A storm of magic, deception, and tangled loyalties, A Monsoon Rising delivers sweeping romance and high-stakes intrigue—but sometimes loses momentum in the calm between the chaos.

✨ A marriage built on strategy, not trust ⚔️ A rebellion simmering beneath the surface 🌑 A looming catastrophe that demands uneasy alliances

Guanzon crafts a world brimming with tension, where love and war collide in dazzling bursts of emotion. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Talasyn and Alaric is charged, their chemistry undeniable, but the pacing leans heavily into the romance, leaving the political intrigue feeling underdeveloped. The stakes are high, the angst is palpable, but at times, I wanted more urgency—more fire behind the rebellion, more depth to the looming threat.

If you love slow-burning romance, lush worldbuilding, and characters caught between duty and desire, this one will keep you invested—just be prepared for the plot to take its time unfolding.

I was genuinely surprised by how much I loved A Monsoon Rising. As someone who gravitates toward stories rich in political intrigue, I found Guanzon’s execution absolutely spot-on. The tension between the Moonless Dark and the clashing agendas of Talasyn and Alaric kept the stakes high and the pages turning. The political machinations were sharp, layered, and satisfyingly complex—just the way I like them.

The pacing was masterfully done. Guanzon strikes that rare balance between action and emotional depth, which kept me fully immersed and reluctant to put the book down. One of the biggest highlights for me was the relationship development between Talasyn and Alaric. Their enemies-to-lovers dynamic was given the space to breathe and evolve, and the chemistry between them was undeniable. Watching them navigate their feelings, complete with endearing awkwardness and tension - was an absolute delight.

Alaric, in particular, really came into his own in this installment. His dry humor and internal conflict added so much nuance to his character, and I found myself loving his scenes even more this time around.

And that ending! Guanzon does not pull punches. The final moments are a jaw-dropping cliffhanger that left me reeling and desperate for the next book. I can't wait to see where the story goes from here.

Highly recommend this one to fans of epic romance, intricate politics, and high-stakes drama. A Monsoon Rising is a standout sequel that more than delivers.

It was the same issue I had with the first one with having difficulties getting into it. I did feel a bit lost with all the details and felt like it was a me issue since I have been in a book slump so I definitely feel like a night reread this again at a later date.

I was still fully invested in Talasyn and Alaric romance and wanted to make it to the end to see what will happen next. As well as see what would become with Alaric’s father.

<b>Thank you to Thea Guanzon, NetGalley, and Harper Collins for the chance to read and review this e-arc in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions remain my own.</b>

A Monsoon Rising is a fantastic sequel to The Hurricane Wars, centered around the incoming danger of the Moonless Dark and the ever-growing tension between Alaric and Talasyn.

“I want to kiss you and burn the world to ash in the same breath.”

Tropes you’ll find inside:
🔥enemies-to-lovers
🔥reluctant alliance
🔥slow burn
🔥political intrigue
🔥magic as a weapon.

Okay, why did I wait so long to read this? A Monsoon Rising by @theaguanzon picks up right where The Hurricane Wars left us hanging, and it does not let up.
There’s power plays and political games galore, and I was obsessed with the emotional complexity between Talasyn and Alaric.
The tension? Palpable.
The pining? Painful.
The reveals? So worth it.
And let’s not ignore how lush the worldbuilding is… every chapter pulls you deeper into a kingdom teetering on the edge of war and desire.

This is very much a sequel that rewards your patience. A romantasy series that mixes rebellion with longing and gives you characters who bleed for their cause and each other.
DEVINE!


Next book is currently untitled, but I’m counting down the days.


Appreciate Harper Collins UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an excellent 2nd book to this series. I was anxious to keep reading but I’m glad I did because it didn’t disappoint.
You couldn’t guess the ending which is what’s best about well written books. It was unpredictable. If you guessed it then how?!
Personally I think this 2nd book is better than the 1st. More fast paced and intriguing.
Can’t wait for book 3

I loved this book. So much so that I went and bought two different pretty versions for my bookshelf. The recap in the first couple of chapters really helped me get into the swing of reading the sequel without needing to reread the first.

This book was an amazing fantasy book and I was really well written. The world building was absolutely incredible and truly imaginative.
The next book sounds absolutely amazing and I’m looking forward to readying it!!

Thank you to Netgalley for sharing this book with me. I loved the book one and this one is not disappointing either. It is very well written and I had an amazing time reading it!
I cannot wait for the conclusion of the trilogy:)

I liked how everything was tied up, but after not enjoying the first book as much as I thought I was going to, this one was just ok for me. I found it too slow burn for my taste.

