When I heard there was a Pakistani retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo featuring a FMC coming out, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! And the cover--it's absolutely gorgeous! Everything about this book is perfection. The writing is immersive and colorful. And Dania's voice, even though she's been greatly wronged and thrown in prison, is witty and humorous. (Ex. "there is nothing like the scent of your own charred flesh to remind you of your position in life.')

I loved Daria--who doesn't love a FMC who's been expertly trained by her swordsmith father. And the tension with her and Mazin was delicious. This quote had me screaming!: “Did you think I wouldn’t know you? I’d know you with any face. Any skin. Any hair. A thousand djinn could disguise you from me and I’d still be able to find you just by the sound of your breath.” (Okay, I'm still screaming!) Noor, Daria's new friend, was the real stand out star to me. I knew the minute she accidentally dug herself into Daria's cell that she was going to be amazing.

Emily Varga has constructed a compelling, fast-paced debut that kept me hooked until the very end. I can't wait to pick up her next book!

Many thanks to the publisher for an early copy. All thoughts are my own. (And yes, I'm ordering my own copy cause I need this beauty on my shelf.)

A YA Pakistani retelling of “The Count of Monte Cristo”… but with magiccc!

“For She is Wrath” was an interesting take on the “Count of Monte Cristo,” where our main characters, Dania and Noor, are off to find revenge for wrongful imprisonment and the deaths of their loved ones.

I enjoyed various parts about this book, like the action scenes and the enemies-to-lovers aspect, and especially all the food descriptions! It made me so hungry reading this one.

The magic system was a little confusing to me, and the ending didn’t quite feel believable, which was a let down; but I enjoyed the characters’ growth and their emotional journeys.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for early access to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an absolutely stunning debut! Varga's writing is immersive and visceral and gripped me from page one. You could feel Dani's pain and understand her thirst for revenge. Her friendship with Noor and her relationship with Mazin rounded out the story beautifully and added so much depth and complexity to Dani's emotions and actions. Loved so much and can't wait to see what Varga does next!

As a genderbent, Pakistanian, romantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, this book had so much potential. Unfortunately, like a lot of recent YA fantasy, this book falls short of expectations.

The writing itself isn’t bad, but the pacing for the book fluctuates between taking too long for anything to happen and way too much happening. A decent chunk of the book is dedicated to escaping prison and then executing the first act of revenge and then it zips through the second revenge plan rather quickly. The plot twists near the end didn’t have enough build up and felt like they were added so it didn’t come across predictable.

In addition, the characters were one-dimensional and constantly making decisions that didn’t make a lot of sense. The romance, while being a big focus of the story, was a little too predictable. The only thing this book really has going for it is the Pakistanian-inspired world and the djinn based magic system, and even then, those elements are lost among the repetitive need for revenge and pining for lost loved.

Finally, this book is another great example why publishers, bookstores, libraries, etc. need to be on board with New Adult as a genre. Any book labeled romantasy that includes typical romance content should be marketed to adults, not teens. There was absolutely no reason why these characters had to be teens, and it honestly would have been more believable if they were adults to begin with.

Still, some readers will find that this book meets all the necessary expectations for a romantasy story. Those looking for a decent and faithful retelling, however, will want to look elsewhere.

For She is Wrath by Emily Vega is a romantic fantasy retelling of the classic The Count of Monte Cristo (1846) as one Pakistani girl seeks revenge against those who betrayed her including Mazin, the boy she once loved. Framed for a crime she didn’t commit, Dania spent three hundred and sixty four days in prison plotting her revenge. When Noor, a fellow prisoner, has a plan to escape and a way to put Dania’s plan into action, they team up. Armed with dark djinn magic and a new identity, Dania puts her revenge into action. One by one, she brings down those who betrayed her. What she didn’t expect was that her feelings for Mazin still burned bright. As her game for vengeance intensifies, Dania is at risk of losing herself and her heart to the only boy she ever loved. Can she find her revenge without losing her humanity?
I’m not a huge fan of romantic fantasy and retelling of classic novels can be hit and miss; however, I was intrigued by the premise and its gorgeous cover. I love The Count of Monte Cristo and it is a novel you don’t usually see reimagined. I was still a bit skeptical if this story could live up to the classical story. From the opening chapter to the closing page, I could see the elements of the classic novel in For She is Wrath; however, it has its own elements which make it a fast paced, action packed adventure. Dania is a woman consumed with revenge and yet she can’t help her connection to Mazin. She soon realizes that the plot against her, as Edmond Dantes does, wasn’t all she thought it was. I was hooked and could not put it down. I highly, highly recommend For She is Wrath.

For She is Wrath will be available October 29, 2024 in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

This was such a beautifully written and well-told story.

The characters are loveable, the world-building feels well-developed, and the magic system is fascinating. It has just the slightest pinch of romance, which I thought, adds a little sweetness.

Dania's (our FMC) wrath knows no bounds. She has been imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit and betrayed by the boy she thought she loved. Enter Noor, a soft-tempered and kind-hearted friend, who helps Dani escape her imprisonment and harness the djinn magic required to enact their shared quest for revenge.

