Thank you to Emily Varga, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of For She is Wrath. All opinions are my own.

This was an interesting magical Count of Monte Cristo retelling with a Pakistani twist that was an enjoyable read with a good mix of action and character development. I really enjoyed the magical worldbuilding and the badass women, but felt there were a lot of parts that were pretty repetitive. A lot of the conversations between Noor and Dani felt like they kept happening over and over, and the ending felt a bit anticlimactic. I do want to do more researching into Pakistani myths after reading though, which feels like a win to me.

POV: singular first person

You can expect: revenge, prison break, magic, bringing down an empire.

Rep: Pakistani characters, grief

Spice: closed door

CA: death of a parent, violence, torture

For She is Wrath by Emily Varga is well-crafted, engaging, and clever. Part Pakistani djinn myth, part Count of Monte Cristo retelling, this story follows Dania, the daughter of a renowned swordsmith and a wrongly-convicted traitor and murderer, as she escapes a high-security prison with the help of her new and unexpected friend, Noor, who was also wrongfully imprisoned. Both set on revenge, they quickly discover a common enemy and set out as partners.

After they uncover a coveted treasure, the pair make their way toward the capital with a plot to tear down the empire. But once they establish themselves in the city, Noor and Dani face the enormity of their revenge and are forced with every step forward to question how far they’re willing to go and how much of themselves they’re willing to give to their revenge.

To make things more complicated, their plan involves using the emperor’s most coveted resource, djinn seeds, which is a crime to possess outside the emperor’s regulation since it can be mixed into solutions that offer temporary magical abilities. Dani uses them to become a foreign noblewoman named Sanaya as a way to disguise herself from those who would otherwise recognize her. However, the power she’s using has side effects, and the more she uses, the less she can identify whether her actions are her own. Especially when a true djinn shows up and offers her the power she’s been seeking to enact her complete revenge at a price she knows she shouldn’t accept.

***

This is a 4-star book. Part of this rating is regarding how well-executed I think the retelling is (phenomenal), in addition to characterization and writing (also great, but not mind- or genre-shattering, which is what I reserve 5 stars for).

As with any retelling, the plot is mostly set in stone and the characters’ decisions are mostly made for them. Something the author does to offset this is to combine or remove characters from the original story in a way that keeps the reader guessing and also distills the story into less moving parts to focus more on the tensions between and within characters. But the book lives up to its genre, romantic fantasy, and is just as typically formulaic and predictable in those respects, even where it deviates from the original story. Alongside the strong themes of forgiveness and redemption, this story’s conclusion seems almost inevitable.

For me, this story stands out not only because of how it changes the Count of Monte Cristo from a European Enlightenment adventure to a fantasy Pakistani folktale, but also because of its imaginative use of characterization.

Each character is offered redemption and given a reason to say yes. There are no heroes or villains in this story, only people who make good or bad choices and learn to live with themselves in the aftermath of their decisions.

Dania and Noor challenge each other at almost every step to continue their revenge. They each have doubts and lean on the other to reassure their decisions and remind them of why they chose this road. All the other characters stand alone in their decisions, which is notable for how the story unfolds.

Dani and Noor’s main goal is revenge on those who have wronged them: Casildo, Dania’s father’s friend who betrayed him to his death; Darbaran, the guard who arrested Dania; Vahid, the emperor who killed Noor’s father in search of missing djinn seeds and wrongfully convicted Dania to cover his own political actions; and Mazin, Dania’s childhood best friend and lover who betrayed her into the hands of Darbaran and Vahid without a hint of remorse.

The story builds comparisons between the before and the after of Mazin’s betrayal: the before is a collection of scenes of Dani and Maz scattered strategically throughout the book, giving the reader not only the key parts and experiences of their relationship but also offering noticeable reflections for things each of the characters say or do in the present that adds depth to their interactions and characterizations. These comparisons also serve to build tension and conflict, as each scene between them, whether before or after his betrayal, adds a layer of familiarity and longing for something neither of them are sure is possible after what happened.

For the trope fans: this book has found family, hidden world, first love, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, second-chance, one bed, status imbalance, and “who did this to you.” There may be others, but I am not a trope girlie, so forgive me if I missed some.

A few things the book is: enjoyable, imaginative, well-written, full of scathing and flirtatious banter, full of dark magic and betrayals, and a collection of themes such as revenge and forgiveness, obligation and freedom, self-actualization and self-annihilation, and grief.

A few things the book is not: unpredictable, spicy, difficult to read, full of cliches, of characters with healthy mental states, and of happy families.

