For She is Wrath by Emily Varga really kept me on my toes, especially with that big twist! At first, it totally caught me off guard, but looking back, I could see the breadcrumbs Varga had left along the way—it’s clever storytelling that makes you want to reread just to catch all the clues.

If you're expecting a Count of Monte Cristo revenge plot, this is more of an Arya Stark-inspired tale. The prison escape and assumed identity are there, but it feels different, with a fierce, determined protagonist who's driven by her own blend of revenge and girl power. The story doesn’t get too bogged down in revenge, though; there's this strong undercurrent of reclaiming power and identity.

One of the highlights for me was the vivid Pakistani influence woven into the food, clothing, and cultural references. It made the setting come alive, creating this rich, colorful backdrop that felt so immersive.

The pacing, though, was a little off. Some scenes felt drawn out, while others could have used a bit more depth. I think it’s because there’s so much story packed into a single book. Honestly, this world and these characters are intriguing enough that it could’ve been a duology—maybe I just want more time with them! A few characters especially could’ve benefited from a little extra development.

The structure of the book, with time jumps between past and present, was something I enjoyed. The parallel timelines flowed well, adding depth to the main character’s journey and giving you insight into her motives as they unfolded.

And if you go the audiobook route, the narrator did a fantastic job! Their voice really brought the story to life, especially during those intense moments in the final third of the book. I didn’t expect the story to go in that direction, but it was a cool surprise, and I liked where it ended up.

Overall, For She is Wrath is packed with twists, a powerful lead, and an engaging cultural backdrop. It might have been better with a bit more room to breathe, but it’s definitely a memorable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a free e-ARC and ALC of For She is Wrath in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

FOR SHE IS WRATH by Emily Varga, a story about female rage and vengeance was everything I could have asked for. A Pakistani inspired retelling of The Count of Monte Cristol, I was completely captivated by this read from the start.  

Emily’s writing was beautiful; from the plot to the unique magic system, the worldbuilding, and finally the complex characters. Every aspect of this story was amazing. Each scene Emily wrote I could imagine it in my mind and I did not want it to end.  

Dania was an amazing character. So strong and fierce, yet completely complex and flawed. Her wrath held no bounds. Despite being a fierce fighter and survivor there is a vulnerable side to her. She has so many layers to her. Her journey throughout the story was beautiful to witness; from experiencing betrayal, heartbreak, loss, grief, resilience, and finding peace within herself. I constantly wondered if her anger and hatred would completely consume her and her morals. I felt connected to her in the way that she keeps others at arm's length or knowing the right things to say especially when comforting those around her.  

Despite the pain Mazin has caused Dania, I loved their dynamic and interactions. They fit so well together. I loved the flashback scenes we got from their childhood, their initial dislike for each other, the moment they fell for each other, and the moment Mazin completely broke Dania. You could feel the love and pain they still had for each other even after the deception and treachery that destroyed them. Despite everything that transpired between them they still gravitate toward each other.  

Aside from the romance I loved the friendship between Dania and Noor. I admired how they were there for each other, understood each other, kept each other accountable for their actions, and pushed the other to do better. They had a beautiful bond strengthened by separate traumas they each experienced 

Overall, I really enjoyed this read. I'm excited to see what Emily has in store next.

I haven't read Count of Monte Cristo for over 30 years so I don't remember much about it other than that revenge is a big theme. So I don't have much to say about this book as a retelling of that story, but just as a book I loved it! I liked the magical elements that are in this retelling. Dania is a strong character and her revenge motivation is done well so she isn't annoying about it. Noor and Dania make a great team and the ending is pretty epic. I give this book 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook for review.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listening copy of the book. I was very excited when I attended a Macmillan YA webinar where this book was first introduced. I loved Dumas's classic, "The Count of Monte Cristo" and I was curious to see how it would be adapted for today's readers. "For She is Wrath" is a solid adaptation of “The Count of Monte Cristo” with a South Asian twist. I thought the author captured the themes of the classic quite well. The romantic tension between Mazin and Dania was strong and held throughout. There was a nice twist to the story but the meeting with Vahid was kind of anticlimactic. I have had a horrible streak of reading underwhelming romantasies lately but I'm thrilled that I finally felt like I could get behind this book and bonus points for being a standalone.

I did like the narrator of the book, however, her pronunciation of words like "talwar" and "Sahiba" were inconsistent. I also thought the male voices with the exception of Mazin was a little hard to differentiate. Other than these issues the narrator was able to bring her energy and enthusiasm to the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book; opinions are my own.

