A Monte Christo retelling infused with Pakistani mythology?! YES PLEASE!!

A second chance, romantic fantasy about a girl named Dania who breaks out of prison for revenge against the boy she used to love, for framing her for a crime she didn't commit. And she is PISSED. She's like, I'm going to destroy everything now with no apologies.
It has Jinn, magic, a friendship that turns to sisterhood, treasure hunting, and more. It's classic storytelling. Good vs. Evil with a lesson to be learned... What does revenge cost you?
I absolutely LOVED this book!

The parallels between this and the Count of Monte Cristo are really strong for the first half. Then it takes off in more of it's own direction. I thought it was a perfect balance between retelling and new story. At the beginning, I was all for Dania and her revenge. Then somewhere in the middle my feelings begin to get muddled and by the end I was on her side again. I thought it was an emotional ride through the story. I liked the revenge, the magic, and the emotional growth. The reveals at the end got a little muddled, but I enjoyed them.

"Anger burst inside of me. But there was something else there too, savage, elemental. The power of knowing this was righteous anger. A history of women and girls being wronged by men who never had any consequences. Now, I would be the consequences."

If you are looking for a distraction from your own anger over recent events and want to channel your female rage, For She Is Wrath is perfect. If you miss Aelin Galathynius but don't feel you can recommit to all 7 books, come hang out with Dania.

Are there reimaginings that you will always go in for? When I saw a Pakistani fantasy take on one of my favorite revenge stories (The Count of Monte Cristo) I jumped. "For She is Wrath" by Emily Varga is out now.

Framed for murder a year ago Dania is not having a great prison experience. She really needs to get out and stab Mazin, the boy who betrayed her and left her for dead. Thankfully she not going crazy and it is just another escapee, who went the wrong way, who dug into her cell. Motivated to freedom their goal becomes to reclaim the Djinn magic her new confidant has a map to and topple the regime that imprisoned them. But first personal revenge.

Narrated by Safiyya Ingar, the expression of pain and injustice you conveyed got through.

Reasons to read:
-The title hits real hard
-Yea those are good reasons to be rather cross
-More time with the "Priest" analog
-The food, made me so hungry
-Outfits to match your daggers

Cons:
-I'd still get some stabs in, because I'm petty like that

For She is Wrath

"I can't save you without destroying myself... I don't owe you this... I don't owe you all of me. Not after what you did. Perhaps not ever. And if you loved me, you would never ask it."

An fast-paced, action-packed adventure of a Pakistani retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo.

Escaping from prison with an unlikely friend, Dania sets out on a quest to enact revenge on those who betrayer her and her family, including her first love, Mazin. Armed with dark magic and a quest for vengeance, she dances through lies, politics and betrayal. In the end, she must ask if revenge is worth all of who she is - and is it worth the price she will pay losing herself and those she still loves.

I absolutely LOVED this adventure. Dania is a fierce woman-wronged, who stands true to herself and those she loves. If you like epic romantasy, I highly recommend this adventure.

The narrator did a fabulous job in this single POV narration to keep the story moving and the characters straight. I could not stop listening because I was sucked into the story. Highly recommend the audio.

Check this one out if you are looking for:
- Pakistani fantasy romance
- The Count of Monte Cristo retelling
- Dark magic and vengeance
- Enemies to lovers

Thank you to Macmillian Audio for this ALC! My opinions are my own. For She Is Wrath is on shelves now.

This book was action packed and filled with female rage! I had a great time with it!

The betrayal, the magic elements, the prison escape, and a great stabby female character in Dania. I never read the Count of Monte Cristo, but I loved the movie and the concept of this book interested me greatly. I enjoyed the additional fantasy aspects and that it was a Pakistani retelling—it brought so much more to the story.

You get revenge, magic, friendships, dual timelines, and romance with this one.

Rating: 4.5/5
I received an eARC & audio for my honest opinion.

Who doesn’t love good retelling? When I saw that this was a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, but as a Pakistani romantic fantasy I knew that I would love it, and I did.

I loved that this book had revenge, enemies to lovers, action throughout the plot, betrayal and with some great plot twists. I thought the author did a great job with making this book come to life and adding Pakistani myth into it as well as making this YA fantasy book great. I found the plot to be well developed, it’s fast-paced, with something new happening on every page that makes you excited to turn those pages. I liked the author’s attention to details; it helped to really bring this book to life for me and to help me understand the Djinn and the characters more. I loved that I was drawn into this book from the first page and was kept there until the ending and not wanting the story to end. I found the magical system to be interesting and I loved that we really didn’t understand truly about the Djinn until the ending of the book. I found the characters to be well developed, and I loved that with Dania the ending and the choices that she made on the path was so great.

Dania was a great MFC, I loved that she was strong even though she was in prison for so long but when she finally got a chance to escape she took it, but you will see another side of her as well she could have left her friend behind but she knew that was wrong and still went back even though she could be caught. I loved that she was full of vengeance and knew what she wanted the outcome to be and made sure that she carried it out well. I was rooting for her the whole time, and I am happy that she got her HEA, and didn’t choose a different path to walk. I loved Noor’s character so much and I liked that they both became close friends and that they had a common enemy, but they were both able to come out on the other side of everything okay. I hope that we get a story about her in the future. Mazin, I found him to be an MMC, he was so cold and different, not the same person that Dania remembered but I liked that the more we got to know him we saw something different about him. I loved the chemistry and passion that we felt from these characters, and their HEA was just the icing on top.

I also received the audio for this book and let me tell you the narrator did a fantastic job with this book. The highs and lows, she knew how to draw in the readers and keep us there wanting more and more. I would listen to more books read by this narrator.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to review this book.

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!