1⭐️ – I’m furious. I’m disgusted. I’m disappointed.

I have never been this close to DNFing a book so close to the end—but sheer morbid curiosity about how this nightmare could possibly wrap up in a "happy ever after" kept me skimming. I should have DNFed. I wish I had.

I came into What Fury Brings with high expectations. I adore romantasy. I loved Tricia Levenseller’s The Shadow Between Us—fun, fierce, full of sharp characters and a darkly empowering vibe. The premise here sounded equally cheeky and satirical: a matriarchal kingdom where men are kidnapped and “auditioned” for marriage? Gender-flipped power structures? Sign me up.

The nation of Amarra is presented as a mirror to a patriarchal society—but instead of using that mirror to reflect and critique, the book endorses the very same abuses it claims to flip. Men are enslaved. Gagged. Auctioned off like cattle from the age of thirteen. Forced into harems. Raped. Drugged. Humiliated. And this is presented as normal. Necessary, even. A quote that made me sick:

“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.”

That’s not justice. That’s not healing. That’s a grotesque justification for a broken world that no one in the story seriously interrogates. The female-led nation is, unquestionably, the villain—but the book refuses to admit that. There is no meaningful challenge to the system. No growth. No critique. No character who truly sees the horror and acts on it. I was expecting rage and role reversal. I was not expecting it to depict child grooming and to talk about the sexual “initiation” of a 13-year-old. It made me sick to my stomach. The “sex workers” in this society? Not workers. They are sex slaves. Auctioned off. Enslaved. Not consenting. Let that sink in.

This is cruelty, rewritten with women as the abusers—and then applauded.

The romance (???) was the nail in the coffin for me. We’re supposed to root for a relationship where the male lead is kidnapped, imprisoned, physically, sexually, and emotionally abused—and falls in love with his captor, Olerra. The FMC never once reflects on her own behavior, and the book offers no insight into her psyche beyond “well, I’m not like those other abusive women” before proceeding to be not quite as abusive—BUT STILL ABUSIVE. And for me? That doesn’t cut it.

Repeated scenes where Sanos is chained spread eagle to the bed every night aren’t sexy—they're traumatic. He’s forced into objectifying and humiliating bondage attire. He is paraded around like a toy, his dignity stripped away, while the FMC flaunts her power. Their dynamic never changes. Even at the end, she doesn’t trust him. In some ways, she’s just as horrible as her cousin—just in different, more manipulative ways. She claims to be better, but she isn’t.

And the more I sit with it, the angrier I get.

This isn’t a tale of justice or healing. No, it’s Stockholm syndrome dressed up as romance. The idea that the MMC must be “housebroken” (direct term used) before he can be a good partner is horrifying. There is no romance in this book. Only rape, humiliation, physical abuse, and psychological torture.

The central “relationship” between Sanos and Olerra is not slow-burn or enemies-to-lovers. It is Stockholm syndrome. He is: kidnapped, drugged, chained (every single night, spread-eagle to a bed), gagged, dressed in humiliating bondage gear, paraded around publicly as an object, sexually assaulted—multiple times, subjected to non-consensual drugged sex, dehumanized in every way imaginable... How are you supposed to root for a romance that’s basically just her degrading him the entire time? He slowly loses all traits of masculinity. Honestly, I just felt sorry for him.

This isn't slow-burn romance. It's psychological domination with a romantic façade. There’s a moment where Sanos must be “housebroken” before being considered a suitable partner. That phrase alone should raise red flags. He is not respected. He is trained. That is not love.

The FMC sexually assaults the MMC multiple times. You cannot ask for consent from someone you’ve shackled, drugged, imprisoned, and gagged. He cannot consent, he is chained and drugged!!

The FMC is perhaps the most frustrating character of all. She spends the entire book degrading Sanos, controlling his every move, getting angry at him for things she herself caused, and contributing to his ongoing abuse. Even at the end, she doesn’t trust him. She never reflects. Never changes. Her biggest concern is becoming queen—not justice, not change, not liberation. The fact that she’s “less bad” than other women in the story is meaningless. That’s not a character arc. That’s not redemption. That’s just minimization. She condemns the men of Brutus for their past crimes, all while actively perpetuating the exact same evils.

And despite everything, the book still positions Olerra as the hero. Somehow, we’re expected to root for her. Somehow, we’re expected to buy the idea that this relationship is redemptive, that it's healing. It isn’t. No. Just no.