This is a rich and intriguing retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo with strong but imperfect female friendships, lush world building, a cool magic system, and lovely descriptions of Pakistani culture and lore. It touches on themes of loyalty, power, morality, revenge (ofc), forgiveness and mercy. Dania is a strong, smart, resourceful, and charming (when she wants to) protagonist that struggles with who she is without her anger and the lengths she will go to get her revenge at the expense of her identity. She reminds me of Zafire from <u>We Hunt the Flame/We Free the Stars</u>, both have this struggle of hero vs. villain mentality and get a little lost along the way to accomplishing their goals. The plot is a little slow-moving that is incongruous with the high stakes, but I still enjoyed following Dania on her journey.

Objectively, to the right audience, this book could be a 4 or 5 star read. To me, I'm only giving it 3 stars. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this book! I requested this ARC earlier this year when I was deep in my fantasy hyper-fixation and reading more YA fantasy books. Unfortunately, my reading tastes have shifted out of YA fantasy. So, unfortunately this book was a bit of a slog to get through and impacted my enjoyment, and thus, my rating.

For She Is Wrath is a take on The Count of Monte Cristo from the POV of a Pakistani woman. The action starts from the drop, and you know that Dania isn't someone to be messed with. There are prison escapes, sword fights, espionage, and the drive for revenge. “The ones closest to you will betray you the most.” Dania does not go quietly into the night and instead seeks vengeance, but are things really the way they seem? I loved the gender switch in this retelling because we got all the female rage vibes! Despite the main plot focusing on going after those who had betrayed her and her family, there are also moments of found family.

The audio of this book is also very good and can be sped up without losing quality or the ability to follow. This is one of the most important audiobook features to me.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC for of this audiobook for an honest review.

Absolutely amazing! I did not know that I needed a fantasy, female take on "The Count of Monte Cristo" so I thank the author for filling a void I wasn't even aware existed. This Novel had beautiful writing, a wonderful world, and powerful characters. And since I was provided the audiobook by Natgalley and the publisher I can add that the narrator was fantastic and really brought the story to life for all the audiobook readers out there.

I really enjoyed this book. I found it a little slow at the very beginning, but then it flowed great. It was well written and I really liked reading about a kick-ass lady like Dania! I also had a soft spot for her friend; Noor. She was loyal and had Dania's back. The premises was great and I kept rooting for Dania! Highly recommend for anybody who wants a great book with a lot of action set in south east Asia/middle east.
The audio was very well made, and the reader did a great job!

This was a great "lighter" fantasy book. The audiobook was fantastic, although the storyline drug around the middle a bit. I also had problems deciphering when it was a flashback or current day on audio. But the characters were so intriguing and special!

Read if you like:
Friends to Enemies
Rage and vengeance
Found family
Pakistani characters
Magical aspects

Recommended, especially if you enjoyed Divine Rivals.

“The ones closest to you betray you the most”
I really enjoyed the pacing and storyline in this book! It's a great revenge story, with the added trope of lovers to enemies. Also includes: prison break, djinn magic, and found family. It's great retelling that layers in more intrigue with the Pakistani twist. The FMC, Dania, was such a strong and vengeful character and I really enjoyed her friendship with Noor. The book could have been longer with more tension and world building, but overall I enjoyed and would recommend!
Narrator was a great choice for this book and I found her inflections very engaging. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced audio copy!

Submitted on Goodreads and Amazon. Amazon is currently pending.

“Who am I, without my revenge?” 😦 Such a great book that gave me many feelings and had me hooked from the start!!

Strong female protagonist, hidden identity, revenge upon revenge, dark magic, betrayals, AND MORE

You had me at Pakistani Count of Monte Cristo retelling! This was a Macmillan Audio pick I knew I needed! This book came on my radar months ago, and I was practically feral for it! The Count of Monte Cristo was a favorite book, and Guy Pearce movie, of mine growing up.

First of all, I love a gender swap—let's go FMC out for revenge! I love a woman’s wrongs, we do them right! I also love the subplot of two down and out prisoners, betrayed by the emperor, finding allyship and then friendship with each other. Noor is the voice of reason to Dania’s rage, and I really feel like that worked so well, as opposed to something like inner turmoil; Dania never questions her actions and instead has meaningful conversations with her friend.

I was waiting for Mazin’s actions to make sense and got a good amount of cookie crumb clues throughout that when we finally got the reveal, it felt so good, and rightly shook Dania!

I loved the romance, it wasn’t shy and had plenty of tension from the past through the present.

Also, the big twist in Dania’s betrayal story was absolutely perfect, I did not see that coming! And the end resolution was powerful with strong messaging. All I want now is a Noor story! In the end, this book was five stars!

I enjoyed Safiyya Ingar’s narration and was excited to see that I knew them from TV!

3.5⭐️s rounded up
Story - 3⭐️s
Narration -4⭐️s
A loosely based, gender bent, re-imagining of The Count of Monte Cristo.
Varga has created a tasty little appetizer of female rage and revenge, with a side of light romance. #girldinner
For She Is Wrath is easily digestible yet a little light in substance... particularly when you're comparing it to TCOMC. I feel like that comparison should be tossed out, and it would be easier to accept that it's truly a good young adult tale. #girlpower
I listened to the audiobook, and Safiyya Ingar does a beautiful narration. She kept me engaged and gave the characters more depth than I otherwise might have read into them.
Altogether, a satisfying read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners for the advanced audiobook!

