For She Is Wrath is such an incredible ride. It was deeply entertaining from start to finish. I never quite fell in love with the book, but I would absolutely recommend this.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book??? So good!?? I was drawn in immediately by the cover and the synopsis saying this was a retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo, which is one of my favorite books. The prose and beautiful world building—seriously those food descriptions had my stomach growling—is what kept me there. Just an astounding book.

Sometimes it be your own [REDACTED]! Having the story set in a Pakistani-like world was so refreshing. I could just feel the culture and history woven into the pages and you can tell this was written with a lot of love.

The friendships in this story were so beautifully written that they completely overshadowed the romance. I actually felt like we didn't really need a romance and I was glad that relationship didn't take center stage until the latter half of the book. Also, more Noor is never a bad thing. She is a gem.

If I had one gripe about this book it's that I feel like there was almost a little too much mercy for it to be a true Monte Cristo retelling. The whole point of that book was the build up to him getting revenge on everybody and you still get that here, but I feel like it was muted. I did like the message about losing yourself in pursuit of getting revenge, but there was a small part of me that really wanted to see more action. For the characters that did get what was coming to them, it was executed very well. I found myself cheering at the downfall of others.

I did find the ending to be a little lacking. We had all of the players built up so well and then we just get thrown a curveball that gets resolved in 3 or so chapters. I understood the message behind it, but I feel like it could have been written differently. It doesn't take away from the story at all though.

In conclusion, I am so glad that I was given the opportunity to read this book early because it just blew my mind seated my expectations. When it is officially published, I intend to pick up a physical copy. Please read this! You won't regret it.

"I want my fucking cat back" - banger line.

I could not put For She is Wrath down once I got started. I love Count of Monte Cristo and thought the idea of a Pakistani inspired, gender bend would be fascinating and I was right!! I enjoyed every page, I was at the edge of my seat at time! The characters were fun and well-written, I empathized with Dania throughout the entire book. I will definitely be adding this to my shelves when it is published!!

This ARC was provided to me through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A High Fantasy, A Retelling of Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo. Lover-to-Enemy Trope.


"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."

Come on! The agony. The sorrow. The regret. Those words hit me like a freight train.

I have not read many Pakistani high fantasy novels that is also aimed at young adults. Representation is just getting better and better. Beautifully written. The line, "Memorizing each other's scars." I love the heated tension, the hate to passionate love. I'm getting ahead of myself.

I was instantly taken in by our vengeful main hero, Dania. The fighting scenes were so satisfying. The prison escape scenes were enthralling. We are instantly thrown into this complicated world with a prisoner attempting a rebellious escape, determined to get back at those who have wronged her.

The scheming, the betrayal enroped in the Islam cultural elements were so unique and so compelling, I was racing to know how it would end. Our hero is a skilled and terrifying warrior, with a gentle inside that is sculpted with a rough and fierce exterior. I could relate to her, regardless of grey morality. She protects, she cherishes, and she crushes those who threaten those she cares for.

Who can blame her? The boy she once loved framed her, resulting in punishing torture by Touffsa, has only sparked her anger and hatred for those who wronged her: her former lover Mazir, the right hand of Vahid, the Emperor. We meet Noor, and thus the true story begins. Zoraat becomes the vegetation they can wield as power against the emperor and the hoard of the empire.

Bloodthirsty guards. Demons. Djinn powers. A dark revenge. This was truly a unique spin on high fantasy, partnered with a healthy dose of a corrupted empire and survivalists in an unforgiving world. I also have not seen another retelling of Dumas, and I hope more retellings are to be written and printed in the future. 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Varga, and St. Martins Press for granting me access to an e-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Varga creates a captivating world and plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. I especially loved all her characters and how intricately thought out they were. Each of them were flawed and realistic and all flowed together to create a thrilling cast of characters.

This book had me on the edge of my seat for what felt like the longest time ever! In the best possible way! Emily Varga creates such a complex and intricate world with diverse, innovative characters unlike anything I’ve seen before. Her writing style is also very smooth and easy to follow along to. The romance subplot was very sweet as well and had me kicking my feet! I highly recommend this read to anyone hoping to read a unique fantasy world with relatable characters and a sizzling romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Varga, and St. Martins Press for granting me access to an e-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For She Is Wrath is a Pakistani retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo.

