𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘝𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘈𝘙𝘊.

Before I talk about the book itself I want to take a second to celebrate illustrator Kelly Chong - these covers are BEYOND stunning.

Middle books in trilogies can often suffer because the plot slows right down, but A Monsoon Rising actually subverted expectations on this front by having better pacing than Hurricane Wars. We've settled into the world, the magic system is established, and now the characters are free to scheme and yearn and be in their feelings. Don't get me wrong, there's still a lot of "𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮/𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘚𝘞𝘖𝘙𝘕 𝘌𝘕𝘌𝘔𝘠 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘞𝘐𝘓𝘓 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮." But, for some reason, I just didn't mind so much? I think it's because the stakes are high. The romance is front-and-centre, but there's also OTHER STUFF for them to deal with. Storms, evil fissures, dragons, rebellions and war lords. There's enough action that the slower moments don't feel like a lull, so much as a reprieve.

It's a lot of fun and Alaric & Talasyn are together on the page more often than they're apart. I'm a big fan of a slow-burn and this is definitely cooking. Just when you think a conclusion has been reached (both in terms of plot and romance), it explodes in everyone's faces again. I'm starting to think a cliff-hanger is a very cunning way to end a middle-trilogy book. Cunning, but a little bit freaking Evil.

I absolutely loved A Monsoon Rising. Witty, Imaginative, Romantic, all of the things I like in a fantasy book. The scene regarding Bakun moved me to tears so hard I had to put it down and stare at the wall for a second to process. Thea Guanzon is and has been one of my favorite writers for many reasons and this book strengthened that reputation once again!

In this sequel to Alaric and Talasyn have been forced into an arranged marriage for the purposes of political gain, but each are playing their own games in the background, as well. They're fighting the real physical attraction they're feeling towards each other, fighting the will to give in, but that willpower can only last for so long. Even their magics seem to be attracted to each other. Light vs. dark. But as their attraction towards each other grows stronger by the day, the tensions between their two kingdoms also intensifies. Talasyn plays the part of empress, Alaric plays the part of consort, but secretly Alaric's reign is in jeopardy and Talasyn isn't safe. And, even worse than the growing feud between their kingdoms is the looming danger of the Moonless Dark- a magical event that could devour everything, and only Alaric and Talasyn can stop it. Tensions rise, both in and out of the bedroom, as Alaric and Talasyn attempt to navigate their feelings for each other, dodge threats on their lives, and save their kingdoms.

3.5 stars. I really liked the fantasy element of this book. It starts off really strong, no slow, dragging opening like some fantasy books have. I was interested from chapter 1 until the end, as far as the non-romance parts of the plot were concerned. I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers aspect of the MC's relationship- if book 1 in this trilogy left you wanting more from the physical, romance aspect of Alaric and Talasyn's relationship, I think you'll enjoy the uptick in romance-related scenes in this book. The banter between the two MC's was great, even smirk-worthy at times. Where the romance lost me a bit was the actual physical scenes themselves- things were very naive and virginal, which makes complete sense within the context of the characters and their positions within their respective kingdoms, but the "teeth-clacking" and other similar descriptions kind of took me out of the scene. That said, I fully believe that these are issues more related to my personal preferences rather than the writing itself, which I think is very well-done. Just because some (not all!) of the romance-related elements of the story didn't hit for me doesn't mean that others will have the same experience. Overall, I think Thea has written a rich, unique fantasy world with intriguing characters and complex relationships, all of which will likely be appealing to other readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Oh this was SO GOOD!!!! I just finished and I am reeling from that ending! I loved the first book so much and I didn’t think I could love anything more but then THIS!! Omg THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A SEQUEL!!!! This was so well done. The perfect balance of plot, action, character development, and even more romance!! The way I kicked my feet and screamed when they finally got together! Oh I love this series so much. This is the ultimate in enemies to lovers and high fantasy. The world building is just so unique and the writing is absolutely beautiful! Now I’m absolutely dying for book 3!
Thank you to NetGalley for my eARC!

What are you doing to me with this cliffhanger?!

Talasyn and Alaric continue to hold life-altering secrets about the other, keeping them close to the chest. They are both trying to keep the other at arm’s length, which doesn’t work well when they share chambers.

