Day’s YA: FOR SHE IS WRATH

FOR SHE IS WRATH by Emily Varga
9781250877383
10/29/2024
Wednesday Books
Ages 13-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

Dania spends her days sitting in a prison cell, serving time for a crime she did not commit. She dreams of escaping and enacting revenge on those who betrayed her, including Mazin, the boy she once loved. One day, Dania is in her cell when suddenly a girl bursts through the floor on an escape attempt of her own. The tunnel that Noor is digging was supposed to lead to freedom, but instead led to Dania’s cell. Noor is on her own path to revenge, so the two girls join forces, escaping their shared prison and setting out on a journey to find a hidden stash of djinn magic—the same magic the emperor is using to decimate the villages and increase his power. Dania uses the forbidden magic to change her appearance into someone no one in the kingdom will recognize, and she and Noor head for the city. Armed with a new face and identity (and her unmatchable skills with a sword) she infiltrates the palace and reconnects with Mazin, intent on getting vengeance. But despite her anger toward him, she can’t deny the sparks that still fly between them, complicating the plan and putting Dania at risk of losing not just her life, but her heart.

This Pakistani retelling of Alexandre Dumas’ masterpiece THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO is a masterpiece in its own right. Dania is the definition of a strong female main character. She’s smart, tough, a whiz with a sword, and will defend herself and her loved ones with everything in her. Her friendship with Noor developed into a beautiful sisterhood as they fight for justice, and her chemistry with Mazin was palpable, even when she’s disguised as someone else. Full of romance and adventure, Emily Varga’s beautiful writing reminds me a lot of Adrienne Young, and this feminist retelling is also reminiscent of GIRL, SERPENT, THORN by Melissa Bashardoust. I’d recommend this to anyone who is looking for a fresh take on a classic tale, as well as anyone who enjoyed Kill Bill, AN EMBER IN THE ASHES, or Arya Stark’s storyline in Game of Thrones.

Happy reading!
<3 Emily

Day’s YA Archives