Enjoyable, although disappointing.
I think I went into this one with too high of expectations.
I felt like this would have been so much better if the characters were aged up a few years, and if the timeline took place over a longer period of time.
The Count of Monte Cristo is a really ambitious novel to reimagine, and it just felt like an extremely watered down version of the original.
And with a more condensed timeline, I felt like our fmc’s motives didn’t impact me as much.
She also kept making incredibly stupid choices…

Overall, I can see this being a very popular read, but if you are a fan of the original novel, I would probably recommend skipping this one.

For She is Wrath is a fast paced, magical story of Dania who was framed for a crime she didn’t commit. While in prison, she meets Noor and they must work together to overpower the emperor. This is truly a story of feminism and girl power rising to beat the odds. The relationships in this book is really what engulfed me in the story. The relationship between Noor and Dania was so strong and powerful.

I love the romance sprinkled in as well. It made for a well developed and well balanced story. When I saw this was a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, I knew immediately I had to read it. Overall, I highly recommend!!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dania will get out of prison and have her revenge if it’s the absolute last thing she does. Betrayed by someone she once loved, Dania is determined to save her family and take everything from those who took everything from her. Along the way, she is faced with mysterious djinn magic and new friendships. Is revenge all that matters or can she find a new way to go on?

What an incredible read! The writing was beautifully descriptive and used strong sensory details. You can feel the warmth of the sun, heat of the desert, and tasty food. Dania is hilarious and bitingly funny even in her darkest moments. Maz is stunning and readers will fall for him alongside Dania. I loved the heat and tension of the moments between them, particularly when Dania is in disguise. The friendship between Noor and Dania was also excellent. Magic comes with a serious price in this book and I loved how Emily Varga refused to let her characters off easily.

For She is Wrath has fantastic tropes, strong characters, and a romance to swoon for. I would highly recommend it to anyone and am excited to see what Emily Varga writes next!

Thank you to Emily Varga, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Dania has spent 364 days in prison, frames for a crime she didn't commit. Thoughts of revenge on the one who put her there keeps her going. When a chance encounter with a fellow prisoner gives her hope, and escape plan is hatched.

Dania plans to bring down those who betrayed her and her family even with her old love standing in the way. Will seeking vengeance be her downfall?

For She is Wrath is a female retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. The desire for revenge drives Daria throughout. This does make it harder to get attached to her character. Romance complicates things.

The books is action packed and I think many readers will enjoy the plot.

For She is Wrath follows Dania along her determined path to vengeance. I thought the djinn magic was interesting and liked the friendship that developed with Noor, though I am not sure how true to The Count of Monte Cristo this retelling is if that is of concern. I look forward to what Emily Varga writes next.

4.5⭐️ An astounding debut romantasy!

In this Pakistani retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo, you’ll find a perfect balance of female rage and vengeance with a heroine so fierce, unrelenting yet utterly human and kind.

Dania is relatable yet such a source of inspiration, leading with kindness even with a heavy angry heart. The betrayal and the angst are felt throughout the book, even when secret identities are in play.

While some of the plot points felt a bit predictable, they were countered by one big final reveal that had me stunned.

The emotions felt throughout the book were magically woven in with an easy to understand yet intricate world. The magic system was unique yet mythical. The Pakistani inspiration felt like a warm blanket that swept me off my feet and transported me to lands I wish I could travel to.

I absolutely adored this book and cannot wait to see what else Emily Varga has in store for us next! Thank you St Matin’s Press for this ARC - what a treat!

Actual Rating 3.5

This story is inspired by the Count of Monte Cristo, one of my favorite classics. The characters were quite strong. Their motivations and goals were clear and their background quite varied. I enjoyed that Dania was strong and an excellent swordswoman, but that she’d had years and years of training to make her that way. Her being blinded by rage and drowned in grief also made for some interesting moments and worked well to justify some of her sillier decisions. The secondary characters were also quite strong, and I enjoyed getting to see friendships/relationships develop in a way that felt realistic.

The plot is fast paced and kept me engaged, though I felt like the ending was a bit too quickly paced. The story is told from dual timelines, with the secondary timeline showing how Dania and Mazin’s relationship first started. There was actually some chemistry between the characters as well, which is always a pleasant surprise. I do feel like the romance still moved to quickly and things were resolved quite quickly, and I would have liked some stronger worldbuilding present throughout.

If you’re looking for a strong YA fantasy inspired by the Count of Monte Cristo, then this is worth checking out. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book; opinions are my own.

