I absolutely loved this book! It kept the same fantastic pace as the second one, and honestly, it was just as good. The world-building continues to enchant me, drawing me deeper into this captivating universe. The romance between Alaric and Talasyn is even better here—oh my god, their chemistry is off the charts! 🔥

From their cute moments to the sizzling tension, I couldn’t help but root for them. Watching them evolve from enemies to lovers while navigating their complex history is such a thrill.

Alaric has officially become my new book boyfriend! I loved seeing him discover more about himself and how far he’s willing to go for his people and Talasyn.

They may have poor communication skills but BY GOD do they have chemistry.

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️

This book was constant blue balls. It was will-they-won't-they hell. One second they are going at it, no holds barred, and then stop, we just can't do this. It was a mistake.... what about my family/friends/nation? Well, what about me?? What about what I want??

Alaric and Tala had so many cute moments. And by god, were they hot as hell 🔥🔥🔥 This book had chemistry to spare. Not once did I doubt that these characters wanted to ravage each other at all times.

Honestly, where this book lost me was in the plot. It felt dragging at points, like, let's just get past this page filler and unnecessary miscommunication and let Alaric and Tala cuddle again. There was plotting with none of the payoff. They might talk about doing something, but they don't actually do anything.

I don't really know what happened in this book and I just finished it 20 minutes ago. There was a lot of sex and internal panic with a couple training sessions shoehorned in there for good measure... and that was about it. There was the overarching Voidfell threat and then... what else really happened in this book?

Overall, in some ways I was disappointed, in some ways not. I will say I didn't love the The Hurricane Wars because of it's intricate plot, but because of the connection between Alaric and Talasyn. And A Monsoon Rising had that in spades even if they frustrated me at times. Like, come on, Alaric just needs to be loved! Just love each other, I'm begging you! You can figure out all the world-ending war and violence later.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for providing me early access to A Monsoon Rising in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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Pre-reading:
Alright alright guys I’ve been waiting for this all year!!

NETGALLEY APPROVED ME!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

While the first book took me a little while to get into it, this one had me hardly able to put it down! I love the growth that Alaric and Talysn go through, both individually and in their romance. The world felt more lush, the spice was wonderful, and the end has me dying for the next book. I love a fantasy that focuses on the romance, so it's right up my alley.

Alaric's calm and cool demeanor is so perfect for the fiery Talasin, and they're mirrors of each other. I was swooning at nearly every interaction, and was kicking my feet during their spice scenes. This is very focused on their romance, but the plot had me hooked as well and dying to know what happens. I loved it.

I have love Thea Guanzon's writing for a long time, and I am so damn excited to see a wider world fall in love with her, too!

Thea brings it in this second installment in her Hurricane Wars saga. Talasyn and Alaric continue to be delightfully infuriating, and their burgeoning relationship is fantastic and instantly binge-able, like a bowl of fresh popcorn.

But what do I love even more? Thea's world building. What a world! What a magic system! Fuckin' DRAGONS?!? She had me by the throat from the get-go. Sure, it's a lot of names, a lot of world-specific lingo, a lot of buy-in, but every good fantasy series has that. This one rewards you for the effort ten-fold.

Obviously, I'm a fan. This one isn't even officially out yet and I'm salivating for the next one. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the early read!

A monsoon is moving in while Prince Alaric, the Night Emperor’s son, and Talasyn, his new bride, frantically try to merge their magic to protect their world from an advancing enemy. This fantasy romance, set in Southeast Asia, is the second book in The Hurricane Wars series. I liked A Monsoon Rising even better than the first, because it has more romance, more dragons, and less political intrigue. Plus, it weaves monsoons, volcanoes, and eclipses seamlessly into the story!

In the first book, The Hurricane Wars, Talasyn, a warrior, is fighting for her country, which is under siege by the ruthless Night Emperor. The Emperor’s greatest warrior is Prince Alaric, his son and heir, and Talasyn has been raised to see them both as utterly evil. In book one, Alaric and Talasyn try to kill each other more than once (luckily, they don’t succeed!), but each encounter pulls them closer.

