<i>’No warm place, no sliver of joyous time, was safe from the Hurricane Wars’<i/>

This book was a bit of a slog to get in to- the first 10-20% is heavy world building with every third word being an unfamiliar one as the author rushes to set up this steam-punk-esque world in the middle of a decade long war. We have our scrappy and loyal orphan FMC desperate to find a place to belong, and our stoic and lonely MMC living in the shadow of his controlling father. Their powers and alliances are on opposite sides but they can’t help but be pulled towards each other time and again.

Thea Guanzon has created a lush fantasy world with a compelling enemies-to-lovers storyline amongst all the politics and mechanisms of opposing countries at war. I adored the banter and dialogue between Talasyn and Alaric, and the slow burn and sexual tension was on point and carried most of this book. I felt the side characters and interesting world got a bit lost behind the romance element of this story and I would have LOVED to have seen and learnt more about the dragons in this world- part of me feels that the dragons were only mentioned in this because that’s what’s “hot” in the fantasy industry atm and I’m sad they were a token mention.
I am however looking forward to the next book and seeing where this story goes!

*side note that I went into this book blind and since finishing I have found out it was a Reylo fanfic. Now I know this I can’t unsee it, and I suppose the story is more Star Wars then Steam Punk 😞 I feel a little let down by this information, but I know there are tonnes of people out there who will devour this story and adore it. This information will also explain the focus on the E2L and lack of dragons and side characters. Also add that the one slightly steamy scene in Thai felt somewhat unnecessary and I again feel this was a token inclusion as it popular atm, but this book would have done fine with a fade to black or just a little less without diminishing the story 😊*

***Thank-you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review***

Growing up an orphan on the streets, all Talasyn knows is survival. Hiding light magic that was thought to be lost, she fights as a soldier against the invading Night Empire. Prince Alaric is tasked with removing threats to the Night Empire - including Talasyn. The clash of their magic creates a new power. A new danger looms, and it will be up to Alaric and Talasyn to save the world or destroy it.

My favourite part of this book was the relationship between Alaric and Talasyn. It nails both enemies to lovers and slow burn with more room to develop in book 2. Individually I wish there was a bit more development for each of them.

My biggest issue was pacing, especially early in the book. The first third felt very clunky with a lot of world building thrown at the reader. It did pay off down the line but I really struggled through the start.

This was a fantastic debut and I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy next month! Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the eARC

Book review 📚
The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon - 4.5/5 ⭐

When I tell you I SCREAMED after being accepted for this ARC, you best believe I did. I have had this on preorder with Amazon for 3 months! Yes, I still have it on preorder because now I need the physical copy for my throphy shelf of top tier reads.

I wasn't disappointed in this book, at all. There's sci-fi, fantasy and romance. A creative mixture throughout the story. If this doesn't blow up, then there's something wrong for BookTok and Bookstagram. There's a beautiful slow burn enemies to lovers, but it's enthralling. Slow burn isn't a problem in the Hurricane Wars.

The writing is absolutely incredible. There's a big chunk of political views but it's not overbearing. It's easy to understand and keep up with everything that's happening, and that's down to Guanzon and their writing style. I can't fault anything about the book, the writing or the author. It's definitely top tier.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dialogue Books for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

This book! I can already tell this series is going to be big. It’s got a fantastic mix of sci-fi and fantasy alongside a delicious enemies to lovers situation that I couldn’t get enough of. There’s a lot of politics at play here and the main characters are victims of the desires of more powerful people in their lives and it was interesting to see how they both reacted and the decisions they made, whilst also desperately wanting them to break free of the power struggle they’re entangled in and find a way forward.

There’s action, adventure, friendship and romance - basically everything you need in a bestseller and I ate it up. Tal and the Night Emperor have quite a journey ahead of them and they’re both keeping a lot of secrets so you bet I can’t wait to find out what happens next and though I would say I’m hoping for a little less of the frustrating hot and cold behaviour between them - one thing that knocked this book down a star for me because it was driving me a little crazy - nothing’s going to stop me from diving into the rest of the series when it publishes.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5798101199

Fabulous book and I'd put it very much in the same category (and I enjoyed it as much) as Fourth Wing. Fantasy, romance, and it's a series so hopefully there is lots more to come. Probably ones for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros etc.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

The hurricane wars tale is sorta rollercoaster ride where twists and turns were unexpected. İt was pretty tough for me to get into the book as it was my first reading an Asian fantasy book that deals with war and dragons, yes you have read it correctly, i haven't experienced reading such book before.

