A fun space fantasy romance, perfect for fans of enemies to lovers and new takes on well-trod genre tropes and conventions.

Startingly beautiful. Guanzon uses woven prose that paints a world both alarming and alluring. On one side of the coin, there is constant war, and the other, worlds who hold constant beauty. It's across the threshhold that Alaric and Talasyn meet. I found myself waiting on baited breath for near half of the novel, which is a rare feat. For a debut novel, this is exemplary, outshining some of the lasting modern greats.

Recommended level: New Adult+
Romance: Slow burn, single detailed scene
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, heroine with special powers, morally grey love interest
Peaks: Vivid imagery, wholly new world unlike any other to compare, complex plot

Combining poetic and lyrical writing, page-turning pacing, with the push and pull of a steamy slow burn, Thea has painted a captivating masterpiece that is The Hurricane Wars. These two enemies to reluctant allies are a combo of chaos, loathing, pining, and hilarious banter.




Our two main characters, Talasyn and Alaric, are the perfect example of enemies to reluctant allies, who are forced into an alliance in order to save their people. Don’t be fooled, these two DESPISE each other. They are on two separate sides of a war and under the command of their superiors, they join in an arranged marriage in order to unite their people to prevent another war AND to explore their combined power in an effort to stop their country from being destroyed. They soon realize that they have a lot more in common that they previously realized and there is SO MUCH mutual pining. Like “I hate you so much but I relate to you and you’re kinda hot so do we really have to fight all the time” kind of thing.
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Thea’s writing is the most beautiful, poetic and lyrical writing. I learned so many new words 😂 The world building is definitely complex in the first few chapters. It’s very similar to to the beginning of Crescent City where you’re given quite a bit of info. Don’t let that deter you though because it all explains itself as you keep going!
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And Thea, my friend, don’t think I didn’t catch some of those Easter eggs you threw in there. You know what you did 😈

I picked this one up because I saw it recommended on Ali Hazelwood's feed, and lemme tell you, this book was everything and more 😭 you know how Anthony Bridgerton says "because she is AGGRAVATING"? That line and all the loaded meaning behind it summarises the relationship of the MCs in this book 😭 they were so feral and adorable and swoony, please 😭

The world-building and the politics and the magic system were also so cool! I look forward to seeing how it'll all be resolved in book 2!

Also, that ending?? The book ended so angstily, I'm crying out in frustration here 😭 (as was the point I guess, BUT STILL)

TWs - war on the front lines, violence, death, death of parent, estrangement by parent, emotional abuse by parent

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

The best enemies to lovers, slow burn I’ve ever read. Absolutely delicious. I didn’t realize it was the first in a series but it became more obvious as we got closer to the wedding that this story was too big for a single book but I loved that. The dynamic between nations was complex and really had me thinking. It was just as important at the romance element. Cannot wait to read more!

I didn't know this was a fan fiction, going in. I looked at the author's ig for fan art to help imagine the characters and noticed that the main characters looked a lot like Reylo. Full disclosure, that's a red flag for me. Not because of the ship, but because I've read at least three published Reylo or Reylo-inspired books (one of them was another ARC like a month ago) and they're really hit or miss. Alaric and Talasyn are written to be different characters, but it was jarring and not super fun (for me) that Alaric's every description seemed to want to remind the reader that he's supposed to be Adam Driver.

As a lover of fanfiction, I try to give published fics the benefit of the doubt, but fanfiction doesn't always translate well to original works. Reading fanfiction means being familiar with the characters you're reading going into it and (often) having the ultimate goal be them falling in love. This isn't super compatible with novels, where the audience needs to be introduced to the characters and environment. I feel THW might suffer a bit from that, and from the fact that halfway through, the plot development comes almost to a halt for the sake of relationship development. As a fanfiction, it's a 10/10, would be a very popular fic.

There were a lot of things I did like about THW, though. The magic system is really cool, even if I didn't fully understand it. The world and its politics were rich and similar in complexity to ACoTaR. Alaric and Talasyn had a compelling dynamic (I acted like the age gap didn't exist) and their tension was INSANE. The plot is unique, but is still pretty Star Wars-y if you squint; I was interested in the plot enough that I was disappointed that it got put on the back-burner for Alaric and Talasyn's relationship.

