Thanks to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for letting me read this e-arc.

Play the UNO reverse card on how women were and sometimes still are treated in our world, and you get the society that forms the basis for the story here. The matriarchal structure of Amarra is not that of an ideal society in which everyone has equal rights; rather, men are structurally and physically subjugated by women. I found this starting point very fascinating, and the author's foreword definitely helped to put the whole thing into perspective. The point here isn't to say that women who oppress men are better than the other way around. Just as we have men in our real world who advocate for equal rights, there are also women in Amarra—like our main character Olerra —who have visions for a better coexistence and are committed to achieving it. Many moments of oppression are truly difficult to read, but the sad thing is that it’s a real situation for some women still today in parts of this world, while for men this only really exists in the fiction described here. Together with Sanos, who is stolen from his kingdom and is to be married to Olerra against his will, we learn about this kingdom and its customs bit by bit, which creates a great narrative element. The story is fast paced and never boring.
It is spicy, not just to fulfills expectations of an adult book, but because the scenes actually make sense for the plot and support the relationship and development of the main characters.
Before reading, I had no idea whether this was a standalone book and during reading I wished for a cliffhanger at the end so there could be a follow-up. In fact, I have to say that the author has brilliantly succeeded in bringing a very extensive plot to a completely satisfying conclusion in this one book. I would return to this fascinating world of contrasts between the kingdoms at any time.
This book is Tricia Levenseller's first adult fantasy book, and I think she has successfully transitioned into this new genre for her.
But make sure to check your trigger warnings before reading and expect a darker romance

A subversive Romantasy with bite (and leash) 😏
This book flips the script on traditional romantasy in all the best ways. From power dynamics to gender roles, it’s a delicious matriarchal revenge fantasy that holds a mirror to the patriarchal nonsense we know all too well, and then gleefully smashes it! Refreshing in a way that feels both cathartic and wildly entertaining. I’m honestly so here for it!

Things I Loved:

•It’s a standalone! (love to see it!)
•Big matriarchy energy 🙌
•Court politics, power plays, and schemes
•Tall, curvy & confident FMC
•A stolen prince with layers (+ daddy issues)👑
•Women who embody strength and protection💪
•Forced proximity tension
•Consent Queen 💖
•A “Good Boy” who’s not afraid to kneel 🫦🧎
•A 🍆 guillotine for 🍇ists (yes, really)
•And yes… she literally walks him like a dog 💅🧎

I had so much fun with this one. It’s sharp, sexy, occasionally unhinged (in the best way), and packed with familiar tropes reimagined.

The only downside for me was that the prose could use a bit more polish in places, it felt a little clunky at times. But the concept, execution, and sheer fun of it all more than made up for it and I didn’t mind too much.

Huge thanks to the publisher, Pushkin Press & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for whatever Tricia writes next.

1 ✨

I don't have the words to describe what I just read.. I found it wrong on so many levels that I don't even know where to start.
Let's start by the fact that 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞. The MMC is being captured by the FMC to be wed with her in a fantasy world where the roles are reversed and men are the "weak" sex. For once there was no romance, more like Stockholm Syndrome that you can't even justify because the building to these feelings are super fast and happen in an instant towards the end of the book. So I don't get what was the point of the book if not to make men look weak and downgrade them, cause even the writing and the plot was not succesful to me.

I mean there is a fantasy world where women are oppressed but then women reverse the situation by also gaining a strength gift from godess only to create a similar reality? And then nothing happens and no one does anything for I don't know how many hundred years and they all accept holding men as pets?!!!

My opinion is that it's super disgusting and wrong to write a world in which those atrocious things happen only to satisfy your urge to reduce men. I'm all up for making women powerful and of course you can write whatever you want but still there are some limits, or advertise it differently and you should probably channel your remorse somewhere else.
To me Equality is the key eventually.

𝐀 𝐡𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰.

5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wanted to read this because I loved Tricia Levenseller’s YA books and I thought I knew what to expect from this, a tough heroine and a touch of romance. What I did not expect was a dark matriarchal fantasy world that would make Anne Bishop proud.

Tricia Levenseller is a fantastic storyteller and while some aspects of the story were a little darker than would usually be to my taste (tbh some like the father auctioning off his son were truly upsetting), I was invested enough in the story to keep reading.

I think this will be a book that people either love or hate. I found it well written and imaginative but suggest readers approach with caution, this is darker than most fantasy romance books.

Thank you to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book was intense, thought-provoking and absolutely amazing.

