Absolutely spectacular!! This was so brilliantly written. The author truly has an amazing way with words, and her world building skills are truly unbeatable! I felt like I was fully immersed in the story. Every painful moment, anger filled moment, and saddening moments hit me deeply. The twists were brilliantly placed with no warning ahead of them. It truly kept me on the edge of my seat. I lost sleep solely as I couldn't put this book down, I just had to read it in one sitting. I loved Dani's determination and character development throughout the story. Noor is the true friend we all need in our lives. Mazin was remarkably intriguing when things finally came to light. There are soo many deep meanings about true friendship and how far people go for vengeance... but at what cost? Loved every moment of this, I highly recommend!! Go pre-order this immediately, as I plan to as well to have a copy on my shelves! Plan to see if the author has more books, so I can devour them as well!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Wednesday Books to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

Five star read, and I will tell you why.
Big thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for allowing me to have early access and read this work of art!

Character growth. Enemies to Lovers. Vengeance to acceptance. Dual time line (executed perfectly), and plot twists that you never seen coming!

This book was so well written, and I didn’t want this story to end. I fell for each character (Dani, Maz, and Noor will hold a special place in my heart.) The character’s growth throughout the story is amazingly written and thought out. They are relatable! The female leads are strong, inspiring, and beautifully flawed. You really see their outlooks of their inner self’s change in this book. Romance is apart of this book, but I felt it was more of a subplot to the outlook of the plot as a whole. It would have done just fine without it in my opinion, and that to me makes this story a five star read!

“Well, I’ve never been one to do what men expect.”
-Dani

I was so excited that this was a Count of Monte Cristo retelling, but this book didn’t meet my expectations.

The book started out well. At first I thought it was going to follow the events of The Count of Monte Cristo too closely, but it soon deviated from that. And even though there were things about this book that I didn’t like, it was a quick and easy read. That’s why it’s getting 3 stars instead of 2.

I liked the addition of magic added to the story. It put a new twist on it.

I love revenge stories, but unfortunately this book had less vengeance and more swooning. Our main character, Dania, couldn’t stop pining for the man that betrayed her. She had to keep telling herself not to fall for him again. It got to be super annoying. I can understand having a physical reaction to seeing him again, but I don’t know why she wasn’t angrier about his betrayal. And his reason for betraying her didn’t make any sense to me.

The switching between the present and the past was a little jarring for me. While it was nice to find out what had happened, I felt the “before” chapters interrupted the flow of the book.

I wanted the revenge plans to be as well-planned and satisfactory as they were in The Count of Monte Cristo, but each of their plots were simple and easily achieved. Noor lacked any substance as a character and was only there as a sidekick. I felt like we really didn’t get to know her. And she leaves just as Dania decides to go after Vahid? That really confused me.

Around 85%, I just completely lost interest and skimmed the rest of the book. I guess this one just wasn’t for me.

***Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. My opinions are my own***

This book was an unexpected delight!

The premise caught my eye - a retelling of "The Count of Monte Christo" with elements of Middle Eastern influence.

Despite that, I didn't have any expectations going in, as I've not read anything else by this author, but I was immediately hooked! I always appreciate strong world-building and a main character with whom I can connect, and this book had both. The plot is well-paced with plenty of action and intrigue. The romance was swoon-worthy. I raced through this novel and will be sure to recommend it to my students, perhaps buying a copy or two for my classroom library.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this work.

Dania has been wrongfully accused of treason and sent to prison by her childhood friend and lover. Another prisoner is trying to tunnel out of prison and accidentally tunnels into Dania’s cell. They decide to escape together and get revenge for the wrongs committed against them.

This was good but I feel like too much time was spent trying to escape the prison, and it seemed like the warden just magically knew too much. We also get no information on why Dania had a reaction to just *touching* the magical seeds. The villain reveal was surprising but a little unbelievable imo.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books, for this ARC!!! Pub Date: October 29, 2024.

“A sweeping, Pakistani romantic fantasy reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo, where one girl seeks revenge against those who betrayed her—including the boy she used to love.”

I fell in love with this story and its characters. I did not want it to end! To say I was blown away is an understatement.

This is one of those books that I felt instantly connected to. From the very first page, I was drawn in and transported to this world. I could not put this book down. The magical elements were so fascinating to me, and there were so many little twists along the way. I’m obsessed. I cannot wait for publication day so the rest of the world can experience this one.