All of that being said, I enjoyed the book and it was easy to read. I think it could be very popular with the From Blood and Ash and The Love Hypothesis fanbase.

here we go. so. i consider myself to be a sort of pet expert on the phenomena of fanfiction that is scouted, acquired, then scrubbed for sale in the commercial fiction landscape. i wrote a paper about it in college. tis my. thing. i unfortunately also have a history with the star wars sequel trilogy fanbase, to make abridge of it all, i was Not a fan of rey/kylo, and this book was a long rey/kylo fanfiction in its first iteration.

in my good faith attempt to be fair and balanced, i respect that guanzon was willing to work with original lore. most fanfictions turned commercial are not genre pieces, but rather contemporary “alternate universe” works with a minimal amount of mechanics to explain to a new audience. in every instance of this fanfiction to commercial pipeline, editorial professionals are incentivized to change as little of the original work as possible as to not alienate its built in audience, which are the base off which to launch the book.

i do however think this lore was exposited clumsily, especially at the beginning. it’s so dense it kept me from connecting from the characters. to me it seems to be overcompensating its worldbuilding and i couldn't separate the metatext knowledge that the basis of the entire political system came from star wars.

i want to litigate my dislike of the original ship this novel was based on as little as possible, however i want to note that talasyn and alaric feel like separate enough from rey and kylo ren insofar as they didn’t feel like echoes of a couple of random white people in space (barring the fact that talasyn and alaric are just how shippers think rey and kylo actually are. but alas. i promised minimal litigation)

i’m quite tempted to gripe away about more fingerprints left on the book from the original fanfiction, for instance, the prose in the first 30% was thick and dense and purple as all hell, as well as being original to the book, having not been part of the original fic on ao3; but as far as the plot, it was unevenly paced and the events that finally made talasyn and alaric adhere together were hopelessly convoluted. though the book and trilogy are named after the hurricane wars, there’s very little combat in this entry, and there was no escalation when the book finally does depict action. a more accurate title would be the hurricane diplomatic negotiations.

people with more brain capacity than me can engage with the politics of loving your conqueror, whose legions annexed your land and caused the deaths of so many friends. and while the phenomenon doesn’t go unremarked upon here, the book indulges in the lovey dovey horny porny more than the turmoil and conflict it would inevitably create between you and your comrades (which i think would be very interesting to see played out in full but what i want to see is rarely what others want to see whatever). i didn’t care that much about talasyn and found alaric to be made of all the standard dark haired broody moody fantasy male love interest cliches that have been imposed upon us for going on ten years now. like i said. whatever to me

there was no real climax in the ending, no moment of catharsis that built any anticipation for me to read the second or god forbid third entries. so that’s how my review is ending! two stars out of respect for its novelty as a genre pipeline entry rather than a basic contemporary one. end of opinions.

3.5 stars rounded up

Excellent start to the series. The world building is fantastic. I really could see/feel everything in how it was described. I do tend to skim over the enemies to lovers stuff but its fine here. Reminder: lead character is a war hardened but still sheltered/lonely 19 year old. Plus I bet magic has something to do with it

I'm hopeful that the breadcrumbs in this installment, get answered in the next. This feels somewhat Star Wars inspired, and I mean that in the best possible way. I just know there's more to the Night Empire's begining, Talas mother and Vela.

The Hurricane Wars is the perfect pick for someone looking for a classic fantasy novel. It draws upon popular tropes to craft a storyline full of action and emotions. Protagonists Talasyn and Alaric are heirs to enemy empires, witnesses to constant war between their lands. A treaty between them would be beneficial to both sides, forcing the pair to be married. Both Talasyn and Alaric must navigate their new circumstances together, while both trying to serve their own ends.
This book weirdly reminded me a lot of the Love Hypothesis (I think it was the love interest) but also Dance of Thieves and maybe a little bit of To Kill a Kingdom. If you like any of those books give The Hurricane Wars a try. Guanzon does a good job establishing the world that the characters live in. It was easy to understand and follow in that it was not very complex, with Talasyn not traveling too many different places or encountering situations that would need a lot of explaining to an audience.
I will say that I think the romance in this book was simultaneously a bit rushed and too slowly developed. Personally I liked the fantasy aspect of the storyline more than the romance because the characters didn't seem to have a very strong or deep connection. I feel like with the amount of time that it took for anything to actually happen between them, there could have been a stronger development of their connection so that it was more believable. That said, I think that it was the author's intention to create the interactions and pacing the way that she did, it did just come across to me in a way that made me invested in the story for reasons other than the romantic plot.
The Hurricane Wars ends on a major cliffhanger, so I will definitely be reading the next book to see what happens for Talasyn and Alaric.

