I was interested in reading the next installment of Hurricane Wars. The first one wasn't an all time favorite but I wanted to see where this story went.

Unfortunately I gave up on this book on the 60% mark. Nothing happens plot wise and we just kind of follow along as the two main characters see each others kingdoms. The author tried to build sexual tension but it just never really developed. Leaving me disappointed.

The biggest issue I had with the first book was the spicy scenes being incredibly awkward and uncomfortable. I felt the same with this book. I just felt so uncomfortable and needed it to be over. I appreciate that they are inexperienced but it just was just too much.

I don't really understand what happened in this second book. The overall plot was interesting in the first book and this one had an opportunity to continue to build on the world and the characters trying to solve how to save it. This book felt very much a filler book. I unfortunately will not be continuing with this series.

Thea Guanzon is undoubtedly a rising star on the romantasy scene. I’ve been really tough on romantasy books this year, but I have to say, for me, her books really have the IT factor that I look for in a romance forward fantasy.

There is enough fantasy worldbuilding to keep me happy, but the romantic tension is built well throughout the book. One thing she does REALLY well is she holds off on creating resolution between her characters, so that their conflicted feelings are believable.

Despite the fact that on the surface I feel like this series should not work for me as well as it does, I am super super into it. Finished each book in a day into it! I will definitely be reading book 3 and looking forward to whatever Thea does next.

“I will always remember this… Just him and me and the monsoon”

HOLY CRAP! 🐉💞⚔️
This was an absolute masterpiece. The pickup from the previous book was perfect and flowed so nicely. Thea Guazon really is an engaging and talented writer. there was never a moment where I was bored.
I. COULDN’T. PUT. THIS. DOWN.

The death monsoon is on the way and we are out of time. Tal 🦋and Alaric 💀are on a rush to save the world with their light/dark weaving abilities or let the world perish into the dark cyclone. They juggle their impending nuptials in Kesarth, maintaining power in their kingdoms, festering their rebellions, and confronting whatever is building between them 👉🏽👈🏽🥹

The political intrigue and tension escalates and we get deeper into the high stakes of what could be a massive betrayal on either side. We learn more of Alaric’s side and I am here for it. He is my newest shadow daddy 😭👤

The slow burn build up tension of the first book exploded into incredible passion and🌶️🌶️🌶️🥵🤤. You will not be disappointed 😏. It was fierce, scalding, and so dang sweet and I love Alaric and Tal more for it. They both catch feels but their political alliances hold them apart.

Idk which side I want to win. At the same time I don’t want either side to win, I just want Alaric and Tal to win together and forge a new path 😩❤️

I had the honor of reading the Monsoon Rising advanced reader copy. I want to thank Net Galley and Thea Guazon for being just the sweetest human! I am so excited for book 3 and I cannot wait to attend her signings for this book’s release!

Being a huge fan of Thea's, this sequel was at the top of my reading list. I absolutely loved this story when it was fanfiction and am sad to say that I had a very difficult time reading this book's predecessor, The Hurricane Wars. It was so full of SAT words and extensive world building that it wasn't really enjoyable and took me a long time to finish. However, I can happily say that A Monsoon Rising was much easier to read and much more enjoyable.

While THW had words that I needed a dictionary to understand, AMR is something anyone can read. I was also able to get a much better feel on the characters, the world, and the story. This time I really enjoyed how the main characters' relationship built throughout the book, though they both fought tooth and nail to ignore their connection. Romance inevitably leads to sex and while some of the scenes were pretty good, they were nowhere near what I know the author is capable of. Many of the scenes were not fleshed out and essentially faded to black, which I despise. The characters' internal conflicts were well-written and relatable. While we may not agree with their actions, we can understand why they did what they did and hope for them both to change their minds. Yes, both. Alaric may be the criminal here, but Talasyn has some work to do herself.

The fight scenes were incredible. I'm not usually into that sort of thing, but these characters and this author made me enjoy it. I was on the edge of my seat during many of them. However, the two main characters were working together throughout a majority of the book to overcome something that would impact the entire content and the conclusion was a major letdown. It really felt anticlimactic and I kept waiting for something major to happen, but it never did. Yes, the book left off at a cliffhanger that I'm excited to read about in the next book, but the big plot point in this book was a bummer.

Will I still read the third book? Definitely. But I can't say I recommend these books, which breaks my heart.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I love this series. Talasyn and Alaric have so much tension and angst to work through to come together in order to save the world. The slow burn of the romance really sets the pace for the entire book and even knowing their plans to betray each other, there's no way the won't come together in the end to fight for what is right, a better future.

This was absolutely fantastic. I could not put this book down. I read this book up until 3 o’clock in the morning because I just had to finish it. The first book was awesome and I assume that Book two was just gonna be you know a typical Book two, to get to the next part of the story. This has so much in it and there’s so much still that needs to be addressed and I cannot wait for the next book! The author did an awesome job and she will be forever an Insta buy for me.

the fantasy sequel of all sequels!!!! everyone was back and better than ever, and i was sat through and through. i still love the writing, the characters were solid, and the romance is low key one of the best ive read recently!!!

