Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

Honestly one of the better stand alones I've read in a while. It was really well paced and didn't feel like the ending was rushed and all problems magically solved in a single paragraph

I really enjoyed the premise and how this was written in a male/female role reversal. It was entertaining to read the FMC doing traditionally MMC things like trying to woo him, dressing him up to her liking, and calling him a good boy. I enjoyed their relationship and how it felt long it organically progressed, again it didn't feel spontaneous or rushed.

Overall, I think it's a unique book and I had fun reading it. There are a few loose ends, as there always are in a stand alone, but the ending had a setup for another book with other characters which could ultimately answer those questions.

In a world where two rival countries are ruled by a matriarchy and a patriarchy, a woman who hopes to be queen accidentally steals the crown prince of the patriarchal country to be her bride. Fair warning, this book definitely reeks of Stockholm syndrome, and that honestly bothered me for the whole book. However, the incredibly interesting world building and strong characters all around really saved this book.

Would I have liked it more if Sanos hadn’t been full on kidnapped and bound for a good chunk of the book? Yes, for sure. But this book makes a point that fury and revenge are what drive these two countries to be what they are (even if that needs to change in the future), and things that come out of those emotions are not the most peaceful or fair.

As far as the romance goes, although I liked the idea and ultimately the end, I didn’t feel the chemistry. There was definitely an abundance of lust, but it felt like a complete switch as far as Sanos and Olerra’s inner dialogue goes. The actions were there that were convincing enough to make the jump from lust to love, but the longing and endearment in their inner thoughts just felt abrupt.

Overall, I quite liked this book, and although it’s not my favorite by the author, it is still a great read (especially for the concept of their world), and I would absolutely read another book connected to this one, if say it was about some certain familiar characters (a certain best friend and large brother hint hint).

Final rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️, rounded up to 4

Thank you Macmillan, Feiwel, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this. I instantly fell in love with this book when I read the author’s note on her instagram. The second I read the words ‘penis guillotine for rapists’ I knew I needed to read this.

This book is not a feminist book, it’s an angry one. I loved it. The women are violent and cruel just like a lot of the men in our society. That’s the point. This is a gender reversal, it’s not about what our society should look like or what it would look like if women were in charge. It’s women committing violence instead of men. Just like what the author said herself: it’s not about feminism, it’s about revenge. I think there is so much expectation for women to be better than men and to rise above their behavior, but that’s not the case for this book. The men were violent and so the women responded with violence. It was really uncomfortable and gross at times because it was supposed to be. The women are not morally right in this book, they’re angry. That’s the entire point.

That being said, I did not enjoy the romance. I think no matter the gender of the characters the way their relationship developed made me uncomfortable. I think if their relationship had been a reflection of how men manipulate women in relationships it would have been effective, but as a genuine romance it just didn’t feel right. Maybe if it had been longer and we got to see them gradually fall for each other then it would have made sense.

The characters themselves fell flat. I didn’t feel connected to them and I was not at all emotionally invested in their lives. I just really enjoyed the world and the embodiment of feminine rage.

ARC Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a highly anticipated read for me. Starting with a love of the artwork being shown under the dust jacket and the idea of a women kidnapping a man to take as husband.

I've read quite a few books where the man steals a woman, so it was fun to see it swapped. The power dynamic in the bedroom was also another unique twist to this story. As a YA author moving into the adult writing space. I felt this was a great bridging piece. Good aspects of a YA fantasy with a darker edge and sampling of spice. I think it fits and works great in the adult space.

This was a fun read that had a satisfying feel to watch a man to think was about certain fears I've grown up with. Still wrong and I don't want anyone to have those kind of concerns, but it's nice to see it being shown or talked about on a larger scale. Validating. I love when books/movies do the gender swap stuff.

Again a fun read, little bit of romance, an ending that wrapped up in a pretty little bow. All in all enjoyable, just try the right bit of uncomfortable, and makes for a fast read.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan | FEIWEL for the ARC!

