“Given our respective objectives, it would probably save a lot of time if we died together.”

I absolutely need to get a hard copy of this book in my hands so that I can absolutely dissect it with tabs and annotations. In my eyes, this book was everything I could have wanted and more. It was perfection. It was a reminder as to why I love reading so much, and because of this I will forever be a reader of Thea Guanzon. There was something just so atmospheric of this writing and I will forever fondly think of my time reading this amazing story.

Oh my gosh I loved this book! Could not put it down! I loved the part with her dad talking about negotiations it was so sweet! So looking forward to the next book and to see where this story goes! It was fast pace and I love it! This author had a wonderful way of making the characters very realistic and believable.

If you don't go into this knowing it started as Reylo fan fic there is a good chance you will be fairly confused. Saying that, this was such a fun book. The world-building is phenomenal and sucks you right in. A lot of information is given very quickly in the beginning of the book and it does feel a smidge like an info dump, but once you get going the dual POV shows an epic enemies to lovers relationship between two magic wielding soldiers on opposing sides.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

The Hurricane Wars follows Talasyn fighting against the Night Empire as they siege her nation. She has the gift of light magic, magic that was thought to be wiped out years ago. Alongside her, we follow Alaric, the night emperor’s only son. These two characters clash and discover their magic, light and dark, can merge and create a new magic. Talasyn and Alaric know they are the only way this war can end. With a greater threat on the horizon, they realize the only way through is together. Thrusted into an uneasy alliance, the two navigate their differences and hatred towards each other.

<i>”Love can make us do impossible, beautiful, terrible things. Love can bloom like a revolution.” </i>

This book had an absolute hold on me. The magic system is innovative and capturing, our enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers connection between the two main characters spin a story of finding love despite differences and how love can peak through the cracks of hatred.

Things I loved about this book: The prose of this book is delectable, with descriptions that play the book in front of your eyes like a movie. Strong female main character who struggles but never gives up. Burning romance that takes its time, but the payoff is worth it. It was probably the most beautifully written smut I’ve ever read. Also, dragons?!

Things I wasn’t as thrilled about in this book: In the very beginning, like with most fantasy stories, you are thrown into the pit of world building. I will say that this book delves a little onto the deep side for hard world building and it can be hard to keep track of. <b> Something some readers may choose not to pick up the book because of is Talasyn is 19 and Alaric is 26 (7 Year age difference.) So if that isn’t your cup of tea, it isn’t really something you can ignore while you read. </b>

Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely and felt so immersed from the first page. This will be a series, so if you’re looking for a standalone book this is not the place for it.

Myth: 5/5

This is enemies to lovers at its finest. The first book gives you no resolution, only longing. The characters are so deeply entrenched in a war and their opposing sides that they can’t even fathom what’s in front of them. It is literally the most delicious torture.

It’s fantastic seeing both sides of the story, and while part of you wants to believe that Talasyn is young and naive, every time you think that Alaric does something to even the playing field.

Magic: 5/5

I loved that even in the first book of the series, you could see the vision of how the magic would build. I’m sure there will be surprises yet to come, but the magic was more focused on the antagonism between the kingdoms that held it back.

Overall: 5/5

This series is going to be epic. I can already tell. I can’t wait to see what happens next. I’m already so scared for Talasyn.

Full disclosure - I had no idea that "The Hurricane Wars" was originally a Reylo fic. At first. Guanzon has a real gift for storytelling; I enjoyed her writing style initially. It seemed pretty apparent early on this was going to be a fantasy novel more on the side of romantasy, which was evident from the Sarah J Maas comps; however unlike "Fourth Wing" that I barely managed to get through the opening chapters of, "The Hurricane Wars" has excellent worldbuilding initially. It's dense, sure, but interesting, and the pace is off at a dramatic clip.

Where it all started to fall apart for me was at the romance. That was where I started to wonder... was this originally fanfic? Looked it up, and yup. That's how "The Hurricane Wars" started its life.

