I really enjoyed What Fury Brings! The world-building feels rich and believable, and the characters—especially Olerra—are well-drawn and engaging. I found it a little less sexual than I expected, which let the relationships and emotional moments stand out more. At times, Olerra seemed to dismiss the obvious just to move the plot along, but overall that didn’t take away from my enjoyment. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a well-written, character-focused fantasy.

Not the hit I hoped for.

I've enjoyed many of this author's YA fantasies, so I was excited for her first venture into adult fantasy. Unfortunately, I did not love this as I'd hoped. It isn't bad. However, it isn't something I'd recommend to everyone.

This book, especially its beginning, is somewhat polarizing. It flips the script of common society: putting women in positions of power. Yet rather than the strong, just matriarchy I was expecting, I witnessed many of the same horrors and abuses often perpetuated by men, done so by women. I do understand that was the intent. To flip the script. I still did not enjoy seeing how the misdeeds and abuses were quietly condoned, even by those who disagreed with them.

I did, however, appreciate Olerra's effort towards explaining the ways of Amarra to Sanos. She did not try to excuse the actions of some of her people. She knows some of their ways are wrong. She truly believes in all people being equal. She holds up a mirror to Sanos and forces him to face the fact that his country perpetuates the same horrors and often worse, but that he's not thought about in the same way because it wasn't his gender that was at a disadvantage.

I liked the concept of the book and the lessons it was trying to convey, but I think the execution is lacking.

When I read the blurb of this book, I thought it would be cool and interesting. I quickly realized that this was not what I thought it would be. When I think of women in positions of power or what we’d be like if the roles of society were reversed, I did not expect it to be EXACTLY LIKE MEN! I find that thought so appalling. Yes it explains the reason why, but even then I couldn’t get behind it. For that reason, I could not continue. This book had me actually agreeing with a man more than the women 🤮. It had so much potential before I actually started reading! Honestly just wasn’t for me


Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

ARC Review: Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan/FEIWEL !
Release Date: September 23, 2025

This adult fantasy debut from Tricia Levenseller is going to be quite the controversal read! 

~ Quote that Encapsulates the Novel ~
“Instead of making the world a better place, your ancestor flipped it,” Sanos said.
“Yes, for that is what fury brings.”

~ Favorite (Funny) Quote ~ 
"This was an attempt on my life. You're permitted to defend me. You will get to regale everyone with the talent of how you strangled a woman with your nipple chain." - Olerra 

~ First Impression ~
Reading the premise of the book immediately pulled me in. A world that has the classic societal gender roles but instead those roles are reversed—women rule over the men. I thought it would be a fun, female rage type of read but I was pleasantly surprised there was so much more to it.

~ Overview ~
In the Kingdom of Amarra, men are treated as second class citizens and the women are the leaders and warriors. 

We meet our FMC, Olerra, an Amarran warrior princess. Not only is she beautiful, but she is quite lethal—and a general at that! Olerra seeks to become Queen and her rival is her disgustingly cruel, calculating cousin, Glen. To prove her worth, Olerra wants to gain the upper hand by kidnapping a husband—a tradition in Amarra culture since noblemen in her country are scarce. 

She decides to take a Prince from the Kingdom of Brutus, a neighboring country that is stuck in the old ways of being ruled by men. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned because, unbeknownst to her, she kidnaps the wrong Prince of Brutus. Instead of taking the second son, she takes the heir, Sanos. He is, rightfully so, angry with having been kidnapped and schemes to escape from Olerra and her "backwards" country. 

~ Thoughts ~
What Fury Brings is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. Because, wow, did I have to sit for a moment after I finished reading to properly formulate my thoughts. It is a dark, adult romantasy—complete with spice, vulgarity, and very dark themes. It wasn't really marketed as a dark romantasy so my brows kept getting higher and higher the more I read. There were times when reading made me laugh and my jaw drop—and other times where it made my stomach churn—which is why it was such an enjoyable read! It was so thought provoking with a strong social message, inclusivity, action, romance, and fun banter laced between serious, dark themes. My only peeve was that some scene transitions were a little choppy but it was an enjoyable ride nonetheless.

