Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Varga, and St. Martins Press for granting me access to an e-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Varga creates a captivating world and plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. I especially loved all her characters and how intricately thought out they were. Each of them were flawed and realistic and all flowed together to create a thrilling cast of characters.

This book had me on the edge of my seat for what felt like the longest time ever! In the best possible way! Emily Varga creates such a complex and intricate world with diverse, innovative characters unlike anything I’ve seen before. Her writing style is also very smooth and easy to follow along to. The romance subplot was very sweet as well and had me kicking my feet! I highly recommend this read to anyone hoping to read a unique fantasy world with relatable characters and a sizzling romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Varga, and St. Martins Press for granting me access to an e-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For She Is Wrath is a Pakistani retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo.

Dania is sentenced to prison for a crime she did not commit! Betrayed by the boy she loved she tries to escape to seek vengeance on those who did her wrong. After sitting in prison for a year, Dania meets another cellmate who accidentally digs her way into Dania’s cell in an attempt to escape. Noor was sent to prison wrongfully for knowing something she refused to tell. Both girls build a friendship while working together to plot their escape and their vengeance once they get out. The story continues to develop around the adventures of the girls and their path to justice and vengeance.

One of my favorite movies is The Count of Monte Cristo so I personally enjoyed this book. I loved that this retelling had parts of the original story but at the same time was completely different. This was an easy read and kept me interested to the point I finished it in one day!

A stunning fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo with a fierce main character.
The story follows Dania as she is wrongfully accused and is sent to prison. What follows is a tale of revenge, love, and magic.
I loved the author's writing style and how smooth the dialogue and descriptions of this world was easy to see. The world building was well done and the magic was interesting.
But my favorite thing of all was of course the characters. Each one was flawed and had goals of their own but woven together in this story made it a compelling read.
Overall I definitely recommend to anyone who loves a tale of revenge mixed in with romance.

5 Stars: I'm actually in love! I adored this book and totally didn't read this instead of doing work(I did).

Description: When the boy she loves betrays her by framing her for a crime she didn't commit, Dania is on a quest for revenge. Armed with magic coveted by all, Dania uses her wits and skills with swords to take down the corrupt officials in a quest to destroy the people who ruined her life. But, as time passes, Dania begins to act as the very thing she wants to kill.

Dania was an exemplary main character. Her drive, development, and reasoning were excellently written. She was a character that people can relate to when it comes to overcoming feelings of anger and how different people deal with it. I loved Dania's love of swords, and I enjoyed that the author didn't allow her love of swords to take away from her femininity and how the character was who she was despite what people thought of her.

Even regarding the side character, I loved every second of this story. Noor is definitely a character many people can relate to, though she wasn't the main character. I loved her nonetheless and would love a book about her story.

In terms of romance, the story physically made me heart-wrenching. The author flips between different times in Dania and Maz's relationship, which makes the story all the more exciting and enjoyable. The author did an impressive job in portraying such a complex love betrayed.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this great ARC!

YA is usually not a genre I lean into, but I really enjoyed this fantasy. The chemistry between the main characters, with the sizzling trope of lovers to enemies, had me on my toes. I only wish there was a little more of a descriptive element to the book, and a boost of the world building. I also thought it somewhat strange that every character in the book was driven by revenge. With this being Emily Varga’s debut novel however, it is fantastically written and I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next.

Thank you to the publishing company for an early arc copy—I highly enjoyed reading this book! For fans of lovers-enemies-lovers, strong friendships, and lush writing; the author has taken a well-known tale and delivered a fresh take. The cultural immersion was fantastic and probably my favorite part. I’m excited to see what else she writes!

For She is Wrath is a gender swapped Pakistani retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo. Dani is consumed with revenge. For a year, she’s been imprisoned for a murder she didn’t commit. She finally manages to escape with fellow prisoner Noor , who knows where a stash of magical seeds (zoraat) are located. These seeds hold the magic of the djinn and can create just about anything- for a price. They use these seeds to create a wealthy persona for Dani that she can use to enact her revenge on those who betrayed her, including the man she loves, Mazin. The question is, how far is Dani willing to go for her revenge? Is her revenge worth the cost to her, Noor and Mazin?
I thought it was a great retelling, with several surprises in the plot that I was not anticipating.

I loved this retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, with a Pakistani based, romantic fantasy element. The djinn magic element was such a fun twist on this retelling.

The story built on itself so well and the character growth for Dania throughout the story was so good! You can tell she really came into herself and what was really important by the end of the book. We LOVE a story female character. And her friendship with Noor was so sweet. I would love to see more of Noor’s story!

Also, Dania and Mazin- I loved their story! I enjoyed getting the backstory of their relationship and the way the author placed those chapters throughout the story, it helped everything to flow so well from past to present. What a great enemies to lovers story!

