If you're a fan of Sarah J. Maas, you'll love this new fantasy and romance series. The writing style felt a little YA at times, but the character and world building definitely outweighed the cons.

**3.5 STARS**

Content Warning: violence, war

I wanted to read this book because how it is inspired by Southeast Asia, especially that the author is a Filipina and I wanted to see how my culture would look in this fantasy setting. Thing is it’s not only fantasy but fantasy/sci-fi which I thought was very interesting.

Talasyn is a soldier fighting to keep Sardovia from falling into the hands of the Kesath Empire, but it’s a losing battle because these Kesathese are relentless in their vengeance and desire to rule all. Prince Alaric is as formidable a fighter as Talasyn and when these two clash, my goodness, there are sparks, violence and a great start to an enemies to lovers romance. I loved the romance and it’s push and pull but it’s also a frustrating dance between them. There is one steamy scene between them and I was hoping there to be more but it really is a slow burn. I like Talasyn’s feistiness and I’m still hesitant to trust Alaric since his father really has a big influence on him but I do love all the tension and passion between them.

I did like Talasyn’s story. She’s an orphan with Lightweaver powers and she stumbles upon some information that reveals her past and the path for her future. I love the themes of family in the story also, which I think I relate to as a Filipina as well. I loved the mentions of the foods and culture and even the climate of the islands which reminded me of the Philippines.

Some parts that maybe I struggled with was the sci-fi elements and mostly because I wasn’t quite expecting it. I thought this was going to be pure fantasy, so even thought I thought the stormships and wasps (smaller ships) was cool – I couldn’t quite imagine what this world looked like at first. Also some names would throw me off like Allfold or the Voidfell. Also the story starts off with lots action and it does die down in the middle of the story but I think the tension between Alaric and Talasyn saved it from getting dull. I did like the different magic that Talasyn and Alaric could wield though. I also enjoyed the politics in the story which makes me wonder how long will it take Alaric to push away from his father’s rule. It will definitely be interesting to see what happens in book two.

Tropes: enemies to lovers, enemies teaming up together, slow burn, marriage of convenience

Why you should read it:
*enemies to lovers romance
*fighting scenes
*interesting sci-fi/fantasy world and world building

Why you might not want to read it:
*not into sci-fi/fantasy

My Thoughts:

After getting my bearings with the world building, I did find this story to be entertaining. This one grew on me the further I got into the story and I really think it’s because of the push and pull, enemies to lovers storyline between Talasyn and Alaric. I can’t resist an enemies to lovers trope. I like all the fighting that they do so I’ll definitely be reading book two just to see how Talasyn does in Alaric’s domain.

thank you to netgalley and harper voyager for the opportunity to read this arc. all opinions are my own.

dnf @ 31%

i've been excited for this book since the author announced her book deal so… yeah this is a huge let down.

keep in mind some of the below may improve or change later in the book, but i can’t bring myself to keep going to get to that point.

some overall comments first: if you don’t like reylo, you won’t like this book. if you’re looking for adult fantasy, don’t read this book. if pacing is a big factor for you, know this is paced like it’s intended to be adapted to tv, so the pacing is awkward and different from what book pacing usually is.

things i liked:

- depth of worldbuilding: i absolutely love when an epic fantasy goes super deep with the world building. i love when even professions or items familiar to us have different names! i love when there are idioms created just for that world! it’s not easy to understand but i love when an author puts this much thought into the minutiae of the world, and overall this was just a really detailed and well-developed world.
- unreliable narrators: the two narrators are on opposite sides of the war and both genuinely seem to think they’re on the right side of it. talasyn and the good guys aren’t cartoonishly good and alaric and the bad guys aren’t cartoonishly evil. it makes you question what’s really true, and it’s one of my absolute favorite things in fantasy books.
- evoking emotions: every now and then out of nowhere, there would be something that would just hit like an emotional gut punch. a character you’d only known for a chapter died and it HIT. not sure how the author managed these moments so well but she sure did!

things both good and bad:

- alaric: i actually thought alaric was a pretty interesting and well-developed character, and for the most part i especially enjoyed having his POV. that being said, though, he’s your standard dark broody shadow powers alpha male YA fantasy archetype. apparently he’s supposed to be kylo ren, which surprised me—admittedly i’m not familiar with the fanon mischaracterization of him to know if it’s accurate to that but it’s definitely not canon kylo. also his friends are obvious rip-offs of the inner circle from ACOTAR or slade’s friends from gild, which isn’t unusual but is still frustrating.

things i don’t like:

- talasyn’s age: her being 19 doesn’t make sense logically or narratively. i’m choosing to assume it’s supposed to be a statement on the horrors of war being forced on children, but there’s no exploration of this if so, and i only noticed one single other mention of a child soldier. her closest friend is 23; it would’ve made much more sense for her to be roughly the same age, especially when her love interest is 26.
- character depth: in a lot of ways talasyn feels more like a plot device than a character. i never got a strong sense of her personality or ambitions or drive beyond a bit of telling; she’s just your standard YA fantasy heroine, probably meant to be easy enough for readers to self insert. she also makes a lot of pretty illogical decisions just to drive the plot forward and fails to put together an obvious conclusions in a bad attempt at foreshadowing. her choices and internal monologues don’t always make sense on any level, and serve more as a way to feed the reader information.
- repetition: it’s almost funny how confused i was with the world building in the beginning, since this goes on to explain the same things every few pages. foreshadowing is ruined by how much she beats you over the head with it (ie. talasyn’s connection to nenevar)
- not researched: this is such a nit pick but there were cases where the author would use the english word for some weapon or item or something and just… use it incorrectly. it drove me crazy. the one that bothered me the most (for somr reason) is alaric fighting with a scythe, but the author clearly had no clue what a scythe was. like all you need is one google search.
- genre: there’s nothing wrong with YA. but YA and adult fantasy are separate genres because… they are not the same. it isn’t enough to make your characters technically of age, when everything else about it feels much more YA. it’s essentially a YA, watered down poppy war with no exploration of any themes and more elaborate world building. it’s YA but there’s (presumably) sex, which would usually just be NA, but this isn’t even advertised as NA. if you’re looking for adult fantasy, look elsewhere.

Ever since The Hurricane Wars was announced, it easily became one of my most anticipated fantasy reads. And this was before we even had a release date. As someone who was - and still is - a fan of author Thea Guanzon’s work in transformative fandom spaces, I was eager to see her style translated over to original fiction, and the end result did not disappoint.

The Hurricane Wars is set in a lush South East Asian-inspired world, where the titular conflict had caused more and more territories to fall under the dominion of the Night Empire, whose army is led by the Shadow magic-weilding Prince Alaric - a tall, dark-haired, broody sort, for those of us who are into that sort of thing. Standing against him is Talasyn, a solider fighting for freedom with the opposition, who possesses the ability to wield light magic, something Alaric has never seen before, something that was supposed to have been eradicated. Darkness rises and light to meet it indeed.

Despite taking its name from the major conflict that kicks off the story, The Hurricane Wars is actually not a fighting-and-wartime heavy book. Instead, the focus is given to the smaller - if no less chaotic - war fought between Alaric and Talasyn as the pair join forces to fight back against a much larger threat looming over them all, which threatens to destroy everything. It is much more a political story, filled with courtly intrigue and schemes as both sides of the tenuous partnership seek to outmaneuver the other - even as the two magic-weilders at the heart of it all start to think that maybe that feeling they get around the other isn’t 100% hate and animosity.

Because The Hurricane Wars is also very much a love story. Guanzon excels at writing a delicious slow-burn, drawing out simmering passion in small bursts without letting the dynamic between Alaric and Talasyn lose the tension too quickly. While not a strict “romance novel” per se - this is very much a fantasy-romance series, and the book ends on a cliffhanger - Guanzon pulls from the best elements of the genre, infusing her story with tropes that pull the budding romance into the forefront. Beyond the dynamic between her leads, Guanzon has constructed a complex, lush fantasy world surrounding them, with lyrical descriptions really immersing the reader in this new world.

The Hurricane Wars is a brilliant piece of fiction, drawing readers into a world so immersive, with characters that share a chemistry so electric, that the wait for the next book is already unbearably long.

The Hurricane Wars hits shelves October 3, 2023. Special thank you to Harper Voyager for the advance copy for review purposes.

This novel was, unfortunately, not for me. I read the synopsis and was thinking, "whoa! Shadow and Bone but cooler!? Sign me up!"

However, at about 20%, I decided to DNF this arc.

This was not due to the writing, the plot, or the characters. I just did not have a connection to this novel.

I can see how people have said it is a published fanfic. However, I didn't really get that vibe. Perhaps I've never read the literature this was supposedly a fan fiction of?

I know that books are subjective, and I'm happy to see that others have enjoyed this book. Perhaps I will try reading it again at a later date, but this was just not doing it for me at the current time.

This book had me GAGGED!!! Thank you so much to Harper Voyager for gifting me an ARC of this book, I loved it so so so much and I cannot wait for everyone else to read it this October!

