For She Is Wrath
by Emily Varga
Pub Date: Oct 29 2024

Three hundred and sixty-four days.
Framed for a crime she didn't commit, Dania counts down her days in prison until she can exact revenge on Mazin, the boy responsible for her downfall, the boy she once loved—and still can't forget. When she discovers a fellow prisoner may have the key to exacting that vengeance--a stolen djinn treasure--they execute a daring escape together and search for the hidden treasure.

Armed with dark magic and a new identity, Dania enacts a plan to bring down those who betrayed her and her family, even though Mazin stands in her way. But seeking revenge becomes a complicated game of cat and mouse, especially when an undeniable fire still burns between them, and the power to destroy her enemies has a price. As Dania falls deeper into her web of traps and lies, she risks losing her humanity to her fight for vengeance--and her heart to the only boy she's ever loved.

I enjoyed this well paced novel about revenge and its cost. The story had occasional chapters that showed us Dani and Mazin from before she was arrested, but I would have liked more from that time period.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

I thought that this was a really entertaining fantasy! The characters were really well-written and fully fleshed out. I felt like I was feeling what they were experiencing. The story was interesting and I’ve never read something quite like this before. The ending was everything I wanted and more. In all, I would recommend this book to those that want a story about a girl getting revenge on those that have wronged her and finding love and friendship through it all.

I unfortunately ran out of time to finish the full thing, but it really failed to grab my attention early on.
The beginning scene feels unnecessary, since it becomes instantly null and void. If it's not too late, I would consider cutting it and maybe splicing it with her original escape plan being interrupted with the other girl's escape plan. I think showing her frustration with being interrupted but also feeling overjoyed by actually /having/ a plan would be more interesting. It's show more of her character, which I didn't get a good feel in the first 20% of the book.
There are a number of grammar and spelling errors in the early chapters, which one or two doesn't bother me but there's more than that and it really contributed to my lack of interest. Normally this would have been exactly up my alley and I would've devoured it in days. It has some early on craft issues I think needs reviewing before publishing.

I love books that do a retelling of a classic story, so this book was so fun to read. It was lovers to enemies, had magic and romance in its retelling. The plot was very unique and highly imaginative. I loved Noor the best, and thought the romance was perfect. The twist in this book was shocking, I never saw it coming.

This retelling of "The Count of Monte Cristo" was thrilling and adventurous. This novel was action-packed and I could not put this book down before finishing it. The cultural elements of this book made it far more relatable for me and I enjoyed seeing South Asian representation. The main character, Dania, is a very well-developed character. She is strong and fierce, but also compassionate and vulnerable. I was always rooting for her and it was very enjoyable to read about her journey. Overall, this novel was very well-written and exciting.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for an ARC of this amazing novel!

I liked this book a lot.

Thanks to NetGalley for opportunity to review this book - I've been really excited about it and it did not disappoint.

This magic-realism Pakistani take on the tale of the Count of Monte Cristo was fast paced - I had trouble putting it down. There were a few loose ends which I wish had been addressed better, and some character development which felt unexpected, however I'm hoping it ends up being justification for a second book to delve into.

Emily Varga is a new author and she's got great ideas and enthusiasm for this genre. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday books for the arc in exchange for an honest review. A Pakistani romance fantasy reimagining of Monte Cristo. I love this story and was immediately sucked in! I am so pleased to have received a widget of this novel and I cannot wait to go get my physical copy on release day!!

Wow. I was not expecting this book to hit me so hard emotionally! For She Is Wrath not only gives us characters and their search for revenge but also shows us how hard it can be to handle grief and/or forgiveness.

There were twists in this book that blew me away! I thought I knew how the story would go and the author completely surprised me in the best way!

I did have a hard time with the very fast pacing at the beginning of the story which made it hard for me to get to know and become invested in the characters. But once it slowed down a bit, I was all in!

Thank you to the Author and Publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

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!