A stunning, Pakistani-inspired retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo! This book captured my attention from the start, and Varga's beautiful writing left me speechless. Dania's journey is one of betrayal, heartbreak, and resilience, and I found myself ugly crying more than once for her. The pain she endured and her resolve for revenge were both portrayed so perfectly.

The magic system, with its unique djinn seeds, added such a fresh twist—I loved that it wasn't just innate power but something that anyone could wield, given the right tools. Mazin, meanwhile, was everything I could hope for in a complex love interest; he kept me in that perfect grey area where I didn’t know whether to love him or hate him.

Watching Dania take down those who wronged her was intensely satisfying, and the final twist left me absolutely floored. For She Is Wrath is a beautiful homage to The Count of Monte Cristo while standing completely on its own. Highly recommend for fans of intense, heartfelt revenge stories with a dash of magic and romance!

For She is Wrath is an engaging tale of revenge and sacrifice, with djinn magic and political power.

Dania has been in prison for a year for a crime she did not commit. For the past year, the only thing on her mind is getting revenge on those who wronged her - the emperor who is responsible for the destruction of her life, and the man she once loved who refused to stand up for her when she needed him most. She meets another inmate, Noor, who has a powerful secret of her own - she knows the location of a stash of zoraat seeds that grant the power of the djinn. The pair break free, find the treasure, and are determined to take their revenge, no matter the cost.

I really enjoyed this story. It was relatively short, and a quick and easy read. I liked the Pakistani influences - it made for a richly imagined and unique fantasy. Dani is an interesting character - she is driven by her need for revenge, especially for Mazin - her former lover who let her go to prison and did not stand up for her innocence. But the more she learns about the events surrounding that day, she begins to question everything she knows. Her relationship with Mazin is told in the past and present - so we jump timelines a little bit to help build the history of the couple, and the events that led up to Dani's imprisonment. We can tell they still care for each other, despite Dani seemingly only wanting revenge against him. Noor is a great supporting character - she pushes Dani to think more carefully about her actions and the consequences, and proves to be a good friend. The magic system is unique with the consumption of zoraat seed and djinn magic - it is tricky, just like the djinn themselves. The book has an undercurrent of power and corruption, and the violence that comes with with that. Overall, I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press - Wednesday Books for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

3.75⭐️

I really loved the first 70% of this book! It’s a Monte Cristo retelling but to be totally honest I’m not at all familiar, just know there’s a major revenge theme. Otherwise, this was your typical YA fantasy, with an angst second/chance romantic subplot.

But the book started to hop off track a bit around the 2/3 - 3/4 mark. The pacing felt weird and the plot seemed a bit rushed and all over the place. The MC reasoning for betraying the FMC years prior seemed so inadequate and made the conclusion to all that excellent angst fall so flat to me ☹️ And on top of that the conclusion to the big conflict just felt a bit lackluster 🤷‍♀️ I just wanted more I guess! Maybe if there was stronger worldbuilding in the beginning, the ending could’ve been given more depth? Idkk

A marvelous retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo with a Pakistani girl as our heroic protagonist. The story is rich in culture and emotion. Loved it through and through. Absolutely no complaints, and this is an author I will add to my "auto buy" list!

I want to preface this review with the fact that I've never read The Count of Monte Cristo. My husband has always said it's one of his favorite books, and if it's anything like For She is Wrath then I fully get it now. This novel is well written, the fantasy elements are well placed and flow seamlessly with the more realistic aspects of the story, and the characters evoke emotions regardless of how much time they get on the page. Dania is a strong character with a well developed backstory and thought through motivations. Noor and Mazin both have personalities and beautifully developed internal conflict, even though they are minor supporting characters. I thoroughly appreciated the story from beginning to end and look forward to reading more by Emily Varga in the future!

As someone who is unfamiliar with The Count of Monte Cristo but loves YA fantasy, this was a fun book. There is so much feminine rage and revenge as the focus of the book. The magic system was unique. There’s friends to lovers to enemies to lovers going on. I also really enjoyed the friendship in this book.

Thank you to Wednesday books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

4.5 stars.

Dania was framed for a crime she didn’t commit and has been in prison for the last 364 days, plotting her revenge on Mazin, the boy responsible for her imprisonment. Mazin is also the boy she once loved, and still can’t forget. A fellow prisoner may have the key to exacting their vengeance together – a stolen djinn treasure. The two band together to make a daring escape and search for the hidden treasure. Dania enacts a plan to take down those who betrayed her family, leading her into a complicated game of cat and mouse that may risk her humanity.

FOR SHE IS WRATH is a story of revenge that embodies feminine rage and strength. It is a Pakistani fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. Having never read The Count of Monte Cristo, I am not sure how this compares, but regardless, you’re in for a treat! The story is told in the POV of Dania, with some chapters set in the past. The world building is beautifully done with many Pakistani cultural influences, lending a rich and warm ambiance.

