First things first, I enjoyed this more than the first book of the series. Where I felt like The Hurricane Wars lacked plot movement and action, this had a lot more happening and advancement of the romance. I still struggled with the pacing, especially in the middle chunk of the book, and the inner dialogue of both MCs is repetitive and frustrating.

The main thing I loved was the relationship development, even if the characters don’t make much progress on themselves. This sequel sets up the third book for lots of action, revelations, and hopefully the MCs making better choices and communication (finally). I will definitely be checking it out so I can see how this story concludes. Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

Consider my expectations exceeded! This made me like The Hurricane Wars even more knowing we were getting set up for this banger of a book. The tension was hot! The plot was thick! When I wasn’t reading it I wished I was!

My only regret is getting an ARC (obviously joking thank you so so much) since it means I’ll have to wait even longer after that ending for the next book!!

Swooooooooon! A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon is a splendid sequel to The Hurricane Wars. It is the perfect blend of romance, fantasy, politics and adventure. 5 stars! The only downfall is having to wait for the next book. Talasyn and Alaric are *chefs kiss*

Thanks Netgalley, Harper Voyager and Thea Guanzon for letting me have access to this eARC!! I have no critiques for this novel and would rate it One Million stars if I could. I would defiantly recommend this novel for anyone who loves the Enemies to Lovers trope and for anyone who is a fan of South East Asian Authors :) Even though I have already had this on pre-order, I'll defiantly do a re-read again this year :)

O M G!!!!! This is the kind of sequel I was needing after finishing The Hurricane Wars earlier this year😩 The plot is so so good. The tension between Alaric and Talasyn only continues to grow and I ATE IT UP🤪 This book is really a build up towards the end and I think it ends on a great opening for book 3. I need book 3 asap now 😭
Overall, this book gave everything I was needing and was an amazing continuation to Talasyn & Alaric’s story. So excited for this to release in December!🙌🏼

3.5/5 stars

I love Thea Guanzon. I've been reading her work since the fan fiction days and have voraciously consumed everything I could that she has written. I really liked The Hurricane Wars. I felt that it set us up for a very interesting story that gave plenty of nods to the original inspiration (which if you weren't aware is a Star Wars fanfic). That said, I didn't love A Monsoon Rising as much as I wanted to. The plot felt stilted at times, even though the writing remained lovely. We got a lot of development with regard to the relationship between Alaric and Talasyn, there was some spice and a lot of push and pull and banter between the two of them, however I felt like all of this was overshadowed by the story dragging at some points. The stakes were supposed to be very high, but it simply didn't feel that way. I remained completely unattached to the side characters as well. I had to stop and let one or two chapters simmer for a while before I picked the book back up again so it ended up taking me a while to finish this. The ending did catch me off guard, so be warned there's a cliffhanger. Despite all of the things that I didn't love about A Monsoon Rising, I do think it is overall a good series thus far, and given that I know what kind of writer Thea is, I have faith that book 3 will knock my socks off.

Wow what a follow up to The Hurricane Wars! No second book slump here!!! Monsoon Rising was everything!

We are picking up right where we left off in THW. The Moonless Dark is a few months away. In a night where all 7 moons are in eclipse the void sever will erupt and spill death magic all over the world, sounds bad right?! Well our two favorite heroes can save everyone but they have to do it together! Alaric and Talasyn combined magic has the power to create a shield to withstand the sever but training is required to build up their magical strength. That means lots of time spent together and while their relationship is changing they are still both keeping secrets.

The growth in this book for both Alaric and Talasyn was amazing. Alaric really comes out from being under his father’s thumb and shows Talasyn some real emotion. He was so dumb and clueless when it came to sexy times it was so sweet lol. I loved how he would get so grumpy when people would defer to his wife in front of him and his jealousy was so hot too! Talasyn really shines as a leader in this book. She is a natural at caring for her people and after being only a soldier for so long I love how she gets to be the one to give orders instead. Her heart really softens for Alaric this time around but she still shows that spitfire side of her when needed. Can I just say that I loooooove Prince Elagbi?! He is hilarious and such a good dad. When he gets Alaric drunk and plays Casongkâ with Sevraim, soooo funny! He’s a show stealer for sure!

This book has MUCH more romance than the first book and it was so lovely getting to see their relationship grow and change from hateful enemies to almost in love with one another. Thea mentions several times the fact that they were both so lonely and now they have someone…just my heart omg! There is loads of spice, sometimes awkward but still hot! The rain scene on the beach…goodness! Towards the end Alaric gets all grisly and assertive and it’s really yum.

