This is book 2 of the Hurricane Wars series—such a great romatasy read! I think it is hard to stretch an enemies-to-lovers story line into the second book, but it was well done here, and the slow burn was great. I laughed out loud multiple times, and I can't wait to see how this trilogy ends. (Also, I have definitely already pre-ordered this and the sprayed edges are beautiful.)

The Hurricane Wars was the first book and five star read of 2024 for me and I thought I would have to wait until the end of the year for the next installment. Getting this ARC was so exciting. I have been looking forward to A Monsoon Rising since it was announced.

This is one of the slowest burns I have ever encountered and when things ignited, it absolutely delivered. I was just a giddy little girl who was kicking her feet reading this. The banter and the chemistry is spot on. I have not read a story that was originally Reylo fanfiction that I have not loved.

Strong female lead, grumpy MMC who wants to be a teddy bear, court politics, marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, incredible magic system, war tech…

Also, DRAGONS. But not dragons just for the sake of having them in a book.

I felt very heavy The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom vibes towards the end. Anyone else?

Also, how could you end it like that??? What am I going to do until the next book??? It is a crime, I tell you.

If you are looking for a new fantasy series to get into, look no further.

A Monsoon Rising comes out on December 10th, 2024. Thank you NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Publishing for this eARC in exchange for a review.

This series has some of my favorite characters of all time. Objectively, this book might suffer just a little bit from middle-book-syndrome, but Guanzon's writing and characters are so great that it doesn't even matter. I liked Alaric's perspective a lot in this book. We learn a little bit more about the world, too. I have no idea where this series is going to go next, and I can't wait to find out.

Thank you to Net Galley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

Admittedly, I wasn't a huge fan of The Hurricane Wars, but I was intrigued enough to continue the series. While it didn't rock me like a hurricane (er... monsoon), I did enjoy this one a lot more. I would classify this one as a true romantasy story (romance first, plot second)-- which I think is going to appeal to a lot of people. The tension, the angst, it's all there. If you’ve been waiting for this couple to hook up repeatedly, you’re in luck my friend.

That being said, I felt like the plot needed to be stronger. Outside of the relationship progression, not a lot happened in this book. The plot took a major back seat in this book. The ending’s plot twist almost felt diminished and unearned.

One random gripe I have to voice because this has now happened in The Hurricane Wars and Monsoon Rising: the phrase “par for the course” is used in both books. This term comes from golf— a sport that does not exist in this fantasy universe. I understand that this term is figurative and is used outside of the sport, but without golf as its origin, it doesn’t make sense.

I will definitely continue reading this series. While I’m not the biggest romantasy fan, the author has created a really interesting, unique world and I would love to see more of the court politics aspect of this story moving forward.

First of all special thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Going into this book I had hopes that this book would be better than the first. I didn't dislike the first but felt it could have been better. I am here to say that this book has exceeded my expectations! I loved it. The writing I found more concise than the first book and easier to read. Definitely a great follow up to a good first book!

I’m honestly at a loss for words. I tore through A Monsoon Rising in just one day, and it was absolutely amazing. Thea Guanzon crafted a star-crossed romance filled with intense battles, high risks, and courtly intrigue. The pacing was perfect, and as I neared the last few pages, I was practically holding my breath, desperate for more. She seamlessly tied all the conflicts together, just wow.

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic is really well done, with just the right balance of push and pull as Alaric and Talasyn grow closer while keeping their defenses up. Alaric’s devotion to Talasyn is truly touching—he’d do anything for her. Their bond is strong, understanding each other in ways no one else can, yet still holding something back. They bring a blend of heartache and intensity to their relationship, and I’m really hoping for a happy ending for them!

This book places a strong emphasis on the romance—there’s plenty of angst and tension, but it’s also filled with tender, heartwarming moments. And those plot twists at the end? Plus, the cliffhanger? Wow! The story really heightens the tension and raises the stakes, making it hard to put down, and the ending left me eager for the next installment.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, Thea Guanzon, the author, and NetGalley for the ARC opportunity.