İ absolutely adored how the the enemies progresses to be the lovers unintentionally, Talasyn and Alaric characters were pen down phenomenally, how they were parroting their leaders yet they try to make their way to out shine.

İ can't wait to read what the next book stores for Talasyn and Alaric as both the nations are set to apart them.

Although i had trouble with pronunciations of terms at multiple occasions and would love to have a glossary having the correct pronunciations.

İf you're into war fantasy with enemies to lovers tropes them this is the perfect book for you.

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

The Hurricane Wars is one of the most hyped books of the years, and it definitely deserves every praise. I usually end up not liking the super hyped books, but The Hurricane Wars is without a doubt one of the best and thrilling books I've ever read.

Talasyn is so brave, so loyal, so dedicated, and yet her heart is a fragile thing that she's locked up so deep inside her because of the terrors she's endured. I loved the contrast between having this immense power and yet not being able to reach its full potential, since that made her even more relatable, even more real. She's not some perfect "the chosen one"; she dedicated her grumpy, stubborn self to this cause on her own, even when she could have picked an easier path at one point. I love Talasyn with all my heart.

But what makes this story, this romance stand out is how the author portrayed Alaric. He's not the gullible, naive little prince; nor a pitiful lonely man. And he's definitely not annoying, which most male interests on the enemy side end up being. Yes, he has a misconstrued vision of reality and history (we think, at least), but he grounds it on his family's pain and suffering, not exactly blindingly accepting his family's words. I loved his dry humor, as he delivered some of the funniest lines of the entire book. I loved his vision, the laws he wanted to establish when he finally becomes the real Emperor.

And I can finally sigh in relief as Thea Guanzon joins Sara Hashem as the Saviors of Real Enemies-to-Lovers Romance. I've read so many books that use this trope as bait when the word enemies is such an exaggeration that I don't know if I should laugh or cry maniacally. Alaric and Talasyn are enemies throughout the book and will remain enemies for a good part of the second book, too, I'm guessing. Not mediocre, soft frenemies, but actual enemies. And they're also sort of lovers in the deep "I shouldn't but I'm pining over you, anyway" way.

I've lost count of how many bookmarks I made on my Kindle, and I started fearing that I'd cross the limit (if there's one). This book is perfect and addictive, and I love everything about it, from the characters and super thrilling and original world-building to the commas.

I don't usually savor quotes as my brain can't really contain them, but this stuck with me:

"And yet there was also something about his touch that was soothing. Like a cool drop of water sliding down her parched tongue. Talasyn had been running on anger her whole life, be it the inferno or the fumes. The burning was what her magic was built around, was at times all she knew. But this was anchoring. The Lightweave that often surged so restlessly through her veins was now crooning, reaching for its opposite, its dark mirror that lurked beneath Alaric's own skin."

As if I hadn't been floored already, here comes this, and I'm suddenly left in a million of pieces scattered on my bed.

The Hurricane Wars is also one of the few books I'd love to have as a physical arc so that I can frame it and bow to it or simply look at it when my life is in utter chaos. Yes, I'm really, truly obsessed with this book, and I thank my lucky stars for the wonderful HarperVoyager publicist who approved my request.

