4 ⭐️ Stars

Pakistani romantic fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. Lovers to enemies to lovers again. This is a standalone.

Plot: Dania has spent the last year in prison, for a crime she didn’t commit. She was framed by the person she trusted the most, the one who held her heart. She has spent the last year dreaming of revenge. She has kept a list of everyone who has betrayed her and she will get her justice. In prison, she meets Noor and they become fast friends. They plot their escape from prison, to find a secret treasure (a stolen collection of zoraat seeds), and to take down the people who wronged them.

This story has an interesting magic system with Djinn and zoraat seed that come at a cost. The emperor has been corrupted by the magic and controls the system. He controls the growth of the zoraat seeds and only allows his supporters to have access to them. Dania and Nook, use the zoraat to take down the emperor and his corrupted system.

”Noor, this isn’t about revenge. It’s about making sure this power doesn’t stay in the hands of anyone who is going to use it to destroy. It’s about stopping the cycle.”

Mazin: Dania best friend growing up turned lover. He is the emperor ward, second in command. There are flashbacks through about Dania and Maz before the betrayal.

The ending had a twist I didn’t see coming and the ultimate betrayal all for revenge and vengeance. Beautiful cover, trilling writing, Dania and her rage was so satisfying. Everyone should add this Pakistani romatasty to their TBR.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book is the perfect romantasy! The journey that I went through with Dania, Noor, and Mazin was incredible, and I enjoyed every second of it. The epilogue was very emotional and perfect. Another book to add to my five star list.

Can't form an eloquent review at the moment so I'll probably be back once I get all my thoughts in order! But this was a very fun and enjoyable read that I'll be bugging my friends to read once it gets released.

3.25 stars

Despite the intriguing premise this fell short in fully delivering a gripping revenge story. The setup was promising, with our protagonist Dania framed for a crime and seeking revenge against those who wronged her, particularly her ex-lover Mazin, the execution felt lacking. Their romantic relationship didn't really work for me and i was hoping for more depth and complexity from the characters, especially Noor who I liked as a character but she felt like a plot device, placed in the story mostly for convenience. The pacing also felt a bit uneven, with some parts dragging while others felt rushed.

Though I don't think "For She Is Wrath" fully lived up to its potential, it was still a fun read and I'm sure many other readers will enjoy this fantasy standalone.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-Arc.

This stunning book cover drew me in initially, but when I found out “For she is Wrath” was a Count of Monte Cristo retelling? I was set! This is a friends to enemy romance with an original magic system.

I loved our main character, Dania. In the beginning of the book she was betrayed by Maz, the man she loved, and thrown in jail. She started out alone and depressed with no hope and this changed into a need for revenge on those who betrayed her. So many plot twists!!

I loved Dani and her friendship with Noors - it heartwarming seeing these two have each others backs SO quickly.

This was such a fun and original story! Revenge, new identity, misunderstandings - it has it ALL and I absolutely loved it.

Sneak peak quote ❤️
"You know I’d follow you anywhere, Dani."

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Everyone knows that I am all in for some feminine rage, and this book definitely delivered! This book was a great retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo but with a bit more of a Pakistani mythology twist. If you liked the City of Brass trilogy, this book would be another great read! The plot is well organized, and the characters are so interesting that you just want to be a part of their world to be in their story yourself. Dania and her rage was so satisfying, and there are quotes in this book that are imprinted in my brain now. Loved this book, can't wait to buy a hard copy!

Actual rating 2.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ahh hmm. I think those that have not read/watched The Count of Monte Cristo might have a better time with this book. I've been familiar with this story since I was around 8, and while I get the points that aligned, it did not hold the same impact. And very little ever even seemed to happen, which is wild for a revenge plot. And when things finally did happen, it was all so underwhelming. It was not clever, it was not emotional, it was not brutal.

On top of that, this book seemed to hold it's readers at arm's length. Like it didn't want to give itself fully over. The plot, the writing, and especially the characters. It all just felt half full.

For She Is Wrath is an immersive, riveting and heartfelt story about a girl betrayed and her journey to exact revenge.

Dania has been imprisoned for 364 days when the story starts and she has been using her time to plot the downfall of those who betrayed her - including Mazin, the boy she loved. After escaping with fellow prisoner Noor, the girls team up to use dark magic and a new identity to seek revenge.

The lovers to enemies romance in this book was perfect. It was heartbreaking what happened between Dania and Mazin and even more so to read their encounters when Dania, using djinn magic, is now unfamiliar to him and slowly setting up the plan for her retribution.

I appreciated the friendship between Dania and Noor, as it felt like we could learn about who Dania was outside of her (extremely justified) rage. Her need for vengeance was consuming but only directed at those who wronged her, and when she struggled with getting caught up in her emotions Noor was there to ground her. Noor and Dania were able to trust and rely on each other. I also appreciated the variety of their skills. Dania the skilled swordswoman and Noor the expert at using djinn magic. They were strong in their own skills and were strong working together. Noor had her own rage too, which manifests differently from Dania's but is no less severe.

