What a strong and amazing story. As somebody who has read both the original and this a retelling worth the time. Through the slight differences of characters and backgrounds, this is a whole new beautiful story. I having great literature artfully redone, so thank you for a new piece of great literature (Through a strong feminine point of view)

From the moment Dania was betrayed, framed, and imprisoned all she’s dreamed of is escaping and getting back to her family. So when a fellow prisoner breaks through the floor of her cell in attempt to tunnel her way to freedom, Dania feels as if her prayers have been answered.

However, once the two escape, tragedy finds Dania and any hope of rebuilding her life is replaced by the need for revenge. Using hidden djinn magic that is the source of the tyrannical emperors power, the two devise a plan to disguise themselves and bring down those that destroyed them. However, for Dania that means facing her first love, and the one whose betrayal cut her the deepest. As she gets closer to her retribution, Dania will have to decide how much of her own humanity she’s willing to give up and if she can break her own heart all over again.

For She is Wrath is a Pakistani fantasy reimagining of the Count of Monte Cristo, filled with magic, sword fights, and an enemies to lovers romance that will keep you guessing. The action starts from page one and stays fast paced through out the story. The only downside to this is that it doesn’t leave a lot of room for world building, and I would’ve loved to know more about the history of the empire and the djinn.

Overall the plot was great. There’s a pretty big twist at the end I did not see coming at all, that I’m still kinda in shock. More importantly, it set the stage for an important message, one I don’t think gets shared enough: forgiving someone doesn’t mean you owe them any more of yourself. You’re allowed to forgive and walk away. I found this pretty powerful, especially in a book in which a majority of the plot centers around revenge.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect to get so much out this book. It exceeded my expectations, and I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy YA action adventure stories with a strong FMC. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: October 29, 2024

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for my free e-reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book! It definitely could've benefitted from an additional 100 pages or if this was a duology as it was a little too fast-paced but I will always love South Asian fantasies and this one was so fun to read.

I received this book as an ARC, and absolutely loved it! The FMC was strong, determined, and felt on such a deep emotional level. I sometimes have a hard Time connecting with characters, but I seriously felt so attached to all of them. I loved the action scenes, and the testing of moral values( for a lack of better words lol) not sure is it’s going to be series or a stand alone, but the entire book was super satisfying!
You 100% need to add it to your TBR!!!

For She is Wrath had lots of potential for me but ultimately fell just a bit flat. It’s a 3.25/5 stars for me, because I believe this is the author’s first published book and I’m curious to see others of hers as she publishes more.

This book had all the great ingredients for me: Pakistani influence, gender-bent characters, strong character development, romantasy, etc.

Where it fell flat for me: pacing and initial dialogue

The book throws you into action with Dania trying to escape prison and continues being loosely based on The Count of Monte Cristo. It starts off a bit clunky here where readers are left to piece together what’s currently going on while understanding where the protagonist's rage is coming from. The dialogue between characters felt a bit forced in these scenes to move the plot forward and I just didn’t get quite enough context to care about their motivations. The first 1/3rd of the book I struggled through a bit.

However, as the book goes on more is uncovered and you begin to see dynamics build between characters, see more of why characters are driven by rage, and read through fantastical approaches to how characters deal with what’s driving them. The 2/3rd of the book I liked a lot; a few moments did drag on for me.

The last 1/3rd of the book I was enamored by! I almost wish it was expanded out here a bit more because I enjoyed the fast pacing, and would have loved longer scenes with the characters interacting with each other here. I loved the themes that were thrown out there and how the characters developed.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books and Emily Varga for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rounded down from 4.25 stars.

I applied for this ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) without knowing anything about the story, except: it was fantasy, I loved the title, and the cover is gorgeous. That’s the same way I go into most movies - and I’m so glad I did that for this book.

I really enjoyed this book! Here are the things I loved:
*Strong, badass female characters
*Interesting magic system
*I got to read a story from a culture different from mine
*Love, betrayal, revenge
*Friendships
*Clever characters
*Emotional
*Twist towards the end that I didn’t see coming
*The epilogue

Also, this author loved describing food and drink - and I’m here for it…had my mouth watering!

In my opinion, there’s room for improvement:
*i felt that some of the plot points were a bit too easy
*i would have loved for the magic system to be explored more

I definitely recommend this one. Also, when it comes out, I want a physical copy because that cover is GORGEOUS.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with this digital ARC.

This book was one of my most anticipated reads for 2024. So you can imagine my excitement when I was chosen for an ARC. However this book fell totally flat for me. I hate that this is described as a Count of Monte Cristo retelling. If anything it's Count adjacent. What REALLY set me off was Dania gets the love of her life, the success, and got to essentially play god with no consequences. This was the ENTIRE point of the book. That he went too far - that it wasn't his job to dole out justice. I really don't think it's appropriate at all to call this a retelling. Inspired yes.

Overall the books pace drags. The magic system isn't well written or explained. The characters aren't deep beyond the MMC and FMC. I can't say I recommend this book especially as a fan of the Count of Monte Cristo.

Big thank you to NetGalley, Emily Varga, and the publishers for this early access!

I think Noor and Dania’s dynamic was my favorite. Dania is a total badass the whole way through. The “drive for revenge but also realization that it will tear you apart to get it” plot was very well executed.

I felt the connection between Dania and Maz but it was a tad annoying at points. The pacing was a tad off at points. I felt like some points lasted a little too long and others swept by quickly. Overall, it was a great ride the whole way through.

The twists and turns were unexpected but they were fun! The ending made perfect sense for this book, I just wish we got a tad more closure on the friendship dynamic.

Overall, I had fun and would definitely read more from Emily Varga.

I liked the premise, and the story direction has promise. I do think that the writing in the beginning made it difficult to get through. I didn't like the flashbacks and felt the stakes weren't high enough for us to understand her goals. The prose and writing style was underdeveloped, and it didn't have the eloquence I expected.

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.