While fantasy is not my preferred genre, I have read a few series that I loved and The Hurricane Wars is now at the top of that list. The world building in this book is incredible and so rich with its history, culture, and the powers bestowed upon people. The story telling in this book is so compelling and sucks you right into the world of Nenavarene, Sardovia, and Kesath. The way that the aethermancer’s powers are described is captivating and keeps you so submerged within this world and on the edge of your seat as more history about these powers is uncovered.

Talasyn and Alaric are on opposing sides of the war, with opposite powers as she is a Lightweaver and he is a Shadowforged. They are enemies who have such complex backgrounds, which adds fuel to their rivalry, but then discover that they can create an even more powerful kind of magic when they combine forces. They are forced into an *alliance* of sorts, which, without spoiling too much, had me kicking my feet up and giggling every single time they bantered and had to interact with each other.

Talasyn is rough around the edges and a little feral but she is such a baddie who keeps Alaric in line, and uses her newfound status and title as a reminder of who she is. I loved watching her grow from someone who is unsure of herself and her place in the war, to someone who knows her worth and wields her power confidently.

Alaric is potentially my favorite male character ever, in any book and across all genres. He’s broody and straightforward, a little mean and a lot socially awkward. He’s a loser, has absolutely zero game, cannot compliment a woman to save his life, somehow angers Talasyn with every word he speaks, etc. He’s the ultimate himbo and I love him!! He served every single time he spoke.

This book is an incredible debut novel, but more importantly, this book is for girls who love losers. Thea has a fan for life and Talasyn and Alaric’s number one stan <3

Let’s me start off with WOW. For me there is so much to love in this Southeast Asia inspired world. There’s political intrigue, enemies to lovers, magic, dragons, and even another trope I love but I don’t want to giveaway which one it is. Not to mention this is a debut novel! I honestly stopped reading the book at times because I didn’t want it to end.

Get ready for an enchanting journey of love, war, and magic in Thea Guanzon's debut novel, "The Hurricane Wars." The story revolves around Talasyn, a wielder of light magic, and Alaric, the son of the night emperor with dark magic. As enemies amidst a long-standing war, they are forced together, and their combined magical abilities create a mesmerizing new form of magic. The character development is excellent, depicting their inner struggles and emotions as they grapple with their feelings for each other. The world-building is top-notch, immersing readers in a magical realm where the conflict unfolds. Guanzon's atmospheric writing and vivid imagery create a cinematic experience. "The Hurricane Wars" beautifully explores love amidst chaos, making it a must-read for fantasy lovers. Don't miss this exceptional debut and mark your calendars for October 3rd, 2023, to pick up your copy!

As a Filipino, this is one of the releases I looked forward to, and it did not disappoint! While I didn't know it started as a Reylo fanfic, and it was quite obvious, I didn't mind it in the end. This is primarily because of both the subtle changes that the author makes, and the major changes the author makes in terms of worldbuilding.

After a specific point in the book, we delve more into Filipino-inspired worldbuilding. The Dead Season, the political system of the Dominion, the NAMES (Urduja, who is my favorite warrior-princess from our myths, and Hanan, hands-down my favorite Filipino deity), the culture that is laced into the descriptions--all of these were some of my favorite aspects of the book, and what makes this different from other Reylo-turned-Original-Works. While there are common Reylo tropes (forxed proximity, marraige of inconvenience, powers are the other's half, etc), the worldbuilding transformed this to another level.

"The Hurricane Wars" by Thea Guanzon is an enchanting and spellbinding fantasy romance that immerses readers in a captivating Southeast Asia-inspired world ravaged by storms. This remarkable debut novel sets the stage for an epic trilogy, weaving a tale of bitter enemies with opposing magical abilities whose fates are intricately intertwined.

In this gripping story, we meet Talasyn, who has known nothing but the relentless Hurricane Wars since childhood. As an orphan in a nation under siege by the ruthless Night Emperor, she finds solace and belonging among the soldiers fighting for freedom. However, she conceals a dangerous secret: the power of light magic courses through her veins, a force believed to have been eradicated long ago, capable of piercing through the shadows of the Night Empire.

Enter Prince Alaric, the emperor's son and heir, a formidable weapon forged by his father to annihilate any threats to the Night Empire's dominion using the might of his armies and powerful Shadow magic. Until now, no one has ever bested him in battle. That is until he witnesses Talasyn on the battlefield, ablaze with the very magic that killed his grandfather, transformed his father into a monster, and ignited the Hurricane Wars. Their clash of light and dark yields an unprecedented and enthralling power.

As their powers merge, Talasyn and Alaric are drawn into an alliance born out of necessity. They both understand that this war can only find resolution in their confrontation. But an even greater peril looms, and their newfound magic may be the key to overcoming it. In their uneasy alliance, they will confront the secrets at the heart of the war and discover a searing passion for each other, one that could either save their world or bring about its destruction.