This is truly the real gutsy and edgy enemies to lovers fantasy romance we have been waiting for. And very much adult hehe 😈

Four and a half because I'm pretty sure what comes next will surpass the first book ! What we have is a fantasy with an Empire marching forwards determined to obliterate all in its path and yes I did kind of get Death Star/ Emperor vibes . I just didn't mind because our heroine was feisty, gung ho and just determined to save those around her. So when she's confronted by the heir to the Empire with his shadow magic of course she counters with her own light magic and that sets her on a path to discover her family and her true place in this war.
Yes its slow burn enemies to lovers but doesn't that just work so beautifully ? Alaric isn't a monster and has clearly been forced to do things he never truly enjoyed. Talasyn has never had a family and clings fiercely to the one she's made amongst her fellow troops but as this unfolds its clear that a new and dangerous political alliance will see so many changes and challenges. I've no desire to ruin the fun and yes I admit at times it does remind me vaguely of a certain movie franchise but surely everything is inspired by something and nothing is truly and wholly original ? I very much enjoyed this and look forward to reading what happens next.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I've wanted to read this book for a while and was super happy to receive an e-Arc. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins.

The Hurricane Wars is an newly debut adult fantasy romance book that follows Talasyn and her time in a war with an enemy nation.

The beginning worldbuilding was very lengthy at the beginning so I had struggled with getting into the story. Once I read through that fase the plot picked up and I flew through the pages and loved it.

The romance was set up great as real enemies to lovers and yes, slowburn. Giving it the real transistion from enemies to lovers rather than insta love. It took some time to develop romantic feelings between the main characters.

I had thoroughly enjoyed this book at the end and hope to pick up book 2 whenever an arc would be available.

A gorgeous colour and an interesting premise had me immediately requesting this book.
I found the magic elements intriguing to read about and I loved the idea of the light vs dark.

However the first 20% of World building was a huge struggle to get through, with way too much information shoved at the reader. The characters felt much younger than nineteen (I would place their perspectives at more of a sixteen). The whole flipping each other onto their backs and flirting while fighting was also overdone in this.

This book just wasn’t necessarily my cup of tea to be honest, though I am sure that some people will love this, so I’m not going to actively discourage anyone from reading this, it’s just not something I would reach to as a top recommendation for people.

I am in awe. This book has had me in a choke hold since chapter 1 and I’m crying at the fact I have to wait for it to continue. The characters are wonderful, I love the chemistry between the two main characters. It was such a ride of “will they? won’t they?” throughout the entire book and I was so here for it. I loved the settings and the magic system, it heavily reminded me of shadow and bone in terms of light vs dark, which, being created from a Reylo fanfic makes sense but I’m not a Star Wars fan personally. This book is so easy for a new fantasy reader to dive in and understand, although political, it’s very well written and explained throughout. I just loved this book so much and I’m so sad that I finished it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I think this book could be amazing for the right person. It’s a high fantasy book with enemies to lovers and forces proximity.

However I personally had a hard time getting into it. The book starts during a battle and lots of different names and places are mentioned. I was confused for the first 10-20% of the book, which made it hard for me to relate to the story. It also switches the third person narrative from one character to another all of the sudden.

The tropes are great and again I think this could be the best book of the year of someone people, but not for me.
3⭐️

If you’re craving an enemies to lovers fantasy romance then BOY do I have the book for you.

‘The Hurricane Wars’ opens up with Talasyn, a young Sardovian solider, fighting for her country against the neighbouring Kesath and their leader ‘The Night Emperor’. They’re ten years into this war, and they’re losing due to Kesaths stronger technological advancements. During the opening battle she comes across the son of the Night Emperor, Alaric, and well…it all starts from there. There’s so many twists and turns to this book that I simply do not want to spoil, so my lips are sealed on further plot points!

I will say that this book does not hold your hand while dumping all of its world building, lore, and magic system on you. There’s a lot to try and wrap your head around all at once, like with a lot of fantasies, but it does all click into place to make a gorgeously fleshed out world. Some aspects of the magic system do seem to take a little bit of back seat in the latter half, as the book takes a more political intrigue kind of turn, but there’s still more than enough going on to keep the reader engaged.

The main selling point of this book, however, is the romance. That push and pull between two people who really shouldn’t be feeling these romantic things for the other, yet do anyway. Sometimes it could get a little repetitive, with both of their thoughts lingering over the others features, just for them to quickly admonish themselves, but it was still exciting to read along as various situations unfolded which kept drawing them ever closer to each other. It’s a slow burn, but you know from the minute they set eyes on each other that you’re in for a ride. I LOVED that we got to read from both of their POV’s too - it made the yearning and confusion on both sides equally infuriating and delicious.

