This one is about Dania, a young woman who was framed for a crime she didn't commit and sent to a terrible prison to be tortured and forgotten. During her year in the worst conditions imaginable, she dreams of getting revenge on the people who put her there, including someone she thought she loved. This book is a genderbent, Pakistani retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo, with a healthy dose of magic and a side of swoony romance (complete with a Mr. Darcy carriage hand flex moment, IYKYK).

This book absolutely GRIPPED me from start to finish. The story was told beautifully, with some nods to the source material, but with enough differences that I wasn’t able to predict what would come next. There were also plenty of tense moments that had me on the edge of my seat. I normally gravitate towards adult materials, and this is marketed as YA, but I think it’s upper YA, or maybe NA with low/closed door spice. I really appreciated the blending of the story with Pakistani culture and the descriptions of the attire. I had to search some words that I was unfamiliar with, and as a result I learned new things. I would absolutely recommend this book to those who enjoyed TOG, The Wrath and the Dawn, and The Crimson Moth. I would absolutely eat up any more stories that were written in this world! 🪷🌞💛

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

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 of For She is Wrath in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

YA Romantasy • Revenge • Djinn Magic
Published• 29 October 2024

Thank you @wednesdaybooks for the free finished copy! 

I loved this Pakistani inspired book. This is how YA fantasy romance should be done! Fast-paced, urban setting, and morally grey with magical djinns offering great power at a great cost. But truly, what’s corruption of the soul when you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

“𝑾𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉, 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.”

That’s the position Dania is in, when she’s framed for murder and sent to rot in a high security prison. Luckily Dania is a bada$$ trained swordswoman, the daughter of the most well renowned swordsmith. 

The setting was fun, with a cat named Jalebi [this is a south Asian dessert], and littered with references to mouth-watering confections, savory foods, spicy chai, beautifully beaded lehengas and shalwar kameez [dresses], and of course the many intricately forged knives and daggers.

“𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆, 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒐𝒓.”

The book starts off with a prison break and does not slow down. The romance is slow-burning, enemies to lovers, cat-and-mouse game. In the spirit of YA, there are a couple tantalizing closed door scenes. This book was so bingeable and I did just that, even though it was not originally a planned read for this month.

“𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅, 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏, 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒕. 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒕, 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒇.. 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒎, 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆.”

This was thrilling! An exhilarating, fast-paced quest for revenge that captured me from start to finish. I found it unique beyond measure. Something refreshingly different in the sea of sameness. This was The Count of Monte Cristo gender-flipped retelling I didn’t know I needed!!

And yet it’s SO MUCH MORE than that!

This story was fierce and electrifying with exquisite prose, beautiful writing and strong characters who stand out on the page. The no-nonsense, fast-paced, quick chapters will have you cruising through this!

I loved Dani and her relentless determination and fiery personality. Maz’s done-for mentality will make you swoon. And we all require a friendship like Dani and Noor have!

There were so many ✨ big themes ✨ in this, too. From strong friendship to the personal cost of revenge, breaking cycles, maintaining boundaries, choosing your own destiny, letting go of the past & healing, putting yourself first, dreaming, finding purpose, when grief somehow gives after taking! All of these resonated with me so much and I just loved the bigger meanings sprinkled throughout that culminated significantly at the end! And by the way, THE PLOT TWISTS!!

- revenge-bonded sisterhood
- lovers to enemies to lovers
- djinn bargain magic
- Arya Stark-esque heroine
- swords x [magical] seeds
- Pakistani inspired
- fast-paced and powerful

Thank you so much to Emily and Wednesday Books for the early copy 🔥⚔️✨💚

I have heard good things about this book and I am happy to report they are right. The writing and voice are engaging and create well developed characters. I love the setting.

“Well, I’ve never been one to do what men expect.” Might just be my favorite quote from this book! I love a book with a strong minded woman.

I don’t know what this says about me but when I read the description and saw that this was a story about revenge I was sold! I went in super excited to read this but and it lived up to the excitement. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. This was well written and organized which made it really easy to read. It is a YA book but I think the themes and how the characters evolve can be impactful for everyone. I can’t speak much regarding the retelling portion as I’ve never read the classic Monte Cristo. I would say this is a fantasy romance so the romance story is not rhetorical main focus. However, for my romance lovers out there … trust me is just the right amount of romance. It really explored feelings of betrayal, forgiveness, and the strength of love.

Overall, this book has made it to my list of favorites and it’s due to the authors ability to sumerge you into this world through her words. This book had me feeling so many emotions and I loved seeing the main character evolve throughout the story.

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 St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book for review.

Enjoyable, although disappointing.
I think I went into this one with too high of expectations.
I felt like this would have been so much better if the characters were aged up a few years, and if the timeline took place over a longer period of time.
The Count of Monte Cristo is a really ambitious novel to reimagine, and it just felt like an extremely watered down version of the original.
And with a more condensed timeline, I felt like our fmc’s motives didn’t impact me as much.
She also kept making incredibly stupid choices…

Overall, I can see this being a very popular read, but if you are a fan of the original novel, I would probably recommend skipping this one.

For She is Wrath is a fast paced, magical story of Dania who was framed for a crime she didn’t commit. While in prison, she meets Noor and they must work together to overpower the emperor. This is truly a story of feminism and girl power rising to beat the odds. The relationships in this book is really what engulfed me in the story. The relationship between Noor and Dania was so strong and powerful.

