Thank you Wednesday Books for the gifted eARC

This Pakistani inspired The Count of Monte Cristo retelling had exactly what I want from a retelling - the original story provides the framework, but Varga fills in the rest with unique world building and characters that make this its own.

If you’ve read/watched the original I think you will find that the spirit of the story stays alive in Wrath, but the fantasy twist makes for a very fun deviation.

This book has romance, friendship, beautiful descriptions of settings, food that will have you looking up the nearest Pakistani restaurant, and of course REVENGE.

4.5 stars- I really enjoyed this! A few elements in the conclusion went a little wonky for me, but overall a fantastic and unique read that I’d highly recommend. A very impressive debut!

This book's plot suffers heavily from the miscommunication trope. I went into this thinking that the main character would go on an epic quest for revenge, but things were really just not that serious. I also feel that the world was pretty poorly developed; I was interested in the world, but wasn't really given enough information.

No trope hits quite like enemies-to-friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to....

The story sucks you in from the very first chapter! Pacing is good and characters are endearing. I know flashback scenes can be hit or miss for many readers, but I really enjoyed their incorporation in this story. My only complaint is that ~being angry~ seems to be the *only* personality trait our FMC has. Which, okay, I get it, it's in the title. She IS wrath. She's in her villain era and I love that for her. But it can make it difficult to connect with her at times. But I absolutely appreciate that she's willing to do some nasty stuff to reach her goals. We need more ruthless heroes in fantasy!

For She is Wrath by Emily Varga was a surprising read for me! I enjoyed it way more than I anticipated and my biggest gripe with the story was that it was a stand-alone! Very rarely do I think books need to be longer, I typically think they can be condensed but for this one, I wish it was at least a duology!

In this book, we follow Dania as she is in prison for a crime she didn’t commit and counts down the days until she can get revenge on Mazin, the man who was once her lover. Teaming up with one of her fellow prisoners they go on to get retribution on all those who have wronged them.

I loved the depiction of hatred and how it can fuel you, but it will come with consequences. I understood every step Dania took in the story; her feelings were the strongest part of the entire story. It felt a little rushed, the world had a fascinating dark magic system that I wish we had explored more. I was also shocked at the ending, I felt like it would have been perfect if once again we had a bit more time spent in the world and had more interactions or more hints as to what was to come.

Overall, I give this book a 3.75 rounded up to a four star. I will definitely be recommending this book at work.

I was really intrigued by this book. The cover and description pulled me in, and story kept me hooked. The slow build of the characters, adding bits and pieces of the past to help understand them better as the story went on, made for a really interesting read because the further into the book I got the more I could understand why everyone made the decisions they did. For me, if I can understand why everyone does what they do without being explicitly told, that's a sign of a great writer because I want to really know and understand the characters without having to hear their every inner thought spelling out the reasons for everything, The way the layers of the plot unfold the further you get into the book was so satisfying, everything building on top of the what came before so perfectly, I couldn't stop reading to see where the story was leading next, but with consistent themes throughout tying it all together.

An amazing reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo with the same daring prison escape and narrator bent on revenge. There’s even a touch of Game of Thrones with the revenge list! I loved the friendship between the two main female characters. There are twists and great suspense in this book also. The theme of vengeance and what it requires is very vividly fleshed out in a way where the choices makes sense. If I have one criticism, it is that some choices seem to happen too quickly to me and at times seemed to lack emotional depth. However, I would still highly highly recommend this book!

In prison for a crime she didn’t commit, Dania spends her time dreaming of revenge on Mazin, the boy she loved, the one responsible for her downfall. When a fellow prisoner, Noor, leads her to a stolen djinn treasure, Dania has what she needs to bring down their enemies. But with a spark still burning between her and Mazin, will she be able to bear vengeance’s cost?

This Pakistani retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo was engaging from the very start. The djinn magic was both dangerous and alluring.

Dania was a strong fighter and rarely hesitated to take action. Noor was a good balance to Dania’s impulsiveness. I enjoyed their growing friendship.

Mazin was a mystery, his character revealed through flashbacks of their romance and the current timeline’s unfolding action. The chemistry between him and Dania was fire.

This was a thought-provoking story, delving into morally grey choices, revenge, and forgiveness.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC.

Lovers to enemies to lovers is more than enough said for this book but it wouldn't do it justice to simply reduce it to the tropes. A whirlwind story about revenge For She is Wrath had the tension and drive to immediately pull me in. The relationship between Dania and Noor was so wonderful and honestly I wish we had a bit more of it; at times it felt like Noor was reduced to a very minor side character rather than her main accomplice. The biggest thing I could critique is the pacing of the novel, especially at the end. Parts felt like they were resolved jarringly, especially within Dania's past. If you're going to do that ending(which it could've been a super fascinating twist) I think it needed to be set up just ever so slightly better.

Thank you NetGalley , for this ARC !

This is a Pakistani romantasy retelling about Dania , a fierce and strong swordsman who was framed for a crime she didn’t do , by someone who she thought loved her !!!!

This is very LOVERS TO ENEMIES !!
It has FEMALE RAGE !
Magic , and secret identity!!
Not to mention Dania is a swordsman FMC !

The story was very compelling, and has you hooked right away ! The characters were very complex but Interesting !
Not to mention the story was very fast paced and that’s something that I appreciated!

This was a lot better than I thought , and I can’t wait to get a physical copy !