A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon was one of my most anticipated reads of this year and I want to take Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read an e-ARC. This was such a great follow up to The Hurricane Wars and kept me entertained the entire time while reading it. THE TENSION! It was so good. It was really good. This is how you do it, people. I was hooked and I couldn't get enough. I loved the character development that we got to see in this book. I also found the action scenes to be well done and I was actually able to follow along with what was happening. It was great. Overall, a fantastic follow up and I cannot wait to read the next book in this wonderful series!

4.5 stars!
Thank you to Harper Collins and Thea Guanzon for letting me read this arc, what a truly unique and suspenseful story A Monsoon Rising was. I can’t wrap my head around the magic and mechanics in this story!! Everything is so technical and unique which I really enjoyed. As with the first book, we follow Talasyn and Alaric after their wedding and boy or boy do things HEAT UP. The longing in this 2nd book was soo delicious! I was biting my nails waiting for these two to follow through with their wants. I was also pulling my hair out waiting for what would happen between the FMC and the MMC during their upcoming trials but didn’t expect that ending! Clearly there’s more to the story than we know and I’m ready for the next chapter!!!

This book is excellent. If you loved The Hurricane Wars because you loved the conflicted and longing nature of Alaric and Talasyn's budding contentious relationship, you are absolutely going to EAT UP A Monsoon Rising.

The second book picks up shortly before Talasyn's coronation as Night Empress. Alaric and Talasyn are apart from each other, each trying to figure out how to best rule their people and serve their roles in light of their changing relationship. There is no trust between them - no love - but you get to watch empathy and compassion blossom between them as they prepare to protect the world from the Void fell together.

I devoured this book. The tension is exquisite, and you can feel Talasyn's inner conflict as she tries to reconcile her broadening sympathy for Alaric with her disagreement about the way he wants to establish peace and safety in the world. He is determined to "make the world better" through his own control, and Talasyn recognizes that, as a conquerer, it's not his place to do that. The fundamentally disagree on what the future should look like, which keeps them frequently at odds, but it does nothing to stifle the growing chemistry between them.

If you like your enemies to lovers with a good bit of angst and your romantasy with some spice (significantly more than book 1) you'll love A Monsoon Rising.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book is that I read it so long before book three will be out! The Hurricane Wars was one of my favorite reads of 2023, so I had very high hopes for A Monsoon Rising, and it did not disappoint.

I will never get enough of Alaric and Talasyn—their tension played out so deliciously. Seeing them get closer but not allowing themselves to admit all the feels they’re feeling—the pacing was perfection, the build was amazing, and when they finally let go, it was so on point, right down to them snapping at each other, because of course they would. I can’t wait for these two idiots to realize they’re in love.

The action was incredibly well-written, and the events of the eclipse were stunning. I never would have seen it coming, and it was thrilling but also just lovely in a way.

So excited for book three! Give me more intrigue, backstabbing, betrayal. Give me Alaric going absolutely feral. If anyone needs me, I’ll be in a self-induced coma while I wait!

Thank you Harper Voyager for the ARC of A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon. I am so grateful to have gotten to read this sequel before its release!

Where The Hurricane Wars was heavy on establishing the world building and politics, this book took off and fully immersed the reader in more of Talasyn and Alaric’s relationship within that same world and politics. The Reylo inspired romance had me inhaling the story, while simultaneously trying to savor it. And talk about a cliffhanger! That ending has me so excited for the next book.

Some of my favorite parts that made this book so perfect:
•Every time Alaric says “my wife”
•All the tender intimate moments between Tala and Alaric
•Alaric holding a disgruntled chicken 😂
•Tala looking at the view-”pretty isn’t it?”, Alaric looking at Tala- “yes”
•THE BANTER
•Watermelon (iykyk)
•The dragons 🐉

This book was AMAZING!!!! I loved the plot, the pace, THE SPICE?!?!? SO GOOD!!! Now I’m really sad I have to wait for the 3rd one because I sat down and read this one in a day!!!! The author did a great job connecting the two books and I can’t wait to see what she does for the third.

