Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved how the storyline flipped the script a bit with the strong female characters as opposed to solely the men being the strong ones. I thought there were some great themes throughout the book about real strength, dedication and love. Olerra was such a well developed character and I loved her personality and bluntness. I can't say all of the spicy scenes were my particular taste, but I did think they were well written. Would recommend for readers who want a shift from the typical of the genre.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an early copy of What Fury Brings for review! I am a long time fan of Tricia Levenseller's writing, and was so excited to read her debut adult novel.

What Fury Brings is the idea of what a society might look like if women were in charge. Imagine every atrocity committed against women, had actually happened to men. Women have the ability to overpower men. Women own the property, and rule their kingdom. Men are expected to be obedient. From the very first chapter I had to laugh from sheer surprise because you immediately see the difference in attitude towards men, it was kind of weird to wrap my head around at first.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read it in two days because I wanted to know how it would end! We learn a lot about this society, mostly from the nobles perspective. I do wish I could have seen a bit more from the common families, because they seemed more "normal" where the noble families are quite dramatic and flamboyant with their partners, but the story centers around royalty so I understand why we didn't.

One of my favorite things within this kingdom was their form of justice system. They believe the punishment fits the crime in equal measure. (Please be sure to read the trigger warnings, as there are violent and graphic scenes depicted here.) Our FMC does her best to show the MC both the good and ugly sides of her home, which in turn makes him reevaluate some of his own choices in life. Together they share hope for a more equal and SAFE future for all genders.

I rated this book a 4.5/5 stars!
If you're looking for a story where women get to kick butt, this is for you. if you want an enemies to lovers, arranged marriage kind of romance, this is also for you! if you're looking for spice, here it is! 😉

I just want to leave one last reminder to please read the trigger warnings. This wasn't a soft book. it is violent, and brutal. It encapsulates the fury of so many women, and shares that feeling within its pages.

What Fury Brings by Tricia
There are some books that grip you with their world building, some with their characters, and others with the raw emotional pull between two people who shouldn’t work, but somehow do. What Fury Brings gave me all three.

From the moment I was introduced to Olerra, I was hooked. She’s not your typical heroine, she’s powerful in a way that’s both brutal and beautiful. She doesn’t ask for permission. She doesn’t apologize. She leads, she commands, and she thrives in a world that doesn’t soften itself for anyone. It reminded me of ancient Amazonian legends brought to life with a fresh, modern edge.

And then there’s Sanos. He’s not weak by any means, but he’s different. His strength isn’t in dominance, it’s in his ability to bend without breaking. He challenges Olerra, not by overpowering her, but by standing in his truth, by holding his own ground with quiet resilience. Watching the two of them clash fiercely, emotionally, and sometimes destructively, was like watching a wildfire trying to outrun a storm.

Their relationship isn’t an easy one. It’s a slow burning, agonizing mix of tension, mistrust, unspoken understanding, and eventually, a connection that’s impossible to deny. The love and hate dynamic between them was one of the strongest parts of this story. There’s a scene—I won’t spoil it—where they finally let their guard down, and it’s one of the most intimate, raw moments I’ve read in a long time. It’s not just about lust or passion (though there's plenty of that, too). It’s about loyalty, respect, and surrendering to a bond bigger than pride.

Tricia’s world building deserves praise too. The culture, the hierarchies, the sense of place, it all feels so real. There’s something both ancient and futuristic about it. The matriarchal structure was refreshing, and it forced me to reflect on the norms we’re used to in other fantasies or even in real life.

There were moments where I wanted to slow down and understand the broader world, but the story kept pushing forward with emotion and conflict instead.

Still, I walked away from this book feeling deeply satisfied, and even a little bruised in the best way. What Fury Brings isn’t just a story... it’s a battle cry, a love letter to strength in all its forms, and a reminder that sometimes the fiercest love is the one that survives the fire.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Especially if you’re looking for characters who will shake you, challenge you, and stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.

This book was a 4 stars the characters were so good I had a blast reading this book I would recommend it to anyone to read it the plot twist was fantastic loved it didn’t see it coming at all

I love dark romance. I love feminine rage. Give me a bodice ripper here and there!

But this was not for me.

I've enjoyed many of Tricia Levenseller's books, and I went in full-aware that her adult debut was going to be different and dark (sign me up!). But something about this book made me feel gross and uncomfortable. I did NOT like the main character, and honestly just felt sorry for Sanos. Their "romance" was not great, the plot was not great. I was all for a "flipped patriarchy" book, but I don't think it was executed well. I have a feeling this book may be a struggle for a lot of readers.