As soon as I saw a video saying rapists were punished by a guillotine in this book, I knew I needed it ASAP. (I'm not over my fascination with that). I also deeply love Tricia Levenseller's writing style. This was the 3rd book I've read by her and to me they just flow nicely.
This was a book about women's rage, and I was here for it. A place where women rule and men do as they say (and like it). The FMC was awesome. She was a warrior who knew her strength and while she did kidnap and technically enslave the MMC, she was kind, never forceful, and knew she wanted a better world.
It almost feels wrong to love this so much, because in my mind the role reversal was still wrong. There wasn't equality, it was 100% revenge, but it was written in such a beautiful way, and I absolutely loved the ending and felt like it tied together well.
I cannot wait for this to be officially published and see what others thinks.

I loved reading about a matrichary and a female led society. Reading the triggers at the start of the book allowed me to conceptualize the type of society and lives men face in this book. It is very clearly made that this is not a feminist book but one of revenge. It details very gruesome treatment of men (good to note that everything that happens to men here has happened to women throughout history.

I enjoyed the pace and the plot of this story. I wish we could have fleshed out a bit more of the FMCs history and her journey with her powers.

Olerra has trained and fought her way to prove herself fit as General, and hopefully will be chosen as Queen of Amarra. Sanos, the first son of vicious Brutus king Atalius, will do anything to protect his family. Olerra, keen to prove herself fit for a queen engages in an old tradition of stealing her husband from a neighboring kingdom. She chooses the “spare” brother of Atalius but little does she know, she has actually kidnapped Sanos, the heir. Will Olerra be able to get her kidnapped fiancé to fall in love with her and gain the favor to be queen? Will Sanos be able to weather the strange customs enough to find a way to get home again?

The premise was interesting in some respects - Amarra is a kingdom where women rule and objective and use men. Essentially, it’s giving men a “taste of their own medicine” and for Sanos, this is strange since men are still in charge in his kingdom. There are some double standards highlighted, but unfortunately feels mostly surface level. I appreciated that the FMC is shown as large, strong, and headstrong and that this is very desirable for the MMC and for the kingdom of Amarra. This was a nice change from all of the thin, young FMCs in other books. Unfortunately, I never really fell in love with any of the characters and didn’t fall too deeply into the plot. The read was fine and the storyline was more unique so that was appreciated.

What Fury Brings is an adult dark romantic fantasy in a world where men oppressed women but one kingdom had women blessed with the power of a goddess to be able to overthrow men and subjugate them instead.

Olerra is a princess-general who needs to impress the nobles to be elected queen instead of her cruel, scheming cousin. To accomplish that, she's expected to follow the tradition of her nation of kidnapping a husband of noble origin from a neighboring country and then break and brainwash him into submission. She tries to kidnap the meekest of the 5 sons of the enemy king, but due to a case of mistaken identity, she kidnaps the bravest one instead. He attempts to fight Olerra or escape, but in vain. He hates being enslaved to her, no matter her temptations both of sexual and political nature - she wants his cooperation to help against her rival cousin and his father, the king who threatens Olerra's country with a war. He knows his father is an abusive despot and the cousin poised to be queen a repugnantly evil person, but should he sacrifice his chance for freedom, future and dignity by cooperating with his enslaver?

The romance plot follows a dark romance trope of immense power imbalance against the kidnapped and enslaved person, just with the usual genders reversed. Sanos struggles with his feelings - he's attracted to Olerra, but also hates her for everything she did to him, from stealing his freedom, to humiliating treatment she excuses by her nation's customs. He agrees she would make a better queen than her cousin, but also reviles her nation and all its oppressive laws and traditions.

The most interesting part were discussions between Sanos and Olerra where both air their grievances against the other one's nation and its laws, presenting both countries as flawed places of oppression. And while Olerra is her nation's daughter through-and-through, believing fully that what they did was justified, Sanos' pov gives us alternative opinions denouncing that attitude as hypocrisy. Olerra instead points out Sanos' hypocrisy that he only hates unjust laws when they don't privilege him, because he never did anything about unjust laws in his own country, despite being a crown prince.

