The Count of Monte Cristo remade into a YA Pakistani fantasy romance with a FMC....I couldn't get my hands on this book fast enough.

I happened to have reread The Count of Monte Cristo this past summer with one of my book clubs so the storyline was fresh in my mind. This book captivated me from the very first page. It was easy to see how the author was inspired by Monte Cristo. She took all the best parts of the story and made them her own.

First, I love Dania, a smart, strong FMC that takes pride in her sword fighting skills. I've said it a million times, there is nothing I hate more than a smart FMC who conveniently loses all reason and logic during a critical point in the story. Nothing drops me out of a plot faster. I'm happy to say that doesn't happen in this book. Next, I love her friendship with Noor. I also don't care when women are unnecessarily mean to each other just to further the plot along. Dania and Noor are fast friends who support each other. Finally, this story is told in alternating timelines. You start when she is in prison and the chapters jump back and forth between Dania's current life and her life leading up to when she was imprisoned. Some people don't like this type of storyline which is why I mention it. I happen to love it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me the opportunity to listen to this fantastic audiobook. Safiyya Ingar is an amazing narrator. I can't believe this is Emily Varga's debut novel. A solid 5 star read!!

ALC Review: Dania is in prison and has been since her best friend and lover betrayed her one year ago. After flubbing her prison break attempt, she might have another chance at escape when a prisoner tunnels into her cell. And if she does, she will make everyone involved in her imprisonment will regret it.

Oh girl, THIS is what I’m looking for when I’m reading YA. An intriguing, well-paced plot with flashbacks that add to the depth of the story and compelling characters. I thoroughly enjoyed how the lovers to enemies was written, and I was rooting for Dania’s bloodthirst even when she was clearly walking down the wrong path. This was a great read that was compelling in a way that made it hard to put down.

It’s not a 5 star for me because I think there could have been some higher highs and lower lows emotionally. I wanted moments that made me come close to tears, and it didn’t really happen even though the potential was there.

All around a great book, especially for a debut author. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC!

**I RECEIVED A FREE ARC OF THE AUDIOBOOK FROM NETGALLEY. THANK YOU A TON. THIS HAS NOT IMPACTED MY REVIEW IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. **

*NO MAJOR SPOILERS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS REVIEW**

"You have the world at your fingertips. It's your own fault if you chose to feel confined. "
"There is not anywhere that can cage me. "

So, I saw this was available on netgalley as an audio, and I knew two book box companies were doing a special editions so I just had to check it out. My gods. . . everyone, I think this might be one of my favorite reads of 2024. Hands down, this was a whirlwind from the start. I literally could not stop listening to it once I started. I was instantly captivated by the story and the narrator. A million shoutouts to the narrator, she made this book and the characters come to life in a way I did not even think was possible. The story grabbed me in its mystic claws and transported me into the mind of Dania. I literally experienced every pain, every angst, every dark twisted thought. I was her and she was me. I do not think I have felt so connected to a female main character since Celeana from throne of glass. This book was like the beginning of throne of glass, but darker, and gritter and I LOVED IT. I LOVED that Dania was willing to rip the spines out of people to make a ladder to victory. I loved how ambitious and confident she was. She was astounding. The writing just elevated her to another level. The concrete but majestic writing made this journey a surreal experience from the explanations of clothing, to the tales of the food, to even some of the cultural and political divisions. The intrigue in this book, and the plots and sub plots and counter threads were all so delicious I cackled when things came together and GASP when they unraveled. This story was spellbinding.

I also liked the back and fourth from present Dania to past Dania. Usually I get nervous with those types of books, but this was done in a way that I was not confused. It enhanced the story to take it step by step. And the love story that unfolded. . . It was similar to how in Nightbane, the author tells a lovestory via the past, but here, this author executed the story and made it soar. Sure, I still wanted Dania to have her villain era and be a badass woman who does not need a man, but I also thought it was passionate and all consuming when she danced a fiery fling with Maazinn. That was almost cat and mouse ish in the present. Sure, Maazinn certainly is not a top book boyfriend or anything, but its interesting to see how Dania perceived and perceives him through the months. THey both impacted each other so much. Again, I actually thought the story would of been fine without any romance, but this was a nice nod to the pure romance girlies out in the world.

