I tried really hard to enjoy this. The Daughter of the Pirate King is one of my favorite books of all time, and I have enjoyed other books by this author. However, this was just too intense for me. I understand the message, and the goal, but it just wasn't the right fit for me. I think that a lot more marketing for this book should include the fact that this is not like Levensellers other books so all readers are aware going into it. I won't be reviewing on my socials as this includes too many topics which my followers may be sensitive to and don't feel comfortable recommending or otherwise reviewing this book.

TLDR: not a bad book per say, but not the right fit for me.

Thank you to MacMillan and Netgalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I truly don’t know how to rate What Fury Brings. If I could, I wouldn’t, because I feel like I’m not the target audience. I love romantasy. I love Tricia Levenseller (I’ve read all her books, and Warrior of the Wild is my absolute favorite). So, I went into this expecting a lighthearted, quirky romantasy with a feminist twist. Even the premise, kidnapping men to find a husband, sounded cheeky and satirical.

But I was so, so wrong.

This book is marketed as feminist, a “flipping” of the patriarchy. But that’s not what it is. Amarra, the nation we explore, is a horrifying replica of everything that has ever been wrong with patriarchal societies, only the roles are reversed and the abuse amplified. Men in chains. Men gagged. Men sold at auction, starting from the age of thirteen. Men kept in harems, humiliated, raped, abused. AND THIS IS TREATED AS NORMAL.

I know the author states in the author’s note that this is not how a world led by women would/should look, but this kind of reflection is entirely absent from the actual narrative. There is no dismantling of beliefs, no meaningful interrogation of the system in place. And that’s the issue: without that critical lens, this novel doesn’t read as a critique of power structures. It’s not feminist empowerment. It’s dystopian cruelty, unchecked and unexamined. It's gratuitous hate and violence.

And that’s the worst part: the book not only fails to question this system, it excuses it. I quote: “I’m not saying it’s right. Just that there is a reason for it. […] If we don’t dominate men, they will go back to oppressing us. We must behave to protect ourselves.” This situation is horrific. This is not the answer to all the harm that has been perpetrated on women and other marginalized groups.

The male-led nation is called “Brutus,” and the author wants us to believe that the men there are the villains. But they’re not. The female-led nation is the real villain, and yet no one seems to realize it.

And how are we supposed to believe that a prince, humiliated and abused, would fall in love with his captor, especially when she accepts and even justifies the status quo, with questionable intentions of changing it? How can that be resolved emotionally and ethically in the span of 360pages?

I don’t think it can.

And what was that ending? Are we really supposed to believe that by having the man walk down the aisle, wearing a dress and a bit of makeup, the patriarchy is flipped and the protagonists are somehow equals? I don’t think so. I also couldn’t help but notice how conveniently the author avoided explaining how two nations as fundamentally different as Brutus and Amarra could possibly merge, how they could overcome such deep-rooted hatred, trauma, and the systemic abuse of the other sex. That part was simply glossed over. And frankly, I’m not sure it can happen. How can there be equality when neither side has done the necessary work to question, unlearn, their misconceptions? Love is not a magic solution, and the book itself even says so in the line I quoted earlier.

I want to be clear: I love a good female rage and I don’t have triggers, I can read anything, but I do need to know what I am getting into and the trigger warnings did not prepare me for that. I was completely taken by surprise by the massive gap between the marketing of this book and its actual content. I want to know when I’m entering dark territory, not discover I’m already deep in it when I’m 20% into the book.

Readers deserve to know what they’re getting into. This isn’t cute or subversive. It’s dark. It’s disturbing. And it’s only for a very specific kind of reader. It is not your average romantasy.

Please, market this book correctly. Call it what it is: DARK romantasy. And include proper content warnings for severe humiliation and pedophilia.

Okay, so I’ll be honest, I was reading three books at once… but guess which one kept pulling me back in? Yup. This one. I already adore Tricia’s Daughter of the Pirate King duology and The Shadows Between Us, but this?? This was a whole new level. Her adult debut absolutely screams “F*** the Patriarchy” and I was living for it.

Olerra is a general in a matriarchal kingdom where women rule with literal goddess-gifted strength. Men? Very much on a leash. Our girl isn’t gifted, but she’s determined, strategic, and so freaking fun to follow. She decides the best way to prove herself worthy of the throne is by kidnapping a prince… only, whoops, wrong prince. And suddenly we’re served an actual enemies-to-lovers slow burn with political drama, feminist rage, humor, and yes… a penis guillotine. I said what I said.

This book is sharp, hilarious, and positively addictive. If you like your romantasy bold, a little unhinged, and empowering as hell—this one is so worth it.

I CANNOT wait to see her at the event!

The idea of a feminist romantasy storyline easily grabbed my attention. Sprinkle in an enemies to lovers romance, yes please.