If the author wanted to write a female empowerment story, why did she write a world where, when given power, women became just as bad as men? Why, after 500 years of having that power, has society done nothing to grow or change for the better? Writing women who put men down doesn’t make them better women. Women are better than that.

If the book wanted to explore female rage, it could have. If it wanted to highlight how unchecked power corrupts regardless of gender, it should have. But instead, it revels in shock value without ever offering depth, critique, or consequence. If the author wanted to write a revenge book, then it should've actually been about that revenge and not whatever this was. Had all the injustice that was mentioned that happened 500 years ago been happening now and this society rose up as an immediate and flawed response, I might’ve bought into the setup more. But 500 years have passed—and yet they’ve made zero progress as a society?

And Amarra is supposed to be a queer-normative, progressive society. Really? The laws don't even make sense - how are there happy queer men in a kingdom where men aren't allowed to own land or hold jobs? What do they do for a living? Where do they sleep? We never get to meet any of them, or the trans man, or the supposedly happy and equal straight couples. Why would anyone born a woman come out as a man when men are treated worse than dirt? It doesn’t make sense. You can’t have this supposedly enlightened culture and also think it’s fine to put boys in chains and call it justice.

And the ending? Utterly insulting. 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 or unlearn their misconceptions? No. Just no.

Let’s get this straight: this is not a romantasy. This is slave/captor/master dark fiction being falsely marketed under the veil of romantasy and “feminist revenge.” Sanos never stops feeling like a slave. His “housebreaking” is treated like a necessary process to make him a suitable partner. He’s not given agency. He’s not respected. The FMC sexually assaults the MMC multiple times, his consent is a joke—he can’t give it. Not when he’s chained. Not when he’s drugged. Not when his every move is controlled. She asks for consent, but he is chained and drugged—THAT IS NOT CONSENT. This is definitely not a romantasy and should not be marketed as such.

What truly enraged me is how deeply misleading the trigger warnings are. The book minimizes rape, slavery, grooming, and child sexual abuse as vague “dubious consent” or “bondage/kidnapping.” In truth, we are shown:
-A 13-year-old boy sold into a harem, where it's stated he will be “bedded” before reaching maturity.
-Men repeatedly drugged and forced into sex acts while restrained.
-“Sex workers” who are clearly sex slaves.
-Repeated SA scenes, where the male characters are physically unable to consent—and say no—yet are violated anyway.
-Use of date rape drugs.
-Public sexual humiliation used as punishment and entertainment.

I want to be clear: I love a good female rage book, and I don’t have triggers—I can read anything. But I do need to know what I’m getting into, and the trigger warnings did not prepare me for what this book contained. I was completely taken by surprise by the massive gap between the marketing of this book and its actual content. I was absolutely disgusted. The way it tries to paint women in a good light is astonishing. I have never read bigger hypocrisy in a book. They talk about women in other countries being raped and forced into submission—all while doing the same damn thing to their men.

Reading about men being brutalized by women didn’t make me feel empowered—it just made me uncomfortable. The concept had so much potential, but I found the execution really dehumanizing. It was frustrating to see women in the story not grow or evolve, even when given the chance to build something better. Instead of learning from the past, the new society felt just as stuck. This isn’t about being sensitive. I’m not easily shocked. I love dark stories, twisted romances, morally gray heroines, and revenge arcs. But this? This wasn’t dark with purpose. It was just bleak. It lacked catharsis. It lacked evolution. It glorified the very thing it pretended to question.

This is not romantasy. This is not feminist. This is not empowering.

This book is abuse without consequence, power without reflection, and rage without evolution. I wanted to see a critique of power, of cycles of violence, of how vengeance can twist justice. I wanted to feel something cathartic. I got none of that.

Instead, I got a book that glamorizes suffering, excuses rape, and pretends oppression is poetic as long as women are doing the oppressing.

This is not feminist rage. This is narrative rot.

Trigger Warnings:
-Mentions of sexual assault, but no scenes actually depicted → Scenes ARE depicted, including the scenes where the FMC is a frequent assailant
-Dubious consent → No. There is NO consent. These are slaves. It’s not dubcon it’s full on SA and he makes his lack of consent very clear
-Kidnapping/bondage, sometimes sexual → Non-consensual physical restraint. Not kink. It’s ‘bondage’ as in someone is being held against their will without establishing prior consent or a safe word (aka assault)
-Auctioning and selling of men
-Sex workers → Sex slaves.
-Mentions of grooming and underage sexual partners → Includes a graphic, deeply disturbing grooming scene. We explicitly see a child who has been bought by a pedophile and we are told what will happen to him.

