I wanted to like this book. I really did….

But this was just gross. It was a temper tantrum for every time the author felt wronged by men. Which yes, men can suck. And yes, it would be hilarious to see them go through some of the things we do as women….but I would never wish these things on anyone. The author does state that in her note, but the tone of the book makes it seem that even the most atrocious actions are ok.

I would get into the plot, and then WHAM child sex slavery…..like WHAT?! Maybe if the main character sounded more against these things, but she’s just like that’s the way it is. Does she want to change things when she becomes queen? Yeah, but she captures a male prince to become her slave and eventually husband to do that.

I can see where the author wanted to go with this, but it was just very poorly executed and not well thought out. With the way culture is today, I do not see this being received well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

4.25/5

The moment this book was announced, I was ready. I have the audiobook pre-ordered and plans to pick up the physical copy on the day it releases. I am so ready. When I got this eARC, I was a little hesitant because I do better with audiobooks and physical copies. But wow! I finished this in less than 24-hours and I. ATE. IT. UP. I cannot stress to you enough how addicting it was to read. Let me also just say, without spoilers, that Tricia Levenseller is no coward.

This book is truly a breath of fresh air. I read (a lot) and sometimes the same tropes over and over again can get a little tiresome. This is why I need books like this to keep me going. I love that in this book the female character is the one sacrificing and has actual agency, especially because in the context of a female dominant patriarchy, where her sacrifices don't diminish her character. She wants to do better and she has the ability to show that instead of just talking about it.

It's satisfying to have the male character be the one who gets "forced" to wear the revealing clothes and the jewelry. To be the one who gets the scrubbed-by-servants scene.

The story has a nice balance of comedy and darkness.

The antagonists are a little cartoonishly evil, but that's not where I need/want my nuance anyway. It did not detract my enjoyable.

This book was unlike anything I’ve read before!! It is definitely dark so anyone who reads should check the triggers. But it’s a world of reversed male/female roles, men can’t own land or title only through their female counterparts can they do anything. A society of goddess blessed women who took it upon themselves to flip the rules. Olestra is in the running to be queen of this country and wants to change things for the better. Sanos is the crown prince of a neighboring kingdom who is oblivious to things that happen in his own kingdom. When their worlds unexpectedly collide they both grow and heal in the most beautiful ways but not without a couple of things getting in the way including Olerra’s awful cousin and Sanos’s equally as awful father. I adored this story with all of the twists and turns of the plot. Watch as these two change their world for the better while falling for each other in the process!

I am always looking for stories that push boundaries and authors that aren’t afraid to make readers a little uncomfortable. That being said, read the warnings and authors note before diving in! This may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

I love that this book flips the patriarchy on its head for a female dominated world. The romance and fantasy is blended well, but could’ve dived just a little deeper.

It’s a fun unique story and recommend for those that can handle the bold and dark part of a dark romantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! 🙌

First off, I was super excited when I received this book so thank you NetGalley for that. I also was immediately intrigued by what the plot was setting out to be given the obvious role reversal between men and women. This really helped to set the tone of the book for me and ,add me more willing to jump right in.

Unfortunately, that excitement was short lived by the lack of character development. I assumed that we would see more of the women showing ,en how to rule and behave while standing in their power but that idea quickly seemed to fall flat when our FMC continued to behave in the same manner as what is typically complained about with men. I found myself loosing interest and only finished for my own sake.

The good intentions behind the book were there but for my personal preferences, I would have liked to see more growth and evolution of the characters, especially one that’s a strong FMC.

If Tricia Lavensellar writes it, I will read it.

When I heard she’s writing a adult fantasy novel I just knew that I had to pick it up immediately. Reverse grumpy x sunshine + powerful fmc that would absolutely dominate this world? Period, say less, I am here to devour.

This book was nothing short of a masterpiece. Wonderfully written and told with a plot that will have you at the edge of your seat. Don’t even get me started on the MMC, I love them when they are weak and so down bad for the fmc. Always makes them 10x hotter. Truly was obsessed.

If your looking for a book about female power, domination, but also a story with a bit more sensitive topics then I highly recommend this one. 5 stars no questions asked <3

First, I want to thank NetGalley for receiving this ARC.

This Romantasy brought life back into me. I loved every single twist and turn in this book. The characters were easy to fall in love with.