It's not bad. I'm absolutely not the target audience for it either - I hated Fourth Wing and I'm not big on Maas, either, but as I enjoy some romantasy I had hopes that this one would work for me. Unfortunately, the characterization in "The Hurricane Wars" started to weaken as soon as Talasyn and Alaric began to routinely interact. We were assured that Alaric was cool, collected, stern, without emotion... yet nothing he said or did indicated that. We were likely told that Talasyn was witty and smart... yet she was impulsive and made a lot of bad decisions. Just inconsistent at best. That took a lot of the thrill out of it for me - without truly caring about the characters, I just kind of floated through to the end of this one. Those who enjoy Maas or Armentrout will likely have a lot to enjoy here, as it's closer in style to that form of fantasy writing than the "She Who Became the Sun" I saw it comped to.

This is completely unreadable and extremely difficult to understand for anyone who is not familiar with the fanfiction that this book is based on.

This was one of my highly anticipated reads of the year, and for the most part, I think this lived up to the hype. Coming from Indonesia, another southeast Asian country, I loved the fact that the book and the world building was built upon south east Asia, particularly Philippines. The fact that weather is the main reason of life and all its troubles? Love it.

I really liked Talasyn and Alaric, their "opposites attract" relationship was very intriguing. The magic system was unique. I did see some similarities to Star Wars, which I've read is a dealbreaker to some readers, but I didn't think it was a bad thing at all!

However, I felt that there's just something missing for me for it to be a 5 star read. I think I wished for more happy moments between the two main characters, instead of constant hating. There wasn't that much growth between the two; as soon as they made some progress with their relationship, they would go backwards 3 steps and start in the beginning.

All in all, a great debut, and I can't wait to see where the story unloads.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

As a longtime fan of Thea Guanzon’s immaculately romantic and epic writing, I have been waiting for EONS to read this book. My expectations were through the roof and she met every single one. I reviewed my annotations and I highlighted a good quarter of this book with my favourite scenes, descriptions, and quotes. Its too much. Thea, ITS TOO MUCH.

You want epic world-building with a unique magic system, political intrigue with crafty manipulators, multiple cultures (including a matriarchy?!?!?!?!?!) with rich and complicated histories? Here you go. You want action sequences with magic wielders, an ongoing war where both sides believe they are in the right, literal light and darkness suddenly working together to form something new? HERE YOU GO. You want a feisty female main character fighting for her found family while also discovering her own hidden past, an extremely disciplined and powerful male main character fighting to end a war that destroyed his family suddenly getting completely thrown off his axis when he meets his equal, and a massive world-ending problem requiring them both to be forced to work together all the while bantering like crazy in a kicking-your-feet-at-every-encounter sort of way? HERE. YOU. GO.

For more reviews check out The Storied Blog

Hurricane Wars is a tension-filled page turner of a book. The tension between Talasyn and Alaric is front and center but there is also so much tension between Alaric and his father and Talasyn and her leaders. The need to know what’s going to happen next absolutely drives this story. I loved every single minute of this book and cannot wait for the next installment.

FIVE AMAZING STARS! This book was incredible. The world-building, the characters, the fighting and the romance - incredible. Phew, I’m reeling and I can’t believe I have to wait a whole year to read the sequel.

The Hurricane Wars is rich in texture. It is a dual POV book which switches between Talasyn and Alaric, two enemy soldiers who can wield magic from the aether. As their lives collide, the reader gets to watch as they struggle to balance their responsibilities and allegiances with new feelings they have never felt before. I loved reading each POV as the characters developed and became more and more complex, feeling as though they are betraying their nation and those they care about.

The world is so intricately described and is inspired by the authors upbringing experiencing massive weather phenomenons in The Philippines. My only dislike was that I felt like I had to take notes for the first 20% of the book. A lot of the details about the world are given up front and some of the language is so foreign it felt like gibberish. I plowed through and at about 36% I couldn’t put the book down. I became accustomed to the writing style and the world began to make more sense. This book is well worth the read, so stick with it!

Thank you Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the e-arc! This was one of my top reads for 2023. Fans of Fourth Wing will be glad for another amazing read this year. I know I am!

A powerful and page turning fantasy built on important daily events heartbreak and a fabulous Philippine voice.

Rating: 2.75

This book has left me with some very mixed emotions. On the one hand, I loved the author's prose and style of writing. But on the other hand, I was disinterested in the romance and frequently irritated with both MCs. These factors combined to create a very frustrating reading experience.