I would also add:
- use of date rape drugs
- pedophilia
- power play
- severe humiliation in public and often of a sexual nature

⭐️ 1 Star — I’m furious, disgusted, and deeply disappointed.

I nearly quit this book close to the end but kept going because I needed to see how this nightmare wrapped up. I wish I had quit.

I came in with high hopes. I love romantasy and loved The Shadow Between Us by the same author. The setup sounded great: a matriarchal kingdom where men are kidnapped and “auditioned” for marriage, flipping power dynamics.

What I got was horrifying. Men are enslaved, gagged, auctioned off starting at 13, forced into harems, raped, drugged, humiliated — all treated as normal, even necessary.

The book even says: “If we don’t dominate men, they’ll oppress us again.” That’s not justice, it’s cruelty disguised as revenge.

The female-led society is outright villainous but the story refuses to admit it. There is no real critique, growth, or challenge to the system.

The romance is abuse masquerading as love. Sanos, the male lead, is kidnapped, chained spread-eagle every night, drugged, gagged, paraded in humiliating bondage gear, sexually assaulted repeatedly — and we’re supposed to root for their relationship? This is Stockholm syndrome.

The FMC never reflects on her abuse. She claims to be “less bad” but she’s still controlling, cruel, and untrusting.

The idea that Sanos must be “housebroken” before he can be a partner is horrifying. His consent is impossible because he is chained and drugged — that’s sexual assault, not romance.

Olerra, the FMC, is manipulative, abusive, and never changes. Her only concern is becoming queen, not justice or liberation.

The book markets itself as feminist revenge and romantasy, but it’s just abuse without accountability.

The worldbuilding is nonsensical. How can this supposedly queer-friendly kingdom treat men as slaves with no rights or jobs?

The ending is insulting. A man walking down the aisle in a dress doesn’t fix centuries of trauma or systemic abuse between two hateful nations.

Trigger warnings were vague and inadequate. The book contains child grooming, sex slavery, repeated sexual assault, drug-facilitated abuse, and public humiliation — all normalized, not critiqued.

I love dark romance and complex stories, but this lacked catharsis, critique, or growth. It glorified abuse and suffering while pretending to be feminist rage.

This is NOT romantasy. It’s abuse without consequence, power without reflection, and rage without evolution.

If you want a story about justice, healing, or real female rage, this is not it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this book, it’s unshockingly 5 stars.

I stayed awake to finish this book in one sitting, I had the best time.

Now, I want to start by saying the core concept is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea because it tackles some uncomfortable subjects. The trigger warnings deserve a good read before getting stuck in. I thoroughly enjoyed the role reversal and play on archaic themes with women at the helm of power, but it stays true to real life history with the origins of why women came to strive for autonomy and a life they have chosen for themselves, it’s a fresh and unique story.

The FMC is brilliant and she is so compassionate, we really get to see her grow in to a leader figure during this story and the lengths she will go to for her people and to defend equality. I giggled a lot at her early interactions with the MMC, I didn’t think I’d like the dynamic and the power struggles, but because of the FMC’s true nature it didn’t bother me. We really get to see an enemies to lover type arranged marriage situation play out, it’s outrageous and funny while delving into the harsh realities of their differing kingdoms.

I recommend this for an open minded fantasy read which includes some wild moments, political warfare and some unexpected spice.

Please read this review at you own risk as it may contain some spoilers.
This book was a bit of a shock. We are introduced into a world where the world is under a matriarchy and the tortures and injustice that is imposed upon women in our universe are imposed on the men here. Basically, every role is reversed.
It was an eye opener. I loved that it was the women's role to provide and protect for the family. The storyline was so perfectly developed and narrated that you won't find any plot holes even if you try.
{Also, one particular sex scene was harrowing (in a good way). I didn't even realize the possibility.}
The development of both the characters and their gradual progress of understanding and acceptance of other's cultures and learning that their countries needed change was beautifully brought about.
This book is a hope we all carry that someday the world we see us as their equal and treat us with respect. I loved how the author drew inspiration about the brutality and mistreatment of the people considered as the "lesser sex" from our world and showed us different options of how human kind could learn to treat others with kindness and respect rather than violence and abuse.
This book has so many positives that I cannot write them all out. I'll just say that this book is a fresh view of the harsh reality a woman or a lgbtqia+ person has to face. It is a kind fuck you to every person who has mistreated others to make themselves feel superior. Please read this book. I recommend it full heartedly.
**Thank you Pushkin Press and Netgalley for the ARC**

