Thank you Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. I really liked this book up until the end. I had a hard time with the twist. It felt very forced and it wasn’t set up the greatest. I liked Dania a lot she was a very cool character. Incredibly fierce and I connected with her. I liked the romance aspects as well. I think some of this was a bit cringe to me and I think that’s partially the YA parts. This is a YA book so the characters are younger and some of the writing is younger. It’s also a debut so I will cut it some slack. I think this had a very strong start but lacked execution. The end was very rushed to me and I felt like some things didn’t connect very well. I think this had a lot of promise and I’m curious what Emily Varga will do in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC!

I am a huge fan of enemies to lovers and female rage, so I went into this book with an excitement that I was going to absolutely eat this up. While entertaining, it didn't have as much female rage as I thought it would. I have never read Count of Monte Christo, but overall I did find this a fun enough read that I was content to go through reading it despite the lack of revenge I had gone into it expecting. Also... where was the revenge, the actual thought out apologies? Why did this man grovel for one chapter, then it was all fun and games after? Like, sorry. I want him dead. She should have been able to kill him on the spot, then maybe I'd be happier. THAT would have been some great female rage, honestly.

Overall, I was slightly disappointed with the direction the book went, but it kept me entertained enough that I was willing to forgive it. At least I enjoyed myself on the journey despite my reservations and slight grievances with it.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC of this book!

This YA Pakistani fantasy intrigued me not because of the story serving as a retelling of "The Count of Monte Cristo", but because of the unique elements that the author added to the original plot. While I was immediately invested when picking this book up by the end, I was disappointed by the execution of this retelling, the characters themselves, the pacing, and the so-called revenge plot.

I wanted much more from the characters themselves and the revenge plot.
All of them are largely watered down into a handful of personality traits that throughout the book make for a repetitive narrative and predictable plot as you could tell beforehand what the reactions would be between the characters. Dania is just angry, Noor is a resourceful sidekick who kind of gets left behind, Mazin is obvious and transparent, and I don't even remember who Sanaya is etc etc etc.

The MMC made me the most frustrated because I expected SO much more from his character and the revenge plot. It hardly felt satisfying at all because instead, we have elements of miscommunication weaved between the FMC & the MMC in order to pick back up the romance between them and to absolve him in the wrongs conducted against Dania. It would've made for a more compelling read if the author made the MMC more committed to a gray, villainous-adjacent self-serving archetype that still was subsumed into this romance subplot. In this light, the revenge subplot felt rushed and clumsily handled, in part due to the pace change in the last third of the book.

The handful of elements that really saved this book for me were the retelling aspect -- which really just encouraged me to buy the OG book -- and the very beginning of the story which was my favourite part.

This is a YA Pakistani-based fantasy retelling of "The Count of Monte Cristo". The beginning of this book is fast-paced and immediately grabbed me, which was great because I've been in a bit of a reading slump, so diving into this was refreshing. We're following Dania, who has been in prison for a year for a crime she didn't commit. She's been plotting revenge on those who got her here the whole time, especially her former lover, Mazin. Once she allies with a fellow prisoner, they escape together to pursue a long-lost magical treasure and exact their revenge on those who wronged them.

The magic system in this was interesting, the friendship between the two girls compelling, and the chemistry between Dania and Mazin intriguing. But the last half of the book felt a bit rushed to me, and I found myself more interested in the flashback scenes in some areas. I am a frequent complainer of not realizing things are series until I've started them, but ironically I almost wish this had been a duology with the events leading up to Dania's imprisonment in book 1, and then this storyline of after in book 2, to give everything time to breathe. I also was a bit thrown off by a magical element revealed in the last bit of the book, and that kind of took me out of things. I did really like this author's writing style, though, so will be interested to see what she does next, especially if it's not bound by the structure of a retelling. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was a good fantasy. Unique plot, a quick read, and an unexpected twist. I was excited to read it, and enjoyed the overall plot.

It flowed well, and really sucked me into the story. And the world was well described and understood. It was hard to put down!

Between the complexities of the characters, the romance, and the drama, it was a well rounded YA novel.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, received from Wednesday Books and Emily Varga through NetGalley. However, all thoughts and views reflected are strictly my own opinions.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. This book was such a fun and excting twist on the Count of Monte Cristo. The story has romance, magic, and adventure. If you enjoy twisty advuenture stories then this is a must read.

An absolute stunner! I loved this one so much and it even has the MC's name being the one of my closest friends, so that adds onto all my stars for this one. Can't wait to see what's next from this author!!

"With swords in my hands, I was invincible."

Thank you, NetGalley, for an eARC. This Pakistani retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo was such a fun read and kept me turning pages until the very end. Dani is the exact brand of strong female protagonist that I ADORE--her strength is SHOWN, in more ways than just one, and I was rooting for her from the start. Varga did such an excellent job making me feel Dani's rage and heartbreak, and her cynicism was authentic without losing a connection with the reader.

SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD

I think this may have been my first time reading a rivals to lovers to enemies to lovers again and honestly? I LOVE IT. Give me more, please. My one and only gripe is the enemies to lovers bit at the end felt a bit... rushed? It just felt like Dani went from hating him and feeling betrayed to forgiveness and love once more SO QUICKLY, which surprised me given what I'd seen of her through the rest of the story. I just wish it had been explored a bit more instead of quickly tied up to nicely bring the story to a close. I think the book would have benefitted from 1 or 2 more chapters, but regardless, I still fully enjoyed this story.

END OF SPOILERS

I think my favorite part of this book was the strong emphasis put on familial bonds. And that expanded to include the family you choose instead of the one you were born with. The fierce friendship and sisterhood between Dani and fellow escaped prisoner Noor was refreshing and heartwarming.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, despite the slightly rushed feel of the ending. It's filled with so much heart and will be perfect if you love women with swords, revenge, enemies-to-lovers and a true strong female character. This is a stunning debut and I cannot wait to see where Emily's career will go from here.

4.5 rounded to 5/5 stars

There was nothing glaringly wrong with this Pakistani gender-flipped retelling of Count of Monte Cristo... it just wasn't for me.

I can appreciate feminine rage in a story, but the FMC has to have something else going on for her other than anger and revenge. In this story, she never even considered the possibility that the betrayal of the MMC might have had a different story other than the one she spun in her head. And then when both sides were brought to light, it wasn't kind of a weak explanation for everything that happened.

Some good reveals, the djinn magic was interesting, but overall, just an okay story for me.

*Some strong language, 2 mild fade to black scenes

I love reading retellings with female characters centered in the lead, and I enjoyed reading this one! I admittedly haven’t read The Count of Monte Cristo and I don’t know much about it (beyond the general plot line of wrongful imprisonment), but I think I’d prefer Emily Varga’s version of it because badass FMC will always have my heart. This was a strong debut, and I’m looking forward to Varga’s next book!

I was so interested in this. A Count of Monte Christo retelling with a female protagonist set in Pakistan? Yes please! Unfortunately I did not love this as much as I wanted to. The pacing was a little off as it felt like nothing happened for a while and then a lot happened at once. I’m also felt like the revenge scenes were not as impactful as I wanted them to be. There was so much buildup to the revenge scenes, that when they came and weren’t as strong as I expected it was a bit of a letdown. I am enjoyed this book, but I didn’t love it. It was very middle of the road for me.

3.25 stars.

I'm trying my hardest to keep up with my requested arcs I swear!

Honestly, I don't know why I was under this impression but I thought this was going to be sapphic. So I was disappointed when the true end game pairing wasn't. I also seem to enjoy Monte Cristo retellings/adaptions since I really liked the one by Tara Sim.

But besides that the writing for this book was very smooth. The pages passed by fast and there weren't any instances where I wrinkled my nose at funky phrasing or florid descriptions. You don't have to worry about anything there.

Dania is a very driven character. When she sets out to kill or harm someone that has wronged she goes ahead and does. There is no muddling over the decision. Woman is decisive and brutal. Noor was a very smart, resourceful, and supportive character. I really liked how they worked together to plot their plan of attacks and how she'd voice her feelings to Dania when she was doing something scummy or something she didn't agree with.

The magic in here is pretty cool too. The zoraat seeds and how Dania is able to use them with Noor's immense knowledge of the subject. Not to mention the descriptions of the food, pretty swords, and just the whole atmosphere of the places they go.

I think the weakest part of this was maybe the middle when there wasn't as much happening and it was more plot set up which involved not much action. Most of it was used to develop the romantic relationship which I wasn't that fond of. A lot of back and forth of should I do this? Should I not? But he betrayed me, I should get my revenge! Etc, etc.

It's still a good book though, I just wish I enjoyed it more. I think readers would love the representation here.

eARC provided by NetGalley.

This book is gripping! It is a Pakistani fantasy retelling of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO with a strong woman as its lead. Framed for a crime she didn't commit, our main character wants revenge. She will stop at nothing to get her wish. She has a list of those who wronged her and led to her imprisonment, and it includes the boy she deeply loved. The sneakiness in this novel kept me riveted. The suspense! It got slower towards the middle and I struggled a little bit, but the ending picked right back up. Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy! I think many people will love this.

I loved this so much. The yearning between characters was perfect, the flashbacks were well done, the adventure and mystery was perfect. I loved the characters and the humor and the revenge. Highly recommend.

I love a female protagonist with rage and vengeance ready to take over the world and destroy, this was a great YA novel the lovers to enemies trope ATE!!

A strong debut from Emily Varga!

Here are some of the specific things I really loved about this book:
1. The relationship between Dania and Noor. From the very beginning when Noor first accidentally tunneled into Dania’s cell, they had a great back and forth and were there for one another. I loved how Dania was so physically brutal while Noor was definitely the voice of reason a lot of times. I loved getting to see the good moments these two shared as just young women in a world out to get them because of their connections. They had great chemistry both in humor and in times of stress and it really kept the flow of the story going.

