FOR SHE IS WRATH is absolutely a Monte Cristo retelling - but it is also so much more than that! Especially in the beginning, the author brings in much of what made the Count of Monte Cristo so compelling: the fight for escape, the unquenchable thirst for revenge, the friends made and lessons learned along the way. But what I appreciate about Varga's retelling is when she chooses to go farther, such as when she leaned into the back-and-forth of female friendship. (I loved Noor!!) Or when she included in her worldbuilding an indelible fantastic element through the use of a unique magic. The romance itself is swoon-worthy, with several striking lines and scenes. Overall, I greatly enjoyed the book and hope for a sequel -- perhaps Noor's??

I've never read the Count of Mont Christo so I cannot speak to its being a retelling of that story but this story was more like a 2.5 for me and here's why:

1. This story is marketed as YA, and it definitely reads like the way teenagers would solve their problems or think about the world, so in that regard it's more of a me thing that makes this lower rated. BUT, this FMC is soo one track minded. She was imprisoned therefore EVERYONE MUST DIE! And we get thoughts like “I'll cry only after I get my revenge”. It's just not nuanced enough for an adult audience. So a me thing as a more mature reader but also may annoy some more mature YA readers as well.

2. Again, this is YA, so tell me why this book has two spices scenes and one of them is definitely NOT fade to black situation??? Why are we now putting spice scenes into YA stories? It feels like YA is now just a word for adult books with poorly written character depth and world building

3. I did however really enjoy the side characters of Noor and Mazin, as well as the magic of the djinn. There is a great friendship at the core of this book and that may be an influence of the inspiration

4. The plot conveniences…I rolled my eyes several times in and even wrote in my review copy “how convenient...” at least two separate times.

I suggest this book for NEW ADULT readers and/or someone who enjoys a stand-alone story that has an interesting magic system and a bantery romance, with some Pakistan influenced setting.

For She is Wrath is a fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo with a romantic subplot.

The blurb sounded really good on this one. It simply didn’t deliver many memorable scenes. I kept waiting for more to happen. I did like a twist towards the end I didn’t see coming but then that was followed by same type of meandering spirit.

It’s a fine book. It’s just not something I think I’ll recall much of 6 months from now. I had higher hopes and I’m bummed about it.

Thanks though to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

A great fast read wonderfully done from a woman’s perspective it was engaging and kept my interest. I love the story of the count so this reimagining was very well executed and fun. 5⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley

The narrator was amazing. I have never read the Count of Monte Christo was but vaguely familiar with it. I loved the FMC Dani and her friend Noor. They were both so strong in their own ways.

The fact that this is a debut is absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to see what else this author puts out.

For She is Wrath by Emily Varga, 400 pages. Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2024. $18.
Language: R (20 swears, 4 “f”); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME
After being framed and wrongfully imprisoned, Dania let her anger grow with every passing day and failed escape attempt. Noor has been planning her quiet escape longer than Dania, but Noor’s careful tunnel was dug in the wrong direction. With the girls working together, they vow to get out and get revenge.
The first half of this book is a fantasy version of The Count of Monte Cristo, which adds an element of fun in comparing the two and seeing how Varga built upon the original vengeance story. One of the biggest differences stem from the roles of Dania’s betrayers and how interactions with those characters force Varga to take the second half of the story in different directions than Dumas took his. The heart of the story is about the cost revenge demands, whether we are willing to pay it, and whether it’s possible to ever take it back.
Dania is described as having “brown” skin. The mature content rating is for illegal activity, kissing, innuendo, mentions of drugs and sexual harassment, nudity, and sex. The violence rating is for assault, blood and gore, mentions of torture, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

An action-packed, enemies-to-lovers quest of a romantasy that is a Pakistani take on The Count of Monte Cristo! I adored this one. The characters seemed to leap off the page, and their emotions were so strong it was easy to root for revenge. But what left the largest impression on me is Varga's beautiful way of wrapping the characters' journey and the growth they experienced and the message that vengeance isn't always what we need, but rather to cling tighter to the ones we love.

Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books, for an ARC of For She is Wrath! Pub Date: October 29, 2024.

“I’d read you like scripture, a prayer. And all the worship I felt, I’d heap at your feet.”

We all need more female rage in our lives

“If I’m going to have the stabbing, there better be kissing after.”