We finally get to the cave scene and Talasyn has had enough. She yells at Alaric that he’s not reacting correctly to her caring and flirting and she’s done with it. So YES QUEEN! Tell the man since he’s not getting the hint!! They finally decide that enough is enough, and they give in to their feelings and turn things physical. When this happens, they both start rethinking things, that maybe they can spare the other and still get what they want.

However, with their secret plans, war continues to loom on the horizon. Until something happens that separates our lovers right before the end! What’s going to happen next?!

I loved the continuation of this story, with continued political upheaval being organized in the background of the story while Talasyn and Alaric’s feelings for the other deepen. We get to see a few more locations in the kingdoms and they continue to work on their magics to hold a great evil at bay.

You don’t want to miss this next installment after The Hurricane Wars!! Definitely read this story if you love a Southeast Asian-inspired story with enemies to lovers, magical adventures, and political schemes.

I love when the sequel is better than the first!!! This delivered. The chemistry between our two main characters is chef's kiss. I'm hopeful to see them work through more of their issues like a healthy couple would but overall, more pleased than I was with book 1.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!! I was hoping to review it prior to the release date but this series is the slowest of burns and is not a quick read lol

I will say I love the characters and they become more lovable as the story progresses and from hearing both POVs. I do feel like this series is very slow due to the plot building and political aspects (which is basically like when you first get into Star Wars so it makes sense) but it is definitely worth the read if you know going into it that it will take some time to get into.

I am very happy with the romance and am excited to see how it continues! This is the most enemies to lovers book I have ever read with the slowest burn…that is still trying to burn. And can we talk about the ending?!? Oh my gosh! I cannot believe I have to wait for this next book now…

So happy I got to read this and continue the journey. After reading The Hurricane Wars, this was definitely one of my most anticipated releases of 2024 overall, and it was worth it! The world building really expands even more in book two, which meant it took longer to figure it all out, but it was so worth it in the end.

There is so much suspense here, I feel like this is super hard to do when a book is way more character driven than plot driven, but it worked perfectly. I am so in love with both Talasyn and Alaric, and the tension between them is just amazing. Understanding more about them both as individuals, and together - their inner most thoughts and fears - gave so much more depth to the story overall.

This was PHENOMENAL. I love Tala and Alaric... The tension. The politics! The complete angst. I am in love with this story, and can't wait for book 3... Especially after THAT ENDING. 5/5 🐉🐲🐉🐲🐉

This was absolutely amazing!! Alaric and Talsyn had me in an absolute chokehold. The romance developed beautifully even more so than in book 1 and the individual character developments?? Absolutely PERFECT. And that ending?? I literally gasped so loud, I absolutely NEED book 3 in my hands asap, thea you better not hurt my babies!!

I don't know if it was because it was the second book in the series or if I was already somewhat familiar with the world but I felt like this book was easier to read and more enjoyable! Like many over reviewers have said, this second book does feature more romance than the first. the tension and yearning between Talasyn and Alaric is written so well. While it's still a slow burn, you get to see them interact and grow in their feelings and marriage throughout the book while having to navigate the political challenges that each heir faces. Need to read the third book so we know what happens after that cliffhanger ending!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the arc in exchange for honest feedback. I loved this book, it was slow to start similar to the first book in that regard but I was racing through the last half. The tension between Alaric and talasyn kills me, I just want them to be happy together but the odds are looking slim. Also that cliffhanger?? Absolutely brutal to make us wait for the next book in the series.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️

This book was full of so much action and a crafted storyline that had me reeling at the end. It was definitely a love/hate relationship with this series.
Compared to book one I immediately noticed the change in romance and the long game of the flirting and 2 people not identifying with their feelings fully to just be happy with one another which I will say frustrated me throughout the book but in the end I knew where things stood with their relationship. I loved the action that was happening in terms of the facts that these Talasyn and Alaric have to work together in order to save their world and it pushes them even closer together. The introduction of dragons in this book in more detail also caught my eye and the fact that Talasyn was able to see visions of her predecessors was very interesting. I hope there will be more of this in the next book!

Spoiler alert: Huge cliffhanger at the end but it made me just want to read the next book which I am 100% sure there will be, even more.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for this advanced reader copy in exchange for a honest review. All opinions in this review are 100% mine.

