After enjoying the first book in this series, I could not pass up the opportunity to read an early copy of the sequel and A Monsoon Rising did not disappoint. It gave me all the Talasyn and Alaric chemistry I was hoping for after the slow build up in The Hurricane Wars. I adore them together, although let’s be frank they could do with having an honest conversation about a number of things!

These characters are well written and where book one was a slow burn, this one was much less so and was certainly spicier than the first, which was perfect for me. I loved their banter, how they sniped at each other and how we got to see their characters develop as they began to form their own opinions and ideas away from what their respective families expected from them. They both grew in confidence throughout the book which left them torn between duty and what they felt was right. We also got to learn more about their past which was often heartbreaking.

The story telling itself, as with book one, was full of vivid descriptions and we got to experience more of the rich magical system and history, but as this is a character driven romantasy, certain aspects of the world building, usually found in a fantasy, are less important which I don’t mind one bit.

A Monsoon Rising is a great follow up to The Hurricane Wars and after that cliffhanger ending, I can’t wait to read the next one.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 rounded up.

When I tell you I was gagging for this book, I'm not lying. Luckily, it didn't disappoint.

This book was a lot more about character and relationship development rather than loads of action taking place. We get see how Talasyn and Alaric affect each other, how their relationship dynamics shift and how their relationship starts to change how they think and feel about other things. I actually found it much easier to get into than The Hurricane Wars because the world-building had been done in such detail in the first book.

It is way more character-driven than plot, although we do get to grips with more of the politics and there are some pretty big moments that drive the story forward and keep the pacing fairly quick - which is needed as the book covers several months.

A lot of the book deals with the preparations for the Moonless Dark, so I was expecting a lot more from the chapters dealing with this. I didn't feel like the tension was built up quite enough just before and it was over so quickly with no real in-depth follow-up.

I will say that the end of this book has made me want to jump straight into the next so I need it to come as soon as possible!

I am grateful I was able to read this early, it was a horribly inpatient wait on my part.

I am so happy to be back in this world with these characters. I still adore the tense enemies to lovers vibes our main characters give us, and it only heats up more over time.

I will say this book felt a lot more political, secretive and had some filler. I feel like there was mainly movement on the core of the plot in the second half of the story. I still enjoyed this and I’m gutted where it finished, I will be impatiently waiting again for the next instalment in the series.

A Monsoon Rising is tension-filled, magical romantasy. Once rivals, pushed into marriage for political alliance, Alaric and Talysn are forced to work together and soon of course, the temptation builds. Fans of The Hurricane Wars will enjoy this sequel. It is filled with frustration, miscommunication and neverending lying to themselves that it can't be love... right? Whilst the Hurricane Wars had a lot more fantasy worldbuilding and other plot to set the scene, this one really focuses on the relationship and chemistry between Alaric and Talasyn. This is dual POV and seeing both of them so oblivious and stubborn can be infuriating at times, but it still kept me reading and hoping! It's definitely one for those who love the angst and tension of romantasy.

It has been tagged on Goodreads as YA. Just to be clear, this is not YA. It has many sex scenes, which are very explicit, so I would not recommend this to young teenagers. It felt like there was a lot more spice in this one than The Hurricane Wars, but I think that makes sense with the evolution of our protagonist's relationship.

The Hurricane Wars was my favorite read of 2023, and I’m so excited to say that Monsoon Rising is set to be a strong contender for my top book of 2024! It’s quite uncommon for a sequel to surpass the first book for me, but that’s exactly how I feel about AMR!

Similar to the previous installment, this story features a Dual POV Narrative between Talasyn and Alaric as they navigate their alliance and growing feelings for one another while pursuing their individual goals for their respective nations. Unlike the first book, which focused heavily on world-building and political intrigue, this sequel places a significant emphasis on Talasyn and Alaric’s romance. Did this impact my rating? Absolutely not! It worked perfectly for me, and I felt that nothing was lacking in the overall narrative (could this be biased because I adore these two characters more than life itself? Possibly). A notable aspect of this book that was less prominent in the first is the overall character development. In Monsoon Rising, we finally gain insight into Alaric’s upbringing with his father, which greatly illuminates his thoughts and actions. We also delve deeper into Talasyn’s past as she uncovers more about her enigmatic mother and her own upbringing in the Orphanage.