In a land where the gender stereotypes are flipped – women rule, and men are subservient – Olerra must steal a husband to further her claim to the throne. However, her plan goes awry when she accidentally kidnaps the wrong prince from Brutus – a neighboring kingdom and one still under the control of men. Sparks fly as she attempts to master her prince, who categorically does not want to be mastered – and as he tries to fight his attraction to his captor.

This book is full of food for thought – The gender roles are truly flipped here, and it came as a surprise to me so see so many behaviors that are accepted in men portrayed by women. It left a bad taste in my mouth - why do we allow things from one gender and not the other? Men are considered the weaker sex, and treated accordingly – they are decorative, with little power, and exist merely to entertain women. Women hold the true power, and they abuse it by objectifying the men and mistreating them – very much like the world we live in today.

This story is unique and fresh, bold and provocative. It is designed to make you think, and it works perfectly. But at the same time, the characters are well rounded, and their development throughout the story is perfectly portrayed. The story itself is both dark – it is after all a tale of feminine rage – but also funny and lighthearted in places.

Special note - as a plus sized woman, Olerra being described as plus sized yet still healthy and desirable was a huge draw for me. I loved that she was described as being beautiful and strong, something very much missing for plus sized folks in the real world.

I loved this book, and I hope that we will have ‘spin off’ books as Tricia has created a world I want to see more of.

Please be sure to check trigger warnings and the authors note before reading – this story has a lot to offer and most of it is uncomfortable!

This book was a quick and fun read. Definitely check the trigger warnings before jumping in though. A lot of this book was quite cathartic to read, as a woman. I loved Olerra and Sanos and their relationship but I wasn’t overly invested in the actual plot, unfortunately. That being said, this was a great palette cleanser and the shock factors were effective.

⭐️★☆☆☆ — DNF at 33%

Unfortunately, What Fury Brings just wasn’t for me. I went in excited but felt completely thrown — it jumped into the story so fast I genuinely wondered if I’d missed a prequel. The pacing left me disoriented, and I struggled to connect with the plot or characters.

Speaking of characters, they felt flat and underdeveloped — I just couldn’t get invested in their motivations or relationships. I kept waiting for something to click, but by the 33% mark, I realized I wasn’t enjoying myself and decided to DNF.

Not the right fit for me, but I know others may enjoy it more.

4.5 stars.

I had SO much fun reading this! I was literally laughing the whole way through!

In a world where men and women’s roles and history are reversed, our fmc Olerra decides to kidnap herself a husband to increase her chances of beating her cousin Glen to the throne. This doesn’t go to plan when she kidnaps the wrong prince by accident without knowing!

I loved the twist on men and women’s roles reversed, it provided many opportunities for comical moments in the story, especially as it was quite crude but in a funny way. It was something different and I loved our fmc Olerra, she was strong and confident and very witty! It was clever to use the mmc Sanos in a way which his eyes were opened to how men treated women back in his own homeland by what he experienced in Olerras homeland. There was also the enemies to lovers which is always a popular trope and I thought this story was a good example!

I was so entertained reading this I just had to give it a 4.5 stars as it was such fun.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for proving me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really hate DNFing books, but I had to tap out of What Fury Brings at around 30%. I just wasn’t enjoying it, and continuing started to feel like a chore.

The premise had potential: Olerra, a general in the matriarchal kingdom of Amarra, captures a prince from a rival land to strengthen her claim to the throne. She means to kidnap the spare but ends up taking the heir, Sanos, instead. The role reversal—women in power, men in subordinate roles—was definitely intriguing and a refreshing angle. Unfortunately, the execution just didn’t land for me.

The pacing was fast—too fast, honestly. Time seemed to jump forward at lightning speed, which left little room to settle into scenes or connect with the characters. The POVs also switched rapidly, which made things even more confusing and disjointed.

In the end, while I appreciated the concept and the ambition behind the worldbuilding, it didn’t grip me enough to push through. This one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the arc.

4.5 stars

WHAT FURY BRINGS is a dark fantasy romance in a matriarchal society that flips the gender power imbalance to examine unjust dynamics in our own.

This is a lot darker and spicier than her previous YA - and the note at the start makes that very clear. If you liked THE SHADOWS BETWEEN US and the darker dynamic of that relationship, then you'll probably enjoy this one as it's very much in the dark fantasy genre and deliberately pushing the boundaries of socially acceptable at times (for starters, it's a captor/captive romance.)

