This. stunning. book! The intensity, from the prison break to the sword fighting and plots of revenge, what a wild and adventurous ride. The pacing was excellent and the female rage so well-written and understood. Framed for a crime she didn't commit, Dania exacts revenge on those responsible for her downfall. She and her fellow prison mate execute a daring escape and work together to get revenge on those who hurt them and their loved ones. Armed with dark djinn magic, secret identities and a lot of anger is a dangerous combination. This Pakistani retelling of Dumas’ “The Count of Monte Cristo” is so well done! The characters are well-developed with character arcs and relatable emotions. The worldbuilding was so good - the food, the smells, the visuals, the political system and the power dynamics. The female friendships were so well instituted too. And that hate-to-love you, love-to-hate-you romance was sizzling, the chemistry undeniable, but frustration palpable. I enjoyed the interspersed magic and Middle Eastern culture. Incredible debut novel.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For She Is Wrath is the queen of debuts!! I loved it so much! It's phenomenal really, and I just can't fathom how this brilliant book is a debut. Emily Varga is definitely an auto-buy author for me. I will read anything she ever writes.

This is a book about an angry girl who has been wronged in the worst possible way, a girl set on surviving and getting revenge from everyone who has wronged her and her father, a girl who will do anything for her goals, and it was mind-blowing from page 1. To be honest, I had read the first 30% but then had to read some other more time-sensitive arcs. And let me tell you that this book never left my thoughts in the meanwhile. Once I went back in For She Is Wrath, I knew exactly where I had left off, and I remembered everything because this book lived in my mind regardless of whether I was actually reading it or not. That's a true testiment of this book's power.

We follow Dani's point of view, and she never disappoints. She has a keen mind, strategic and organizing. She loves her knives and swords, and we often see her twirl and throw them while she thinks. She's cognizant of the dangers she faces-both her enemies and the internal turmoil she's going through, whom she must become to exact her revenge. Dani is the girl you want in your corner, the girl you trust to have your back in everything. And she certainly keeps everyone on their toes.

Nour is Dani's best friend. They met in prison, they forged an undeniable bond, and managed to escape together. She is definitely not like Dani. Nour is the quiet, smart girl who hides her anger very well. Who wants revenge but is not loud about it. She's the kind of friend who will joke with you and scowl at you when you need it. Dani is powerful but Nour also wields a power that shouldn't be undermined. I loved Nour, and I loved her bond with Dani because they really needed each other.

Mazin is the love interest and the guy who betrayed Dani and her father. I won't give spoilers, but I'm sure you realize that not everything is as it seems. I mean, he makes some horrible and wrong decisions, but he is definitely not evil. He is a ruthless guy also set on revenge and who is so lost in his own head that he doesn't realize that there are better options. But I will say that even though he hurts Dani, his personality is perfect for Dani. They have the perfect push and pull effect, they're the pair that complements each other to perfection, and their chemistry is SCORCHING!

This book has everything!

bickering friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-??? romance
scorching chemistry and some spice
revenge plots
problem-solving
angry girls
found family
sword fighting

It's a standalone, and has a masterful fast pace without it being overwhelming. A brilliant book that I loved with all my heart.

It has multiple special editions, and I am trying very hard not to get them all haha

Let's start with the cover because it is so beautiful, I cannot wait to see physical copies of the book!
The Count of Monte Cristo was monumentally influential to my reading as a teenager, and I was surprised and delighted to find that it was being used as an inspiration for this book! The author did an excellent job of paying homage to the story while still adding their own delightful take on it and adding in Pakistani culture that created a rich setting for our characters. While at first I found Dania a little annoying, I started to understand that her need for revenge was supposed to be all consuming so that the reader understood the stakes that it would have to take if she were ever to try to let them go. Noor was delightful! She reminded me of Toph from Avatar a little bit.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3 / 5 ⭐️

I was so hopeful for this book up until about 85%. The world building was beautiful, lush, rich, and incredibly immersive. I could smell the chai, I could hear the bustling market, I could see the palace and the beautiful garments and weapons. And how Dania was exacting her revenge with her first two targets was entertaining, intriguing, and had me hooked into the story.