The buildup to what I anticipated would be the book's climax left me in intense suspense, especially since there were still a few chapters left after a major 'event' unfolded. To my surprise, Thea Guanzon delivers an unexpected ending that left me emotionally raw, damaged and feral for book three.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book, and I am incredibly grateful for the chance to read it early. If it had just a bit more political intrigue and court dynamics, it would have easily earned a six-star rating from me!

4 stars

THE TENSION WAS LITERALLY INSANE IN THIS ONE....
also what do you mean his father isn't dead yet like I genuinely hate that guy so much. This was such a good read and I think this was totally worth my time but it wasn't as fast-moving as I would've liked and took me longer to read than average, but that was still no problem for me. There were so many cute moments but the ending was literally UNACCEPTABLE (in a good way though)

Also why did I think this was a duet 😭

A big thanks to Thea and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this arc.

The highly-anticipated sequel to 'The Hurricane Wars' brings even further angst, heartbreak and magical discoveries.

Talasyn and Alaric are now married - politically. Just for politics and truces. That's all. But neither can deny the attraction between them or the incredible potential their combined magic has to save the world.

This enemies-to-lovers, to 'politically married-with-benefits' and then 'touch them and you die' sequel leads us through where their loyalties could lead to the betrayal of each other. Alaric's walls come crashing down as Talasyn's unique methods of ruling spread to his heart as well as their combined kingdoms.

All of this takes place with the backdrop of Guanzon's beautifully crafted Southeast Asian inspired war-torn world and spread of kingdoms.

This one was a lot heavier on the romance than the politics (which I’m totally okay with!)

The chemistry between Alaric and Talasyn was so good! But there was a bit too much miscommunication for my liking.

While the plot was lacking a little bit, the ending did have me gasping and now I NEED to know what happens!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reflection on my reading of A Monsoon Rising by @theagwrites, the sequel to The Hurricane Wars, which I had the chance to read as an ARC thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK.

I loved The Hurricane Wars and adored this sequel just as much! So much so that I devoured the book in 24 hours!

The story picks up right after the events at the end of the first book. Talasyn and Alaric must prepare for The Moonless Night and protect the world from destruction. As a romantic fantasy, the romance takes center stage here—and what a romance it is! If you enjoyed Talasyn and Alaric’s relationship in book one, it’s even more intense in this one, and I loved the tension, the banter, their “I love you, I love you not” dynamic; their chemistry is top-notch.

They each face their own dilemmas and must find their way between the expectations of those around them and their own wants and desires. I still love Alaric, who has this aura that’s both sexy and sensitive. Their relationship takes things up a notch, and you’ll get a few spicy scenes to enjoy.

However, the plot doesn’t progress a great deal; most of the novel focuses on Talasyn and Alaric’s preparation, with the story only really moving forward in the last 15-20% of the book—only to end on an incredibly frustrating cliffhanger! The worst part will be waiting for the next one!

A big favorite of mine for this sequel!

4.25 (with tendency to 4.5)
This book was so good and such an improvement compared to “The Hurricane Wars”!

I remember having a hard time getting into book one, because of the writing as well as the world building. Comparing the sequel to book one, it’s just a very different experience and a very pleasant one at that too.

The writing was better, the plot felt more thought out, the chemistry between Talasyn & Alaric as well as between them and other characters felt more in tune with everything else going on.