You have Sanos, who is a prince and is next in line to become King of Brutus. He comes home once a year to celebrate his birthday with his brothers and visit his mother and sister as he is always sent to the front lines in battles on behalf of his father. When he is out with his brothers at a brothel, he gets kidnapped!

Then you have the General of Amarra and future Queen potential, Olerra. She is a fearless badass of a woman. In order for her to prove that she is the perfect candidate to be crowned princess she would need to kidnap a husband from another Kingdom. She decides to kidnap a Brutus prince to show she can overpower a man and to beat her cousin for the role.

I can't wait for the world to know Sanos and Olerra. I will forever think about this book. This was deliciously good, and I couldn't put it down. This story was worth staying up 'til 2am.

Thank you to Feiwel and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What Fury Brings is an adult romantasy that follows Olerra, a warrior princess from a matriarchal society where women have been gifted with the ability to overpower all men, and Sanos, the crown prince of a neighboring kingdom that embraces a misogynistic type of society that is often at odds with Olerra's own country. Olerra wishes to one day be queen, so in a show of power and cunning to impress her nobles, she sets out to kidnap herself a noble husband as is tradition. While her aim is Sanos's younger brother -- surprise, surprise -- she ends up kidnapping the wrong prince and is none the wiser.

If this book is one thing, it is incredibly "binge-able." I was immediately able to jump into the story without being bogged down with information from the get go. There aren't too many characters thrown at us at once and the important ones are easy to keep track of. The world building is uncomplicated (though as the story went on, I did wish there was more to it), and easy to grasp. The pacing was good apart from the middle that I found a bit repetitive. I've read Levenseller's books before and they are always very quick, easy reads and I found that to be the case here. This is also the author's first adult book and this lives up to the genre, with many sex acts (not just between the MCs) being shown on page. If that's not something you like, this book might be a pass for you.

The main reason for my 3 star rating is the setting that Levenseller has created for the country of Amarra. Amarra is a fictional "flip" of the traditional patriarchal society. Men are the weaker sex, many men are slaves, men are meant to be seen and not heard, and any man who draws the blood of woman is sentenced to death. For me, this was simultaneously the strongest and weakest part of the story for me. Strongest because the world the author creates is unlike anything I have read in a novel, romantasy or otherwise, ever, and that novelty is something that I crave in the books I read. That said, I really think there needed to be more to it. I think it's worth mentioning here that in the author's note at the beginning of the book, Levenseller states the book isn't meant to be some feminist propaganda or social commentary, it's her revenge against all the times she was shut down in real life by a man/men and how she has channeled it into this story. I see that, I understand it, I kept it in mind while reading. Based on this, it makes sense why the world building is so shallow, for lack of a better word. It's clear the author has thought about many situations in the context of the story, but all of those scenes were basic, with little nuance. It reminded me of her YA novels where this kind of glossing over is acceptable yet doesn't have a place in an adult book. Lastly, the story deals with number of heavy themes -- rape, forced slavery, domestic violence, pedophilia (briefly), among others, yet gives them the same treatment as the lighter aspects of the story, which just didn't sit right with me. It doesn't feel like these themes should just be used as plot points or to further a scene and that the author should have taken more care or just omitted them altogether.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read, and I did like how everything came together in the end. It's a good story but maybe a little too ambitious in attempts to subvert the narrative and unfortunately it brought the story down for me overall.

I was really excited to get approved for this book! A world where men are kidnapped as husbands by strong powerful badass women? Yea I'll read that! I love that the concept of this book is that men and women's traditional roles are totally flipped. I recommend reading the author's note in the beginning of this book, as she has a good way of describing this concept and the trigger warnings that do along with it since this is a dark romance. It is a very unique spicy adult story, and I have never read anything like it.

That being said, I cannot say I particulary enjoyed reading this book. I thought I would like the MFC, but I can't say that I liked her honestly. She's just as bad as the abuse that she complains about, and I just could not get past it.

I have never read anything by Tricia Levenseller but I'm told that this isn't her normal type of book. Maybe I'll try another one of her books in the future!

In Amarra, women rule not only the country, but the bedroom. Olerra, a crown princess competing for the throne, must kidnap a husband to prove her worth to her country and ensure the crown does not go to her sadistic cousin, Glen. She has her sights set on Prince Andrastus, second born prince of one of Amarra's enemy countries Brutus. Instead, she ends up with Crown Prince Sanos, only she doesn't know it. Can she tame Sanos, whom she knows as Andrastus, enough to secure the throne? Or will her cousin Glen see to her downfall?

