The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is my favourite book. This book had a lot to live up to, and it succeeded. Of course the book is written for a younger audience and the timeline within it is shorter, but this is perfect for a book aimed at young adults. The first chapter caught me a little off guard with the violence, but once I started I could not put the book down. I was invested in the protagonist and felt as though I was following right along with the myriad of emotions that she was put through.
Thank you for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.
This book will definitely be joining our library.

Looking for a fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo featuring a gender swapped plotline and feminine rage? This is your book. This is a Pakistani retelling that subverts some expectations with the story beautifully.

I'm not going to lie, I struggled a bit at the beginning. Why? Because I felt like I had already read this story before with The Count of Monte Cristo itself and that it wasn't really that exciting... Boy was THAT proven wrong quickly! It was phenomenal! Especially that second half of the book? I couldn't put it down until I had reached the end!

The feminine friendship was so well done. I LOVE how they meet and their relationship with each other. Noor is a fantastic character.

Content: Closed door, betrayal by those most trusted, m*rder, kidnapping subterfuge, fake identity, revenge, vengeful djinn, magical spice addiction, torture

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review is voluntarily written and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

This Pakistani retelling of the 1844 “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas has been superbly executed by Emily Varga.

Dania is the daughter of a talented sword-smith who befriends and falls in love with Mazin, who is second is command to the Emperor Vahid. One day, Dania is walking through the Emperor’s home to meet Mazin and finds herself at the scene of a crime which she is then falsely accused of committing. She stares into the eyes of the man she loves as he plays a direct hand in arresting her and sending her off to prison, where she stays for a year. For that entire year in prison, Dania has one goal in mind: revenge.

During her time in prison, Dania meets Noor, who is also desperate to escape prison and exact her own revenge. Noor knows the whereabouts of a large quantity of zoorat, a magical compound that is both powerful and dangerous, which happens to be just the thing both of them need. The two form an alliance and their journey takes off.

From djinns to parathas to lehengas, Varga does a seamless job immersing you into the world and proving vivid descriptions that alight your senses. You truly feel as if you are walking through the bazaar with Dani, smelling the flavorful spices, hearing shop owners bargain and seeing the colorful clothing all around you. And my desi heart could not be happier that this world is built on many of the things I grew up with, which are rarely seen in fantasy novels.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

When I tell you I took notes and lost sleep-it is 100% the truth! I had to make myself stop reading so I could get to work on time. Yes, this is the ONE! I have been spreading the word, people think im nuts-I dont care! MORE PLEASE!! life long die hard fan here!!
Ma'am!! bravo!!!

This book is one that I truly did enjoy. It started off really strong, but in the middle it did slow down a bit and it took me a minute to really get back into the story.
There were definitely so many parts of this story that a reader can feel and connect to. You got to see Dania learn the cost of vengeance and how it can do more damage than good to your own being. There were definitely some powerful moments throughout this story.
I rated this a 4 star instead of a 5 for really only one reason. I didn't connect to the characters as much as l'd hoped to. I still genuinely feel like this was a great story, the characters just lacked that extra layer of dimension for me. There was still great character growth on its own.

Emily Varga's 'For She Is Wrath' is a mesmerizing fusion of revenge, romance, and magic. Dania's transformation from betrayal to empowerment is both poignant and empowering. The immersive cultural setting and intricately woven plot had me captivated, eagerly devouring each twist and turn.

The title and the cover nail the essence of the book right on the head!

This book illustrates what happens when several people seeking revenge collide. What do people hope to get from their revenge? Who gets caught in the cross hairs? What happens after they get revenge?

But this book is not just all wrath. It's about friendship, loyalty and family. And an interesting magic system involving djins and seeds of magic.

I wouldn't be surprised if someone turned this into a movie. The visuals would be stunning.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for allowing me to read this digital ARC.

Dania has a good reason to want revenge, but will it be enough? I enjoyed this book, overall. There were aspects that were predictable, but also some that surprised. If you like stories about choices and their consequences, you might just enjoy this one.

Beautifully written, this book portrays obsession with vengeance in a way that is believable and engaging. I loved the conflict between the main couple and the friendship between Noor and Dania.


***Spoilers*****



I do think that the turn around from vengeance to passiveness was a but quick but enjoyable nonetheless.


Thanks to netgalley for this arc.

Love retelling and loved the way this resold the story in a nice new package. I felt like I was being dragged along for the ride in a good way

I wanted to like this book. It had all of the makings of everything I love—revenge, betrayal, etc. Ultimately, I found the characters very one-note and not compelling. I found myself skipping whole sections toward the very beginning which is never a good sign. I’m sure this is someone’s favorite book, but not mine.

Despite that, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

For She is Wrath is billed as a reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo, but it is so much more. A sweeping fantasy, the story is tells Dania’s story of betrayal and the drive for revenge that keeps her going. Imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit and tortured, Dania’s escape from prison is just the beginning of her vengeance as the power of the djinn promises her everything she wants. Rich characters and an epic story of vengeance, magic, friendship, and love make this story a must read fantasy. I loved this book! My voluntary, unbiased, and non mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

The author of “For She is Wrath” makes great and in depth characters. I’m aware the genre falls under YA, however I do think she needs to trust her audience a bit more. Let them interpret and make inferences instead of spelling out every emotion and what each event means to the point where it feels like the story is spoon fed to you. The relationships were definitely a redeeming factor of the story.

A Pakistani retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo with magic and a female main character?! Sign me up. I've been so excited to read this. I adore retellings of classics and this did not disappoint.