The romance itself wasn't my cup of tea, because I don't enjoy romances where one side is a victim and the other one is a bully, captor, enslaver, or forced the other into a marriage, no matter the genders of people involved. But it's interesting how popular is this trope among people as long as the perpetrator is a man (see: Manacled, Rose in Chains, The Captive Prince, Firebird, and the myriad of books with the man wrapping the hand around the throat of the woman). I'm not sure was the romance supposed to be swoony, or rather uncomfortable on purpose to lampshade how often this dynamic is romanticized as long as the perpetrator is a masculine, attractive male.

I feel this book is the author's reply to dark romantasy and grimdark epic fantasy and their wanton oppression and abuse, in a similar vein as R.F. Kuang's Yellowface was a response to online discourse about racism and cultural appropriation. Both books shouldn't be taken at their face value, but rather as a meta-commentary between the lines.

I recommend this book for 18+ adult readers who are looking for a read that's unsettling and uncomfortable rather than feel-good escapist. There's a lot of disturbing content in this book including abuse, slavery, sexual exploitation, brutal punishments and executions, brainwashing and oppression. There are also explicit sexual scenes. Do not enter expecting a pleasant read with a ready-made moral of the story.

I received an ARC from Netgalley & Feiwel (Macmillan) for the purpose of leaving a honest review.

A thought-provoking adult debut full of rage and romance!

“What Fury Brings” follows Olerra, a warrior general who must kidnap and train a husband in order to take her rightful place as queen.

More than anything, this is a book about revenge and I devoured every single page. Levenseller constructs a complex society that resembles our own, but is run entirely by women. It is not them who have been wronged, but instead men and I love how she flipped the script in putting our history under a microscope.

Princess Olerra Corasene is a strong fmc that has a special place in my heart. Her fury is both powerful and validating, as it is an emotion I know all too well. I also appreciate how Levenseller pushes against traditional femininity in the way Olerra’s appearance is described. She is a warrior and her body reflects that. No matter her size and shape, she is comfortable and confident in her body, which I absolutely love.

Olerra and Sano’s enemies to lovers relationship arc is intoxicating! At the start, Sano’s hatred for Olerra is real. Because he is being held prisoner by Olerra against his will, she can’t be anything more than his enemy. The more he spends time with her, the harder it becomes to deny their chemistry. The tension created by his warring emotions is everything! I could not get enough of their push-pull dynamic and the moment they gave in to each other was incredibly satisfying!

I enjoyed this one and am keeping my fingers crossed that Levenseller will return to this world in the future!

I've decided not to continue reading this one or reviewing it. It's not one that I enjoyed due to the content and will not be recommending it to my followers.

This was an interesting one. What Fury Brings throws us into a kingdom ruled by women, where power, politics, and magic are all centered around female strength. The worldbuilding was solid, and I appreciated how the matriarchal society also had its own rules and flaws.

The pacing dragged a bit in the middle for me, and there were moments where I felt like I was being told rather than shown. Still, the main character had depth, and I was genuinely curious to see where her choices would take her.

Not a new favorite, but definitely worth the read if you’re into political intrigue with a feminist twist. Would pick up the next one for sure.

Olerra is one of the princesses of the matriarchal nation of Amarra, and as one of a limited number of candidates vying to be the next queen, she must prove her strength and ability by bringing in a husband of a noble line. As most of the noble men of her own country have been killed, what better way to prove that skill than by kidnapping not just a noble, but a prince of the neighboring nation to be that husband. Though she aimed to take the second son of the tyrant king of Brutus, through a chance encounter she, unbeknownst to her, ends up with the crown prince instead.

Sanos, heir to the throne of Brutus, must keep his real identity a secret to protect both his own life and his brother's. As he works to escape Amarra, he also grows closer to Olerra, learning about her love for her people. Ultimately, he will have to make a choice - his nation or his heart.

