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

I loved Hurricane Wars so much and was counting down the days until the next book came! Monsoon Rising did not disappoint! Well, the first book focused on world building, the second book let us focus more on the captivating relationship of Talasyn and Alaric. Their tension had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t wait to see where Thea would take us next with them. Definitely recommend!!

What a fantastic sequel!! I liked the hurricane wars but this was another level for me, I loved the character development and found the plot interesting, I devoured this in like two sittings Thea is definitely on my autobuy list now

5 stars

This book was hot, hot, hot 🔥 🥵
Considering the first book was alot of world being and heavy petting, I'm blown away how well this story has come together aswell as Alaric & Talasyn if you get my drift. It gets steamy and I loved it.

The story is also epic with lots of twist and turns. I never knew what to expect and it definitely kept me guessing. Be warned this book does end on a cliffhanger and I'm probably going to be thinking about it for the next couple of weeks, wondering what will happen and who is the enemy.

I loved the world building in this book and how we get to see a bit of both our main characters world and backstories. Oh and not forgetting the dragons we see alot more of them in this book, which I absolutely loved.

Overall this is definitely worth the hype and in my opinion even better than the first book.

So excited to get the special edition from @fairyloot now.

Thank you @theaguanzon & @@harpercollinsuk for the ARC and the opportunity to review this amazing story early i very much appreciate it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Alaric and Talasyn deliver the most epic enemies to lovers romance in A Monsoon Rising, completely ruining us and our sanity. The Hurricane Wars was superb, and so is A Monsoon Rising. I love this world and these characters so much 😍😭😭😍😭😍😭😍😭😍

Talasyn has grown so much. She has embraced her royal and political role, and she continues outwitting so many characters. And yet, despite all the political turmoil and the lack of trustworthy allies, she is still the loyal and devoted Talasyn we all know from the first book. She is fair and clever and resourceful and accepts no nonsense from anybody. She is torn within herself, especially about Alaric. Her heart is in scrambles and she doesn't even realize she has feelings for him lmao.

Alaric is our favorite Talasyn-doormat, but even he recognizes that he has feelings for her. But they are so afraid of love, and it truly breaks my heart. They are so traumatized and so love-starved that they fear love more than war itself. Because they know war. They understand war. But love? That's foreign to them. And my dear Alaric, his father has scarred him both mentally and physically that his prism of worldview is still somewhat wrong, but he really shows in this book that he does have the best intentions, that he does strive for peace and prosper, that he does want a family with Talasyn. I must say, Alaric is such a unique character. He has a kind heart yet he can be ruthless in battle. He fears love and grew up in an abusive environment without even a hint of love, yet he adores Talasyn. He is so contradictory, which makes him so fascinating. I sincerely hope that he makes the right choices in the next book and put an end to bad-choice-making male love interests!

The plot is rich and twisty, but what I loved the most in A Monsoon Rising was that we had time with Alaric and Talasyn, and that they had time to grow and come closer to each other. Don't get me wrong! There's a lot of political court intrigue, a world to save from the Void magic, backstabbing, and even a creature to save, but I loved how much their romance got to evolve, too! We had the perfect balance of romance and fantasy, and I love Thea Guanzon's vision and direction in this series.

What more can I say? A Monsoon Rising is the perfect second book in a series that will forever be legendary and epic, touching and devastating romantasy lovers of all ages and backgrounds.

Sincerely,
*Alaric's Guava

*You will know what that means once you read the book.

This was my most anticipated release of the year and was thrilled the book gods (Netgalley) answered my prayers (ARC request).

Jumping straight into events everything gets more politically and emotionally complicated with the coronation in . Vows exchanged to be true to each other while both parties have secrets and plots to overthrow the other. But then actually falling in love with your arranged spouse?!
Its a mess and, like a toddler with their first paint set, I couldnt be happier.
Fav tropes done well we have the enemies to lovers TM, the forced proximity TM and the there's only one bed TM

The miscommunication trope common with POVs of both MCs isnt present here, my dislike of this is usually you end up reading basically the same thing twice. While there is slight overlap its always with extra layers of context or understanding, adding something worth while.

The only downside of being an advance reader is having to wait LONGER than most for the sequel! This exceeded my high expectations and cant wait for my physical copy.