My favorite thing about this book is its constant mirroring. This occurs in almost every facet of the story: themes, character development, settings, scenes, and even narrative lines.

My least favorite thing about this book is how much it follows the same storyline as The Count of Monte Cristo. For all its deviations and added twists and fantastical elements, there are so many scenes and developments that are taken directly from the source material. Yes, I know it’s a retelling, and I really appreciate how it’s reimagined, but the more I remember about Dumas’s book, the more I realize how closely this story follows that one.

That may be a bonus for some people, and I don’t mean to say that it was done poorly–I don’t believe it was–but I would have liked a little more deviation from the plot and storyline.

Ultimately, this book is a fun twist on The Count of Monte Cristo featuring strong females, a compelling love story, and a cast of almost entirely morally gray characters, which I will always stan.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book as an ARC on NetGalley. This book is due to be published on October 29 this year and is well worth the read. It took me three days to read, and that was only because two of those days were work days. I think if I had started on a weekend, I could have finished it in one (and this is from someone who has been in a suspiciously long book slump).

I follow the author on TikTok and was so excited to see her book available to review. She's been teasing it for some time and seems like such a lovely person.

Thanks for reading!

***SPOILERS***

Below is an additional, more in-depth thought on plot and characterization. If you’re unconcerned by spoilers, read on.

I really appreciate the way the author gives Dania and Mazin mirrored redemption arcs. It’s beautifully done and a good way to add depth to Mazin’s character instead of placing him in the awkward “romantic lead only” position. It also underscores everything Dania is doing by forcing her to confront where her decisions will lead and who she would become if she continues her path of destruction. Especially since it answers a question she’s refused to answer for herself since the beginning.

***End Spoilers***

Whoa! This was brilliantly executed!

I love the story of The Count of Monte Christo, so I went into this one looking for something to love— and it did NIT disappoint!

I loved the intrigue and the disguise, and the overarching justice involved was just so satisfying— but the real star here is the internal struggle against becoming something far worse than what you seek to destroy. Now, the use of fantasy for this plot point was particularly poignant because it gives a physical embodiment to the internal struggle.

I love the psychological warfare and the internal monologue, I loved the characters and the overarching love story. If you want a really satisfying, easy to understand fantasy stand alone, definitely check this out! It was incredibly well done.

***ARC received from Wednesday Books and NetGalley, opinions are all my own. Thank you!***

For She is Wrath is the debut novel by Emily Varga, a fantasy retelling of the classic Count of Monte Cristo this time with a female lead set in Pakistani setting. This has so much going for, an interesting magic system, female leads but unfortunately it just falls incredibly flat.

I don’t want to say that I hated Dania, thats a strong opinion so lets go with I deeply disliked Dania is a character. Which really was a disappointment because I really liked Dania at the beginning of the book, I found her inner thoughts and strength fun. But as she goes along she she started to fall into the so strong she beats everyone no problem, is also so much better than everyone no one can really match her, so selfish she expects everyone to put her first damn the consequences that may impact them. She does it to Mazin, she does it to Noor, shes just arrogant and its not something she builds up from being imprisoned, which would make sense, its just her. Dania is the center of her universe and she expects everyone else to put her at the center as well. It also doesn’t help that she has such heavy plot armor you know she is never in any sort of danger. The book dangles consequences that she may have and they are so interesting but the book never explores them.

As for the other characters, other than Noor and Mazin, they are mostly just one dimensional. Greedy or power hungry take your pick because thats about all you will get. Noor is one noted and just there to benefit Dania and her revenge, most times I forgot that she wanted her own version of revenge and apparently so did Dania because its not about Dania and Dania can’t have that. She goes off and does things but the book never really explores that, it would have added depth to the plot and likely fleshed out the villains. Mazin is weak but in a way I did feel sorry for him, I am likely one of the few. The guy was put in a pretty unwinnable situation by Dania and her stupidity but like most other characters he’s pretty one noted.

Plot wise this is the bare bones retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo, missing the complexities of the original story. Dantès spends years in prison, sent there by three men with their own individual reasons that are fleshed out. This allows him to craft the patience and planning needed for his revenge plot. Everything is so condensed in this book, a year in prison, no working for freedom, not crafting yourself into the perfect tool for revenge, Dania goes at it like a wreaking ball, missing the intricate details of getting her revenge. Pacing is off, at points it is rushing, others incredibly slow but leaves little room for the ending conflict meaning the sub plots the book at has been trying to create to languish until they all get jammed together at the end. World building isn’t much better, one of the most frustrating things for me was how little this book utilized its Pakistani setting. Talk about the culture, the food, bring the market place alive, I wanted to much more than what the book gave.