Dania is sentenced to prison for a crime she did not commit! Betrayed by the boy she loved she tries to escape to seek vengeance on those who did her wrong. After sitting in prison for a year, Dania meets another cellmate who accidentally digs her way into Dania’s cell in an attempt to escape. Noor was sent to prison wrongfully for knowing something she refused to tell. Both girls build a friendship while working together to plot their escape and their vengeance once they get out. The story continues to develop around the adventures of the girls and their path to justice and vengeance.

One of my favorite movies is The Count of Monte Cristo so I personally enjoyed this book. I loved that this retelling had parts of the original story but at the same time was completely different. This was an easy read and kept me interested to the point I finished it in one day!

A stunning fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo with a fierce main character.
The story follows Dania as she is wrongfully accused and is sent to prison. What follows is a tale of revenge, love, and magic.
I loved the author's writing style and how smooth the dialogue and descriptions of this world was easy to see. The world building was well done and the magic was interesting.
But my favorite thing of all was of course the characters. Each one was flawed and had goals of their own but woven together in this story made it a compelling read.
Overall I definitely recommend to anyone who loves a tale of revenge mixed in with romance.

5 Stars: I'm actually in love! I adored this book and totally didn't read this instead of doing work(I did).

Description: When the boy she loves betrays her by framing her for a crime she didn't commit, Dania is on a quest for revenge. Armed with magic coveted by all, Dania uses her wits and skills with swords to take down the corrupt officials in a quest to destroy the people who ruined her life. But, as time passes, Dania begins to act as the very thing she wants to kill.

Dania was an exemplary main character. Her drive, development, and reasoning were excellently written. She was a character that people can relate to when it comes to overcoming feelings of anger and how different people deal with it. I loved Dania's love of swords, and I enjoyed that the author didn't allow her love of swords to take away from her femininity and how the character was who she was despite what people thought of her.

Even regarding the side character, I loved every second of this story. Noor is definitely a character many people can relate to, though she wasn't the main character. I loved her nonetheless and would love a book about her story.

In terms of romance, the story physically made me heart-wrenching. The author flips between different times in Dania and Maz's relationship, which makes the story all the more exciting and enjoyable. The author did an impressive job in portraying such a complex love betrayed.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this great ARC!

YA is usually not a genre I lean into, but I really enjoyed this fantasy. The chemistry between the main characters, with the sizzling trope of lovers to enemies, had me on my toes. I only wish there was a little more of a descriptive element to the book, and a boost of the world building. I also thought it somewhat strange that every character in the book was driven by revenge. With this being Emily Varga’s debut novel however, it is fantastically written and I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next.

Thank you to the publishing company for an early arc copy—I highly enjoyed reading this book! For fans of lovers-enemies-lovers, strong friendships, and lush writing; the author has taken a well-known tale and delivered a fresh take. The cultural immersion was fantastic and probably my favorite part. I’m excited to see what else she writes!

For She is Wrath is a gender swapped Pakistani retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo. Dani is consumed with revenge. For a year, she’s been imprisoned for a murder she didn’t commit. She finally manages to escape with fellow prisoner Noor , who knows where a stash of magical seeds (zoraat) are located. These seeds hold the magic of the djinn and can create just about anything- for a price. They use these seeds to create a wealthy persona for Dani that she can use to enact her revenge on those who betrayed her, including the man she loves, Mazin. The question is, how far is Dani willing to go for her revenge? Is her revenge worth the cost to her, Noor and Mazin?
I thought it was a great retelling, with several surprises in the plot that I was not anticipating.

I loved this retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, with a Pakistani based, romantic fantasy element. The djinn magic element was such a fun twist on this retelling.

The story built on itself so well and the character growth for Dania throughout the story was so good! You can tell she really came into herself and what was really important by the end of the book. We LOVE a story female character. And her friendship with Noor was so sweet. I would love to see more of Noor’s story!

Also, Dania and Mazin- I loved their story! I enjoyed getting the backstory of their relationship and the way the author placed those chapters throughout the story, it helped everything to flow so well from past to present. What a great enemies to lovers story!

I would have liked a little more world building but it wasn’t hard to follow with the world building there and this book was an easy read! Highly recommend.