As I read more and Dania got closer and closer to exacting the entirety of her revenge I was wondering how it would turn out. The twists of the book kept me reading furiously to see how it all played out. I don't want to put spoilers here but I laughed when we learned what happened with her cat. It was a simple moment that meant so much.

I also loved the descriptions of things in this book from the intricate designs of daggers and swords to the rich embroidery of their clothes, it felt very visual, I could see the characters coming to life.

Beautiful cover, thrilling writing and a terrific story of finding yourself, your humanity and your revenge. I think everyone needs to add this Pakistani romantic fantasy to their collection!

Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC.

Hearing that this book was a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo definitely caused it to catch my attention. Overall, the book was an enjoyable read; however, there are a few things holding me back from giving it a full five stars.

First, it felt like most of the supporting characters were there for convenience and never really received the attention they deserved. For example, even though Noor wanted her revenge against Vahid supposedly just as much as Dania, she mostly just blindly followed Dani's lead throughout the entire book. Also, for the emperor to be such a bad guy, he makes few appearances throughout the story. I couldn't really feel anger towards the guy because you only see him interact with the other characters a handful of times. Everything else known about him was through the other characters talking about how bad he was. I wish we could have truly experience how evil he was than just hearing about it secondhand. Lastly, I know the twist a the end of the book was supposed to be meaningful and hit close to home for Dani, but I didn't know enough about the character involved for it to truly resonate.

Second, the djinn magic was confusing at times. The ability Dani had to manipulate it, especially at the end of the book, left me with more questions than answers. The resolution was definitely a head scratcher.

Third, I wish the author would have spent more time helping the reader understand just how deep Dani's desire for revenge ran. We only see her briefly in prison before she escapes. Although this is only a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, we did get to see Edmund's anger fester for years while you didn't get the opportunity to see that in this book. There were several times in the book that I couldn't tell if Dani was truly out for revenge or if she was just going through the motions.

Overall, even though I had a few issues with the book, it was engaging and I can tell the author is very talented. She did an excellent job setting the mood of the story. I could feel Dani's anger getting progressively more intense throughout the book and could tell that she was getting to her breaking point. If Dani would have had this much focus on her revenge instead of backtracking and second-guessing herself, I feel this would have definitely worked to the story's benefit. This is not a perfect retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, but I feel like it is written well enough to keep a reader's attention. If you're looking for a rendition of the original that falls solidly into the young adult genre and has enough action and romance to keep you engaged, I would recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an e-arc of this book.

This was such a fun read! A retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, but with a FMC and a bit of magic thrown in that made it entirely unique. The story jumps from Dania in the present and Dania in the past, so the reader slowly comes to understand some of the relationships from her past and ultimately how she came to be imprisoned. Books become pretty predictable after a while, and I love that I didn't see this twist coming. This book had plotting and scheming and acts of revenge (with a sprinkling of cute, closed-door romance) that all felt very YA in the best way. Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc!

I must say I am pleasantly surprised by this book. This is a Pakistani romantic fantasy that includes djinn magic and a lovers to enemies trope. I love that Dania wants to burn the world down in the name of revenge and I love seeing her get some of that revenge. I honestly think this book could have been longer and I don't normally say that! I enjoyed reading this book and I was drawn in right from the start which can be tricky with fantasy books because of the worldbuilding but this one was done really well. I didn't feel overwhelmed at all with meeting new characters or the world. I loved the twist, I loved Noor's character and I'm excited to see if this story continues in future books by this author as I think there is much more story that could be told here.

If you are a fan of books like The Stardust Thief or This Woven Kingdom, I think you will equally enjoy this book! Well done Emily!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and Emily Varga for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

From start to finish this book was FANTASTIC. I loved this story through and through, the characters are very well-developed and the plot is interesting as well. The magic elements of the zoraat are very interesting and well explained throughout the book. The characters are easy to get attached to and root for their success. This book will definitely be in my top 5 reads of this year and might even end up as a reread because it was so well written.

Take a popular story, do a gender swap, add some fantasy and make it even better, that is exactly what Emily Varga did in “For She Is Wrath”.

The first time I saw the GORGEOUS aesthetic photos posted by Emily Varga on BookTok, about this upcoming story, I knew IMMEDIATELY that I was going to read this book! So how excited was I, to be chosen as an ARC reader on Netgalley, to read this, after waiting over a YEAR and counting down the days for its release. And let me just say, it did NOT disappoint!

A sweeping, Pakistani romantic fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, where one girl seeks revenge against those who betrayed her—including the boy she used to love.

That sentence says a lot about this story, but there is SO much more to this story.
This is NOT The Count of Monte Cristo’s story, this is Dania’s story and it is ALL its own. So do not go into this, thinking you are just reading a twist on The Count of Monte Cristo, because it is not, it is SO much more! This story has the added element of FANTASY, my favorite genre. Including some Jinn magic, that takes this story to a whole new level.

And talk about enemies to lovers. Well, this is lovers to enemies. He didn’t lift a finger to help her when she was arrested and she was imprisoned for over a year, and he never once visited her, or tried to help her escape, NOTHING! It was so sad, because she truly loved him. He was her first true love and throughout the entire book, you are just hoping that the man that betrayed her, the man she loved, wasn’t really bad, that he really didn’t betray her. (but you’ll have to read the book to find out)

We are also given glimpses of Dania’s past, giving us a bit of her back story and the reasons why she is seeking revenge on those she is so desperately trying to destroy, even at the cost of possibly, her very own humanity.

