GUANZON THE WRITER THAT YOU ARE!! I was a little bit worried about how well I'd remember the setting/characters after so long, but only a few pages into A Monsoon Rising and I felt everything rushing back to me as though it had only been days since I'd read the first book. Talasyn and Alaric were SO fun to read, and I had to stop myself and physically force myself to read everything more slowly because I was zooming through it so fast in my excitement. I thought it was going to be a duology for some reason but I found out in the WORST way that it isn't!! Can't wait for the next book!!

THAT ENDING!!!

The book immediately starts right after the events of the first book, and let me just say, this book DID IT for me. It was much more fast-paced than the first book; I never got bored.
The focus is on Alaric and Talasyn’s relationship, as well as the Moonless Dark. But I will say, this book focused mostly on romance and it did not disappoint. Who knew Alaric had such a dirty mouth. He definitely loved dripping down her thighs and watching her— on his wedding ring 😉 I’m in love with this couple and I already need more of them!
I will say, the ending did feel a bit lackluster. I was expecting a different ending (maybe a revelation of all the secrets both Alaric and Talasyn have been hiding), but I still loved the book ❤️

**Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this arc!**

SCREAMING INTO THE VOID - WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT ENDING!!!

I didn't think it was possible for A Monsoon Rising to be even better than The Hurricane Wars but BOY did Thea prove me wrong. The only thing disappointing about this book is the fact that it's over and now I have to wait for Book 3.

I need Alaric and Tala to be okay, and more importantly, be together like I need air to breathe. They both have thought about what their love would look like ~in a different life~ but I need it to be in this life. 🥺🖤

Thank you so, so much Thea & HarperCollins & NetGalley for this eARC. Love you lots.

Ok actually this book had me going through all the emotions.

Similar to the first book, this was just a good time for me. If you didn’t like the trope-y style of the first book, don’t read this one. Personally sometimes I want that kind of easy fun read 🤷🏻‍♀️ I loved the mix of romance, politics, and an intricately crafted fantasy world. I honestly would have loved more details about the light/shadow magic but I get that there wasn’t really a good point for a huge lore drop (prequel/novella Thea please???).

Obviously I loved Alaric and Talasyn but I felt like a lot of the side characters really got some love in this book (Sevraim is legitimately one of the best characters and really brings a different softness to Alaric. I need more of their interactions 😭). Alaric definitely got some MAJOR character development in this book and I loved that for him. He is really an enjoyable mmc to read for sure and although he makes a lot of questionable decisions, I do think that they all have a purpose. There are still SO MANY unanswered questions and plot points and the cliffhanger ending is going to drive me insane. I am dying to know what grandma is scheming up.

I needed the third book yesterday but I am really excited to see how this all wraps up in book 3.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊!

It’s hard writing about this one. The first thing I can say is that it totally deserves the 5-star rating. The Hurricane Wars was the book that explained and showed you this magical world, with its politics, courts, magic systems and conflicts. But A Monsoon Rising is all about the tension and conflicting feelings both lead characters have. They are both navigating their own leadership positions but also getting to know who they married.

With Talasyn you can still see her old self shine through no matter what crown they put on their head. And Alaric, with his stoic personality, is showing more feelings and hopes for himself as you read through. However, we still get to see the obstacles that prevent them from fully being together. Talasyn knows she will have to betray him for the rebels to succeed and Alaric also knows he will betray her by letting his father take Talasyn’s magic.

These two just have so many responsibilities to their kingdoms but all this is worth it as we see their walls come down and their chemistry absolutely climb. If you thought The hurricane wars had only tension, this one still has the same tension but you won’t be disappointed by how their dynamic changes and they get closer.

As for the war, Talasyn is about to find out quite a lot about her kingdom’s past along with her family’s and I’m guessing she will have to make a hard choice in book three. Warning: it does end with a big cliffhanger. And no you will not predict how this one will end, because even though you hear throughout the book what the outcome will be, I assure you that it is not what happens and that will drive everyone crazy

It is a unique experience to have dual POV of your enemies-to-lovers and STILL get blindsided. I went from giggling kicking my feet to heart plummeting in mere pages. It’s a special type of torture to have an ARC end on that huge of a cliff hanger.

A Monsoon Rising is the second book in the Hurricane Wars trilogy, and I think this one was so much better than the first. I felt like the first one was riddled with purple prose and expository dialogue, and while this one suffered from these things, it was very much dialed back. After the first 20% the dialogue sounded very natural, and while there were some parts that I felt were a little over described, Thea Guanzon’s prose is very pretty.

