3.5-3.75*

For the most part I enjoyed this book, it was a bit out of my comfort zone as I do not usually read dark romantasy but I enjoyed that the dark elements in this were done in a gender reversal way which made it unique and even more unlike anything I have ever read before. I have loved this authors YA fantasy books and while I enjoyed this story I was left wanting a tad more from it. I think that the pacing was a bit off especially towards the end when everything seemed to happen within the last 15% of the book. I loved how strong and determined the FMC was, I wanted her to be queen but I also wanted a tad more details as to how she would make the kingdom a better place for everyone. Overall this is a very interesting story with gender roles flipped in a way that was uncomfortable to read but also a bit validating since women are often treated and were in the not so distant past treated in this way. I was filled with an odd mix of vindication, rage and disgust while reading which I think is the point of the book especially when reading the author's introduction.

I received an eARC thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan/Feiwel. All opinions are my own.

General Olerra needs the perfect man to strengthen her political standing and secure her place as heir in her kingdom where women have power over men. An old custom is once again in style amongst the elite, take a nobleman from a neighboring kingdom for a groom. Olerra wishes to create a better life for all her people so she plans to steal the second son of a ruthless king and hopes he will cooperate. Sanos, the firstborn and heir, takes the place of his brother for a night of pleasure that turns into an abduction. Knowing the fate of his family is in his hands he keeps his identity hidden while he hopes to escape. Yet the more he gets to know Olerra and the history of their kingdoms, the more he wants to help and he can’t deny the growing connection between them.

Buckle up buttercup, this one is gonna be a ride!

First of all, if you decide to pick up this book:
DO NOT SKIP THE AUTHOR’S NOTE.
If it’s a nope for you after that please put it down and don’t be a hater—just give others the same advice.

I enjoyed What Fury Brings. I was excited to see how everything would play out politically and romantically. It has action and spice and morally gray characters, intrigue and espionage and the desire to be more than who people expect you to be. It also makes you pause and consider.
This story not merely a cute thought experiment where she casually flips the script and has a bit of role reversal here and there. It is social discourse. It’s about two kingdoms and characters that are horribly flawed and what caused them to enact systems they have in place. The characters admit to things being bad. The characters want things to change. But as in real life, knowing you need to change doesn’t automatically change the way things work or how you interact with the flawed system and your long-held beliefs and actions.
This story highlights how reactionary policy used to protect some can, and does, harm others and how black and white thinking limits understanding and inhibits a truly free way of life for all. The FMC treats the MMC the same way we see in a lot of dark romance and fantasy and if it’s shocking when the roles are reversed, I urge you to think on that. It’s not a pretty story. It’s meant to challenge the way we see the world.

This is the first book in the author’s series, Wrath and Fury.

This is a beautifully written book with characters you’ll be rooting for from start to finish. This book is the author’s (a well-known YA fantasy author) debut adult fantasy book. It doesn’t take long for readers to understand why the author does not want her father to read this book because there are graphic intimate scenes between the two main characters that are needed to move the story forward.

Both main characters, the warrior princess, Olerra, who wasn’t blessed with the magic that all queens have, and the kidnapped brutish prince, Sanos, who will become the princess’ husband against his will, are fully fleshed out. There’s even a deliciously evil cousin who wants to steal the throne from the princess. Of course, there are numerous problems with Olerra's plans.

If you are looking for a well-written spicy adult fantasy book to read this fall, this is the book for you. If spicy fantasy books are not on your to-be-read list, you definitely need to pass on this book.

My thanks to Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for an eARC.

3.5 ⭐️ (rounded up) Wow. I love the feminine rage trope. I have read so many fantasy books where women are fighting against a patriarchal society in which the treatment of women is abhorrent. So when given the opportunity to read a book where that concept is flipped and women are the oppressors, sign me up. I was totally unprepared for how much this book would challenge me to be outside my comfort zone (side note how sad is it that patriarchy is my comfort zone). Seeing women in this role was really difficult for me as I want to believe we would have learned and changed things. But honestly I loved that this book challenged me that way and I highly recommend reading it for that fact alone. My rating is more from the fact that the plot felt rushed. I wanted more time to see character development, more focus on building trust and definitely more depth to the love story. Please do read the trigger warnings on this one and the letter from the author for your own peace of mind

Highlights:
✨Feminine Rage x 1000
✨Enemies to Lovers
✨Forced Proximity
✨Mistaken Identity
✨Curvy Princess FMC

Favorite Quote: “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.”

