This book was an absolute pleasure to read, and I found myself thinking about the characters and their machinations long after I put it down for the day. As a Pakistani retelling of “The Count of Monte Cristo,” I didn’t really know what to expect when beginning this debut novel from Emily Varga. Varga expertly navigated the topics of betrayal, love, revenge, and at times complicated family dynamics. This book was deeply and profoundly captivating, and it truly makes the reader question their own motivations for actions (for good or ill), as well as the deeply rooted cost of vengeance and the strength you can find only within yourself. This novel is very poignant and well-written, and I can’t wait to read more of Varga’s work in the future. As always, thank you to NetGally and Wednesday Books for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

honestly a really solid ya dark fantasy! the premise of lovers to enemies to maybe lovers again and dark magic plus revenge was what initially sucked me into this book, and it delivered. the struggle of dania's desire for revenge and the sacrifices she'd make to get it were intense. this book is easy to get into and easy to understand. i really like how emily varga developed the characters and led us through the story. the flashbacks (before chapters) were my favorites, seeing dania and mazin's relationship at its baby stages was so sweet.

the last 15% of the book honestly lost me... i was a little disappointed by the plot twists. BUT i still really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who needs a little rage in their lives....

thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC! this is my honest review.

You happen across the magic to accomplish everything you’ve ever fantasized about. Of course there’s a cost. There’s always a cost. The real question is: What are you prepared to sacrifice for all that power?

Dania meets Noor while in prison for a crime she didn’t commit. Noor has been inside for three times as long as Dania as a kind of political prisoner and has been digging her way out, slowly but surely, Shawshank-style. The two form an alliance, bonding over their need to escape, their hatred of the Emperor, and their thirst for vengeance. Noor has the plan and Dania has the skills taught to her by her blacksmith father. Together they plan to take out the people responsible for their pain and grief.

For She is Wrath is a really fun read with beautiful and engaging writing. Emily Varga has a real talent for worldbuilding and atmosphere, and the dialogue is really well-written. I found that I enjoyed the friendship dynamic between Noor and Dania more than I enjoyed the romantic relationship between Dania and Mazin, but that may be because we spend a lot more time with Noor and Dania, especially in the very thoughtfully-written first half of the book.

It’s one of the best debut standalone romantasy novels I’ve read this year, especially in the YA subgenre. I can’t wait to hear more from this author.

I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Fantasy/Romantasy/Standalone Novel/YA Fantasy/YA Romantasy/YA Fiction

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 would like to thank Wednesday Books for sending me a copy of For She Is Wrath in exchange for my review.

I love The Count of Monte Cristo so to read a gender swapped retelling was really exciting for me and this book also adds in the element of magic, which makes it even better.

The characters in this book are so beautifully written and the world we are immersed in is so richly described you can smell the chai. I loved how Dani finds herself as she struggles to come to grips with her life being destroyed and seeking revenge on all those who had a hand in her world crumbling.

Such a fun read and I highly suggest if you love a little bit of magic sprinkled into your stories.

You had me at Pakistani Count of Monte Cristo retelling! This book came on my radar months ago, and I was practically feral for it! The Count of Monte Cristo was a favorite book, and Guy Pearce movie, of mine growing up.

First of all, I love a gender swap—let's go FMC out for revenge! I love a woman’s wrongs, we do them right! I also love the subplot of two down and out prisoners, betrayed by the emperor, finding allyship and then friendship with each other. Noor is the voice of reason to Dania’s rage, and I really feel like that worked so well, as opposed to something like inner turmoil; Dania never questions her actions and instead has meaningful conversations with her friend.

I was waiting for Mazin’s actions to make sense and got a good amount of cookie crumb clues throughout that when we finally got the reveal, it felt so good, and rightly shook Dania!

I loved the romance, it wasn’t shy and had plenty of tension from the past through the present.

Also, the big twist in Dania’s betrayal story was absolutely perfect, I did not see that coming! And the end resolution was powerful with strong messaging. All I want now is a Noor story! In the end, this book was five stars!

This is one of the best fantasy debuts I've ever read. The premise had me excited as a lover of all things Count of Monte Cristo (Revenge anyone?) and a Pakistani retelling with a dash of magic sounded really intriguing. I love when an author can take a story most people are familiar with and use the bones of it for a fresh and unique take. Dani is sent to prison for a crime she didn't commit and spends the time there thinking of revenge against all those who betrayed her. When a chance encounter gives her everything she needs to not only break out of prison but use the magic of her enemies to enact her retribution she embarks on a journey of mistaken identity, romance, friendship and vengeance.

