*Please read content warnings*

When thinking about the current state of the world (if you know, you know), I cannot imagine this book coming at a better time. Tricia Levenseller has jumped out of her comfort zone of YA and has broken out into adult romantasy; which I think she did smashingly well.

What Fury Brings flips the script of the male and female dynamic. It starts in the heat of a battle between two different countries, one a predominantly female country where women rule over men and the other more like the mainstream world we see in real life; with ruling men. In Amarra it is a tradition for the women to kidnap men from other countries to be their husbands. The powerful female general has her sights on the royal line of their enemy; the kingdom of Brutus. However, things go awry, and she does not kidnap the correct prince, but unknowingly the heir.

Does she manage to tame the brute? Does he ever stop trying to fight and flee back to his country? Is he willing to accept many of the actions his gender commits against women as atrocities? Will the general’s grave mistake of kidnapping the heir bring war and devastation to her country of Amarra? Will the world one day become a better place?

What Fury Brings is the perfect title for this book, as it embodies feminine rage brought by the atrocities of men in a society that fails many because “yes, for that is what fury brings.”.

Unfortunately, this just didn’t hit the mark for me. I liked the idea of a reversed world where women were the superior gender that was in charge but hated that when given power they had all the horrible qualities midevil men had. The main character did wish for change but you didn’t get to see any of that change enacted. Because of how society is set up, I was uncomfortable with how the FMC and MMC met and started their relationship ship, it made it unbelievable he could fall in love with her given how his character was portrayed at the beginning and her did a random 180 halfway through the book. I also found the writing awkward and overly formal with the way things were explained being disjointed from the story telling and not flowing well.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Olerra must kidnap and train a husband from another kingdom to be voted in as queen. It will be a show of strength. She goes to Brutish to kidnap the 2nd son of the prince but is unaware that the crown prince has take his spot. The moment Sanos is kidnapped he hatches an escape plan. He doesn’t let Olerra know that he is the crown prince for fear of death. Olerra works to get him to be a submissive husband in order to look powerful in front of the leaders of her female led a society. Sanos needs to escape before they find out who he really is but he starts to fall for his captor.

Tricia Levenseller is a must read author for me. This was her first foray into adult fantasy as she has only ever written ya before. I loved the concept of a female led society.this was darker than I thought it would be but it was also funny. They poised the question what would happen if women were in charge? The answer the same thing men had done throughout society. Men are beaten, raped, kept chained, bought and sold. Women do not better than men. Levenseller did say this wasn’t a feminist book it was a revenge book. But she also gave the reader hope that Olerra would change things once she was queen. Overall I liked this book. I thought there were some issues. It definitely kept interest and I read it in one sitting. I loved the main characters. I would definitely read a second book about Ydra. I’m excited to see how Olerra and Sanos bring the two kingdoms together and what changes are made.

Thank you to NetGalley and McMillian’s Children’s Publishing for providing me this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to preface my review with this quick note from the author:

“This is not a feminist book. Feminism is about equality among the sexes. This book is about revenge.”

Please read the trigger warnings before diving into this book.

With that said, I thought this was a great adult dark fantasy. There is enough world building to understand the narratives of the two main opposing countries. The FMC Olerra is a strong, opinionated woman who is fighting for her right to the crown. We see her desire to make changes to her country for all citizens. The other potential crown princess, her cousin Glenaerys, wants to keep the status quo of keeping males under the control of females. We see the MMC Sanos grow in his own beliefs by witnessing the atrocities his sex bear in Amarra and realizing his own country’s flaws.

While reading this book, I compared it to Game of Thrones. I did not read that series to feel happy and content. It had shocking and disturbing scenes that were necessary to understand the world the book was set in. This book is similar. There will be things that undoubtably make you squirm. Let me reiterate to read the trigger warnings.

The ending felt slightly anticlimactic for me, which is why I gave this book four stars instead of five. I still very much enjoyed the ride. I enjoyed the immediate chemistry between Olerra and Sanos and the tension they have as a result of their forced relationship. If you like dark romance, I think you’ll like this book.

