A Pakistani fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo? Yes, please!

It took me a while to get into For She Is Wrath, but it ended up being pretty enjoyable. Dania is out for blood after she was wrongfully imprisoned for murder. She uses the power of the djinn to enact her revenge.

Dania’s thirst for vengeance was a little much at times and the book was slow at points, but I think it all wrapped up pretty well. I’m curious of how the story ends up mirroring the original source material.

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite books, so naturally I felt I would love a Pakistani romantasy YA retelling. I enjoyed Dania as a protagonist; her revenge-fueled rage is reminiscent of Edmond Dantès, and her friendship with foil Noor works SO well. (I wanted more Noor, to be honest; she's the sarcastic comic relief this novel needs.) Mazin is fine; I don't think I wholly understood Dania's attraction to him (besides his muscles), and his justification for betraying her feels weak. But overall their passion makes sense in the context of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this novel before its publication date.

Wow! This book is full of female rage and revenge and torment. The MC, Dania, has been locked in prison for a crime she did not commit, and she stops at nothing to seek revenge on those who put her there. The imagery and writing itself is beautiful. I can't wait to see what Emily Varga does next!

It was enjoyable. I loved the fact that this revolves around a strong female lead. And the fact that this is a revenge story it was exactly what i expected it to be. I also loved the South Asian representation in this story and the beautifully written descriptions made you feel like you were in that time and place.

Looooooove. I'm a sucker for retellings and when I found out this had Pakistani rep AND was a Count of Monte Cristo retelling, I pretty much scrambled for this arc. And wow, this did not disappoint. It was lush, entralling, and lyrical. I had highlighted passages all over my e-reader. Amazing. Definitely adding to our collection!

This is a story of female rage and revenge fueled by love, betrayal, and djinn magic. I love seeing female characters with this kind of rage as we see in Dania, but she also shows love and compassion for her friend Noor, who helps to balance out Dania’s violent tastes for revenge. Dania also goes through these inner battles when it comes to Mazin, and her fight between anger at him for his betrayal and the love she still has for him. I liked seeing those two emotions battle in her mind. But what I really loved was when she got revenge. She was smart and made sure each betrayer got their moment. Although at points the pacing felt off and wasn’t consistent for me which made reading it at points a little hard.

This wasn’t my favorite book, not due to a lack of good ideas but rather because the writing style wasn’t a good fit for me. The best way I know how to explain is that I never forgot I was reading a story—I was never swept away into it. The dialogue was at times distracting and the plot felt a bit forced. Once again, I loved the ideas and was still drawn to the story enough to finish the book, it just wasn’t the best fit for me.

Oh my god, this book was so good. Pakistani, gender-bent retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo? With magic? What is not to like!!!

I think the slowest part of the book was the first 50 pages, which is the prison escape, and maybe I was just overly eager for Dania to get her revenge, but I was just waiting for her to get out and get GOING. Once she did though? Boy, were we off to the races. The story was so captivating and tense and held my attention so closely.

But what really put me over the edge with this book was the romance. Maz???? Oh HONEYYYYYYYY I am all yours. The way I was highlighting every passage where he spoke to her. And the line that broke me: that she changed her face but she didn’t change her hands, so he knew the whole time????? I am on the floor. Screaming crying throwing up. A ride or die, till the end, god how I love him (and them as a couple).

Amazing book, so beautifully written, and an enthralling retelling with magical twists to make it feel fresh and new. 4⭐️, highly recommend.

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

⭐️ BOOK REVIEW⭐️

Let me start by saying I loved this book.

It’s advertised as inspired by The Count of Monte Cristo but with a female MC seeking revenge against those who betrayed her - including the boy she used to love. I mean, you had me at hello. The Count is one of my favorite classics.

Early on in my reading of it, I messaged a friend I was reading it with and said it felt almost too close to the original but I should have withheld judgement because Varga held to the story for a point and then she turned a corner and made it completely her own while still somehow maintaining the essence of the classic that inspired it.

Dania, our MC, is angry. Rightfully so. She is out for her revenge. But her character is not flat and solely defined by her anger. Her arc through the story is full of found family, spunk, fire and, ultimately, resolution, healing and love.

Speaking of characters, Dania’s friendship with Noor is chef’s kiss and I wouldn’t be sad if there was a follow up story with her story. Mazin is another great character and the villains are ones you want to see go down.