This book alone has made me a fan—I will read every book this author writes. Emily Varga has been added to my list of author/book soulmates 😂

You must add this one to your TBR list. You will not be disappointed (and if you are, don’t tell me). October 29, 2024, cannot come soon enough!

I loved this book. It will be a classic for me and my library, and I plan to reread it very soon.

🧝‍♀️⚔️🌾🔥

A fiery tale of revenge and romance. I was intrigued from the start with our FMC and her first appearance being in a prison. The story only escalated and kept me engaged as a reader! Emily Varga has crafted an exquisite debut that I look forward to seeing on shelves in the future!

Dania is a girl imprisoned by her lovers betrayal. An encounter with another prisoner sets her on a path to escape, and revenge using stolen magic. Dania her new found friend Noor set out to seek vengeance against those who have taken everything from them.

Things I really loved
-strong female lead who was willing to risk it all
-the strong presence of female friendship
-a new spin on enemies to lovers

Things that could use some work
-the world building
-the romance aspect
-pacing

Dania and Noors dynamic was something really special. I immediately felt their connection. I felt like Noor made Dania more likable for me, she was the perfect balance for a character like Dania. I like how Noor wasn’t afraid to hold back at the expense of her friend’s feelings. Every time she had to realign Dania I felt it was truly justified.

I truly appreciated that we have a FMC who is a bad ass in her own right, she had a power of her own that wasn’t magical. It made her path for vengeance really interesting to me. Love drives her but will it also destroy her this whole premise had me at the edge of my seat.

I enjoyed that Dania using a different face found herself falling for her lover turned enemy. I was holding my breath wondering if or when Mazin would find out. There was so much to this that I wasn’t guessing would happen. I was so confused at the last 20% because I really wasn’t expecting the twists and turns

I felt the world building was a little lacking to me. We hear about these different areas but it wasn’t really more than face value. I also felt this way about the magic used. I researched by chance about djinn and what it is. Ironically it was right before I was started this book so that was still fresh in my mind. I would’ve like this aspect explored more in the beginning as opposed to more at the end.

I feel conflicted saying I didn’t enjoy the romance. I did and I really like Mazin. I felt like towards the end of the book it was rushed, but the flashbacks really built up the feelings between the two. I can see exactly why Dania was angry with him. The flashback really solidified the romance. The present day romance was flat.

The pacing was inconsistent. Some things were really drawn out and some things (some revenge parts) felt very rushed! There was a lot of backstory being built that the present day events felt rushed. I think if there had been a little more balance this would’ve been perfect! I felt more connection to the back story than the current plot line.

Over all this book kept my attention and I just had to know how it ended so I will give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley, Emily Varga and Wednesday Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review

I would like to start off by thanking NetGalley and the publishers for granting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. That being said, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I had anticipated. The setup for this book made me believe it would be one of my top books this year, but to my surprise it fell short.

In the beginning, world-building and character development were promising. As the story progressed, it seemed like they became less of a priority and it started to fall flat. Things were getting resolved too quickly and at times didn’t make a lot of sense. Admittedly, at the end I was skimming through as I had almost entirely lost interest. I truly believe that this has potential to be a good book for the right person, it just wasn’t right for me.

For She Is Wrath is a beautiful retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. I loved the descriptive language Varga used, along with carefully crafted character development. I know my students will love this book

Flame worthy confession? I have yet to read The Count of Monte Cristo which this is a retelling of. It is on my TBR, I promise. But maybe it's also better this way. I can dive into such a classic piece of literature slowly.
I'm here for any retelling. I'll be honest and up front about that right now. So I may be biased in my ratings as I generally love them.

But hello Djinn magic, that was going to place this book in a winning category even if it wasn't a retelling.

I loved the setting...the characters. I'm thinking maybe I should bump the book this inspired.

I LOVE a super unique magic system, so automatically this book is GREAT! Also... lovers to enemies? OKAY YES! I have to admit that this book has pleasantly surprised me. This is a Pakistani romantasy novel. I adore Dania's desire for vengeance—to burn the world down—and I adore seeing her exact some of it. This book could have been longer, and I don't usually say that, but in all honesty! This book was enjoyable to read, and the worldbuilding drew me in straight away, which can be difficult with fantasy novels, but this one did a great job. I didn't feel overpowered by the environment or the new characters I met.