I'll first begin with the good.

The author's writing was beautiful. It was flowery in a way that crafted a deeply immersive experience. The descriptions used within the world-building were great. Each line felt artful, and the language managed to be highly expressive while not boring me half to death. The magic system and different cultures were built uniquely, enriching the setting immensely.

Then, unfortunately, the characters soured this beautiful fantasy world. Talasyn, the FMC, is the epitome of feisty. And not in a good way. She was constantly angry, shouting, and insulting everyone for the smallest reasons. There was often no forethought to her behavior. Her actions were almost always impulsive and mind-bogglingly dumb. I can see what the author was going for, but instead of making Talasyn look tough, her anger felt contrived and annoying.

The MMC wasn't better. I struggle to even describe him because his character was so wishy-washy. Talasyn saw him as a stoic, unflinching war captain, but I'm unsure why. When I would read his POV, his character felt insecure, aimless, and not very smart. He acted on emotion constantly, which was confusing considering the fact that both he and Talasyn describe him as a very impassive figure. He blurts things out, constantly regrets his decisions, and disobeys his father (who's supposed to be an oppressive, scary guy) with no thought of the consequences. I genuinely don't know what else to say about him other than his personality seemed to change from line to line.

My final strife was the romance. It was tough. Both Talasyn and Alaric are attracted to each other from pretty much day one. Yet, neither of them admits this, even to themselves. They frequently think or act towards each other in a romantic way but are befuddled by their own behavior. It was beyond infuriating. I'll list just a few of the MANY, MANYYY examples below.


"Why was she nervous? What was the reason for these butterflies rippling in the pit of her stomach?"

"that nervous little flutter coursed through her again. Where was that coming from?"

"What was it about her that reduced him to such nonsensical adjectives?"

"She would never feel the same— The same as what? What did he feel?"

In the end, the character's ridiculousness and juvenile behavior ruined this for me. I'll likely read book two to see if things improve because I do think this has the potential to become a really great series. All it needs is proper execution.

This was a fun and exciting read! The Hurricane Wars is a great novel for lovers of Fourth Wing and fans of enemies to lovers tropes. I really enjoyed the world building and magic system; it wasn't too hard to understand kept my attention throughout.

I cannot wait until this is published so I can recommend it to library customers and friends/family. I have already preordered a copy for my personal collection. I can't wait until book two in the series.

This book is probably going to be a wild success with all the ACOTAR and Fourth Wing girlies. It has spice mixed in with fantasy and dragons.

PROS:
-there's great tension between the two main characters
-it has great reylo vibes
-the elements that were added from the fanfic are interesting. Especially the magic system that's replacing the Force

CONS:
-the first few chapters are almost unreadable
-there are a ton of references to things specifically with regards to religion that the reader isn't given any context to and it gets really annoying
-there's a distinct lack of plot here. I've read the OG fanfic and I know where this story is going. I wish they had beefed things up for this first one so that it wouldn't have felt so aimless
-the way they tried to still have technology in a fantasy world was reeeeeally clunky

In the end, this book very much reads like a Reylo fanfic that was pulled for publish after a little polish and while I definitely plan to read the second I'm not sure I can hugely recommend it to new readers that don't already love the original fanfic.

Though I believe that The Hurricane Wars will find its audience, I did not enjoy my time with this one. I appreciate how original the world-building was, especially as I know this was originally fanfiction. I could tell that Guanzon put a lot of effort into creating a rich world and magic system. Unfortunately, the immature and repetitive writing really holds The Hurricane Wars back.

The opening of this book is packed with awkward info-dumping about the world. It felt like the author had a lot of ideas and facts that she wanted to share. Though I appreciate the effort to create a rich world, the made-up words and random facts in every other sentence made the first 10-15% of the book tedious to get through. Amidst the onslaught of facts about the world, Guanzon fails to establish the characters. As a result, I had little to no emotional attachment to any of the characters in this book. Talasyn was a bland hero type and Alaric was a brooding and tall. I didn't care about them separately and I was never invested in their relationship.

