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

Absolutely fan-freaking-tastic! Thea Guanzon may be a debut author but this book shows that she knows her craft well. The Hurricane Wars is the perfect blend of tension, scorching hot chemistry, masterfully crafted fantasy, and prose that keeps you turning the pages wanting MORE! The first in a new adult fantasy trilogy, I will be shouting THW’s praises from the rooftops for the rest of my life. Talasyn and Alaric have my whole heart.

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon is a fantasy romance about the combined power of light and dark found between enemies, Talasyn, an orphaned, Sardovian warrior, and the son of the Night Emperor, Prince Alaric Ossinast. And the possibility for it to save the world.

This story is based on a popular Star Wars fic that I've read and enjoyed, so I had an idea of some of the twists and possible turns going into it, but I was excited to see the new world that Guanzon built for this love story.

I try to point out the things I enjoyed versus things that held me back when I review, but I had really complicated feelings about this one. I can confidently say if I didn't know where Talasyn and Alaric's story was headed, I would have really struggled to complete this one. I had multiple "Do Not Finish" considerations pretty early on, and that continued far longer than I would have normally bothered.

The first third of the book is very difficult to get through, especially after starting with an exciting prologue from Alaric's POV. The momentum seemed to dive from there with heavy-handed prose that was beautiful, but often lost its way in creating an immersive experience to the world. It makes sense in introducing a world that we want to feel different and far apart from our own that a writer would describe things that we know well in a way that seems foreign, but in this case, it really hampered the action and sense of urgency at the beginning to the point where I didn't feel the threat of the Night Empire as I should.

Even when we're introduced to Talasyn's friend, who suffers the immediate loss of her husband whom she's just married, we have so little connection to them from Talasyn herself, it's a stretch to imagine her mourning this loss in a way that ends up affecting her for the remainder of the novel. We're often told how to feel about the characters and never have a sense of what it actually does to them to suffer. When she meets with Alaric in Frostbane for the first time, it seems as if it's supposed to be an "epic" interaction, but doesn't have the same energy of Alaric's prologue. Against feels as if we're constantly being told he's a threat, and that it's different, but there's nothing really that really feels in contrast to what we've seen before...and generally, I blame the purple prose.

Talasyn is presented as hardened by her circumstances and training, with no connections, but it makes it really difficult to understand her relationships with others around her, beyond noticing how they are simply using her for her devotion and talents. As she and Alaric become closer, he does comment on this, noting how she continues to be compelled to defend them despite having found her real family. I'm hoping this will be expanded on in future installments.

Once we get past the introduction, Talasyn is tasked with heading to the dominion of Nenavar to attempt to commune with something called a Light Sever, which could help her expand her abilities. There she meets with Alaric again, having followed her there on information from a spy. They clash, their magic contained by Nenavar forces, and when they are detained, Talasyn is recognized as the long-lost granddaughter of the current Queen of Nenavar. This is where the story really picked up and begin to take off a little better, and I wish that the book would have started a bit closer to this point, because once things began to move, I resented the time we spent in the set-up, especially when it gives us little explanation of some of the magical aspects. It's understandable to not have this knowledge through Talasyn who has little understanding of it herself, but we have Alaric's POV as well, and while the author makes it obvious how much has likely been hidden from him by his father, he's not completely without a grasp of some of these things. By the time we start to get more information, he's sharing it with Talasyn past the midpoint, and it seems a waste of his POV.

The major driving force of the novel comes a little before the midpoint when after having returned to Nenavar and agreeing to be the heir in an effort to conceal and aid the Sardovian forces, Talasyn's grandmother, Queen Urduja forces Talasyn into a marital alliance with the Night Emperor, now Alaric after his father has chosen to be regent. We also discover that not only will they be compelled to unite in marriage, but for the greater good, helping to diffuse and hopefully block, with the combination of their powers, the World-Eater, a time when crops and life essentially die. The Nenavarene have survived this before, but since this event is predicted to be a bit larger, they expect it to take over and potentially destroy much of the Night Empire as well.

Once we reach this point, the novel and the main romance really begins to take off a bit more, pulling the momentum of the novel forward a great deal.

In general, I did like the progression of their connection, the reveals of shared loneliness, plus other bits of information that can be expanded on to illuminate their characters, but I was left wanting more from them beyond the immediate attraction and heat that I was informed was there rather than actually feeling or witnessing. It's possible that my lack of interest in their enemy status made this part fall flat for me, but it took longer for me to warm to them.

I've also seen this touted as spicy, and while I imagine the second book will dive into this aspect more as they become closer, the minor bit of spice is as close to the end to the book as possible. It felt like something included for the sake of being included and not because it was actually building there to begin with. Also, this is a pet peeve, but it is heavily implied throughout that these two have gone without the touch of other people (which I loved that aspect to their discovery), but then in the rush of heat they seem to have too much finesse in the intimacy department for two people completely inexperienced. It really took me out of the moment.

I agree with the comps of Kuang and Maas, although I believe the world building this is fuller than what I have read of Maas.

It's possible that the final moment may have given me enough interest to read the second, but if I do, I will be hoping for far more from the second book.

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me.. The story initially sounded intriguing, but it read like fanfiction. The plot was weak, the pace was off and the characterization was lacking.

I was so excited to read this book. It has all the elements I love - interesting magic, enemies to lovers on different sides of an all-encompassing war, the enemies having to come together to save the world. Unfortunately, those elements didn’t come together for me.