Where the story lost me was on two points:
1. This book, while beautiful and immersive (up to the 85%) does not read like a young adult novel. The brutality of this book among other themes is not suitable for a young adult audience. Secondly, the age of the primary characters is not clear and they read more as new adult (18-22) than young adult.
2. This * whole revenge plot * could’ve been avoided with a three minute conversation, which was called out ON THE PAGE. I was so frustrated by this point that I begrudgingly got through the end of the story, including the reunion of Mazin and Dania, and the evil Nanu bit.

I would’ve been so much more keen on this book if the ending was different and that miscommunication trope didn’t come up the way it did, or at all (seeing as it lead to the deaths and ruin of so many).

I HAD SO MUCH FUN READING THIS BOOK! I devoured it whole!! I love when I am enjoying a book so much that I can't put it down and end up reading it in one sitting and that is exactly what I did with For She Is Wrath.

it’s been a year since dania was framed and imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit. she devises an escape plan with a new friend. she has two goals for when she’s out: to reunite with her father and to get revenge on mazin, the boy she loved until he betrayed her. the latter plan gets trickier as she realizes a fire still burns between her and mazin.

i kept seeing this everywhere, so i’m very grateful to have been able to get an early copy! i really do not know much about the count of monte cristo, but i was so here for the promise of a pakistani romantasy. the tension between dania and mazin was wonderful. dania disguises herself so that she can enact her revenge easier, but of course, can’t change her memory of and feelings around what happened between them (conflicting as they are).

i’d highly recommend this to YA romantasy fans. i can’t wait for whatever’s next from emily varga!

This book was way better than I was expecting, I kind of dilly dallied when it came to reading this and man am I mad at myself for waiting so long!

There are themes of love, loss, friendship, and sweet sweet revenge.

This book starts with our FMC Dania, she has been in prison for a year, and has been accused of a murder she didn’t commit, and has been tortured everyday by the Warden of the Prison. Thing’s look bleak until she gains the help of a new friend, someone who wants out just as much as she does.

They both have a grudge against the men that betrayed them and left them to rot in prison, and they have a plan to get their revenge, and avenge those who perished when they were arrested.

Armed with magic seeds, ornate daggers, and a lot of sass. Our MC’s infiltrate the palace and bide their time gathering intel waiting for the first chance to strike.

This is a story where there is love and loss but mostly just anger. Many families experience the generational curse, whatever it may be, at first we think that what came before us is right and just, but slowly we come to find out there are things we can change, and a cycle we can break. 4 ⭐️’s

Thank you to the Author Emily Varga for writing this story and sharing it with us, and Thank you to the narrator Saniya Ingram for her wonderful work.

Big Thank you as well to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my no cost copy of “For She Is Wrath”

I received this advance review copy at no personal cost and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorites, so I jumped at the chance to read/listen to this Pakistani retelling. Prison escape, revenge tactics, betrayal – it’s all included, along with dark magic.

I love a good vengeance tale, and Dania, with assistance from clever Noor, creates a strategic plan to get back at those responsible for wrongly imprisoning her for the past year. She disguises herself using a stolen djinn treasure involving magic that could have serious consequences if not used properly.

Both Dania and Noor are strong female characters, and I liked the friendship that develops between them. Noor has no problem calling out Dania when she believes her to be in the wrong and occasionally helps her see reason. The flashbacks to the relationship between Dania and Mazin before he deceives her allowed me to feel the deep level of betrayal Dania experiences. But is everything what it appears? The action sequences are full of tension and well-choreographed. Dania is a highly skilled swordswoman, and someone you don’t want to mess with.