Tricia Levenseller really surprised me, writing something like this in today's world. This unique read had my brain working overtime. I was constantly switching their genders in my head, thinking how interesting it was that the roles could easily be reversed between Olerra and Sanos to be like any dark romantasy. It was refreshing to read it through the opposite lens.

This book depicted oppression, meant to be a mirror world where men are submissive. However, it was on the extreme side on the oppression scale. And I understand the meaning behind the way it was written. Because as a woman, we constantly read about our history where our rights were nonexistent and we are subjected to horrible, despicable treatment. Now applying it in reverse where men are the oppressed really opens up your perspective on just how truly abhorrent extreme cultures of oppression, no matter the gender, could be.

I truly believe that if the roles were "normal" and it was a Prince who kidnapped a Princess, many wouldn't bat an eye because it would be just like any other dark romantasy novel. This was different and so intriguing! I couldn't put it down and finished it in under 24 hours. And last thing to note is that, let’s just say, justice prevails in this novel when it comes to certain men and a guillotine for chopping off the man bits.

~ The Characters ~
Olerra is an absolute powerhouse! Strong, intelligent, and beautiful—a complete badass. Confident on and off the battlefield and especially in the bedroom. Loved her confidence when she said that Sanos would be honored to call himself her husband when she first nabbed him.

Sanos is equally well written—hot, stubborn, strong, and hot-headed. He is a bit more complex, due to having been forced to maintain this strong "manly man" exterior who didn't need anyone. But, inside, lay a protective and tender hearted man. 

A true enemies to lovers—mixed with stockholm syndrome and mistaken identity. They had chemistry and banter that had me giggling and kicking my feet. And when he let himself love her, as stubborn as he is, he went in haaard and I gobbled it up. I also loved how Olerra was so protective of him. I did wish that their ending was a bit more detailed on how they could balance one another in terms of equality since they come from two different cultures. 

Trigger warnings are important to read! As well as the Author's Note to fully understand what you'll be getting yourself into. 

~ Themes and Tropes ~
◇ Romantasy 
◇ Political Intrigue
◇ SPICE (if a woman dominating a man in the bedroom isn't your cup of tea, you may not enjoy this).
◇ Morally Gray FMC (and Plus Size!)
◇ Mistaken Identity 
◇ Enemies to Lovers
◇ Touch “HIM“ and Die
◇ Dual POV
◇ Stockholm Syndrome
◇ Dark themes such as war, violence, and SA.
◇ LGBTQ+ friendly

🔥 If you enjoy romantasy with emotional weight and a intellectual punch, What Fury Brings is exactly what you've been looking for. The stunning blurbs pulled me in, but it was Tricia Levenseller's brilliant writing and gripping story kept me hooked, turning pages nonstop.

💍 The premise struck me instantly as compelling: In the matriarchal kingdom of Amarra, Warrior Princess Olerra must kidnap a husband to secure her claim to the throne. Setting her sights on the docile younger prince of a rival kingdom, she instead accidentally captures Sanos—the fierce, well trained heir. What follows is a masterclass in tension, as Sanos hides his identity, and both are forced to confront the brutal realities of each other's worlds.

👑 This book is bold, dark, and provocative. The author's note is essential reading; Levenseller doesn't create a utopia but a world of vengeance, holding up a dark mirror to our own patriarchy. The result is often uncomfortable and always thought-provoking, exploring themes of rage and power with intellectual curiosity rather than gratuitous violence. Scenes like the "d*ck guillotine" for offenders are shocking but serve a powerful narrative purpose

🔥 Olerra is a phenomenal heroine. She's tall, voluptuous, and battle-hardened, and her confidence is a strength. Her nemesis, cousin Glen, is terrifyingly effective. Sanos' journey from contemptuous prisoner to a much more willing partner is a slow-burn masterpiece of unlearning the ways you've been taught. While I would have loved a tad more setting description, the unique character dynamics and propulsive plot held my interest completely.