What stands out most for me in this story is the scene-setting, I think the author does a fabulous job of invoking the senses with her descriptive writing. There's also fairly strong character development, and I could've never anticipated how the plot would unfold.

I did find myself wishing for just a little bit more of an emotional impact. I loved the story, and I was rooting for Dania and Noor throughout, but I feel like I could've been more attached to the plot and characters. The ending also felt a little bit rushed to me after some slower development in the middle of the story.

Overall, it is an excellent standalone YA fantasy that is true to the category and a unique female-centric retelling. I'd highly recommend checking this one out.

𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓸 𝓝𝓮𝓽𝓰𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓢𝓽. 𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓲𝓷'𝓼 𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓪𝓷 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓲𝓷 𝓮𝔁𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀.

A stunning, Pakistani-inspired retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo! This book captured my attention from the start, and Varga's beautiful writing left me speechless. Dania's journey is one of betrayal, heartbreak, and resilience, and I found myself ugly crying more than once for her. The pain she endured and her resolve for revenge were both portrayed so perfectly.

The magic system, with its unique djinn seeds, added such a fresh twist—I loved that it wasn't just innate power but something that anyone could wield, given the right tools. Mazin, meanwhile, was everything I could hope for in a complex love interest; he kept me in that perfect grey area where I didn’t know whether to love him or hate him.

Watching Dania take down those who wronged her was intensely satisfying, and the final twist left me absolutely floored. For She Is Wrath is a beautiful homage to The Count of Monte Cristo while standing completely on its own. Highly recommend for fans of intense, heartfelt revenge stories with a dash of magic and romance!

For She is Wrath is an engaging tale of revenge and sacrifice, with djinn magic and political power.

Dania has been in prison for a year for a crime she did not commit. For the past year, the only thing on her mind is getting revenge on those who wronged her - the emperor who is responsible for the destruction of her life, and the man she once loved who refused to stand up for her when she needed him most. She meets another inmate, Noor, who has a powerful secret of her own - she knows the location of a stash of zoraat seeds that grant the power of the djinn. The pair break free, find the treasure, and are determined to take their revenge, no matter the cost.

I really enjoyed this story. It was relatively short, and a quick and easy read. I liked the Pakistani influences - it made for a richly imagined and unique fantasy. Dani is an interesting character - she is driven by her need for revenge, especially for Mazin - her former lover who let her go to prison and did not stand up for her innocence. But the more she learns about the events surrounding that day, she begins to question everything she knows. Her relationship with Mazin is told in the past and present - so we jump timelines a little bit to help build the history of the couple, and the events that led up to Dani's imprisonment. We can tell they still care for each other, despite Dani seemingly only wanting revenge against him. Noor is a great supporting character - she pushes Dani to think more carefully about her actions and the consequences, and proves to be a good friend. The magic system is unique with the consumption of zoraat seed and djinn magic - it is tricky, just like the djinn themselves. The book has an undercurrent of power and corruption, and the violence that comes with with that. Overall, I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press - Wednesday Books for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

3.75⭐️

I really loved the first 70% of this book! It’s a Monte Cristo retelling but to be totally honest I’m not at all familiar, just know there’s a major revenge theme. Otherwise, this was your typical YA fantasy, with an angst second/chance romantic subplot.

But the book started to hop off track a bit around the 2/3 - 3/4 mark. The pacing felt weird and the plot seemed a bit rushed and all over the place. The MC reasoning for betraying the FMC years prior seemed so inadequate and made the conclusion to all that excellent angst fall so flat to me ☹️ And on top of that the conclusion to the big conflict just felt a bit lackluster 🤷‍♀️ I just wanted more I guess! Maybe if there was stronger worldbuilding in the beginning, the ending could’ve been given more depth? Idkk

A marvelous retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo with a Pakistani girl as our heroic protagonist. The story is rich in culture and emotion. Loved it through and through. Absolutely no complaints, and this is an author I will add to my "auto buy" list!

I want to preface this review with the fact that I've never read The Count of Monte Cristo. My husband has always said it's one of his favorite books, and if it's anything like For She is Wrath then I fully get it now. This novel is well written, the fantasy elements are well placed and flow seamlessly with the more realistic aspects of the story, and the characters evoke emotions regardless of how much time they get on the page. Dania is a strong character with a well developed backstory and thought through motivations. Noor and Mazin both have personalities and beautifully developed internal conflict, even though they are minor supporting characters. I thoroughly appreciated the story from beginning to end and look forward to reading more by Emily Varga in the future!

As someone who is unfamiliar with The Count of Monte Cristo but loves YA fantasy, this was a fun book. There is so much feminine rage and revenge as the focus of the book. The magic system was unique. There’s friends to lovers to enemies to lovers going on. I also really enjoyed the friendship in this book.

Thank you to Wednesday books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

4.5 stars.

Dania was framed for a crime she didn’t commit and has been in prison for the last 364 days, plotting her revenge on Mazin, the boy responsible for her imprisonment. Mazin is also the boy she once loved, and still can’t forget. A fellow prisoner may have the key to exacting their vengeance together – a stolen djinn treasure. The two band together to make a daring escape and search for the hidden treasure. Dania enacts a plan to take down those who betrayed her family, leading her into a complicated game of cat and mouse that may risk her humanity.