I can understand the intent of some behavior displayed by the matriarch in order to match traditional patriarchy abuse, but was a little disappointed in the constant unnecessary brutality. It felt like too much emphasis on how to break and humiliate the MMC entirely, and that wasn’t really the empowering plot I was craving. I hoped to see more significance in what we could gain from women owning their power instead.

I did thoroughly enjoy the writing, and found it hard to put down once I began reading. This idea felt new and refreshing. I had a great time watching the ending unfold and appreciated the emphasis on equality, just wish this was a bigger theme throughout. I would love to see a sequel and where the kingdoms go from here.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

What Fury Brings
Tricia Levenseller
3/5

I was SO excited to read this type of narrative. Women being the stronger sex? Yes! However, the farther I read, the more uncomfortable I got.
I can absolutely see the logic behind the overall idea of "I was oppressed, therefor I will oppress due to my fury (hence, the title). However, my version of feminism doesn't involve treating all men the way some men treat women. I understand the rage, the desire for justice, etc. My version just includes being better than they were (more quickly than 500 years later). Though, I can get on board with penis guillotines for the rapists.

The ending, (while slightly predictable) was enjoyable, and did bring my overall rating up by half a star.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and Macmillan for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review! At this time, I do not plan to publish a review anywhere other than Goodreads, due to the rating I gave.

I made it to 20% before DNF-ing this one, and here is why. Here is also why while this book might not be for me, you might love it!

Things I enjoyed:
-The cover and sprayed edge design shown is wonderful and genuinely a work of art
-The premise
-The introduction had me giggling and also very intrigued and interested
-There were some portions I quite enjoyed for the dialogue and descriptions.
-It was formatted properly for an enjoyable ereader experience.

Things I was neutral about:
-The length, this seems like a fair length for a book

The reasons I DNFd:
-The writing style overall did not work for me. I wanted to be able to get into this one, but I continued to feel detached. I could not figure out why this was.
-When I went to check the reviews for this book, I saw a reviewer mention pedo****** and I do not know if that was mentioned in the content warnings, but this is a specific piece of content I would personally like to avoid.
-I found myself feeling uncomfortable reading this, versus feeling intrigued.

For the concept alone and the brutality that came with this story (it felt real, and harsh, and I enjoyed that portion, I hope that makes sense), I need to give this one three stars. I am still curious and want to check it out once it releases purely due to the cover and I am someone who reads horror and splatterpunk so violence and gore are not new to me. If I adjust expectations going into this one (not that this is that extreme, but I do not think I was quite prepared for this violence and gore level), I think this would be a really fantastic read. For now, I am soft DNFing.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC! I appreciate the opportunity to leave honest feedback voluntarily.

I struggled with this one a little bit because I think it suffers through the trend of having a "powerful" FMC just for the sake of it and not actually for the story itself (sorry for the run on sentence).

I feel like the romance could've been better?

I don't know...I was hoping the FMC would be different or at least written well, but I was wrong...don't know if I'll continue....

DNF at 12%.

Unfortunately I missed a pretty big trigger on the trigger list at the beginning of the book. It's one I have no tolerance for, so I won't be finishing this book.

I usually adore Tricia Levenseller's books so I hope this is a good one for those that can make it past the trigger warnings.

Projected rating of 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

What Fury Brings is a refreshingly fierce twist on the romantasy genre. Tricia Levenseller delivers a story brimming with chemistry, power dynamics, and a clever subversion of traditional gender roles. Olerra is a commanding heroine with heart, and Sanos’ evolution from resentful captive to something far more complicated is both fun and satisfying to watch. The worldbuilding feels fresh, and while some pacing stumbles occur, the tension—both romantic and political—keeps the pages turning. A strong adult debut that leaves you eager for more.

Holy COW spectacular!
Reverse roles was insightful and very well done.
I love Olerra. Everything I want in a heroine.
Strong, confident, brave, saucy, and brilliant.

Wow wow wow. Tricia did not come to play and she delivered an amazing romantasy novel!!

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

What a HIT! Now give me every edition please!!

Thank you Feiwel Books at Macmillian for this free EARC gift on netgalley!

I really wanted to love this book, and I tried.

My issue with this is, it started with funny one liners that men use against women in a "haha the roles are reveresed", but it wound up just being feminine rage that felt mean spirited. I was unable to finish because it started to feel to feel like it was all rage with no purpose. There weren't any periods of reflection or any accountability for these characters, so I decided not to finish. I loved the premise of this, but the execution was lacking for me.