The Hurricane Wars is one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 and I was beyond excited to be approved for an ARC on NetGalley. My husband is Filipino, born in Angeles City, and I always feel a bit drawn to the stories inspired by the Philippines so I can continue to learn more about his culture and history.

Author Thea Guanzon takes a fantasy approach to the hurricane season that unfortunately often ravages this small country year after year. I really found her magic system super unique and interesting, though I admit I had to look up a TON of words (mostly sailing jargon) the first half of the book which made it start really slow for me. Or maybe you’re smarter than me and you won’t feel this way but it did take me a couple of days to get through the first 50%.

But do not be discouraged, things brightened up anytime that Alaric and Talasyn were on the page together. Whether they were brutally fighting each other or kissing each other’s faces off, their passion was so fiery! And there’s DRAGONS! Cant beat a book with dragons in it, I think that’s an unwritten rule somewhere.

This was definitely a slow slow burn enemies (HUGE enemies) to lovers. The Hurricane Wars does get a bit spicy towards the end, not too graphic but graphic enough I wanted to bring it up. The reason being that I see both a YA Fantasy and a New Adult genre tag on Goodreads so just a heads up!

Anyway, I am excited for the trajectory of the story. The author ends the book at a good place and I feel like we are only really beginning to get into the nitty gritty of things. I can’t wait for the sequel!

Thank you so much to Avon and HarperVoyager for blessing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange iI for an honest review!

So this book has a lot of strengths: the magic system is a lot of fun and I foresee people loving it, even though it's not necessarily super creative or new. There's enough laid out in the novel, and yet still a lot of mystery left to keep readers interested. The worldbuilding is super interesting: I loved the airships, the promise of dragons, and the primary setting of this book in particular, which again, gives the reader a layered picture of the story while still leaving a lot left for the next books in the series.

Sometimes the writing is a bit toooo descriptive and overly reliant on metaphors/similes and purple prose in general. I can see some readers not loving this, as it can actually slow down or cut through interesting scenes with long descriptions that aren't always needed so much. However, this definitely didn't keep me from enjoying the story, and I think overall I can see this being refined in later books.

One thing to know going into this book is that it is heavy on romance, and yes it is enemies to lovers. While I have been critical of this trend in adult romantasy books recently (and in general, I'd argue that publishing is a bit too obsessed with adult fantasies centering romance completely, simply due to the success of certain authors, when truly it is NOT always needed), when it's done well, I'm excited for it, and I think this is an instance where it adds to the book.

I'm interested to see how these two characters continue to grow and what they continue to reveal about their backgrounds, as I feel that we actually have just a small part of the picture of who they are. I think those who love romance centered in fantasy will find this to be a satisfying story in the vein of ACOTAR, where the plot and magic are still quite interesting, but the romance often takes center stage. Those who don't love heavily romantic fantasies may not love it, but I don't think that's a mark against the book.

My biggest takeaway: I just think this was really REALLY fun. It takes on tropes that plenty of other authors and stories have, but the setting, the world, the cultural elements, and the character personalities really make this story shine. I'm not sure what the next books will bring, and what other secrets will be revealed, and that is also exciting and fun.

A fascinating SEA inspired setting and a broody, stormy love story that’s sure to hook readers immediately. I would have liked a little more character development but I’m excited to see how the series plays out.

This was a wonderful depiction of the horrors of war, the pain that lingers even when the fighting is over, and the sacrifices that are forcibly made to keep living. The scenery was stunning, the descriptions were lush, and the political intrigue was so intricately woven into a tapestry of subtle alliances and complicated maneuvers that were a delight to watch play out.

It is also a fantastic enemies-to-lovers romance with a heat level that evokes tingles. The banter is superb, the forced proximity is scream inducing, and the desperation to keep from pining is incredible.

Though, since these two elements intersect so closely, it made the book feel, slightly off to me? It was heavy. The horrors of war are not glossed over. What a war-torn country does to those that inhabit it is part of the main theme. So it felt slightly odd to have these romance happen as quickly as it did when these horrific acts are at the forefront. It didn't feel natural that they would be bantering when the male love interest had a hand in wiping out the main character's country. I dunno, it just did not fit for me! I loved both of these aspects, I just wished they had meshed differently than they did. A truly personal opinion, though!

