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.

As a longtime fan of Tricia Levenseller, I am so honored to read an arc of hers! This story was built upon feminine rage and is set in a world where the patriarchy is flipped on its head. Not only is there political intrigue but there is tension and spice. Tricia does both of these things so well in YA (minus the spice) so I am so glad I got to read her first adult book that really detailed all of the spice…!

This book is like nothing I have ever read before. It is full of female rage and revenge.
I loved the unique storyline so much and I honestly wish it was longer.
I love the premise of the world being ruled by females, and that the men were there just to satisfy the women and were babe not looked at as having any type of power over the women or themselves.
The ending was wrapped up nicely but I hope we get more.
Please check trigger warnings!

I hate to say it but this was just not for me at all. I’ve enjoyed the author’s earlier work, but this felt more like someone was conducting an exercise than telling a story. An exercise in torture, for both me and the characters, and an object lesson from the author who only wants to rage at men. And this is from someone with no triggers who reads a LOT of questionable romance and enjoys them.

Styled in response to the misogyny of our real world, in this fictional one the FMC comes from a kingdom where women rule, men have no rights, and sexual coercion, rape, grooming, and punishment are the norm. I get it. The real world sucks. But the alternative is not this revenge porn. I just didn’t enjoy it. Some readers might, but it’s not for me.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and MacMillian for the ARC

This was my most anticipated release in 2025, by one of my most favorite authors in her debut into adult fantasy and I’m so happy to announce that not only was I not disappointed, but I LOVEDDDDDD IT! I enjoyed Tricia Levenseller’s YA books and have often thought that she would be absolutely KILLER at writing smut scenes and that together, she would be be unstoppable and yeah, I’m happy to say that I was right! This is everything I wanted it to be and more and I can’t wait for more people to read it so that I can discuss ALLLL my thoughts!

THE PREMISE: Olerra is competing with her cousin to be the crown princess of Amarra when she thinks of the perfect idea to win over the nobles, participate in the oldest tradition of their court, stealing a husband. Samos is the crown prince of Brutus and firmly under the thumb of his father the king, when he is mistaken for his brother and kidnapped by Olerra he is crudely awakened to what it feels like to be a woman in a man’s world. Will their hearts open to each other as plots from each other’s home seek to drive them apart?

MY THOUGHTS:

“She, too, was excited by the prospect of having a man in her life, but she knew it would also be a lot of work. Especially if that man was a Brute.”

First of all, I absolutely loved the world Tricia Levenseller created! We have two drastically different kingdoms at the center of the story, Amarra and Brutus, yet at their core is a very similar dynamic. One gender is held in a higher regard than the other. Brutus is the typical dynamic that often mirrors our own, women are treated as weaker, lesser, and often used as ornaments. Amarra is its antithesis, the goddess from whom the country is named after blessing the women with incredible strength towards men after the former king of the country almost beat to death his wife and daughter. There men are ornamental, living in harems and being consigned to a life solely based on their sex. However even still, I love the nuance that Tricia Levenseller places in the switched gender roles.

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

Now for the characters, I truly loved how every character that came on screen felt fully fleshed out and mattered towards the plot of the story. Olerra was such a powerful FMC, I loved how witty, strong and capable she is and that she has her own problems that she has to work through that doesn’t detract from her own power at all. She overcomes things despite of the challenges and she is absolutely bad ass character. I loved seeing the character development of Sanos as well, as he learned there is power in letting Olerra lead, that he doesn’t have to break through his own generational trauma all by himself. Ydra as the supporting best friend character had a fierceness and depth to her as well, and I believe from the hints in the epilogue that the next book will center around her and I’m absolutely ECSTATIC about that! I also enjoyed one of the “villains” of the book Glenaerys, in the way that Tricia Levenseller can make me feel bad in a way for a character that has done some very terrible things.

“I forget,” she said. “It is not even a crime in Brutus. How could you have a word for it?” She shook herself. “It is when a person forces sex upon someone who does not want it….It looked like— A guillotine. For a man’s cock.”

What I love most is how this was a complete book in itself. While I can see where the series will continue, I’m left with a sense of completion and not a killer cliffhanger that will leave me feeling entirely bereft as I wait for the next book. In a world of series that are three, five, even sometimes 8 books long, it is a wonderful feeling to have a complete story in one book, with room for growth in future books. Overall, I cannot express how highly I recommend this book!