Tricia Levenseller flips the stolen bride script on it's head with this powerful jump into the adult novel scene. She masterfully conquers the discourse on the mistreatment that women endure daily by showing readers a society lead by women and focused on their pleasure. While readers may grapple with some uncomfortable themes, it endears the reader to the main male character, who is also struggling with reconciling these themes himself. I gave it four out of five stars, only because I wished for there to be more story! It ended far too soon.

4.5 ⭐️

This book was so unique and interesting! I loved how the author made their society to highlight the differences in gender in our own culture. In general the idea behind the world and the culture in the story is so unique and original, which is hard to find these days. I really liked the characters and I genuinely couldn’t put this book down! I loved how strong our fmc, Olerra, was and I loved our kidnapped prince so much! I thought that the plot was very intriguing and really kept my attention on the book. I haven’t read very many fantasy standalones that have good plot and good storyline, while also feeling complete and without holes. I think this story is like a breath of fresh air with all the recent books being so similar to each other. I would definitely recommend this one and I hope we see a Ydra and Canus book soon!

Thank you to FEIWEL and Netgalley for the ARC!! And thank you Tricia for such a fun and inspired read!

DNF at 15%

I ended up skimming further to see if potentially my issues were fixed but this book is FULL of noncon moments which are just too much for me. I was hoping for a feminine rage novel where they become better with power, but it’s just a genuine role reversal and next to no growth happens.

What Fury Brings is a darkly immersive, atmospheric fantasy that blends vengeance, myth, and a surprisingly tender exploration of grief. Tricia Levenseller delivers another strong heroine with teeth, literally and emotionally, and I was immediately hooked by the morally gray layers and high stakes.

Pros:
•The pacing is tight, and the plot doesn’t drag, every chapter pushes you deeper into the world and the character’s pain and purpose.
•The rage-fueled magic system is unique and really well integrated into the narrative. It felt like its own character.
•Levenseller’s heroine is sharp, vengeful, and refreshingly flawed. I appreciated how her fury wasn’t sanitized.
•There’s just enough romance to keep things emotionally compelling without overtaking the core revenge arc.

Cons:
•Some of the side characters felt underdeveloped, especially given how much weight they carried in the plot’s emotional stakes.
•A few of the twists were a little predictable, especially if you’re familiar with Levenseller’s previous books.
•I wanted slightly more world-building, there are glimpses of fascinating lore, but they’re never fully explored.

Overall, this was a compelling, satisfying read with an edge, and I’m very curious to see where the story goes next. Fans of vengeance-fueled fantasy heroines with a soft spot buried under layers of rage will eat this up.

I have really liked the author’s past books but
- building a world around sexual slavery of men (or anyone) needs to be carefully handled and this wasn’t
- the emotional relationship between the MCs doesn’t even make sense given their slave-master, kidnapped-kidnapper dynamic for a limited time
- the attraction of the MMC to the FMC with everything he is going through really doesn’t make sense
- the shock factor of their first sexual encounter of her fingering him at 60% of the book is not worth the distraction
- the shock factor of her using wooden phalluses because she is a virgin is not the worth the distraction
- I don’t understand the point of this book at all

I get nervous reading things labeled “dark romance” sometimes, but I felt like I needed to read this one for myself! The only other Tricia Levenseller book I’ve read is The Darkness Within Us, but I felt like that gave me a good idea of her writing and tone. The world in this book is very dark, but I feel like the relationship is not. Aside from the kidnapping, it’s quite sweet! Tricia made it really clear in the author’s note that this is not how she believes a matriarchy would actually run, but in her story, it’s a matriarchy that formed as revenge. This is a story of a man forced to understand what it’s like to be a woman in his own kingdom. He’s oppressed and trapped, and he learns empathy. It’s likely not everyone’s cup of tea, and kidnapping always makes things questionable, but overall I really enjoyed this book! It was really easy to read, and I was super engaged in the story the whole time!

What Fury Brings by Tricia Levenseller is not my typical read, but boy was I pleasantly surprised! This book is a dark, adult romantasy and it was not meant to be a fluffy, lighthearted tale. If you go in expecting your typical romantasy, you might be disappointed. Instead, What Fury Brings is meant to highlight the injustice in the inequality of the sexes, and by flipping the genders Levenseller succeeds. Please check your trigger warnings!