With an overall theme of forgiveness, this is a novel I enjoyed and would recommend it to fans of retellings, magic and swords, and revenge tales.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up For She Is Wrath on October 29, 2024.

This was a really fantastic YA fantasy! I loved the way it played on the classic Monte Cristo story but with a Pakistani twist. Our main character, Dania, is the epitome of female rage, and she'll stop at nothing to get revenge on those who wronged her -- including the tortured and sexy Mazin.

Honestly, the romance was one of my favorite parts of this story. I really enjoyed the flashbacks showing the slow build-up of their relationship, juxtaposed with the current day where she's in disguise making him fall for her again so she can destroy him. The magic in this was interesting, and I loved the plotting Noor and Dania did to take down their enemies!

Honestly, the only parts I struggled with were Dania's single-minded focus on vengeance and the book's ending. It made her feel a bit flat and repetitive at times, when I wish we could've seen a bit more depth and growth. As for the ending, I didn't see it coming, but it almost came too out of left field for my taste.

Def pick this one up if you want a quick, action-packed YA fantasy with cool magic and pretty good romance!

For She Is Wrath by Emily Varga is a thrilling fantasy adventure that captivates readers from the very first page. The story is filled with action, revenge, romance, and friendship, all of which are expertly woven together to create a truly unforgettable tale. The protagonist, a strong and determined heroine, is on a mission to seek vengeance against her enemies, making for a gripping and intense read. Varga's writing is both powerful and engaging, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

When reading the description for this book I was excited to read it but the book kind of fell short for me. The book is advertised as lovers to enemies and it was nice to get chapters where we see the character's background and what their relationship was like before he betrayed her I feel like they didn’t stay enemies for very long. All of the issues in the book felt like they were resolved too quickly and the ending felt rushed. I liked the concept of the magic system and how it is based on these seeds and how you combine them but I wish we got more background information on them because it was confusing at first. I did enjoy the adventure aspect of the book and that is what kept me intrigued. Thank you St. Martins Press, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for sending me an ARC of this book.

I will start by saying that I am not the target audience for this book. The storyline was strong, and the world-building decent, but the writing style held me back from fully immersing myself in the story. The focus on describing the protagonist's same (mostly negative) emotions and inner turmoil in every scene made it feel like I was reading an overly dramatic soap opera as opposed to a fantasy novel. My middle-aged sensibilities wanted to tell Dania to just chill, girl.

Lots of girl power here, though, with a solid ending and a twist I did not see coming once the original betrayer was revealed. If you like lots drama and angst with your bad-ass heroines, this book is for you.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

One of the best books I've read/listened to this year! I was intrigued by the Count of Monte Cristo comparison and I always love girls with swords so this was right up my alley. This book was more than I could have dared to hope. Revenge and love and loyalty and betrayal. It was everything good about a fantasy book wrapped in one amazing package. I loved Dania and Noor and their friendship. They felt more like sisters by the end of the book. I'd been really scared there in the beginning that Dania would leave Noor in the prison but she went back for her and it made all the difference in the world! I really loved Mazin and his sister Anam. I knew in my heart of hearts that Mazin wouldn't betray her (unless this was meant to have a more tragic ending where you kill your first love instead of being with them. I was glad to see I was right. The djinn magic and overall world building was really great too. I didn't see the plot twist with Dania's grandmother at all! I thought the emperor manipulated the whole situation somehow. Either way this was an incredible novel and I truly enjoyed it.

Short Synopsis:
For She is Wrath is supposed to be a Pakistani retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo. Honestly I’ve seen the movies but I think I only read that book once, in high school, back in the 1900s. So for me I wasn’t constantly comparing the two books.
I felt like this book stood well on its own and honestly it is so refreshing to have a fantasy standalone book!! I’ve gotten overwhelmed with the amount of trilogies. So thank you Emily Varga for this debut novel.
Dania has been in prison for a year. All she wants is revenge on the people who are responsible for her prison sentence. She has a list of names (a la Arya Stark from Game of Thrones).
She befriends a fellow prisoner, Noor, (who is digging out of prison) and the two manage to escape together. And her revenge plot takes shape although it doesn’t go quite to plan. Nothing ever really does though when you combine anger, love and powerful magic.