This was a really great second installment to the series. I enjoyed seeing the relationship progression, and there was definitely more spice. This man is down so bad, I love it. Still two idiots not admitting their feelings.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Oh my gosh that cliffhanger! How dare the third book not even exist in Goodreads?? Will be refreshing NetGalley for book 3, I NEED ANSWERS.

Hurricane Wars was a wonderful debut filled with Star Wars/Reylo vibes in a sweeping original world, and Monsoon Rising was even better. This book focused more on the romantic development and had a decent chunk of smut that many (including myself) were salivating for after book 1, and that really worked for me. I was entertained start to finish and am now desperate for book 3!

This book was what I wish the first in the series was! It had all of angst of the enemies to lovers that I was looking for, with a slow burn that finally gave me some satisfaction. While I still found the setting a bit overwhelming and confusing at times, I started to settle in with it. I was glad I didn’t need to reread the first to understand what was happening. Really looking forward to more with this story!

4.5 🌟
This was such a romantic book - the focus here was definitely on Talasyn’s and Alaric’s love story. There was angst and tension, but it was equally soft, tender, and heartwarming. The amount of plot twists in the last pages and this CLIFFHANGER OMFG.

Thank you Netgalley, Avon Books and Harper Voyager for the ARC, I feel so privileged to have read this one.

This is one of the easiest 5 star books I've had this year. I had just done a reread of The Hurricane Wars to refresh my memory, and this one is somehow 100x better!!

We finally get to see a lot of interaction between Alaric and Talasyn, and let me tell you--THE BANTER IS BANTERING. A++, no notes. They're the perfect embodiment of miscommunication without it being annoying, and it's so witty. This is absolutely what was missing from book one, and I'm SO HAPPY we got it in this one! They are my sweet baby idiot angels, and neither of them can do anything wrong.

And yes, the slow burn continues, but the payoff is SO WORTH IT. I love a good slow burn, and this one lasting as long as it did was incredible. Thea is officially the master of this, and I have no notes.

There's a lot less world building and a lot more plot progression in this book as well, which is great. And the ENDING?? When you get to the last 20%, you hit the "Okay...well...that's done. So now what?" point and I was nervous it was going to be a drag to the end. I was wrong to be nervous, because we never hit the brakes. There is a TON of action in this one, and the ending is going to have you going WHAATT???

SO yeah, there's a cliffhanger. And I'm upset about it. I don't know how I'm going to manage to wait until book three release when this one technically isn't out yet. If you enjoyed the first book, you'll LOVE this one. And if you thought the first book was "meh" and are deciding whether or not to read book two--DO IT. It's worth it, I promise.

Breathtaking and enthralling! Guanzon does it again in this amazing sequel to The Hurricane Wars! And by "it" I of course mean crafting a star-crossed romance full of battles, risks, and courtly intrigue! This book is extremely well paced and as I came upon the final few pages, I was on the edge of my seat, ravenous for more! A must read for those who enjoy enemies to lovers, anti-heroes, and pulse-pounding action!

Yet another Filipino writer churning out amazing books, hurrah! I enjoyed the first installment The Hurricane Wars, and this one picks up where that left off. I'm a sucker for romance so while I found the first one lacking in that department, this sequel made up for it! Love the tension, pining, and enemies to lovers romance here. And there is a bit of steam and spice, which I am certainly complaining about. Definitely piqued my interest to see where this is all headed!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. Holy cow! Just holy cow! First of all that twist ending, I never saw that coming, holy cow. Second, when's the next book coming out? Third, this series just continues to get better with each book. I enjoyed this book immensely and loved the world that has been created by the author. It's beautifully written so bravo to the author. The one thing that just irks me a little is how both characters are plotting against each other while also trying to save the other. Please let's get that resolved sooner rather than later in the next book. 4.5 stars out of 5.