This book started out great, the world building was fun, the arranged marriage idea was interesting. I listened to the whole book, but I don’t remember much of it. It got very repetitive. I will probably pick up the second book to see if it redeems itself.
I didn’t realize (or care) that this was supposed to be Reylo inspired - I just don’t care about reylo at all…. so I probably wouldn’t have seen that part anyway.

A true enemies to lovers. Finally!! I loved Thea Guanzons debut! The relationship took its time in this book, so it felt organic and natural. Nothing felt forced, so I really enjoyed the pacing of this book. Also, if you are an absolute sucker for the marriage of convenience trope-Look no further. I can't wait for book two!! Read this book.

I'm definitely tuning in for the next book!! I'm excited to see the story continue, but I was slightly lost on some parts lol

I was honestly really disappointed in this audiobook. I was super excited to get it, and thought I’d love it. But I just found it really underwhelming

Wasn't aware going in that this was a revamped Reylo fan fic. Might not have chosen had I known, but it seems revamped a lot from the original version. A talented writer, fantastic premise and setting, and a stunning cover. Congrats on your debut!

I support the influx of reylo fanfic into the romance sphere, even though a lot of this was bar for bar Star Wars disguised as fantasy. Still a fun read, I love a Kylo Ren based hero

This was a great first book in the series! The banter between the two main characters was perfection, and while slow burns usually irritate me, the tension between the two was so clear and every time they were in the same room, you could feel the angst.

My struggle with this book came from the descriptions of the world. This is such a complex world and magic system, and I'm sure that the author has such a vivid description of it in her mind, it didn't translate onto the page. The world building tended to be explained in dialogue and I was confused for pretty much the entire time. But the characters made up for it! Will definitely be continuing the series.

I really wanted to love this one - the premise and setting are refreshing and promising. Talasyn is part of the Sardovian Allfold who is locked in a decades long war with the Night Empire. She discovers she is a Lightweaver and has the power to tip the scales of battle. The world is immersive and while it has quite a bit of info giving in the beginning, that's understandable to set up the fantasy world.

The book started off very strong then took a turn at the half-way point where I felt I was reading a completely different story. The characters did not feel as fully fleshed out and did not act their respective ages (19 and 26). I feel that some people might really enjoy how the story shifted in the second half, but it just wasn't for me and I felt uninvested.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

An unsuspecting reader could very easily consume some Reylo-fanfics-turned-legit-books without clocking their Star Wars roots, but it's hard to overlook the source material here. The Hurricane Wars takes place in a high fantasy world (albeit one where the food and climate are heavily influenced by the author's native Philippines). Talasyn, our FMC, wields Light magic and is the long-lost heir to a throne while Alaric, our MMC, wields Shadow magic and is the son of an evil imperialist dictator. These Star Wars references are all fine, but one thing that felt a bit icky to me is that the characters' appearances are so clearly intended to exactly mirror Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley, down to Alaric's "constellation of beauty marks on his pale skin."

Its Star Wars origins notwithstanding, this was a solidly enjoyable romantasy. There's a true enemies-to-lovers romance here: Alaric and Talasyn have been fighting on opposite sides of the Hurricane Wars for years, as Alaric's father's Night Empire conquers the land where Talasyn fights as part of the scrappy rebel forces. Many romances described as enemies-to-lovers should really be called "rivals-to-lovers," but The Hurricane Wars is one of just a few I've read where the protagonists really do want/try to kill each other at multiple points. Being mortal enemies results in a romance that is deliciously slow burn, and there being so much external conflict means my most-hated romance trope — lack of communication — is unnecessary. Enemies-to-lovers romances also seem to avoid a couple other romance tropes I hate (angst and anxiety-ridden heroines), perhaps because there's no room for either when the protagonists are trying to kill each other. The Hurricane Wars *does* have a couple romance tropes I am absolutely here for, though: Only One Bed and dual POVs. There's just one spicy scene at the end, but I hear the later books in the series will be much spicier if they follow the fanfic they're based on.

This isn't literature but was a fast-paced and fun read. Just stick with the book through the first 5%, which reads as pure high/military fantasy and the story throws a ton of world-specific proper nouns at you.

Thank you to Harper Audio for my ALC!

Truly the only thing I knew going into this book was that it was based on Reylo fanfic.

I started this book on audio at the beginning of October, I think. But The Hurricane Wars is a worldbuilding heavy book, with lots of names of people, places, and magic systems thrown at you quickly. For me, these kinds of books are really hard to listen to on audio for the first few chapters, until I have my bearings and understand the world more clearly.

Once I got my Fairyloot copy, and got over my Iron Flame book hangover, I was ready to dive back into the world of The Hurricane Wars! I still found it pretty slow going at first, but after around 175 pages, I absolutely could not put it down.

As far as the romance aspect goes - the enemies to lovers is definitely a big focus of the story. I don’t know if it’s TOO much if you’re not much of a romance reader - I can almost always use a bigger focus on relationships in any book.

🎧 Jeanne Syquia did a wonderful job bringing this word to life with her narration. Again, I might recommend pairing it with a print copy for the first few chapters if you’re like me and need to see all of those names with your eyes.

Thank you Harper Voyager and Harper Audio for providing me with an ARC and complementary audiobook in exchange for my honest thoughts.