This book originated as Star Wars fanfiction, and I could definitely see the small remnants of that within this story, but I think the Guazon did a brilliant job of reworking it into a world of her own making. Her writing is beautifully descriptive, and I particularly loved her way of describing elaborate outfits, different landscapes, and, simply, the ever changing looks exchanged between Talasyn and Alaric.

Overall this book is a lot of fun and I think it’s going to have many a romantic fantasy lover firmly in its grip. I’m looking forward to the sequel, to see just how this story will continue to unfold!

Thank you to the publishers, and Netgalley, for the early copy to review!

Omg, ok this was IN SAN E!
I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing. I liked the cover, the title, but barely remembered reading the description at all. I do know it's speculated to be a monthly pick for a certain book subscription, so knowing it was an anticipated fantasy read, I had to start it straight away.
This book is a sci-fi, fantasy and romance in one, I found it very similar to Star Wars, it definitely gave me Rey and Kylo vibes! I have to admit l'm not usually a sci-fi lover, however, the amount of sci-fi and the way it was put across in this book really worked for me.

The book is divided into two parts, with the first part being mostly to do with world building. To begin with I really had to concentrate, every time a name was dropped, I had to take a second to think if this is a term for something, a person or a place mentioned. I'm so glad I persisted with it though, as the enemies to lovers romance aspect reall made it worthwhile for me and from 40% onwards I was totall hooked and invested in the story.

The second half was way more romance and court politics heavy. I especially loved the interactions between the main characters Talasyn and Alaric.

I really liked them together, they'd both grown up fighting in the Hurricane Wars and are complete sworn enemies to the opposite sides of war. Understandably, they're not very willing to spend much time with each other than is necessary.
BUT, they ended up having great chemistry which really captured my attention.

Talasyn is feisty and witty, every encounter with Alaric made me smirk and I loved that some of their banter and general dialogue made me laugh, proving their great chemistry with each other.
Overall, I really enjoyed it! I'm very excited for the sequel and super looking forward to all the glorious special editions, as well as for any fan art, which I think this book provides a brilliant foundation for.

I'm SO glad I read this when I did, it's been one of, if not my fave read of the month!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Firstly, I'd like to say thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the e-ARC 🥰Please note, the below may contain very mild spoilers.

The Hurricane Wars is an adult fantasy romance book that follows an orphan called Talasyn and her time in a war with an enemy nation. However, Talasyn has a hidden power of light that no one knows about until she fights with the prince of the enemy nation, Alaric.

Although I found the world building and the story well developed, I really struggled to get into this book. Getting through the first 40% took me way too long, and then I devoured the last 60% in a very short time. The beginning worldbuilding was very very lengthy and it just didn’t really keep my attention span like the rest of the story. However, it did pick up and I did end up enjoying this book.

The relationship between Talasyn and Alaric is incredibly slowburning, with me kicking and squealing at the simplest gesture. They are enemies after all, it shouldn’t be quick or easy! Reading both sides of their thoughts really made moments special and I thoroughly enjoyed the dual POV.

I did really like Alaric as a character, he truly grew on me throughout the book and I’m very interested to see what happens in book 2 and the continuation of his family relations. Talasyn on the other hand, I found quite annoying. She was quite an immature, thoughtless character that sometimes just needed to get on with it or shut up.

Overall, it’s a decent fantasy book with a decent storyline but the worldbuilding and pace was quite hard to read. I will definitely pick up book 2 to see where the story continues and the development of Talasyn and Alaric’s relationship.

Genre/Tropes 💙:

○ Adult Fantasy
○ Slow Burn Romance
○ Enemies to Lovers
○ Magic
○ Politics
○ Reylo Fanfic

3.75 stars.

I went into this book knowing very little about it, and I did end up enjoying it towards the end. The magic system is unique and interesting, although I wish we had a little more information on all of the different magical abilities and their origins.

