This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and it did NOT let down!

I absolutely ADORED everything about this book. Both Alaric and Talasyn's character growth was incredible. and can we talk about the TENSION!! THIS is what I want in enemies to lovers. The longing, stolen glances, and unspoken feelings finally culminating in some absolutely delicious spicy scenes.

I loved seeing Alaric's soft side and learning more of his past. Getting to see a glimpse of Kesath and the expansion of Nenevar was also great!

But I am even more excited for what's to come. THAT ENDING HAD ME SHOOK! Thea, I know you said it was what your editor recommended but I have major beef with her now!!

Again, a huge thank you for the ARC of this. ( apologies it is so late, I swear I had typed it up and submitted it already)

Great continuation of the story, and went places i didn't expect would reconmend to fans of the poppy war so I agree to the comparisons to an extent just not as brutal

Thank you NetGally, Thea, & Harper Voyage for the free ARC of Monsoon Rising!

This was so good I don’t know why it took me this long to read it!! I can’t get enough of this world and these characters. I need the next book in my hands like yesterday 😭 I feel like this series doesn’t have the appropriate hype and that’s sad because it definitely deserves more hype.

Thea Guanzon’s A Monsoon Rising is a stunning sequel that builds on everything that made The Hurricane Wars so compelling—rich worldbuilding, high-stakes political intrigue, and a romance crackling with tension and longing. Talasyn and Alaric’s relationship is at the heart of this novel, forcing them into an uneasy alliance that neither of them can fully trust, yet neither can seem to resist.

One of the standout elements of this series continues to be its immersive worldbuilding. The lush, war-torn landscapes from The Hurricane Wars provide the perfect backdrop for the growing tension between Talasyn and Alaric. Guanzon’s writing brings every setting to life, from the glittering imperial court to the shadowy threats lurking beneath the surface, making it easy to get lost in this world of light and darkness.

But let’s talk about the romance—because wow. Political marriage? Check. Enemies forced to work together? Check. Slow-burn tension so thick you could cut it with a dagger? Absolutely. There’s everything a romance-fantasy fan could want and every trope that makes your heart race and banter that is as sharp as it is heartfelt. The way Talasyn and Alaric navigate their shifting feelings while still trying to outmaneuver each other politically is a masterclass in tension and longing. And when things finally do tip into romance? Let’s just say the spicy scenes are not just there for the sake of it which I appreciate, they’re filled with so much emotional intensity and depth that they make every moment between them feel even more powerful.
The pacing of the novel is strong, though I did find myself taking longer to get to this review because I had to go back and read The Hurricane Wars first (which was great!). While A Monsoon Rising does a great job of continuing the story, I definitely recommend reading the first book to fully appreciate the depth of the characters and the stakes of their world.

As for the ending—the twist got me. I won’t spoil anything, but just know that Guanzon knows exactly how to leave readers desperate for the next book and I simply cannot wait!

While I absolutely loved the romance, the world, and the emotional depth, there were a few moments where the pacing slowed, especially in the middle. Some political maneuvering felt repetitive at times, and I wished certain side characters had been fleshed out more. However, the strength of the romance and the explosive ending more than made up for it, leaving me eager for what’s next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I can’t wait to see where this series goes next!

I absolutely adored The Hurricane Wars and was so excited to dive back into this world. Just as lush and exciting as I remembered with even more detail and romance. This sequel kept me engaged the entire time and that ending? Wow! I can't wait to get my hands on the next book ASAP.

4.5 ⭐️ okay, ignore how long it took me to finish (thea pls forgive me) that was all my fault and not the book — “a monsoon rising” was SO GOOD.

the worldbuilding from the first book provided such a lush and beautiful backdrop to the story — talasyn and alaric navigating their political marriage!! tension!! falling in love despite yourself!! only one bed, “who did this to you” (but she says it!!), banter, slow-burn, and spicy scenes with so much intensity and depth!! and dragons!!

thea did a phenomenal job again with weaving in all the threads of the story — the relationship development, introspection, the underlying commentary on imperialism, colonialism, and armed conflict. i am so invested for the next book, especially with where this one ends (cannot wait to see alaric go FERAL.)

thank you thea & harpersvoyager & netgalley for the arc, and my eternal apologies it took me so long to finish (once again, my fault,

I've been really enjoying this whole book series as well as everything between Talasyn and Alaric but man, about halfway through I started questioning if I was in the middle of a duology and I was sad. Then I started to question if they'd follow through on their plans but let me say, I did not at any point see that ending coming. Holy cow Thea! What a twist! I'm invested and can't wait to see what happens in the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyage for the ARC.

The Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon was such an immersive read! The world-building was rich and atmospheric, pulling me right into a realm filled with political tension, forbidden magic, and characters teetering between duty and desire.

The story follows Alaric, a soldier burdened by past mistakes, and Mira, a diplomat with secrets of her own. Their paths collide when a looming war forces them into an uneasy alliance — one filled with slow-burn tension and razor-sharp dialogue. The stakes felt so high throughout the book, and I loved how Guanzon layered in themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and power struggles.

The writing was lush, and I could practically feel the stormy winds and smell the rain-soaked earth. While the pacing slowed a bit in the middle, the emotional depth and strong character development kept me invested. Alaric’s inner conflict and Mira’s quiet strength made them such compelling leads, and their dynamic had me hooked.

If you’re craving a fantasy with a richly detailed world and complex characters, The Monsoon Rising is well worth picking up!

A must read. Very engaging and a world full of surprises. The book is very well written and the world is an amazing read.

I am in a state of shock after reading this book. Whatever Thea Guanzon put in this book I only want more!

A Monsoon Rising was a perfect blend of political uprising, angst between our two main characters, and action packed.

I loved the magic system throughout this book and I loved the incorporation of the dragons. Alaric and Talasyn completely have me swooning. This book will absolutely live rent free in my head.

Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an early eARC for this book.

You know what. I love this trilogy. I love reading a scifi steampunk romance with a moody, broody emo boy and a feisty twisted in guilt girlie pop. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop with the secrets Talasyn is keeping, but I'm going to live in blissful ignorance pretending that everything is okay. Also, the fact that Thea used the "Who did this to you?" trope, but it was the FMC saying this to her secretly butter soft marriage of convenience hubby had me DECEASED.

This book was not what I was expecting. I did feel that it was more about their relationship than the story line. Maybe that's a "me" thing. I wanted more of the plot. I did find myself annoyed with the FMC at times. My favorite parts of the book were the action scenes. I can still "see" them in my mind when I reflect back on this book!

Ughhhh I love everything this woman writes she has such a unique and captivating way of writing and it really sucks you in right from the beginning. I’m so happy to have discovered her when her first book came out

Thank you NetGally, Thea, & Harper Voyage for the free ARC of Monsoon Rising!

Thea never ceases to amaze me with her beautiful writing! But did I enjoy this one more than The Hurricane Wars. The stronger focus on the romance, particularly with the forced proximity of Talasyn and Alaric's arranged marriage, was spot on. Like the first book, I struggled to visualize the magic system and the fight scenes involving magic. But that’s definitely a me thing, lol. However, the romance and witty banter kept me engaged throughout!

This series does not get enough hype. It is really good, and such a fresh take on a genre that has so many of the same types of books. Thea does a great job with her characters and world building. This is my new favorite series, I love to recommend it!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I’m sorry this series is just not for me i tried really hard to like it but i barely tolerated it
there is simultaneously too much plot and not enough plot, i dont know if that makes sense
things were dragging but also too much was happening somehow nothing actually relevant
i hope it gets better for people who have the patience for it, i unfortunately am not one of them.

I think I am retiring this series. I let myself be hopeful after book one, that book 2 would get into the meat of the world/magic/conflict/romance but this book was not that. I felt like had both books been edited down this could have either been a good duology or an okay YA fantasy. It's just too much white noise. After 800 ish pages it still doesn't feel like we have a grasp of the world nor do I enjoy this romance ..at...all.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the opportunity to review this title. I attest that I am leaving my review voluntarily and honestly.

I need to look up if there are more coming because this was soooo good. And the special editions they’ve put out are so beautiful. It took me awhile to read this and I have bought a copy for my shelf

𝙷𝚎 𝚌𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚕𝚢, 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜, 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚋 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝. 𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚑𝚘𝚠, 𝚜𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚊 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢’𝚍 𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚙𝚊𝚕𝚖𝚜 𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔.”

The pining in this book is off the charts! @theagwrites absolutely knocked this sequel out of the park. I loved loved loved this book. I am less thrilled about the cliffhanger because we all know how I feel about those but I could not have asked for more with Alaric and Talasyn. I’m not going to lie, I am terrified of what is going to happen when the truth finally comes out. My only hope is that they see that they were both doing the same thing to each other and that they’re able to quickly get over it because I just need these characters to be happy and in love and living their best lives.

A huge thank you to @netgalley and @avonbooks for a copy of this book! Perfect for fans of enemies to lovers, fantasy, and shadow daddies.