4 stars!⭐

Thank you to Wednesday books, and NetGalley for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is going to be one of my favorite YA fantasy reads of 2024. This was such a captivating tale of vengeance, learning one’s own heart, and has the perfect touch of enemies to lovers.

We follow Dania who has been captured for a great wrong-doing she had no part in, and after being in prison for nearly a year she has experienced unimaginable hardships that are pushing her to find an escape-and soon. Befriending another prisoner, they plan their steps wisely and imagine what they can accomplish (or who they can destroy) once left to their own devices. Dania feels wronged by the people who were closest to her before her time in confinement, and is seeking revenge - but how far is she willing to go?

WOW. Not going to lie, when a story revolves around feelings of hate and wanting to avenge justice - I find myself getting bored or underwhelmed with the plot as it’s buried under the character’s emotions. This was very much NOT the case with this masterpiece of a novel. I found a lot of the inner monologue of our FMC to be quite raw and honest. The story did not drag out or harp on the same ideas over and over. It brought a lot of adventure, and self-seeking to the table. Hats off to Emily Varga! ❤️️ I just know this is going to be a hit once published.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say that the relationship between Dania and Mazin was so well executed. THIS is how we expect enemies to be written. To have actual deeply gutted betrayal and sound reasoning to be hesitant to trust the other person. It gave what it needed to give.

The friendship developed between Noor and Dania was so heart-warming. The soft-spot Dania had to look after Noor throughout their endeavors kept me turning the pages. Noor is SO loyal and wise, she truly cared for Dania’s well-being and wanted to help her in any regard.

If you love a fast-paced fantasy, be sure to add this to your TBR! 📖

After nearly a year of imprisonment for a crime she did not commit, Dania finds her way out thanks to Noor, a crafty fellow immate who also knows the location of a djinn treasure.
First on Dania's list of people to get revenge on is Mazin, the boy she fell for despite being on the opposite sides of the conflict between her people and the Emperor he works for.

While the Emperor continues using djinn magic via the zoraat seeds he prizes, Dania reinvents herself and gets Noor to join her in her quest for vengeance. But vengeance, as we well know, can be all consuming, and once Dania gets a taste of power, she will need to decide if she is willing to give up everything, including her humanity, in order to appease the need for revenge that lives inside her.

This Pakistani retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo is rich and vibrant, and is different enough from the original story that it becomes its own story, with magic and power adding to the well rounded characters.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for sending me the eARC of this book to review.

3.5/5 stars.
For She is Wrath was a lesson learned in how revenge can be all consuming. Dania was betrayed by a person she loved and is sent to prison where she meets Noor, another wrongfully imprisoned young woman and together they set out to exact revenge by any means possible.
Theres lovers to enemies, betrayals, and the question of how far will you bend your own morals to achieve your goal?
I liked the balance that Dania and Noor gave one another and their friendship. Each character was given adequate backstory to make you either love or hate them.
Overall I thought it was a well done retelling and I enjoyed reading it.

The Count of Monte Cristo has to be one of my most favorite books of all time so I was really excited to get my hands on this eARC. Thank you NetGalley!

Dania's character is Edmond Dantes though she's part Arya Stark when she's chanting names in seeking revenge. Dani believes she was betrayed by her first love Mazin who has joined forces with the emperor who has been controlling and wielding djinn magic through consumption of zoraat seeds. The story follows Dani and Noor (inspired by Abbé Faria) as they escape imprisonment in search of revenge. While this retelling involves more magic, the themes are still there - revenge, redemption, friendship, and love.

I quite enjoyed this book. I actually wanted the book to end before the epilogue because it would have left me to imagine my own ending like when movies fades. That's a personal preference.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

OH MY GOD! I AM OBSESSED!
this book is everything I have not slept all night I couldn't stop reading it! so so so worth it .oh my .I honestly have no words but just one.BRILLIANT. If you have not added this to your tbr you have to please .it's a must read if you are in need for an epic fantasy!
wish I could rate it more then 5 stars. 12/10.