I also loved Nor. She was a delight, she was a surprise and she was the wing woman everyone needs and wants. She was no side kick, she was a main in her own right. I hope the author writes a book about her and her journey, because I would eat it up!! Her smarts and knowledge, ugh, a woman after my own heart.

Overall, I loved the sultry and dark vibe this book captured. The pacing was well done, and it was never a dull moment with these characters. Sure, there was not always like mega action packed events, but the subtle ones were just as potent. I cannot wait to get a physical copy. Remember, this is all my opinion. if you want your own, read the book when it comes out!!

𝙒𝙚’𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙨. 𝙒𝙚’𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧.

I really enjoyed this one! I was drawn in immediately with the prison setting, as Dania stewed in her rage and need for revenge on those who wronged her, especially the boy who tricked her into falling in love with him, only to betray her by framing her for murder.

I thought the magic system was really interesting, and I liked how it was used to aid Dania in her revenge schemes.

I really enjoyed the friendship that developed between her and Noor, as well as the romantic tension between Dania and Mazin.

The plot was fast paced, with many action scenes, and I had a great time listening.

Audiobook notes: The narrator was fantastic. Each voice felt unique. Loved it!

Thank you @macmillan.audio for providing me an advanced audio copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

What this book is giving:
✅ YA Romantic Fantasy
✅ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰 Retelling
✅ Pakistani
✅ Djinn magic
✅ Prison Break
✅ Revenge

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ / 5
🌶️ / 5

I had a TON of fun with this vengeance filled fantasy, despite a few things that fell flat.

I truly love the premise of a Pakistani inspired, magical and dangerous fantasy world where the end goal is to topple the evil empire, and I loved the way the scene is initially set with this one. Dania has been brutally betrayed by friends, as well as the man she believed to be the love of her life; and imprisoned as a result of it. She’s a dangerous sword-wielding woman, and she teams up with another powerful, albeit differently than her, woman who has every reason to be fighting all the same enemies. This starts quick and dives in fast, and I loved the execution of that.

The adventure in this is truly gripping and fast-paced, and that came with both pros and cons. It wasn’t difficult to stay engaged in this story, and the narrator was really wonderful at all the different characters voices. The world building isn’t terribly dense but also doesn’t leave things unexplored, and the characters feel distinct and lovable, especially our main 2 women. However, there are certain developments particularly between Dania and other characters who she has been wronged by that didn’t feel as fleshed out or believable as I wanted, and it felt like her motivations changed rather abruptly come the end. I think this was a consequence of the faster pace, and I was able to keep it from dulling my overall experience too much, but I wish I’d been sold on the main couple more come the end.

Regardless, this is a really fun, diverse, sweeping fantasy that I think a lot of folks will enjoy. Thank you to Macmillan audio for this early audiobook copy!

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan audio for the ALC of this book.

The narrator was amazing. I have never read the Count of Monte Christo was but vaguely familiar with it. I loved the FMC Dani and her friend Noor. They were both so strong in their own ways.

The fact that this is a debut is absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to see what else this author puts out.

I would like to thank the publisher for giving me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

If I could summarize this book into one word I would say: exquisite.

Dania was framed for a crime she didn't commit by the boy she loved. After breaking out of prison, she returns to get revenge on the people responsible for everything that occurred a year ago. Dania seems one dimensional for a while because of her single minded pursuit of vengeance. However, between the back and forth in the timeline -- what happened in the past that led up to her being imprisoned and the present -- we get to see layers of her character in small slivers until the full story is revealed.

The revenge plot was well done. The side characters were amazing. The world building was wonderful. The writing was gorgeous. And the way the author took the original story of the Count of Monte Cristo and retold it in a unique way with djinn and magic, and I honestly couldn't put this down.

Plus, the audio is beautifully done with a fantastic narrator. I'd definitely recommend it.

A standalone, YA fantasy, this is an awesome example of doing a lot without creating a whole series. We start with our FMC, the we’ll-trained daughter of a weapons master, languishing in prison, we see her escape, and we see her plot revenge against those who took
everything from her. We also see her make a best friend, rekindle an old flame, and choose light over darkness.

The book is full of djinn magic, which I’m not overly familiar with, but absolutely found fascinating. I can’t speak to whether it’s similar to other books of this type or not, but now I hope to pick up some more!!

All in all, this is a great fantasy read for anyone who loves a stabby female intent on righting wrongs!