I love the romance sprinkled in as well. It made for a well developed and well balanced story. When I saw this was a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, I knew immediately I had to read it. Overall, I highly recommend!!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dania will get out of prison and have her revenge if it’s the absolute last thing she does. Betrayed by someone she once loved, Dania is determined to save her family and take everything from those who took everything from her. Along the way, she is faced with mysterious djinn magic and new friendships. Is revenge all that matters or can she find a new way to go on?

What an incredible read! The writing was beautifully descriptive and used strong sensory details. You can feel the warmth of the sun, heat of the desert, and tasty food. Dania is hilarious and bitingly funny even in her darkest moments. Maz is stunning and readers will fall for him alongside Dania. I loved the heat and tension of the moments between them, particularly when Dania is in disguise. The friendship between Noor and Dania was also excellent. Magic comes with a serious price in this book and I loved how Emily Varga refused to let her characters off easily.

For She is Wrath has fantastic tropes, strong characters, and a romance to swoon for. I would highly recommend it to anyone and am excited to see what Emily Varga writes next!

Thank you to Emily Varga, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Dania has spent 364 days in prison, frames for a crime she didn't commit. Thoughts of revenge on the one who put her there keeps her going. When a chance encounter with a fellow prisoner gives her hope, and escape plan is hatched.

Dania plans to bring down those who betrayed her and her family even with her old love standing in the way. Will seeking vengeance be her downfall?

For She is Wrath is a female retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. The desire for revenge drives Daria throughout. This does make it harder to get attached to her character. Romance complicates things.

The books is action packed and I think many readers will enjoy the plot.

For She is Wrath follows Dania along her determined path to vengeance. I thought the djinn magic was interesting and liked the friendship that developed with Noor, though I am not sure how true to The Count of Monte Cristo this retelling is if that is of concern. I look forward to what Emily Varga writes next.

4.5⭐️ An astounding debut romantasy!

In this Pakistani retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo, you’ll find a perfect balance of female rage and vengeance with a heroine so fierce, unrelenting yet utterly human and kind.

Dania is relatable yet such a source of inspiration, leading with kindness even with a heavy angry heart. The betrayal and the angst are felt throughout the book, even when secret identities are in play.

While some of the plot points felt a bit predictable, they were countered by one big final reveal that had me stunned.

The emotions felt throughout the book were magically woven in with an easy to understand yet intricate world. The magic system was unique yet mythical. The Pakistani inspiration felt like a warm blanket that swept me off my feet and transported me to lands I wish I could travel to.

I absolutely adored this book and cannot wait to see what else Emily Varga has in store for us next! Thank you St Matin’s Press for this ARC - what a treat!

Actual Rating 3.5

This story is inspired by the Count of Monte Cristo, one of my favorite classics. The characters were quite strong. Their motivations and goals were clear and their background quite varied. I enjoyed that Dania was strong and an excellent swordswoman, but that she’d had years and years of training to make her that way. Her being blinded by rage and drowned in grief also made for some interesting moments and worked well to justify some of her sillier decisions. The secondary characters were also quite strong, and I enjoyed getting to see friendships/relationships develop in a way that felt realistic.

The plot is fast paced and kept me engaged, though I felt like the ending was a bit too quickly paced. The story is told from dual timelines, with the secondary timeline showing how Dania and Mazin’s relationship first started. There was actually some chemistry between the characters as well, which is always a pleasant surprise. I do feel like the romance still moved to quickly and things were resolved quite quickly, and I would have liked some stronger worldbuilding present throughout.

If you’re looking for a strong YA fantasy inspired by the Count of Monte Cristo, then this is worth checking out. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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 We Hunt the Flame/We Free the Stars, 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.

This was a great standalone YA fantasy novel. It was refreshing to have the story entirely wrapped in one book! Dania was a character that you could definitely root for, but Noor was truly my favorite. It was also an incredibly nice change to have a female friendship develop. The romance was a bit more heavy-handed than I would have liked for a story built on revenge but that is my only critique. The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite novels (and movie!) and I very much enjoyed this reimagining.

For She is Wrath is a gender-swapped Count of Monte Cristo retelling, infused with Djinn magic. Dania is on a mission to avenge herself after being framed for murder and locked in prison for the past year. With the help of another inmate, they break out and plot to get back against those that wronged them, including Dania's former lover.

You can expect -
YA Fantasy
Djinn Magic
Revenge & Betrayal
Feminine Rage
Lovers to Enemies
Found Family
Only One Bed
Dual timeline
Single 1stP POV

This book holds a lot of rage, as the title suggests, and I was afraid it would bog it down, but the story moved fast. It is justified and there is great character development along with it. I enjoyed the writing, it was like watching a movie in scenes, with details and interactions. The audiobook narration really lended to this as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books to providing an eARC for my honest opinion.

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.

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an eARC for an honest review.

For She is Wrath focuses on two female prisoners, who escape from prison and reclaim a cache of zoraat seeds and powerful djinn magic which allow them to establish themselves as wealthy women in the city of Basral. Both Noor and Dania are seeking revenge against the power-hungry emperor Vahid, who came to power himself using djinn magic. Dania's father, an esteemed sword maker, was killed when he tried to defend her. She, an expert swordsman herself, disguises herself using the zoorat seed magic, and executes an elaborate scheme to hurt her betrayers, including Mazin, the lover who betrayed her. But seeking revenge becomes complicated as the magic threatens to overtake Danai, Noor disappears, and her feelings for Mazin reemerge despite his betrayal. Dania ultimately learns the power to destroy her enemies comes with a price.