#whatfurybrings #tricialevenseller #darkromantasy

The novel is a little different than what I normally read. It was a good read. There are two kingdoms, one where women rule, and the other where men rule. The book was different in regards to seeing what it would be like if women were in power, for most are familiar with how it was when men were in control. The lead female and male characters were strong individuals, each having their own thoughts and beliefs based on the kingdom, they grew up in. Both had to see the perspective from the other, sift through the lies and falsehoods they believed about each kingdom, even though some was true. Olerra and Sanos learned from each other, but it wasn’t easy. They both had their fears and secrets. It is not one extreme or the other, but something in between that satisfies all parties and sometimes risks must be taken. I received this novel as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Goodness do I love Tricia Levenseller. I was ecstatic to be given the opportunity to read her debut as an adult fantasy writer. I devoured this book. I loved the development of the characters and the overall storyline. The story was written with the same flare and interest that Tricia is known for. I thought Sanos and Olerra had great chemistry.

I would have given the story a 5 star overall however, I felt the inclusion of some of the adult scenes were redundant and not as well developed as I would like. I enjoy a slow burn romance but hearing how often she was "preparing" herself for him was slightly off putting. Also, I appreciated the feminist theme but there were moments that it felt too in your face. There were great moments of subtly that I thought better sold the story as a work of feminism.

I would sign up immediately to read follow on stories for the side characters of this, including, Ydra and Sanos' brothers. Tricia has become an immediate read/buy for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan/Feiwel for giving me the opportunity to read this story and share my thoughts.

As a huge fan of most of Tricia Levenseller’s previous work and as a fan of adult romantasy in general, I came into this was high hopes and big expectations.

With that being said, I’m struggling with how I feel about this one. While I love the idea of a story that flips the “normal” script and allows us to see a society ruled by woman, this one just felt off-putting. I found myself rooting for no one, when I thought (based off of the synopsis) that I’d be rooting for the matriarchy.

Positively, I think the world was well fleshed out and the overall writing was good. Our main characters both show growth and while I wasn’t a fan of their romance, I did enjoy watching them develop. It was an easy read without being too simplistic. While this wasn’t the story for me, I can easily see others enjoying it.

If I had known it was basically erotica, I wouldn't have read it. A disgrace of a book on gender dynamics, oppression, and discussion.

This book is so much more than I expected. It wasn’t perfect, but I enjoyed it so much, I’m giving it 5 stars.

I can see how this book would not be for every reader. Take the author’s note at the beginning seriously. I want to emphasize that there is more to this book than just a furious role reversal of the genders; there is more nuance to the themes than just rage and revenge. I don’t know if the author plans on writing anymore books in this world, but I think there is an opportunity to explore how a society rebuilds in a more just way.

If you’re looking for an FMC that isn’t teeny tiny waif of a human, who has strength and skill on her own merit, then this book is for you. I think this book gives us what a lot of fantasy/romantasy readers have been asking for in an FMC. I’m just buzzing with excitement for this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy to review.

There were definitely elements of this book that I appreciated, and I can see this being someone else’s cup of tea—but it just wasn’t mine.

The premise is bold, and I love when a book takes risks in the romantasy space. But for a book that tackles power, gender, and oppression, I was hoping for more depth. The idea of a matriarchal society had so much potential, but watching it mirror the same cycles of abuse and control we see in patriarchal systems left me feeling more disheartened than empowered. The story hinted at change, but it never fully commits to exploring what that would look like.

The romance had potential (their banter was fun!), but I didn’t fully feel the emotional depth once things turned serious. It stayed a bit too surface-level for me. That said, the pacing was fast, the plot had a few surprises, and I was definitely never bored.

This book had such a promising start and witty writing. I just felt like it dropped so quickly after the first 70-90 page mark. I was so excited to read a book where the tables have turned and women were leaders and they were stronger than men. But not getting the change in the system to better ways on the page made me uneasy. I did not enjoy reading a book where men were oppressed and belittled. This is not what women really want; we want the power to be equal, not to torture men for our pleasure. The end picked up what was missing, but I didn't feel it was enough.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for this advance reader copy.

This was such an interesting book, and so different from the other romantasy books out there. This book was based on flipping the gender roles of history and the history of misogyny. I have to say that the setup for the world and the differing power dynamics were well fleshed out. I did feel that the relationship between the main characters didn't hit for me like I felt it should, and I am not sure why. I don't know if it was the discomfort of the power dynamics or that it almost felt that they didn't spend too much time together to justify the relationship. This was just not my cup of tea and generally made me uncomfortable. Despite all of that the author definitely tried something new!

Okay. This was a lot.
I’m giving it 3 stars because I really don’t like going lower than that for an ARC; I like to give my notes to the author and allow them a chance to make improvements before release. This is more of a 2.5 for me, at best, as it is currently written.