My only highlight is I did appreciate the diverse sexuality spectrum in the worldbuilding.

I guess I'd rather just have my feminine rage, anti-patriarchy books sapphic??

I absolutely loved this book! devoured it rather quickly. Once I started reading, I just couldn't put it down! I was immediately intrigued by a world that completely flips the patriarchy. The matriarchal society was very interesting. Olerra is such a strong character, I thoroughly enjoyed her journey. Plus I adore a good enemies to lovers story and this one did not disappoint. If you like dark fantasy books with great plot and spice then you'll love this book. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Publishing for allowing me to read this book ahead of release in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have never read anything like this. It took the patriarchal narrative and flipped it upside down in a fantasy world. This was brutal and deliciously sexy. An easy 5 star read. For this being the author’s first adult novel, she knocked it out of the park!

First thoughts: Wow. Enchanting, enticing, exquisite…I was completely invested. This was definitely more of a dark romantasy than I had expected, but I LOVED IT.

The politics, the enemies to lovers, the spice, the social conversations. It was all so incredibly thought out and well done. I am in awe at Tricia Levenseller’s ability to weave such a cool story in a unique and authentic way.

Olerra lives in a country where women have the goddess given power to overpower any male. It’s a matriarch society, where the men only exist really to “flex and look pretty”. The women are the rulers of society.

As a warrior princess in competition with her conniving cousin, Olerra decides to make a big statement to sway the noble favor. She believes that in order to win the crown, she must kidnap and train a husband. She chooses to steal a prince from a neighboring country that she has been having border attacks against for a while.

Originally, she had planned to steal the prince who was second in line to the throne; grand enough to make a statement but not too important to cause a full scale war.

Sanos, the heir to the throne, accidentally takes his brother’s place during a drunken night out, and Olerra was unaware. She kidnaps the heir to the throne by accident!

This story follows Olerra and Sanos, who both grow so much throughout the book. Olerra is intelligent and kind, incredibly strong and patient, always giving to others and protecting those she cares about (even at the expense of herself). She grows to love her biggest insecurity, which is a trope I loveeeee. Sanos is a brute who was more passive to the abuse of women around him than he had originally thought, and he learns a lot about himself and what he wants throughout his time with Olerra.

At first, this book was intense to get into, but as you accept and dive into the world building, it pays off so well. I was captivated. It was so refreshing to see a badass, strong and smart FMC right from the start, with a bit of a himbo MMC. Yes, he was strong and skilled which made a good match for Olerra, but he wasn’t on her level of skill.

**I find it important to note what Tricia Levenseller says about how this isn’t about “doing the right thing”, but rather, showing a world where women act the way men do. This book is NOT a feminist work. It’s rage.

A quote from the book:

Sanos, the MMC: “The women of Amarra had made themselves cruel and heartless to retaliate against the abuses of men. Sounded like an excuse to be cruel and heartless. To justify doing bad things.”

Olerra, the FMC: “What reason is there for the way the men of your country treat women?”

*mic drop*

But seriously, this was a work of art. I will be thinking about this book for a while, and cannot wait to own a physical copy when it releases!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to ARC read in exchange for an honest review!

What Fury Brings by Tricia Levenseller is a spicy romantasy that is so bingeable. I was intrigued by the premise of this story, it’s an interesting twist on society and it did not disappoint.

Olerra, the FMC, is a warrior princess from the kingdom of Amarra where women rule while men are subservient. Few men are left in Amarra so in order for her to become the front runner for the throne, she must kidnap a husband from a neighboring kingdom which has a very different society from that of Amarra.

Olerra and her kidnapped husband-to-be have chemistry and I enjoyed following their tension filled relationship progression. I also loved that Olerra was such a strong character and leader!

This book is a dark adult romantasy and includes elements of mistaken identity, political intrigue, and an enemies-to-lovers romance with palpable chemistry between the two main characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillian, and FEIWEL for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I was immediately hooked in by the premise of it. I love role reversals and feminist work so I immediately knew I had to read this. I loved the FMC! She is so strong and badass. Characters definitely read as immature. I struggled with the world building and overall just feeling connected to the story. I still would recommend it as it’s a good read and everyone will interpret it in their own ways!