Thank you to pushkin press and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What Fury Brings is a dark romantasy set in a matriarchal kingdom where women rule, and it's everything I want in a romantasy.
Political tension? Check. Unique worldbuilding? Absolutely. A romance that simmers with sexual tension from the start? Say no more.

I've just finished reading the book, and I'm obsessed.

Warrior Princess Olerra must kidnap a husband to prove she’s fit to rule. She accidentally takes the wrong prince, but the tension between them is undeniable. With political rivals closing in, Olerra has to decide what matters more... her crown or her heart.

The world-building is so good! It feels layered and rich, and I love how it explores female power and control without holding back. It’s bold, it’s sharp, and it’s absolutely filled with fury. And yes, there’s literally a penis guillotine.

The dynamic between the main characters is so fun! They’re on opposite sides, constantly clashing, but the chemistry is undeniable. I do wish there would be more of a slow burn as the sexual attraction feels a little too instant for enemies-to-lovers, but that's my only caveat.

Some of the political stuff could have gone a little deeper, but honestly, I didn’t mind too much. The story hooked me, I've practically devoured it, and I’m still thinking about it.

Strong female characters, morally grey choices, and a romance that simmers until it burns? I’m in.
And if you're into fierce heroines, power plays, and undeniable sexual tension, then you should be too!

I really enjoyed What Fury Brings! Tricia Levenseller’s writing feels so natural and easy to get into, which made the whole book a fun, immersive experience. The story has this great mix of action, magic, and strong characters that kept me hooked.

I loved the main character’s fire and determination—she’s tough but also shows some real vulnerability, which made her feel super real. The romance wasn’t rushed or forced, which was a nice change, and the enemies-to-lovers vibes gave it a great spark.

The worldbuilding was solid without being overwhelming, and the stakes felt high throughout. Honestly, I found myself rooting for the characters even when things got messy.

Only thing I’d say is the pacing slowed a bit in the middle for me, but the payoff was definitely worth it. If you like fantasy with badass heroines and a bit of sass, this is a great pick!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

The concept of this story really intrigued me and the pacing itself was great. I especially liked the idea of a matriarchal society and how we could see the vastly different ideals of both main characters begin to change over time.
However, I felt that the story could have delved more deeply into the trauma surrounding the main characters. At times the content felt a bit too humorous given the subjects being explored. Every other page had a male character being humiliated in some way. I felt the main male character should have reacted more strongly to these situations, which made those moments fall a bit flat for me.

Overall I feel this book just wasn't for me but I'm sure there are others that would really enjoy it!

Please read the trigger warnings before going into this! I felt this should have been made more obvious. It is a DARK romance and the subjects explored are quite heavy!

I think this book is like marmite, you're, you're either going to absolutely devour it, or you're not going to like the taste of it at all. It's thought provoking, uncomfortable at times, and filled with fury just as the title promises. The setting of a dark, gender-flipped society isn't an example of how society should be if men and women swapped places, it's an idea that even if women took charge and claimed dominance, not all would be fixed or fair. I'd definitely recommend checking the TW's before reading, it's a somewhat toxic book to get into, and has a lot of uncomfortable yet eye opening topics.

The plot was so well executed, with Tricia's simple, straightforward and easy writing style guiding readers through action packed fight scenes and some super steamy spicy scenes too. It felt like a bug adult mix of her previous books The Shadows Between Us and Warrior of the Wild- both of which are my favourites! I did feel like there were some plot holes and things skimmed over until the end, but with the main focus being on Ollera and Sanos' relationship and them both trying to better society together, I didn't mind.

I freaking loved Ollera, she's the typical strong and determined heroine like all of Tricia's other books, but this time she's also deeply flawed and isn't exactly 'good'. Her actions are questionable, and her methods may not be right, but her reasoning is just. She doesn't progress much development wise, but she does help Sanos, the crown Prince from male dominated country Brutos, gain a new perspective. I also loved that Ollera is plus sized too, the rep was good and could've been mentioned more, but still was there. Sanos was a great character too, he matched Ollera perfectly and I liked that his trauma was dealt with well. They both got closure, and I enjoyed that.