The first installment of Thea Guanzon’s captivating fantasy romance series, The Hurricane Wars, is a great beginning that holds immense potential. Thea’s writing style is truly exquisite, and the world building impeccable. The author’s vivid descriptions of Sardovia and Nenavar Dominion brought these locations to life, with meticulous attention to detail that effectively captured the contrasting atmospheres of each place. Also, character creation in the the story is truly commendable.

The initial half of The Hurricane Wars set an exhilarating pace, immersing me in a thrilling narrative filled with suspense, captivating discoveries, and the introduction of intriguing characters. However, the latter half of the book fell short in comparison, as it primarily focused on the relationship between Alaric and Talasyn, neglecting any significant plot advancement. Consequently, this shift in focus was disappointing and hindered the overall progression of the story. Ultimately, my disappointment grew as I reached the end of the book, where three lengthy chapters were dedicated solely to the wedding ceremony. The inclusion of minute, overly detailed descriptions from Alaric’s perspective regarding Talasyn’s wedding gown felt peculiar and surreal, creating an out-of-place paragraph that detracted from the overall experience. It seemed like Alaric possessed not only renowned skills as a warrior but also an unexpectedly extensive knowledge of fashion as well. lol!

The author skillfully crafted engaging conversations and character interactions, particularly capturing the enjoyable dynamic of constant bickering between Alaric and Talasyn. However, one notable flaw emerged in the second half of the book, where the POVs frequently shifted between Alaric and Talasyn without clear transitions, leaving me disoriented. Unlike the first half of the book, where dedicated chapters allowed the story to flow smoothly by focusing on either Alaric or Talasyn, the handling of POVs in the latter half was a chaotic mess.

Another aspect of The Hurricane Wars that left me disappointed was the portrayal of its magic system. Initially, my expectations were high, as the author had boasted about the existence of various magic wielders who could tap into the aethersphere, such as Firedancers, Shadowforged, Windcallers, Thunderstruck, Enchanters, and Lightweavers. However, throughout the book, we only got a glimpse of Shadowforged magic. The absence of Lightweavers was understandable as Talasyn was the last of them but the absence of the other magic wielders left me perplexed and wondering why they were not explored further in the story.

Although I found great enjoyment in the court politics and political marriage negotiations within Nenavar Dominion, I must admit that I struggled to grasp the exact nature of Sardovia’s political structure. It remained unclear whether Sardovia operated as a stratocracy or followed a different system altogether. The role of Amirante, Vela, was particularly puzzling. It was unclear whether she held authority solely within the Sardovian military or if she also ruled over the entire country.

The plot of the story could be described as somewhat shaky and lacking solidity. The necessity of a marriage between Kesath and Nenavar Dominion for the advancement of their military campaign seemed questionable, particularly evident in the final chapter of the book. Additionally, the supposed looming danger of Voidfell failed to effectively instill a sense of imminent peril, leaving me unaffected by the anticipated threat.

I really appreciated Thea’s decision not to label the connection between Talasyn and Alaric as “love,” allowing their relationship the opportunity to develop organically. It was evident that their interactions didn’t fit into the traditional romantic category, as both characters were navigating the complexities of shedding their preconceived notions and truly seeing each other as individuals. Their uncertainty and back-and-forth in figuring out how to navigate their growing attraction demonstrated a realistic portrayal of their evolving bond, which I found to be a noteworthy aspect of the story.

All in all, I really enjoyed The Hurricane Wars for the most part. I believe that for future installments in the series to achieve greater success, it would be beneficial for Thea to strike a better balance between focusing on the story and plot progression, rather than dedicating a significant portion of the book solely to the relationship between Alaric and Talasyn. By enhancing the narrative’s momentum and maintaining a more harmonious blend of elements, subsequent entries in The Hurricane Wars series have the potential to captivate readers and achieve even greater acclaim.

I have a personal practice of refraining from reading book reviews prior to delving into a new read, as I believe in cultivating my own unbiased perspective. However, as I progressed through The Hurricane Wars, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of familiarity surrounding Alaric. As an ardent fan of Star Wars, when Thea initially described him and The Night Empire, I thought to myself “Oh, she’s describing Kylo Ren!” Subsequently, upon completing the book, I ventured onto Goodreads and discovered that my intuition had indeed been correct all along. lol!!!!