I requested this ARC because the premise of a world lacking men where women must kidnap their husbands sounded fun.
I want to love this, but I need a few things for this to be one I recommend. My opinions are my own and this review is voluntary.

The good:
1. I literally laughed reading the authors note. I love a solid sense of humor, and the stint about not being for minors or her father absolutely sent me. Instant brownie points.

2. The premise. I love the idea of a world run by women because of the nurturing and empathy we have to offer. More on this in the bad though….

3. This read as satire to me. I’m not 100% sure that was the authors intent, but a satirical dark romantasy just kinda fit my current reading mood.

4. This was a fun, quick read tied up with a cute HEA.

A quote that made me giggle: “Men were unfit to rule. They were easy to provoke, and they always thought with their cocks instead of their heads, which was why they were better suited to the bedroom.”

Now for the bad….
1. The marketing for this needs to be corrected. This is a dark romantasy. Yes, the trigger warnings are present and I most definitely advise checking them, but this is not marketed as dark and needs to be. I enjoy dark, but went into this thinking it was going to be cute/funny and the subject matter is definitely not. I would have been irritated if I purchased this under the current marketing.

2. Although I stated this read as satire, it still needs progression. I get that it’s about female fury, but why does that have to interpret to cruelty and embarrassment under the guise of “an eye for an eye”?

3. The immaturity of these characters was difficult to read. Maybe it’s the lack of emotional maturity, I’m not sure. But even with this reading as satire, I wanted some kind of emotional connection and there was none. I would absolutely not want to live in a world ruled by the prince or princess.

4. The ending felt rushed. The beginning was funny, the middle was annoying because there was no character progression, and the ending was just not all that satisfying aside from the HEA.

Examples: “How is that any different from what you’re doing to men here?” he demanded. “The difference, Prince, is that the women of Amarra became this way to counter the way men were treating them. Your sex started this. The current point, however, is that it’s ridiculous for you to be offended by the way you’re being treated when your own people practice it. It’s just always been in your favor until now.”

So, the men treating women in these manners is frowned upon by women so they decide to flip the script and return the “favor”? Why not aim for a better world with equality?

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

I get that that is what fury brings, hence the title of the book, BUT not an ounce of growth in 500 years? Not a single person has said “this is wrong, we should aim for equality.” Even the FMC, while stating she desires change, is so caught up in her culture that she’s not really putting in the effort. Becoming crown princess shouldn’t be the only goal here. Her response to him, if she were showing growth, should be that she needs him to help her earn the crown so she can make changes. That just doesn’t seem to be happening.

“to help you compare your country to mine and see the world through our eyes. I’m not saying it’s right. Just that there is a reason for it.”

Chin scratch. Brow furrowed. What? So wrong is okay as long as you have a good reason? What is happening.

“She would not be abusive. She was not her cousin.”

Emotional abuse, anyone? Constantly demeaning, embarrassing, and essentially enslaving these men just because of their gender isn’t abuse?

“One thing I wish I could make men understand,” she said, “is empathy.”

Is empathy in the room with us? Because I expected a female run country to be filled with it. Fury or not.

This Book Left Me Breathless—in the Best Way Possible
There are over 170,000 words in the English language, and somehow none of them feel adequate enough to describe what this book made me feel. Dramatic? Maybe. But I’m sitting here stunned, raw, and absolutely in awe. This book didn’t just entertain me—it cracked me open. It gave me something I didn’t even know I was looking for. And now that I’ve found it, I can’t stop thinking about it.
Nothing I’ve read comes close to this. It plunged into uncharted emotional territory and forced me to confront truths I didn’t realize I was avoiding—even as a self-proclaimed feminist. There were moments I caught myself thinking, Wait…no, this can’t be right, only to realize how deeply internalized certain beliefs were. And that’s the brilliance of this story: it challenges, it provokes, and it transforms.
Let’s talk about the characters—because wow. Olerra, our fierce female main character, is a general in her kingdom’s army. In her world, women are divinely gifted with strength, physically. And Olerra? She’s the embodiment of everything I want to see more of in fiction: powerful, compassionate, strategic, plus-size, and unapologetically herself. She’s not just a warrior—she’s a queen in every sense of the word.
Then there’s Sanos, the man she steals—yes, steals—as part of a tradition to prove her dominance and worthiness to rule. Initially resistant and brutish (true to his culture), he slowly begins to unravel the toxicity of his own male-dominated upbringing. Watching his growth, his understanding, and his quiet strength evolve was nothing short of captivating. He’s not just a love interest—he’s a revolution in motion.
This book is a brilliant "what if"—a mirror flipped. What if the power dynamics were reversed? What if women ruled the world and men had to endure what women have for centuries? It’s a bold, biting, and utterly unforgettable exploration of gender, power, and the systems that shape us. Tricia Levenseller channels generations of feminine rage and wraps it in a story that is at once fantastical and painfully real.
If you’re craving a book that breaks the mold, that dares to ask the hard questions and doesn’t flinch from the answers, add this to your TBR immediately. Prepare to question everything, to feel everything, and to come out the other side changed.
This isn’t just a book—it’s an awakening.