Okay I have complex feelings about this book. I ate it up in a day because it was such a compulsive read. The dark romantasy vibes with true enemies to lovers had me hooked. The inverse sexism was my favorite part of the story. It was so satisfying to see all the discrimination women field on a daily basis be turned on men instead. The premise was fantastic but the execution left something to be desired. In order for the enemies to lovers to really work for me I needed more time for the story to be fully developed. They both needed to unpack internalized beliefs about their societies and there just wasn't room for that to happen in a standalone. The female rage piece was satisfying but it was genuinely uncomfortable to watch Sanos be humiliated and restrained by Olerra and that never gets questioned by the narrative. If we had time to see them both unpack their beliefs and then work to change the system I would have been more satisfied. As it was the romantic development was rushed to fit the timeline of the story. Although attempts were made to show that she respected him it was hard to fully believe that when her treatment of him earlier in the story gets brushed under the rug. I'm all for a female rage book. But with the state of the world where it is now I need more than just fury. I need to see that rage motivating actual change. Otherwise it's just a different flavor of the same frustration we have in real life.

I made it about 13% of the way through this book and even though it's early before a DNF, I just really don't like this. I'm not quite sure why. The structure of the society doesn't bother me -- nothing has happened to men at this point that hasn't happened to women but for some reason the vibes are just not there for me. I do love some of Tricia's other books so I'm going to tap out of this one before I end up not wanting to read future books from her. Rating two stars because I do believe this book is for someone, just not for me.

This book was so satisfying. I enjoyed it a lot, every trope subverting, female rage laced page. I giggled at the parts that felt like they were born from years of eye rolling frustration at female objectification, and I immediately messaged my friends that they need to add this to their TBR. It's incredibly easy to cheer for Olerra & want her to win. This book is pure fun!

I enjoyed this ARC of What Fury Brings. It was an interesting concept, but I feel like the story and the world building could have been more detailed. A solid read.

Somebody needs to give Tricia Levenseller an award or something She knocked it out the park with this book. What Fury Brings was so original and unlike anything that I have ever read before. The plot, characters, and world building were out of this world and were the reason I fell in love with this book. I love that the author made it that the men were the weaker/ less superior gender. Almost all books make women seem weak and like they're worthless, so it was nice to see the roles reversed for a change. This was truly a great book and will be recommending it to my bookish friends.

Levenseller’s adult debut is a whip-smart, blood-soaked reversal of gendered power dynamics with a romance that’s as emotionally layered as it is gloriously unhinged. Think: “The Witcher” meets “The Selection”, but gender-bent and dipped in feminist rage. We all love feminine rage.

“What Fury Brings” is about Olerra, who is a sword-wielding queen in r making with zero time for patriarchy. Then we meet Sanos, who is the brooding himbo who gets kidnapped, emotionally rearranged, and reluctantly seduced into feminism. Seriously, it was unexpected but still authentically the Tricia Lavenseller way. Much long her YA books, her new adult debut still gives exactly the same vibes. Powerful FC with a down bad man.

Equally satisfying for romantasy fans and those of us who live for books that challenge power, pleasure, and tradition. I think this will likely be the next big fantasy. I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks!

What Fury Brings by Tricia Levenseller delivers her signature mix of romance and fantasy with a dark, flirty twist. As a longtime fan, I found it enjoyable but not as gripping as her other works—something about it didn’t fully click for me. Still, it’s a fun, steamy read that others will likely connect with more, especially fans of morally gray love interests and magical bargains.

What Fury Brings is such an intriguing element of the story. It flips everything we’re used to, and I love how it challenges the usual power dynamics we see in fantasy. I loved how it’s not just about political power; it’s also about navigating relationships in a society where gender roles are completely flipped. Olerra’s journey to claim her place as queen while dealing with her growing feelings for Sanos is everything I want in a romance; fierce, emotional, and full of growth. And watching Sanos’s struggle to adapt to this world he’s forced into was just as compelling. He’s used to being in control, but in Olerra’s world, he has to learn how to let go of that and become something more. The way the author weaves these themes of power, control, and vulnerability into the romance really took it to another level for me. It’s so refreshing to see a romance where the power dynamic is turned on its head, and it makes the stakes feel even higher. I loved it.

I think there's a really good idea in here, but it either went too far or not far enough. We are told that the matriarchy does not subjugate gay men, but we never see how that works or meet any on page. We are told the world needs to change, but Olerra is close to an aunt who lets her cousin abuse minors in the open. So we are to believe that they respect gender identity and sexual orientation but simply not about child trafficking. All of the men except Sanos who we talk to are happy with their place in this world, the understanding being that it's "better." Levenseller knows and states that a simple reversal of the patriarchy is bad, but she doesn't seem to overcome or even wrestle with the dehumanization that allows societies like this to thrive. It even occurs on the other side. In Sanos's patriarchal culture, we only hear of women as people to be protected. At no point is there a suggestion that there's more to his mother and sister. They exist solely to be protected.

Possibly with a few more rounds of editing and development this could have turned into something with more nuance. As it was, it felt too blunt and any chance I had of enjoying the romance was ruined by the world. It felt too glib, especially for a romance that starts with a kidnapping and includes a fair amount of physical assault.