This was an awesome follow up to the first book. The plot and political intrigue were on point and I enjoyed reading about Alaric absolutely simping over his WIFE (as hard as he tried to deny it). Thea does an amazing job at world building and setting a political scene. I really liked seeing the relationship between Alaric and Gaheris and almost wish there was more of it. It helped me better understand their dynamic, Alaric's trauma, and connect to Alaric as well. I was absolutely swooing at the scene following Gaheris' punishment.

I really liked The Hurricane Wars, so I was excited to continue the story—but for some reason, A Monsoon Rising just didn’t hold my attention in the same way. Maybe it’s a classic #MoodReaderProblem, but I struggled to stay engaged and it took me forever to finish.

This sequel leans harder into the slow-burn romance, and while I do love seeing Talasyn and Alaric open up more emotionally, their dynamic is starting to drive me a little bit nuts. They obviously care about each other, but they keep running in circles—kiss, guilt, dramatic exit, repeat. At this point, I just want to lock them in a room and force them to have one honest conversation.

Plot-wise, not a lot felt like it progressed. The stakes are supposedly high, but the pacing didn’t always reflect that, and by the end, I wasn’t totally sure what had actually changed. It kind of felt like the same conflicts were still in play from book one—rebels attacking, kingdoms posturing, secrets being kept—and I needed a little more forward motion to stay invested.

That said, I’m not giving up on the series. I still really like the world and the overall setup, and I’m definitely planning to read the third book. I’m just hoping the payoff starts to match the build-up.

As usual, Thea Guanzon's writing is captivating and emotional. You absolutely cannot put this down for a second. This is the kind of book you stay up until 4AM reading. It was so easy to get swept away in this high stakes romantasy and it was the perfect sequel! Anyone who reads this will be intrigued to what happens next; what a shocking cliffhanger!

4.2/5

A Monsoon Rising is a thrilling, emotional, and magical sequel that takes everything we loved about The Hurricane Wars and intensifies it. The tension between Talasyn and Alaric continues to escalate, and their relationship grows in fascinating and complex ways. The political stakes are high, their magical powers are even more intriguing, and the plot twists leave you breathless.

The pacing is perfect, with the slow burn from the first book finally igniting into passionate, heart-pounding moments. Alaric and Talasyn’s banter is so engaging, and their chemistry is undeniable. The romance isn’t just about the attraction between them—it’s about trust, power, and finding common ground in the midst of a war-torn world.

One of the book’s biggest strengths is how it deepens our understanding of both Talasyn and Alaric. We learn more about their backgrounds, their pain, and their growing reliance on one another. Their emotional growth is what makes their relationship so satisfying to read. I also loved how the magical elements continued to evolve, especially with Talasyn’s lineage and the dragon reveal—such an unexpected and exciting twist!

The political intrigue continues to play a major role, and while there were moments I wished for more political strategy or conflict, I understand this book is setting the stage for even bigger events in the next one.

The cliffhanger left me reeling, and I can’t wait to see how everything plays out. While I loved the book overall, there were some moments where the pacing felt a bit uneven, and I wished we could have explored the consequences of the world’s impending destruction in a bit more detail. But the romance, character development, and high-stakes drama kept me hooked from start to finish.

Tropes: Political marriage, dragons, slow-burn romance, forced proximity, banter, magical disasters, and an ending that will leave you craving more.

I’m eagerly awaiting book three—this series is one wild ride, and I’m here for it!

Okay going into this review ( which isn’t a good one) I can’t clarify enough that;
This is MY opinion, you don’t have to agree and can keep on scrolling. Go along with your day.
If you wanna read this book and series, please go for it. You could have a completely different opinion than me.
Without a further ado let’s get into why this book was a huge let down.
When I read Hurricane Wars I had high expectations. I went into it thinking that it was going to be this phenomenal ground shattering book, but all it did was just fall flat.
I honestly regret buying the sequel. I went in hoping that in this next installment, this story would get better and it didn’t.
The two main characters were honestly so annoying. I didn’t care for either of them. And the side characters kind of just fell to the wayside and really made no impact whatsoever for me.
The storyline was really boring and very repetitive to the point that I was skipping huge chunks just to progress in the story.
And when the spice finally came in, it was more annoying than anything. It was like the author was like, let me just overload the spice just to make up for the lack of spice earlier.
And the ending was so basic that I saw coming a mile away.
I’m pretty sure there’s a third installment and I will not be reading it. This book and its predecessor are probably one of the most disappointing books I’ve ever read.

I ADDORREDDD THIS BOOK!!!!!!! The relationship building that occurred… watching Alaric and Talasyn begrudgingly start to trust one another… chef’s kiss! I loved the setting of getting to be on Iantas and I love Jie. The Hurricane Wars was a 5 star read for me and I thought A Monsoon Rising was even better! I loved watching Alaric and Talasyn grow into their respective roles and I CANNOT wait for the conclusion of this series!!! I need more Alaric forever!
A non-spoilery quote that I’m dying over: “His heart lurched inside his chest. “I promised, didn’t I?”” PLEEEEAAAASSEEEEE

This series continues to impress with a blend of passion, political intrigue and beautiful writing. The overarching plot unfolds at a steady pace while focusing on the deep, tension-filled connection between Talasyn and Alaric.