This is a rich and intriguing retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo with strong but imperfect female friendships, lush world building, a cool magic system, and lovely descriptions of Pakistani culture and lore. It touches on themes of loyalty, power, morality, revenge (ofc), forgiveness and mercy. Dania is a strong, smart, resourceful, and charming (when she wants to) protagonist that struggles with who she is without her anger and the lengths she will go to get her revenge at the expense of her identity. She reminds me of Zafire from We Hunt the Flame/We Free the Stars, both have this struggle of hero vs. villain mentality and get a little lost along the way to accomplishing their goals. The plot is a little slow-moving that is incongruous with the high stakes, but I still enjoyed following Dania on her journey.

Objectively, to the right audience, this book could be a 4 or 5 star read. To me, I'm only giving it 3 stars. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this book! I requested this ARC earlier this year when I was deep in my fantasy hyper-fixation and reading more YA fantasy books. Unfortunately, my reading tastes have shifted out of YA fantasy. So, unfortunately this book was a bit of a slog to get through and impacted my enjoyment, and thus, my rating.

This was a great standalone YA fantasy novel. It was refreshing to have the story entirely wrapped in one book! Dania was a character that you could definitely root for, but Noor was truly my favorite. It was also an incredibly nice change to have a female friendship develop. The romance was a bit more heavy-handed than I would have liked for a story built on revenge but that is my only critique. The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite novels (and movie!) and I very much enjoyed this reimagining.

For She is Wrath is a gender-swapped Count of Monte Cristo retelling, infused with Djinn magic. Dania is on a mission to avenge herself after being framed for murder and locked in prison for the past year. With the help of another inmate, they break out and plot to get back against those that wronged them, including Dania's former lover.

You can expect -
YA Fantasy
Djinn Magic
Revenge & Betrayal
Feminine Rage
Lovers to Enemies
Found Family
Only One Bed
Dual timeline
Single 1stP POV

This book holds a lot of rage, as the title suggests, and I was afraid it would bog it down, but the story moved fast. It is justified and there is great character development along with it. I enjoyed the writing, it was like watching a movie in scenes, with details and interactions. The audiobook narration really lended to this as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books to providing an eARC for my honest opinion.

For She Is Wrath is a take on The Count of Monte Cristo from the POV of a Pakistani woman. The action starts from the drop, and you know that Dania isn't someone to be messed with. There are prison escapes, sword fights, espionage, and the drive for revenge. “The ones closest to you will betray you the most.” Dania does not go quietly into the night and instead seeks vengeance, but are things really the way they seem? I loved the gender switch in this retelling because we got all the female rage vibes! Despite the main plot focusing on going after those who had betrayed her and her family, there are also moments of found family.

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an eARC for an honest review.

For She is Wrath focuses on two female prisoners, who escape from prison and reclaim a cache of zoraat seeds and powerful djinn magic which allow them to establish themselves as wealthy women in the city of Basral. Both Noor and Dania are seeking revenge against the power-hungry emperor Vahid, who came to power himself using djinn magic. Dania's father, an esteemed sword maker, was killed when he tried to defend her. She, an expert swordsman herself, disguises herself using the zoorat seed magic, and executes an elaborate scheme to hurt her betrayers, including Mazin, the lover who betrayed her. But seeking revenge becomes complicated as the magic threatens to overtake Danai, Noor disappears, and her feelings for Mazin reemerge despite his betrayal. Dania ultimately learns the power to destroy her enemies comes with a price.

Thank you St. Martin's Press ans Netgalley for this ARC.

Dania has been locked in prison for a crime she did not commit. She's been counting the days and planning her revenge should she ever break free and make it back home to her father.

I loved Dania's story and how she was so set on her revenge. I loved her female friendships and how they empowered one another.

A great fantasy and YA book.

“The truth was, nothing else mattered if I didn’t get revenge.”

Emily Varga’s For She Is Wrath is a magical Pakistani retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo and follows Dania’s desire for revenge against those who betrayed her and her family. The story begins in a remote prison known for its extreme measures and inescapable walls. In order to escape her false imprisonment, Dania allies with Noor, another girl trapped in the prison, who knows the hidden location of a collection of zoraat seeds—the source of djinn magic, which are crushed and blended to create the perfect mixture. They were stolen from the emperor, who now has a tight rein on the remaining fields of zoraat. With the seeds in hand and Noor’s ability to blend the zoraat, Dania sets out to take down those who sent her to prison, including the boy she thought she loved.

For She Is Wrath is a fascinating tale of rage and determination told in the form of a romantic fantasy with twists and turns that kept me on edge the entire novel. Pakistani culture and mythology influence crucial parts of the story, and I loved seeing how different elements were added into a fantasy world. I found the magic system in this world interesting, as it stems from a consumable seed that can be mass produced. It was even more fascinating that there are specialists who study and craft blends of zoraat to cause different magical abilities. The use of a middle man between magic and wielder was a cool subplot that I haven’t seen much of. I also enjoyed Dania’s character; her thoughts are intriguing, and the complexity of her wrath and grief at the life she lost and her unstable emotions kept me turning each page. I liked the intricacy of the relationship between her and Mazin, the boy she loved who set her up to be arrested for treason. A lot of their relationship is told in a series of scattered flashbacks that detail when they met to the day she was arrested, allowing readers to understand the depth of the betrayal and how Dania’s rage was cultivated during the year she spent in prison. Emily Varga’s story was well written, with carefully crafted elements that showed a deep love for Pakistani culture and an appreciation of the fantasy genre that, combined, create one epic story.