THE HURRICANE WARS is officially my favorite romantasy of 2023! THE HURRICANE WARS incorporates so many story elements that I love and does it so much better compared to other fantasy romances I have read in the past. It has the SLOWEST of slow burns which was agonizing to read but once Talasyn and Alaric finally kissed I was kicking my feet in the air like a little kid.

I appreciate all of the worldbuilding Guanzon did. Sometimes I feel like romantasies put worldbuilding on the backburner but this was not the case. I had a clear sense the world and the politics at play which made me appreciate this story so much more. THE HURRICANE WARS is very, very ReyLo. So if that's your vibe, you're going to love this but I can see why others may not.

The audiobook is narrated by Jeanne Syquia. Her performance was great and easy to listen to. THE HURRICANE WARS is dual-POV so I think this book could have benefitted from dual narration. My enjoyment of the audiobook wasn't impacted by the lack of a male narrator. I just think it could have been a nice touch!

Can't wait for the sequel!
4/5 stars

My Podcast cohosts and I were able to read and interview Thea Guanzon prior to the release of this debut novel. We were blown away by the skill shown by the author and her insight into her process of creation as well. The audiobook gives an even further layer of clarity by helping the reader and audience hear the names and places with the appropriate pronunciation.
If you have yet to pick up Hurricane Wars, I highly suggest the audiobook as the narrator does a fantastic job and it really brings the magic of light and shadow to life between Talasyn and Alaric. My personal opinion is, if you enjoy books like Fourth Wing, you may also enjoy the action and enemies to lovers romance in this book as well.

When a creator is in-tune with their heritage and passionate about their culture, it is palpable in their craft, and that is definitely the case with The Hurricane Wars. From the author’s note at the very beginning and all throughout, this book is brimming with vibrant culture, and the immense care and love with which Thea wove the story and struggles of her people into this story is incredibly moving, and the reason this book resonated with me so much. I carry it deep in my heart.

The Hurricane Wars is so much more than your usual enemies-to-lovers story. There is depth and nuance to the main characters as individuals, as well as their roles in the war, so when circumstance brings them together and the question of “what does one do when one feels for an enemy” is posed, it’s entirely believable, not only because of the hate they harbor for one another when the story begins but because of what it would mean for them to stop hating each other. Masterfully portraying the difficulty of feeling for someone responsible for so much death and devastation, Thea Guanzon presents us with two people who, for the very first time, feel understood and not alone in the midst of a years long war, but aren’t able to find solace in each other due to their roles in said war and its casualties. It is the struggle of wanting to deny the humanity in the enemy, even when it is so starkly present. It is having to ask oneself, “do my feelings mean that I’m forsaking my people and my values? And if so, does acting on them mean betrayal?” The way I see it, there are two wars happening simultaneously in this book: the Hurricane Wars and the main characters’ war against the self, which I wholeheartedly believe is a groundbreaking approach to this trope.

Thea’s approach to an “elemental” magic system and the way it was incorporated into the story was phenomenal. From the world-building, to the writing and the pacing; all-around, it was PERFECT!

DNF @ 30%. I’m really sad that this one didn’t work for me. I had high hopes for it. But the world building was non-existent. The pacing was almost too fast. Things happened and I wasn’t sure how we had gotten from point A to point B. There was a lot of telling and not much showing. And the characters were just flat and not interesting in the least. I felt no connection to any of them. Ultimately this just wasn’t for me.

This is a slow burn!! While I would say it starts a bit slow, I really enjoyed this. I liked all the shadow and light, though very obviously based on Star Wars, I didn’t mind! The writing was really lovely! Also a marriage of convenience? Yes please! It’s a lot of fun and I can’t wait to read the next one!

This was a mind-blowingly good fantasy romance debut!! Enemies to lovers perfection sees two rivals from different worlds/factions forced into a political marriage of convenience in an attempt to bring peace to the lands. The banter! The steamship battles, magical duels AND the betrayals!! This was great on audio and I cannot wait for more. 10/10 recommend especially for fans of Fourth wing. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book didn't work for me but I could see it working for a lot of people. I'm finding more and more that I'm not the biggest fan of romantasy (books where romance and fantasy are equal in the plot). If you want a high stakes plot where the lovers are literally on opposite sides of the war, this is the book for you. Unfortunately, it was not for me and I quit at 26%.

This is a gem of a book with all the best enemies to lovers vibes for you to be obsessed with!

I LOVE this one. You take Star Wars, add in dragons, a war torn land, and a FMC & MMC who hate each other but also should just kiss. 😘

The Hurricane Wars is so fun, it gives strong Reylo (Kylo Ren and Ray from Star Wars) vibes for anyone who needs more of that in your life.

The first half drags a bit as we have a TON of story here, but I was so enthralled when our enemies started having tension that I was IN IT and read the rest in a night.

I truly think this one is going to be BIG and the Fairyloot edition is one I am eagerly awaiting. 🤓🤓

I predict this will be one of the most talked about books of the Fall and I am here for it!

Is The Hurricane Wars on your TBR? It should be!

Thank you so much to @harpervoyagerus for this advanced copy! I lovedddddd it!

I really wanted to like this book, but it didn't work out well for me. I don't know whether it was the romance or the world-building, but it felt all over the place. I did enjoy the narrator and appreciate Netgalley giving me an arc to review this book. I am interested to see where the author plans to take the story because it definitely has the potential to be a great series if done right.