5⭐️

I kept finding myself utterly surprised this was debut throughout reading this book. I would find myself going to Goodreads to see what else she wrote. Disappointed I couldn't read more from her right away. This says alot to me regarding this book, I enjoyed the writing so much that it made me wanting to experience more after this one.

I had actually never read the Count of Monte Crisco so for me this book was full of fun surprises. It had multiple layers between revenge, grief, and absolution. It handled everything so well. I believed the pain and betrayal Dani felt and the bond she made with Nora. It was also wrote from one perspective with two timelines. The past time line was peppered in really well and paced appropriately with the main story.

In the end I really loved many aspects of this book. I would love to see a companion novel sometime from Mazs point of view.

The narration of this book was spot on. The author did an amazing job bringing the characters to life. They were also very easy to decipher from one to another.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this advanced listener copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

Review from Goodreads on Oct 18:
You got plans Oct. 28? No? Now you do—read this book!

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an advanced copy of this audiobook!

For She Is Wrath is a YA Pakistani romantasy reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo.
Let me start by saying I have never read the Count of Monte Cristo… but maybe I should? Because YES. Huge fan!
I also highly recommend this one to people who enjoyed the Prison Healer.

This is why I love YA Fantasy & will continue screaming about why it’s worth everyone’s time!
This book was excellently done.

It was a standalone 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Proof that it CAN be done, and CAN be done well. It felt so refreshing!

The audiobook was excellent & the story even better! Big fan!

For She Is Wrath by Emily Varga is a Pakistani romantasy reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo that follows a swordswoman named Dania who is on a blazing quest of revenge after she was framed and imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit, and betrayed by the boy she used to love. The key to exacting her vengeance? A stolen djinn treasure. Now in possession of dark magic and a new identity, her path to revenge becomes a complicated game of cat and mouse, and as she delves deeper into her web of traps and lies she'll have to make the choice of risking losing her humanity to her fight for vengeance or making peace with her losses and the wrongs enacted upon her, and starting anew.

On the wide spectrum encompassing all the shades of female rage in literature, For She Is Wrath stands tall and apart at the very end. The level of betrayal, pain and grief (and not only for the dead) that Dania experienced was such that it became endless fuel for her wrath and her need for revenge. Dania's rage is the kind that blinds, that makes it difficult to breathe and brings with it hot, angry tears. I felt it. So, so deeply. It was palpable and raw, it made my chest ache, and I couldn't help but understand and root for Dania's quest for vengeance, even seeing how it was affecting her, changing her. Even knowing that it was leading to her own destruction.

My favorite aspect of this novel is the beautiful friendship that we got to see blossom between Dania and Noor, whose dynamic brought to mind that of Frodo and Samwise. We got to see these two girls who were wrongfully imprisoned find solace and companionship in each other, going from wildly different strangers with a similar past, to friends with a common goal, to family, anchoring each other during their darkest times, carrying each other when they felt they lacked the strength to go on. There is such strength and beauty to be found in female friendships, and Dania and Noor are a stark reminder of that.

Safiyya Ingar's performance was absolutely STELLAR! The raspiness and timbre of their voice was perfectly suited to Dania's character and served to amplify the feelings that Emily Varga was already coaxing out of me. I'll 100% be seeking out other audiobooks narrated by them!

With a strong, resilient female main character, lots of cultural elements, ancient djinn magic, dual-timelines, an abundance of action-packed scenes, a lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance with an "I would recognize you by touch alone, I would know you blind" dynamic, a blazing quest for revenge and a fierce female friendship at the center of it all, For She is Wrath is an absolute feast of a book and I can't recommend it enough!

Thank you Wednesday Books for the absolute gift that was being able to read this book prior to its release!

Do you love strong female characters? Do you love well-done retellings of the classics? Because this was amazing!


Safiyya Ingar does an amazing job bringing Emily Varga's "For She is Wrath" alive. The audio narration for this story adds a rich depth to the story telling and creates an immersive experience. I didn't want to stop listening!


Things I loved about this!
- Strong female characters
- Strong female friendships
- Revenge
- Friends to enemies to lovers


I loved this story and the characters. I absolutely recommend it!