But I know this story is very much loved by most!

Thank you for my copy

I was a such a big fan of the first book and I'm so happy I got a NetGalley approved ARC!

I enjoyed this book so much better than the first, and absolutely loved the tension between the fmc and mmc. I am a huge slow burn enemies to lovers romantasy lover, and this book really did not disappoint.

My only gripe is the ending. It was awful being left on that cliffhanger, I need the next book NOW.

I've been waiting so so long for this! I loved every second.

I'm not sure what she laces the pages with but I couldn't out this down

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I wasn't as big a fan of the first book as a lot of people, but I did think that this one did a good job of tying things up and it was an interesting take on the 'end of the world' trope. However I did feel like the relationship was a little too slow-burny and I just got a bit fed up of them not talking to each other about the important things!

I enjoyed this one more than the first book- the tension, the yearning, the will they/ won’t they!!
The world building is complex, and took a moment for me to get back to where we left off in book one. Despite the high stakes plot, the romance continues to be my fav part of the story. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

This series is the ultimate slow burn enemies to lovers romantasy! It's hard to find romantasy books with well done romance and also fully fleshed out world building so I really appreciate the time and depth give to the magic system and the politics in this. This was more evenly paced than book 1 and I enjoyed the romance more. The Reylo romance vibes are still strong in this one and there are some sweet moments with them bonding over trauma but both plot wise and relationship wise not more moves forward aside from some small plot devices. Overall I enjoyed this (perhaps even more than book 1) but I wished there was more plot movement although that cliff hanger makes me really excited for book 3!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advanced readers copy in exchange for a honest review, all opinions are my own.

This was so much better than book 1- basically in terms of everything: plot, characters, and especially on how their relationship grew.

In book 1 I didn't particularly like the interactions between Talaysn and Alaric but here? Their growing on each other as they slowly but steadily started opening up to each other was gold. Another small detail that didn't go unnoticed was how Talasyn continued viewing Alaric not as a perfectly good person, because she, or they both know that's impossible to not associate his name to all the destruction he brought with him. Another bonus if knowing that their love language is fighting, all their fights were so funny to read-between his silent exasperation and her wanting to rattle him even more just to see his perfect facade of a face/mask crack.

Another thing I loved was how the plot was done this time, how the lore from book 1 was used and remembered to have our pretty newlyweds fend off the Moonless Dark.

What hindered me at first was how like book 1 the first half of the book was slow to pick up, how I really started to enjoy this book after passing the first 54% Was the remaining good enough to make amends? To raise it up to a 4 star? Heck yes.

Another thing that bothered me at times was how some terms used sounded too much wrong in that specific contest-to cite a specific one: dragon lips. while I do realize it may be a way too much subtle thing it still felt a bit too...off for me. And last thing was how maybe way too many doors were left open while so very few were actually closed shut, at least for me- I would have preferred having some more disclosed endings instead of pulling them till book 3.

Oh, and about book 3- you can bet I will read it when it comes out. That ending? Diabolical, I tell you. Just, diabolical.
4.10⭐️ 2🌶️

The romance was sweet when it was Talasyn and Alaric bonding over their past traumas or being considerate with each other's needs and fears, but other times it was so formulaic. We really had to have a scene where Alaric gets jealous because Talasyn wears a revealing dress? And in the last 10% of the book?

There was also so little plot progression. They deal with the eclipse and that's it. Literally nothing else happens.

3 stars only because I still like the world and the characters but this book was way too tedious for how short it was. I hope the third book is better.

The cliffhanger in this book is absolutely mind-blowing!

I had a fantastic time reading it and honestly felt it was even more gripping than the first one. The way the tension unfolds gradually, just like in the previous book, really keeps you hooked.

There’s more romance and tender moments that really enhance the depth of the story.

The author has done a phenomenal job bringing the characters to life, making it so easy to get emotionally invested in them. I couldn’t stop reading! So, when does the next book come out?

4,5 ⭐

I absolutely loved the character development between Talasyn and Alaric in A Monsoon Rising. They were much more engaging in this book, and I felt a deeper connection to them, which made their journey even more enjoyable to follow. The storytelling captivates you from the very beginning, and the ending... What a cliffhanger! How can you leave us hanging like that?!

So many stars for this book! I loved Hurricane wars and I loved monsoon rising just as much! I love the progression through the story and the building of Talasyn and Alaric as a couple. The world building and magic system is great and the complexity of the relationships and the politics of family are a perfect mix! Would highly recommend