as always, thank you to netgalley and the publishers for sending me an e-arc of this book! 🤍

What Fury Brings was a wild ride. first of all, this book completely flips the patriarchy on its head. in this world, there’s a shortage of men, so women have to kidnap their husbands. it’s a revenge story through and through, filled with feminine rage.

tricia is one of my favorite YA authors, so i was really curious going into her adult debut. i wasn’t quite sure what to expect, and i’ll be honest, the first half of this book had me feeling really conflicted. i really wasn’t a fan of how the male main character was treated early on. the power dynamics were intentionally uncomfortable, and the constant humiliation of him just didn’t sit right with me. i know that was the point. that this women-led kingdom was meant to mirror the cruelty of a men-led one, but I think i was hoping for a version of power that looked different, not just a reversal of the same cycles.

that said, by the end of the book, i was definitely more emotionally invested. i ended up really loving the growth in the relationship between the two main characters and how they began to actually understand each other. it gave me hope for the future of this world, and I appreciated that their dynamic evolved.

overall, i did enjoy the book, but there were definitely parts that didn’t totally work for me, which makes it kind of tricky for me to rate. but if you’re into revenge stories, complex power dynamics, and books filled with feminine rage, this might be one to pick up. just make sure you read the trigger warnings first! 🗡️

This book is worth reading simply because it makes you think about the inequality women have faced throughout history. I wouldn't read it again, but I am glad I got an ARC. It is well-written and enjoyable.

A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of What Fury Brings!

This book was an absolute delight—packed with laugh-out-loud moments and set in a brilliantly imaginative, female-led society that I thoroughly enjoyed exploring. The world-building was creative and refreshing. While the romantic subplot felt a bit flat and didn’t really pick up until the very end, it didn’t take away from how much fun this book was overall. A truly joyful read!

In a gender flipped story about a princess who must steal a husband to earn her crown, a young women battles cut throat politics and a rebellious prince to earn her right to rule her country the way she sees fit.

First off, I want to point out that the author clearly states that this isn't a feminist book. A lot people are confused about that and I think it comes from the assumption that any gender flipping of traditional roles must mean that the story will automatically create a balanced and perfect feminist society.
Feminism, regardless of how the word sounds, actually means equality between the sexes, not a story about women being in power. This is a story about women being in power in every way and choosing not be feminist. In fact I would go as far as to say it's a misandrist story.
And that's fine. There are hardly any.

Second, I've seen criticism of how the gender flipping didn't create any thoughtful rebalancing of power and that it's basically women acting like men. And again, that's true but it's also fine in my opinion because there are hardly any books like that and I think it was the author's intention to do just that.

Now to the story itself: it was a quick read. Fast paced and grounded, it was well written. I especially like Olerra's voice and the delibrate prose. The plot was easy to follow, the love interest engaging.

My only criticism would be that it reads a little dry. Even with Olerra's and Sanos' inner thoughts, there was a lot of distance between the characters and the reader.

I think the book might be better suited to fantasy readers (which I am) than Romantasy readers.

Good book. It’s an interesting take on reversed roles. Author did a good job describing worlds. I thought it was a fast read and spicy!

I really love Tricia writing and her previous books but this one over all kind of rub me the wrong way. The premise of the book is the roles of men and women are switched when men are dying out and women are able to choose their husbands. It felt like a book that had the potential to have great feminine aspects and showing the strength of women but it was kinda of the opposite and felt very off putting. It’s kind of reminded me of the new book that came out Firebird. Great storyline but some aspects just felt off. I hope she continues to write adult books but maybe not one with such a political fury that fell flat I. The over all lesson learned in the book.