3.5 stars

A solid follow-up to The Hurricane Wars, delivering on the promise of a sweeping romance set against a vividly crafted Southeast Asian-inspired world. As a fan of romantasy books, I love a story that balances heart-pounding romance with a healthy dose of political intrigue—and while this book had the first in spades, I found myself craving more of the latter.

The premise of A Monsoon Rising is fantastic, with high-stakes political machinations, intense magical elements, and the looming threat of the Moonless Dark. Alaric and Talasyn’s relationship is front and center in this sequel, and their enemies-to-lovers dynamic is a driving force throughout the novel. The tension between them, both emotional and physical, is palpable, and I loved how their evolving feelings for each other played out against the backdrop of their complex, fraught alliance.

That said, I felt like the romance did take center stage a bit more than I would’ve preferred. While the romance is undeniably a highlight, I was hoping for a bit more political depth and strategy as Alaric and Talasyn navigate their roles in their respective nations. The first book set up so many interesting threads regarding the power struggle between their lands, but this sequel focuses primarily on the couple’s emotional journey and less on the wider political intrigue that initially piqued my interest. Don’t get me wrong—there’s still a fair amount of drama, but I would’ve loved to see more of the political undercurrents that could’ve really enriched the story.

One of the biggest strengths of this book, however, is the world-building. Guanzon’s setting is rich and immersive, filled with magical systems, ancient secrets, and a culture that feels uniquely her own. The world feels alive, and I couldn’t help but get drawn deeper into it with each turn of the page.

The second half of the book, however, felt a little rushed. There are some intense moments leading up to the climax, but the pacing seems to accelerate a bit too quickly. I wanted more exploration of certain themes, especially surrounding the Moonless Dark and the shifting alliances, but instead, it felt like the book was pushing toward the conclusion a bit too fast.

Overall, A Monsoon Rising is an enjoyable read that should please fans of romantic fantasy, especially those who love an enemies-to-lovers story with plenty of sparks flying between the leads. While I personally would’ve liked more of the political drama and a slightly slower, more deliberate pace in the latter half, the book still provides a compelling narrative and a satisfying continuation of Alaric and Talasyn’s journey. I’m definitely intrigued to see where the story goes next!

A Monsoon Rising continues the story of Alaric and Talasyn that we were introduced to in The Hurricane Wars (previously reviewed on this account). Since this is a sequel, you need to have read The Hurricane Wars to understand what is going on in this story.

The action scenes in this book were really well done, and I found myself going through these chapters the quickest. Thea Guanzon does a very good job of making you feel like you are in the chaos of a battle while you are reading. Guanzon also continues to build out the world she has created and lets the reader know more about the magic system that exists in this world.

This story focused a lot more on the romance between Alaric and Talasyn than the first novel did, and there wasn’t really any political intrigue in this book. For me personally, I cared more about the plot points than the romance, but this is a romantasy novel through and through.

The ending of this book made me wonder where the third installment of this series is going. I’m looking forward to its release because I need to know what is going to happen to these characters.

If you are looking for a romantasy series with an enemies to lovers trope, I would recommend you check out The Hurricane Wars and A Monsoon Rising.

After loving The Hurricane Wars I was delighted to get to spend more time with Talasyn and Alaric in A Monsoon Rising. We pick up right where the first book left off, Talasyn and Alaric are married and Talasyn is preparing to become the Night Empress. They need to work together to protect the world against the Moonless Dark, despite holding allegiances to complete opposite factions. You get politics, you get a dope magic system, enemies to lovers, the world is set in south east Asia - truly, what more could you ask for and go get to reading!

Thea Guanzon does such a great job getting the reader inside both Talasyn and Alaric's headspace, while also ensuring that the other characters surrounding them are not just caricatures for them to volley off of. I absolutely adore the relationship between Alaric and Sevaim and was so happy to see more of those two together in the second book. Seeing how Alaric grew over the book with Talasyn doing her best to make her own decisions in a difficult situation was so gratifying. The mutual longing throughout the book is delicious.