To say I’m obsessed with Dania, Noor, and Maz is a huge understatement. Dania & Noor are the epitome of found family & i love the way they care for each other.

This book has it all, literally. Magic, betrayal, love, loss, revenge, sword fighting, and even finding your inter bad a—.

I loved this book from beginning to end, the story was captivating & intriguing. Filled with twists you won’t see coming as you follow Dania and Noor on their path to avenge the deaths of their loved ones by any means necessary. This book shows just how far someone will go to have ultimate power, and the sacrifices that shall accompany it.

Such a great read. Thank you to #netgalley for my copy of #forsheiswrath

I initially requested this ARC because I loved the cover art and the description intrigued me. I absolutely loved this Pakistani retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. It has enemies to lovers and world building that I loved.
The only thing that stopped me from eating 5 stars was that I felt the world building could’ve been expanded just a tiny bit but that might just be me nitpicking. Overall, I adored this book and can’t wait to order it for work.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Varga, and the publishers for allowing me access to the e-Arc.

4.25 stars

I have never read The Count of Monte Cristo but it was an enjoyable read. I really loved the moments of female rage. The woven magic of the djinn was very interesting. The story captured immediately at the beginning till the end. The romance was really good!

I highly recommend it!

Book: For She is Wrath
Author: Emily Varga
Rating: 2 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Wednesday Books, for sending me an ARC. Once again, this is another case where it’s me and not the book. The Count of Monte Cristo is a story that I have not enjoyed the most. I don’t know what it is about this story, but it has just never meshed with me. I want to like it, but I have yet to fall in love with it. I thought that maybe a retelling would help me, but it didn’t.

In this one, we follow Dania, who has been in prison for a crime that she did not commit. She spends her time counting down the days and time until she can get revenge on the person who put her here. It also just happens to be the boy she once loved. One night, she meets another prisoner who has a bit of magic of her own: a stolen djinn treasure. The problem is that she doesn’t know where it is. Together they come up with a plan to find the treasure and create a new life. With this new life, Dania sets out to get revenge on anyone who has wronged her and her family-including the boy she loves. It becomes a game of high stakes cat and mouse with the risk of losing the human side of herself.

This is a great setup and I thought really did think that I would enjoy this one. I expected to be pulled right in. However, I thought that the world building and the character relationships could have been fleshed out a little bit more. The book is not slow by any means, but it felt like things were figured out too quickly. It also made things, at times, not make the most sense. The plan didn’t seem to have the thought and care that could have been there. It needed to fleshed out just a little bit more and made just a little bit longer.

Dania was a solid lead. She had a goal put in place and would stop at nothing to make sure that goal was carried out. She was determined to see it through no matter the cost. I do get the wondering mind though. She isn’t very old and she has been through a lot. It’s okay to allow your mind to wonder. It makes her human. That is what it comes down to at the end of the day. It makes her human. I love characters who have human sides. It adds more to the story.

Again, this is not the book’s fault. It just wasn’t the book for me.

This book comes out October 29, 2024.

This book did a great job at holding my attention and drawing me in. The twist at the end was very unexpected. I loved it.

4 stars!
Overall I found this an entertaining and fast paced story, and I liked the main characters and their arcs.
The story follows a fairly predictable plot line but since it’s a reimagining of Monte Cristo it makes sense.
Thanks for allowing me to read and review!

Wow! If this is a debut, I can't wait to see what's next! This book is such an intense and emotional journey, and I loved every second! Varga's writing is spectacular, and her characters are so multifaceted and relatable. The world was rich with an interesting magic system. The politics didn't get too heavy, but were an important part of the world. The action sequences were fantastically written. And the rage! All the characters had ample motivation and I loved watching them work through their emotions. Overall, an exceptional debut that deserves a spot on anyone's shelf.

Love the song "Labor" by Paris Paloma? Can't get enough of TTPD (or, as Taylor Swift calls it in the Eras Tour, Female Rage: the Musical)? If so, this is the female rage book you've been waiting for. I loved this book from start to finish. The voice is incredible--there were times I actually laughed. The action is thrilling, the romance is hot, and the settings and magic system fully captured my imagination. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable read.