4.75 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌖

I’ve never read The Count of Monte Cristo, so this was a fresh experience for me and the book stands beautifully on its own. The lovers to enemies, the need for revenge, the touch of magic. It all blends so beautifully together.

This has action, scheming, wonderful world building, and tremendous character archs. I throughly devoured this one.

My one negative is that the author often repeats facts that we’ve already learned thus making the book feel a bit longer than it needs to be.

Love a good revenge plot. You can feel the heart of the inspiration story but there’s enough here to make it feel wholly original too. The story pulls you in immediately with a great cast of characters and a female lead that strikes the perfect balance of vengeful and thoughtful.

Djinn are such underutilized fantasy creatures, I just wish they’d been more than a plot device for the magic system here. There’s plenty of lore that could’ve been tied in and it was a missed opportunity to enrich the backstory and the world.

The twist at the very end was so out of left field that I found it a bit disruptive. It answered a big open question but not in a satisfying way. I wanted to feel like maybe there had been breadcrumbs I could’ve found earlier on but I don’t think there were.

Otherwise, this was a really great debut and excited to see what else the author has to come.

Good idea but it didn't work for me. Seemed to be a lot going on and either too much detail, too little detail. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I loved everything about this book from the characters to the writing. I felt like I was in this book with amazing description of the city to the taste of the chai. I loved the banter between Dani and Maz in the past and present and the friendship that Noor and Dani have is one of my favorites that I have read.

“But there was something else there too, savage, elemental. The power of knowing this was righteous anger. A history of women and girls being wrong by men who never had any consequences. Now, I would be the consequences.”

Rating: 4 stars

Wow, just wow. I am obsessed with Emily Varga’s writing. This story follows Dani, recently escaped from prison with her new friend Noor, as she focuses her revenge on tearing down the empire that wronged her. First off, Varga encapsulates female rage like no other. Her one-minded determination to raze everything in her path for revenge is fantastic. Some people might like FMCs who show compassion, and while Dani does that I feel like her rage burns brighter and I love that. She was thrown into prison and her family broken apart for something she didn’t even do! I would be angry too!

I loved Dani’s relationship with Noor from the very beginning. Even while starved, beaten, given the first kernel of hope she had seen in over a year she still refused to abandon Noor in prison despite barely knowing her. I really appreciated the conflicts between them and how they showcased that while they meant a lot to each other, they still had their flaws and to be honest they were still new friends.

“His eyes, always dark, always filled with longing, were replaced with a different emotion. If I didn’t know better, I would say it was sadness. Good. He should be fucking sad.”

To be honest, I didn’t hate nor like Mazin. I hated how he threw her in prison, ranted about the emperor despite still being loyal to him, and how he put Anam over everyone else as if she was incapable of even learning to take care of herself. Despite this, there are things I enjoyed about him but I don’t want to get too specific.

The one thing I felt was missing was showing how everything was wrapped up. I felt like with Darbarban, Casildo, the emperor and everyone who Dani went after were wrapped up quickly. It almost felt like once she enacted her revenge, they were never mentioned again. I would’ve liked to see some follow-through or mentioning of loose ends (like Casildo’s daughter). Other than that, I was personally a little disappointed with how easily she forgave Mazin. I did give her some leeway here because she’s young, he’s the only person she has left from before the prison, and even though he was stupid he wasn’t malicious.

I will say I do not think this should be marketed as a reimagining of the Count of Monte Cristo. It it was marketed differently, I think more people would be willing to pick it up. Again, capitalize on that female rage! That’s why I picked it up and it definitely carried me through! Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

This book was fast paced and entertaining for the most part. I didn't love the ending; it just seemed too convenient. I also would have liked Noor to be utilized better and not just relegated to being a background sidekick most of the time, since she's the reason this all happened. If Dania really had grown as a person, she would have done more for her.

thank you to st. martin's press for the ARC!