My literal only regret in reading this early is that now I'll have even longer to wait for the next one. And also, what a cliffhanger!! I highly recommend this one and if you haven't read the first one make sure you get right on it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Avon and Harper Voyage for the advanced copy.

Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

This book starts right off where the first book ends with Alaric returning home and Talasyn getting ready to head to Kesath for her crowning. This book focuses much more on their romance and is much more character driven. There isn’t a lot that happens until the end, and this book focuses on them preventing the Moonless Dark from destroying everything. There is some politicking, but unfortunately Talasyn and Alaric still allow themselves to be walked all over and have no real opinions of their own. I’m hoping the third book sees a lot of growth for them in this way. As for their relationship, there is still a lot of guilt that they are hiding from each other and the many scenes where they are upset at being attracted to each other (or that they are going to betray the other) gets a little old after a while. I do like that not only do we see more of the abuse Alaric sustained from his father, but Talasyn does also. Towards the end, her belief on who he is as a person has definitely changed. I did appreciate the end, and once it gets going, it rolls. There will be several fronts that these two will have to face and I feel they are going to have to learn to trust each other to pull this off. There are betrayals new and old, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the third book handles it all.

I have highly anticipated the follow up to Hurrican Wars and this book hit the spot.
I thoroughly enjoyed the plot pacing, world building and additional character depth from this book. Book one took care of a lot of that so this book got to build on its foundation and it was very easy to fall into the world and not want to come back.
Speaking of characters, Tal and Alaric continues to push the enemies-to-lovers line and the banter and intensity of the hate was delicious. I likes the romance better in this book than I did in book one and I was here for it. Their systemic rivalry is still alive and present and I appreciated that they haven’t taken the “insta love” route bc it makes the romance that much more satisfying. Although I will say that the while lies and betrayals better get resolved quickly in book 3 because I do’t want to spend a whole other book waiting for them to figure it out.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this eARC.

I could not get into this book. The first book was okay, but the second just really still felt like fan fiction that needed more depth and polish. I didn't buy the tension between Alaric and Talasyn. Their insta-love didn't work for me and all the coincidences in the book that led up to Talasyn being in the right place at the right time felt too far-fetched to be believable.

Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC. Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. A Monsoon Rising has such a great concept and a unique world, but it was so hard to follow. It was very confusing with no glossary or pronunciation guide, which I always find helpful when reading fantasy. There was a lot of showing and not telling. I also did not feel the connection with the characters. I found out later that it was a Reylo fanfic which could be why there was a disconnect for me.
I would recommend this to other Reylo or Star Wars fans.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s finally here, one of my most highly anticipated books of the year. A Monsoon Rising starts off right where The Hurricane Wars ended. Talasyn and Alaric’s arranged political marriage continues as together they race to find a way to save their countries and their people from the Voidfall.

We get a lot more character driven story and the plot is a little slower moving. But you can tell everything is building and building to something more. I loved getting more information and back story in our two bumbling, stumbling silly gooses. There is a lot more of them dancing around each other and not saying their true thoughts and feelings. The yearning! The longing! My heart couldn’t take any more. The slow burn was sloooow but the payoff once they finally gave in was *fans face* hot. The spice level was for sure turned up a few notches in this one.

Their banter continues to toe the line between funny and flirty and anger and dislike. Always hanging over their heads is the knowledge that they both are betraying or plan on betraying the other. But, with their continued training and time with one another, and as their affections grow, so does the guilt that has them both questioning their choices.

This follow up did not disappoint. I need the next book stat! Don’t leave me on that cliffhanger!!!

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I think I loved A Monsoon Rising even more than I did Hurricane Wars. I feel like now that some of the world building is out of the way, we got to really get deep into the story and character arcs. I feel like Ms. Guanzon's writing style had a better chance to shine here for sure, and can't wait to see the story continue to grow!

You know what? This was a great bit of escapism and I'm here for it!
I will say the romantasy genre tends to be imbalanced when it comes to plot and spice, but I like how Guanzon balances between the two, infusing chemistry and intricate worldbuilding to create an engaging book!
While I'm still disappointed by the overwhelmingly whitewashed details for a SEA-inspired fantasy, after reading the Hurricane Wars I felt properly prepped for this aspect.