This book had such a fantastic premise! The first part of it even lived up to the hype. It was so much fun reading a reverse captive romance and seeing a kingdom where the traditional gender roles were flipped. But then it got slow. Not much to the plot except for a scheming cousin. It also had major tone issues. The fmc is pushing for gender equality, but also leading this guy around by a collar. There is deep talk about social issues followed by really graphic sex acts. I didn’t buy the romance either. It was insta without much emotion or love. It was still a unique take, and I would recommend it with caution.

This was a big DNF for me. I am all for feminine rage and FT Patriarchy, but it was over the top in a way that I just couldn't get into. I wish the author nothing but success but this was just not for me.

This book was thought-provoking for me. It made me consider how power imbalances that are ingrained in a culture can be overcome. However, this book was difficult to rate because it made me feel uncomfortable. I read and really enjoyed The Shadows Between Us and The Darkness Within Us; I appreciate morally gray characters or those with complicated motives. The difference with this book is that it was difficult to believe that a pair of characters who previously lacked basic empathy for others could experience such deep attraction for each other that it uprooted their entire world view over the span of a few months. I found it troubling that Sanos, as a frequent visitor, had never considered that the workers at the brothel might not enjoy their work or have other options for their income. I also found it troubling that Sanos, as a future ruler, had never considered the safety of the women in Brutus, even as his mother and sister were abused. Similarly, Olerra seems unconcerned about doing anything about the treatment of the men in Amarra, unless she becomes the future ruler. It feels easy to root for Sanos and Olerra only because the alternatives are much, much worse.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC!

After reading the authors note, I will not be finishing this book. I know it's not supposed to be feminist or whatever, it's supposed to be revenge. But the authors note is a giant rage fest of my life is so hard because I am a woman I will make everyone listen to me rage. I had almost enough of that with her last book that I really do not want to read more of it.

This book prompts a fascinating, brutal "what if" hypothetical, but never seemed to move beyond its initial premise. I felt like the characters were continually stuck in their assigned roles with little room for the kind of nuanced development that makes the romantasy genre so compelling. Personally, I would have loved to seen a version of What Fury Brings that leverages brutality/darkness, etc. as just one of multiple storytelling devices vs. the primary method.

In this dark fantasy debut, Tricia Levenseller captures the essence of feminine rage by flipping societal standards declaring women as the epitome of power and strength.

As stated in the authors note this book is about revenge and depicts the injustices and brutality committed against women throughout time having happened to men. "Men should be seen and not heard. Men should smile and flex whenever a woman looks at them".

For every little girl or woman who has heard "you should smile more" or "would you just behave" etc, this book is for them.

Olerra, a war general and princess vying for the throne of Amarra sets out to capture a prince to earn favor among the court. When she captures the heir apparent of a rival kingdom a battle of wills ensues between the two generals leading to undeniable chemistry and bending of gender roles.

This was a solid 3.5 stars for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and devoured it like candy. I do feel as if it was a bit rushed and lacked information that would have added to the depth and development of the plot.

Thank you NetGalley, Feiwel, and Macmillan Publishing Group for this gifted advanced reader copy in return for my honest review.

Tricia Levenseller writing an adult romantasy was not on my bucket list, but oh god, I LOVED IT! Her writing style is amazing so jumping into this new world was easy. The world building is enthralling and I loved every new thing I learned. Definitely check those trigger warnings though. I appreciated that we got to experience the range of female rage to healing. Olerra is the kind of heroine we need more of. She's badass and brilliant and so thoughtful. Sanos was so fun. It was great seeing a man on this side of the kidnapping. He grew throughout the book and it was so nice watching. Their romance is adorable and I NEED Tricia to write another one about two characters who shall not be named... Overall, a delicious story that I will be coming back to again and again.

I'm still confused about how I'm supposed to feel.

First of all, thank god for the Author's Note at the beginning, so I at least knew what to expect. It is very clear that What Fury Brings is supposed to flip our society and history, with women being the "head" and men playing a submissive/docile role. For example, in this world, men are the weaker sex, they should be seen and not heard, they cannot hold property, etc. I thought this was a really interesting premise, having the roles reversed, but it didn't make it feel any less gross.

This was a very easy read for me, only taking 5.5 hours, and the plot was pretty fast-paced. While the writing and prose didn't blow me away, it was definitely better than a lot of other books I've read recently. Unfortunately, that's about all of the praise I can give.