I loved Dani and Noor and their friendship so much that became increasingly tested as Dani loses sight of herself on her journey for revenge. Varga isn't afraid to really go there with Dani and I love how she uses the Monte Cristo story to interrogate what revenge and vengeance means and how far Dani will go and what she will sacrifice. The romance here was everything. I loved the simmering burn of it as Dani must seduce the boy she loved and who betrayed her. Mazin is a complicated character who I enjoyed learning about and I loved how his own journey in this story mirrored Dani's.

I was on the edge of my seat this entire book. I could not wait to see what would happen and it literally began from page one.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 16%. While the premise of this one sounds awesome, nothing about the way the book begins made me want to continue reading. The writing was not descriptive or captivating. It felt like not enough effort was made to building or creating the setting for example when there is a loose bit of floor that she uses to hide her escape route we the reader don’t fully understand how that is possible when it’s not described or fleshed out enough. It seems too convenient. The dialogue reads like a Disney channel superhero movie except for the incongruous times when she would curse?? The cheesy lines she would say before or after attacking an opponent felt childish. And at this point in the book she was only just breaking out of prison and yet I was not interested in knowing what happens to her after. Maybe others will love this story but for me it just couldn’t get me to connect emotionally. Thank you Net Galley and Wednesday Books for this e-arc!

A reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo, For She Is Wrath follows Dania's journey from breaking out of prison after being betrayed by those closest to her to escaping and seeking out her revenge with mishaps and unexpected twists along the way. I loved the building friendship between Dania and Noor and the friends to lovers to enemies to...?? If you like women with swords, a good bit of revenge, magic, and brown girls not afraid to fight and take back what's theirs...then this YA book is for you.

4.5⭐️ (rounded up)

For She Is Wrath is a Pakistani romantasy retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo. Dania is in prison for a crime she did not commit. The only thing getting her through the tortuous experience is the thought of revenge. When Dania and her fellow inmate Noor are able to escape, they go after Noor’s mentor’s lost treasure. Armed with gold and dark magical powers, Dania and Noor return to the capital city to take their revenge on the men who wronged them, including Dania’s first love Mazin.

I was so enthralled with this story from the first chapter. The characters in this book had such great development and I loved Dania and Noor’s friendship throughout the story. I have always loved enemies-to-lovers stories, but this book made me fall in love with the lovers-to-enemies trope. Dania and Mazin had such great chemistry and I loved every scene with them together. Emily’s writing was phenomenal and I am really hoping that she writes Noor’s story next.

What to expect:
🖤 Romantasy
🖤 Lovers-to-Enemies
🖤 Count of Monte Cristo Retelling
🖤 Revenge
🖤 Found Family

Thank you to Emily Varga and Wednesday Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this ARC looking for a cure to my “An Ember in the Ashes” slump— and this did not disappoint! This is the story of one woman’s revenge on the corrupt empire that took everything from her, and the traitorous lover who helped. Frankly, it was a fantastic read; a fresh and innovative take on the Count of Monte Cristo story. .The prose was solid and well balanced, like good sword I would say. 😉 I will be recommending this book without a doubt.

Though this is a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, I did not need to have read that to like this book. A rich Pakistani retelling of that famous story, For She Is Wrath brings complex characters, rich world building, epic fantasy, and white-hot female rage to bear on a revenge tale both as large as an empire and as small as one girl. Not that that means the girl is weak, though; Dania proves herself to be a fierce and formidable protagonist from page one. Her intelligence and grit were traits I deeply admired, and I found her survival against all odds, under circumstances that would have broken most others, heartening, Though I definitely didn’t agree with some of her decisions, I still understood and sympathized with where she was coming from.

Noor, too, is incredible in her own right, possessing knowledge and skills complimentary to Dania’s, enabling both to seek the revenge they desperately crave. Dania’s cunning very well could have come to nought if it weren’t for her. Going from purely co-conspirator to also a friend, she serves as a more measured voice to Dania’s worst impulses at times. Her importance to the story cannot be understated, and I would definitely be interested in seeing her get her own story someday.

Now, the magic. What little of djinn lore I knew was of course about the fact that one should never make a bargain with a djinn because of all of the dire consequences that could result from it. For She Is Wrath takes this and runs with it in a darkly incredible way, making hoarding power literal and bringing to mind the maxim about absolute power corrupting absolutely. It becomes an actual drug, zoraat, that, if not outright fatal, slowly consumes the very essence of those who become addicted, something Dania and others must contend with throughout the story, and which draws any number of real-world parallels. All told, zoraat and the magic system surrounding it serve to paint the true price of revenge in stark relief.

With all of this and more to enjoy and contend with, it is no wonder that the end result is a richly detailed and layered story to sink one’s teeth into. Come for the revenge quest; stay for that and so much more.

I forgot to give feedback for this one, but I really love the cover, and I can't wait to read it when my TBR gets less unwieldy!