This story was originally a Reylo fanfic and I think this made it quite difficult for me to get into. I went into this not knowing it was a Reylo fanfic, and not being a huge Star Wars fan, I didn’t really have any idea how the fanfic storyline went. I think, because this is being written as a debute novel, readers like myself need more of an introduction to the world and characters than this book gave. We were thrown into the plot from page one with no time to become emotionally attached to them or the world. I understand readers of the fanfic will have had this emotional connection, but non fanfic readers needed a little more time to really feel a connection with these characters.

This book is marketed as an adult romantasy, although it felt more YA to me. There is one spicy scene towards the end of the book - that was well written! - but the relationship and dialect between Talasyn and Alaric came across as more YA than adult in my opinion.

Overall, I did enjoy this book but I didn’t love it. I feel there are definitely things that could be improved upon, although there is definitely an audience out there (Star Wars/reylo fans) that would enjoy this novel!

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

this book is so incredibly juvenile with truly no nuance whatsoever. a slap across the face would be more subtle than the storytelling of this book.

the author spoon feeds you everything to the point it’s kind of insulting. it was truly painful to read and it sucks that i don’t have anything nice to say about it :/

so i am dnfing the book. id withhold a rating if i could since i did not finish it… but i can’t and two stars feels too generous for this book.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

General Impressions:
"Hurricane Wars" by Thea Guanzon proves to be an enjoyable read, especially for those familiar with the author's fanfic origins. Approached with the right expectations, readers will find themselves pleasantly satisfied with the overall experience. However, the book does exhibit a few shortcomings, most notably in terms of pacing and repetitive scenes that could have benefited from more attentive editing.

Detailed Thoughts:

World Building:
The initial heavy emphasis on world-building at the start of the book may not appeal to all readers. While the extensive world-building sets the stage for the trilogy, there are certain elements that could have been fleshed out better. It's reasonable to expect that subsequent books will delve deeper into the world and its intricacies.

Plot:
The structure of the plot could have been enhanced for a more satisfying narrative flow. The absence of a robust third act leaves the story feeling slightly incomplete. The anticipation for a major plot twist or significant revelations goes unmet, which might leave readers wanting. The underutilization of the FMC's best friend character is a missed opportunity that, if explored further, could have enriched the story's dynamics.

Characters:
The primary characters receive a moderate level of development, allowing readers to engage with their journeys. Unfortunately, the secondary characters mostly serve plot functions rather than contributing to meaningful character conflicts. One of the book's notable drawbacks lies in the repetitive arguments between the main characters. The lack of progression in these exchanges, without gaining insights into each other's perspectives, hampers character growth and can be somewhat frustrating for readers.

The slow-burn romance element is a highlight of the book, executed admirably. Still, a few more carefully placed moments of intimacy, could have bolstered the final portion of the story, adding to its emotional impact.

In Conclusion:
"Hurricane Wars" lays a promising foundation for Thea Guanzon's trilogy. It's evident that the author's background influences the narrative style. Although pacing issues and repetitive scenes hold the book back from reaching its full potential, the engaging slow-burn romance and the potential for greater world-building and character development in the subsequent instalments make it an overall enjoyable experience. For those who appreciate romance fantasy and are willing to overlook its imperfections, "Hurricane Wars" is a series worth investing in.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

The Hurricane Wars is a romantasy in the enemies to lovers trope. The book starts with a fairly serious and epic feel; worldbuilding, action, high stakes loss. But it quickly moves away from that feel and into a fairly intimate story of Alaric who wields "darkweave" magic and Talasyn who wields "lightweave" being forced to interact on a daily basis whilst their hate/love sizzles away. It was a fun read, a nice romp, but the world building was missing and there's a very basic plot. Side characters who seemed interesting disappear and it really becomes just full romance. I think it would be most suited for fans of YA romance.

I had hoped it would maintain the epic feel that it has at the start, but there's also nothing wrong with a good romantic romp with a fantastical setting. I'll definitely read the next book and hope we get more world building and plot now the romance is already sizzling away. There's tons of potential here.

Side note on "fan fiction": I had no idea this was a rewritten fanfiction until I went to post my review on Goodreads and it was in the top few reviews and then I had to read on as I didn't even know what franchise it was originally from. It hasn't affected my review in any way, and it really wasn't that obvious to me.