FOR SHE IS WRATH is a story of revenge that embodies feminine rage and strength. It is a Pakistani fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. Having never read The Count of Monte Cristo, I am not sure how this compares, but regardless, you’re in for a treat! The story is told in the POV of Dania, with some chapters set in the past. The world building is beautifully done with many Pakistani cultural influences, lending a rich and warm ambiance.

I adored Dania’s character – she’s brave, witty, and determined. Noor is an excellent companion to Dania, able to help keep her in check, while providing a safe and stable sounding board with excellent knowledge of djinn magic. They’re both characters that you want to root for. All the characters that are encountered are well written and feel realistic. The relationships between the characters are well developed and realistically flawed.

The plot and fantasy elements of FOR SHE IS WRATH are unique and complex without being overwhelming. I was continually intrigued and engaged by the twisty and carefully orchestrated nature of the plot. My one critique is that the pacing of the narrative dragged a bit in the 30-60% range – this could be my own issue, however. The ending was excellent and bittersweet. What an amazing debut!

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Wednesday Books, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.</i>

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advance readers copy of FOR SHE IS WRATH.

This novel is the embodiment of female rage—taking back power and serving out vengeance where deserved. Dania has been falsely accused of a murder she did not commit, sentenced to a life behind bars where she’s tortured and missing her family. To escape she must enlist the help of a fellow prisoner—one who may just have the answer to Dania’s revenge plot.

With compelling strong female characters who can kick ass, FOR SHE IS WRATH delivers an adventure filled with djinn magic, trickery, rage and friendship. You won’t regret picking it up.

Thank you Netgalley for the Arc!

Pakistani inspired fantasy with djinn, magic, and wrath.

I enjoyed the writing, loved the similes and words that flowed. Tension was tensioninggggggg. Had me out of breath for a minute.

The plot was a little predictable with some good surprises. It built up to fall a little flat for me at the end. I want to believe that someone will really follow through even with their original plan. It was easy to tell that she had major feeling for the mmc and she will in no way “if we had a battle right now he’d be lucky to come out alive” I think I’m just a vengeful girly myself. But I understood the lesson in this book. I still enjoyed and thought it was a great debut novel.

Talented writing but slow plot that had me struggling to feel invested. Lots of weapon and clothing terminology included but no physical descriptions which made them hard to keep straight.

It's always fun to read a reimagining of a classic from a writer who clearly loved the source material and expanded the original tale to include a more diverse cast!

Dani’s life is destroyed when the man she loves gets her arrested for murder & treason against the emperor. When she escapes from prison, she only has one thing on her mind: revenge.

I had just finished a sci fi novella retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo so I was absolutely thrilled to see a full length fantasy retelling. And the fantasy was so well done. Every little piece of info about this broad empire was fascinating and teased at a much larger world., without being overwhelming. I was so fascinated by the djinn and how their magic worked and I just wanted more and more.

I was a little disappointed in the ending. There were two confrontations where I felt narratively it would have been stronger if they were reversed. Dani’s final confrontation with Mazin because it didn’t feel earned.

One of the things I liked the most though, was how engaged the story kept me. I know the story well, and I’ve loved it for a long time. And this retelling introduced a few really unusual twists that really kept me invested in seeing how everything would work out.

Thanks to NegGalley and St Martin’s Press for this arc!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the gifted eARC of For She is Wrath.
I was instantly interested when reading the blurb and seeing booktok talking about a Pakistani romantic fantasy where there is a prison break and a FMC who is seeking revenge. Especially when that revenge is on an ex(still in love with)boyfriend. Cat and mouse stories are some of my favorite and Emily Varga did not disappoint with this one. While this isn't a romance heavy book, what we are given is perfect. The plot and characters were developed so well and I truly felt a connection with Dania and not to mention the friendship built with Noor. Absolutely loved the story! Highly recommend.

2.5 stars
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Sigh. I so wanted to like this book. I was really intrigued by the premise of the story but overall, I was pretty disappointed.

This book had some pacing issues, including a very slow start. I feel like, for me, the time in prison was underdeveloped. There is a whole timeline of these characters getting to know each other that is rushed through and doesn’t develop because so much time is spent on their actions after they break out.. I felt very much thrown into this friendship without watching it come to be enough to feel convinced. Neither girl was very likable and I see the Monte Cristo parallels, but their justifications for revenge are pretty shallow. The plot had a lot of extra unnecessary bits. The girls plan to (and do) commit an action but it’s never really touched upon again. It felt like a useless storyline. I liked the way that the book features dual timelines, though. It helped to build Dania as a character, but not enough for me to like her. The ending was pretty predictable. Though I never quite saw the culprit coming, the ending was just very inevitable.

The redeeming grace of this book was absolutely the magic system. I loved the use of djinn magic and the form it took through the book. It could have been better, but I liked what I got.

This isn’t a book that will linger in my mind for long, which is such a disappointment. I really had high hopes.