There is a plot twist at the end that left me going wondering what the book was trying to do. A good plot twist you pick up pieces, the breadcrumbs the author had sprinkled throughout the book but this really felt like an after thought and its so convoluted and makes a mess of the previous plot points that never get properly addressed.

I really did like the concept of the magic system, the use of the zoraat and the consequences but its never explored deeply, must more telling than showing. I wish the book had explored this more.

This book has a lot of potential there, there is a lot of pieces to a great story but with inconsistent pacing, flat characters and more telling than showing it just doesn’t live up to its potential.

This was a masterpiece I dont care what anyone says!! I fell in love with this story and its characters. I was so sad it ended! To say I was blown away is an understatement.

The world-building, magic system, and characters are nothing short of perfection. I ate this up and I'm so excited to read more of Emily Varga's stories!

Thanks to @macmillian.audio @wednesdaybooks and @netgalley for the #gifted copies of this book.

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Summary: A Pakistani romantic fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. Dania has been in jail the last year for a crime she didn't commit. She is counting down the days until she can exact her revenge on the boy she used to love, the very one who framed her for the crime. When a fellow prisoner tells her of a treasure that could surely help with her revenge, they create a way to escape the prison together. Once free, they begin to exact their revenge despite many obstacles in their way, including the attraction still there between Mazin and Dania. Will she continue with her plans of revenge which will erase her very humanity or will she chose another path?

Thoughts: I went into this book completely blind, and I'm so happy I did. I was hooked immediately to Dania's story and the mystery surrounding the events that led to her being wrongly accused. I love the friendship that sprouted between Dania and Nora first on their want for escape from prison and revenge, but then evolving into so much more. I always love a stab first ask questions later fmc, and Dania lived this to a T. The dueling timelines were so helpful to understand how Dania came to be found her in the position she was as well as showing the love story

Read if you like:
💘Lovers to Enemies
🖤Revenge
🔥Fierce Female Friendships
👀Count of Monte Cristo Retelling
😊Swoony Moments
🗓️Dual Timelines

For She Is Wrath is a gender-bent Count of Monte Cristo retelling, but for anyone unfamiliar with the story, in this case Dania is in prison for a murder that she did not commit. She spends a year attempting to escape and take revenge Arya Stark style with a list of names including the boy she loved who betrayed her. In prison, she meets Noor, another young woman who wants to take revenge against the emperor who killed her father for stealing from him, and she tells Dania that there is buried treasure: gold, jewels, and magic djinn seeds that can give someone immense power. Together, the two escape, pose as wealthy foreigners, and plot their revenge.

The concept was intriguing, especially that Mazin, the boy Dania was friends with and then loved, seemingly betrayed her and she wants to take him down. But the payoff wasn't really there for me. This is a very long and slow book without much action, which is pretty much true to a Count of Monte Cristo retelling. But it was extremely repetitive from Dania's first-person perspective because it was constantly her thinking over and over again about the betrayal, about taking revenge, about destroying Mazin even more than the other people on her list. It became somewhat tiresome.

Actually 4.5 stars! Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday books for the ARC!

Listen, OBVIOUSLY you can write a Count of Monte Cristo retelling, throw in some fantasy elements, a touch of feminine rage, and give it a Pakastani flair. And OBVIOUSLY I'm going to like it. The feminine rage was A+++ and everything I could have ever wanted. Especially considering this is YA.

If you've read the Count of Monte Cristo--you know how this story is going to go, and how it ends. It's a very faithful retelling with a few element changes, but otherwise stays true to the story. If you haven't, you're still going to absolutely love this book if you're a fan of feminine rage because IT IS EVERYWHERE. And it's also one of my favorite things.

This is a fun and fast past story told on two timelines--Dania's present revenge arc, and the past that lead her here. I really loved the two timelines and felt that it definitely added a layer to the story. I think I wanted the past timeline to come in just a little bit earlier than it did, but that's just personal preference. It adds a nice extra element onto why she's so set on revenge (not that being in prison and tortured for a year isn't enough of a reason....) and what she has lost.

My literal only negative for this is just how often she brings up her father as her reason for revenge. It comes up virtually every other page for the first 50% of the book to the point it feels like overkill and was a little annoying. I don't know if we were beating the dead horse because it's YA and that's become part of the genre or if it was just a choice I personally didn't like, but it was a LOT--and the only reason I can't justify giving this 5 stars.