This book was also funny and funnier than one might expect. It’s also heavier on the romance side and less political. Generally more romcomy, but still very romantasy. I wouldn’t be surprised if the author will eventually try their hand at an actual romcom! (I would obviously read it)

It just hits differently when SHE is the one asking “What happened?” and “Who did this to you?”.
I loved all the little moments between Talasyn and Alaric. They were very innocent and intimate and you can clearly see how they warm up to each other, while still struggling with their barely existing communication skills as well as their loyalty to their respective family & people.
There were some moments during the sex scenes that felt very out of character. Like..the parts that supposed to be dirty talk. Well. Help. They were more funny than sexy. Reading about two people having their first sexual experiences with each other, some parts were cute af! And some others were, let’s say, questionable, but this shall be forgiven.

There were some action scenes and fighting and although they were good, I did struggle a bit to properly follow what exactly was happening. But that’s mainly on me.

I will also say though, very respectfully, that after reading “The Hurricane Wars“ twice and now after having read “A Monsoon Rising”, I still don’t know and understand what “aether hearts” are and anything “aether” is and what they do. But this is also on me, I guess.

Anyway, can’t wait for the next book!

this book is definitely suffering from second book syndrome because i hv no idea how anyt that happened in this book will connect to whatever book3 will be about!

i wish alaric and talasyn communicated better but thank god they actually have chemistry. their relationship is definitely at the lovers part of enemies to lovers rn and i think it developed nicely from book1.

the world building was confusing and i didnt understand anyt but thats partially my bad since its been a year since i read book1 and cant rly rmbr much. although i had a problem with them constantly saying theyre gonna do one thing but then they nvr do it!!!!! i liked the descriptions of things at some points but otherwise i felt like they were describing too much when it was not necessary

the events in this book felt rly irrelevant and im not exactly sure where the plot is going because tbh the only high stakes thing that was happening in this book was the moonless dark but that only lasted 20 pages, the rest of the book was basically their romance and mind u this book is 400 pages.

thank you to harper collins and netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!! 2.5⭐️

Thea what are you doing to me?!

I devoured ‘The Hurricane Wars’, I couldn’t put it down and fell in love with Talasyn and Alaric, the world they live in, and the Star Wars vibes were sensational.

Beginning ‘A Monsoon Rising’ was nerve wracking as I was ready to learn what happened, they’re married, now, how does it pan out?! Will they give into their feelings?! Will Gaheris discover Talasyn’s loyalty to the Sardinian Allfold ?! There were so many questions I needed answers to, and Thea delivered.

I loved the character development, Alaric began opening up to Talasyn, dropping those incredibly high walls, to open himself up to her, and allow himself to feel. The “be kind to me” moment almost broke me.

Talasyn is the kind of FMC you can get behind, she’s young, she’s been alone for so long that she clearly struggles to let people in. But give her a break, she’s trying so hard. The poor woman’s being pulled in so many directions by key players who have a hidden agenda - I found myself getting frustrated with how much gets hidden from her - but alongside the politics she’s having to navigate, there’s Alaric and the feelings she’s denying herself, I know it’s wrong, he’s the “bad guy” but I’d *literally* melt every time they came together, I was giddy, feet kicking, feeling sheer joy when they put aside the thinking and started feeling. I found myself smiling like the Cheshire Cat every time they just gave in, and Alaric’s way of worshipping Talasyn is just *goals*.

And that ending - mind blown - I’ll be crying in the corner for the next week or so… she felt a pang in her stomach that THIS MIGHT BE THE LAST TIME SHE LAID EYES ON HIM…. Thea?!? What?!? How could you leave it there?

It’s safe to say this book is all the stars, highly recommend, I read waaaay past my bedtime to get to the end. Can I have book three now? Please?

This has quickly become one of my favourite series of all time! We pick off where we left off in the last book and boy is it a rollercoaster. The world-building is SO well-crafted, and the writing so poetic. I genuinely enjoyed every single page. I won’t be able to stop thinking about this book! I can’t recommend it enough!

Wow. This is one of my favourite books for this year.

Thea has done it again! This is the second instalment in the series and continues the story of Talasyn & Alaric’s union to help save their realm from destruction.