A lot more relationship building in this one and I am HERE for it!! I am very very excited for the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this eARC.

December is always a slow month for new books. That being the case, I was relying on this sequel as one of my few newly released books to cover (I often devote my other review days during December to catching up on various sequels that I couldn’t fit in during the months in which they came out). I very much enjoyed “The Hurricane Wars” when I read it last year and thought that it did a great job setting up the world and the characters, leaving an intriguing pathway forward for the story to take! But, while I still enjoyed a lot of what this book had to offer, this is one of those titles that I can hold up in the future as an example of “middle book syndrome.”

Let’s start with the good however! Much of what I enjoyed from the first book is still strong here. For one thing, the writing is compulsively readable. While I could step back and have critiques of the pacing, plotting, and some of the character beats, while I was reading it I felt fully immersed. I read it over a few days and largely enjoyed the entire experience. Not a lot really happens in this book (one of my main criticisms) so it speaks to the author’s talent with readability that I never felt bored as I was making my way through the book.

I also still very much enjoyed our main characters and their love story (mostly). One thing that I appreciated the most was the fact that Talasyn and Alaric are following a more traditional “enemies to lovers” path. In that, this book doesn’t easily do away with the fact that these two have been on opposing sides of the war for years, have fully realized histories before they began falling for one another, including loyalties, friendships, and ideologies. None of these could or should be easily set aside just because they meet someone they begin to have feelings for (honestly, I can’t count the number of romantasy titles that really struggle with this aspect of the entire “enemies to lovers” trope. If your characters can get over being “enemies” within the first book, let alone the first half of the book, then they were either A.) never enemies to begin with or B.) are simply poorly written with no actual characterization to them outside of this burgeoning love story). The love story does make progress throughout, but the book also takes place over a few months time, adding another layer of believability to this relationship. But even still, by the end, they are by no means clearly on the same side, even still.

And now, the counter argument to everything I said above: while I appreciate the slow-burn nature of this book, I’m not convinced this needed to be a trilogy. For all that the slower nature of the plot works for the romance, it also doesn’t work for the trilogy as a whole. There were numerous scenes in this book that felt wholly unnecessary or as if they were simply inserted into the story because an editor had pointed out that no actual action had taken place for chapters and chapters, with the focus only being on the characters’ inner thoughts and building love story.

Part of this has to do with how the book has tried to balance two different points of conflict: one is the upcoming apocalyptical event that only Talasyn’s and Alaric’s combined magic can save everyone from and the other is the actual war that they both have been fighting. By essentially saving the entire war conflict for the next book, it made this book’s handling of this huge threat, the Moonless Dark, feel almost like a strange side quest that didn’t really matter.

And then there were even some fairly major reveals and twists in this area that are revealed towards the end, but, again, by the nature of the structure of the trilogy as a whole, I wasn’t quite sure what I was supposed to do with this revelation. It was this big moment, and then it just felt like it landed with a thud and was quickly kicked into the corner to set up the final events for the third book. Was this plotline really necessary? Instead, it felt like this entire set-up only existed as an excuse to make Talasyn and Alaric work together over the course of the first and now this book; I felt like I could see behind the curtain and spied the author wrangling the plot into place only in service of getting the romance from point A to B, not something you ever want to see.

But, as I said, I read this book very quickly and still enjoyed the actual reading experience. If I came away wondering a bit why this had to be an entire book, instead of re-structured into a more tightly plotted duology…well, that’s unfortunately often the case in fantasy fiction these days. That said, the set up for the third book is very good and I’m excited to see where it all goes!

One last note on the romance: while I appreciate the true slow-burn nature of the love story, I truly hope that the betrayals/secrets/lies aspect gets dealt with early in the next book. I’d love to see a significant portion of the plot devoted to these two finally working together. Two books as “enemies” and one book as “lovers/allies” is, for me, the correct balance.