This is arguably the best YA fantasy read I've had all year, and I'm definitely looking forward to more from this author!

I received an early copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Dani on a quest for revenge. The boy she loved allowed her arrest and she now sits in prison plotting. While in prison, she meets Noor, a like minded girl also looking for revenge but on the emperor. Together they escape and begin on a journey to destroy two people who took everything from them.

This book has a really cool magic system called zoraat, essentially little seeds that require dosing to allow certain powers. And of course djinn!! I am always here for a good bargain with a djinn.

I did enjoy this book. At times it felt rushed and Dani felt way too confident to carry out their revenge plans, but I think that is also part of the fun. Her confidence also worked out for her. And the twists and betrayals at the end! (I do wish we had more of this evil!)

Definitely read this is you want cool magic, sword fighting, lover’s spat, and revenge!!

I really liked this book to the 80/85% point and then after that I did not like where the ending went. I wanted revenge, not a lesson. It would have been fine to show the consequences of revenge and still have a happy ending, but not have it be so passive. I was really liking lover-enemy-lover, but he ended up being such a passive enemy. Two main things in the book I did guess right away. But they didn’t necessarily make me like it less. did like the characters minus the main female character getting all righteous at the end. I loved the idea of the plot and was enjoying it for most of it. The majority is a 4 with the ending being a 2 ago make it a 3

This gripping novel masterfully weaves together elements of fantasy, romance, and suspense, crafting a tale that's impossible to put down. The story follows Dania, a strong and determined protagonist, as she navigates the complexities of revenge, love, and self-discovery. The characters are well-developed, with Dania's transformation from a wronged prisoner to a powerful force seeking vengeance being particularly compelling. Overall, this book is a must-read for fans of fantasy, romance, and suspense.

I can't lie, I love a vengeful heroine!

Dania is wrongfully imprisoned after being betrayed by the one she loves the most. After a prison break with new friend and fellow prisoner, Noor, the girls seek out a magical seed called Zoraatt to seek revenge on the people that got them wrongfully imprisoned.

I loved seeing their plans come together as they took down one person after the next. I feel like Noor became pretty irrelevant though once they escaped, becoming more like the maid she was pretending to be instead of Dani’s best friend like we were told she was. Also, everything kind of conveniently came together time and time again for Dania.

The magic system sort of felt like a convenient way to just kill off people who consumed too much of the Zoraat seed (this happened two or three times in a row).

Dania is a better person than me, because there is just no way I’d forgive Mazin, despite their history. The forgiveness route Dani took at the end of the story after seeing her grandmother’s vengeful life felt a little random, since we’d only seen that character briefly ages ago, and she’d already gone through half of her revenge checklist lol. However, I liked the messaging and how she and her travel companions were able to inevitably take the high road.

I enjoyed this book, it was an easy fantasy read and a pretty good debut novel!

This is a 4.5 for me. This book was so good and if you love books filled with female rage this will be the book for you. When you think about it a gender swap of the Count of Monte Cristo retelling is the perfect book for a feminine rage book and then you use it within a Pakistani Fantasy made it such a gripping, fast paced and exciting tale I couldn't put it down.

This book had action, revenge, plots and schemes, betrayal and even romance. Now this is a YA book, so it is a close door clean book, but I honestly didn't notice as the story was still so gripping. I loved how so many of the female characters in this book were so strong, smart, resilient and not one dimensional. There was a lot of complexity to some of these characters because they were all betrayed or went through something terrible which of course affects them, so the question becomes how much do you let your rage and need for revenge consume you and how far are you willing to go to get it? This point is really driven home at the end when you see a twist when it comes to one of the betrayers and I loved it because it never occurred to me to suspect this person.

I really enjoyed this book and this author's writing, and I think it was her debut novel and I was so impressed. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

This book is about Dania who was betrayed by one of the few people she trusted completely. For that betrayal she is sent to a prison for a crime she didn't commit for 364 days plotting her revenge against the man she loved her betrayer. Trying to survive the prison and the torture she suffers under makes it nearly unbearable, that is until an accidental break in happens by another prisoner. An agreement is struck, and an unlikely friendship ensues as these two plan and execute a daring escape plan while also bonding over their need for vengeance and revenge. Eventually, they escape and using stolen Djinn treasure ripe with Dark magic they are able to use this gained wealth to obtain a new identity for Dania. They are now able to return home where they can set their plans into motion against those that did both them and their families wrong and to burn it all to the ground. But something to remember is that nothing is given for free, and this magic comes with a price so when the time comes to pay up will it have all been worth it?