The chemistry between the two is sizzling. There's very much a physical lust dimension to it and then the romance comes in once they start being able to see past their national stereotypes to the people underneath. I liked that there was some fear on both sides, even though the power is firmly on Olerra's side - it helped even the scales a little that she needed something from him and was worried she wouldn't get it. And that she didn't have the magic the rest of her people had that makes women instantly stronger than women. It gave the fights she got into some peril.

In Olerra's country, men have few rights - they cannot own property or money, etc. The punishments are severe for them if they are unfaithful to their spouses, and so on. This sharp contrast with the patriarchal society of Sanos' home (and our own) is used not only to make Sanos think about his privilege but also to ask us to consider how it is equality rather than dominance that our own society needs. There are hints across the book that a more equal society is what Olerra and Sanos will be working for in the future for both their homes.

There is a companion book coming I believe. I hope it follows Olerra's best friend, Ydra, as she was so much fun - and there were hints that she has some very interesting layers to explore.

I really wanted to love this but this book just didn't hit the mark. I love Tricia Levensellers previous work and was excited when she was bringing out an adult fantasy and I loved the concept. I didn't engage with the characters, the story didn't grip me, the relationships felt flat. I felt that the fact that Olerra wasn't goddess gifted could have been played so much better. There needed to be more tension between the characters.

2.5 ⭐️

Firstly let me say that the authors note at the start of the book is brilliant. It's funny and it gives insight into the ideas behind the story. There's something we can all resonate with in today's society. It's different from everything else I have read.

I enjoyed the plot. I thought the story being a patriarchal society flipped on its axis was a brilliant concept. Men are treated as the lesser sex. Women rule, being female is important in society and they are goddess-blessed with the power to overpower men. Men have no positions of power - they are trophies.

The FMC Olerra is someone who you really root for. She's strong, she's smart, and she's brave. Not just in the physical sense but in the way she bares her emotions. She sees what's wrong in her realm and wants to change things for the better. She also educates and challenges Sanos to consider what is right and what is wrong.

The MMC Sanos is a Prince, next in line to the throne and physically and emotionally abused by his father the king. In his realm Brutus women are nothing, his father constantly threatens the safety of his mother and sister due to their lack of worth to him. He's also physically abusive to them too. A set of circumstances means he's thrown into a realm which is the complete opposite of his own. Forced to face the injustices in not just this realm but his own, he starts to question the kind of king he will be.

One of my favourite parts of this book is when Olerra really challenges Sanos on why he's so appalled by the treatment of men in her realm when he's absolutely fine to let it happen to women in his realm. The lightning bolt moment when he realises that he's only outraged because it's happening to people of his own gender is powerful. He never really understood the injustice before he saw it happening to males. It quickly unravels for him then and it makes him look at things differently.

Amarra is by no means a perfect place and we see the abuse and degradation of men by women. What I found let the book down for me is that actually I wanted to see more people challenging this and challenging the awful system that has been in place for hundreds of years. It's almost excused as just how it's always been. We see Olerra challenging how the realm of Brutus treats women but not much of her challenging her own people about the systemic sexism and abuse in her realm. She sees it, it makes her uncomfortable but she turns a blind eye because she doesn't want to lose votes for the throne. It's frustrating that we don't get to see her or Sanos enact the changes they say they want to make. The focus becomes more about their relationship towards the end than righting the injustice and inequality, which for me was disappointing. I really hoped for more justice and more healing for both realms.

I did think at times the romance was a bit like Stockholm Syndrome and there are things that happen in their interactions which made me feel uncomfortable. I see her as a perpetrator of abuse in some scenes.

This isn't your average fluffy romantasy / adult fantasy. There are dark themes so check the TW's and the authors note before embarking. I didn't actually realise before requesting that some of the topics covered in this book would be so dark so I was a bit surprised.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the arc. This is my own honest review of the book.

This was an incredible breath of fresh air! I have so much to say! The way that not only is the “narrative” flipped, but every gender stereotype we attribute to male leads. It was fascinating, cathartic but also deeply thought provoking to see how something you might swoon over an MMC doing is not strictly fair! Brilliant.
I also laughed so much, I didn’t except so much humour, it was amazingly done and I devoured it. I really like it as a standalone as it comes full circle and delivers a powerful message. Perfect!!

“Men had to be controlled or else they would seek to control women.” - words of fiction, but actually… the truth of the real world we’re living in.

This book was very interesting and I am so happy I got the chance to read an early copy of it thanks to NetGalley and the publishers.