Talasyn wields a rare and special kind of magic—she’s a Lightweaver. This is the same kind of magic that killed Alaric’s grandfather and led his father to start the devastating Hurricane Wars. Alaric, who commands Night Shadow magic, is not his father, though. The more he sees Talasyn, the stronger his attraction grows. They find each other almost irresistible—especially after discovering that, together, their magic creates a force greater than anything anyone has ever seen. By the end of book one, they are married in an alliance of convenience.

In A Monsoon Rising, Alaric and Talasyn have gone from enemies to lovers and are learning to work their magic together to fend off attacks from their enemy, the Voidfell, a death-dealing machine deployed by Alaric’s father. Both reflect on their wedding night, longing to kiss again, yet they hesitate, afraid of getting too close. Their countries have been at war for years, and neither of them trusts easily after being raised to see the other as the ultimate enemy.

Alaric’s father is almost comically evil and beats him, thinking Alaric is weak. He doesn’t trust Talasyn either and schemes against her—fearing she will cause his son to fall in love. When Talasyn finds Alaric after one of these beatings, she tends to his wounds with tenderness. He’s soothed by her care, both of them starved for affection. But Talasyn is unsettled by her growing feelings and visits the Lightweaver shrine on an island, hoping for answers about her mother, who abandoned her at a harsh orphanage when she was young.

Alaric feels hurt that Talasyn left for the shrine without telling him—stirring his own painful memories of being abandoned by his mother. To regain his strength, he sets off alone to a Shadow Sever. When a messenger eagle delivers a note informing Talasyn of Alaric’s journey and the approaching storm, she scrambles to rescue him. She finds him just as the monsoon hits, and the floodwaters begin to rise.

As the storm rages, the attraction and tension between them reach a breaking point. It’s a beautiful, sensual scene as they make love, the monsoon lashing around them. They insist they aren't in love, but they agree to enjoy the physical side of their marriage while they can. Both worry about their allies’ schemes to seize each other’s territories—neither wants to betray the other, yet both remain tethered to the causes they were raised to serve.

The second half of the story flies by with action, and I couldn't put the book down. I won’t spoil the ending, but it leaves off on a major cliffhanger, and now I can’t wait to read the final book. I’m curious if Talasyn’s grandmother, Urduja, will turn out to be as evil as Alaric’s father—and if so, how they’ll manage to defeat them both.

I’d like to see Alaric and Talasyn learn to trust each other more in the next book. I’m not a fan of cliffhangers, especially when it means waiting a whole year for the next installment! Still, despite that frustration, this book is a DIK (Desert Island Keeper) for me. The way the author wove the monsoon into Alaric and Talasyn’s love story was pure magic, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

I really enjoyed this! Alaric and Talasyn’s relationship moves forward in a really satisfying, earned way. I also really enjoyed the political machinations that we see happening. I’m excited for book 3!

A Monsoon Rising is a fantastical action packed, enemies to actual lover (finally) perfect for the fall and winter seasons read. Picking up fairly near the end of hurricane wars you see Talasyn starting to try to embrace her new roles of Night Empress, but also staying true to her people. You see Alaric learning new things about himself and how far he is willing to go for himself his people his father and Talasyn. The relationship between Talasyn and Alaric progressives a lot more naturally than I expected and I loved every minute. You really see the conflict they both have for having feelings for their *enemies*. With tropes such as enemies to lovers, touch her and i'll kill you, and more this book should be at the top of the list for all Romantasy readers. This story is a little slower than Hurricane Wars was with a lot of small time jumps, but that did not slow my love for this world what an exceptional read. My only drawback of this book was that I wanted more to happen. I feel like it was a little short and certain aspects of the story I haven't mentioned is being drawn out a little more than I would have hoped for. However, Thea Guanzon has an innate power to just draw you into this world and not let you go. Ps. I really thought nothing could top the ending to Hurricane Wars, but this one is just unfair and what a cliff hanger. Will be anxiously and not super patiently awaiting Book 3.

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.