If you enjoy:
💪🏼Touch Him and Die
💅🏼Strong Female Characters
💪🏼He Falls First and Harder
💅🏼She Wears the Pants, He Wears the Skirt
💪🏼Emotionally Aware Men
💅🏼Fake Marriage
💪🏼She Kidnaps Him
💅🏼Political Intrigue

Then this is the book for you! Thank you so much to Fierce Reads for the ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.25/50 rounding up

I love the premise of this book! If you want a fantasy romance that basically says "fuck the patriarchy," this is the book for you. I loved having those roles reversed and getting all the feminine rage vibes. I recommend this book (check those triggers/author's note)

🔥Vibes🔥
Enemies to lovers
Guillotine but for a different head 😅
Third person
"Good Boy"
Political
Kidnapping a husband

Heat Index: 6/10

—feminine revenge... but is it?

—dark fantasy romance (yes, it exists)

—kidnapping romance

The Basics:

In a world wherein the powerful nation of Amarra is run by women (with men taking a subservient role), Princess Olerra wants to ensure she'll get the throne. To do that, she sets out to kidnap and marry the second, softer prince of the rival kingdom of Brutus. Unfortunately, she accidentally kidnaps the one that's good at fighting.

The Review:

I want to cover several things first.

I picked this book as someone who doesn't have a problem with dark romance in principle; nor do I have an issue with kidnapping romances, inherently. They can be good, they can be bad. They can be intentionally silly. I kinda of expected this to fall somewhere in between.

I want to own something. To be honest, I have what is probably a bad habit of not closely researching ARCs before I request them—sometimes, I just read a few lines of the blurb and go "yes, request" (and part of this is because I'm continuously surprised that I get the amount of ARCs that I do). I'd never read Tricia Levenseller before, but I knew she was a popular YA fantasy author recommended by several people I trust, making her adult debut. YA fantasy authors transitioning to adult books intrigues me, and while I can't say I think the "gender flipped kidnapping romance" concept is something I automatically expected would be a home run, that intrigued me as well.

I expected men to be subjugated in this romance, and Levenseller is super upfront about that in her author's note at the beginning of the book, which includes relatively details content warnings (I think she could've had more, though). She's also upfront about how she did not write this as a feminist book, or as a picture of what she thinks a true matriarchal nation would be like.

(I should also say—I personally don't buy into the idea that matriarchy = utopian, though many scholars would a feminist society would be equal, and I agree with THAT. But matriarchal does not inherently feminist.)

Levenseller says that she wrote this book to express feminine rage and anger at the way she'd been treated by men. It's a revenge fantasy (gone... romance? I guess) versus a GOAL. I get that, I believe that.

What is not mentioned in the blurb, or the publisher's note (which has much less detailed and extensive content warnings, though at least it ha some) is that the men of Amarra are enslaved. Subjugation does not always equal slavery, and where this confused me is that Levenseller's note indicates that she wanted to depict men in the state that women have typically been in throughout history.

Women have been and are, in countless historical and contemporary societies, subjugated or otherwise made to be lesser. Our rights have been restricted, we've been treated horribly, the rights of women in industrialized nations are currently under threat and being taken away. But enslaving an entire gender (and essentially, this enslavement does apply to all men, though I was somewhat murky on where noblemen really stood—there are very few, which is why Olerra kidnaps Sanos) is... pretty unique. I don't know if it's unheard of. However, my understanding of history is that enslavement has often applied to a race, a class, etc.

I guess what I'm getting at is though I don't expect this to NOT be dark, I also don't get why slavery had to be a part of this story.

And if you want to say, "But many women through history might as well have been slaves", I mean, we can debate that. Did this fantasy novel need slavery make its point, though? It's something I've noticed quite a bit of in dark fantasy romance—and here, it didn't even sense within the world. It didn't need to be there. You could have had subjugation without slavery, because the idea of a gender being pretty much unilaterally enslaved just... didn't make sense. Take morality out of it if you want; it doesn't make sense.

Nor did the concept of most noblemen (considered worthy of impregnating noble women) being executed due to an uprising. I mean, sure, a gender uprising equivalent for women doesn't come to my mind right now. But most societies have tended to recognize the need for some evenness amongst the population of the sexes because they need to reproduce. Say you killed all the noblemen—wouldn't the more natural move to be changing the rules re: women being able to select non-noble men to reproduce with, versus forcing potential heirs to the throne to risk their lives kidnapping a husband?

