In full disclosure, this review is based on around 50% of the book, as I did not end up finishing due to the reasons discussed below.

I loved the premise, setting and magic system (what little we got to see if it,) but this was unfortunately just not the book for me. The pacing was the biggest struggle. This started off incredibly fast paced, but then slowed down and unfortunately I just lost patience/interest with it and I did not feel myself pulled to pick it up.

I didn’t particularly care for the main character and while there is a lot of talk about her bringing wrath and revenge upon her enemies, it took much too long for this to be a reality and I didn’t see these claims being backed up anywhere. I also felt like I needed more in terms of the character development early on so I could understand the main character’s choices and motives better.

This is also marketed as a romantic fantasy, and at almost 50% there was hardly any romance or flash backs to what would have been the main romance between characters. I needed more form this aspect to really keep my interest.

All in all I wanted to love this, but it fell flat for me.

Netgalley gave me the opportunity to read this months ago and I dropped the ball on that really badly so I’m sorry for that! I really enjoyed this

The characters are complex and interesting and the plot was well paced! It never felt slow and each thing that happened felt important. Definitely a good read!

Now let tell you all why you should read this book:

* The language is so carefully crafted and the story has a nice read-ability.
* Dani is a kick Ass main character and should not be messed with.
* It follows a great adventure arc and keeps you wanting to find out what happends

For She Is Wrath is dubbed a gender-bent Count of Monte Cristo retelling, which is very long, repetitive, and slow action book. The storyline sinks you in but doesn't keep the reader invested for the long haul. I will say the setting is very nice and fantasy lovers will like it a lot. Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's, and Emily Varga for this book!

I loved the setting of this book and the setup like the Count of Monte Cristo. I would say this was loosely inspired by the book, not a retelling though. Personally, I thought there was more chemistry between the two girls and would have loved a sapphic romance between them. I never really believed her relationship with Maz. Unfortunately, while initially I was drawn into the book, ultimately, I was disappointed. But lots of creative world building.

Dani has been betrayed by the person she trust the most and found herself in prison. Noor is trying to escape the same prison. The 2 girls meet out of luck and set off on an epic adventure to get revenge for what happened to them and the ones they love.

There is a lot of Character growth for both girls, along with twist and a love story for the ages. The friendship bound they 2 girls form over the course of the book is so sweat, you can tell that they see each other as family in the end.

This was The Count of Monte Cristo retelling, which I have never read, so I have nothing to compare it to. So, as a stand along book with no prior opinion - I absolutely loved it! I couldn’t get enough of the FMC and her strength, resilience, and empowerment. It was action packed and kept me on the edge of my seat. I also enjoyed that it wasn’t romance heavy, it was a nice break to focus on plot and characters.

I know this is written as a YA book, but to me the writing made it feel like a children’s chapter book, or at least a lower ya book for ages 12-14. I would not recommend this to an upper ya reader that is say 16-18. I really wanted to enjoy this, and while the story itself is fine the writing was not for me.

**Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!**

4/5 stars

This was an excellent debut from Emily Varga. I was instantly intrigued when I learned it was a Pakistani retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. The book offers everything you’d want: enemies to lovers, strong female characters, revenge, and friendship. Varga excels in world-building and introduces the magic system seamlessly. The characters are all well-developed and compelling from the very beginning. I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a fast-paced YA fantasy filled with revenge, romance, and friendship.

First, the title is perfection. Second, the story being completed in 1 book is what really intrigued me and it was well done. There was some repetition I didn't care for, but overall I thought this was well written with flushed out characters.

A very solid standalone YA romantasy. I love seeing new work by brown authors and this one packs a punch. Full of female rage, strong female friendships, and lots of good character development I really enjoyed this one from start to finish. Definitely recommend if you want a romantasy that’s low-investment (time wise, not emotions wise lol). And I would’ve loved this as a teenager omg.

I am just going to say. Don't expect too much. If you do, then you will be disappointed. It's not a bad fantasy read. It's okay. It had potential in being an amazing fantasy read. It just lacks depth. We needed more than what we read.

For She is Wrath is a captivating book by Emily Varga. Your heart just breaks for Dania who has been wrongly accused for a crime she didn’t commit. This is an enemies to lovers book.. that started as lovers haha. It is very well written and keeps you on the edge of your seat for sure!