I am obsessed with this series and am SO invested in this story!

I honestly don't know where to start! I love the culture differences between Tala and Alaric and how they both struggle to communicate in such a relatable way. The tension that comes with that is just perfection!

This book was able to dive more into the lore/legends of this world without the usual fantasy fog or giving up that Romantasy feeling.

My big disappointment is that this will only be a trilogy and the next book will be the conclusion. 😭

A Monsoon Rising
By Thea Guanzo


A Monsoon Rising is the second book in the Hurricane Wars. Both Alaric and Talaysn have deep hidden secrets that they cannot have the other find out. Alaraics father, Gaheris, has stolen a sariman that can block Talaysn Lightweaver magic. While Talasyn is hiding the rebels while they grow stronger and build a bigger defense. With all the secrets between them the biggest secret of all is that they are starting to have true feelings for one another.

With the Moonless Dark in the near future Talasyn and Alaric have to work together to perfect their shield. With the tension of the Moonless Dark, the politics of their nations, and natural disasters, Alaric and Talasyn need to learn to trust each other or no one will survive.

A Monsoon Rising was such a fun suspenseful read, that I could not put down. The book was action packed and I couldn’t wait to see where the book took me next. I love an enemies-to marriage of political convenience-to lovers. Her light to his dark.

I give this book a 5/5 Stars! And I would highly recommend this series. I cannot wait for the release of the third book!!!

Thank you Thea for such an amazing series!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read A Monsoon Rising!

This series is SO GOOD. The world building gets richer, the tension gets hotter, and the action remains high through out.

Hoping to host a midnight release party for this one!!! Can’t wait for everyone else to read it.

Talasyn and Alaric's arranged marriage may have ensured peace for their two nations, but not all power players have been satisfied after the Hurricane Wars. Rebels are consolidating resources and allies. Empires are plotting betrayals. And the very land that gives them the ability to bend light and shadow threatens to errupt with death magic that would destroy the world.

A MONSOON RISING is as thrilling as it is intimate. Yes, there is magical training and assassination attempts and save the world action! But there is also the embers of love desperate to keep burning against a raging storm. Talasyn and Alaric navigate this contemptuous passion for eachother while grappling with the consqences of falling for their enemy.

The magic of this world is something I want to shake until it tells me all of it's secrets. Its both ancient and scifi all at once. I believe its testament to Thea's love for her home, the Philippines, and it's people. There is community and resourcefulness in the story's Nenavarene people. The seas are homes to dragons. The land and weather is often feared, but wholly respected. There is reality in every moment of this fantastical world.

If you loved The Hurricane Wars, you will not be disappointed with it's sequel. It delivers on all accounts to make this one of the best romantasy series ever. I can't wait to see what Thea has in store for the finale.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperVoyager / Avon Books for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my review!! To be honest, after reading the first Hurricane Wars, I wasn't sure I was going to continue reading the series but I'm SO glad I did. There are very few series I've read where the second book is so much better than the first, and this is definitely one of them. The author did a fantastic job of keeping the plot interesting with plenty of things happening but not so much that it gets confusing. I especially love the tension between Talasyn and Alaric, the progression of their relationship in this book with the new dynamic between them as they have to work together and how conflicted they are with their emotions the whole time. This book has tension, romance, political intrigue, and a major cliff hanger (that makes me a little sad I read this so in advance I have to wait even longer for book 3). If you're like me and didn't love the first book, just give book a chance and keep going. I'll definitely be waiting patiently for the next one.

3.5 Stars

Ugh, I really wanted to like this one. The first book was intriguing and I couldn't wait to see how the world expanded and the plot develops. But for some reason, the sequel kind of fell a bit flat for me? It was slower than I wanted it to be, and towards the end, I ended up skimming to get to the end. Talasyn and Alaric's relationship stayed mostly the same, and the resolution to the climax of the book felt a bit too easy. I didn't really feel like anything much happened in this book...

Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a honest review.

Have you ever read a book that, despite its flaws, leaves you with such powerful emotions that you can forgive its imperfections? This is precisely that book for me. I loved it so much that I'm willing to overlook its issues.

I flew through this book and the only reason I didn’t finish it faster was because I made myself space it out to savor the experience. Despite how fast I read it, the pacing is slower compared to the first book, which actually benefits the story in several ways:

- It allows for better world-building, making alliances and politics clearer
- It provides space for deeper character development and exploration of relationships

The character work truly shines in this installment. The interpersonal dynamics, especially the longing between characters, was just, chef’s kiss, glorious.

However, there are still some issues:

- World-building was still confusing at times, particularly with character names and locations
- The ending left me somewhat confused, though I have theories about what occurred

Despite this, I still loved this story to bits. I'll definitely be purchasing it, and I'm already eyeing special editions. I’m excited for the last book to come out (I have a long wait, lol), and think I may just reread the series once the trilogy is complete.