As a "romantasy," yikes... I hated it; however, from a satirical point of view, it was interesting enough to keep me reading. Which is why I'm so confused as to how I'm supposed to interpret the text; there were very serious and gruesome topics explored, but I didn't feel the weight of them due to the FMC's internal monologue explaining that all of it is "normal." The FMC kidnaps the MMC because she needs a husband, but she isn't intent on making him "suffer" like other women in her society might... except... I don't necessarily agree with that. You see, the FMC prides herself on giving the MMC a choice and consenting to everything that happens; however, she doesn't really give him a choice—only the illusion of choice. Dude is strapped to the bed spread-eagled and stripped naked (none of which was consented). The FMC then proceeds to pleasure herself right next to him, wanting him to watch (no consent). Now, from a "roles-reversed" POV this makes sense and is supposed to feel uneasy, BUT not when the FMC prides herself on giving him a "choice" and proceeds to do the opposite. The scene itself isn't what icked me out, it was how contradictory it all was while in the FMC's head. Was this done on purpose, or was this just a moment of terrible writing? By the very end, it just seemed like the MMC had a bad case of Stockholm Syndrome, and it left me feeling really sad for him, even though it ended in a HEA. There was just no actual character progression or growth from both parties, so what was the point?

Also, the setup of the world, when you really think about it, doesn't make a lot of sense. Apparently, 500 years ago, the kingdom was oppressing women, and they were then given magic to be able to overpower men, so they just flipped the society—an eye for an eye. This just doesn't work, though. After 500 years, you would think there would be some move to a more "equal" society. Maybe after 50-100, I'd get it because it's still "fresh"... but 500??? The FMC's kingdom, Amarra, is an extremely progressive and queer-normative society, which was definitely interesting to read about; however, obviously, when it comes to men, that is not the case (duh, I get it). I don't know, it just hard to visualize a society that is so accepting of everyone and then still, after 500 years, is like "fuck all men."

This book could have made a huge statement with the role-reversed world, but it completely fell flat. After reading, I was expecting to feel empowered as a woman, but I'm left feeling uneasy and confused. I just don't understand what statement What Fury Brings was trying to make? I get that it is supposed to be filled with female rage due to oppression in society... I just don't think it was executed properly in the way it was intended.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review :-)

What Fury Brings
by: Tricia Levenseller

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A gasped when I got approved for this eARC! I have loved the other books I’ve read by this author, particularly The Shadows Between Us and The Darkness Within Us. Needless to say when I found out the author was releasing her first adult romantic fantasy, I was excited! This story is a Dark Romantasy where all the injustices that happen to women IRL are done to men; it basically flips the patriarchy on its head. It is NOT for the faint of heart, but it had me in a chokehold. The commentary about the inequities of the sexes were so well done, and the romance was raw and intense but rewarding.

This book is a must read if you like:
🗡️ Strong and Powerful FMC
🗡️ Enemies to Lovers
🗡️ Dual POV
🗡️ Matriarchal Society
🗡️ Captor / Captive
🗡️ Spicy 🌶️ 🌶️🌶️

Note: The author has a letter to the reader at the beginning of the book about the intent behind this book, and it’s a must read before starting. She really elaborates on the choices made in the story, and context is everything.

Thank you to Macmillan, Feiwel, and NetGalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tricia Levenseller does not miss. What Fury Brings is a firecracker of a novel—equal parts vengeance and vulnerability, with a heroine who’s all blade and bite. The pacing is relentless, the emotions run deep, and the stakes are higher than ever.

This is the kind of book you inhale in one sitting. The action is tight, the romance is tense and satisfying, and the character growth is earned. Fury, grief, and healing all collide in this brilliant addition to Levenseller’s fantasy canon. I loved every moment.

This book made me unreasonably angry. Here are a few reasons:
1. It wasn't what I was expecting based on the blurb, and I was disappointed.
2. There wasn't enough focus on the world-building. I thought the world was super interesting but I needed more.
3. Why was sex the focus of this book??? It was too much. I wanted to like Olerra, she's a strong warrior princess, but she was so horny it was off-putting.
4. It had some good moments, but was over- shadowed by the aforementioned sex. Just because it's an adult novel doesn't mean it has to be so sex-heavy. Dial down the sex a little, ramp up the fantasy, and it had the potential to be a good book.

Those are just a few of the problems I had with this book.