YA fantasy, lovers to enemies to lovers, magic, betrayal, and djinn. I loved Dania. I ate this book up so fast. Classic story of revenge. Also I loved the romance (YA closed door) of Mazin and Dania. Mazin had some really great lines that had me swooning. And the ending twist?! I did NOT see that coming.

Don't go in expecting a full deep Count of Monte Cristo. That book is a masterpiece on a level all by itself. This is YA and inspired by. But I will absolutely be rereading, probably buying for my shelves, and recommending to my kids when they are older.

Damn, I really wanted to like this. The premise sounds amazing- a gender swapped Count of Monte Cristo meets Arya Stark. Unfortunately this fell flat. The writing is not great- it reads like a fan fiction with overly descriptive prose. The characters are one dimensional with not much chemistry. And frankly I was bored. Sadly a miss.

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this!

I am very grateful for this ARC of For She is Wrath, however I found that the characters didn't have much personality aside from their designated character types, and this book felt extremely trope based. For example, the main character is very obviously a feminist lead who takes control of her destiny and doesn't take anything from anyone else, however there isn't much to her other than that. Sure, she is smart, and sure, she is very (to a fault) sarcastic (especially when it is unneeded and enhances an unrealistic quality of the book). However, that doesn't mean that she MUST remain that way for the entirety. I personally am a very character driven reader, and I enjoy seeing some complexity in a character's action and emotions ESPECIALLY when it is a first person inner monologue book. I would have loved it if main character Dania had a little bit more to her than "I must be a feminist role model who craves revenge!" Something that made her combat with her own nature, twist and turn before realizing what needed to be done rather than providing a half explained backstory and a strangely insatiable craving for revenge even when her actual grief seemed to be forgotten at many times. But that can be written off- different people handle their grief in different ways. What I especially disliked, was that Dania's rationale in many parts of the book felt extremely insufferable and I found myself siding with her love interest despite reasons for him to be wrong. When the major plot twists were revealed, they were extremely predictable and from the moment Dania's intentions were revealed I had pretty much guessed the ending of the book (and Iwas 90% correct). I was drawn into this book by the summary, and it gave everything it promised if that is what you are looking for. Emily Varga should definitely be proud to write something like this, however I feel like it could be just a bit more polished and fleshed out (though I don't know much about publishing, is it too late to do some last minute edits?) I will say, for all my negativity at the beginning I DID enjoy the book while I read. It was good, but not overwhelmingly simplified. It was a very easy read for sure, and while it took me a little while to get through I enjoyed it for what it was.

In a Pakistani setting, "The Count of Monte Cristo" is reimagined with Dania, who is framed for a crime and spends her days in prison plotting revenge against Mazin, her former love. She escapes with a fellow prisoner, Noor, seeking a stolen djinn treasure to aid her vengeance. Using dark magic and a new identity, Dania aims to take down those who betrayed her, including Mazin, despite lingering feelings between them. However, her pursuit of revenge risks her humanity and her heart.

I never read Monte Cristo but I did hear the whole story from my sister and it sounded interesting so I was excited to read this one.

The revenge plot of Dania and Noor felt convenient, lacking the meticulous planning of Dantes's revenge. The quick resolution and Dania's wavering decisions, influenced by her feelings for Maz, left me feeling neutral about the book, although I still found it enjoyable and engaging overall.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin ‘s Press for sending me an arc!

This book was everything that a fantasy fan would love - complicated (and fade-to-black) romance, family ties, action, court intrigue, and more. The characters in this book were endlessly fascinating and complex. Dania's drive for revenge balanced perfectly with her innate kindness and compassion, and I really enjoyed reading about her character. The genuine friendship between her and Noor was so refreshing - I loved their honesty and willingness to stay together, even when their goals diverged. The romance was great, too - I liked the flashbacks to Dania's and Maz's past, so we had an idea of the emotional toll that Maz's actions had on Dania. I do think that it would have been nice to include more scenes with Dania's father - a huge part of the book is her desire to avenge her father's death, yet there are almost no scenes between him and Dania, so it was hard to empathize with her need for retribution at times.
It's difficult to pack a well-developed setting and plot into a standalone novel, but Emily Varga did it beautifully. The pacing was neither too slow nor too fast, and the plotline was interesting and believable. I don't think that the plot twist at the end was very convincing, but it was an important part of Dania's character as she understood the danger that comes with seeking vengeance. The magic system was so creative and unique, but it also made sense and wasn't vague or difficult to understand. I really liked the idea of djinn magic and would have loved to learn more about the djinn and their world, too.
Overall, fantasy fans will love this book - it's filled with adventure, romance, intricate settings and imagery, and rich worldbuilding. I can't wait to read more of Emily Varga's work in the future!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC!

Thank You NetGally for letting me read this book early! I really enjoyed this book a lot, the premise, the world, and the magic system were really interesting. I loved the characters and how i could actually understand and see their motivations and the changes that happen to their motivations as we experience and go through the story with them. I also really loved that the romance was so much the main plot, that it was there just enough. There are a couple of lines that i absolutely loved towards the end of the book that gave me song of achilles vibes!! I can’t wait for this to come out and for others to read it and enjoy it as much as i did!

I have been anxiously awaiting Emily Varga's debut and I was so excited to get an early read!

The premise of this book—a Pakistani retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo—immediately had me hooked. Varga's writing is breathtaking and paints an incredible image for its readers. She also has an amazing talent for world-building and I was immediately swept away!

The main character gave me a strong sense of female empowerment. I truly felt the depths of her wrath and pension for revenge. The plot had me on the edge of my seat, seeking revenge and searching for hidden treasure along with the characters. I also love her inner conflict and the tension she faces between fighting for vengeance and, conversely, love.

This book is a must-read!