5 Stars

What you can expect to find in A Monsoon Rising:
-lots of Alaric acting a fool for Talasyn 😏
-banter & tension
-🌶🌶🌶
-let's keep pretending
-angst
-she takes care of him

A Monsoon Rising picks up right where The Hurricane Wars left us. Alaric and Talasyn are married, but have got to their respective kingdoms. They need to figure out a way to fight the oncoming war together. But the more time they spend together the more their marriage of convenience starts to feel too real. Will these two be able to let each other go if and when they defeat the very real threat to their world?

I loved loved loved The Hurricane Wars. The story and the slow burn between Alaric and Talasyn kept me hooked. That same banter and tension is definitely back in A Monsoon Rising. I always loved whenever Talasyn and Alaric were on the page together. They were both a bit frustrating at times, but I think that was the whole point. And if you were thinking where's the spice in The Hurricane Wars - trust me it's definitely there in A Monsoon Rising

While I loved the romance aspects of A Monsoon Rising the actual fantasy storyline left me a bit confused. I felt like it wasn't as cohesive as it was in the first book. I thouroughly enjoyed the fantasy elements and storyline in the first book, but felt it was lacking in A Monsoon Rising.

Still an enjoyable read that I couldn't put down! Looking forward to the next book in the series!

A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon is the second book in the fantasy series The Hurricane Wars. It is scheduled for publication on December 10, 2024. The writing is intensely luxuriant and illustrative. If you think purple prose is a bad thing, well, then that’s on you. I've been swept away by the tempest of Guanzon's words. I did have to refresh my memory on who a bunch of the little side characters are, and I honestly didn’t realize until like a third of the way through the book that sometimes a person is referred to by their title, and sometimes by their name. I ended up confusing several characters, thinking they were actually two. I think a little glossary/political hierarchy chart/character bios refresher in the book, or even on Thea’s website, would be so helpful. The pacing was much faster and easier to follow than the first book because the romance was very much at the forefront of the book. The Enemies-to-Lovers vibe remains intense in this book, and the slow burn has started to heavily consume Talasyn and Alaric! Our idiots are absolutely still denying they’re in love, and very much grappling with the fact they are planning to betray each other. With the romance at the forefront, the political intrigue is more subtle this time around. Kesath and Nenavar are solely keeping the peace until our idiots in love deal with the Moonless Dark. And whew, that cliffhanger! I am so eager to read the third installment, I can’t wait to add the hardcover to my shelf when it comes out. Thank you to NetGalley, and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with this Advanced Reader Copy.

This was an exciting follow up to the Hurricane Wars. The same things I loved about the first book are present here: enemies to lovers where the relationship had rational further development and the reader could really feel the heat and the emotions, the excitement of the light and dark magic with the unique world building, and the Star Wars vibes. I did love the actual war action that was present in this one but missing from the first book. The cons are the same as well: I wanted more fighting, intrigue, excitement. This book still had too many slow parts where that excitement dimmed somewhat. I will still highly recommend it!

OKay I didn't think that I would love this book as much as the first one, because let's be real, books can let us down after such a great high, but this book did not dissapoint! love the tension between the FMC and the MMC and it was seriously perfect.

A Monsson Rising is the sequel to The Hurricane Wars- and while this is a review of the second book, I have to start by touching on the first. TLDR: I liked A Monsson Rising better than the first book. The Hurricane Wars was kind of a straight-forward opposites-attract story, where the main characters, possessed of opposing powers of light and dark, are inexorably drawn together. There isn’t much more as the basis of the relationship than that, and it makes the story a little thin, even though the backdrop of elemental powers, airships and warring nations has promise.

A Monsoon Rising does more to fill out both the world and the character relationships, and for that reason, I think it is a better novel. However, this is still a romantacy series (did I mention there is a secret princess? Sorry, Lachis’ka). Some of the supporting characters are more caricature than character (the politically sly grandmother, the evil grandfather, the stalwart flirt of a friend…). Talasyn has the most development, both in terms of personality and power, and the reader actually gets to see her actively working on learning new skills instead of spontaneously developing them, which is nice.

I also appreciate the times she gets to spend with Alaric without anyone else around, and we get more of each person’s personality showing through, rather than place-holder-style enemies-to-lovers interactions. There are just enough steamy moments to keep romantacy stalwarts, including myself, hooked, but otherwise nothing super special to recommend it. I will be reading the third book, much in the same way that I will be finishing the Fourth Wing series. A mediocre entry to the romantacy genre, I would wait until a paperback is printed, unless you like the cover art enough to splurge. 2.5/5 stars.

First I should state I've already grown attached to Alaric and Tala.

This book brought more angst, more passion, more confusion and more empathy.
Their relationship grows but there is always that "what if".

Didn't think I could hate Alaric's dad more but yeap...I do.

and the cliff hanger....my heart!!!! So I have to sit on the edge of my seat for another year?!?!?!

So much hope, I truly cannot wait to see how Thea brings this Trilogy to a end.
5 STARS!! LOVED IT!