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.

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.

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.”

I wanted to love this book. I was excited when I received a copy. The premise was so appealing to me, but I feel like the execution just fell flat. I love a revenge plot, and nothing excites me more than reading about a vengeful woman who is going to make everyone who betrayed her pay. Unfortunately, it just didn’t play out like that. The revenge that she did achieve felt too convenient and Dania didn’t live up to the strong, vengeful female that the beginning built her up to be. All of the revenge was anticlimactic as a result, and the end was ridiculous. The reveal at the end didn’t fit at all with the rest of the story and was definitely a weak point for the novel. It was also disappointing that Dania kept questioning her revenge so often and going soft for Maz. I didn’t feel like the book needed a romance and redeeming him in her eyes to try to humanize Dania more through the power of love was disappointing. I wouldn’t call this a romantasy though either because the characters had no chemistry. Dania should have simply embraced being a woman scorned. I also wish we saw more genuine friendship between Dania and Noor rather than her being an object of convenience that existed only whenever a revenge plot needed executing.

3-3.5 STARS. A YA Pakistani-based fantasy inspired by "The Count of Monte Cristo"? Count me in!

PROS: Lovers-to-enemies? Yeah, we like that. Memorizing each other's scars? (😍😍😍)
Always enjoy having a strong, vengeful female main character.

CONS: I think the world-building could have been a little more fleshed out, as well as the romantic relationship. It didn't feel like the story dragged, rather, it felt as though issues were resolved too quickly. Knowing Arabic, it was also jarring to repeatedly read the character surname "Khara" (although upon further investigation I believe it has a different meaning in Urdu...)

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Emily Varga for this eARC!

They had me with “Pakistani romantic fantasy.” Emily Varga’s FOR SHE IS WRATH is stupendously, bewitchingly good. Featuring an unputdownable plot centered on two star-crossed lovers caught in an impossible game of revenge, FOR SHE IS WRATH is the kind of story you had no idea you’d been waiting for. A truly impressive debut by Varga.

This book was SO good!! For She is Wrath is a Pakistani romantic fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. Now, I have not read the original The Count of Monte Cristo so this was the first time I was reading this story.

This book is about getting revenge. Dania served a year in prison for a crime she didn't commit. She was framed by the person she trusted most, Mazin, the man she once loved. Since the betrayal, she has been obsessed with thoughts of vengeance for the past year. She is adamant about getting justice and has made a list of everyone who has deceived her. She becomes friends witha fellow inmate named Noor while incarcerated, and they soon turn into close allies. They intend to work together to escape from prison, find a hidden cache of pilfered zoraat seeds, and face the perpetrators of the crime.

This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time! The plot was amazing, I loved the magical elements, the characters were so interesting and don't get me started on the twists! I very much enjoy a powerful FMC out for revenge and this book gave me everything I wanted!! Overall, I enjoyed this fantasy read!

Left to rot in a prison, Dani thinks of nothing else but escaping, returning to her baba, and exacting revenge on the person who put her there - the one she thought was the love of her life, a man she thought of as an Uncle, the captain of the royal guard, and the very Emperor who uses Djinn magic to hold power. As she and an unlikely ally escape, their agendas align and together they plot their revenge, not only for themselves but also for the people oppressed by the Emperor's actions.

Overall, the world building was done on the simpler side, just enough to help the reader understand the environment, culture, day to day lives, but there was a layering that was missing. There was not many moments where she took time to really paint the picture, showing us more depth of the world, the colors, the sounds, etc. While Djinn are mentioned all through the book, and the Djinn magic, it’s not until almost the end where we finally see one. I would have loved more folklore sprinkled throughout the book.

It reads very YA, starting off is a bit clunky. The initial background of the Emperor and how he came to power was sporadic and it was rough. There’s a clunky paragraph that tells who Vahid is, that he bargained with a Djinn and now is Emperor, but it was done so quick with it felt like a throw away. But what really grated me was Chapter 3, where we have a flash back, but then we don’t have another one for a long time. This was like whiplash, a better pacing would be to omit all the flashbacks - incorporate the important parts as a paragraph as she remembers something, or add in more flashbacks early on. The early flashbacks didn’t do much for me feeling the tension between Mazin and Dani, but after her escape and she is disguised as another person, I couldn’t stop rooting for redemption of Mazin.

As Dani is working with Noor, the pacing picks a better medium - it’s quick and filled with action, and the conversations help give more backstory, while also making it hard to put down. I would have liked more of Noor and Dani digging, getting to know each other, even if it’s high-level montage, before their escape attempt, that way we feel their companionship more deeply. Their friendship still feels more out of necessity, but for Dani to feel loyal to Noor enough to search her out first instead of going straight to freedom didn’t feel real.

Overall a fun read, I would be excited to see what Varga does next.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Emily Varga for providing me with an ARC and the opportunity to read this story.