True to Levenseller's previous works, this is a complete world with inner workings that are revealed throughout the story. The characters are well developed with personal motivations. This deals strongly with sexism themes and highlights the strength of women and feminism. This is definitely intended for adults and has adult content comparable with many spicier romantasy novels.

Recommended for fans of Fourth Wing, Bride, and ACOTAR.

This book was badass in every sense of the word. It’s dark, gritty, and emotionally charged—hooked me from page one. The main character? A walking embodiment of female rage—raw, unflinching, and utterly unstoppable. I loved watching her channel that fury into power, vengeance, and survival.

It’s a bold exploration of what happens when women are pushed too far—and what they become when they stop apologizing for their anger. With action, tension, morally gray choices, and just the right spark of romance, What Fury Brings absolutely rips. I devoured every page and wanted more. 🔥

Thank you to Feiwel and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Okay, I don’t even know where to begin because Tricia Levenseller has been an auto-buy author for me since the Daughter of the Pirate King days. Every single one of her books has been an instant hit in my reading list. Whether it's the fierce heroines, the swoony romances or the gripping plots, she's always delivered. And now… "What Fury Brings".

Whew. This one’s different. Very, very different, but in a way that just made me love Tricia even more.

Let’s get this out of the way first: What Fury Brings is Tricia's adult romantasy debut, and you can tell right from the tone and themes that this isn’t your usual fantasy romance with a tidy HEA and morally grey lightweights. This book is brutal, dark and deeply feminist... and no, not in a hashtag way. It's rage turned to fire and shaped into a kingdom where women rule, literally.

Set in the matriarchal kingdom of Amarra, this story flips a lot of what we’re used to reading. There’s a shortage of men, and noblewomen must kidnap husbands from neighboring kingdoms. Yes, that sounds ridiculous at first, but Tricia pulls it off in a way that feels real and scary. This world is toxic, only it’s gender-flipped, and that’s exactly the point. She’s not painting a “what-if” utopia of female rule. She's showing what unbalanced power and systemic oppression look like, no matter who holds it.

Now about our main girl, Olerra. I LOVED her. She is a certified badass warrior princess, but she’s also incredibly smart and layered, hiding a secret that, when revealed, actually gave me chills. That moment changes how you view her entirely. It doesn’t make her weaker. It makes her even stronger. I won't spoil it, but if you like your heroines tough but emotionally rich, Olerra is it.

Then there’s Sanos, our kidnapped love interest (yes, really). He starts off exactly how you’d expect a prince from a misogynistic kingdom to act: arrogant, controlling, angry. But what I appreciated is how he evolves. He learns to see Olerra as her own person. He learns to listen. He’s angry, yes, but confused, vulnerable, and eventually respectful in a way that made me root for him.

That being said… their chemistry? 🔥🔥🔥

But also? A little inconsistent. There were moments where their connection just clicked—tension, banter, emotions, the whole thing. But other times, it felt a bit disconnected. Maybe that was intentional, given their circumstances, but it did pull me out of the story here and there.

As for the themes, they’re dark. Really dark. This is a book full of content warnings for a reason. Think: violence, gendered abuse, captivity, trauma. Tricia herself has said this book came from a place of female rage—from all the times girls have been told we’re “less than” simply because of our gender. And this book is what that fury brings out. That context honestly hit me hard. She's not glorifying the matriarchy in this world—she’s showing how deep the damage runs when power is used to oppress rather than uplift.

Also, the backstory why women can overpower men in Amarra?? Bone-chilling. I'm still not over that reveal. So well done and so horrifying.

All in all, this book made me think, squirm, cry, and yes, swoon a little too. It’s not like Tricia’s previous YA work in tone or style. But it carries her signature strengths: strong heroines, bold storytelling and a refusal to make things easy.

I’m giving What Fury Brings a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Not perfect, but unforgettable. I loved it, and I honestly can’t wait to see more from Tricia in the adult space.

And thank you to Macmillan | Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for the ARC!