Thea Guanzon crafts an exquisite fantasy filled with unforgettable characters and a sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance that ignites the pages. The intricately drawn worlds come alive, pulling readers into a whirlwind of emotions and intrigue. With a compelling narrative and a fusion of light and darkness, "The Hurricane Wars" captivates from start to finish, leaving readers eager for the next installment.

This extraordinary debut marks Thea Guanzon as a talent to watch in the fantasy genre. Fans of R. F. Kuang will be entranced by the unique world-building and passionate storytelling. "The Hurricane Wars" promises an epic journey of love, sacrifice, and redemption, making it an unmissable addition to any fantasy enthusiast's bookshelf.

A war is being fought. The light vs shadows. A compromise is sought. A marriage is proposed…

The minute I read the description for this book, I couldn’t wait to dive in. This fantasy books instantly brings you into this new world where a war is being fought. Talasyn is trying everything to protect her home from invaders. It is Prince Alaric, heir to the Night Emperor’s duty to invade her homeland. When they meet their dueling magic of light and shadow cross, changing the course of their lives.

This was a highly subversive read. It didn’t really pick up for me until the 35% mark, but by then I was all in. If you like a slow burn enemies to lovers with fantasy concepts this book is for you.

We have a duel pov, both Talasyn and Alaric are keeping secrets, we have high action, a little steam and dragons!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC!

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒔
By:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I really enjoyed this book. It has a strong Kylo Ren/Rey vibe that was very intriguing and left me with a soft spot for the MMC. There is ALOT of world building in the very beginning but once you get the grasp of it, the story flows really well. I have a theory that one of the characters is really a wolf in sheep’s clothing. They’re super sus! Which makes me want to keep going with the story. I am anxious to see where the plot goes from here.
Themes:
-Forced proximity
-Slowburn
-Political Intrigue
-Magic system

The Hurricane Wars
Rating: 5 stars
Talasyn and Alaric are fighting on opposite sides of a war. They wield opposite powers- dark and light magic. Despite their differences, they are drawn to one another. Will they be able to overcome their differences and unite, or will their opposing allegiances destroy them?
What a blast! This story was beautiful and imaginative. I loved that the world and its hurricanes were inspired by Southeast Asia. I also thought that the idea of stormships, machines that harness the weather in battle, is really cool. The plot is also compelling, and I am interested to see how everything develops in the next book.
The romance is excellent, with lots of tension and chemistry. Talasyn and Alaric are the perfect duo, and great matches for each other. I love the concept of characters with light and dark powers, and although it sounded a little cliché, I realized that I hadn’t actually read many books with characters with these powers other than in the Shadow in Bone trilogy, which is different for its own reasons. These characters are loveable with plenty of fun banter. Talaysn is fierce and brave, while Alaric is intimidating and badass.
This book is definitely worth reading!
Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC. This review is entirely my honest opinion of the book.

The Hurricane Wars weaves a spell that ensnares you in its lush landscape crawling with political intrigue. It’s emotional, action packed with high stakes, romantic and written so beautifully you forget that it’s Thea Guanzon’s debut novel. Read it. You will love your visit to the land of Lir!

Thank you to Net Galley for an arc!

#TheHurricaneWars #NetGalley

The Hurricane Wars has an intriguing premise, and Thea Guanzon can definitely write beautifully…but something is off about The Hurricane Wars.

I was very interested in the way Guanzon would interweave Filipino culture into her world. However, this is where I could really tell that The Hurricane Wars was a fanfic with the serial numbers filed off, because I kept seeing the original source material instead of the original fantasy world Guanzon was trying to build. The stakes were never clear, for the world, the war, or the characters, which made it very difficult to care about what was happening.

I do think that the central love story has potential, but there were so many unlikely twists that the characters themselves seemed to get lost under all the plot artifice.

I was excited for The Hurricane Wars but ultimately left disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this opportunity to read rage and review this arc which will be available October 3,2023!

Ooof. This book is heavy but it is so so good! The plot is fleshed out and intriguing. The characters are multidimensional and interesting. The magic is rich and the need for more is strong.

If you want a fantasy read with heavy magic, south Asian influences and a female main character that is strong but not annoying then this is the book for you!

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the eARC!
This book was not my thing. Genuinely…. No.

There were many things about this book that just didn’t sit right with me. Things I didn’t care for and didn’t enjoy.