This was a great retelling, and the romance was done just right. I really liked this book a lot and will be purchasing a hardcopy for me and my sister.

This was everything I wanted it to be! I absolutely adored this retelling! Looking forward to more from Emily Varga!

The djinn magic was a cool way to bring a fantasy aspect to this story. I love Noor.

I feel like maybe I went into this with high hopes and just could not finish it. It did not keep my interest to want to keep picking this up. For now I am shelving this till later got about 35% in. The characters were not enough to attach to and keep me going. I will say the atmosphere was good but story line not so much for me. If I finish at a later time I will come back and revamp my review.

A Count of Monte Cristo retelling but genderbent and with a Pakistani romantic twist. One girl is betrayed by her lover and sent to prison for a crime she didn't commit... and now she must find a way to break out and exact revenge on the very boy who got her in this situation. Dania is the daughter of a swordsmith who was framed for a crime she didn't commit and betrayed by her lover, Mazin. In prison, she spends her days thinking of revenge and of ways to get out... and with the help of a fellow prisoner her key to escape is finally in her hands. Together they go to seek the hidden treasure and to both get their revenge against those who had wronged them. Dania armed with dark magic creates a new identity for herself, begins a complicated of cat and mouse while wrestling with her old feelings for Mazin. Can she find a way to get revenge or will her plan by foiled before she can ever begin? Let me start by saying I am a Count of Monte Cristo freak, I love, absolutely love the classic. It's one of my all time favorite classic novels and so my scoring of this might be harsher than someone else's might be, however when you make it a point to advertise your book as being a retelling of my favorite classic, I am going to be judging it as such. The thing about this book is that it had so much promise. It had so much potential to be my next favorite book, it had potential to be a fantastic retelling of the classic story.... but it completely fumbled the bag by the 50% mark of the story. If this book was a sapphic retelling that stuck to the CLASSIC MAIN POINT OF THE COUNT'S CHARACTER, this would have been such a good book. This book falls into the issue that I have with every single adaptation of the classic that I hate, it has the character of the "count" forgive and fall back in love with said past lover, please god no, PLEASE NO. It is especially egregious in this one because there is a perfectly wonderful secondary character that could have been both the new love interest and also been a fantastic one. Seriously, having Dania and Mazin fall for each other again just gave me the biggest ew possible, not when Noor was there, not when Noor's character had so much more chemistry and potential than Mazin. I just, I feel so let down and disappointed. Yes this is a YA retelling, but sadly it falls short of being a good retelling for me. I would say, if you don't know anything about the classic maybe you'd have a better time with it than I did.

Release Date: October 29,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

What a FANTASTIC debut and fun from start to finish!

This is the gender swapped, Count of Monte Christo story with Pakistani influence you need on your TBR immediately. As a retelling, you just need to know that it has the basic premise/framework... but still feels completely and refreshingly different in the best way. Please don't compare them.

Rage stories don't really do it for me, but Dania's anger feels warranted. Betrayed by the boy she has loved, she escapes prison with an accomplice, and steals away powerful Djinn magic to enact her revenge. The vengeance friend pact was delightful.

For She is Wrath is filled with friendship, greed, and themes of how to break the cycles of meaningless hurt and vengeance. Dania growth as a main character felt right for her, especially as someone who comes off as a sharp blade, but is also able to feel things quite deeply. Dania is angry but she doesn't make it her whole personality. I loved that the theme of anger was softened by love, and legacy, and the need to be better than before utilizing the powers of forgiveness.

The romance was executed wonderfully and I enjoyed the back and forth flashbacks that really added great strength to the main plot. There are some fantastic heartfelt moments of intimacy amplified by the authors beautiful writing.

There aren't very many solid fantasy stand-alones, but I recommend For She is Wrath to be added to that list.












4.5 stars.

I think my big issue was that it couldn't hold my attention. I would read a page then put it down and the only way I got through it was on audio. The writing also felt a bit jarring at times with some modern day phrases that felt out of place. I liked our characters but didn't fully connect with them and I personally don't think I would have been able to forgive Maz. There were a lot of things that I really enjoyed too, the amount it focused on friendship and how for me, it was the perfect amount of its own story while also paying tribute to the OG book. Overall great for a debut.