My sincere thanks to Netgally, Avon and Harper Voyager and Thea Guanzon for providing me this advance copy of The Hurricane Wars.

Rating: 3.5

The Hurricane Wars is a sweeping fantasy from debut author Thea Guanzon! After seeing such glowing reviews from other ARC readers, I had a feeling I was definitely going to enjoy this Southeast Asian inspired fantasy, and I was not wrong. As a huge fan of fantasy romance, I adored the tension between Talasyn and Alaric that carried from the prologue of this novel all the way to the very last chapter. Seeing these two enemies constantly be in each other's orbits over the course of this novel was so interesting. As an enemies to lovers fan, the fact that every time these two characters met, they were constantly at each other's throat with their weapons or their words was everything. I really love how even at the last chapter of this book, I had no idea whether Talasyn or Alaric would betray each other in a moment's notice. I'm definitely super curious to see where their relationship goes in the next two novels with some of the plot twists revealed in the last few chapters.

The other aspects of this novel that I enjoyed reading about were definitely the themes of war and colonization. Thea Guanzon did not shy away from describing the horrors of The Hurricane Wars. The devastation of The Night Empire rampaging across continents and forcing other civilizations to succumb to their power is so heavy and my heart hurt for Talasyn and the atrocities that she, her fellow soldiers, and her friends and family had to endure under The Night Empire's wrath. I think the politics of this world in this novel were written very well, and readers who enjoy political fantasies will definitely enjoy reading The Hurricane Wars.

I can't believe this is only the first book in a trrilogy, because it feels like so much happened already in Book 1! I can't wait to see where the story goes in the next two sequels, and I hope we get even more angst and badass-ery from Talasyn and Alaric.

I don’t even have words for how incredible that was. What amazing worldbuilding and heartfelt characters. The plot was entertaining and kept up the whole night desperate to see how it ended. I’m so happy I listened to all the recommendations by my friends about how good this was because they were not wrong.

I’m only sad that it’s over now and I just want to read it all over again.

Some of my favorite authors got together to provide blurbs for this book and I trust them implicitly. They weren't wrong either. This book is engrossing and I could not put it down. You tell me you have a fantasy book that features enemies to lovers and you compare it to R.F. Kuang? I am there, you don't even need to finish your sentence. If you're aching for a new fantasy, this is absolutely the book for you.

UMMMMMM!!! Can I please have the next one in this series???? It took a little for me to get into the beginning because it’s heavy on the world building but man, it paid off. I got this ARC and I am somehow sad it was an ARC because that means I have to wait even longer for the second one.

It’s enemies-to-sorta lovers, forced proximity, politics, magical worlds! I just really loved it and CANT WAIT to read more.

Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC!

I’m giving this book 3.75 stars but rounding up for Goodreads.

This book took me quite a while to get into and I think the reason for that was all the new words/places/titles. A bit of an info dump at the beginning. Plus I felt like a lot of them were 3 syllables so it was very confusing for the first bit. When we get to the part where Alaric and Talasyn are together a lot more is, I really started to enjoy it.

It had a Star Wars type feel which I’m not mad about. I feel like we’re starting to see some good character growth from both Talasyn and Alaric. The plot was kinda slow at the beginning but well paced from about 40% on. The magic system was creative.

I don’t know if I’m invested enough to read the next instalment but I’m not mad I read this one! A nice debut novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love giving new authors a read, and this debut novel from Guanzon is a great reason why. She builds a sprawling world that has been scarred by a war for the last ten years. For the young main characters, this means their lives have essentially been defined by this conflict, each on the opposing side. This romantasy has a definite enemies-to-lovers vibe as they struggle to deal with the fact they’ve been enemies for so long and yet have this connection they don’t understand. Romance is certainly there, but it isn’t the only defining feature. The novel also explores the scars of war, abandonment, family dynamics, and cultural differences as they struggle to survive in a world full of dangerous magic and violence.

I certainly enjoyed reading it and found myself reading past when I should have put it down for the night. The reason it wasn’t “perfect” for me may be a reason you love it. I personally wanted more mature main characters. It read a bit more like a YA fantasy with how they acted and that just wasn’t what I was in the headspace for that when I dove into it. That was by no means a deal breaker, it was still a great read, that was just the one facet that didn’t completely work for me.