🗡️What Fury Brings is a clever, fierce, and intensely satisfying romantasy. It’s a pretty cathartic exploration of the rage many women feel, packaged in an action-packed story that proves understanding can bridge even the widest divides. I highly recommend it and will be reading everything Levenseller writes next!

4.3 out of 5 stars!

⚔️ Themes & Tropes:

- Gender Role Reversal
- Enemies to Lovers
- Feminine Rage, Revenge
- Forced Proximity
- Mistaken Identity
- Dark Romance, Bondage
- Body Positive, Warrior FMC

🌠 You might like What Fury Brings if you're a fan of:

~ The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle Jensen
~ The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
~ Levenseller's Other YA books
~ The Poppy War Series by RF Kuang
~ The Handmaid's Tale (TV Show & Book)
~ Wonder Woman (Movie)

Huge, huge thank you to Tricia Levenseller, Macmillan/FEIWEL, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read What Fury Brings! I'll be sharing my review to Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble. 🔥

When I read the description for this book I was immediately intrigued. In this world the roles are reversed between men and women where women have a supernatural gift that allows them to overpower men. I thought it was very interesting how the author portrayed a society led by women and how men were treated, dressed, and their role in this society. This book has a strong female lead and a dual POV which I appreciated. The characters were very diverse and in this women-lead society, everyone seemed very open and accepting as well. The two main characters have an enemies to lovers relationship that is very buzzy and has you hooked within the first few chapters of the book. I highly recommend this book!

I love an author that can kick ass on a standalone (bc I love a standalone) and I really enjoyed this one! A world that flips the patriarchy on its head, where women have all the powers historically men would. I think this book does a great job examining power dynamics and the swap in traditional roles is very successful in helping to examine patriarchy and oppression in a new way. I loved how the author even used clothing, make up, and jewelry to expand on the narrative. The romance was well developed and I enjoyed the push and pull of their romance. The plot was well paced and the ending was wrapped up in a satisfying way. Olerra and Sanos forever! Would love another book in the same universe.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillion publishers for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I was so excited to pick this one up because it had everything I love rolled into one—Tricia Levenseller (total auto-buy author for me 🛒✨), enemies-to-lovers tension, bada** FMC energy 💪, women empowerment, sizzling spice 🌶️, and of course action scenes that had me holding my breath! Basically, I knew this book had my name all over it, and I was right.

I’ll be honest—this one took me a little while to warm up to. The beginning is heavy on the world-building as the matriarchal society gets established and we meet Olerra, the main character. I found myself picking it up and setting it back down a few times. It wasn’t until about 30%, when Olerra captures Sanos, that the tension skyrocketed off the page and I was fully hooked. From then on, it was the kind of book that keeps you up way too late flipping pages 🙈. That slow start is really my only reason for holding back from a full 5 stars.

Once the story hit its stride though—WOW. The banter, the sexual tension and romantic dynamic, the way Olerra refuses to bend to anyone including Sanos, and the chef’s kiss high-speed ending made it completely worth it. By the end, I didn’t want to leave these characters.

I think this one is going to be a huge hit for so many readers—especially those who love slow-burn romantic tension, strong female leads, and a society flipped on its head. I hear talk that this one will be problematic to some people, but I believe it's a great story that deserves to stay above any controversy it might face. I’m so glad I stuck with it because it delivered exactly what I hoped for (and maybe a little more).

Big thanks to NetGalley, Tricia Levenseller, and Macmillan for the advanced copy! 💕

Tricia Levenseller’s adult debut is dark, brutal romantasy. In a matriarchal kingdom where women rule by force, General Olerra kidnaps a foreign prince to secure her crown. The premise is bold and the enemies-to-lovers tension is sharp, but the story leans heavily on power imbalance, coercion, and graphic violence.

It’s provocative and memorable, but not comfortable—readers looking for equal-footing romance or lighter fantasy may struggle. Best for fans of morally gray, high-heat, high-conflict romantasy who don’t mind a heavy dose of discomfort.