i love a good standalone ya fantasy (especially given their relative rarity), and there's a lot to like about this one. we have an interesting plot, unpredictable twists, and swoon-worthy romance. however, funnily enough, my main complaint can actually be boiled down to the fact that i wish this had been a duology (or at least longer). the pacing felt quite rushed and i think more time with these characters could have helped me connect more with them and the stakes of the story. in fact, toward the end of the book, there were multiple times where the book was going in a direction that made me check to make sure it was a standalone, as i had no idea how everything could be properly resolved in the amount of time left (answer: not very well). i think the plot was just overly ambitious for the amount of pages it ended up occupying.

besides that, a few more "before" chapters focused on dania and her father's relationship could have helped me further understand her perspective and motivations as well. the worldbuilding and characters also did feel somewhat one dimensional and i wish the magic system and politics had been deeper explored. this world and plot started out so intriguing -- i just wish we had gotten to spend a bit more quality time together.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Wow. Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

Absolutely beautifully told story. The author does a wonderful job of telling Dania’s story of friendship, betrayal, love, vengeance and revenge. I really enjoyed the pacing of this story, it is told in the present and some chapters are flashbacks. It’s so well done. I could not put this book down, it was such a transfixing read for me. I cared for all the characters.
I loved Dania and her dynamic with Noor. I also loved her story and dynamic with Mazin *swoons*
And the twist at the end?! Did not see that one coming!!!!
Fantastic read. I will be buying a physical copy upon release! I have already recommended to friends and family!

A fantastic Count of Monte Cristo retelling set in an amazingly designed world inspired by Arabic folklore! Definitely a worthwhile read! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When I tell you this is the best fantasy book I have ever read, I am not overreacting. I breezed through this in just under a day and the end had me rethinking all of my decisions. When I searched up the book, I noticed it was extremely under hyped and I hope to introduce others into fantasy using this novel. I was hooked from the first page and the writing style is absolutely exquisite.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

For She is Wrath is a decadent, radiant YA romantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo with fantastic characters and gorgeous writing.

I ADORED this one. The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite classics, and I loved how FSiW retold the story, with some parts feeling lovingly familiar and others wonderfully new. The characters and character development were terrific, and I adored every single one. The romance was *chef’s kiss, and the rich world-building and fast pacing had me flying through the pages. I had a fantastic time with the female friendship, lovely training scenes, and captivating prose. FSiW is a new favorite!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ARC!

What a strong and amazing story. As somebody who has read both the original and this a retelling worth the time. Through the slight differences of characters and backgrounds, this is a whole new beautiful story. I having great literature artfully redone, so thank you for a new piece of great literature (Through a strong feminine point of view)

From the moment Dania was betrayed, framed, and imprisoned all she’s dreamed of is escaping and getting back to her family. So when a fellow prisoner breaks through the floor of her cell in attempt to tunnel her way to freedom, Dania feels as if her prayers have been answered.

However, once the two escape, tragedy finds Dania and any hope of rebuilding her life is replaced by the need for revenge. Using hidden djinn magic that is the source of the tyrannical emperors power, the two devise a plan to disguise themselves and bring down those that destroyed them. However, for Dania that means facing her first love, and the one whose betrayal cut her the deepest. As she gets closer to her retribution, Dania will have to decide how much of her own humanity she’s willing to give up and if she can break her own heart all over again.

For She is Wrath is a Pakistani fantasy reimagining of the Count of Monte Cristo, filled with magic, sword fights, and an enemies to lovers romance that will keep you guessing. The action starts from page one and stays fast paced through out the story. The only downside to this is that it doesn’t leave a lot of room for world building, and I would’ve loved to know more about the history of the empire and the djinn.

Overall the plot was great. There’s a pretty big twist at the end I did not see coming at all, that I’m still kinda in shock. More importantly, it set the stage for an important message, one I don’t think gets shared enough: forgiving someone doesn’t mean you owe them any more of yourself. You’re allowed to forgive and walk away. I found this pretty powerful, especially in a book in which a majority of the plot centers around revenge.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect to get so much out this book. It exceeded my expectations, and I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy YA action adventure stories with a strong FMC. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: October 29, 2024

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for my free e-reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book! It definitely could've benefitted from an additional 100 pages or if this was a duology as it was a little too fast-paced but I will always love South Asian fantasies and this one was so fun to read.