From the synopsis, I knew that this story was a Pakistani romantic fantasy about loss and revenge, however I was not ready for the emotional journey this story took me on. From the first few pages, I knew I was hooked and invested. We start the story with a prison break and the fast paced, gut wrenching writing never stops. Our female main character, Dania, is probably one of the most unhinged characters I have come across yet. I have heard the words “female rage” used before to describe books and characters but I hadn’t encountered one until now. Dania IS rage, all encompassed; she is also determination, she is revenge and she is power.

Varga’s writing was so immersive that I felt all the desperation, anger, unforgiveness, uncertainty and inner turmoil as her characters experienced them. Everything felt so raw and exposed. I also think she also did a great job with the characters' development throughout the story. How they each went through their personal journey of understanding and acceptance.

If you want to read a story that will grip your attention from the moment you open it’s pages to the very end, I highly recommend this book. I’ll be on the lookout for other stories published by this author.

This was a great fantasy YA book! I loved that the world was easy to understand and the magic system was simple, but there was still a conclusion to the book that I didn’t guess ahead of time. I loved the friendship that developed between two of the main characters. I was engaged the entire time I was reading and it kept a pretty fast pace.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in return for my honest feedback.

Revenge and vengeance are such interesting concepts and both are fully explored in Emily Varga's novel 'For She is Wrath'. When framed for a crime she didn't commit by the boy she loves, Dania is sent to prison to live out the rest of her days. By a stroke of luck she befriends fellow cellmate Noir and they both escape prison and enter a path of retribution and revenge. Both Dania and Noor assume new identities and begin scheming and exacting their revenge.

Filled with magic, swords, and djinn this novel had it all. Most importantly it also showcases the slippery slope of pursing revenge and how it can consume a person. While this is a revenge tale, there's also a beautiful love story and flashbacks with Dania and Mazin - her childhood love. I appreciated the build up of Dania and Mazin's unexpected reunion and how Noor remained a constant vessel of humanity for Dania.

Filled with rich costumes, palaces, and delicious food Emily Varga has written a wonderful novel. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for my thoughts.

When I came across this book on Netgalley, I was intrigued by the storyline. While I've never read The Count of Monte Cristo, I've seen the 2002 movie many times, so I'm familiar with the basic story, and I was interested in seeing how these two versions of the story would compare, or at least see if I could spot any similarities between the two stories. And I ended up really enjoying this book. It felt like it was a face paced read, and I was hooked from the very beginning. There were several scenes in the book that were very similar to the original story, so if you've read the book, or even watched any film adaptation, there will be scenes very similar in this book. So, if you're looking for a new book filled with revenge, action, magic, and jinn, I highly recommend giving this book a try when it comes out this fall.

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0

I received this as an ARC in exchange for a review. But I have also pre-ordered it.

This is a fantastic debut novel. I loved the story, the character journey, and even the surprise twist which actually saved this review from being lower. Was it perfect? No, but the author has a lot of potential and I cannot wait to see what more they have to offer.

It has found family aspects, lovers to enemies, and a lot of new to me mythology I want to look more into.

The only thing that truly hurt this overall enjoyable read was that I wanted more. There were parts that more information would have been helpful. Describing the scene, especially landscapes, instead of just glossing over it, and a little bit more history or backstory. I think a map at the start of the book would do wonders to even solve some of those issues without changing the story or doing significant editing.

Gender bent Count of Monte Cristo. The characters didn’t grab me. DNF at chapter 3 because the story and characters didn’t suck me in and I was bored.

The premise sounded right up my alley, but after five chapters in, I don't think this is for me. The writing did not work for me, and I found it difficult to continue with the story.

“ “I am a tool of vengeance now,” I uttered. “I exist to destroy those who came for me and my family.” I could feel my fingers tingling, a similar feeling to the one I got before lifting my sword for the first time in battle. That’s what this feeling must be—battle lust.”

For She is Wrath follows Dania who has been betrayed and falsely accused of a crime she did not commit. She plots out her revenge against those who have wronged her and won’t let anything get in her way.

I appreciated the Pakistani lovers to enemies romantic fantasy elements of this book. This is a plot-driven book with an almost singular focus on revenge (no surprise, given the title). These are not themes I normally read and I didn’t really find myself getting into the book until the last 20% or so. I thought about not finishing it a few times but was curious to see it to the end. If these are tropes you enjoy or you’re a fan of The Count of Monte Cristo, this could be a good fit for you.

I really enjoyed this book overall! There were several minor typos, primarily (if not solely) the space missing between two words, and I noted them all on my kindle if anyone would like that info (assuming it hasn’t been rectified already, which, I assume it has been lol). Thank you so much for allowing me this arc; I thoroughly loved it. Below is my review I posted to my new bookstagram acct, also linked below with my GR review.

A beautiful, thorough story of retribution and friendship. Gives you the satisfaction of vengeance/karma for those who deserved it. A plot twist I didn’t see coming, at the end of a medium-fast paced book. It’s a lose, fantasy, retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, with Pakistani women!