I was excited to read this book because it had everything I love! Such as enemies to lovers, super intense action scenes, powerful women, and a seriously spicy storyline!
I just knew I had to give this one a read because of it!
I couldn't get enough of the humor in this book. I was literally laughing out loud at so many parts! I really enjoyed it!
The chemistry between the main characters is such a blast! They're always on opposite sides, clashing like crazy, but you can't deny that spark between them. I do wish there was a bit more of a slow burn, though, since the sexual tension feels a tad too instant for an enemies-to-lovers vibe. But honestly, that's my only little complaint!
The world building was solid but took a bit to get to in the beginning but once I got there, I was hooked! I'd you like enemies to lovers, strong women, fantasy, and a lot of spice then this one hits the spot!

Infinity stars!! I devoured this book and read it in basically a day! Flipping the gender norms to show a society where men are the one’s considered the weaker sex and get objectified by the women.. it’s brilliant. It’s a fun, spicy, action packed Romantasy that also manages to make you think about a serious topic and (hopefully) look at things from different angles. I have no notes!! Everyone read this please!!!!

*ARC received through NetGalley*

I initially wanted to read this book because I saw some controversy about it on TikTok. This book is about a nation where women have the ability to overpower men, and with this ability the women decided to do to the men what they were doing to the women. For 500 years now, the nation of Amarra has used men as servants, buy/auction men, and create harems. The men are the second class citizens now. Amarra is the only nation in this world that practices this. I can see how people would be disgusted with this. Instead of rising above and improving the world, the women are just doing what the men were doing, now punishing the men who weren't even alive 500 years ago. However, the FMC, Olerra, is not like these other women. She of course still kidnaps a husband to save face and make people like her so she'll become the Crown Princess, but she does not agree with how things are run. She treats her man with respect and displays proper consent. Her cousin, however, beats and tortures her men. While no rules were exactly changed by the end of the book, I believe we could see improvement if there is to be a book 2.

Overall, this book had me intrigued from the beginning. Before I knew it, I was already 40% through. Not my usual cup of tea, but I would definitely recommend this to people.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for for the ARC of What Fury Brings. Tricia Levenseller’s first adult romantasy immediately pulled me in with its bold premise. A matriarchal kingdom where women must kidnap husbands flips gender norms on their head, and I loved how fresh and daring that felt. Olerra is a fierce warrior princess who commands every page, and Sanos, with his secret identity and conflicting ideals, makes for the perfect foil.

What stood out to me most was the tension between power and vulnerability. The romance had plenty of sparks, with an enemies-to-lovers push and pull that kept me engaged. I also enjoyed how the worldbuilding tied gender roles directly into politics and survival, making the stakes feel unique.

I can definitely see this being a great pick for readers who love strong heroines, morally stubborn heroes, and stories that challenge traditional dynamics while still delivering on romance and steam. Levenseller proves she can write just as powerfully for adults as she does for YA, and I’m excited to see what she brings next.

I love the concept and ideas of this world! Tricia Levenseller's note at the beginning of the book about how this story came to be is completely iconic. This is absolutely a story for us angry women who get stepped on by men just because of our gender.

There is a bit of name and info dumping at the beginning of the story that I had some initial trouble following. A lot of the side character names, proper nouns, and other terms sounded similar and there were so many of them at once, but I didn't linger on those too much and things started to settle once I read further. I do think there is some strangeness to choosing a handful of very select words to rename for this culture though, especially because a different language is never discussed. That didn't necessarily affect my overall enjoyment, but it felt like a weird choice all the same.

I liked the mistaken identity trope in this book. It's not a trope I see very often and it definitely kept me interested. I also thought the different ways of life between the two main cultures was fascinating. In some ways you'll find yourself agreeing and understanding why things are a certain way but in other ways so much of the main society's choices were brutal. There's truly a light shown on the ways some humans treat other humans. I especially liked one of the differences between the cultures being a lack of specific words to describe certain things/people - whether that be because they don't acknowledge it or they don't respect it or what, it was a powerful choice.