I received an ARC copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Dania is falsely accused of treason against the emperor, and not even her love, Mazin, will stand with her to clear her name. After a year in prison, being tortured and remembering the name of each person who betrayed her, Dania has an opportunity to escape. But more than that, it’s an opportunity to use djinn magic against the people who ruined her life. She Is Wrath is a stunning tale, full of adventure and sword fights. This retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo is a fast paced tale of vengeance, and the lengths some will go to get it.

Review: This author’s writing is phenomenal and the story pulls you right along into a story of revenge. I enjoyed the characters arcs, and how they changed over the course of enacting their revenge. This story is perfectly paced, and even knowing it was a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, I couldn’t guess what would happen in the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!


Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the ARC of She Is Wrath by Emily Varga. This review reflects my honest opinion.

While this book was an interesting read, it felt very surface level. I kept hoping we would get more from Dania and Noor, but as I mentioned it was all very surface level, to the point where you could skim the lines and miss nothing.

Overall it was a quick and cute read, with interesting Djinn concepts.

This book had really strong moments, but overall, in my opinion, wasn’t that strong of a book.
I think the pacing of this book, especially in the first third, is really slow and that makes it really hard to get into it. This book also gives very little when it comes to the characters. It’s really hard to root for and fall in love with characters that are painted two dimensionally.

I *soft* dnf’d this book at 67%

This book was an absolute ride from start to finish—intense, action-packed, and deeply emotional. The story follows Dania, who’s been framed for a crime she didn’t commit, thrown into a brutal prison, and hell-bent on revenge. Her escape, alongside her clever prison mate Noor, sets off a chain of events that is nothing short of thrilling. Armed with djinn magic, hidden identities, and seething with rage, these women are a force to be reckoned with. The plot was full of sword fights, strategic plotting, and the pursuit of justice that kept me hooked the entire way through.

The pacing was excellent, with the perfect balance between heart-pounding action and moments of raw emotional depth. Dania's journey for revenge was so well-written, and the rage she carried was palpable, making her character all the more relatable and compelling. The Pakistani-inspired setting brought the world to life with its rich cultural details—the smells, the food, the politics, and the power dynamics all woven in seamlessly.

The friendships, particularly between Dania and Noor, were beautifully done, adding layers of trust and camaraderie to the narrative. The enemies-to-lovers romance with Mazin was the perfect slow burn, full of sizzling chemistry and palpable tension. It kept me frustrated in the best way possible, wanting more with every interaction.

The understated magic system, centered around djinn, was unique and easy to follow, adding just the right amount of mystique and cultural richness. As a reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo, this Pakistani retelling hit all the right notes with its revenge-driven plot and character growth. It’s a beautifully executed debut, packed with adventure, complex emotions, and cultural depth. An unforgettable read!

Occasionally I hit a book where I love the premise and have no issues at all with the characters or prose, but something about it just doesn't click with me. Unfortunately, this is one of those books. There's nothing I didn't like--I just couldn't get into the story for reasons I can't identify.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

This highly anticipated book is being marketed as a gender-reversed Pakistani romantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, and for the most part, that's exactly what it is. Who wouldn't want to read about a girl dead-set on revenge against everyone who's ever wronged her?! YES bring it on!!

And for the first 80% of the book it was pretty good! I would have given it 4 stars, (although I did have to look up all of the Pakistani terms and references because I'm not familiar with the culture at all.) but then, unfortunately, it took a pretty big left turn and kind of went off the rails.

For most of the book, when I was thinking of a djinn, I was thinking of a genie from Aladdin, or from the Wishmaster movies or something... but then later I realized it was being portrayed more like one of the gods, like how the Greek gods are portrayed? A bit more explanation into the Pakistani culture would have been helpful.

I did like the main character, Dania. I liked her fierceness, determination, emotional strength, and of course her light banter. But she also seemed to care very little for what her friend Noor wanted. Noor seemed to just follow her around like some kind of servant, when she was supposed to be an equal partner in this revenge plot, I thought? It seemed a little unbalanced.

Overall, I enjoyed the beginning half of the book, but the end left me with confused feelings, because I was happy, yet unsatisfied.

I really enjoyed this gender-swapped, Palestinian, young adult version of Count of Monte Cristo—it was a fun, fast-paced story. The romance was excellent, packed with rage and longing, and the Arya revenge-list nod was also amusing. I loved especially how the djinn whose magic she used became a symbol for vengeance possessing her and how she had to break free of it—that was really well-done. Overall, it was just everything you wanted it to be, and a really good time.