3.75 stars rounding up for this much-anticipated second book in the Hurricane Wars series!

Our shadow-weaving Emperor Alaric and light-weaving Princess Talasyn are navigating their treaty-induced newlywed life, while maintaining leadership of their separate nations and trying to not kill/fall in love with each other (a truly complicated dynamic). Their constant fighting (hiding them really fighting their developing feelings) is a major element of this story- less political scheming and plot development, but a lot of relationship development. Separately, we see them each having feelings, making plans to keep the other alive despite their separate militaristic plans, and yearning (so so much yearning) BUT NEITHER OF THEM SAYS ANYTHING!! I wanted so much for one of them to be the brave one, but it makes sense for their characters who have been raised in wartime, who have had to raise themselves to keep things close to the chest.

I found this book at times frustrating with the circular thinking and rehashing of the same thoughts over and over again, but I did find the book very entertaining!! Our boys Sevraim (right hand man to Alaric) and Elgabi (princely father of Talasyn) kept me laughing with their silly energy that the book desperately needed!

What I’m really hoping for in book 3 is more development with the dragons, especially Bakun!!! The training and preparing and actual Voidfell events were the most interesting part of the plot, and I’m hopeful we’ve got some cool things brewing!

Thank you so much to Thea Guanzon, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

OMG WHYYYYYY WHAT NOOOOOO!

WHEW! That cliffhanger did me in! I CANNOT!!!

Ok, ok ok. This was fantastic. I loved it even more than Hurricane Wars. Alaric and Talasyn together are just pure FIRE. Granted, they're not good with talking about their issues and secrets (so many secrets), but their chemistry is amazing. They're lucky they didn't scorch the world down before they could save it.

This has got plenty of action, training, angst, tension, and more. At points I felt like it altered my brain chemistry. And that ending!! Needless to say I am already rabid for the next book.

Many thanks to both NetGalley and Libro.fm for the preview. All opinions are my own.

After absolutely loving The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon, I was so excited to see how Talasyn and Alaric‘s continues in the second book, A Monsoon Rising.
 
Talasyn and Alaric are light and dark, and I love how this imagery is continued in this book. The two are very opposite but just work together and with the Moonless Dark, they have a new threat. This created such great suspense and I couldn’t put the story down.
 
In addition, there is still a lot of tension between Talasyn and Alaric and that made me love their moments even more and the spicy scenes were great as well. This book is definitely more romance focused, and I was here for it. I always love seeing how these two combine their powers and the action and fighting scenes were phenomenal. And the ending blew me away and I’m beyond excited for the next book.
 
Highly recommended checking out The Hurricane Wars Series and this was an amazing sequel. 5 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. “A Monsoon Rising” by Thea Guanzon releases next month!!

What you will find:
-Very slow burn enemies to lovers🖤
-Arranged marriage
-Found family 🤗
-Political intrigue😏
-Witty banter 😘

Rating: 4/5🌟
Spice: 3/5
Language: 1/5
World Building: Still complicated
Favorite character: Alaric (of course)
Favorite side character: Sevraim
Favorite quote:
“One word from you and I let my guard down. I couldn’t kill you, either, all those times before . . . What am I, if I’m not a weapon? What have you done to me?”

"It would be so easy to love you in a different life."

I was so excited to return to the world of The Hurricane Wars in A Monsoon Rising! This second book continues the journey of Talasyn and Alaric and their evolving relationship. Their love story, paired with their growing magical abilities, strikes the perfect balance of romance and fantasy.

The story picks up right where the first book left off, with Talasyn and Alaric training to prevent an impending eclipse. While the stakes remain high, this book leans more into the emotional and political side of their lives, particularly their marriage. The political ramifications of their union are explored in greater depth, adding layers to the narrative without overshadowing the personal stakes. The relationship development is central, and it’s fascinating to see how both characters continue to grow. The reader can feel the romantic tension and there is significantly more "spice" in this book.

What I especially loved about A Monsoon Rising is the stronger focus on character development. Unlike the first book, which centered more on world-building and establishing political tensions, this one allows us to connect with Talasyn and Alaric on a deeper level. We get a closer look at their inner struggles, with Talasyn grappling with the weight of her duties and Alaric hiding secrets of his own. Their emotional growth is mirrored by external changes in the world around them, and it makes their journey together all the more compelling.