I received this book as an ARC, and absolutely loved it! The FMC was strong, determined, and felt on such a deep emotional level. I sometimes have a hard Time connecting with characters, but I seriously felt so attached to all of them. I loved the action scenes, and the testing of moral values( for a lack of better words lol) not sure is it’s going to be series or a stand alone, but the entire book was super satisfying!
You 100% need to add it to your TBR!!!

For She is Wrath had lots of potential for me but ultimately fell just a bit flat. It’s a 3.25/5 stars for me, because I believe this is the author’s first published book and I’m curious to see others of hers as she publishes more.

This book had all the great ingredients for me: Pakistani influence, gender-bent characters, strong character development, romantasy, etc.

Where it fell flat for me: pacing and initial dialogue

The book throws you into action with Dania trying to escape prison and continues being loosely based on The Count of Monte Cristo. It starts off a bit clunky here where readers are left to piece together what’s currently going on while understanding where the protagonist's rage is coming from. The dialogue between characters felt a bit forced in these scenes to move the plot forward and I just didn’t get quite enough context to care about their motivations. The first 1/3rd of the book I struggled through a bit.

However, as the book goes on more is uncovered and you begin to see dynamics build between characters, see more of why characters are driven by rage, and read through fantastical approaches to how characters deal with what’s driving them. The 2/3rd of the book I liked a lot; a few moments did drag on for me.

The last 1/3rd of the book I was enamored by! I almost wish it was expanded out here a bit more because I enjoyed the fast pacing, and would have loved longer scenes with the characters interacting with each other here. I loved the themes that were thrown out there and how the characters developed.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books and Emily Varga for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Being a girl never stopped me from stabbing someone who deserved it."

"A knife goes with every outfit."

"Did you think I wouldn't know you? I'd know you with any face. Any skin. Any hair. A thousand djinn could disguise you from me and I'd still be able to find you just by the sound of your breath."

This was so good! Magic and revenge and fierce girls and a hand flex moment! I read 95% of this is a day because I just couldn't put it down. I loved this Count of Monte Cristo retelling and this world and these characters.

Rounded down from 4.25 stars.

I applied for this ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) without knowing anything about the story, except: it was fantasy, I loved the title, and the cover is gorgeous. That’s the same way I go into most movies - and I’m so glad I did that for this book.

I really enjoyed this book! Here are the things I loved:
*Strong, badass female characters
*Interesting magic system
*I got to read a story from a culture different from mine
*Love, betrayal, revenge
*Friendships
*Clever characters
*Emotional
*Twist towards the end that I didn’t see coming
*The epilogue

Also, this author loved describing food and drink - and I’m here for it…had my mouth watering!

In my opinion, there’s room for improvement:
*i felt that some of the plot points were a bit too easy
*i would have loved for the magic system to be explored more

I definitely recommend this one. Also, when it comes out, I want a physical copy because that cover is GORGEOUS.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with this digital ARC.

This book was one of my most anticipated reads for 2024. So you can imagine my excitement when I was chosen for an ARC. However this book fell totally flat for me. I hate that this is described as a Count of Monte Cristo retelling. If anything it's Count adjacent. What REALLY set me off was Dania gets the love of her life, the success, and got to essentially play god with no consequences. This was the ENTIRE point of the book. That he went too far - that it wasn't his job to dole out justice. I really don't think it's appropriate at all to call this a retelling. Inspired yes.

Overall the books pace drags. The magic system isn't well written or explained. The characters aren't deep beyond the MMC and FMC. I can't say I recommend this book especially as a fan of the Count of Monte Cristo.

Big thank you to NetGalley, Emily Varga, and the publishers for this early access!

I think Noor and Dania’s dynamic was my favorite. Dania is a total badass the whole way through. The “drive for revenge but also realization that it will tear you apart to get it” plot was very well executed.

I felt the connection between Dania and Maz but it was a tad annoying at points. The pacing was a tad off at points. I felt like some points lasted a little too long and others swept by quickly. Overall, it was a great ride the whole way through.

The twists and turns were unexpected but they were fun! The ending made perfect sense for this book, I just wish we got a tad more closure on the friendship dynamic.

Overall, I had fun and would definitely read more from Emily Varga.