This book is perfect if you loved the Count of Monte Cristo as a kid, but you wished for my diversity in the writing. I loved every moment of this book and the Pakistani mythology that breathed through. The main female character is also amazing and a badass.

Starting this book was like opening a door to a lush new world. Romantic Fantasy at it's finest with this one. I fell in love with the world, the magical elements, the twisty twists that had me gasping at times. I believe this is the first time I have read a pakistani romantic fantasy and trust me, it WON'T be the last!! I will be reading from this author more often.

The vibes that has the count of monte cristo small similarities is right on the nose!

I received an ARC of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

She is Wrath by Emily Varga is a fantastic fantasy romance debut. Our female lead character is Dania. After being framed for a crime that she did not commit, she has spent 365 days in prison enduring mistreatment and torture. She is determined to escape and get revenge on those that betrayed her and her family. After meeting Noor, a fellow prisoner by chance, the two manage to escape and embark on a adventure game of cat and mouse in search of revenge.

Dania is a strong female lead character who has so much heart and depth. While she is a skilled fighter and swordswoman, she needs Zorat, a plant that Noor can blend to harness magic. The two woman are a great team and Noor is an impressively loyal friend willing to support Dania plans but also hold her accountable when necessary. I was worried that they would be found out and while I supported Dania's choices, I was also worried that she would go too far. I was not expecting the story line with Dania's former best friend and love to play out the way it did. Letting us see Dania and Mazin before the betrayal helped me see him in a different light and understand her enduring feeling for him.

The story is a captivating read and I was immediately drawn in and invested in the outcome. The magical elements of the story were unique and there were twists that completely surprised me. I can't wait to see what the author, Emily Varga, creates next.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up.
This was a fast paced young adult fantasy. I have to preface this by saying I do no read young adult fantasy very often. However, I enjoyed the pacing and overall adventure of this story! I enjoyed the characters and magical system.

Thank you St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.”

I absolutely loved this book. I love love love the Count of Monte Cristo (the movie). Once I heard about this gender swapped retelling I knew I wanted to read it. We get fierce female characters, friendships, and revenge. Oh yeah, and lovers to enemies to lovers - gold.

Before you compare this to The Count of Monte Cristo in it's exact form, it's not. It's a retelling for a YA audience so keep that in mind. It still has all the vibes and inspiration from the original work. Even if one has never read or seen the movie, I think readers will enjoy this tale of vengeance, betrayal, and determination to fight back against those who have wronged you, and the path that can take you on if you're not careful.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. I LOVED this book!!! The vengeance was satisfying, the friendships heart warming, and the romance was so cute! I enjoyed the dual timelines of the prison break and what happened before Dania was sentenced to prison. I really enjoyed her character, her sharpness and fighting spirit. The magic system was also fascinating, I loved how the journey for revenge and power was intertwined with the magic system and I think the conclusion was really satisfying. This was a really fun, fast, and thrilling read that was also very touching.

This book was everything! Epic, dramatic, tense, adventurous. I went through a roller coaster of emotions as I was reading. Would definitely recommend to friends :)

Going into a retelling it’s always interesting to see how the author will change it up and if they’ll do it in a way that keeps the story intriguing and the reader pulled in, Emily Varga successfully does both. Having read The Count of Monte Cristo I knew what to expect with the basic premise, but the rich story telling and the twists as you get further through the book definitely kept me glued to the pages. The descriptions of the color, clothing, bazaar, the homes, the city, and the characters were enough to clearly picture this beautiful backdrop in my mind. The use of magic was well done and I liked that it wasn’t how we traditionally see magic used and so it couldn’t be used to explain everything.
Thank you @netgalley and @wednesdaybooks for the ARC! ⚔️🔥

This is a book where the problem may be me more than anything else. This is a really solid YA fantasy. The worldbuilding is strong enough, and I did find the main character compelling.

For me, however, even though I understood the classic inspiration for the plot, The Count of Monte Cristo (a book I was weirdly obsessed with by the way), the plot here still felt a bit paint by numbers to me, which is something I’ve been feeling for a few years with YA fantasy.

That being said, I absolutely think this book will have a solid audience, and I think the author shows a lot of promise and will definitely read more from her in the future.

I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Alright I absolutely loved this book. I went into it knowing exactly what it is which is a gender bent Counte of Monte Christo retelling with magical elements and man did it deliver. The writing was beautiful, the emotions, the betrayal, the struggle of remembering what was and trying to piece together the aftermath. It gripped me and held my focus in a way few books have recently. This book is about the exchange of power and anger and how having more of it could lead you down the same path of those you hated the most.

There is a lot of love in this book as well, whether familial, romantic, friendship and all the ways it can get twisted and used against you. I loved the characters and their dimensions. The duality of characters as the story progresses really were dynamic as I had to change my pov of who they were and how I felt about them. I ended up feeling pity for some of the characters I thought were minor and could do no wrong and some that I hated and was supporting her revenge. I highly suggest everyone pick up this book!

Review: For She is Wrath by Emily Varga

For She is Wrath is a YA fantasy adventure that will appeal to those who like to read about revenge, dark magic, and second chances.

The story was interesting and the twists and turns could be surprising. However, I did find some of the story a bit predictable at first. That being said, the themes of second chances, friendship, and forgiveness were carefully cultivated to make this a YA story that will appeal to fantasy/dystopian readers but also help the reader consider consequences of revenge and anger.

I highly recommend For She is Wrath to readers who enjoyed Children of Blood and Bone or Hunted by the Sky.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.