I would have liked a little more world building but it wasn’t hard to follow with the world building there and this book was an easy read! Highly recommend.

Overall: 4.5/5
Spice: 0.5/5 (kissing and FTB)

Thank you NetGalley, Emily Varga, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for the chance to read this eARC and review it.

Written to be a retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo but from a female perspective with djinn magic. Sounds intriguing! I was hooked. How are we getting out of this prison? But then it settled into a revenge plot that just kind of lost me. I mean, I was following the story but I stopped caring about why. We didn’t build up the relationship enough for me to care that deeply about these people. And I saw the plot twist coming a mile away. The book is well written and the world building is vibrant, I hope the author writes more original work.

Mama, this was garbage. Did not realize characters could have so little depth they’re somehow less than one-dimensional, but I guess everything’s possible!

Y'all this book is so good. It is hard to world-build as much as Emily Varga did in this standalone but she made it work. For She is Wrath is a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo with a Pakistani spin. It follows Dania and her quest for revenge on those who framed her for a crime she did not commit. One of those people happens to be the very boy she once loved. While I did love Dania I happen to love Mazin more. Mazin is such an interesting male main character and he has a troubled past. Need I say more? This novel is action-packed with plenty of twists and turns. It has magic, enemies to lovers, and strong female characters. Although it is a standalone and I would love to read more about Dania and Mazin I felt satisfied with how Varga wrapped up the book. Emily Varga will be a new author to watch!
Content: closed door, strong language
Thank you to NetGalley. These opinions are my own.

Great Pakistani retelling of a classic piece of literature. I enjoyed the flow of the writing, the style, and the characters immensely. The action and drama and suspense were enough to keep me glued to the page!! It feels fast paced and you don't want to put it down. Absolutely will be recommending to friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book really had me hooked. When I picked it up late at night, I told myself I would read a couple pages before going to bed. Big mistake. Next thing I knew, it was way past my bedtime and I was 100 pages in. The initial vibes of the book were giving This Woven Kingdom mixed with Throne of Glass in a retelling of The Count of Monte Christo.

Now I don’t have many fond memories of The Count of Monte Christo because I read it in high school and was therefore forced to read it, ultimately making me automatically hate it and reading at the time. But, thinking back, I do remember actually quite enjoying the plot of The Count of Monte Christo, so I suppose I should give the beloved classic another shot, especially after reading and so thoroughly enjoying this this retelling.

In this Count of Monte Christo retelling, we are following Dania (Dani), a master sword-wielder and betray-ee, who has found herself in prison for 364 days for a crime she did not commit. The one who put her there? The man she loved most in this world. The man she trusted with everything. In comes a new partner in crime and vessel of vengeance, Noor. Together they plot their revenge on those that wronged them, but first, they need to break out. With the need for revenge, and a little magic, coursing through their veins, they set out to destroy those who deserve it most…or do they?

Crafting a well-rounded and detailed fantasy standalone can be quite a difficult feat, especially when the reference material is based on a very long novel (over 1200 pages depending on your edition). But Emily Varga nailed it. I found the world-building and magic system to be well constructed without bogging you down with too many details. The page count is also much more manageable and YA-friendly at 368 (ebook) pages. I was very satisfied with the length and content overall. It kept me fed without ever shoveling information down my throat or getting lost in the sauce, if you know what I mean.

The novel also tackles some great themes of love, friendship, loyalty, family, grief and more. There is also a then-and-now dual timeline that allows you to not only hear about what happened to our FMC but then also experience it as it had happened.

If none of this has convinced you to read this book, I will leave you with my favorite interaction at a very intense and pivotal moment:
“Tell me what you want, Dani.”
“What I want?” I lifted my sword in front of my face, the rain beating against the blade. “I want my fucking cat back.”

I wanted to love this book. I was excited when I received a copy. The premise was so appealing to me, but I feel like the execution just fell flat. I love a revenge plot, and nothing excites me more than reading about a vengeful woman who is going to make everyone who betrayed her pay. Unfortunately, it just didn’t play out like that. The revenge that she did achieve felt too convenient and Dania didn’t live up to the strong, vengeful female that the beginning built her up to be. All of the revenge was anticlimactic as a result, and the end was ridiculous. The reveal at the end didn’t fit at all with the rest of the story and was definitely a weak point for the novel. It was also disappointing that Dania kept questioning her revenge so often and going soft for Maz. I didn’t feel like the book needed a romance and redeeming him in her eyes to try to humanize Dania more through the power of love was disappointing. I wouldn’t call this a romantasy though either because the characters had no chemistry. Dania should have simply embraced being a woman scorned. I also wish we saw more genuine friendship between Dania and Noor rather than her being an object of convenience that existed only whenever a revenge plot needed executing.