Maybe I'm just nitpicking now, but I think it's because the story as a whole doesn't hold up, even when I take my own moral discomfort out of it (which is difficult). Levenseller has a brisk, easy to consume writing style; I get why people like that. But the story and character development just doesn't work. I'm pretty lenient with old school and dark romances—I've read kidnapping romances and loved them, I've read books where there is no way they would work in real life and just accepted it because the character development and engagement worked.

It's just like—Olerra is an asshole to Sanos. She never seems to learn to see him as a full person, though she teases him and says she wants to pleasure him. She says she wants to end slavery and that she's uncomfortable with the things she does to Sanos (but she has to, because society I guess? Okay) but she doesn't actually seem uncomfortable in action, and she's clearly titillated by some of the things she's supposed to be uncomfortable with.

This clearly isn't supposed to be a feminist treatise, but there were a few things that... I do feel like I was supposed see as badass or clever. There are dick guillotines for rapists. Which, cool, but first off I didn't buy that rape would be enough of an issue for this to be a READY PUNISHMENT in a society where women are magically empowered to overtake men. Second, I can't see this as COOL AND EDGY when it reminds me of the punishments being suggested for "predators" today. I put "predators" in quotes, because when the punishment is castration, that's something a bad government (like Amarra's!) can use to torture innocent people. The queen decides you're a rapist? Here comes the dick guillotine.

And I guess the book sort of alludes to this kind of thing, but... when your readers are going RAH RAH DICK GUILLOTINE, I don't know if the point was well-made.

Plus, there's the "men forced to wear skirts" thing. The normalcy of kilts and similar garments for men aside... If women are the ruling gender, what point is being made by having the subjugated gender be forced to wear skirts?

Then there were little things—like, the kingdom of brutal men is named Brutus. Get it?

Plus the concept of gender. I appreciate Levenseller writing a society that has supposedly clear concepts of trans and nonbinary people, but in SUCH a strictly divided society—I don't buy it. I didn't feel like I properly understood what that meant for those people. I mean, I guess I understood how trans women would be treated like they should be (as women), which, great. But trans men and gender fluid people—I feel like this society would encourage them to stay closeted if they were assigned female at birth. And agender people? What of them? Acknowledging the existence of trans and nonbinary people is cool, but you do kind of have to make them fit within your world. Otherwise, it feels like lip service.

It just doesn't work for me. I think it will be quite popular among dark fantasy romance readers, and I don't want to say I don't believe Levenseller believes everything she says in her author's note. But she doesn't hit the mark.

The Sex:

The sex is kind of sparse in this, compared to how much it's discussed. I guess I think the use of dildos to prepare for taking a dick is (because Olerra has essentially no experience) was interesting. Normally, I'd be really happy to have a scene in which the heroine fingers the hero's ass (and it is probably one of the better moments in the book, technically speaking) but first off, I don't buy Olerra would be that good at it based off reading books (and doing it to a man who can't tell her what he likes because he's never done it before)... second, the entire tone of the book made me feel like it was another "and LOOK, men get PENETRATED", and it's like. Who penetrates who has nothing to do with who's more dominant or generally powerful in the relationship, broadly speaking. But to be real, I may have just read too much into that because of my general frustrations with the book.

The Conclusion:

Obviously, I had my issues with this novel. But I also don't think it's marketed correctly. I don't know that "revenge fantasy against one of the leads' gender" works for a romance. Even if Olerra technically doesn't really have a revenge fantasy in mind. To be real, her lack of emotional investment in the entire structure kind of makes it worse.

There's a place for the concept of kidnapping a husband, I think. But that place... should probably be a lot campier.

Thanks to FEIWEL and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for letting me read the arc of What Fury Brings by Tricia Levenseller.

I gave this book 5 stars.⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I will start out by saying I love Tricia Levenseller’s writing, and this book did not disappoint! Sure has a way with things dark and gritty in some aspects but also letting the love and romance shine.

This book is about Olerra, a Princess and I hopefully soon-to-be Queen of Amarra. And Sanos, soon to be crowned king of Brutus. In Brutus, the men rule over everyone and get away with disgusting crimes towards women. Amarra is ruled by women, and men are the lesser sex that serve the women. Both territories have fought over land between them.