4.5 stars

This was so atmospheric. The power of family lost and family gained. That when motivated, anything is possible, including burning down an entire empire.

“I am a tool of vengeance now. I exist to destroy those who came for me and my family.”

I don't know how to describe it but it was like the ideal fantasy setting. There was a prison, a castle, markets, farms, swords, horses, hidden identities, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers, he-knows-her-scars, rain-forcing-them-to-an-inn-for-the-night-with-only-one-room-and-only-one-bed…

Just so perfect.

“Are you flirting with me about getting beheaded?”
His eyes lit up. “I can’t think of anyone else who might even consider it flirting.”

Dania was so strong, after all she went through and lost and I loved her and I loved her friendship with Noor was great. I love a good friendship-building in books, its always so wholesome.

He fell to his knees on the floor, looking up at me as if waiting for his execution.

Set on a Pakistain-inspired background, this book of revenge, rage, forgiveness, acceptance, and romance was just amazing. I loved the movement around Dani and Mazin’s relationship and their history, told in duel timelines (not alternating chapters, though, just enough for background).

“Noor, this isn’t about revenge. It’s about making sure this power doesn’t stay in the hands of anyone who is going to use it to destroy. It’s about stopping the cycle.”
Noor looked up at Maz, her brow raised. “It’s a little about revenge,” he admitted.

I would have liked a little more rage, world-building, and romance, hence the not 5 stars, but overall, amazing!

“It’s too much. I can’t save you without destroying myself.”

Dania is not just mad, she is furious. For the last year, she’s been imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit. What’s worse, she was framed for this crime by several powerful people, including a boy she thought she could trust with her heart. Now, heartbroken and angry, she sits in prison, plotting her escape. When another prisoner, Noor, accidentally digs into Dania’s cell, Dania thinks this might actually be her chance. Noor has knowledge of secret wealth and magic that will help them once they get out. But Dania wants more than to just go back to her life. No, what she wants, what she needs, is revenge, and if she has to bring the whole empire down to get it, she will.

I received an advanced reading copy of For She Is Wrath in exchange for an honest review.

For She Is Wrath is a young adult fantasy novel by Emily Varga. It’s also a retelling of one of my favorite classics, The Count of Monte Cristo, but with a Pakistani-inspired setting and djinn magic. Of course when I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it!

For She Is Wrath really swept me away. From the beginning, the pages seemed to fly by. We start out with Dania in prison, planning her escape, and seething over the events that initially landed her there. The story quickly gets the plot moving, and after it starts, it definitely gets rolling. There’s a good combination of action with planning scenes, and there are a few flashbacks to inform on Dania’s past and how she got to prison, but the book has an excellent pace and it made it really hard to put it down, especially when things start to get really exciting. After all, even after she breaks out of prison, she has to go back to the city and get revenge, and what better way to do that than to disguise herself with magic? It’s the tension of ‘what if they see through her disguise?’ that keeps up the pace even in more of the court-style politics of the book, because if she’s discovered, her plan crumbles, and her life is forfeit.

As for the characters and their relationships, we have Dania as our main character, and she tells the story through her POV in first-person narration, so we are incredibly close as she hatches her plan for revenge. This closeness helps, especially as revenge and doing some of the things she does can be controversial, but with the reader seeing things from her perspective, being witness to her grief and anger, it’s impossible to take any side but hers. I rooted for her as she set her plans in motion, cheered at her successes, and got nervous about every setback. She was an excellent character to read from, and I especially liked her friendship with Noor, her fellow prisoner, but you know I really love friendships in books! Not to say that there isn’t some romance happening here too. I mentioned before that Dania is disguised to fool her enemies, one of whom is the boy who betrayed her. But it’s this boy whom she used to love. There were so many moments when I wondered if he would recognize her, especially with the flashbacks working to flesh out their previous relationship, and despite them technically being enemies, I was wondering whether they’d end up being something different. I can’t say what it is, but know that I loved what happened here, and I guess you’ll have to read the book to discover it yourself!

I had such a great time reading this book. I kept opening it, intending to only read a chapter or so, only to close it after reading much more, surprised at how quickly I was sucked in, and how quickly I was moving through the book. Even while hosting family for the weekend, every spare moment was dedicated to continuing this book, wanting to reach the end of Dania’s revenge journey, and see if she would succeed.