This book is also about friendship. Dania only escapes prison, with the help of someone, who later becomes a true friend to her. Someone who helps her in more ways than one. I absolutely love Dania and Noor’s relationship and how they were truly there for one another throughout the book.

And have I mentioned, that Dania’s dad was a swordsmith, and lets just say, her Daddy trained her VERY well, in the art of wielding many types of very sharp weapons.

I felt the entire book, just flowed right along, not too quickly and not too slowly, it was just right.
This book was so well written and I just loved it!! Easily 5 stars*****




Oh, and that TWIST!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh



Thank you to NetGalley
St. Martin’s Press
and
Wednesday Books
for allowing me to read the ARC of this truly WONDERFUL story!!

( I will be leaving my review on other sites, such as Amazon etc.., once the book has been released and we are then allowed to leave reviews, but I have left a review at Barnes and Noble and Books A Million as well. And of course, I will be posting on TikTok (BookTok) and Instagram as well)

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Wow, I loved For She Is Wrath! Female power, revenge, grief, romance, twist after twist... For She Is Wrath had it all. I did not see any of the twists coming, and I loved the characters' growth and relationships. I only wish we would have gotten more of a dive into the magic system of the world and the backstory/ romance of the characters (and more of the backstory of the villain)... but I only have that wish because I liked what we did get so much!

Ugh my heart.

There is just something about watching a very angry, very broken person extract revenge. More so when it's paired with a growth arc and some solid action scenes.

For She is Wrath is a gender-bent Pakistani retelling of Count of Monte Cristo with a much tighter cast. While I haven't read Monte Cristo, I did familiarize myself with the general plot and points, and if revenge is your thing you'll probably enjoy this one.

What I liked:
- The character relationships were all so very good. Noor made for an interesting foil to Dani - the herbalist/poisoner to the sword-wielding fighter, more content to extract her revenge from the sidelines. The check-ins they did with each other was refreshing to watch - rather than making all kinds of assumptions and hiding things, they had full adult conversations.

Similarly, the scenes with Dani and Mazin were well done - tense, up until they exploded.

- Djinn - Give me a story and throw in a djinn and I will probably be happy.

What I didn't like:
- While most of the characters were developed, there were some concepts/characters that I wish we had more development for. The emperor was this all-powerful force that we only ever heard about it passing up until the very end. There were riots in the city, but it wasn't fully explained or explored as to why people were so unhappy.

- Dani's grandmother. Without spoilers, just what?

Overall, a solid 4.5/5, rounded down.

2.5 stars

I enjoyed reading this book at times. The bare bones of the book were there. Dania is a strong female character, which I loved. The lovers to enemies with Mazin was great. Noor is the best friend we all want. However, it read like a second book in a series rather than a stand alone book. The constant back and forth about whether or not to seek revenge was overplayed. Additionally, the last few chapters (the climax of the book) were out of pocket. Grandma what are you doing here?! The build up was too strong for it to end that quickly.

There have been many attempts at a retelling of the classic revenge tale of Edmond Dantès, from Shawshank Redemption (and the Stephen King novella on which the movie is based) to a TV series simply called "Revenge", so this book is not exactly venturing into new territory. I measure the quality of a retelling by the uniqueness of the spin on the original while still honoring its spirit, and by this standard, For She Is Wrath has some merits. The setting of Pakistan and exchanging the gender of the main character and an extra romantic subplot updated the story. But where Alexandre Dumas' story concentrated on plotting and strategy of Dantès' revenge, it seems like Dania fell into convenient circumstances. While I definitely have a preference to the original, I found this story entertaining for a quick read. (3.5/5)
I received advanced digital access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press- Wednesday Books) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

For She is Wrath is an amazing book! You fall in love with the characters and it makes you feel what they feels. Both the main characters want revenge, however, the way they do it is what makes the book! Being stuck in prison for years to getting the ultimate revenge!

Highly recommend reading this book! There are a few grammar errors, but they are not really noticeable.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. I’ve read the count of monte cristo and granted I wouldn’t say this one was better, but it was good in its own right
The similarities are that it’s a girl that’s falsely imprisoned, escapes, and takes revenge.
Aside from that, you really shouldn’t compare it too much to monte cristo. That’d be really unfair to do.
I read some reviews saying it was annoying that she was imprisoned only a year compared to in monte cristo.. but c’mon
ANYBODY would complain about being falsely imprisoned whether it be one year or for over a decade. That’s a really unfair comparison to make. If anything, I think it makes sense for Dani to be seething with hate still as she escapes considering it’s still somewhat fresh. Hence all the blood and murder at first.
So for me if you just take it for the story it is, it was pretty good. The ending fell a little short for me but over all, I inhaled the book in three days

This book was just *chefs kiss*. Emily Varga created an incredible world filled with characters I absolutely adored. From the romance to the friendships, this book had me swooning. It was a wild ride from start to finish, and I loved every second of it.