actual thoughts on THE HURRICANE WARS, and I'll start by saying I had fun reading this book! In the interest of trying to get my thoughts down as coherently and completely as possible given that I just finished it, I'm going to make lists for this review.

Here are the elements that worked for me:

1) the nods to the Philippines and Filipino culture, which showed itself in words, legends, clothing, setting (including climate and weather), animals and food. I feel like I was constantly amused by encountering things that I recognized even when they weren't named on page with the terms I was familiar with.
2) the writing. It's in a style that I tend to be partial to, so I got on with it from the start.
3) the action scenes. Those moments were very vivid, and I could easily picture them in my head.
4) the main relationship dynamic. Each time Alaric and Talasyn were on page together, the chemistry between them (in all respects - enemies, allies and more) was clear. The way that they see each other, and how that develops, was also something that I found interesting. I also had a chuckle over a lot of their back-and-forth repartee, that's for sure!

Here are a few things that didn't work quite as well for me:

1) the world and lore building. I'd have liked more insight into the various kinds of magical ability and the histories, as readers generally just learn what is necessary to drive the story forward.
2) the pacing. I've commented on this in other books too, but I'm just not generally fond of time skips in stories and that happens quite a few times in the first half of the book. The story also starts off with action as we're dropped in the middle of a war, but then tapers off into a very meandering pace when Talasyn and Alaric are forced to work together to achieve a common goal.
3) the plot. It was heavy on tropes, which I don't mind, but it did feel like there were some parts thrown in that contributed some drag to the pace (see #2).
4) the secondary cast of characters. Unfortunately, we didn't get a strong sense of anyone outside of the two main characters (more on them in a moment) -- which was really a shame since readers meet a few promising individuals of interest. It also meant that any relationships outside of the main romance didn't elicit any strong feelings or investment.

Here's the one thing that I'm a little neutral on:

the main characters. I liked Talasyn and Alaric both well enough; it's especially interesting that they are very nearly mirrors to one another in terms of personality and personal traumas in their history. <i>However</i>, because I had ReyLo in mind, I couldn't help seeing echoes of those characters at certain points in the book (though that didn't disrupt my overall reading experience).

I can overall say that THE HURRICANE WARS was a book I enjoyed despite the fact that it didn't quite hit my personal sweet spot for fantasy reads. I can see the potential for all the elements - the world, the story, the characters - to be developed further in the sequel, so I'll definitely be checking it out.

I went into this expecting one type of story, but quickly realizing it’s another altogether.

I was hoping for something more in-depth in the fantasy genre. What I got was this new-ish “romantasy” idea (Fourth Wing, for example). Which is fine, but that’s ultimately not my type of book. I enjoy them, but they tend to focus more on the romance than any actual plot/story. The world-building and story tend to suffer.

While I did enjoy this, and will continue the series, I do wish I’d have been more wholly invested.

“Do you make it a habit to compliment everyone who’s trying to kill you?”
“Not everyone.” His eyes flashed with a hint of amusement. “Just you.”

This is a high fantasy book that will definitely keep you on your toes.

I am giving this god-tier book a solid 5 star, I finished this two days ago so that I can process everything because of how amazingly written it is.

Right off the bat, we were plunged into a scene wherein we were able to get a glimpsed of the supporting characters that shaped the story. Just a note that I am so bad with names so I don’t remember all of them BUT the way Thea breathes life to each characters is really astonishing.

Character wise, Talasyn & Alaric were both well rounded and I am OBSESSED with their enemies to lovers nature, yes this book has done enemies-to-lovers JUSTICE. from start ‘til the end they have been trying to unalive each other with a knife on the throat kind of relationship and I am here for it!! The angst is the main reason it took me two weeks to finish this book because every time they have a good banter and touch I just had to put it down or else I’m going to explode with so much giddiness!

The world building is top notch. I think it’s safe to say that the world has inspirations from South East Asian countries with the animals and food that resembles what we see mostly in the Philippines. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the cultural references here in terms of culture, dating, traditions and family dynamics. Also I forgot to mention that there are DRAGONS here like I didn’t even see that coming!! Besides the dragons there are many mythical creatures here with again a reference from native Philippine species.

Thea’s writing style is impeccable. Only a few author can rival the way she twist the words from sentence to sentence and make it into a cohesive paragraph. It was slightly hard to get into it at first but once you do, you will be woven into it so much you’ll have a hard time removing yourself from it. I have such high praise for her writing knowing that english isn’t her first language to begin with. Every time I open this book and start to read I literally feel like I’m watching a movie because of how descriptive the writing is about the characters, their wardrobe, their eyes, the atmosphere and just everything you can think of.

This book made me emotional so many times. I rarely get attached to characters but I easily got attached here to the point that I constantly think of them even when I’m resting and not reading.

Since this is a trilogy, the plot is way toned down here and it will pick up from the end of this book to the succeeding books. Just a warning that this ends on a cliffhanger that will make you want to yearn for the second book!

While I enjoyed parts of The Hurricane War, I felt for the most part it left the most interesting parts of its premise unexplored, with a plot that barely goes anywhere, an unsatisfying romance, and an ending with little resolution. There was so much more of the different cultures and the moral nuances of the titular war that I would have liked to see explored, but the story focused much more on the love story between the two main characters - and I love romances, and I would have been okay with this if the romance had been more believable and palatable.

Mild thematic/character/romance spoilers (no plot spoilers):
I had trouble buying into the relationship between Talasyn and Alaric because it comes off as a insta-love (and also, "he/she's so hot"). They are both immediately drawn to each other, which then basically turns into love before they've really interacted or gotten to know each other. And maybe the author could have pulled this off, except...Alaric is the heir to the empire that has been destroying Talasyn's adopted country in a brutal war, and they have both been active soldiers/leaders in this war and killing each other's countrymen.

There is perhaps a way to handle this type of enemies to lovers with nuance, but instead the author focused on:
1) Talasyn continuously reflecting on her worthlessness and how she would never be loved by Alaric
2) Talaysn feeling guilty for letting people think she didn't like Alaric (again, the heir to the empire waging brutal war on her country)
3) Alaric wondering how they could have a relationship if Talaysn "couldn't forget the past" (of abovementioned war)
4) Well, maybe Talasyn shouldn't feel resentful about the war because it was just her "adopted" country, not her "real" country

(I'm not saying the above is necessarily what the author thinks or is trying to get the reader to think, but it is what the characters think, and strikes me as a very odd focus for people who have been at literal war with each other for a decade.


Final note: I've tried to review this without focusing on the origins of the story, but this book is aggressively Reylo; I knew the author was a fanfiction writer but I hadn't realized The Hurricane Wars was one of her Reylo fics turned into an original work, and it shows. This likely won't bother anyone who doesn't know who/what Reylo is, but as someone who is really not into this ship, it was hard to distance myself from it (and the numerous times Alaric was described exactly like Adam Driver).