Rating 7: Fans of the first book will likely enjoy this one, and, at its peak it highlights a true commitment to telling an “enemies to lovers” romance. But, on the other hand, there’s very little true plot to be found here.

Link will go live on The Library Ladies on Dec. 11

First off, I want to thank Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I truly enjoyed the continuation of Talasyn and Alaric’s story. The promise of battle, possible betrayal, and possible budding romance was enchanting. One drawback, however, was that parts of the book seemed to drag. The ending certainly paid off and has me excited for the next book.

This one is for the romantasy girlies. Far less political intrigue and heavy on the slow burn romance. I was here for it. I enjoyed watching their relationship develop more into mutual understanding and admiration. I am also a big fan of him falling first.

The Alaric character development and backstory felt much more flushed out. He got to be a whole person in this story in a way his (ahem) inspiration never got to be.

That cliffhanger is about to ruin my life though…

This book, what a ride it was! The character development of the two leads, Talasyn and Alaric, was great to see and see their love blossom and grow, and be tested again and again. The further world building gave such a vivid mental picture of this world the author created, I felt like I was there alongside the whole cast of characters.
One issue that did arise was that the second half of the book felt a bit rushed. So much happened and it became a bit of a blur in some spots, such as the masquerade ballroom scene, I do understand it was an action heavy scene, the rush it gave felt too much for me. Maybe it wouldn't feel that way for other readers, but it is something to consider.

A Monsoon Rising @theagwrites

After reading The Hurricane Wars last year and getting to meet the incredible Thea at a signing, I could not WAIT to sink my teeth into A Monsoon Rising.
I was so so happy when I got approved for the book on netgalley but had so many things going on, I just hadn't gotten around to opening it yet.
When I saw @harpervoyager_uk release the cover and saw the proofs it spurred me into opening my kindle and diving straight into the book.
All I can say is.... That ending is SO DAMN CRUEL THEA!!!!! This was the cliffhanger of ALL cliffhangers and as I slammed my kindle shut on the final page I felt both frustration and utter disbelief. I NEED book 3 like I need AIR. I need to know what happens so badly it's unreal. The whole book tore me apart and I haven't stopped reading it for THREE DAMN DAYS where I've had so many feelings at once, it just isn't fair! Jokes and how cruel the ending was aside... This book is phenomenal. I think it's even a step up from book 1 which is saying something. The tension, push and pull and the hatred mixed with passion between our two MCs is unreal. I've never known ANYONE to write this way and it's SO gripping. I feel immense relief that I've been able to read a monsoon rising so early as the wait for it was killing me. But now, to wait again for book 3... I don't know if my heart can take it.
Seriously, a MUST READ SERIES. I've loved so many books this year already but... This has to be up there in my top 3. Incredible and an obvious 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Dare I say this book was even better than the first of the series! A compelling story with action and sizzling heat- perfect new adult read. Well balanced political turmoil with breaks of action and truly heartfelt. I can’t wait for the next one to come out!

The second chapter of ‘The Hurricane Wars’ throws you right back in the action without a breath to brace yourself. I could have used a little more reminder of exactly where we’d left off. Guanzon continues to deliver a heavy fantasy world, rich in descriptions of a brand new world, machines, and magic. Around 44-55% the romance lagged enough in the “will they, won’t they” to make me want to DNF, but I’m glad I didn’t. The romance and plot paid off in the end with a few twists that I didn’t see coming.

I had to go back and reread The Hurricane Wars before I read this is so it was fresh in my mind! I will say that I feel this was faster paced. While I liked the first one a lot I felt like Guanzon definitely improved even more in this one. I had a hard time here and there with the first one. I remember at the time my ADHD was running rampant. This time I will say I liked it more and would rate it higher which made me hyped going into Monsoon Rising. The relationship between our two main characters is Alaric is such bookboy friends material. This one definitely has more romance aspects to it as we still have the politics as in book one we know the marriage talks in the beginning of the book were all centered around a wedding for political reasons! The cliffhanger ending will have you reeling and wanting the third book immediately!

Even better than the first book- the pacing in this is impeccable and the characters are very well-written. This is clever and engaging and wonderful!