The premise of this book is amazing.. a Pakistani retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, yes please. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me. First, the positives. I thought the writing was beautiful. The relationship and love story was very cute and believable. And I do think this is a very solid YA romantasy story.
However, for me the whole thing felt flat and one-dimensional. There was almost no world-building, I was really excited to explore the Pakistani element of this story and that was almost non-existent. The magic system never got developed, it felt like more of a literary device to give our FMC the tools she needed to drive the plot. And overall the FMC only had one side- anger. Her internal thoughts and dialogue felt repetitive and only revolved around revenge, anger, wrath and justice.
With that said, I do think the issues I found revolve more around my personal preferences in fantasy. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book, and I would recommend it to anyone wanting a YA fantasy romance, especially to readers who are potentially new to fantasy.

This was so good!! For She is Wrath is a Pakistani romantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and who couldn't resist that premise??

The book starts off right in the middle of the action with Dania in prison for a crime she's been wrongfully accused of and she's working on her newest attempt to escape. it's been a year since she was imprisoned and she's been tortured and tormented everyday since, not only by the evil warden but by the events that led up to her arrest. Soon Dania meets Noor, a fellow prisoner, and they join forces to escape the prison. Noor also happens to know the location where a great wealth is hidden and the two new friends plot to work together to exact their revenge on the people who did them wrong. As they escape and put their plans into action, Dania and Noor begin to question how far they'd go to get their vengeance.

I loved Dania and Noor's friendship! They provide so much for each other and it's sweet to watch their relationship deepen throughout the book. Varga does such a great job of putting her own spin on Monte Cristo and she does it justice! Safiyya Ingar did a beautiful job narrating, I hadn't listened to to an audiobook narrated by her before and I loved it! A great debut novel from this author and I'm excited to see what else she comes up with!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a good time! 🙌🏼 I could have lived in the flashbacks because I’m a sucker for romance but I was also ALL IN for the vengeance in the present time 😂

The flashbacks will show you how they fall in love and what went wrong while in the present she has a new face (yes, you read that right) and wants nothing more but to destroy him 😏

What to expect:
🍥YA standalone fantasy
🍥Magic & Secret Identity
🍥Sisterhood
🍥Action packed
🍥Female rage 😏
🍥Betrayal
🍥Lovers to Enemies to Lovers….. obviously🤭

Many thanks for the ALC!

The narrator did an excellent job 🤗

While I enjoyed parts of this, it ultimately fell flat for me. That's perhaps unfair of me, as I think it meets the expectations of a YA retelling of Monte Cristo (particularly the ending) and I liked how it approached being a gender-swapped, Pakistani retelling. The prose is very readable, and I think by its target audience it would be well received. I personally wanted a bit more revenge, a bit more world building, and a bit more nuance, and would hesitate to recommend to other adult readers (particularly those who are fans of The Count of Monte Cristo).

I did quite like the audiobook narrator; she had a voice that was very pleasant to listen to and kept me listening where I might have given up on a print version.

Dania was betrayed. Her closest friend and dearest confidant, Mazin, betrayed her and sentenced her to a lifetime in prison where she is constantly tortured by the prison warden and forced to live the moments of her lover's treachery over and over again. Still, Dania will stop at nothing to escape the confines of the jail cell. She is full of rage and vengeance and will find her revenge.

This book includes:
- flashbacks to Dania's childhood with Maz
- female rage to the MAX
- childhood friends to lovers to mortal enemies
- betrayal all day every day
- mystical powers accessible through djinn-blessed seeds
- found family and female friendship
- some morally gray behavior
- vengeance and vindictiveness
- brief mentions of death and torture

If you have been craving some ruthless female characters, look no further than "For She Is Wrath." This standalone book explores every level of betrayal and how it can impact a person. It expertly exposes readers to several characters who are looking to enact revenge and shows readers how each of them are individually impacted by their blood thirst. Dania is uniquely brave, brash, sensitive, and yet unfeeling. She is so consumed by single-minded desire that she is almost directionless and untethered. She loves so wholeheartedly and hates even more.

The book is written so well that I could feel myself being consumed by Dania's scheme alongside her. I found myself underlining passages many times in this book and I imagine that it will speak to many women who are grappling with rage or betrayal in their lives. My only complaint is that I did feel like the final few chapters wrapped up the conflict a little too quickly and a bit too conveniently for me, although it was the ending I wanted regardless.

I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Emily Varga for the opportunity to review this book. This review is also available on my goodreads; check it out https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863-gigi

For She is Wrath is a The Count of Monte Cristo retelling centered around Dania as she seeks revenge. She was framed for a crime she didn’t commit and spends her time in prison focusing on getting back at Mazin, her betrayer and someone she used to love. I love how Varga wove Pakistani lore into the story. I also appreciated the themes surrounding how far you would go for revenge and what lines are you willing to cross to get there. Varga kept me on my toes throughout the entire story. The plot pacing worked well for me with plenty of twists, action, and political scheming. I enjoyed the dynamic and growth between Dania and Mazin as we got to know each character. Also, the ending for this story is one of the better wrap ups I’ve read in quite some time. I absolutely loved it. I read this via audiobook and ebook but gravitated more towards the audiobook in part due to Ingar’s excellent narration. I highly recommend reading this one even if you aren’t typically drawn to YA books.