The romance was for sure a main focus, which I did like, and for Tricia's first adult debut, this was perfectly steamy and the tension was so great. I did, however, find the focus on sex and sexualising a lot a bit much. Everything was objectified, and whilst I know it's an attempted twin flame of our current society and outlooks, it almost overulled a lot of the plot and emotion. I did root for Ollera and Sanos, but I'd personally say the romance leant towards the darker side instead of the typical fantasy romance.

The ending was good, the last third wrapped up well, but the last few chapters did feel a little rushed. All of a sudden, everything is revealed, even the mystery behind Ollera's mothers death (which is kind of a big deal that felt pushed aside), and the two kingdoms are suddenly expected to unite and play fair. It felt too Disney, but considering the length of the book and the writing style, it was also on the mark and suited the book? I liked the epilogue and hint at a posable sequel following different characters, I lowkey kind of want a book from Glenaery's POV...

Overall, What Fury Brings is another hit from Tricia Levenseller, but this time with a much more packed punch that'll leave you breathless and possibly bruised from the tradegies of the imitations of our society. Fury was definitely felt.

4/5 🌟

The premise of the book is refreshing: an abused crown prince from a patriarchal realm is kidnapped by a general from Amarra—a matriarchal society where, due to a goddess’s ancient gift, women rule and men are considered the weaker sex. In Amarra, it is the men that are objectified, protected or mistreated much like women were in the prince’s homeland.

The story cleverly flips the traditional power dynamic, and the prince’s gradual development of Stockholm syndrome creates a psychologically tense relationship with his captor. She doesn’t question the core of her society’s structure, only expressing minor disapproval toward its more extreme expressions. Her control over the prince includes forcing him into revealing clothing, jewelry, and makeup—mirroring the objectification common in male-dominated systems.

While the initial concept is engaging, the binary view of gender dynamics begins to wear thin. One oppressive system is merely swapped for another. The novel lacks characters who advocate for equality—someone who recognizes that abuse is tied to power and morality, not gender. This moral flattening reduces the nuance and complexity the premise promises.

The writing is compelling, especially in the beginning, with strong worldbuilding and emotional tension. However, the ending feels rushed and doesn’t fully deliver on the setup’s potential.

If you value thought-provoking worldbuilding and bold role reversals, this is worth a read. But the lack of nuanced ethical exploration holds it back.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

4.5⭐️
Omg, i don’t even know how to put into words what I just read, at first I was like « ohhh a world where women rules, where she needs to kidnappe her future husband (a prince nonetheless) for power, please I am reading it» but it’s so much more, in way it reminded me a lot of the captive prince by C.S. Pacat and I just loved ! The relationship between the characters are well developed and I really appreciate the notion of consent in the book.
I think what I dislike the most about a book is the end, I just don’t like leaving the characters behind and the feeling of not knowing their life after the book. But here, I simply loved it, I cried, I was happy, they are happy. And I just felt ready to left them going on with their life by themselves, without me by their side.🥹
I did not expect the book to turn out like that but, it already have a place on my bookshelf until it’s published 😌

Firstly I want to say please please check the trigger warnings and the authors not as this is a dark romantasy and does cover some rather dark themes where in this world woman behave just as badly as men if not worse.

I was so intrigued by What The Fury Brings and once I started I just couldn't put it down. The premise is extremely unique and especially having a dark romantasy where the female/male roles are swapped and here you find a world ruled by women and the men are deemed the weaker sex and are used by the woman for their entertainment and pleasure. Was some of it hard to read and were there moments that made me uncomfortable? Of course but I loved that it was a world where people are diverse and accepted and the world building was refreshing to read about.

I would have liked the relationship between the two main characters more of slow burn but in the end it really worked and the spice was very well written. I do like that this is a standalone but the ending leaves it open to maybe have more books written in this world.

Thank you so much to Publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book before publication, these are my honest thoughts and opinions.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I couldn't put this book down – absolutely loved it

'What Fury Brings' had an interesting premise and it is likely to offend some people. Fortunately I am not one of those.

The story was original and didn't have a lot of dull moments, so I felt thoroughly entertained. The mix of political intrigue and romance was perfect and exactly what has been missing lately with other romantasy releases.