The Count of Monte Cristo gets a fierce, feminine spin. Varga creates a a bold, bright fantastical gem set in an intriguing and original world that captures the heart of the classic with wit, sophistication, and heart that may just spark your own main character energy. I highly recommend.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, Netgalley , and the author for a complimentary copy of this ebook. I am leaving a voluntary review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

This was a really interesting retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo, especially having a young, female, Pakistani protagonist. There's a dash of romance and a great story of friendship between the MC and another girl she was imprisoned with. Ultimately it was just a really solid, suspenseful interpretation of a classic story. The action scenes were well executed, the characters were developed well, and the story flowed. Great YA and adult read!

Do you need some feminine rage in your life right about now?

This is the book to pick up. This is a powerful fantasy following a girl who thirsts for vengeance and is filled with rage for the betrayals she’s faced and the life that was destroyed by men. We journey with her on her quest to avenge herself and her family against cruel, sadistic, power-hungry men.

It was SO immensely satisfying to read. I was drawn deeply into the plot on the very first page and it never let me down. Everything about this is executed absolutely flawlessly, from the characters and their multifaceted relationships to the plotting and pacing.

I highly, highly recommend this. You do not want to miss out on the magic and raw, unrelenting talent of the author as displayed in this debut. I’ll read anything she writes.

Now more than ever, this story of female empowerment and strength is vital and healing.

Please pick it up.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC! All thoughts, opinions, and hero worship of Emily Varga are my own.

Full disclosure: I both read and listened to this novel. The audiobook's narrator is AMAZING, making it worth downloading.
I really liked this book. But then again, I always like books with strong female protagonists, especially ones that can be viewed as resilient, courageous heroines. For She is Wrath is a wonderful retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo, but this time as a Pakistani romantic fantasy. Loving the classic, I couldn’t help but be enamoured of this tale.
As with the Count of Monte Cristo, our tale begins with a daring prison break. Fast-paced and immediately engaging, we follow Dania, a strong-willed and determined young woman, on her bloody and daring journey from prison to the man who betrayed her…the man she loved.
This plot-driven novel is what young adults most often gravitate to first. It reads like a movie and would be an excellent addition to a classroom library and an engaging read-aloud.

Holy macaroni this book was such a fun read.

Interesting MC though wish the rest of the cast had been fleshed out more.
Always love a good jinn angle in my fantasy.

The ending was just meh compared to the rest of it but really enjoyed it over all. Didn’t take too long to get into it and then didn’t want to put it down.

An absolutely stellar debut. For She is Wrath is a retelling of the The Count of Monte Cristo, and while the first few chapters didn't quite hook me, the rest of the book was a clear 10/10. I think that The Count of Monte Cristo is such an interesting story to retelling in a genre (YA retellings) that can get oversaturated at times. And while it is a retelling, the author made this story her own. I loved these characters, the sense of adventure, the romance, and the themes. Additionally, I found that the author did a great job guiding the reader through the story. I wanted the main character to get vengeance when the author told me I should, I wanted a romantic resolution when she set one up ... she guides reader's hands so well. Overall I absolutely loved this and can't wait to see what this author puts out next.

✨ Review ✨ For She is Wrath

Thanks to Wednesday Books and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my all-time favorite classics and so I was sold instantly when I saw this was a Pakistani YA retelling of this story. This followed main plot points of the original and yet feels entirely different. The writing is so catchy and emotional, and I could fly through giant chunks of this book without hardly blinking!

This follows our feisty main character, Dani, as she breaks free from prison with big goals of bringing vengeance on those who wronged her. As she recites the list of people who ruined her life, she begins dreaming up plans for her revenge. Along with Noor, they begin to tear apart the world that so unjustly harmed them both.

This book is filled with fighting, swords, magic, and historical fantasy vibes. There's also a sort of enemies-to-lovers romance here, though the fantasy/retelling probably fills a greater percentage of these pages than the romance. When the romance pieces came though, it felt even more emotional and engaging because it was a little more spread out.

Overall, I loved this book, and couldn't hardly put it down (I was so mad I read it through a busy week where I didn't have much time to read!). This was fantastic as a debut, and just a delight to read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: YA fantasy/retelling (maybe more new adult than YA?)
Setting: Pakistan (fictional time/fantasy setting)
Reminds me of: The Count of Monte Cristo
Pub Date: October 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ YA retellings with strong women
⭕️ diverse fantasy settings
⭕️ romantasy