You’ll love this book if you like:
Revenge
Magic
Found Family
Arya Stark-like heroine
Lovers-to enemies-to lovers

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

Where to start with such an enchanting story of feminine rage and revenge? Where to start with such a strong female character who is taken on a journey of family, friendship, and the costs of protecting them both? Where to start with such a vibrant Pakistani fantasy full of culture and mythology alike?

Varga does an amazing job of weaving a world unlike any other full of characters that tug at your heartstrings and make you live through every emotion possible on the winding journey with them. I think my favorite part of the book is the way that it was so character driven and really dove into studying the heart of feminine rage and revenge. There are books about revenge, and then there is For She is Wrath - a dissection of each aspect of revenge and the emotions that come with it.

I loved the romance and getting to know both Dania and Mazin through flashbacks more than the present. It gave a lot of depth to what might have been a flat romance without it and helped me really understand the stakes and the *feelings* behind the situation.

I cannot wait to see what Varga does with her writing career. If this is where she starts, we are only in store for more masterpieces!

Betrayal, greed, the need for power - Dania has imaged all the reasons that the person she trusted the most got her thrown in jail. I loved her drive for revenge and her rage at how she'd been treated. The one she stumbles into in her own cell - she was a great off-set and I liked her caution and her knowledge. Meeting the village and all those in it - this story was such an adventure. I loved the knowledge about swords and learning about Djinn magic. Great story, I was hooked from the start and it was a quick read!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Dania wants to escape and exact her revenge on those who betrayed her. Nothing goes her way until she meets Nor. A plan is coming together. Is now the time to act? Find out in For She is Wrath.

I would like to thank Wednesday Books for this ARC via Netgalley.

Look I loved The Count of Monte Cristo, but tried to read this with an open mind. The characters aren’t bad and it started off promising, but it wasn’t consistent. I wasn’t able to stop myself from making comparisons and the book didn’t meet the expectations. That being said as a debut novel, I’m excited for what the author has to offer. Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

This is a standalone Pakistani fantasy retelling of the count of Monte Cristo with Djinn magic. We follow a single POV throughout of Dania, who is the daughter to the weapon master of her village. She is fierce and has known how to wheeled a sword since she was six. Ultimately, she ends up being betrayed and thrown into prison, losing her life in the process. I honestly was so hooked by the first chapter and I had a hard time putting this book down when I needed to. I love how this book draws you in on such a low point in our FMC’s life. Her revenge is poorly planned until she meets a friend along the way. I really liked that there is a dual timeline going on between different chapters, of before and the present so you’re finding stuff out while important current events are taking place. Yes there is a romance element to this book, but it’s not a super big focus as compared to the revenge plot line. I did also enjoy the magic element to this story as well being as it was kind of more herbology based. This book also doesn’t shy away from the violence and has amazing fight scenes and I really love that we have a strong FMC who knows how to fight. I enjoyed the story overall and was happy with how things ended up turning out. I would look up triggers/warnings before reading.📖

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the #gifted copy!

A Pakistani retelling of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, this book is all the female rage wrapped up in a pretty cover. Dania has been in prison for a year, tortured and starved, and only wants to break out to get revenge on the boy who broke her heart for his own gain.

Emily’s writing is beautiful. I loved both the rage and romance elements, and there were a lot of great lines that stood out to me. There’s also fantastic friendship, constant action, and dual timelines, making this a really solid fantasy read.

Read for:
🗡️BA female main character
🗡️Rage and revenge
🗡️Djinn magic
🗡️Count of Monte Cristo retelling
🗡️Pakistani influence
🗡️Romance and friendship