4.5 Stars

I adored this! I thought it was smart, romantic, immersive, and gorgeously written. I had a great time reading it, and loved every moment of it. I think Emily Varga is a writer to watch, and I definitely hope to read more from her. Her worldbuilding was strong, her story was compelling, and I loved the characters. Perfect for fans of Hafsah Faizal, Xiran Jay Zhao, and Sabaa Tahir.

This book had me hooked from chapter one. A Pakistani fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo with magic, revenge, and a betrayed heroine with a sword? YES, PLEASE.

Dania is a fierce, vengeful, secret-keeping swordswoman, and her story is packed with everything I love: lovers-to-enemies, female rage, djinn magic, secret identities, and the kind of plotting that keeps you flipping pages late into the night.

Fast-paced, emotionally charged, and full of twists—For She Is Wrath is an absolute must-read for fans of vengeance-fueled fantasy.

This book was hard to put down. It was exquisite. It’s a unique “The Count of Monte Cristo” retelling with beautifully lush details, Djinn magic, action-packed fighting scenes, prison escapes, and a well done revenge plot. The writing was absolutely gorgeous. It’s so hard to put what I felt while reading this into words. I would definitely recommend reading this one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

What an amazing read! Truly some of the best storytelling I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Dania is such a strong FMC, physically and mentally. It takes great strength to know when to stop. I loved her story 🫶🏻 and I love love love being able to know what’s going to happen in a story before it does, to me that is such a good show of well thought out writing.

The emotions Dania experiences can be felt through the page. Everything is so raw and so real. It’s difficult not to agree with everything she does when it’s able to be felt so powerfully. I love female rage. I love powerful FMCs. I loved this book. I was immersed from start to finish.

I need to separate my thoughts on this book into two compartments.

On one hand, I really enjoyed the book as a whole. It was more feel-goody than I was looking for, but was an overall positive experience. I really hope we get Noor’s story next!

On the other hand, as a Count of Monte Cristo retelling, this fell short. I needed a deeper burn for revenge. Something more all consuming. This felt more surface level than I would have looked for.

Still recommend! I’d 100% read more by this author.

If you tell me a book is a fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, I'm already going to be sitting down, ready to listen. Add in some Djinn magic, a stabby heroine, a killer revenge plot, and an incredible female friendship, and you have the makings of a five-star book. Did I mention our main character wants revenge on her former lover - the man who betrayed her and put her in prison? You're in for a good time with For She is Wrath!

For She Is Wrath follows Dania, opening with her in prison for a crime she didn't commit. She knows the men who framed her and wants nothing but revenge against them. She also longs to see her beloved father again. If you know the story of The Count of Monte Cristo, it won't come as a surprise that she makes a friend in prison and that she escapes to seek out revenge.

The story follows Dania and her friend Nor on their journey of hard-fought revenge. Always at the front of Dania's mind is Mazin, her former friend, lover, and confidant, who turned betrayer on her and hurt her the most. With Djinn magic in her veins, Dania tackles the heart of the kingdom and seeks revenge against every person who wronged her, regardless of what it costs - even her own life.

I adored this book. The romance was an excellent version of enemies-to-more, with just enough flashbacks to make us appreciate and understand their bond. Nor and Dania's friendship was such a beautiful representation of a strong female friendship, and I always look for that in books. Mostly, I couldn't get enough of Dania. She was a take-charge, stabby kind of heroine, and I loved her for it. If Arya was one of your favorite parts of Game of Thrones or ASOIAF, then you'll also enjoy For She is Wrath.

Final Thoughts:

While the book did conclude a bit too conveniently for my taste, I can't give this book any less than 4.5 stars because of how quickly I devoured it and how much I enjoyed the journey. For She is Wrath is a new favorite YA fantasy/romantasy for sure!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC! All the above thoughts are my own.

I love The Count of Monte Cristo. Like absolutely love it. I also love a retelling with a gender bent twist AND set in a different culture. FOR SHE IS WRATH fired on all of those cylinders. It even corrected the part I liked least from the original source material (which I cannot say because of spoilers). I really really enjoyed this debut.

The only issue I had with it was with the world building / magic. Things were a bit too easily solved by magic that previously didn’t exist or hadn’t been introduced.

That being said, I still really liked it and would happily read more from this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and Emily Varga

*may contain spoilers*

I will admit I have never read The Count of Monte Cristo so I don't have that to compare it to but I thought the story was very good. I loved Dania I kept expecting Noor to betray her but was pleasantly surprised when she didn't. Early on I thought Mazin had a good reason for what he did. It devastated me when she found out her father had been killed and then when her own grandmother betrayed her. I do wish in the end she would have went off with a Noor though

Quest for vengeance! Who doesn't wish for vengeance at some point? Great female lead. Well written and very enjoyable read. Felt many emotions though out this historical quality story.