However, the political intrigue part was kept very simple (none of these people could lead nations IRL, they were just a little too dumb...). The resolution was entertaining, but very, again, simple, leading to a happy ending that felt way too easy.

A generous 3,75/5 because I was so entertained by it though

One of my favourite film critics, Mark Kermode always states that he'd rather creatives make a big, individual swing that doesn't quite work than tread the same overdone path. Whilst reading, What Fury Brings" I often thought of this sentiment. Not everything totally worked for me, but I appreciated what Tricia Levenseller was doing and really enjoyed the overall offering.
Olerra is fighting to become heir of her female dominant kingdom over her scheming and cruel cousin. She decides that the perfect boon to her campaign would be to take a Prince from a neighbouring dynasty. The story and Olerra's country subvert the usual gender roles, especially when she takes her unwilling betrothed. The ideas explored are interesting but not always comfortable to read. As with many of the best fantasy books, I enjoyed the story, whilst being challenged by the exploration of ethics and the morally grey of it all. I think that this worked more than it didn't for me, but I suspect that mileage will vary for others.

Harsh take:

I tried. I really tried. But this was by far the weirdest book I’ve ever read.

I get the concept behind it—taking revenge on men for how they’ve treated women—but there’s a big but: this book is best described in one word—uncomfortable.

The “love interest” is constantly treated like a sex slave. It’s just weirdly uncomfortable and absolutely not my cup of tea. The core idea had potential, sure. But how are you supposed to root for a romance that’s basically just her degrading him the entire time? He slowly loses all traits of masculinity (which, to be fair, is kind of the point of the book), but it makes it nearly impossible for the reader to enjoy anything.

It’s basically porn mixed with the unsettling treatment of this so-called love interest.

#Netgalley #WhatFuryBrings

I don’t think I’ll be saying anything particularly groundbreaking here, as I suspect many readers will finish this novel with frustrations similar to mine. It was a fast-paced read, written in accessible language and set in an interestingly crafted world. However, while the book tackles several difficult themes, it unfortunately doesn’t handle them as thoughtfully or effectively as it should have.

The premise – a country where gender power dynamics are reversed and men are the ones oppressed by women – is certainly intriguing. I quite enjoyed the first part of the book, particularly as we learned how the court of Amarra operates and what roles men and women play within it. That being said, I did take issue with how the book has been marketed. It’s presented primarily as Tricia Levenseller’s adult debut, rather than what it truly is: a dark dystopian romance. While there are content warnings and a thematic introduction from the author, I still believe many readers will go into it expecting something quite different.

Let me be clear: I don’t take issue with the concept of a matriarchal dystopia, or even with the way the female protagonist, Olerra, initially treats the male lead, Sanos. We’ve seen this kind of dynamic before, though typically with the genders reversed. The problem isn’t the setup. The problem is the execution. What really bothered me was how abruptly and unconvincingly the narrative shifted from abuse to romance. There was no meaningful redemption arc, no deep reflection, no real transformation in the female protagonist that would justify such a change. Olerra claims that once she gains power she wants to dismantle the most violent elements of the system, symbolized by her absolutely vicious cousin Glen. Yet Olerra’s actions still suggest she wants to remain an exception to those „noble” ideals. Meanwhile, the male protagonist feels flat and objectified throughout – and honestly, I just felt sorry for him.

I believe the story lacked patience in the development of the central relationship. A romance that begins with violence and trauma needs space – it needs to earn its emotional payoff. You probably just can’t pull that off convincingly in just over 350 pages. A duology, or even a trilogy, with a proper slow-burn arc and deeper character development could have made a world of difference.

At the start of the book, the author notes that it was written from a place of fury – a response to living in a patriarchal society. That’s a valid and even powerful motivation. Literary fiction can absolutely be a way to channel and explore that kind of emotion. But personally, I couldn’t connect with the result. Reading about men being brutalized by women didn’t make me feel empowered – it just made me uncomfortable. Not because I’m unwilling to engage with difficult topics, but because it felt like the fury never evolved into something more meaningful or insightful.

To wrap this up: of course, not all fiction needs to be moral or didactic. But when you choose to engage with heavy themes – systemic oppression, violence, power – there’s a responsibility in how you portray them. In this case, I felt the narrative oversimplified those themes, ultimately doing a disservice to the broader conversation about how strong women are portrayed in literature. It’s a shame, because the synopsis held real potential.