We end on the biggest cliffhanger I think I’ve read this year (almost 100 books!) and I’m beside myself. It comes out nowhere really and if what I think happened really happened I’m gonna be so sad!!! Thea! How dare you! I really thought we would end with one the secrets these two have been keeping being revealed but noooooo let’s just keep my anxiety going into book three about that! Besides being so cruel for this cliffhanger the author has brought her A game again and Monsoon Rising is going to be another massive hit! Thank you so much to Avon and HarperVoyager for blessing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

After the events of The Hurricane Wars, Talasyn and Alaric begin training to hold back the void magic on the seventh eclipse and get a little too close for comfort while planning on stabbing each other in the back.

Loved this and seeing both main characters grow into themselves. I feel like often times with trilogies the second book is just setting up the pieces for the third book while adding nothing meaningful, but A Monsoon Rising doesn’t fall into this trap. It does set up for the third book, but there’s so much more happening that it doesn’t feel like filler or fluff. The ending had me absolutely screaming though and I feel like we needed more court politics to really explain why it happened

I thought this was an interesting book, but don’t feel like it was my style of book. Well written and a good read.

I have been put through the wringer. Thea wrote a masterpiece. I absolutely loved this high fantasy with a romance subplot. I LOVED how Talasyn’s and Alaric’s relationship developed throughout the book.

The magic system, the world building, the mythology of the Nenaverene is just absolutely beautiful.

I cannot wait to see how the story wraps up in book 3!!!!

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Voyager and Thea for this arc!!!!

It’s official: Thea Guanzon is the YA author to watch. I didn’t think it was possible for Guanzon to top the perfection she achieved with THE HURRICANE WARS, and then I had the absolute pleasure of getting lost in A MONSOON RISING. Everything in this book is flawlessly done, and the stakes have never been higher for Talasyn and Alaric going into the next book. (I am OBSESSED with them, and so wrecked over that cliffhanger.)

Too many sequels ultimately fall short of their predecessors. This is not that kind of book. In so many ways, A MONSOON RISING is a literary masterpiece. Guanzon not only recaptures the magic of her debut, but elevates it to impossible heights. A MONSOON RISING grips you from the very first page and doesn’t let go until long after the last. I have no doubt: This is the book of the year.

Thank you to Harper Voyager for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I loved The Hurricane Wars so I was ecstatic to receive an ARC of the second installment and dare I say it loved it even more.

I am usually good with words, but this book reduced me to mere sounds. A gasp, a giggle, a shriek, a sob –– anything but words came out of me while reading this because it was just THAT good.

Thea had me GAGGED with this book and I know everyone will love this book. The new magic forged between Talasyn and Alaric, the rising tension between the pair, and the drama of it all has me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I’m honestly angry with myself for reading this ARC so early because now I have to wait even longer for the next piece of their story.

I loved getting to know more about Talasyn and the way her mind works, and just seeing her grow into her own. She is such a fun and strong protagonist and I am her number one stan. She was just a girl thrust into this world of power and responsibility and she’s just doing her best while being pulled in so many directions.

Alaric only exists for the sole purpose of being dumb, pretty, and loving his wife, and we stan him for that. I cannot wait to see how much more pathetic he becomes in the third installment given that I did not think it was possible to increase his loserish-ness from THW to AMR.

Thea is so devious and evil but I know that the pain she put me through will be worth it in the end. I cannot wait for this book to be out and I cannot wait for book 3!!

"It would be so easy to love you in a different life."

(3.5⭐)

okay im going to be so real but that was unexpectedly much more disappointing of a sequel than i ever imagined?? i was literally BEYOND hyped to read AMR but honestly? this felt like it got hit with second book syndrome and im so disappointed--and that's not to say that it was *bad* but i was really hoping for another 5 star like i gave THW🥲

reading AMR was truly a strange experience. on one hand i did adore talasyn's and alaric's interactions BUT on the other?? where was that spark i felt in their relationship back in THW?? it felt as though there was a constant glass wall in front of me while reading where i couldnt fully be invested in their relationship as i was in THW--i would literally have the silliest of grins and that heart-pounding excitement whenever i read their scenes. but here? while there were a few moments that made me laugh or go aww, it just didn't feel the same.

one thing i will say that was really well done though was the inner conflict in talasyn and alaric. individually it did feel as though their characters grew... otherwise i just didnt feel the same *obsessed* feeling i did while reading THW and honestly that just makes me really sad.

another thing is that where was the plot??😭 i genuinely feel like nothing happened really except in the last 25%ish but for the whole world being at stake, i didnt really feel any sense of urgency or high stakes while reading? and i couldve possibly ignored the lack of plot had there been something to keep me invested but there wasnt really?? its just crazy because while THW had me gripped from beginning to end and filled with tension and excitement in literally every scene, i did NOT get that same feeling at all here.

i will say the ending did make me gasp but also WHERE DID THAT EVEN COME FROM??? IT FELT SO RANDOM??? and thats all ill say about that. otherwise im feeling a whole lot of nothing after finishing this book?

still, there were some cute moments and progress in talasyn and alaric's romance and individual characters! and while im forever disappointed this didnt live up to my expectations, im definitely still going to be reading book 3 and hope that its a brilliant and amazing book to make up for book 2.