I thought it was a cool choice to make the main "battle" not between men and women as you'd expect, but between 2 women fighting for the "crown". It was another way of gender swapping roles as often you'll see two men of different opinions fighting to become heir. Glen was a pretty fierce adversary too and I liked seeing how Olerra dealt with her.

As for the romance, this is a slow burn, captive romance. I didn't dislike the main couple but I also didn't necessarily love them together. There were obviously a lot of reasons that their romance couldn't exactly evolve naturally including the mistaken identity, captivity, and a lot of general circumstances. Taking all that into consideration, I still wish I could've connected to them more as they were never fully endeared to me.

Overall, I loved the concept and the execution was pretty cool. If you're a fan of The Winner's Curse, I would absolutely recommend this book to you!

eARC Review

This book takes how men used to treat and think about women and flips it into a world where a Kingdom of women rule over the men and treat and think of them horribly. . . And then some.

It was fast paced and hot. Loved it. Light on the world building, but I didn’t really mind that.

Tropes:
Feminine Rage
Enemies to Lovers
Badass & Plus Sized FMC
Political Intrigue

When fury at the atrocities of our current patriarchal system boils over into a complete societal flip, an absolutely clever story emerges. From Levensetter's comments in the "Forward" (I'm with you, sister!) all the way through to the end, her brilliance truly shines through.
This isn't really the type of fantasy I would usually pick up, but I'm so glad I did. Levensetter delivers a full-bodied novel that manages to be both highly entertaining and genuinely thought provoking. The premise of flipping societal power structures creates fertile ground for exploring contemporary issues through a fantasy lens.
Levensetter strikes an excellent balance between serious social commentary and pure entertainment. There's some spicy romance woven throughout to keep things interesting, adding another layer without overshadowing the broader themes. This was not only fun to read but also left me thinking long after I'd finished.
Definitely worth stepping outside your usual reading comfort zone for this one!

Olerra decides to kidnap herself a future husband from the neighboring kingdom to gain her spot on the throne. I loved this part of the book, it was so funny. Olerra is strong, fierce, and whitty. This book is unique and interesting because roles are reversed for Olerra and her kingdom. Women are the rulers and they want retribution. Their neighboring kingdom is opposite- only men should hold the power. I loved how the book played out and the romance that blossomed from a very unique relationship.

A world where women are in charge and men are seen as secondary? I was intrigued to say the least. And while I did enjoy it, I was hoping for more.

Based off the premise, I was expecting a more utopian-type vibe from this book. It was portrayed as anti-patriarchy, but in reality was just a gender swap. All of the problems and issues women face in today’s society, were just swapped to issues men faced. To me it felt like more of a mocking than empowering.

However, I did enjoy the plot, the main characters, and the progression of the characters’ relationship. I enjoyed reading their struggles and learning how they overcame the. Plus, a penis guillotine for rapists was a good touch. I would recommend it, but I believe it should have been marketed differently.

Listen, idk what to say. But I consumed this completely. It wasn’t always great but it never once slowed me down. I see this (presumably) standalone becoming popular! Although I’d be happy to have more romance spinoffs of it. These are great characters! And I enjoyed the spin of women being the “superior sex”. It was a very original way of things but I found interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel for providing the ARC.

I'm all for Feminine Rage: The Book™️ but I really felt like this one tried too hard and missed the mark.

This book subverts most fantasy plots by imagining a matriarchal society that uses and abuses power, just like men do in books and in life. I can absolutely understand why wanting to set a book in that kind of place could be empowering. But honestly it just felt like more of the same gross stuff that happens in other fantasy worlds, just being performed by women. It didn't feel great or even good, but just demonstrated that everyone overall sucks and doesn't demonstrate an anti-patriarchal society well.

Other than that, it is a serviceable romantasy book. The enemies to lovers trope was executed well here with a case of mistaken identity thrown in. Olerra and Sanos are an intriguing couple and their story really demonstrates how their different societies and opinions can effect everything they believe. The plot beats were pretty predictable but still fun and interesting.

Overall, I have very mixed feelings about this book. Probably not for me in the end, but there will likely be plenty of people who enjoy it.