Though I recognize that the romance is meant to be the main part of this book, the actual plot is painfully underdeveloped. For a book that starts with a battle and takes place during a war, there are almost no action scenes. The attempts at political maneuvering are convoluted and messy. The pacing in this book is distractingly inconsistent. There were often huge time jumps that were either unnecessary or not clearly explained.

I really, really struggled with the writing in The Hurricane Wars. It was often overwritten and flowery, with sentences that I highly doubt were grammatical. At the same time, there would be moments that were stilted and choppy. The same phrases and information were repeated over and over again. The number of times Talasyn or Alaric had a "vague feeling" that they then based major decisions on drove me insane.

As someone who adores both the arranged marriage and enemies-to-lovers tropes, I am devastated that I didn't love The Hurricane Wars. However, for me, the flaws with the writing make it impossible to enjoy the best parts of this book.

The Hurricane Wars #1
By Thea Guanzon
Pub Date: October 3, 2023
Harper Voyager
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
* fantasy Romance
Spellbinding debut in this trilogy set in Southeast Asia. Inspired world ravaged by storms. Perfect for fans of Maas and Kuang
It was a great book! 5 stars

I really wanted to like this, but the language was just too hoity toity for me

~This book was given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Hurricane Wars didn’t quite land the way I’d hoped for myself. And I fully acknowledge this is a me issue. I love the cover and the premise—it’s everything I look for in a book. And I admit, I was so excited about this one and am disappointed I didn’t love it as much as I’d hoped.

I didn’t feel hooked into the book within the first few chapters but, I forged on hoping that the world building and magic system would start making sense to me. That the characters would become rooted in my heart and it just didn’t happen. And you know what? That’s okay, too. Not every book is for every person and I know that a lot of people will love this one! It just unfortunately didn’t work for me.

Thank you HarperCollins Canada for the chance to read early!

The Hurricane Wars is Guanzon's ingenious debut with which she strikes the tone for her upcoming career of epic tales narrated in dazzling prose.

If you’ve seen this stunning cover go around social media and you’re wondering if you should add this to your tbr? I’m here to tell you that you 100% should keep your eyes out for this promising upcoming release. Here’s what you can expect from The Hurricane Wars:

- A Reylo enemies-to-lovers with a very slow burn and high tensions
- Storm magic
- Beautiful prose
- War politics
- Arranged marriage
- A little steamy time?

I don't think I've ever read a book set in a Southeast Asia-inspired world before. Guanzon's detailed descriptions made this vivid world of colors and flavors come to life around me as if I were right there among the characters. The descriptive writing style might not be everyone's cup of tea. But I think its elevated narration deserves special attention.

The Shadow could only fall when there was no light to banish it.

The book is told from a third-person dual pov of Talasyn and Alaric. Talasyn is an orphaned soldier fighting to try and drive the enemy out of her nation. Alaric is the prince of the enemy empire. The story opens with a gloomy, suffocating sense of doom. We’re catapulted into the middle of a brutal war. Airships are laying ruin to land and man, and storm magic is raging all around. In that first opening part, hope is far to find. It’s dark, brutal, and very war politics-oriented. The initial tone takes a turn later on and becomes brighter and a bit more hopeful as enemies are forced to work together to defeat a bigger evil. It is here that we get more interaction between our main characters and see the tension between them slowly build up.

Alaric had the habit of eclipsing everything else, making her throw caution to the wind for the sake of crossing blades and wits with him on the battlefields they'd fought over.

The dynamic between Alaric and Talasyn is incredibly interesting. It’s a true, deep-rooted enemies-to-lovers. They’re true enemies, on opposite sides of a decade-long war that has shaped both their lives. It would feel unnatural if they were to fall for each other right away. Guanzon executes this perfectly through the slow-burn process and shares their intimate thoughts and inner struggles as they slowly grow feelings for one another. As a reader, you’ll find yourself in a difficult position trying to figure out who is on the right side of the war and who isn’t. It’ll be challenging to figure out who the true villain of the story is and that’s what makes it so interesting. All these characters balance the fine line between right and wrong, good and evil.

Overall a stellar debut with stunning writing, excellent characters, and an ingenious plot. It will set its claws into you and will shake you to your core. Mark your calendars for October 3rd and get your preorder in. This is one you do not want to miss.