For She Is Wrath is a fantasy retelling of The Count of Monti Christo with a female protagonist. I will never tire of fantasy retellings, and I love that this one has a unique inspiration!

This book was such a winner for me. I listened to the audiobook and I really enjoyed it! The story was extremely easy to follow, and there was great pacing and emotion in the storytelling. I loved how the story played out, and I think it stayed true to the inspiration while telling an original story. It felt like a great homage to a classic without being predictable!

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

For She is Wrath was an all consuming read. There is a plethora of culture and emotion woven throughout the book. Emily Varga's writing is beautiful and haunting. You will feel the pain, hatred, sorrow, and yearning for vengeance as if you were walking in the main character's footsteps. The warning against allowing negative emotions control your life is also ever present. Emily Varga is an author to look out for in the future.

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a solid Pakistani retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo. For She is Wrath follows the story of Dania and Noor as they escape prison and set off on a quest for revenge against the emperor and those that have wronged them. I was most drawn to the underlying rage felt by both Dania and Noor as they pursued their vengeance. The magical element of the djinn seeds was interesting, and I would have liked to hear more about Noor’s ability to mix them. I found Dania’s inner monologue to be very repetitive and it was hard to know what age she was. Based on her dialogue I would have guessed young teens, but her actions would suggest early 20s maybe? I would have liked to have more of the scheming and plotting of revenge, rather than the character stuck on what had been done to her - but I can see why the author may have felt that necessary to drive the plot. I felt like Dania’s resolution with Maz was rushed. She spent so much time in the book hating him, that I would have liked to have a little more of an explanation to his actions.

Overall, I would recommend For She is Wrath to readers who like YA Fantasy.

First of all, it should not have taken me so long to get to this book. I really enjoyed it.
The beginning gave me some Ember in the Ashes vibes with the setting and the sheer brutality of the world. The author did an excellent job of weaving the vibe (world building, I guess) for the story together - I felt everything with regards to the scenery descriptions and the plot unfolding (note: I do not visualize while reading, so the feelings evoked are important for me to get a sense of the world building).
The greatest strength of this story is the female rage and the need for revenge. Dania is the main character, but despite the story being told from her point of view, Noor is not far behind. Through both characters, the reader gets two perspectives regarding the quest for revenge; both are angry, but Dania’s anger is palpable, whereas Noor is much calmer and more introspective.
The magic system is one based on djinn magic, which is always intriguing to me and is sure to capture my attention; this book was no exception.
The romance aspect was very present, since the main motivator for the revenge was the betrayal by a lover. The plot actually turned out to be much more complex that’s I had thought at first, so the twist at the end is not one that I saw coming - and I mean the one at the very end.
I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys fantasy and is looking to tap into to some female rage, this book certainly delivers. The ending is also quite satisfying.
Many thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book. The opinions expressed are freely given, honest and my own.

3.25 stars. This is a great story if looking for something more vengeful and less romantic. I, myself, am not a huge fan of the source material but found it kept my interest, even while being busy. I look forward to Emily Varga's next book.

I have been obsessed with the Count of Monte Cristo since I was a teenager and this story did not disappoint on bringing those same vibes and energy! Emily is a fantastic writer and I was captivated from the start. Betrayal. Enemies to lovers. All the feminine rage. I can’t recommend it more!

This book was not for me.. alas..
The premise is very intriguing (Count of Monte Cristo from a female's point of view), however, the writing fell flat.. Things that happened were too convenient and offered no explanations.. I felt no empathy towards the main protagonist. It just felt very bland to me..

it was a two-star for me

Here's the thing - I was a little doubtful about how this book would come to life and BOY WAS I PLEASANTLY SURPRISED! I loved seeing Dania throughout this novel and was incredibly invested in her storyline. I kind of liked that the ending leaves you feeling a bit unsettled - it's one that I think of often. Thank you, St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and NetGalley, for this ARC.

Give me all of the feminine rage!! I wasn’t sure how well a Count of Monte Cristo retelling was going to work in this setting, but I was proved wrong and I’m so glad I was. I’m happy that all of the focus wasn’t on the romance in this book, and that we got more about her passion and drive. Some of the prose felt a bit underdeveloped, but overall I enjoyed this one!

For She Is Wrath is a fantasy retelling of The Count Of Monte Cristo, reimagined in a Pakistani setting. And it's a good one! In some ways, it's very similar to other popular YA novels. I think fans of Throne of Glass would particularly like it. We have lovers to enemies, prison breaks, a young girl with a lust for revenge going undercover to insinuate her way into the royal court, strong friendships...

And I loved the cultural aspect. Readers should know that food is mentioned just about every other page. It made me hungry.

It took a bit for me to get into this one, but then I was fully invested. I loved this twist on the Count of Monte Cristo. I will definitely keep my eyes open for the author’s next book.