This was a great fantasy YA book! I loved that the world was easy to understand and the magic system was simple, but there was still a conclusion to the book that I didn’t guess ahead of time. I loved the friendship that developed between two of the main characters. I was engaged the entire time I was reading and it kept a pretty fast pace.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in return for my honest feedback.

Revenge and vengeance are such interesting concepts and both are fully explored in Emily Varga's novel 'For She is Wrath'. When framed for a crime she didn't commit by the boy she loves, Dania is sent to prison to live out the rest of her days. By a stroke of luck she befriends fellow cellmate Noir and they both escape prison and enter a path of retribution and revenge. Both Dania and Noor assume new identities and begin scheming and exacting their revenge.

Filled with magic, swords, and djinn this novel had it all. Most importantly it also showcases the slippery slope of pursing revenge and how it can consume a person. While this is a revenge tale, there's also a beautiful love story and flashbacks with Dania and Mazin - her childhood love. I appreciated the build up of Dania and Mazin's unexpected reunion and how Noor remained a constant vessel of humanity for Dania.

Filled with rich costumes, palaces, and delicious food Emily Varga has written a wonderful novel. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for my thoughts.

When I came across this book on Netgalley, I was intrigued by the storyline. While I've never read The Count of Monte Cristo, I've seen the 2002 movie many times, so I'm familiar with the basic story, and I was interested in seeing how these two versions of the story would compare, or at least see if I could spot any similarities between the two stories. And I ended up really enjoying this book. It felt like it was a face paced read, and I was hooked from the very beginning. There were several scenes in the book that were very similar to the original story, so if you've read the book, or even watched any film adaptation, there will be scenes very similar in this book. So, if you're looking for a new book filled with revenge, action, magic, and jinn, I highly recommend giving this book a try when it comes out this fall.

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0

I received this as an ARC in exchange for a review. But I have also pre-ordered it.

This is a fantastic debut novel. I loved the story, the character journey, and even the surprise twist which actually saved this review from being lower. Was it perfect? No, but the author has a lot of potential and I cannot wait to see what more they have to offer.

It has found family aspects, lovers to enemies, and a lot of new to me mythology I want to look more into.

The only thing that truly hurt this overall enjoyable read was that I wanted more. There were parts that more information would have been helpful. Describing the scene, especially landscapes, instead of just glossing over it, and a little bit more history or backstory. I think a map at the start of the book would do wonders to even solve some of those issues without changing the story or doing significant editing.

Gender bent Count of Monte Cristo. The characters didn’t grab me. DNF at chapter 3 because the story and characters didn’t suck me in and I was bored.

The premise sounded right up my alley, but after five chapters in, I don't think this is for me. The writing did not work for me, and I found it difficult to continue with the story.

“ “I am a tool of vengeance now,” I uttered. “I exist to destroy those who came for me and my family.” I could feel my fingers tingling, a similar feeling to the one I got before lifting my sword for the first time in battle. That’s what this feeling must be—battle lust.”

For She is Wrath follows Dania who has been betrayed and falsely accused of a crime she did not commit. She plots out her revenge against those who have wronged her and won’t let anything get in her way.

I appreciated the Pakistani lovers to enemies romantic fantasy elements of this book. This is a plot-driven book with an almost singular focus on revenge (no surprise, given the title). These are not themes I normally read and I didn’t really find myself getting into the book until the last 20% or so. I thought about not finishing it a few times but was curious to see it to the end. If these are tropes you enjoy or you’re a fan of The Count of Monte Cristo, this could be a good fit for you.

I really enjoyed this book overall! There were several minor typos, primarily (if not solely) the space missing between two words, and I noted them all on my kindle if anyone would like that info (assuming it hasn’t been rectified already, which, I assume it has been lol). Thank you so much for allowing me this arc; I thoroughly loved it. Below is my review I posted to my new bookstagram acct, also linked below with my GR review.

A beautiful, thorough story of retribution and friendship. Gives you the satisfaction of vengeance/karma for those who deserved it. A plot twist I didn’t see coming, at the end of a medium-fast paced book. It’s a lose, fantasy, retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, with Pakistani women!

Pakistani retelling of Dumas’ masterpiece classic “The Count of Monte Cristo” couldn’t have been executed better! I enjoyed every part of it: the action-packed fighting scenes, prison escape sequences, mind-blowing revenge plans, scheming, betrayal, and high-chemistry romance with feminism and girl power vibes blended with Islamic horror, cultural elements, and supernatural phenomena, making the reading experience more enjoyable than most fantasy novels.