While there are only a few major action scenes in the book, the pace does not slow down. Instead, there’s a deeper exploration of politics, training, and magic. The addition of more dragons was a highlight for me, and it was great to see their role expand in the story.

I was left desperately wanting more—and I am now eagerly anticipating the release of book 3!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

There were some things I liked, and some things I didn't.

The tension is still there between Alaric and Talasyn and they are still trying to figure out what they mean to each other. The chemistry and yearning! Top tier. I'm not usually a fan of the miscommunication trope, but this one somehow felt credible.

We still have the plot thickening with the Voidfell and with each side scheming to destroy the other, but at times it did feel like it was dragging. At least the word "aether" wasn't used quite as much.
Just me give me the romance, please.

There is one heck of a cliff hanger though...and now I have to wait again.

Loved the evolving relationship between the two heads. It felt like they were real, flawed people. I do wish the plot had been a little more clear. There were times I felt confused as to the timeline, background characters, and rules of the world.

A sequel well worthy of the original.

I love how book two moved off the hurricane wars and the back and forth of them trying to kill each other (A true Enemy's to lovers) with them now together they attraction and the "nope this is a bad idea" on both parts had me positively giggling. I love watching how much Tala and Alaric both are working to the same goal however don't have two braincells to rub together in the way of communicating with each other.

Watching them work together and try to stop a physical threat while there is a HUGE threat building from within was so interesting to watch unravel. I'm already waiting impatiently for book three of the set and love the story telling as well as the character building and banter!

I dove into A Monsoon Rising right after finishing The Hurricane Wars, and while the first book wasn’t my favorite, I was so invested in Talasyn and Alaric’s dynamic that I couldn’t resist picking this one up.

Talasyn and Alaric are truly a standout romantasy couple. Their banter, their chemistry, and the constant push and pull between them kept me hooked. The tension of two people drawn together despite all the external forces keeping them apart is just chef’s kiss.

That said, the pacing of this book felt a little off. Honestly, it feels like The Hurricane Wars and A Monsoon Rising could’ve been combined into one book. We’re still working toward the conflict that, in my opinion, should’ve been the climax of book one, so parts of the story dragged for me.

There are a ton of loose threads left hanging, and I’m definitely curious to see how the next book will tie everything together. But let’s be real—I’m here for the romance, and the romance alone, and in that department, this book absolutely delivers. If you’re a sucker for angsty, slow-burn romance, you’ll love this one!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Usually the second book in a fantasy series falls flat for me, but this was better than the first! I loved that the romance between our two main characters developed more. As usual, the authors writing and world building is amazing. The cliffhanger on this one has me hyped (and scared) for book 3!

I loved this book and I need the next one ASAP. I really enjoyed getting to see Talasyn and Alaric deepen their relationship. The world building continues to be so interesting and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

I really enjoyed this! This book was definitely more character driven than the first. This focused more on the romance, but there was still plenty of action.

This seemed to be more about the growing relationship between Talasyn and Alaric, and I was definitely here for it. I really enjoyed watching their relationship grow. I just loved the angst and tension. I particularly enjoyed Alaric. I also was NOT expecting that ending. This hasn’t even been released yet and I’m dying for the next book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Everything ended, even pain, even empires. Everything but this. War was the unchanging season, the eternal state”

An amazing sequel by Thea Guanzon!!! Her world building is immaculate! Her writing really transports you into another world. There is also a lyrical quality to the way she describes places and things in her scenes. It is really easy to visualize the story as you are reading.

The first book, the Hurricane Wars, is action packed and features the fighting and waging of the Hurricane Wars. Our two main characters, Talasyn and Alaric, were on two different sides of the war. Monsoon Rising, is about what happens after the war, and how Talasyn and Alaric have to work together to overcome a cataclysmic natural disaster that could wipe out the majority of their respective empires.