The plot and world building felt like it took a backseat to getting Talasyn and Alaric, the two main characters, in the same place. Periods of time when Talasyn was learning to use her magic or about the political situation she was thrust into were explained away in time jumps. So despite there being a seemingly very vast system of magic that can do seemingly infinite things, we don’t learn about it.

The characters themselves acted rashly without any thought for repercussions, which made all the political negotiations and intrigue - which was a significant portion of the second two thirds of the book - fall flat. This, in addition to the tone of the writing made the book feel juvenile. Talasyn is 19. Alaric is 26. But both of them seem to act much younger. The romance between them is a cycle of attraction and verbalized hatred, but without any kind of nuance or growth internally or together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this e-arc

DNF @ 25%
I knew this was a Reylo fanfic. I was excited for the Reylo fanfic. But I should just go read the actual fanfic instead.

It’s too obvious that this originally started in the middle of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, because this book doesn’t feel like it has a proper beginning. We’re dropped in at an awkward time and expected to feel things for side characters we’ve spent a paragraph with. The world-building is too convoluted and I spent the whole time trying to figure out who was who and what was derived from what (but not in a fun way). There are plot points that are way too rushed, with MAJOR stuff happening in the first quarter of the book.

Overall this story just feels so shallow because it was originally written for people who already knew pre-established characters in a pre-established universe, and the author failed to create a story that totally stands on its own.

Thank you for the chance to review The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon.

I read about 30% of the book and will probably not be able to finish the rest of it. Guanzon is a promising author, has intriguing worldbuilding and an exciting fantasy setting in an imaginary version of the Phillipines. I wrote a long review because I'm puzzling out why I had such a hard time getting into this book when it seems to have so many elements that make it an immediate sale for me.

This book has a lot of hooks that drew me in. Enemies to lovers, the unique magic system, a setting in the Philippines, a new young author, good cover, great blurb. However, I think that there is a fundamental mismatch with what the story is at its core and the marketing that is done for the reader. I came in with certain expectations and was confused when the story seemed different than what I had expected.

The Hurricane Wars is marketed as an adult fantasy romance, but I do think the heart of the story is more of a YA sci-fi. I read in some of the other reviews that the story was originally a Kylo Ren and Rey fanfiction story from the Star Wars world, and that honestly made the world building made a lot more sense. I would say that the story reads more YA than adult.

The political, landscape, complex magic system, internal politics, and history between the countries is very complex. More and more detail is given before the reader has a chance to settle into the story. The story may have started as a Kylo Ren and Rey fanfic, but the magic system is genuinely complex and original. There is light and shadow magic, yes, but there are unique twists.

The complex nature of war and love stand in contrast to the one end, dimensional side characters such as Alaric’s minions. They felt more like stand-ins from a Star Wars movie set in the classic good versus evil morality scheme. This is in contrast to the marketing for the book. I think the introduction to the novel by the author also sets the tone for a much more serious love story and a reckoning with a complex history of love and war in the fantastical Phillipines. I know it's not actually set in the Phillipines, but it is based on it.

The book opens with a couple marrying, then the groom dying and leaving his pregnant wife to fight a war alone. A town is burned to the ground. Many of her friends die. She is almost killed on the lake, but she escapes. It's a serious beginning.

Then there is a much lighter tonal shift when Alaric and Talyson are bantering back and forth, and not-killing each other in sexy swordfights. I love sexy swordfights and pinning your enemy to a mattress. Genuinely, I am a big fan of those moments. But it’s hard to get behind that when this guy was responsible for leading the attack that killed your best friend's husband. Then the best friend seems resilient and a solider, which is cool, but then she seems remarkably emotionally unaffected by what she has just been through.

So, the tone goes from very serious to a lighter hearted tone and I think it undercut the values of the characters in the book.

Then there are more fun, chase scenes, fight scenes, and bantering interspersed with the main character, having intense processing of her childhood trauma. Talyson reads as very young in the dialogue and some of the choices she makes. When a major plot point is revealed, she takes decisive action, but then the emotional beats of the other characters read as much more expository. She has magic chosen one powers, but she's also relied on by the general for strategy. She’s also a linchpin in this war over continental genocide, but she's also remembering her past as a sad, lonely orphan.

I think the memories of running down alleyways and surviving by eating certain foods are enough to establish her suffering as a child and develop sympathy for her as a reader. When she goes back and forth between war, sexy eye contact with Alaric, and then dealing with her mysterious parents...I lose the emotional beat that I'm supposed to be following with her. It feels like they are all competing with each other rather than a young woman with a lot going on.

Guanzon makes some bold, plot, strokes, which I found refreshing. Her writing is detailed and vivid. It’s hard to balance, the very specific, technical descriptions of armor and buildings with a general audience, probably not knowing what those words are going to mean.

I think she has a good sense of what tropes audiences enjoy. She's got good instincts for a compelling story. It seems just like a matter of finding the right amount of detail, world-building, and tonal consistency would deliver a more cohesive storyline.

I think the jump from large scale conflict to personal long story, then, back out to the bigger conflict made it a little harder to follow, along with the romance.

I would definitely read a book that Guanzon publishes in the future. I'm not posting to other review platforms because I only tend to want to review books that I really like rather than providing mixed/negative reviews for authors.