Thank you to the author, Macmillan, and NetGalley for the advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

Personally, I had to force myself to finish this book. While I understand the author’s intention of showing how the world is for women but gender bent, I don’t feel like she hit the mark. This book feels misandrist.

3.5
What Fury Brings is such an interesting story. It’s nothing like I’be ever read before. It’s a story of revenge that takes an interesting twist as this society of women after being blessed by a goddess has flipped all gender roles and now treats the men in ways they were treated. Men now are sexualized constantly. They are used mainly for power and breeding. It was an interesting take. I can’t say I necessarily enjoyed reading about their society. It was captivating for sure, but I do enjoy more of a feel good story usually and this just was a lot more dark than I was prepared for.

The characters were interesting. Olerra needs a husband for a political move to make herself the more desirable heir. She unintentionally kidnaps the eldest instead of the second born. I get it. Honestly their interactions were so interesting. She was so big on consent despite the fact that he was there against his consent. Their relationship was so stockholm syndrome. I liked it, but also I didn’t like it. Olerra portrayed herself as better than the others, which may be true to the extent of her abuse, but she still does things against his will such as having him chained up, piercing his ear, waxing his body, etc

Tricia says many times this is not a femenist story, this is a story of revenge and she is absolutely not lying. I can’t say I was expecting a feminist story, but I just am not the societal revenge person. One off revenge? Sure kill the person. I’m all for it, but this was hard. I just can’t wish that experience ever be flipped. I liked when Santos started to have his eyes opened to his culture since they lived so flipped flopped. I appreciated his growth as a character. It was still interesting. I enjoyed parts of this for sure, but other parts not as much.

I will say the ending was pretty cool. I really enjoyed the last 30%. That was definitely one of the best parts of this story. So much happened and I really liked the strategy at the end of this book. Thanks Netgalley for an Earc. All opinions are of my own.

Mixed feelings...the Good, the Bad, and everything in-between!

This book was a very interesting ride to say the least. Honestly, it wasn't at all what I was expecting. But in all honesty, I had zero idea what to expect from this book. Safe to say, I was surprised...

Overall, in the end, I didn't not like it. There were parts I found enjoyable, but there were also several areas where I felt super conflicted. A lot of the theming and messages in this book felt a little too crass and glamourized in my opinion. My biggest issue was the the tonality throughout the book. The beginning felt so intense and graphic, but then the ending felt more soft and romantic. Like the shift between the two is what hindered this book for me. It needed to be one or the other. It either needed to lean full into the dark romance grit, or it needed to be softened into a lighter romance read. I just feel like the vibes, the characters, the world-building all conflicted with each other so much that it felt very disconnected and disjointed. I get the idea of what this book was trying to be, but I just don't think it achieved the intended vision.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 3/5

WHAT FURY BRINGS is a gender swapped adult fantasy romance read that posits a society in which women are the dominant gender. Fun, unique, and fast paced, I couldn’t put this book down once I started it.

This isn’t a feminist retelling or a feminist book as a whole. It simply gender swaps men and women in society in which women are the ones who have been traditionally seen as the dominant gender. What would that society look like? How would they function? Add in magic and a fantasy spin and this is the story. It’s not really making a comment on society, just exploring what such a society would look like. I think that’s an important distinction because neither society is doing well on the gender dynamics front.

For a first book in the adult space, the author holds her own. It’s a sexy read with Olerra, the FMC, being a strong, confident woman who kidnaps herself a husband. The story itself is funny and engaging. It feels fresh in a genre that sees similar tropes and ideas.

I will say this book isn’t super long. I think some of the character development, and even some parts of the story, are not as fleshed out a bit. However, I didn’t mind it because the rest of the book held up.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was fresh and a fascinating concept that I felt was well executed and well developed. This is definitely one to read if you like gender swapped romance tropes.

Thank you to Fierce Reads and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I had very conflicted feelings while reading, but also the writing hooked me so hard that I couldn’t just stop at the end of a chapter - I needed to keep going. I think one of the things that threw me off was the FMC coming across as almost simple or childish - talking with our MMC like he was more of a doll or a playmate.

How would society be if roles were reversed? In this story, Olerra is an Amarran princess in a society were women are the dominant sex. Because of plotting by a cousin, Olerra decides to steal a husband. She ends up stealing Sanos. Sanos is the crown prince of Brutus where men rule. This is an entertaining love story that bring out the best and worst in both people.