The character development was definitely one of my favorite parts. Talasyn begins the novel settling into her new role, while secretly trying to uncover her past. I enjoyed watching her come into her power both politically and magically and assert herself more confidently. She’s still torn between her loyalty to her homeland, and the undeniable pull she feels toward Alaric, adding depth and complexity to her character. Alaric remains as brooding and dangerous as ever, but is even more emotionally conflicted in this instalment. His transformation from a stoic, disciplined leader to a man caught between duty and desire makes me love him that much more. His growing feelings for Talasyn make him confront his own vulnerability and it adds layers to his already angsty character.

The romance between Talasyn and Alaric is the perfect balance of forbidden love and slow burning tension. Now married, their forced proximity creates countless opportunities for stolen glances, sharp exchanges, and fleeting moments of vulnerability, each charged with emotion. Their bond is agonizing, yet so captivating I could not stop flipping the pages. I especially loved how their connection is strengthened through their arguments and training, with their banter always on point. Despite being opposites in temperament and magic, they share a profound loneliness and a longing to be understood, making their dynamic all the more compelling.

The world-building continues to impress, with lush descriptions of landscapes and intricate cultural details. I only wish we had spent more time in Kesath, seeing Talasyn’s political talents in action against the shadowforged, but it’s hopefully something we’ll get in the future. There's not much in the way of plot as we are slowly working our way towards the looming threat of the Moonless Dark, but it effectively reinforces their reluctant collaboration and mirrors their intertwined fates. The stakes are higher than ever, as every decision carries dire consequences, not just for Alaric and Talasyn, but for the people they’ve sworn to protect.

The lyrical prose elevates the story without slowing it down, perfectly capturing the emotional weight of the characters and the intensity of their world. This instalment and wonderfully builds upon the foundation in book 1 and sets the stage for an unforgettable conclusion. I cannot wait to see where this story goes next!

This book kicks it up a notch! Loved it more than the first book. The characters were a lot more flushed out. The setup/stage is ready to go. Can't wait for the next!

I read The Hurricane Wars last year and had mixed feelings on it. Ultimately I wanted to give the series some more time and a chance to tighten up the world building/magic system. Though I do think that the magic system was constructed more clearly, I really struggled through this. I didn't love the pacing of the enemies to lovers arc in the first book, and continued to struggle to understand the compatibility between our main characters in the second installment. The storyline seemed to suffer from being stuck in a cycle of we are from opposing kingdoms and our marriage is a farce to stripping down and getting busy with little to no growth in the relationship between Talasyn and Alaric. I continuously had to remind myself that these characters were in fact adults and not young adults because their interactions seemed immature and lacking depth. I think I had too high of expectations from this series and it let me down.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and Netgalley for my copy; all opinions are my own.

Oh! My! WORD!
I know this book just recently released so i need to cool my tits… I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW!
This series is on track to be a favorite. Reminds at moments of the Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen (a goddess tier book for me)
You should read this if you like: to read
Romantasy
Enemies to lovers done SO well!!! (Like better than Feysand… because let’s be honest she was down bad for him day one like the rest of us…)
Thanks for listening to my Ted talk.

Epic next installment after the hurricane wars! It’s hard to say how much I loved this book without giving spoilers but it was simply epic! I can’t wait for this series to continue! The Kylo vibes are alive and well! If you loved hurricane wars don’t hesitate to jump into A Monsoon Rising!

Absolutely loved this! Completely brought me out of a months long grueling slump. Alaric and Talasyn’s tension is feeeeeeeeding me omg. Felt like the world building and story progression were very well done. Switched to audio halfway into it because I was enjoying it so much and it truly leveled up the read.

Everything you would want in a Romantasy. I loved the action throughout the book, but I really enjoyed the continued romantic storyline between the main characters. Excellent pacing and a unique plot will keep you intrested. Highly recommend.

Overall this is well done. Thea writes beautifully and the chemistry between the leads is compelling. The story ends a bit abruptly, and I think a little more work could have been done at the end to set up the cliffhanger for book 3.

If there's one thing I love, it's when a sequel takes a series to the next level. After feeling somewhat lukewarm about the first book, it was okay but felt a bit slow, But this is a rare instance where the sequel is a major step up and improvement from the first book.

THIS WAS THE SEQUEL IVE BEEN WAITING FOR. Oh my god. The TENSION. The HATRED. It was so fantastically done, I was on the edge of my seat unable to put this book down. Thea is the queen of the slow burn and this book was a masterclass. I love these two idiots so so much! The pacing was perfect, the banter and relationships were top tier, and the FREAKING PLOT !!! I don't have enough good things to say about this series. I'm buckling up for another long wait for book 3

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Thea Guanzon's writing has improved a lot since The Hurricane Wars and she has really made the characters her own. I breezed through A Monsoon Rising in a few sittings while I struggled to find footing while reading The Hurricane Wars. Also, I didn't care all that much for the Alaric and Tamsyn romance in book 1, but here I thought they were cute and Thea did a really good job with the romantic arc. I look forward to the third book in the series!

Like how could I not!? Five star read! I love the action packed book! This series always has my heart going like crazy! The main characters draw you in and you’re obsessed with their growing relationship/situationship. I cannot believe how good this was! Just as good as the first

Thank you to the author, publisher and @NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

For the love of all that is holy, THEA GUANZON WHY THE CLIFFHANGER! I literally jumped immediately on to my phone and had to make sure we were getting Hurricane Wars book 3.

This brought the action for sure.

A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon was a little bit slower sequel to the Hurricane Wars, but still solid. Talasyn and Alaric's tension and forbidden attraction was sizzling. The world-building, and looming cataclysmic event keeps the stakes high and kept me switching between the ebook and audiobook to keep reading.