As for Alaric and Talasyn, their relationship was beautifully developed, there was a lot of depth added that I can really believe that they are starting to/ will love each other and not just be attracted to each other. One of my concerns with the last book was that Alaric was a little more sympathetic than Talasyn because he was so much more devoted at first, and this book really put them on more equal footing in terms of sympathy and understanding their perspectives. I thought their banter this book was really soft and lovely. The one thing that did get a little old was the constant “I DON’T have feelings whatesoever, it’s just physical attraction and that’s IT” after the most affectionate moments ever. Like I know it’s a trilogy and I don’t want I love you’s yet, but after the first one or two times, I wish we could have seen this emotion play out and be told it over again. Or if it would have been worded from a different perspective.

The plot felt more natural in this book than the first too! In the first book there were a few parts that felt a little stilted, which I totally get it was the debut and setting up the world and the characters, but Guanzon really found her flow in this book and there were lots of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, and I am eagerly awaiting the final installment!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of this year and it totally lived up to the hype. I loved The Hurricane Wars but I think I liked A Monsoon. rising even more . The spice is great and the slow burn is perfectly paced. The world is so unique and I cannot wait to see where this goes. Will be recommending!

I received this book as an arc from NetGalley.

This book was amazing. The world is amazing, the characters are great, the spicy is spicing! I started this book and then stopped and went to read the first book and came back. I’m so happy I have found this series!

where to even start?! this was devastatingly good in every way. thea guanzon created such a unique world filled with an incredible magic system, and even more incredible characters. talasyn and alaric have the most intriguing enemies to lovers banter i’ve read in ages, and this may very well be the best i’ve ever seen it done. this is a SLOW burn — but it burns so deliciously. the growth of these characters both independently and together from book one to book two was done so well, you can just *feel* it without it even being acknowledged. their happiness is everything to me!!!

I feel absolutely honored to have been given the opportunity to read this before it’s release this coming december. I somehow managed to love this one even more than the first, which I never would’ve thought possible. I hope everyone else has the opportunity to love and enjoy this story as much as I do!

Okay, this was one of my HIGHEST highest highest anticipated reads of 2024 and it did NOT disappoint. “A Monsoon Rising”, sequel to “The Hurricane Wars”, picks up right where we left off at the ending of THW. I couldn’t not put it down at all. As soon as I received the email from NetGalley that I was approved for the ARC, I literally put every other read on pause until I finished this one.

I don’t want to say too much. I cannot wait for everyone who loved THW to read this. Talasyn and Alaric have my freaking heart!!!! The angst!! The pining!!! THAT ENDING!!!! Obsessed is an understatement. 5 glorious stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

* Spoiler warning *


So I re-read The Hurricane Wars immediately prior to starting A Monsoon Rising, and this second book at times felt like a "middle child" novel, where there's a lot of buildup for a climax (which works well for the story), but when reading the book on its own, you're left wanting more (also that cliffhanger was EVIL).
Don't get me wrong, the story is still excellent and I am loving the character development (especially Alaric's), it's just sometimes rough to read a book like that for a series that is still in progress.

- I absolutely ADORE Talasyn and Alaric's personalities and interactions with each other. I think having the dual POVs that show you the little changes they're having on one another made it all the more sweeter to read, while still being unpredictable (e.g. Alaric getting jealous at the masquerade ball. It's pretty clear at that point that we have 2 Idiots In Love, but his reaction was still surprising to me).
- Prince Elagbi getting drunk with Alaric was something I was NOT expecting and made me LMAO.
- I love the amount of detail that Thea goes in to when describing things, and I think it makes for very immersive storytelling while not being over the top. I personally have extreme difficulty imagining things in my head, but with the way she writes I find it much easier to do compared to many other series I've read in the past.

All in all, although I do have small hangups about this book, I am very very excited to see where the story goes. We have a massive conflict approaching, not only between Talasyn and Alaric, but between Sardovia/Nenavar and Kesath too, as well as several plot points that need to be resolved (Talasyn's mom, Urduja being super sus, Alaric's mom, Gaheris fucking with the Shadowgate, the Rebels, freaking Khaede!! etc.), and I feel that all this buildup will absolutely be worth it in the books to come.

Excellent work Thea!! <3

Thea delivered such a beautiful and heart wrenching follow-up to The Hurricane Wars. I will be thinking about this book probably for forever.

Talasyn and Alaric are the perfect reflection of each other, forcing themselves to see what they do not want to admit is inside of them already. This book brings up the hardest question to answer: How can you love someone that is your sworn enemy and stands against everything you believe in? Can you separate feelings from war? Talasyn is struggling with her attraction to Alaric and the feeling of betraying her people she swore to protect and help. Alaric is trying to juggle feelings for his wife and obeying his fathers commands. The result is a slow burn that is almost agonizing and a love story that is so satisfying it had me giggling and kicking my feet.