The tension in this books combined with Thea’s lyrical and poetic writing combined with the most insane plot and world building makes this an easy 5 star read for me.

I felt so immersed into the world and I didn’t want the story to end. I cannot believe the cliffhanger we are left on and the fact we have to wait another year for the next book.

If you enjoy he falls first, banter, sexual tension, amazing characters and plot plus INCREDIBLE spice then you need the read the first two books in this series.

Thank you Harper Collins & NetGalley for the eARC ⚔️

I think I need to accept that this series just wasn’t for me. I could barely keep up with the first book in the series and this one had me struggling even more. The world building continues to feel repetitive and disjointed. Not one for me sadly.

The Hurricane Wars was one of my favourite fantasy reads from early this year. Imagine my shick wjen I was accepted to read the second book. A Monsoon Rising picks up right where we left off at the end of The Hurricane Wars and straight away immerses you in the action and political and emotional plotlines. The development of the main character is amazing and I honestly could not eat this book up quickly enough. I absoltely devoured it and now have a massive book hangover.

I didn't think it was possible to love Thea Guanzon's writing and books more than I already did after The Hurricane Wars but I AM OBSESSED! I love Alaric, the banter, the tension, the doubts and even the secrets... did I mention I love Alaric?

I'm always hesitant going into the sequel of a book I love so much but Thea knocked it out the park with A Monsoon Rising!

The writing kept me immersed from the first page and long after I read the final word... I can't wait to see what Thea does with the final book. All the stars for this book!!

I only ask that Alaric and Talasyn get their happy ending because I'll die if they don't 😭



If anyone reads this far.... can I beg for a physical ARC so my collection of Thea's books is completed 😭🥹 🙏

The Hurricane Wars was one of my favourite fantasy reads from early this year so I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of the second book in the series. I did go back and listen to the audio book of The Hurricane Wars before picking this up to refresh my memory on the plot and specific details of the first book and I'm really glad I did as I feel it really helped to immerse me in the story development. A Monsoon Rising picks up right where we left off at the end of The Hurricane Wars and straight away immerses you in the action and political and emotional plotlines. I loved the development of Alaric and Talasyn's relationship in this book. There is still a decent amount of miscommunication between them but I felt it was done appropriately and contributes to the brilliant tension between the characters. There are loads of plot twists throughout the book which really kept me invested and quickly consuming the pages. Really looking forward to the next book in the series, cant wait to see how this story ends!

Two hearts circle each other in the eye of the storm. After a lifetime of war, these characters were thrust into an alliance between their homelands. Now one must play the role of a willing press while her allies secretly plot to overthrow his reign. But a greater threat is rising, a cataclysmic magical event that could devour everything.

Tensions rise, relationships are explored and a captivating world is within your grasp. There is something intriguing about learning more about each character, their past and their roles to their contrasting realms. A richly visualised plot and enough twists to keep you guessing that will leave readers eagerly wanting more.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐕𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐀 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐚 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐳𝐨𝐧

i looooooved the hurricane wars so much, and a monsoon rising was such an incredible follow up.
however! i will be pressing charges based on the cliffhanger…….. the gasp i let out………

the main characters might have a level of communication issues that physically hurts me deep in my soul but BOY am i sucked in, i can’t look away??? i can’t be annoyed??? i have no choice but to ship, even when they are both secretly planning to cross the other??? the chemistry! the angst! i was locked in from the start😌

i have 1 single qualm and that is the relentless mention of each others “slim arm”, “slim leg”, “lean” figures was borderline giving fatphobic?? a few mentions and i probably wouldn’t have noticed, but it was becoming eye rollable at the end and taking me out of the book.

i still really thoroughly enjoyed this book, and i can’t wait to see where the series goes from here!

thank you to harper collins, thea guanzon and netgalley for the arc opportunity 🥰

Reviews posted 03 Nov 2024:
Shorter review posted on Instagram
Longer review posted on StoryGraph & Goodreads