I would recommend this to any young adult fantasy fans, but especially those who love retellings of classic novels, and who have been looking for a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo!

For She Is Wrath will be released on October 29. You can preorder your copy from Wednesday Books here.

This was such a captivating read! This young adult Pakistani romantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo is a unique take on a classic, blending familiar themes of revenge and justice with fresh perspectives. It was a niche I hadn’t explored yet, but the familiar feelings of vengeance and redemption made it easy to get invested in. The writing pulled me in, and I had to force myself to slow down because I easily could have finished it in a weekend. The main character, Dani, is focused on her need for revenge, and watching her embrace that drive is incredibly satisfying. The flashbacks revealing her history kept me hooked without being overwhelming. My only minor issue was that some parts felt a bit repetitive. While the themes were mature, the writing occasionally felt a little too simplified (yes, even for YA). Still, this would make a fantastic movie, and I enjoyed the story. Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the early access to this book!

dnf @ 35%

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

I’m going to right off the bat say that I don’t think there is anything crazy wrong with this book. It has a strong FMC and an interesting concept, but it’s just not for me.

This is a case where I should have read the summary more thoroughly before requesting the book because revenge plots really aren’t for me. Something about the anger as a motivation really turns me off of a character, especially when the ends they are willing to go to don’t justify the means. (Not saying that’s the case here, just a general observation.)

The only complaint I will have is how linear the plot is moving (up until the point I stopped at least). I wish that there was more of the “before” flashbacks and that there was something to look back upon instead of this straight forward quest for revenge.

For that reason it’s also super difficult to sympathize with Dania(FMC) because we don’t have the context and memories of these relationships to explain how hard these betrayals hurt.

Anyway, maybe eventually I’ll come back to this book if people truly rave about it when it comes out, but right now, not for me.

5⭐️

I kept finding myself utterly surprised this was debut throughout reading this book. I would find myself going to Goodreads to see what else she wrote. Disappointed I couldn't read more from her right away. This says alot to me regarding this book, I enjoyed the writing so much that it made me wanting to experience more after this one.

I had actually never read the Count of Monte Crisco so for me this book was full of fun surprises. It had multiple layers between revenge, grief, and absolution. It handled everything so well. I believed the pain and betrayal Dani felt and the bond she made with Nora. It was also wrote from one perspective with two timelines. The past time line was peppered in really well and paced appropriately with the main story.

In the end I really loved many aspects of this book. I would love to see a companion novel sometime from Mazs point of view.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

4.5 stars!!! this book had one of the greatest female main characters everrrr! i love retellings and this was definitely a top one for me.

Our FMC, Dania, plans to get revenge on the people that betrayed her, ruined her life, and sent her to prison. She’s got a list of her betrayers and she’s reciting it in her sleep Arya Stark style.

The feminine rage was epic. I loved the badass heroine that knows how to wield a sword better than anyone thanks to her dad, the famous swordsmith.

The magic system easy to understand, Djinn magic is super interesting and not seen often. Loved that it was a fantasy in a middle eastern setting which again, is not seen often so this felt very refreshing and new.

The love story: friends to lovers to enemies to lovers. So complicated and intense! We got a few flashback chapters of their relationship before she was arrested. It’s a closed door romance so the spice level is nonexistent but I still enjoyed it so much.

If you also dress for revenge, ain’t never had a friend like [the Djinn], and love a good spicy chai tea, then you’ll enjoy this one! (For real, every description of the chai tea in this book made my mouth water).

This had a lot of really interesting elements. It's nice to see retellings of some lesser-known stories, like the Count of Monte Cristo, and the general world (pakistani influnced, djinn, rich with food and clothing, a corrupt empire) was interesting. I did struggle to connect with the main romance plotline, I think mostly because of the dual timeline nature and how quickly the ending came in comparison to all of the buildup. I also wish that Dani and Noor had been a little more on the, plotting mastermind side than the, showing up for revenge and winging it side, since they had so long in prison to be planning their revenge and knew all of the people involved so well. I also wish we had learned more about djinn, how their powers worked, their role in the emperor's behavior, and how their magic differed from the seed magic. Ultimately a fast paced read that is more focused on moving the plot forward than depth of any one character.