Dania is definitely the heroine you love to root for: tough, skilled fighter, survivor, determined, and behind her rough facade, she’s still caring and vulnerable for her loved ones. Being neglected from kind human touch makes her even more resilient.

Betrayed by the boy she loved and trapped in a prison cell for 364 days for a crime she didn’t commit, Dania faces torture by the notorious prison guard Touffsa, a vindictive, greedy, and merciless woman. She harbors revenge against the traitor guard Darbaran and her lover Mazin, who is also the right hand of Emperor Vahid, the first reason for putting blame on her.

When she hears scratching sounds in her cell and discovers a young prisoner girl named Noor attempting to escape, she realizes they can be partners to speed up the process. Noor knows how to raise and blend zoraat, a special vegetation that grants power and wealth to the empire. Together, they plan to use the zoraat’s powers to disguise themselves, create enough funds, and overthrow the emperor.

As unexpected events unfold and Noor is put in the infirmary, giving them a chance to escape and work on their plan, Dania must fight against the darkness slowly consuming her body and find a way to get revenge from Mazin, even as her feelings for him continue to ache her heart.

Can two young women defeat the most powerful emperor and his bloodthirsty guards, burning the empire to the ground while also fighting against more dangerous demons? Can Dania resist the Djinn powers seeking dark revenge?

Overall, it’s a fast-paced, exciting, and well-developed fantasy that I truly enjoyed. The romantic parts are also enjoyable, especially the palpable chemistry between Mazin and Dania. It’s one of the best retellings I highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for sharing this unputdownable YA fantasy novel’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

DNF around 50% and skimmed through the rest - I was extremely disappointed in this one. Noor was used only to help Dania escape in the beginning of the book then she was completely ignored, had no personality, no growth, and absolutely no revenge. Dania was so back and forth with her inner monologue it became frustrating and I couldn’t stand it anymore. For she is wrath? Where was the wrath for most of the book?

“…what was freedom worth if I still felt imprisoned?”

“For She is Wrath,” by Emily Varga

Framed for a crime, Dania is determined to escape prison and get revenge for the one who put her there, the boy she used to love. When another prisoner has knowledge of Djinn treasure, they both exact a plan to get justice for themselves.

I thought I knew what I was going to get into when I started this book, but wow did it impress me. The female rage in the book was absolutely amazing. All the characters were written so well and very dynamic, I got attached really fast. The world that was built was detailed and unique with the Pakistani scenery. It was very adventurous, dark and tense. The pacing was a good medium. The twists and turns were not what I was expecting, and I did not guess the ending at all. I absolutely loved this book and I’m so happy I read it. 5 out of 5 stars.

-Djinn
-Magic
-Drugs
-Revenge
-One Bed Trope
-Enemies To Lovers
-Found Family
-Pakistani
-The Count of Monte Cristo Retelling

Thank you so much for the ARC, Netgalley.

It was alright, It didn’t really achieve anything remarkable and i found myself able to skip over a few pages and still be able to follow the plot easily, it’s very simple writing and simple story good for a younger audience. I think someone 18/19 would relate more to the FMC mindsets than someone in their 20s.

I’ve never read The Count of Monte Cristo, so I kinda jumped into this a bit blindly. The premise is kickass: a young woman framed for a crime she didn’t commit breaking out of prison to get back at those who betrayed her. Dania is a super powerful character, and the shifting attitudes of being too blinded by rage to make smart decisions and working through her grief play really well together. The middle section of this book is absolutely stunning. Dania is struggling with her developing addiction to zoraat, her rage and grief around her family’s deaths, the betrayal of the boy she loved, all of these have created a beautiful character. There’s a huge build up of finally getting payback for what’s been done to her too, and the way it pieces together is so well written. There’s all of these conflicts between her best friend and whether they should seek revenge, she’s battling all of these thoughts around still loving the man who didn’t try to save her, and these moments where the book slows down to consider these ideas that Dania really shines.

My main concern with this book is the pacing. The beginning and end of this book seem very hurried, forcing a few moments between characters that sometimes don’t feel as earned. The sections in this book where Dania is plotting and working through all of her complex emotions shine so brightly. Maz isn’t my favorite character, and Dania’s being able to forgive him so quickly does fall a bit flat for me because her rage is such a huge character motivator that it doesn't seem like it should be dropped so quickly. I love a book where a girl is given the space to be pissed off and do something about it, so the later moments with Maz weren’t my favorite. That being said, the worldbuilding was such a fun backdrop for Dania and Noor’s adventures, and overall I had a good time!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I loved this retelling.