So first, this is marketed as this epic enemies to lovers tale but really…. It’s not? They just fight their affections for one another. And they’re on opposite sides of the war and that’s the only reason they’re enemies. They rehash the SAME arguments over and over and over - hot and cold the entire flipping book and it grated on my nerves. I genuinely got SO annoyed with them both because they were inconsistent in everything. They’d argue and then the next day, flirt. And I was like “um huh??”

Next the insanely flowery language. Not my thing. It was so overwrought with metaphors and lyrical references and honestly comparisons to things that made no sense?? His voice was oak and mead??? The ef? "He was so close she could smell him, the sweat and smoke of battle mingling with the lingering balsamic spice of sandalwood water." Things like that that made no flipping sense and just made me go “wtf?” So if that’s your thing, have at it.

Also, the spice? Not enough. Keep hunting bc you’ll get a kiss so far in that you gave up and smut? Even further. 😂 Blah. I was expecting much more in both quantity and experience?

Overall, the plot didn’t even really have a climax. It just felt like the book… ended. That’s it. I didn’t feel like there were ANY twists. The book was SO predictable and not very interesting. A lot of training and talking and politics - many many politics.

I found out this was a Star Wars fanfic early on and omg you can TELL. It’s got that weird choppy “I plotted these scenes and here they are” vibe. I felt like I was 16 again reading fanfics. I don’t read them anymore bc they’re just not my thing and maybe I need to avoid some books that are based on them because it just feels like something is off. In fanfics, the writer can use the reader’s general knowledge of the characters from the fandom itself to lend to the story. In a novel, the author has to develop the characters and plot, which didn’t feel well done here. The love was very instant and I didn’t care what happened to anyone - granted nothing DID happen in this book.

That’s right, I read it and I feel like nothing happened. This felt like the prologue before the actual series. The pilot episode. And I have zero desire to continue.

Oh! I forgot to add: there are dragons! Yes! I swear there are! There are a total of 3 dragons - for a total of about maybe 5 pages of the 416 pages. 😂😂😂

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this title!
At its core, I would describe this book as a political fantasy romance. The worldbuilding and building of the political intrigue is so fantastic that I almost cried tears of joy. While I didn't fully understand the magic systems and felt Geharis was a bit of an overemphasized villain, Guanzon is so gifted at developing a fully unique and rich world full of morally grey and complex characters. Beyond the Talasyn/Alaric relationship, I think Guanzon did a fantastic job of diving into their political worlds and roles and how their positions and relationships and alliances are constantly shifting.
I cannot emphasize how much I usually hate the relationship tropes that were in this book... and how much I loved them in The Hurricane Wars. While I did occasionally get reminders of Reylo or Alina/The Darkling, I really loved how complex Guanzon made the relationship between Talasyn and Alaric and how their relationship changed their characters. I only had a couple of lines of dialogue that made me cringe, but I'm not a huge romance reader, so anyone who loves enemies to lovers or forced marriage romances will eat this up.
I'm really excited to continue reading this series. It has filled a Grishaverse-shaped hole in my heart, and The Hurricane Wars is definitely one of my favorite books of the year.

I am so sad this is being a 3 and not 5 star book for me. I wanted to absolutely LOVE this book, and it just didn’t happen.

The world building is confusing at times to the point where I don’t really have a good grasp on the whole world even after I’ve finished it. But it’s a bit clearer.

I love both of the main characters. I think they’re both perfect and great at being enemies. I loved getting both POV for them and being able to read her and his thoughts for scenes.

I felt like this book could have been about 200 less pages. The marriage negotiations go on for 1/2 the book.

Did I love the spicy scene? Absolutely!! But, it was not enough to save this whole book for me. I think slow burn is amazing, but I was just bored for a lot of this story. It felt like a struggle to finish it.

WITH THAT BEING SAID…. I do want to read the next one. This could have been less but, I still want to see what happens with these two.

Enemies. Enemies who understand each other, who make each other better, who are sharpened by one another. These enemies are Talasyn and Alaric in The Hurricane Wars. They are from different kingdoms and are on opposing sides of the Hurricane Wars, which have been fought for the last decade. Talasyn is a soldier who has fought against the Night Emperor, who possesses shadow magic, while hiding her own light magic. As they fight on the battlefields, there is a recognition of power, and by accident they find that their magics combined create something even greater. These two have a decade’s worth of animosity between them, and yet, they are inexplicably drawn to each other. Will they be able to put their differences aside to combine their magic to save a country from total destruction that comes once in 1000 years? Will they recognize the connection between them?

I read somewhere that this story started as Reylo fanfic, and I found it distracting because as I was reading it, I found myself searching for the similarities to the source material. I also felt like the pace was a little slow. Those two things aside, I did enjoy The Hurricane Wars - it was a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 stars