Many thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager for gifting me an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!!

3/5

So saddened to give this book a lower rating than the first one but I truly just did not enjoy it as much. The story lacks urgency and the stakes feel so low.
The writing is beautiful as always, but I didn’t feel an emotional connection to any of the characters this time around.
I felt like there was very little plot to be found in this book and that the ending came out of nowhere with characters I had little memory of from book 1 suddenly becoming very important.
The ending made zero sense to me and I don’t know how any of those events will feed into book 3 or how any of these plot lines will eventually connect.
I unfortunately just felt like this book had a lot of filler and limited character development to justify the whole lot of nothing that happened.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

“Briefly, she wondered what it would be like to live in a world where she was allowed to take his hand.”

My jaw is on the floor. I was soooo lucky to read an arc of The Hurricane Wars and was absolutely obsessed with the story. The enemies to lovers storyline in this series is handled so well and continues in A Monsoon Rising.

I don’t want to share any plot points to prevent spoilers, but Alaric and Talasyn have my whole heart. As they continue to sort through the demands of each of their homelands and figure out their attraction my emotions have been pulled in every direction.

There is this beautiful, tentative love bubble amidst complete chaos and underlying betrayals. The spice and romantic moments between Alaric and Talasyn had me giggling, blushing, and my heart melting. Only alone are they able to show very sweet, vulnerable parts of themselves and it killed my heart every time.

I will be sending Thea my therapy bill because I am going to be absolutely losing my mind until I can get my hands on the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Voyager, and Thea Guanzon for this early copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGallet for the ARC.
This book had me kicking my feet and giggling.
The story was engaging and fast paced without being overwhelming. I ate this up

I love when 2nd book surprises by being better than the 1st one. This book is so good. I just dnf’d 4 popular and well-known fantasy books and decided that I should get back to thrillers and novels. Then I got approved for Advanced copy of Monsoon Rising, started reading without high expectations after recent dnfs and never put it down. That’s how I loved it.
Thank you for saving fantasy genre for me !!!
* action packed
* dragons
* chemistry
* clear understanding of motivation behind characters action

Hurricane Wars is one of my favorite romantasy books and this book did not disappoint! I honestly would read the back of a cereal box if Thea wrote it. The spice and banter in this was everything. Glad to report that this book did not suffer the second book slump most romantasy/fantasy series do.

People often give flack to the first book for the world building being a little flat since it was originally a Star Wars fanfic. Anyone who shares this opinion I STRONGLY encourage to read this book. The world building and plot in this were phenomenal and grew so much from the first book.

Will update after a I post a Goodreads and Tiktok review at a later date.

I loved this book! i actually was a bit nervous going into it because book one was a bit slow for me. Though i do understand now that we were getting background on everything. I loved how Tala's and Alarics relationship developed. i think he is truly so sweet. my favorite line was "What is wrong with your face? Are you in pain?" top notch. it is refreshing to have a male main character who isn't a playboy. I loved watching them grow and become more comfortable with each other.

Loved how much more dialogue there was in this book, and how the chapters were shorter. It felt like an easier read.

I do feel like there is a lot of conflict happening in the story though. Especially with this ending, Im hoping that we can avoid this huge betrayal though, i dont think my heart will be able to take Alaric being hurt.

Thank you so much for this ARC i greatly appreciate it and CANNOT WAIT for book 3.

𝑨 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝑹𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈

Another phenomenal book by Thea!

This book really took me for a ride! The tension was absolutely incredible. It was so well written and I just couldn’t get enough!
I felt fully immersed from the very beginning. The attachment I have to these characters is unreal!
Seeing the Alaric and Talasyn growing more in this book warms my heart. These characters have obviously dealt with different obstacles in their life and in this book you get to see them in a different light. You see them pave their own path and begin to become more than they thought they were. We see them make decisions they may not have made before, and the ability to do so! These characters compliment each other so well. I enjoyed seeing them supporting each other, in a very different way than in Hurricane Wars.
The plot, political dynamics, and action kept me fully engaged! And the romance!? Thea delivered exactly what we needed. The romance was the cherry on top! I cannot wait to continue this series! I applaud the author for yet again writing such a brilliant book!