Tricia Levenseller never misses!!! What Fury Brings was a great adult Romantasy. It was written in a way that pulled you in automatically and made you fall in love with the world!

What an amazing story line! So unique and I think it will be so refreshing for so many readers. The spice was on another level!!! For this to be Tricia’s first adult novel , she came out swinging and I was here for it !!!!!!
My jaw was on the floor during most spicy scenes!

As always I am so happy to be carrying Tricia’s book in my shop!

What Fury Brings marked both my first time reading Tricia Levenseller and her first foray into adult fiction. Overall, I enjoyed the story. It was quick and easy to read, the characters were dynamic, and the world-building was solid. I found myself highlighting plenty of passages along the way, which says a lot about the immersive qualities of the writing.

That said, a few elements didn’t fully land for me. The tone sometimes leaned more YA in its execution (though not in its content), which pulled me out of the otherwise adult premise. Prejudice and oppression were depicted on both sides of the conflict, but while one was confronted and changed (patriarchal society), the other was largely excused (matriarchal society), which left me feeling unsettled. At times, plot conveniences weakened character consistency. For example, Sanos’ reaction to waxing didn’t ring true given his history of enduring brutal beatings, and his obliviousness felt unrealistic for a prince trained in politics and strategy. I know the special guillitine is a point of contention for many readers, but I wasn't too offput. I thought it was a clever, creative idea and I'm not opposed to darker content in books. I do think there should have been a comparable punnishment for abusive women, but that lends to my prior comment on the imbalance of acceptable actions based on the sex in power in each society. (Not conding this imbalance, please note.)

Despite those issues, I did find the book enjoyable overall. I was invested enough to keep reading and curious to see how things played out. While this wasn’t a perfect fit for me, I can see its appeal to others, especially readers who enjoy romantasy with bold world-building and a gender-flipped power structure.

On a positive note- This was different than any romantasy book I've ever read, which is such a good thing!!!- I get tired of so much of the same storyline. So I will always appreciate a book with such a unique plot. It was fun to read about a society where women overpower men, and the way they handle rapists, i can definitely get on board with that!! I took away a star because sometimes I felt our main girlie was a little toxic and it seemed there were some things missing in their relationship, idk. But I don't want to harp on the negative too much because 4 stars is a really good rating in my system, and I would 100% recommend this book, especially to those who are tired of men thinking they run society- this book will be such a fun read for you.
Thank you Tricia Levenseller for this amazing story!!

4 ⭐️
3 🌶️

What to expect:
-enemies to lovers
-“good boy”
-dual POV
-swapped gender roles
-forced proximity
-plus sized FMC
-LGBTQ+ rep

As many reviews have stated, this is not a feminist book. Tricia Levenseller has been very clear on that. It is not a representation of what the world would look like if women were in power. This book is a “what if” situation. What if women ruled like men? What if men faced the oppression women have for centuries? What if men lived in a matriarchal world with a systemic unbalance of power? How would all this look? Well, that’s what Levenseller unfolds for us in this book. And I ate it up!

This book is a fresh idea in the romantasy space. The unique concept of swapping gender roles was unlike anything I’ve ever read. It was fast-paced, laced with tension and chemistry, and had just the right amount of world building. It was a breath of fresh air to read a romantasy and not have to shuffle through 600 pages of world building.

It made me laugh, probably in places I shouldn’t, like when men were being objectified. NGL, reading that was funny! I really enjoyed reading the parts when the MC (Sanos) was on the receiving end of the FMC’s (Olerra) romantic gestures. His reactions were priceless. And the swapped power dynamics in the bedroom scenes were fire. I loved it.

I want to say it is a light, fun read because I devoured it-and it kinda felt like satire. But there are some pretty graphic violent scenes, so I can’t really say it is light. It is fun though!

Thank you Netgally, Macmillan publications and Tricia Levenseller for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first book by this author, and I think that this book was mismarketed. It's not a feminine rage from the viewpoint of the characters. Olerra is not angry about how the men are treated in her country or how women are treated elsewhere - she's very matter of fact about it. She didn't have a lot of depth beyond "I want him to like me" and "I want to be queen." The MMC sort of had Stockholm Syndrome in that he was very not into what was happening and then suddenly he was.

I do think that the book succeeds in making the reader uncomfortable. It's not "dark" by any means, but it does hold a mirror up to our own society and the injustices and discrimination that women live through daily. Overall, I didn't LOVE this book, but I did thoroughly enjoy reading it. It was well-paced and didn't drag at any points. The plot was entertaining. The characters were a bit flat for me, but otherwise, I thought they had a good story. I would give it a 3.5/5 stars, but I will round up to 4.

