Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I truly enjoyed this book! The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my all-time favorites so this book was right up my alley. The writing and humor are well done. I found myself laughing hysterically at some parts! I loved the setting and the culture. The magic system was really creative and well thought out, I especially liked how we know the toll it takes, and that when changing appearance at least one thing has to stay the same. I liked Noor's levelheadedness to Dania's quick action and their rapport. The romance between Maz and Dania throughout is some of the best I've read in a while and, for me, was the highlight of the book. I LOVED the flashbacks to Maz and Dania's growing relationship. If the book was all them and nothing else, I'd still feel complete.
With all of the flashbacks, I had hoped we would hav gotten a sweet one of Dania and her father to help me feel her thirst for vengeance more deeply. In the first several chapters I felt bogged down by the amount of times Dania goes on about wanting revenge. One year timeline seems too short for the type of revenge she seeks, and she doesn't really go into much detail about her suffering at the prison. A lot of the vengeance plot happens too quickly. I would have liked to see more build up and strategy rather than fade-to-black, behind-the-scenes planning. The timeline is just too fast for me.
I thought the ending was simple, but still enjoyable. Our secondary villain reveal was not one I expected, and actually felt out of place and didn't really add much to the story. I'm still very confused as to what exactly happened on the night Dania was framed for murder because it's mentioned that Maz had asked her to meet him, but perhaps that had to do with the secondary villain as well? I would have liked to see more than one interaction between Dania and Vahid before the ending. I didn't understand Maz's actions that lead to Dania's imprisonment, we knew he had conflicting feelings about Vahid, but it came out of left field that he was planning something behind her back. I would have enjoyed more of Maz's sister in the ending too. It wasn't terribly clear at the end what became of Basral, especially after they insight so much chaos by destroying the crops. It's hinted, but not clearly stated.
Overall, the romance was definitely the star. If this book was more drawn out with more strategy and preparations I think it would have gotten a full 5 stars. Looking forward to buying a final copy and seeing more from Emily Varga!

I DNF'd this book because the narrative feels too disjointed.
I could not get into the book at all. I tried but didn't enjoy it.

I saw “retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo” and I RAN.
This was so, so good. I still can't believe I was lucky enough to receive an eARC for this one. The premise alone was intriguing, but seeing the actual story develop right in front of my eyes was an unforgettable experience.
I absolutely adored the whole childhood friends-to-lovers-to-enemies dynamic, and how themes of vengeance and loss were portrayed.
Towards the end, the book is a lot more fast-paced for my taste, feeling rushed sometimes.
But everything else was pure perfection. Gorgeous setting and amazing world building, with such a unique magic system and interesting characters.
I definitely recommend this one.

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Pub Date Oct 29 2024

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.5/5 Wow, I really enjoyed this book. I was intrigued by the childhood friends to lovers to enemies and was met with so much more. The magic system in this book is unique and a bit different to what I've seen, there are magic djinn seeds that people can consume to give themselves different abilities. The world building also isn't too bulky, which I was very grateful for since it can bore down the beginning of the book. There are some chapters that flash back to before Dania was imprisoned, and that helped create understanding of the empire and how things work politically. The flashback chapters also show us Dania's life with her father and Mazin (the friend turned lover turned enemy) and we're able to see Dania's naive and softer side before her life was turned upside down, as well as all the reasons she wants revenge.
The main plot is Dania and Noor (her friend from prison) getting revenge on the people who ruined their lives by wrongly imprisoning them. They use the magic djinn seeds to enact this revenge and Dania struggles with trying not to lose herself in her vengeance. The story was very fast paced and a bit rushed, so much happened but thankfully I never felt lost or overwhelmed. I do feel like the story could have been slowed down a little or more point of views could be included (maybe Mazin or Noor) because it felt a little too fast and the book ended with me wanting more. It's rare that a fantasy book is a standalone but this book ended with no cliffhangers and no indication that there will be another book, however I see so much possibility for more. I would've understood the relationship between Dania and Mazin better if we got his pov and possibly two books for this one. Since that's not possible, I do hope the author continues writing in this universe, I would really love to see a book with Noor as the main character and go on her next journey with her after the ending of this book.
All in all this book had everything to make it a solid romantic fantasy: the beautiful setting, the unique magic system, corrupted rulers, women with swords, and lots of tension, I just do wish we got more from this amazing universe.

A stunning reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo, with betrayal, magic, and romance tied together by strong female characters. I was swept away from start to finish, such a good read.

This was a GREAT Count of Monte Cristo retelling. Love the packastani vibes. I really enjoyed being able to see the main character in action, very much show and not just tell. Most of her logic was sound and I enjoyed watching her growth and journey. I also really enjoyed seeing the similarities between this book and the movie with baby Henry Cavill.

Can we talk about how hot Maz was? Whew, his line, “a thousand djin could disguise you from me and I'd still be able to find you, just by the sound of your breath."

I also didn’t see the person who framed her until the reveal so nicely done with that. I’ll probably buy a hardcover when this comes out!

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC

I love The Count of Monte Christo so much, so this was a book that piqued my interest straight away. And it definitely delivered with a sweeping and rich World filled with excellent characters. Things did seem to happen very quickly - it felt a bit like the book had been condensed down but was still trying to fit as many events in - but that didn't lessen my enjoyment at all!

Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy to be reviewed. All opinions are my own.