PLSSSS THIS WAS SO INSANELY GOOD AND UNLIKE ANYTHING IVE READ 😩😩

the narrator was also amazing!! you could really tell she put her heart and emotions into this project and it was so good i couldnt put it down!!

For She Is Wrath by Emily Varga
5/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

•••Spoiler free review below•••

An amazing fantasy debut filled with vengeful characters, captivating landscapes, and compelling magic — this is a fantasy read you will not want to miss! I was hooked from the first chapter and holding my breath until the end. I loved the magic and the world, but mostly I loved the revenge. Our main characters have been wronged and they will let nothing stop them from obtaining the punishment they crave. I cannot wait to see what is to come from this author!

Read this book if you like:
-prison escapes
-strong female characters
-revenge
-well crafted plans

For She Is Wrath is out now and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to Wednesday Books for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions. And to Macmillan Audio for an advanced listening copy.

In turns thrilling and heartbreaking, this Pakistani fantasy take on the ultimate revenge story of The Count of Monte Cristo kept me glued. I devoured the first 70% on a plane ride where I really needed some sleep but decided I was better served going one more chapter...

I just think we should all have some more bloody revenge stories for the girls 😌

For She is Wrath sounded like something I should love, a Pakistani romantic fantasy featuring female rage and revenge. While it does feature all of those things, everything just felt a little flat to me. If you are looking for a quick read with themes of female strength, you may still enjoy this.

In full disclosure, besides the name, I was not familiar with the story of The Count of Monte Cristo to start with to compare this retelling to. Dania is wrongfully imprisoned after being betrayed by the boy she loved and is out for revenge. The story doesn't develop much from there. The friend she meets and breaks out of prison with, Noor, was my favorite character, and I kept wishing her storyline would have been expanded a little further.

Overall, it’s an okay book with an interesting idea, but it doesn’t quite deliver the emotional impact I was hoping to get from the story. The plot is straightforward, and while there are a few twists, they’re somewhat predictable.

An extra star for the narrator of the audiobook, Safiyya Ingar. I enjoyed her narration and am looking forward to hearing more from her in the future.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for this honest review.

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

"The ones closest to you will betray you the most,”

This is a Pakistani romantic fantasy reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo and as someone unfamiliar with the story of The Count of Monte Cristo, I was very uncertain and nervous to start this BUT I enjoyed every moment of this!!

This is an incredibly well done rendition of a fierce FMC full of rage and the need for vengeance. The story is packed with betrayal, tension, magic, unexpected friendship and the longing of hope and love. There was never a moment I was bored reading this - this story pulled me in from the beginning and had me on the edge of my seat until the end.

The characters were complex, multi-dimensional and easy to love. Noor is the best friend we all need! (I am going to need another book where she is the FMC. I NEED MORE!)

The narrator did an amazing job bringing this story to life!

Thanks to @macmillian.audio @wednesdaybooks and @netgalley for the #gifted copies of this book.

Summary: A Pakistani romantic fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. Dania has been in jail the last year for a crime she didn't commit. She is counting down the days until she can exact her revenge on the boy she used to love, the very one who framed her for the crime. When a fellow prisoner tells her of a treasure that could surely help with her revenge, they create a way to escape the prison together. Once free, they begin to exact their revenge despite many obstacles in their way, including the attraction still there between Mazin and Dania. Will she continue with her plans of revenge which will erase her very humanity or will she chose another path?

I had no idea what to expect with this one after glancing at the summary, and author Emily Varga exceeded all expectations. There was no time to slow down during this story. From the very beginning, it dug its hooks in me. I couldn't stop reading or listening often times bouncing back and forth between the audiobook and eARC to stay engrossed in the story. I loved how fierce and determined Dania was, which bled into her relationships. The comedic first meeting between Dania and Nora I just knew they were going to be friends through and through. I loved how we got glimpses of the past as we continued to follow Dania on her path of vengeance. It was so hard to put this one down when real life came calling. Safiyya Ingar was a spectacular narrator. The voices for the different characters giving them personality and life off the page. I would highly recommend the audiobook version on this book! Cannot wait to get my hands on my hard copy this week!

Read if you like:
💘Lovers to Enemies
🖤Revenge
🔥Fierce Female Friendships
👀Count of Monte Cristo Retelling
😊Swoony Moments
🗓️Dual Timelines

In this Western Asian inspired fantasy, the heroine has been wronged and is out for revenge against everyone who wronged her... but at what cost? This story has been told before, but this one has some fun twists. The main character is a little frustrating, but I think readers will still enjoy the story here as it is a bit different from others on the market.