2. The chemistry between Dania and Mazin (and Mazin and Sanaya). While their relationship path from enemies to friends to lovers back to enemies back to lovers was predictable, that didn’t make it unenjoyable. These two had intense chemistry from the first time they met and squared off until the very end of their romantic journey. It didn’t matter where or who Dania was, Mazin belonged to her and she to him.

3. I absolutely love flashback scenes between love interests, and we got some many of Dania’s and Mazin’s past! I loved watching their quips and exchanges throughout various times in their lives, as well as what kind of people they truly were even when circumstances made us think otherwise.

4. The pacing and writing was great. There was never a dull moment and I couldn’t put it down once I started it. This definitely didn’t feel like a debut!

5. I loved the revenge component of it all. Female wrath is no joke folks.

6. The magic was so cool! I am not familiar with The Count of Monte Cristo, but I kinda have a feeling there wasn’t any magic in it(?). I loved the magic in this and how many uses it had. I also loved that it wasn’t Dania who knew how to use the magic but Noor. This made her even more invaluable to Dania.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and Emily Varga for the opportunity to read a copy of this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.

4.25 stars!

What a fantastic debut from Emily Varga! This was such a fun ride from start to finish, full of interesting characters, surprises, and magic. Lovers to enemies to lovers? Escape from prison to enact revenge? Baddie MC who knows her way around a sword? An immersive adventure that keeps you turning pages-eager for more until it’s through.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / Wednesday Books for the arc!

“A history of women and girls being wronged by men who never had any consequences. Now I would be the consequences.”

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @Wednesdaybooks for the #gifted ALC/ARC of FOR SHE IS WRATH!


That quote still gives me goosebumps.
FOR SHE IS WRATH is a Pakistani genderswapped retelling of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO. Like any good millennial, my first exposure to MONTE CRISTO was Wishbone. I remember loving the story of betrayal, a prison break, secret identities and revenge. I eventually read the original in high school as well.

FSIW stays true to the general plotline of the original book but I absolutely loved the changes that made this story uniquely its own. Dania is a ferocious FMS. She’s so righteously angry and hurt by the utter betrayal of someone she loved. She spends a year in prison plotting her escape and how she will get retribution from those who wronged her. And when she is finally free, she stops at nothing to get her revenge.

This was probably one of my favorite YA reads this year and I definitely recommend it!

Check this one out if you like:
- Childhood lovers to enemies
- Djinn magic
- Morally gray FMC
- Classic retelling
- Secret identities
- Swordfighting badass girlies

FOR SHE IS WRATH is out now!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6422974198
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DC4Z5XpvAYz/

This gender flipped Count Of Monte Cristo retelling was an impressive and adventurous debut by Varga. It’s fast paced, magical, and just so good!

Pick this one up if you like:
-retellings
-stand alone fantasy
-Djinn magic
-female friendships
-powerful women
-adventurous tales
-revenge plots
-sword fighting

CW: some strong language, violence, death of a parent

For She is Wrath is a story of betrayal and vengeance. It shows how far we will go for revenge, while warning readers of the cost these pursuits have on one’s soul.

Emily Varga spins a thrilling Pakistani reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo that won’t soon be forgotten. Dania has spent the last year in prison, thirsting for revenge after being framed for murder by Mazin, the boy she once loved. In confinement, Dania meets Noor, a fellow wrongly-accused prisoner with the key to exacting Dania’s long sought revenge. The two escape, and head on an electrifying journey full of magic, bloodshed, and adventure to gain back their freedom and right the wrongs that were unjustly done to them. And when Dania finds herself face to face with Mazin again, she will stop at nothing to see her former lover fall.

This was such an incredible debut novel! I was in awe of Emily Varga’s writing and the rich setting and characters she created. I first want to highlight how impactful Dania and Noor’s friendship was. I was expecting to obsess over the romance between Dania and Mazin but I ended up loving Dania and Noor’s storyline just as much. Noor is Dani’s a moral compass, guiding her back when her quest for vengeance starts to take over. The juxtaposition between the two women and how they approach retribution was beautifully done and I adored their quiet (Noor) and raucous (Dania) outlooks. Dania was exactly the type of flawed, headstrong character I love to read about in YA fantasy and I rooted for her to find happiness throughout the novel’s entirety.

Dania and Mazin’s romance was full of hear-searing moments peppered across past and present timelines. There were so many beautiful quotes that displayed how impactful they were to each other which only solidified Mazin’s apparent betrayal. Nothing is black and white though, and I loved discovering just how twisted the web of lies between them was. The history between Dani and Mazin sets the story up for a perfect enemies to lovers plotline and I caught myself squealing at all of their heated interactions.

One of my favorite Mazin quotes was:

“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.”

I mean, SWOON!

The magic in this novel acts in the peripherals. It is definitely a much needed device to keep the narrative moving, but it is not the sole focus of the story. I enjoyed how the djinn magic was woven throughout and thought it was creative to see powers employed in this way. It left room for readers to focus on the relationships and focus on the character’s internal and external journeys.

This was such a strong novel containing all the best parts of Young Adult romantic fantasies. With such an exciting debut, I am looking forward to seeing what Emily Varga writes next.

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.