The stakes in this book are so high, it has you on the edge of your seat for the entire time. The character development is just so good, I love seeing them open up to each other and give in to the desires they realize they both share. The world Thea has built is beautiful and unique, I love all of the different aspects of it! Also I just love Elagbi, he is so funny and perfect at making things awkward. Alaric is SO down bad it's hilarious to see how much he is lusting over his wife when on the outside she doesn't seem to want to give him the time of day. Their bickering is my favorite.

I have been waiting for this for SO LONG it did not disappoint. I've been reading this story since it was a fanfiction and somehow it just keeps on getting better and better. I would read probably anything Thea writes. Getting this ARC made my whole year! I am seriously counting down the days until we get the third book.

A massive thank you to NetGalley, Avon and HarperCollins for this ARC!!

Huge thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.25 stars -I was a little let down by this sequel. I was first up to bat when it came to defending the first novel in this series but A Moonsoon Rising definitely leaves something to be desired. Where I hoped and expected Thea Guanzon to expand and hone her craft in the sequel I felt there’s was little improvement. The plot felt all over the place, the pacing too fast in some parts, too slow in others, and I felt disconnected from the characters driving forces. The basis of the story is about these two fighting their developing feeling while being on opposing sides, but 95% of the book they were on the same side! It really disrupted the tension and makes it harder to believe the divide between them. I will pick up the next book in hopes that this is just a case of second book syndrome, but I really need Thea Guanzon to shape up the story a bit.

Thank you Avon/Harper Voyager & NetGalley for this wonderful ARC!

The Hurricane Wars had been sitting in my Kindle library for lord-knows-how-long, so getting access to this ARC finally kicked my ass into reading it - and thank GOD because I was missing out on a great series!

I loved this book! It was such a fun read; I was both nervous AND giddy to turn each page. I love Alaric & Talasyn <3 I'm rooting for them HARD.

Love love love. Such a great follow-up in an awesome series! I need the 3rd book 5 minutes ago!

I forgot how unique this whole world is!!!
I really enjoyed being back with Alaric & Talasyn. The culmination of one of the story points from the first book builds and builds throughout this story and is balanced nicely with the romance elements.

The longing and tension is really well written, the spice is the perfect amount of descriptive yet not overdone. It also added to the plot most of the time which is just how I like it.

I will say, I find this serious quite wordy at times. I think sometimes the writing can get lost in the over descriptive passages - and as someone who has aphantasia I did find myself skimming parts when they felt bogged down.

Overall I did really enjoy this sequel and with that ENDING?! I can’t wait for the 3rd book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon & Harper Voyager for access to this E-ARC.

*Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The review can be found on Goodreads*

This book was absolutely fantastic and a step up from the first book in the series. Initially I struggled with the world building and the enemies to lovers aspect, but this book did a fantastic job of filling in some of the concerns I had while reading the first book.

I also very much appreciated the pacing of the book and that I was fully engaged throughout. The cliffhanger at the end was absolutely brutal (in the best way) and I need the next book asap.

This was everything I wanted in a sequel and more. 🥰
Talasyn and Alaric are the best enemies-to-lovers/marriage-of-convience tropes that I have ever read.
The magic and politics were intriguing. The spice was everything we have been waiting for. 🔥
And the ending, oh my goodness, the ending! I'm already screaming for book 3 when book 2 isn't published yet. 😂

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the Arc!

I always get nervous for a highly anticipated second book… but A Monsoon Rising did NOT disappoint. The author does a phenomenal job writing enemies to lovers/forbidden romance. I’m a huge fan of books with tension and boy did this book hit the mark. The world building and writing is only getting better. The characters continue to be lovable and I am absolutely looking forward to the next one! Truthfully I’ll be thinking about that cliffhanger for the next 3-5 months.

After reading The Hurricane Wars, A Monsoon Rising was a highly anticipated read for me this year so I was delighted to have the opportunity to receive an ARC to review! This book did not disappoint! In fact, I enjoyed the story so much that I didn’t want it to end. The story picks right back up where book one ends and flows seamlessly back into the conflicting situation that Alaric and Talasyn find themselves in.

Thea Guanzon’s writing painted perfect pictures of the setting which I absolutely loved. I was able to visualize the beaches, castles, the creatures, the dresses…you name it. I absolutely love when writing can turn into a full-on high definition film in my head and A Monsoon Rising did that for me!

Alaric and Talasyn…ah, I live for the tension which was perfect if I do say so myself. I loved getting the inside scoop of Alaric and Talasyn’s inner thoughts. I was on the edge of my reading chair wondering what their next emotional and/or political act was going to be! I love when a story keeps me on my toes as to which character I CAN TRUST OR NOT!

This book is going to live in my head rent free until the next one. I truly loved it!