Olerra wants to teach Atalius, the king of Brutus a lesson by taking one of his sons to be her husband. While she chooses a middle son with no real importance, she accidentally takes Sanos, the heir to their kingdom.

I loved both main characters. Olerra was very confident and sure of herself. Not only was she a Princess but the head of Amarra’s army. She knows how to fight better than anyone. And Sanos is quickly shown how his beliefs and the way he’s always lived its dangerous to women. While he fights back and tries to escape Olerra and her plans, he soon realizes Amarra is not as backwards as he once believed.

I highly recommend this book! There is also a little magic in it that always makes things fun!

It truly pains me to give a Tricia Levenseller book 3 stars. She is one of my favorite authors, and I have loved all of her other books and have given them high ratings. What Fury Brings just didn’t hit the mark for me.

For me there was too much violence and graphic degradation of men. I know the book is about a female led society and the men are not treated well. But it was too much for me. Which I’m sure is the point the author was trying to make, since this novel is supposed to mirror our society but reversed. But I just didn’t enjoy reading about it.

I also wasn’t a big fan of the main relationship. It seemed rather abusive given the power imbalance and treatment of men in this book.

I did enjoy the writing style of this book. It was a departure from the way she normally writes, and I really liked it. I also liked the lgbtq rep and how unique this overall story was!

Before reading this novel I recommend checking the trigger warnings! This books gets very dark and is definitely not for everyone.

Thank you for arc of this book.

This is not a simple book to say you did or didn’t enjoy. While I enjoyed for the humor and premise it had, it also has quite a few topics that maybe too much for some people.

It brings out a lot of feelings which may have been the author’s point?

Wow! This was my first Tricia Levenseller book and now one of my new favorite authors and now on my list of auto~ buy!! This book was epically amazing and had me hooked right out the gate! It’s about revenge with damsel in distress reversal, marriage by kidnap, the slow burn was just right, sprinkled with twists and betrayals! It gave me all the emotions and I was sad when it ended! I haven’t stopped thinking about this book and I finished it last week!! I could totally see this book turned into a movie, seriously you all need this one in your life!!!!!!!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Tricia Levenseller for the gifted ARC ebook! I was honored to be able to read this one!! Forever fan!!

I was so excited when I heard that this was her adult debut. I really enjoyed the shadows between us duology and couldn’t wait to read more from her.

It is different from books she’s written in the past. The main character made some questionable remarks/choices, so please check the trigger warnings and take them seriously. Some parts of the book were a bit brutal. It is gender roles reversed story, and rather thought provoking so overall I did enjoy it.

Thank you NETGALLEY for an advanced readers copy of this book.

You are in for a stay up late because you can’t put it down treat with Tricia Levenseller's What Fury Brings! This book is a thrilling, sexy, action-packed fantasy that will keep you hooked from the first page to the last.
At its heart is Olerra, the fierce and formidable top general of a nation entirely ruled by women. Levenseller masterfully crafts Olerra's character, showcasing her as a powerful warrior who has spent her life fiercely guarding a deeply personal secret. This internal struggle adds incredible depth to her already compelling journey.
But Olerra's challenges don't stop there. She's embroiled in a high-stakes political battle for the crown with her cousin, adding layers of intrigue and suspense. To secure her lineage and ensure her future children carry royal blood, Olerra makes an audacious decision: she kidnaps a prince from the country she has been at war with, to be her husband! This bold move sets off a chain of events that is both humorous and exciting, but thought-provoking. I found myself saying huh more than once.
Levenseller's writing is sharp and engaging. What Fury Brings was a surprise for me. Not at all what I thought I was getting into. I found myself rooting for Olerra. Her personality was so straight forward, something you rarely see in romance. It was refreshing. The title is so apropos to this book. If you love strong female leads, political intrigue, and a touch of unexpected romance, this book is an absolute must-read!

DNF at 50%

I had such high hopes for this book. I’ve genuinely enjoyed all of Tricia Levenseller’s previous books, so I was excited, especially hearing this was a “feminine rage” story. Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me. From the author’s note and terminology at the beginning, I quickly realized I wasn’t the intended audience. I still gave it a chance, but by the halfway mark, I was deeply uncomfortable and felt disconnected from the story. Rather than being empowering, it felt unsettling and more like a very dark romance. Ultimately, it just wasn’t the story I had hoped for, and I had to DNF.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan/FIEWEL for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.