Ah I loved this follow up to the hurricane wars!! And his was just what I was hoping it would be. I love this series! Definitely want to buy the sprayed edges now

I enjoyed this book (book 2) in The Hurricane Wars Series more than the first! My review switches between a 3.5 stars and a 4. There were aspects of this book that I just adore and ate it up whenever reading it. The humor in this book was just top notch and defiantly my sense of humor and had me giggling and laughing in those moments. Also the romance between Alaric and Talasyn was EVERYTHING! The tension and scenes between was the perfect version of slow burn and forbidden love. This book is spicier than the first but I truly loved it! It was a perfect amount and done so well! I also loved how much Talasyn felt like she grew in herself and her role to the point where they no longer felt like 2 different people (that was something I didn't like in the first book). Talasyn in this book was strong and confident and stood by who she was a lot and i supported a lot of the decisions she made.
However, the slow moments sometimes felt too slow. It felt that not much happened and sometime a little repetitive to the point in dragged at points. I also was a little upset at how only the last maybe 7% was what the books were building up for. It felt like a blinked and then it was over which sucked because I DEVOURED the last 25% of this book in like a hour or so.
The ending though!!! My jaw hit the floor, it was such a cliffhanger that I truly don't know if I can wait for the next book. I really want answers and things to be explained like today.
So Thea, please reach out to me and just tell me what the plan is or just drop the book today, I'll take either! :)
I truly love Thea Guanzon's writing, its so magical and also still able to follow along and not get confused on the world or politics.

If you're a fan of fantasy that is very political but also still has good romance and angst, I really recommend this series!

A Monsoon Rising is the sequel to The Hurricane Wars, which I loved. The first book was like if Star Wars and ATLA had a baby, but there were more expansive conversations had about colonization and political marriages.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t hit for me the same way the first one did. I know that first book was marketed as romantasy, but it felt more like a military fantasy that had some enemies to lovers sprinkled on top. A Monsoon Rising, though, felt romantasy through and through. Don’t get me wrong, there isn’t anything wrong with romantasy, but the tone changed so much that it felt like a different subgenre. Like if a slasher horror series suddenly made a switch to cozy horror — it’s a little jarring. (So jarring in fact, that I’m now questioning if past me can be trusted with my opinions.)

The characters and relationships aren’t as nuanced as they were in the first book. Given Talasyn’s understandable reticence in the first book to trust or like Alaric, the pace of their relationship development in book two was a bit off-putting. It also felt a little forced, with her laughing at jokes that weren’t that funny just for the sake of showcasing that they were growing closer. I didn’t really believe that Talasyn had an emotional struggle between her past/country/countrymen and developing feelings for Alaric because all she was thinking about was him.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, and to NetGalley for an arc of A Monsoon Rising in exchange for an honest review.

I have so many thoughts on this book! First, this second installment is much better than the first. My expectations for this book was really low and I was definitely impressed. The tension in between Alaric and Talasyn?? 10/10. The slow burn undeniable attraction had me on the edge for the whole book. They are fighting ultimately for the same cause but have two drastically different ways they think they are going to get there. This book really built on the momentum of the first and expanded the world beautifully. I really wish the letters exchanged between Alaric and Talasyn were shown on text. It really would have added validity to their chemistry and attraction to one another. It really took me out the story wondering if I missed something. Can we talk about THE DRAGONS?! Wowow. My biggest critique of the first book was I felt like the dragons were thrown in to just check a box and say they were there. They really served no purpose in the book. This book did not suffer the same fate. I was intrigued with the way the dragons were used in this and hope to see them apart of the plot more in the next one. A lot of questions were answered but so many more popped up which is a good place to be after a second book. The ending was so left field it should be criminal to have to wait for an explanation. I want. to be mad but it was so good! It makes me want to go back to do a reread to see if there are clues that lead to the ultimate reveal. Overall I am itching for the next book in this series to see Alaric and Talasyn's fate. I wonder if they will survive the secrets they are both keeping.

I thought this was a good follow up to Hurricane Wars. I liked the character development of Talasyn Alaric as well as their connection to each other despite being enemies in the past as they are not destined to work together to save both of their realms and still both hiding secret agendas from each other. The ending leaves you on a cliffhanger for a book 3.

An incredible follow up to The Hurricane Wars. Alaric and Talasyn are just trying to do their best. The ending has left me bereft and I need the next book asap.

5⭐️/3🌶️
An incredible continuation of the first book with equally as strong of writing from start to finish. Spicier than book 1 but still with tension and conflict and mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am now DESPERATE for book 3. I only wish I would have read this book later so the wait for book 3 didn’t feel so long! Thea Guanzon is a now must-buy author for me.