We’re thrown inside the kingdom of Amarra where, listen to me, the WOMEN rule. They’re sacred. The men serve them, they are treated like the weaker sex, the roles are reversed here and I loved every single second of it as a woman who knows how it feels to be considered weak just because you were born a woman. Our main character is a very strong female called Olerra. I didn’t love her, but I respected her. She is brave and fierce and strong and she fights for her kingdom, she wants to make it the best version it can be. I truly loved reading her story and learning more and more about the ways of Amarra, the kingdom that feels like a dream. Men serving women, men who know their place? Love that.

This is definitely a book I would recommend if you’re looking for a nice and quick fantasy that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It has lots of political intrigue, action, fighting for the throne between two cousins turned enemies, some spicy scenes, a funny MMC.

What Fury Brings is a thought provoking, gender reversed romantasy. It challenges you to question gender balances throughout the book while also keeping you interested in our MCs storyline.

There is a clear line between good and evil characters - none I would consider morally grey, which is common to see in the romantasy genre. Both Princess and Prince are wanting to changes things for the better once they take their respective thrones. They work together to achieve this and at the same time, realise how much is wrong with the way the opposite gender is treated in their own kingdoms.

The love story does take a sudden turn from 'I hate her but I kind of like her' to 'I can't live without her' which is a little unbelievable but other than that, I have nothing negative to say about this book!

4.25/5⭐️ - While reading this ARC, I was telling my mum about it. She's now desperate to read it as it's right up her street so the Waterstones special edition has now been preordered for her 😂

3.75 rounded up for goodreads and netgalley.
It was quite the anticipated read for me thanks to its premise and the things I’ve heard about it. And it did not disappoint. I feel like it could have gone further in the exploration of the setting and the universe but it was still quite satisfying to read. We need more books like this one, honestly. It’s utterly refreshing. The plot itself was well-rounded and its pace was great. I was not a fan of the main male character but the female main character? I did like her. Obviously I did. She was exhilarating.
I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

A bold, unflinching story set in a female-dominated kingdom, a society shaped by the men who came before. This is not a book that strives for balance or equality. It is a book about rage and fury of women who have inherited a broken world.

You can feel Tricia Levenseller’s fury burning through the pages—not just in her characters, but in the narrative voice itself.

It’s provocative, and at times, uncomfortable. But that discomfort is the point. By flipping gender roles so completely, Levenseller forces the reader to reckon with how we view dominance, control, and historical injustice.

Revenge fiction with sharp teeth!

Thanks NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For me this one was a 3.3
I’d say that it definitely gets credit for creativity and freshness but I have mixed feelings about how the reverse society was pictured, the romance was kind of blend and I can't even point out when or why they developed feelings towards each other.

Also, I’m not one to like a very descriptive book, but I actually would appreciate a more detailed and descriptive approach to things on this one. It felt like everything was way to open to interpretation and our imagination, like I was reading a dialogue-only book. I also felt like some characters had no clear personality traits, lacking cohesion in a way.

Anyway, What Fury Brings had a lot of potential but under delivered, at least for me, plot-wise but also romance-wise. Maybe because it’s a standalone, but I’d say read it and then take your own conclusions.

How do I rate this book? I don't know yet.

What is this book? Let me start with what this book isn't:
It's not a feminist gender-swapped story with a strong message against the abuse of power.
It's not a romance story - at best it's a dark romantasy captor/captive book,
It's not a dystopian story, revealing everything that has gone wrong and showing a glimpse into a better future.

It's how the author states: a revenge/hate story, where she had every crime in mind that men committed against women. And then depicting these crimes against men in a world where women are dominant.
It has a lot of trigger warnings, but they're not complete or enough. There are depictions of SA on the page, for starters.
And there is supposed to be a romance at heart, but it's not love when the MMC has been kidnapped and abused multiple times by the FMC.

I must admit, after having read series like a Plated Prisoner, there should be a book that flips the roles and addresses the wrongness of it. However, this book doesn't.

I think we are meant to root for Olerra and even buy into the romance. I think we are meant to cheer on things in this cruel world.

The author states clearly, that this is not how in her opinion the world would work if the patriarchy was smashed. It's just, as stated above, a vessel to let out the hate and thoughts of revenge.

If you're into that - go ahead and read. The writing style is great as with all of Levenseller's books. But be aware of what you are getting yourself into.

I have to give this a rating, which is impossible.
So I'll give it the same rating that I gave the first Plated Prisoner book: 2/5 stars. But I am sad that there probably isn't a will to change this abusive world in more books.
So maybe it should be lower for things unforgivable.
Would it have addressed matters differently, it could have been much higher. But it isn't.

Thank you @netgalley and @pushkinpress for the eARC!

#WhatFuryBrings #Netgalley #Bookstagram

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