Thank you to MacMillan audio and Netgalley for an ALC to review.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

unfortunately dnf’d @ 28% — i think a few things contributed to my disinterest, the main factor being i have never read the count of monte cristo… and i didn’t realize this was a retelling of a classic

the narrator was fine, but didn’t really bring any energy to the listening experience

I spent a lovely 12 hours listening to the narrator, Safiyya Ingar, blissfully weave the story about these two women exacting revenge on the people who wronged them. And I recommend you check out the audio if you can.

For She is Wrath started with a bang and slowed down shortly after. We got the introduction of Dania, who is hell-bent on breaking out of prison just so she can reconnect with her father and kill every rat bastard who put her in jail in the first place, including her first love. There, she meets Noor, who later becomes her best friend and her moral support whenever Dania feels herself going left with power. These two characters worked great as a team, and I only wished Noor was more at the forefront of her revenge plan.

FSIW is not as magical as I projected it to be, but it still holds its own with the action sequence and bloodlust throughout the text. The world-building and character creation were well written, and there is also romance. I'm still not a fan of the whole "Romantasy" genre, but this one was palatable. Oh, and the reveal at the end! Oh! Oh!

Do you like fantasy novels that are also retellings of popular classics with strong female main characters?? Of course you do! This is a Count of Monte Cristo retelling and while I totally saw the similarities, I got so caught up in this story, I forgot it was a retelling. 😆

Imagine being betrayed by the one you know and love the best in your life. You are imprisoned for a crime you didn't commit and tortured by ruthless prison guards. Starving and beaten, you vow to escape and avenge your betrayer.

When you hear scraping in your cell and see another prisoner has accidentally tunneled into your cell instead of of to freedom, you come up with a plan to work together to escape.

Fast paced and full of dark magic, this tale is a quick read you won't want to put down.

Thank you to MacMillan audio and netgalley for an ALC to review.

When both of my YA Book Boxes choose a story to be in their November boxes, I expect great things. So I was very excited to be able to listen early to For She Is Wrath because I do give precedence to my book box books and, to completed one that is in both boxes, all the better!

That being said, I enjoyed For She Is Wrath and I won’t be holding either box. I’m sure the special editions will be spectacular.

For She Is Wrath is a Pakistani-inspired retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. The writing is well-paced with surprising twists, Found Family, swoony romance, and an excellent ending. Plus, it’s a standalone, which always makes me and my wallet happy!

The narration of the audiobook is excellent and I would highly recommend it as well.

I rate this book 4 stars. It is an emotional, well-written story with a strong, dynamic FMC but I just don’t feel that it will be a memorable book for me. It falls into the “like it but don’t love it” category for me.

I wish I could give out more than 5 stars for this book!

YESSSSSSSSS. This was the retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo we ALL needed. I absolutely loved the characters, the djinn (my apologies for the spelling- I did listen to it rather than read it haha) magic, the twists, the morally grey character traits, the ROMANCE, the setting, the ENDING!

I will be gushing over this book for a long long while. While it was a tad violent, I felt like it was tastefully done and didn't bother me as other books with fighting have.

This made a fantastic audiobook and I absolutely loved the narration. It was absolutely well done!

My review on instagram will be linked here when shared closer to the publishing date.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for an ARC audiobook of this!

Thank you for the ARC and the opportunity to listen to this book.

I absolutely loved this narrator. Her emotion in the narration, the way she gave each character a unique voice was perfection. It really brought me into the story. It was really the best thing of this book and what made me enjoy it as much as I did.

I did appreciate that this book was a standalone, a clear end that tied up everything. I did feel the ending was rushed, however. For me it felt like it should have been a little longer but it was still an ending. I did think it was too predictable to me and hard to enjoy the plot overall. It was a story about vengeance but… all I could think about was that Oprah meme with everyone getting a revenge plot. I think it was average at best, definitely a great performance from the narrator that pulled my interest into the story the entire way through.

A retelling of “The Count of Monte Cristo” with a splash of magic mixed in and made YA.
Revenge, betrayal, love, and djinn magic. That familiar classic we all know, made new.
Very quick read with likable characters and an interesting take.
Wish it packed more of a punch when it came down to it, but still a book I thoroughly enjoyed.

A very strong addition to fantasy. Dania is a strong character, with a strong mission. I enjoyed the Pakistani representation mixed in, but not glaringly, just in there. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more from Emily Varga