For She is Wrath hooked me immediately with the opening chapters, and I was so excited about the premise involving djinn magic and the revenge for a framed murder. I found the pacing to be well executed, but I hoped for more magic and ultimately felt underwhelmed by the middle and ending. As a mood reader, I'm not sure if I read this at the wrong time or if these would be my thoughts regardless.

3.5/5

I really enjoyed the narration performed by Safiyya Ingar.

I received and ARC and ALC from St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dania has been imprisoned for a year for a crime she didn't commit, and she is searching to exact revenge on Mazin, the boy she loved who betrayed her. From the start, the reader is hooked on Dania's story and her intense drive for revenge. A fellow prisoner, Noor, works with Dania to tunnel out of the prison. Once out, Noor knows how to blend magic that grants wealth and can change their appearance. The magic in the story, particularly Dania's use of dark magic, is a double-edged sword. It gives her the means to fight back but threatens to strip away her humanity. Dania is torn between a thirst for retribution and lingering feelings for Mazin. The dynamic between Dania and Mazin is one of history, unresolved tension, and undeniable chemistry. The story hinges on how far someone is willing to go for revenge and what it costs them. As Dania and Mazin's storyline intensifies, the pacing picks up, leading to moments of both action and reflection, forcing her to confront the fact that her quest for revenge may come at the cost of her heart and all of those she holds dear.

The plot can sometimes feel a bit predictable, but this is very common with retellings. A deeper exploration of the djinn lore and the consequences of using dark magic could have added more complexity to the story. The book is compelling, and is fraught with danger, betrayal, and passion. I loved this book. It kept me engaged, eager to see whether Dania would get her vengeance or lose herself. You need to read this book.

I received an ARC audiobook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and McMillan Audio.

4.5 rounded up.

Do you love a woman's rage? If so, this book is for YOU. For She is Wrath follows Dania, who has been imprisoned for a year after being wrongfully charged with murder. Her goal is to escape and then, one by one, kill the men who imprisoned her.

This book is a Pakistani-inspired retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo, and this book was so good that I'm considering picking up the 1200+ page classic. This book explores the desire for revenge and vengeance and what it can do to a person. It's written as YA, but it feels much more adult in its themes. My only critiques is that there could have been a bit more backstory to Noor and Mazin, as well as a little more world building to the empire. The ending came a bit quickly as well. I think this book could have been about 50-75 pages longer to really flesh out the world.

The audio was good, but there were multiple times where the transition between two sections was too quick. For instance, when there was a *** indicating a separation in time, the narrator transitioned too quickly to really indicate that. Had I not been reading the book visually alongside the audio, I think I would have been a bit confused.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book does itself a disservice in advertising as a Count of Monte Cristo retelling. Perhaps I would not have been so harsh on it had I not read Monte Cristo recently or that comparison had not been put into my mind. I think Monte Cristo is an actual masterpiece. Diluting that 1200 page book down to 350 or whatever is just not going to go well.

This book lacks the stakes that Monte Cristo took the time to develop. In this book our MC uses djinn magic to change her appearance. It last a month. This is so so different from Dantes' purposeful and meticulous transformation into the Count. Everything Dantes does after he escapes prison is extremely planned with so many moving parts. It is a perfectly executed game of chess. He spent 15 years planning it, fueled by so much hatred. This book is a girl just messing around for a month on whatever she gets distracted by.

The narrator was great!

4.5 ⭐️

When a YA fantasy makes me forget or not even realize it’s YA, I pick my jaw up off the floor and give the author all the praise I can put words to. This book delivers a solid female driven fantasy story. We follow Dania/Dani as she comes to terms with the greatest betrayal of her life. With Pakistani lore in djinn as a foundation for this world’s magic system, Dani must battle her drive for revenge with the phantoms of her past. This is a Count of Monte Cristo retelling; I thought it really worked! I intimately know the Count of Monte Cristo and thoroughly enjoyed the parallels between the two stories. Dani is cunning, strong, and capable.

This is a standalone fantasy with a bangin' ending. The audiobook narration was really good, and I recommend it. Ingar was great to listen to.

Thank you NetGalley, Emily Varga, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s press for ARCs of this story.

3.5 stars

This was an enjoyable listen, but not a perfect book. I actually think you might enjoy it more if you haven’t read the Count of Monte Cristo.

The good:
Love the Pakistani and gender flipped take on the story.
It’s fast paced with some sword fights along the way, and lots of danger.
It’s got a much happier ending than the OG!

The could have been better:
The world building and djinn magic needed more work.
The half-baked plans and lack of consistency from our characters seemed sadly typical of some YA books.
The twist? I didn’t like it and it seemed so out of left field.

Overall, I think this will work for a lot of people, and so I’d recommend if you’re looking for an accessible swashbuckling take on a classic.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the preview. All opinions are my own.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Omg this book was beyond amazing . The set up for starter was perfection for me , loved that is fresh at least in the sea of new books coming out. I like that is lets burn this world down and Diana rage amazing . this was definitely something that keep me hooked thru the whole book and left me wanting more .
now the audio superb , loved it perfect narrator for it .

I was honestly surprised that this story captured my attention since the beginning. I never once felt like this book bored me which is refreshing. I did not expect that plot twist right before the end. I definitely enjoyed the romance but I did feel like it was a bit rushed at a turning point. I am left still processing this book even after I finished it. The ending left me satisfied and it feels bittersweet because I didn’t want it to end.

It was a great story. I would recommend for other readers to give this book a try.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for this e-ARC.