I would recommend this book if you like forced proximity, enemies-to-lovies, and plus size women representation!

Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Tropes:
Matriarchal society
Vengeance
Plus size FMC
LGBTQIA Representation
Marriage of convenience (kind of?)
Standalone book
Enemies to reluctant allies to lovers
Forced proximity

Guys. It’s 1am as I’m writing this review because I couldn’t stop reading. This is easily one of the strangest fantasy books I’ve ever read but it was so good! I have heard mixed reviews about this book, but I enjoyed it!

In order to cement her spot as queen against her cousin, Olerra must marry. Olerra travels to their enemy’s land with the goal of capturing the enemy king’s 2nd son Andrastus and marrying him. Sounds cool right? SHE KIDNAPPED THE WRONG SON AHHHHHHH. She done took the heir you guys.

This book does a great job at addressing the patriarchy. As I’m reading, and the way that some of the female characters treat their men is kind of shocking. But then I realize, that’s how women are treated in many societies- like trophies, walked all over, sold for marriage, etc. THAT WAS THE POINT. Levenseller gender swapped ALL of our gender “norms”, which makes it seem “weird”. NO, it’s weird that women are treated this way to begin with. ANYWAYS.

Orella is a hilarious FMC. She doesn’t realize why Sanos is so upset he’s been kidnapped, which I found kind of funny. She’s tough, and she doesn’t take anyone’s BS.

Sanos is jaded from a past of poor treatment by his father, and he wants more for his kingdom. He is shocked by all the things happening to the men by Amarran women, but when Orella shoves the backwards mentality of the patriarchy in his face, he realizes he can change things. They can change things together.

I read this book in 1 day. Is it perfect? No. Did I expect naked oil wrestling? Not at all. Did I laugh? Absolutely. It was totally enjoyable from start to finish, there’s a nice lesson in there. There’s tons of diversity and equity in the Amarran culture and that was cool to read about. Also I love a good revenge/vengeance plot.

Thanks to Macmillan, Tricia Levenseller and NetGalley for the eARC.

I have been a big fan of Levenseller for years, and I can say this did not disappoint, There were scenes that caught me off guard because I am so used to her young adult works, but I fully believe they were done in tasteful ways. The concept of the novel was, to say the least, eye opening. It's always interesting to read different takes on reversed gender roles, especially when it comes to whole societies. Levenseller offers an interesting, yet probably very accurate, take on what could happen if given the chance.

I was hooked from the beginning!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

This book has me so confused. On the one hand, I couldn’t put it down. On the other, I really struggled to see the good in the Amarran people. I completely understand the concept behind this book. The queendom of Amarra is a society where women fought back from centuries of abuse and mistreatment from men to become Goddess-blessed and stronger than their male counterparts. Women are in charge and men are used as mere play things. In contrast, the kingdom of Brutus is run by men, and horrible atrocities against women are the norm. It was difficult to see how extreme the Amarrans took things - from a penis guillotine for rapists to making men sit at their feet during meals to men being made to be almost naked and ogled at all times. By showing Brutus and Amarra, the similarities are obvious. I wanted to like Olerra. She does want to change the way men are treated in Amarra, but she really doesn’t do anything to stop the cycle herself. It is always “when I am queen, I will change things.” I am stuck on the idea that when women finally gain power over men, they do the exact same things the men did to them, but amplified. I would hope for better for both Amarra and Brutus. I did read this in one day, as I was dragged into it and had to see how things ended. I am not saying this should be removed from your TBR, but just go in knowing there will be complicated feelings.

What Fury Brings is a romantasy and is largely set in a place where women are in power and are stronger than men with gender roles also being flipped. Having this backdrop creates an interesting setting for both development of the characters and the plot.

Amarra is a fierce warrior princess who is found to have deep compassion for the people of her country while Sanos is a hyper masculine warrior who is revealed to have a soft heart. I thoroughly enjoyed the tension between Amarra and Sanos as well as seeing Amarra through Sanos’s eyes as he sees the rationale behind why things are the way they are.

While it appears that this is a standalone, I thoroughly enjoyed the world and I would absolutely read any other stories that are set in it if they come into existence.

This book definitely has some dark or disturbing elements so check your trigger/content warnings. Your mental health is important.