I adored Dania’s character – she’s brave, witty, and determined. Noor is an excellent companion to Dania, able to help keep her in check, while providing a safe and stable sounding board with excellent knowledge of djinn magic. They’re both characters that you want to root for. All the characters that are encountered are well written and feel realistic. The relationships between the characters are well developed and realistically flawed.

The plot and fantasy elements of FOR SHE IS WRATH are unique and complex without being overwhelming. I was continually intrigued and engaged by the twisty and carefully orchestrated nature of the plot. My one critique is that the pacing of the narrative dragged a bit in the 30-60% range – this could be my own issue, however. The ending was excellent and bittersweet. What an amazing debut!

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Wednesday Books, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.</i>

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advance readers copy of FOR SHE IS WRATH.

This novel is the embodiment of female rage—taking back power and serving out vengeance where deserved. Dania has been falsely accused of a murder she did not commit, sentenced to a life behind bars where she’s tortured and missing her family. To escape she must enlist the help of a fellow prisoner—one who may just have the answer to Dania’s revenge plot.

With compelling strong female characters who can kick ass, FOR SHE IS WRATH delivers an adventure filled with djinn magic, trickery, rage and friendship. You won’t regret picking it up.

Thank you Netgalley for the Arc!

Pakistani inspired fantasy with djinn, magic, and wrath.

I enjoyed the writing, loved the similes and words that flowed. Tension was tensioninggggggg. Had me out of breath for a minute.

The plot was a little predictable with some good surprises. It built up to fall a little flat for me at the end. I want to believe that someone will really follow through even with their original plan. It was easy to tell that she had major feeling for the mmc and she will in no way “if we had a battle right now he’d be lucky to come out alive” I think I’m just a vengeful girly myself. But I understood the lesson in this book. I still enjoyed and thought it was a great debut novel.

Talented writing but slow plot that had me struggling to feel invested. Lots of weapon and clothing terminology included but no physical descriptions which made them hard to keep straight.

It's always fun to read a reimagining of a classic from a writer who clearly loved the source material and expanded the original tale to include a more diverse cast!

Dani’s life is destroyed when the man she loves gets her arrested for murder & treason against the emperor. When she escapes from prison, she only has one thing on her mind: revenge.

I had just finished a sci fi novella retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo so I was absolutely thrilled to see a full length fantasy retelling. And the fantasy was so well done. Every little piece of info about this broad empire was fascinating and teased at a much larger world., without being overwhelming. I was so fascinated by the djinn and how their magic worked and I just wanted more and more.

I was a little disappointed in the ending. There were two confrontations where I felt narratively it would have been stronger if they were reversed. Dani’s final confrontation with Mazin because it didn’t feel earned.

One of the things I liked the most though, was how engaged the story kept me. I know the story well, and I’ve loved it for a long time. And this retelling introduced a few really unusual twists that really kept me invested in seeing how everything would work out.

Thanks to NegGalley and St Martin’s Press for this arc!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the gifted eARC of For She is Wrath.
I was instantly interested when reading the blurb and seeing booktok talking about a Pakistani romantic fantasy where there is a prison break and a FMC who is seeking revenge. Especially when that revenge is on an ex(still in love with)boyfriend. Cat and mouse stories are some of my favorite and Emily Varga did not disappoint with this one. While this isn't a romance heavy book, what we are given is perfect. The plot and characters were developed so well and I truly felt a connection with Dania and not to mention the friendship built with Noor. Absolutely loved the story! Highly recommend.

2.5 stars
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Sigh. I so wanted to like this book. I was really intrigued by the premise of the story but overall, I was pretty disappointed.

This book had some pacing issues, including a very slow start. I feel like, for me, the time in prison was underdeveloped. There is a whole timeline of these characters getting to know each other that is rushed through and doesn’t develop because so much time is spent on their actions after they break out.. I felt very much thrown into this friendship without watching it come to be enough to feel convinced. Neither girl was very likable and I see the Monte Cristo parallels, but their justifications for revenge are pretty shallow. The plot had a lot of extra unnecessary bits. The girls plan to (and do) commit an action but it’s never really touched upon again. It felt like a useless storyline. I liked the way that the book features dual timelines, though. It helped to build Dania as a character, but not enough for me to like her. The ending was pretty predictable. Though I never quite saw the culprit coming, the ending was just very inevitable.

The redeeming grace of this book was absolutely the magic system. I loved the use of djinn magic and the form it took through the book. It could have been better, but I liked what I got.

This isn’t a book that will linger in my mind for long, which is such a disappointment. I really had high hopes.