3-3.5 STARS. A YA Pakistani-based fantasy inspired by "The Count of Monte Cristo"? Count me in!

PROS: Lovers-to-enemies? Yeah, we like that. Memorizing each other's scars? (😍😍😍)
Always enjoy having a strong, vengeful female main character.

CONS: I think the world-building could have been a little more fleshed out, as well as the romantic relationship. It didn't feel like the story dragged, rather, it felt as though issues were resolved too quickly. Knowing Arabic, it was also jarring to repeatedly read the character surname "Khara" (although upon further investigation I believe it has a different meaning in Urdu...)

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Emily Varga for this eARC!

They had me with “Pakistani romantic fantasy.” Emily Varga’s FOR SHE IS WRATH is stupendously, bewitchingly good. Featuring an unputdownable plot centered on two star-crossed lovers caught in an impossible game of revenge, FOR SHE IS WRATH is the kind of story you had no idea you’d been waiting for. A truly impressive debut by Varga.

This book was SO good!! For She is Wrath is a Pakistani romantic fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. Now, I have not read the original The Count of Monte Cristo so this was the first time I was reading this story.

This book is about getting revenge. Dania served a year in prison for a crime she didn't commit. She was framed by the person she trusted most, Mazin, the man she once loved. Since the betrayal, she has been obsessed with thoughts of vengeance for the past year. She is adamant about getting justice and has made a list of everyone who has deceived her. She becomes friends witha fellow inmate named Noor while incarcerated, and they soon turn into close allies. They intend to work together to escape from prison, find a hidden cache of pilfered zoraat seeds, and face the perpetrators of the crime.

This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time! The plot was amazing, I loved the magical elements, the characters were so interesting and don't get me started on the twists! I very much enjoy a powerful FMC out for revenge and this book gave me everything I wanted!! Overall, I enjoyed this fantasy read!

Left to rot in a prison, Dani thinks of nothing else but escaping, returning to her baba, and exacting revenge on the person who put her there - the one she thought was the love of her life, a man she thought of as an Uncle, the captain of the royal guard, and the very Emperor who uses Djinn magic to hold power. As she and an unlikely ally escape, their agendas align and together they plot their revenge, not only for themselves but also for the people oppressed by the Emperor's actions.

Overall, the world building was done on the simpler side, just enough to help the reader understand the environment, culture, day to day lives, but there was a layering that was missing. There was not many moments where she took time to really paint the picture, showing us more depth of the world, the colors, the sounds, etc. While Djinn are mentioned all through the book, and the Djinn magic, it’s not until almost the end where we finally see one. I would have loved more folklore sprinkled throughout the book.

It reads very YA, starting off is a bit clunky. The initial background of the Emperor and how he came to power was sporadic and it was rough. There’s a clunky paragraph that tells who Vahid is, that he bargained with a Djinn and now is Emperor, but it was done so quick with it felt like a throw away. But what really grated me was Chapter 3, where we have a flash back, but then we don’t have another one for a long time. This was like whiplash, a better pacing would be to omit all the flashbacks - incorporate the important parts as a paragraph as she remembers something, or add in more flashbacks early on. The early flashbacks didn’t do much for me feeling the tension between Mazin and Dani, but after her escape and she is disguised as another person, I couldn’t stop rooting for redemption of Mazin.

As Dani is working with Noor, the pacing picks a better medium - it’s quick and filled with action, and the conversations help give more backstory, while also making it hard to put down. I would have liked more of Noor and Dani digging, getting to know each other, even if it’s high-level montage, before their escape attempt, that way we feel their companionship more deeply. Their friendship still feels more out of necessity, but for Dani to feel loyal to Noor enough to search her out first instead of going straight to freedom didn’t feel real.

Overall a fun read, I would be excited to see what Varga does next.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Emily Varga for providing me with an ARC and the opportunity to read this story.

From the synopsis, I knew that this story was a Pakistani romantic fantasy about loss and revenge, however I was not ready for the emotional journey this story took me on. From the first few pages, I knew I was hooked and invested. We start the story with a prison break and the fast paced, gut wrenching writing never stops. Our female main character, Dania, is probably one of the most unhinged characters I have come across yet. I have heard the words “female rage” used before to describe books and characters but I hadn’t encountered one until now. Dania IS rage, all encompassed; she is also determination, she is revenge and she is power.

Varga’s writing was so immersive that I felt all the desperation, anger, unforgiveness, uncertainty and inner turmoil as her characters experienced them. Everything felt so raw and exposed. I also think she also did a great job with the characters' development throughout the story. How they each went through their personal journey of understanding and acceptance.

If you want to read a story that will grip your attention from the moment you open it’s pages to the very end, I highly recommend this book. I’ll be on the lookout for other stories published by this author.