This book was everything I ever wanted. From the writing, world building, characters, romance... *chefs kiss*
Varga crafts a wonderful story from start to finish, AND I COULD NOT GET ENOUGH!!

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Fantasy, YA Fantasy, Fantasy Retelling, Romantasy, Historical Fantasy
Audience: Young adult
Language: Smattering of f-bombs
Spice Level: References to sex but more of a closed door/fade to black description level
Representation: Southeast Asian characters

I was excited to read *FOR SHE IS WRATH* to see how it twisted and retold the story of *The Count of Monte Cristo.*

Boxes this book checked for me:
- Unjust prison sentence
- Prison that's miserable
- Escape attempts
- Friendship through trial
- Fabulous wealth (in this case djinn magic and gold)
- A mission of revenge
- Betrayal

The twist of setting this story in a fantasy Pakistani with djinn and pressures of kings and trying to figure out how the characters are going to survive and thrive is interesting and fun. I once read that a YA fantasy has to burn the world down to express the love between characters. This book fits that description (the title alone does that). There was also a twist I didn't expect and loved.

I think readers of YA fantasy will enjoy this book. To me, it should be for 16 and up. See what you think.

Happy reading!

For She is Wrath is the PERFECT book for those who love stabby FMC's. Between one of my favorite YA girlies of all time, and the beautiful world, I could not put this down!!

Emily Varga's worldbuilding is lush, rich, and beautiful in this Pakistani retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. Dania is skilled, ruthless, and angry. (As she should be!) She is the perfect embodiment of feminine rage, and I am HERE FOR IT. The love interest is the biggest simp, and those flashbacks WHOO (they're so cute.)

That aside, the thing I love best about this book is the celebration of female friendship. It is rare to see girls coming together in fantasy without some sort of animosity, and the relationship between Dania and Noor is truly one of the best.

I loved this book so much and I am looking forward to seeing what else the author creates. :)

"For She Is Wrath" by Emily Varga is an absolutely mesmerizing retelling of *The Count of Monte Cristo*, infused with a rich Pakistani cultural backdrop that adds depth and vibrancy to the story. As someone who grew up loving Dumas’ classic tale of betrayal and revenge, I found Varga’s interpretation to be both refreshing and captivating.

The protagonist, Dania, is a fierce and complex character. Framed for a crime she didn’t commit, her countdown to vengeance is both gripping and relatable. Varga expertly captures Dania's inner turmoil as she grapples with her feelings for Mazin, the boy she once loved and now sees as her greatest enemy. Their relationship is fraught with tension, making the romantic elements both thrilling and heart-wrenching.

The plot unfolds with a perfect blend of suspense and magic. Dania's daring escape with a fellow prisoner in search of a stolen treasure keeps you on the edge of your seat. The stakes are high, and Varga’s imaginative world-building brings the dark magic and hidden treasures to life in a way that feels both exciting and believable.

As Dania delves deeper into her quest for revenge, the story explores profound themes of love, betrayal, and the costs of vengeance. The moral complexity of her journey is beautifully woven into the narrative, reminding readers that the path to retribution is often fraught with unforeseen consequences.

Varga’s writing is lush and evocative, painting vivid scenes that transport you to a world filled with intrigue and emotion. For fans of the original *Count of Monte Cristo*, this retelling offers a new lens through which to explore familiar themes while introducing a powerful and dynamic heroine.

In short, "For She Is Wrath" is a stunning romantic fantasy that masterfully blends revenge and redemption. Emily Varga has created a compelling tale that will resonate with anyone who appreciates a good revenge story, especially those who, like me, hold a special place in their hearts for Dumas’ timeless classic. Don't miss this remarkable journey!

For She is Wrath started with a bang and slowed down shortly after. We got the introduction of Dania, who is hell-bent on breaking out of prison just so she can reconnect with her father and kill every rat bastard who put her in jail in the first place, including her first love. There, she meets Noor, who later becomes her best friend and her moral support whenever Dania feels herself going left with power. These two characters worked great as a team, and I only wished Noor was more at the forefront of her revenge plan.

FSIW is not as magical as I projected it to be, but it still holds its own with the action sequence and bloodlust throughout the text. The world-building and character creation were well written, and there is also romance. I'm still not a fan of the whole "Romantasy" genre, but this one was palatable. Oh, and the reveal at the end! Oh! Oh!