This book is like lukewarm tea. It's not exactly what you want, and it is notably underwhelming.

The premise was promising, but the delivery fell flat. I did not feel anything while I was reading it: no anger, no heartbreak, no rage. Nothing.

Neither the friendship nor the romance were strong enough relationships to shoulder the burden of keeping my interest when the plot did not. This book was just too obvious most of the time. It played out as most people would predict. Beat for beat. And even the twist at the end went over like, "Huh, okay." I wasn't the least bit excited by it.

I'm surprised this book was picked up by two separate book boxes. Clearly, they must see something in it I do not.

Anyways, to me, this book was regrettably forgettable.

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite novels of all time. It is beautiful and brilliant in its exploration of isolation, grief, hatred, and revenge. For She is Wrath is billed as a retelling of that novel, but it is not beyond involving a prison escape and revenge. If you enjoyed The Count of Monte Cristo, you will not enjoy this one. It involves torture instead of isolation and quick gratification over carefully well planned vengeance. The magic of the djinns only serves to cheapen the innate strength of the FMC.
Maybe this is unfair if me. Varga does not write like Dumas. Her prose is very YA, and I suspect the reason her FMC only spends a year suffering in jail is so she isn't old when this story takes place.
Pros: Representation (a full star added just for that), concept, there's a clever line about reading a person laced with some serious innuendo
Cons: illogical plot, illogical relationships, uncomfortable contraception conversations with strangers, family members who stab you in the back when you didn't deserve it, people who say they love you but then also leave you in prison bc they think you'll be SAFE there (?!), not even the one bed trope could save this one.
I read both the ebook and audiobook. The narrator, Safiyya Ingar, did a very good job, even when I sped it up to 2.5x to get through the end.
Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy for review.

This Pakistani romantic fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo contains so much: grief, vengeance, friendship, female rage, found family, djinn magic, lovers-to-enemies. It's fast-paced wonderful storytelling that hooks the reader from the very beginning.

Dania has been framed and imprisoned for a murder she didn't commit, and spends her days fueled by anger and thoughts of revenge, particularly against Mazin who had claimed to love her and then betrayed her. Soon after one escape attempt fails, a fellow prisoner appears who may hold the secret to fulfilling both of their dreams of making their enemies pay. Together they team up for a daring escape, and set off on a quest for treasure and furious justice against those who destroyed their worlds.

Dania creates a new identity and appearance for herself while enacting her plan, but is not prepared for her physical and emotional reactions at being near Mazin again. Revenge suddenly becomes very complicated, and Dania begins to risk her newfound friendship and her very humanity in her rage-fueled mission to destroy her enemies.

This story had some twists that I really loved, and I felt like there might have been more to the story for at least one of the characters?. The fight scenes were done very well, and I loved the lush food and scent descriptions. You really don't need to have read The Count of Monte Cristo to enjoy this.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books/St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this book!

I’m a huge fan of The Count of Monte Cristo so I was very excited about this new take on such a cool story. I was completely blown away by this book. The world building is unique, but incredibly easy to understand and get swept up in. The pacing was pretty near perfect with plenty of action and the story was always moving forward. I absolutely loved Dania so much. She was such an incredibly written character and I loved her journey throughout the story. Noor was also such a great character and I loved their friendship so much. I also enjoyed the addition of magic to the story. Even if you’re not familiar with the original story, I think For She Is Wrath will be enjoyable for anyone who likes fierce female characters, friendship, revenge and complex character growth. I had such a great time reading this book and I can’t wait to read Varga’s next book!
CW: violence, murder

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

🗡️ Book Review 🗡️

For She Is Wrath by Emily Varga
🗡️
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that was so specifically written for me. It’s a Pakistani gender swapped retelling of “The Count of Monte Cristo,” and it was flawlessly executed. Dania is an excellent main character. She is strong, fearless, stubborn, and absolutely filled with rage. But she also still cares and risks a lot to protect the people she loves. The second chance romance was filled with anger, angst, regret, and pining. I loved every second of it. This book is absolutely packed with action, fighting scenes, a complex revenge plot, betrayals, magic and the supernatural, female friendship, and a scorching romance. The audio was so well done and brought Dania and her story vibrantly to life. This was one of my favorite reads this month, and I cannot recommend it enough. Go read it right now!
🗡️
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️
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Read if you like:
▫️revenge is the plot
▫️lovers to enemies to lovers
▫️djinn and magic
▫️found family
▫️dual timeline
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Thank you to Wednesday Books, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and Emily Varga for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

DNF at 32%.

I really thought I would love this book but the pacing was off and I struggled to connect with the main characters. After over 100 pages, I didn’t feel connected with the story at all. I think some people might love this story, but this wasn’t for me.