Monsoon Rising is more character focused and is specifically focused on the new political marriage alliance between Talasyn and Alaric. As in the first book, the two are still very much enemies in this sequel and we see how both of them, especially Talasyn, struggle with having feelings and chemistry with their sworn enemy. The politics of war and their respective kingdoms is very much entrenched in their love story and I am interested to see where it leads in future sequels.

For those that are interested, I am happy to report that we finally got some spice in this book since the first book barely had any (and the one scene we got was very much reminiscent of Nesta and Cassians first spicy encounter … iykyk).

As much as I enjoyed this book, I have to say that The Hurricane Wars is still my favorite of the two. As I said, this book moves at a bit slower pace since it is so character focused and I just prefer a little bit more action.

If I have any complaints it is that the big cataclysmic event Alaric and Talasyn are training to prevent fell a bit short for me, it was a bit anticlimactic. Trying to prevent it didn’t feel as urgent as I feel it should have. Talsyn is very inexperienced in her powers and she is just left alone to train by herself for the majority of the book even though she is half of the duo that is supposed to stop the event equivalent to what I imagined was a nuclear-bomb-like event. I felt like the stakes were too high but were not really taken too seriously. Moreover, I felt like some scenes were a bit repetitive, especially the lunar eclipse scenes where Alaric and Talasyn practiced their powers together. We also do not get a lot of POVs or scenes with other characters, even though an entire revolution is being planned on one side, and further world-domination on the other. Hopefully, the plot will be a little more action packed in the next book!

Happy Reading!

“Briefly, she wondered what it would be like to live in a world where she was allowed to take his hand.” THIS. BOOK.😭

it’s been days and i’m still ✨unwell✨ from the cliffhanger of this book and everything else Talasyn + Alaric’s story made me feel!!

the tension, the PINING, the banter, the political intrigue! the way this couple makes my heart SQUEEZE and burst and ache and soar.

Alaric…he has officially been named Chairman of The Tortured Loverboys Department™️ bc my man is DOWN BAD for Talasyn and i’m so down bad for him bc of it. he’s so melodramatic and tortured and hilarious and protective and well-meaning to his core. my certified lonely SadBoy😭 i can’t properly express my love for him. he must be protected at all costs.
“Deadly. Magnificent. The prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.” please he makes me so unwell🫠

and Talasyn! the fighter that she is!!! to see her spirit continue to fight, while also realizing her feelings for a certain someone (though she’ll never admit or put name to them), and how these two things work against each other….god this story is just SO GOOD. the absolute YEARNING that Thea writes. it’s unmatched!
“Like someone stopping her fall. Like the end of a long journey home. She didn’t know how to put it into words, these emotions that were bigger than her body, that ran deeper than her magic, that soared higher than the Sky Above the Sky.”

i absolutely need (NEED!) book 3 immediately! i can’t think about how long we have to wait or else i will go into a deep depression. 🙂‍↔️🧎🏼‍♀️

if you are a fantasy reader, YOU NEED THIS SERIES IN YOUR LIFE (screaming affectionately)🥲

read if you love:
+ TTPD (it’s ✨their✨ album)
+ tension and piningggg
+ a man that’s down bad
+ political scheming and machinations
+ light x shadow magic
+ “who did this to you” (she said it!!!)
+ nickname only he calls her😭
+ YEARNING
+ “what is this feeling”
+ spicy romantasy🔥

this book was a solid improvement from the last one. I think it benefits from having a foundation of worldbuilding, so we can focus on the characters and plot this time around. now we have this rich world to play around in (even though sometimes I am like… did you need to invent a new word for that?). the pacing could also be a bit improved, because it took quite a while for the arc to really show. however, I did overall enjoy reading this and am pretty darn excited for the conclusion.

alaric and talaysn are as angsty and untrusting as ever, as I love, and they’re still flashing hot and cold as they remember that they can’t trust each other and are going to eventually betray the other. they’re quite cute in this book, and it’s very fun to watch all the other characters see them as well.

talasyn is struggling here (so is alaric, but I’m way less sympathetic to him, as the heir to the fascist empire) to reconcile her empathy and love for alaric with what needs to be done. to be fair to her, her grandmother and the rebellion both are acting really shady and not giving her a safe place to rely on. and her dad’s sweet but clearly doesn’t have that much going on up top. so she’s just alone with no one to trust, poor baby. alaric, like many people, excels in the “raising problems” side of things but sucks at the “solving them” part- he is still convinced imperialism is the answer. we can but hope he improves soon (I mean, he’s gotta, right?)

the politics are building in this book, but we don’t get a resolution of most of the plot threads, so I can’t judge whether they’ll end out satisfying or not. I will say that I’m very intrigued to see how everything pulls together.