Olerra is a character to root for. She’s strong, brave, and level headed. She has a mission, and it’s impossible not to support her trying to make Amarra better for everyone. It was a pleasure to follow her’s and Sanos’ story. Although it’s a standalone, as a reader you are left wanting more. I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of darker romantasy!

Thank you Tricia Levenseller, NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC.

What a story! It’s full of female rage and I loved every bit of it. For the people that felt that this book was a bit harsh on the men, wasn’t that the whole point? To call out all the things that women have gone through that have become so normalized in society. We don’t realize how crazy it is until the genders are flipped on us. The author did such a good job flipping the script and incorporating all those little details into the book.

The plot itself intrigued me from the start. Sanos and Olerra are such a well suited match and honestly they each hold their own in the relationship. I also love love love Yrda! She is so loyal, caring, and strong. The perfect bestie/chosen sister for Olerra. It seems like the epilogue is setting up for Yrda’s book and I can’t wait!

This book really pleasantly surprised me.
4.5 stars and 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I thoroughly enjoyed watching these two idiots fall in love and overcome their trauma. Olerra is the heir to the throne of Amarra, a matriarchal country where women have been gifted with the ability to overpower men physically. This book grapples with the implication of this power shift and ways power corrupts. I warn everyone to read the trigger warnings. I found the beginning of the book, particularly the ways the Amarran women treat their men, difficult to read. Once the plot picked up and the characters motives were revealed the necessity of these elements became clear.

It was nice to read a book that was spicy and fast paced but also had some very serious elements. It made for an epic ending.

Thank you Macmillan for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

As a fan of Tricia Levenseller’s other books, I was excited to start this one. I read the description, and I had seen posts about it on TikTok and Instagram. I was more than ready to see what Tricia Levenseller’s adult fantasy debut would look like.
At the start of the book there is an author's note and trigger warnings. I read them and was surprised because there were a few things that weren’t really advertised. I was surprised, but I still wanted to read the book, so I carried on.
In my opinion, this book fell short in many areas. The book's pacing was all over the place, which is pretty typical for a Levenseller book, but this one was particularly bad. I felt the magic and world-building were lacking. There were some inconsistencies that were explained away with “but it’s magic!” It’s a hard task to write a fantasy book and not info dump but also give the reader enough information to create the world in their mind. In my opinion this book didn’t do that well. It fell flat. Throughout this book the magic and world-building just felt very YA rather than adult. The only thing for me that really made this fall in the adult genre was the vulgar language and perverse themes. This whole world is just so hypersexualized that there really wasn’t anything of substance to enjoy.
Which brings me to my next point: I found myself so disgusted and disappointed in this book. I think the author's note sets the wrong tone for the abuse and horrific behavior. When Levenseller frames the book as an expression of her fury—a revenge book she worked on whenever she felt “wronged” by a man—and then includes 13-year-old boys being sold and raped, it gave me an extremely uncomfortable feeling. It didn’t feel like the story was condemning that behavior strongly enough. Treating anyone—man or woman—like that is wrong.
Throughout the book, one of the main characters, Olerra, is constantly justifying the mistreatment of men. Some quotes of these are “My society is a result of the crimes of men,” and when the other main character, Sanos, says, “Instead of making the world a better place, your ancestors flipped it,” Olerra replies, “Yes, that’s what fury brings.” Clearly she’s never heard the saying two wrongs don’t make a right. You can’t really preach about the abuse of women and say it’s wrong in one breath but then justify why it’s okay for you to abuse men in the next. The hypocrisy throughout the whole book was incredibly annoying.
In the ending it didn’t get any better for me. There wasn’t a good resolution, and you cannot convince me that Olerra and Sanos actually like each other in any meaningful way, and once again they are still treating people badly. Nothing changed.
I would rate this book 1 star—which is truly shocking, because I’ll read almost anything and can usually find something to enjoy in a book. I rarely give 1-star reviews, but it’s honestly a miracle I even finished this one. It was so bad that I think it’s ruined all of Levenseller’s other books for me. I’m not sure I’ll be able to read another one again.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Publishing for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
My reviews are now public on Goodreads and StoryGraph.

I was unsure if I would like this book after reading the description but I absolutely loved it. I read the whole book within 24 hours. I loved the characters and found the plot line very intriguing and thought provoking. Highly recommend this book!