To start off, I was very interested in reading this book because, of course, it’s a retelling. When I first started this book, I was a bit confused with the past and present POV because the author didn’t inform the readers when a flashback started. At times I wouldn’t know it was a flashback until I kind of was already half way through the passage, which made it hard to follow along with the story. There is a twist that happens near the end of the book but unfortunately it wasn’t a shock factor for me. Also, I didn’t like how the FMC ended up with The male lead, especially when hearing his excuses for why he put her and kept her in a prison. I do believe the story is good, I would just recommend it to YA Romantasy readers who hasn’t been introduced to Monte Christo.

This novel was about the cycle of revenge and the damage it leaves on a person. I loved Dania's character, her relationship with Noor, and their nonchalance (really) at destroying the empire's usurper, Vahid. The love story between Dania and Mazin was beautiful, and the chapters taking place "before" Dania's imprisonment were crucial for building that relationship as one of subtle enemies to lovers to enemies once more. I enjoyed the insightful writing, the time period and setting--it was refreshing and easy to immerse myself in. This novel features passion for weaponry, court intrigue, complex character relationships, and Varga's beautiful art of storytelling.
Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an arc of this novel. I look forward to more works from this author.

Wow.
The story was gripping straight from the first page, I loved how well-paced it was, with not too much action all at once that leaves you burnt out from it and also not long periods where you get bored..
Emily portrayed Dani in such a way I felt like I could feel exactly how she was feeling and that alone was such an experience.

I sincerely hope there are more retellings planned in the future! Every minute of reading this book was filled with everything you expect to get and it did not disappoint.

4.5 ⭐️

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I've seen on other reviews that For She Is Wrath is supposed to be based on the Count of Monte Cristo. I have not read the original so my review will solely be based on this book.

I personally loved this book. I've been in somewhat of a book slump for the past month and this took me straight out of it. The plot was engaging and the characters were relatable. The writing was fantastic. I found that the world building was perfect. It was easy to understand, which made it easy to feel like you're in the world itself. The pacing was also great! Something was happening all the time.

"I am a tool of vengeance now...I exist to destroy those who came for me and my family."

Plot:
This book tells the story of Dani, our FMC, who has been wrongfully imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit. In prison she meets Noor, who was in the same situation as her, and was trying to escape. They worked together to escape and vowed to avenge themselves and their loved ones. I really appreciated how strong both of them were throughout the story, I'm honestly getting tired of the damsel in distress beginning of many FMCs.

"She didn't look like a woman who was getting revenge, more like one who had lost everything and was trying desperately to hold on. But then, maybe I did too."

Throughout the story, you see their friendship grow, and through that their characters developed. Noor was the voice of conscience for Dani. She kept her grounded and was not afraid to question the path that Dani was following. There is also a subplot of romance. Yes, she wanted revenge on her childhood lover who betrayed her, but I feel like it wasn't the main focus of the story.

I really enjoyed For She Is Wrath. I just know I'll be recommending it to everyone.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for accepting my request for an ARC of this book!
3/5
Three hundred and sixty-four days of rage brewing inside my veins. Three hundred and sixty-four days of plotting my escape.
I love a good revenge story as the next person, this one isn’t an acception. I enjoyed the characters and the story. The worldbuilding was so interesting and I enjoyed how it didn’t feel like it was fabricated. My only problem with the story is that the pacing for me was kind of slow.

Dania was betrayed and set up by the one she loves and has been imprisoned for a year in a high-security prison. In a twist of fate, she meets Noor, another prisoner, who helps her to escape the prison and enact vengeance on those who have betrayed her. With djinn magic on her side, she searches for the three people who put her in prison, including the emperor. This story has magic, friendship, and a little bit of romance set in an absolutely enthralling world.
I really enjoyed this book. It was really fast paced and the characters were so lovable. The world is truly so magical and beautiful and I loved the plot. I do think that the ending wrapped up a little quickly and there could have been a little more action towards the end. The pacing was a little off at some points as well but other than those things I truly loved this book. The cover is also absolutely beautiful and really drew me into this book. Overall I would absolutely recommend this book, the world is beautiful and the characters’ motivations are so interesting to read about.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Review to be posted closer to the publishing date.