I will say, I was surprised by how this ended. I was sure it would end in a particular way, and then it swung a completely different plot point, so I’m very interested to see how everything will wrap up in the final book… I think there’s a lot to be done in a single novel.

Title: A Monsoon Rising
Author: Thea Guanzon
Rating: 4 ⭐️

A Monsoon Rising is the highly anticipated second book in the Hurricane Wars series. Picking up right where we left off in book #1, we follow Alaric and Talasyn though political schemes and high tension romance. As a huge Star Wars fan, I have really enjoyed seeing the similarities between Rey/Kylo and our main characters. This book was heavier on the romance than book 1, and let me tell you, the tension is REAL! At some points, I found myself dragging through a bit, but overall I enjoyed this one more much than the first one. I hate cliffhangers, but always in the best way!

I am looking forward to seeing what happens in Book 3!

Read this book if you enjoy:
- Arranged marriage
- Reylo fan ficition
- High tension
- Forced proximity
- Political schemes
- Romantasy

A huge thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, NetGalley, and Thea Guanzon for the eARC for an honest review.

For anyone anxiously waiting to return to Talasyn and Alaric and their relationship, A Monsoon Rising delivers. This book gives readers the tension and romance they hope for in this sequel to The Hurricane Wars. However, the plot itself is lacking and thus feels way too slow. Outside of the romance a lot of the book felt like filler, and I am left to assume that most of that will be resolved and take place in the next installment. Romantasy lovers will enjoy this! Overall, readers will be satisfied to return to this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. This is a continuation from the first book The Hurricane Wars. This review is spoiler free. This book continues on with the forced strained relationship of Alaric and Talasyn. The trope of light and dark coming together. The war continues and so does their forced tension of a relationship. The banter in this book is phenomenal. Talasyn has a secret and so does Alaric. How far will they both go for what is important to them and what they want? Will one betray the other.....Can enemies turn to true lovers or is it for their own selfish reasons? If these two met in a different time or different life I believe their relationship would be a lot different. There is some spice in this book, romance (is it real) or is it lust.? There is a cliff hanger at the book which will continue in book three which is to be determined.

The romance between Alaric and Talasyn is slow-burn and fraught with tension, making it all the more rewarding as their feelings evolve from animosity and mistrust to something deeper. Guanzon excels at building chemistry between them, and their dynamic—pushing and pulling against one another, balancing personal desires with the greater good—forms the heart of the novel.

The central conflict of the book, the Moonless Dark, adds a layer of urgency and high stakes, with the threat of this magical catastrophe looming over the characters. However, it is the personal stakes—their loyalty to each other, their nations, and their own sense of self—that makes A Monsoon Rising stand out. The world may hang in the balance, but the characters' emotional and moral choices are what truly drive the narrative.

This. was, a POWERHOUSE read!!!! In the sequel to the Hurricane Wars, Thea Guanzon delivers on the political intrigue and budding romance we saw in book 1. This one fully developed and gave us what we'd been yearning for in book 1, but it was set up perfectly. I loved the witty banter between the main characters, and if enemies to lovers is what you seek, look no further!!! It was such a beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking read. The chemistry was insane... and it left me feeling like it was real - it's so hard to capture that realistic chemistry and I found myself flipping furiously to the next page with goosebumps waiting to find out what happened. And... that ENDING! I can't wait to read book 3!!!

Such a great read. The tension that was established in Hurricane Wars continues to build and Thea Guanzon delivers on the spice in Monsoon Rising. More world building and lots of political intrigue. I felt like the pacing in book two was better for me and I actually liked this more than Hurricane Wars. And the ending!! Waiting with bated breath for book three.

Many thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for giving me an eARC in exchange for my honest review.