2.5 stars | This book was billed as a gender-swapped Pakistani retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo and, while yes it followed the story, it fell majorly flat for me.
There was no heart or connection in the story - the fmc was cold and blinded with anger which made for an extreme lack of connection or care as to what happened to her. The side fmc just seemed to hang along for the ride and offered nothing other than her knowledge of the magic system.
The mmc supposedly cared for her yet didn’t do anything really to help her and essentially sat by while she was sent to prison.
Overall this story had a severe pacing issue as well and I do not recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this e-arc!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press!
I was told this book was a loosely based retelling of Count of Monte Cristo, and although I don’t know if I totally felt that vibe, I think many people will resonate with the feminine rage angle. Dania has been wronged repeatedly and has every right to exact her revenge-and so she does, and does it well for quite some time. Seeing her humanity as she walks the line between justice and salvaging a life for herself makes for a gripping story.

This was a very well written fantasy story.
Involving Jinns, magic, vengeance, and found family.
About two ladies condemn to a prison for years for crimes that they did not commit. They form a bond to escape, to make plans, and see then thru.

I love the moral of the story. Vengeance will not save you in the end. It’ll consume you. The juxtaposition between Dani and other two people was excellently done. I won’t spoil.

Solid story I would definitely recommend.

While this book had good promise with its themes of revenge and female friendship, plus being culturally diverse, it unfortunately fell a bit flat for me. Readers are thrown right into the story with little background which threw me off - it felt as though it needed a prequel or a prologue at the very least to provide some context. The dialogue also fell flat for me. However I did like the action at the beginning of the story! Despite the issues I had with this specific book, there were a lot of aspects of the writing that I really enjoyed, like the pacing and action, so I hope to read more from this author in the future!

For She Is Wrath
by Emily Varga
Pub Date: Oct 29 2024

Three hundred and sixty-four days.
Framed for a crime she didn't commit, Dania counts down her days in prison until she can exact revenge on Mazin, the boy responsible for her downfall, the boy she once loved—and still can't forget. When she discovers a fellow prisoner may have the key to exacting that vengeance--a stolen djinn treasure--they execute a daring escape together and search for the hidden treasure.

Armed with dark magic and a new identity, Dania enacts a plan to bring down those who betrayed her and her family, even though Mazin stands in her way. But seeking revenge becomes a complicated game of cat and mouse, especially when an undeniable fire still burns between them, and the power to destroy her enemies has a price. As Dania falls deeper into her web of traps and lies, she risks losing her humanity to her fight for vengeance--and her heart to the only boy she's ever loved.

I enjoyed this well paced novel about revenge and its cost. The story had occasional chapters that showed us Dani and Mazin from before she was arrested, but I would have liked more from that time period.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

I thought that this was a really entertaining fantasy! The characters were really well-written and fully fleshed out. I felt like I was feeling what they were experiencing. The story was interesting and I’ve never read something quite like this before. The ending was everything I wanted and more. In all, I would recommend this book to those that want a story about a girl getting revenge on those that have wronged her and finding love and friendship through it all.

I unfortunately ran out of time to finish the full thing, but it really failed to grab my attention early on.
The beginning scene feels unnecessary, since it becomes instantly null and void. If it's not too late, I would consider cutting it and maybe splicing it with her original escape plan being interrupted with the other girl's escape plan. I think showing her frustration with being interrupted but also feeling overjoyed by actually /having/ a plan would be more interesting. It's show more of her character, which I didn't get a good feel in the first 20% of the book.
There are a number of grammar and spelling errors in the early chapters, which one or two doesn't bother me but there's more than that and it really contributed to my lack of interest. Normally this would have been exactly up my alley and I would've devoured it in days. It has some early on craft issues I think needs reviewing before publishing.

I love books that do a retelling of a classic story, so this book was so fun to read. It was lovers to enemies, had magic and romance in its retelling. The plot was very unique and highly imaginative. I loved Noor the best, and thought the romance was perfect. The twist in this book was shocking, I never saw it coming.

This retelling of "The Count of Monte Cristo" was thrilling and adventurous. This novel was action-packed and I could not put this book down before finishing it. The cultural elements of this book made it far more relatable for me and I enjoyed seeing South Asian representation. The main character, Dania, is a very well-developed character. She is strong and fierce, but also compassionate and vulnerable. I was always rooting for her and it was very enjoyable to read about her journey. Overall, this novel was very well-written and exciting.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for an ARC of this amazing novel!

I liked this book a lot.

Thanks to NetGalley for opportunity to review this book - I've been really excited about it and it did not disappoint.

This magic-realism Pakistani take on the tale of the Count of Monte Cristo was fast paced - I had trouble putting it down. There were a few loose ends which I wish had been addressed better, and some character development which felt unexpected, however I'm hoping it ends up being justification for a second book to delve into.

Emily Varga is a new author and she's got great ideas and enthusiasm for this genre. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday books for the arc in exchange for an honest review. A Pakistani romance fantasy reimagining of Monte Cristo. I love this story and was immediately sucked in! I am so pleased to have received a widget of this novel and I cannot wait to go get my physical copy on release day!!

Wow. I was not expecting this book to hit me so hard emotionally! For She Is Wrath not only gives us characters and their search for revenge but also shows us how hard it can be to handle grief and/or forgiveness.

There were twists in this book that blew me away! I thought I knew how the story would go and the author completely surprised me in the best way!

I did have a hard time with the very fast pacing at the beginning of the story which made it hard for me to get to know and become invested in the characters. But once it slowed down a bit, I was all in!

Thank you to the Author and Publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!