I truly am just not sure this was the book for me and that’s okay. I wanted to read this because the premise was so intriguing I love that the world is flipped and the woman are the ones in power. Showing a different dynamic with its own complex world behind it.

Unfortunately I just could not get myself to like any character. I felt that was the authors point to make them unlikable and we watch them grow but unfortunately I couldn’t get very far with being on their side and it took me out of the story. This book took me well over a month to finish because I was constantly dragging on picking it back up.

I think Olerra had a lot of potential in seeing the wrong in the world but I couldn’t stand by and watch her not do much to change it. My heart went out to Sanos but I also couldn’t find myself liking him much better. Their romance had moments that I truly adored and I could almost see myself swaying into this book a bit more but then something would happen and pull myself out of it again.

The writing was great and quick paced but some moments just felt as if I needed more. I don’t think I’ll continue this series but I do see how some other could devour this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Publishing Group, and Tricia Levenseller for the ARC of What Fury Brings! I absolutely loved the premise of this story, where women get to kidnap their future husbands if they want one. It’s such a fun twist on traditional roles, and it made for a wildly entertaining read. I especially enjoyed the dynamic between the FMC and MMC. Her accidentally choosing the wrong son led to so many funny, tense, and dramatic moments. Definitely check trigger warnings for this book though because it is heavy!!! This book was such a ride, and I can’t wait to see what Tricia writes next!

This book is sharp, dark, and brimming with fury.

It’s also not afraid to get messy. It dives into control, power, violence, and twisted intimacy—while still being wildly entertaining. The matriarchal society it portrays isn’t utopian, and that’s the point. It’s about cycles of power and how flipping the hierarchy doesn’t fix the system.

Sanos was easily my favorite part. His sarcasm, bite, and refusal to just play along made him shine. I’m still laughing at: “I don’t recall her screaming your name at night.” Absolutely brutal.

My only critique is that the last 20 pages felt like a step too far., as it seemed to over-explain what the story had already made clear. That aside, this was bold, bloody, and unforgettable.

2.5. wow this book was a lot (more than i wanted it to be tbh). i totally get that the author was going for feminine rage but some things just went too far and it ended up being way too dark for me. i also couldn’t get into the romance because of how it started, so there really wasn’t much left for me to enjoy.

I wanted to like this book based on the premise, but I hated the main characters. The FMC was terrible and I would have hated them if their roles were reversed. She treated the MMC terribly and nothing about her actions would inspiring any feelings of affection. I know this story was supposed to be about revenge with the role reversals but the ending did not solve any of the problems nor did it explain how these two could possible feel any real emotion for each other.

Rating is actually 4.5 out of 5 stars

The title and cover drew me in, and the premise of a flipped patriarchal society intrigued me. The author’s note and content warnings at the beginning were also helpful in setting expectations.  

Likes: 

- I really liked Olerra. She's a tough, capable General who has fought hard to earn her place and identity, despite her secret. She doesn't come across as overly masculine though - she still yearns for love and partnership. Her past trauma doesn’t define her, and I appreciated that balance.

- One sex scene between Olerra and Sanos stood out for how it challenged traditional ideas of intimacy. It showed that pleasure isn’t limited to heteronormative norms and that consensual exploration should never be taboo.

Dislikes: 
- Sanos's character felt inconsistent—his actions didn’t always match his thoughts or personality. It felt like certain reactions were chosen to keep the plot moving quickly, even if they didn’t feel true to his character.

- I did feel that while Olerra talked a big game about changing things in the future, she still often easily operated within the societal rules. Yes, she wasn't as abusive or terrible as Glen, but she wasn't the complete opposite either. Just as we saw Sanos challenging his own long held beliefs, it would have been nice to see Olerra do the same.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It wasn’t perfect—nor was it meant to be. As the author shared, it was a cathartic release. I especially appreciated how it dismantled the idea of a perfect matriarchy; a world led by women can be just as flawed as one led by men. True equality, not reversal of power, is the real goal.