I can’t review this one without saying the the world Emily created is robust and atmospheric. Set is a Pakistani inspired fantastical world, I felt the sights and sounds, full of color and spice. The magic felt realistic too which I think is a feat.

So yes? I loved it. A brilliant, exciting debut. Well done @emilyvargabooks and thank you.

FSIW delivers a slighted woman out for revenge. It's so refreshing to see a clever, angry FMC whose backstory supports her rage and fuels a vengeance-filled plot. Dania never loses sight of her goals, and Varga does a good job of contrasting Dania's constant yearning for justice with characters who question her and force her to continuously justify her wrath. It pulls the story along and keeps the reader invested in what would otherwise be considered a traditionally "unlikeable" FMC. With fun worldbuilding and great action sequences, this story has something for everyone.

What happens when someone wrongs you, you seek revenge! Well that’s at least what Dania did in this one. This is the kind of fantasy I love. Action packed, a revenge plot, taking out your anger in wrath-give to me! This would have been a full 5 star read for me, but towards the end it kind of lost a little momentum. However, that did not take away from the overall story.

I listened to this one on audiobook and the narrator was amazing with how she shows Dania’s wrath and her softening towards the end. I have never read The Count of Monte Crisco, but with this being a reimagining of that, now I want to read it! The twists, the chase, and the vengeance our fierce FMC sought after kept me engaged with this one. One of the better fantasy books I’ve read in a long time!

I’ve never read the Count of Monte Cristo, but I’m always down for a retelling. Anyways, the plot was unique when it mattered, I loved Noor (she should’ve been the fmc, tbh), and the romance was freakin amazing! like I can’t describe how perfect they were!!! I’m definitely buying this when it comes out!

**Review of *For She Is Wrath* by Emily Varga**

Emily Varga’s *For She Is Wrath* is a fierce, unrelenting tale of vengeance, power, and reclaiming agency in a world rife with corruption and betrayal. This dark fantasy novel centers on Kaela, a once-broken woman who rises from the ashes of her past to become the embodiment of wrath itself.

Varga’s prose is sharp and visceral, perfectly suited to the intensity of Kaela’s journey. The world-building is equally vivid, filled with grim landscapes and intricate political dynamics that mirror Kaela’s inner turmoil. As she confronts those who wronged her, Kaela’s transformation from victim to avenger is both cathartic and thought-provoking. Her character is complex, walking a fine line between justice and moral ambiguity, which adds depth to her narrative arc.

The supporting cast is equally compelling, with allies and enemies who each play pivotal roles in Kaela’s quest. However, the pacing occasionally falters, with certain subplots feeling rushed or underexplored. Despite this, the central story remains gripping, fueled by themes of empowerment, resilience, and the costs of seeking retribution.

*For She Is Wrath* is a bold and brutal story that will resonate with fans of dark fantasy. Varga’s fearless storytelling cements her as a powerful new voice in the genre.

3.5/5 stars
I liked this but it didn't blow me away. I felt like the character development was a tad rushed and so the shift in the main character was a bit unbelievable to me, I also think I have mixed feelings about using flashbacks as plot devices especially when it comes to romance.

Great fantasy read! Loved the plot of this book! It felt fun and easy to get into! Loved the romance elements in this book! Felt like they were well done and the characters had good chemistry! Definitely recommend reading this book!

A Pakistani romantasy reimagining of the Count of Monte Cristo - I loved this book so much. The strong heroine, the enemies-to-lovers, the revenge lit, chef's kiss!

Was not expecting to like this as I am sort of burnt out on fantasies—they’ve just gotten really repetitive and boring for me.

This was not that.

I finished this in 24 hours and I will be reading it again. Totally original with interesting takes on time honored tropes we all love. Plus LOTS of amazing representation!

4.5⭐️

I want to thank everyone for this gifted copy of For She is Wrath.

I was really excited about the prospect of this story, but it just didn't really work for me. I just felt like the plot was lacking in places and didn't find it exciting. I ended up DNF'ing at 25%.

The concept of this story is so fascinating, but the characters and developments for them fell flat and the pacing was off. I needed more on Noor and more development on Maz and Dani. The time jumps and time frame didn’t really make sense. Also, what happened to the cat?!

Emily did a fabulous job with her debut which reads more as a fantastical female story of revenge than a debut novel. I had high hopes from the sight of the cover and was not disappointed.