Overall: 4.5/5
Spice: 0.5/5 (kissing and FTB)

Thank you NetGalley, Emily Varga, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for the chance to read this eARC and review it.

Written to be a retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo but from a female perspective with djinn magic. Sounds intriguing! I was hooked. How are we getting out of this prison? But then it settled into a revenge plot that just kind of lost me. I mean, I was following the story but I stopped caring about why. We didn’t build up the relationship enough for me to care that deeply about these people. And I saw the plot twist coming a mile away. The book is well written and the world building is vibrant, I hope the author writes more original work.

Mama, this was garbage. Did not realize characters could have so little depth they’re somehow less than one-dimensional, but I guess everything’s possible!

Y'all this book is so good. It is hard to world-build as much as Emily Varga did in this standalone but she made it work. For She is Wrath is a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo with a Pakistani spin. It follows Dania and her quest for revenge on those who framed her for a crime she did not commit. One of those people happens to be the very boy she once loved. While I did love Dania I happen to love Mazin more. Mazin is such an interesting male main character and he has a troubled past. Need I say more? This novel is action-packed with plenty of twists and turns. It has magic, enemies to lovers, and strong female characters. Although it is a standalone and I would love to read more about Dania and Mazin I felt satisfied with how Varga wrapped up the book. Emily Varga will be a new author to watch!
Content: closed door, strong language
Thank you to NetGalley. These opinions are my own.

Such a amazing fantasy, this world was great to immerse yourself into it, the story was extremely interesting and definitely would love more like this. Loved it

Great Pakistani retelling of a classic piece of literature. I enjoyed the flow of the writing, the style, and the characters immensely. The action and drama and suspense were enough to keep me glued to the page!! It feels fast paced and you don't want to put it down. Absolutely will be recommending to friends.

I am withholding my review — as much as I would like to discuss this book — until SMP has addressed and denounced the Islamophobic and racist statements and behavior of an employee in their marketing department, as well as showing that they are taking active steps to protect their employees, the influencers they ask to review their books, and both readers and authors from racist and discriminatory behavior.

#SpeakUpSMP

I hope SMP does so, soon, so I’m able to review this and other SMP books I have read. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me access to an advanced reader copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book really had me hooked. When I picked it up late at night, I told myself I would read a couple pages before going to bed. Big mistake. Next thing I knew, it was way past my bedtime and I was 100 pages in. The initial vibes of the book were giving This Woven Kingdom mixed with Throne of Glass in a retelling of The Count of Monte Christo.

Now I don’t have many fond memories of The Count of Monte Christo because I read it in high school and was therefore forced to read it, ultimately making me automatically hate it and reading at the time. But, thinking back, I do remember actually quite enjoying the plot of The Count of Monte Christo, so I suppose I should give the beloved classic another shot, especially after reading and so thoroughly enjoying this this retelling.

In this Count of Monte Christo retelling, we are following Dania (Dani), a master sword-wielder and betray-ee, who has found herself in prison for 364 days for a crime she did not commit. The one who put her there? The man she loved most in this world. The man she trusted with everything. In comes a new partner in crime and vessel of vengeance, Noor. Together they plot their revenge on those that wronged them, but first, they need to break out. With the need for revenge, and a little magic, coursing through their veins, they set out to destroy those who deserve it most…or do they?

Crafting a well-rounded and detailed fantasy standalone can be quite a difficult feat, especially when the reference material is based on a very long novel (over 1200 pages depending on your edition). But Emily Varga nailed it. I found the world-building and magic system to be well constructed without bogging you down with too many details. The page count is also much more manageable and YA-friendly at 368 (ebook) pages. I was very satisfied with the length and content overall. It kept me fed without ever shoveling information down my throat or getting lost in the sauce, if you know what I mean.

The novel also tackles some great themes of love, friendship, loyalty, family, grief and more. There is also a then-and-now dual timeline that allows you to not only hear about what happened to our FMC but then also experience it as it had happened.

If none of this has convinced you to read this book, I will leave you with my favorite interaction at a very intense and pivotal moment:
“Tell me what you want, Dani.”
“What I want?” I lifted my sword in front of my face, the rain beating against the blade. “I want my fucking cat back.”