In turns thrilling and heartbreaking, this Pakistani fantasy take on the ultimate revenge story of The Count of Monte Cristo kept me glued. I devoured the first 70% on a plane ride where I really needed some sleep but decided I was better served going one more chapter...

I just think we should all have some more bloody revenge stories for the girls 😌

I literally cannot find words. This had me in a chokehold from the first chapter. Dania's story is so gripping and compelling. She's the exact type of independent lady I love to read about. Plus, who doesn't love love a good old fashioned revenge plot?

NO SPOILER REVIEW

Themes/Tropes
• Count of Monte Cristo Retelling
• Lovers/enemies
• Female rage/vengeance
• Stabby FMC
• Secret identity
• Djinn magic

First of all let me say happy release day!!!!

So, this book hooked me from the first page. I just love an angry FMC, and boy is Dania (justifiably) mad! I flew through this in two days. It was difficult to put down because the action is constant. I was never bored or skimming thought certain sections. In all honesty, I probably could have read it in one day, but I decided I needed to sleep, so I could focus and take it all in. I am afraid to say anything else because of spoilers. Just read it lol. I will definitely be recommending this for purchase at the library where I work! It will be a great addition to our growing YA section.

That you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for an eARC of this book! It was so fun to read!

For She is Wrath sounded like something I should love, a Pakistani romantic fantasy featuring female rage and revenge. While it does feature all of those things, everything just felt a little flat to me. If you are looking for a quick read with themes of female strength, you may still enjoy this.

In full disclosure, besides the name, I was not familiar with the story of The Count of Monte Cristo to start with to compare this retelling to. Dania is wrongfully imprisoned after being betrayed by the boy she loved and is out for revenge. The story doesn't develop much from there. The friend she meets and breaks out of prison with, Noor, was my favorite character, and I kept wishing her storyline would have been expanded a little further.

Overall, it’s an okay book with an interesting idea, but it doesn’t quite deliver the emotional impact I was hoping to get from the story. The plot is straightforward, and while there are a few twists, they’re somewhat predictable.

An extra star for the narrator of the audiobook, Safiyya Ingar. I enjoyed her narration and am looking forward to hearing more from her in the future.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for this honest review.

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

"The ones closest to you will betray you the most,”

This is a Pakistani romantic fantasy reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo and as someone unfamiliar with the story of The Count of Monte Cristo, I was very uncertain and nervous to start this BUT I enjoyed every moment of this!!

This is an incredibly well done rendition of a fierce FMC full of rage and the need for vengeance. The story is packed with betrayal, tension, magic, unexpected friendship and the longing of hope and love. There was never a moment I was bored reading this - this story pulled me in from the beginning and had me on the edge of my seat until the end.

The characters were complex, multi-dimensional and easy to love. Noor is the best friend we all need! (I am going to need another book where she is the FMC. I NEED MORE!)

Oof. The writing is seriously not great. My editing brain is on fire, so I can’t enjoy the story. Sentences don’t make sense.

For She Is Wrath is a captivating fantasy standalone novel that comes out today!

You know a book is going to be good when it opens with a murder, and this one quickly continued the adventure with an escape from prison and revenge plots

For She Is Wrath is a compelling story of revenge, betrayal, and how far a person is willing to go for retribution. As the main character Dani seeks her vengeance, she must confront whether her quest will turn her into the villains she is trying to take down

Throughout this story, we experience unbreakable female friendship and the power of found family

Overall, I found For She Is Wrath to be a compelling story and I was completely shocked by the plot twist at the end

This book is a perfect fit for fans of The City of Brass and The Poppy War

Now for the goodies:

🗡️ Beautiful blades

🗡️ Stabby female main characters

🗡️ Djinn-fueled magic

🗡️ Found family

🗡️ First love

🗡️ Prison breaks

🗡️ Revenge plots

Sincerely,

Your friendly neighborhood raccoon

Content warning (not a complete list): murder, violence, mention of nudity, fire and mention of burnt flesh. 

S3xual content: low spice and fade to black.

-----

How far would you go for revenge?

For She Is Wrath is a romantasy about the journey a young woman takes to get her revenge against all those involved in her incarceration. This book is a Pakistani, YA retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo.

I was quite interested in Dani's revenge, at first. I felt her anger and was curious to see how she would go about her revenge. However, I lost interest after a while. I wasn't a fan of the pacing. Most of the characters felt a bit flat to me. I needed more from them: more depth and more page time. I also wasn't invested in Maz or the romance. 

I felt the book had the potential to be better. It had a good foundation, but the execution wasn't the best. This story could have benefited from being more fleshed out. And the twist at the end was unexpected, I didn't like it. For She Is Wrath missed the mark for me. It was easy to read though and had an interesting world. 

This was an ARC read and review. I'm grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity I had to read this book.