“The Hurricane Wars”, Thea Guanzon
Published October 3, 2023 • Book 1 of The Hurricane Wars
The heart is a battlefield.
All Talasyn has ever known is the Hurricane Wars. Growing up an orphan in a nation under siege by the ruthless Night Emperor, Talasyn has found her family among the soldiers who fight for freedom. But she is hiding a deadly secret: light magic courses through her veins, a blazing power believed to have been wiped out years ago that can cut through the Night Empire's shadows.
Prince Alaric, the emperor's only son and heir, has been forged into a weapon by his father. Tasked with obliterating any threats to the Night Empire's rule with the strength of his armies and mighty Shadow magic, Alaric has never been bested. That is until he sees Talasyn burning brightly on the battlefield with the magic that killed his grandfather, turned his father into a monster, and ignited the Hurricane Wars. In a clash of light and dark, their powers merge and create a force the likes of which has never been seen.
Talasyn and Alaric both know this war can only end with them. But a greater threat is coming, and the strange new magic they can create together could be the only way to overcome it. Thrust into an uneasy alliance, they will confront the secrets at the heart of the war and find, in each other, a searing passion--one that could save their world…or destroy it.
“Fire of my blood, sun of my soul, I would raise my armies in your defense and I would stand by your side though the Eversea itself be against us.”
Anyone who's had the privilege of reading the Reylo fic landscape with a blur of conquerors by diasterisms knows this book is an enemies-to-lovers romantasy with so much tension, I’m surprised the pages didn’t spontaneously combust in my hands. Every interaction between Talasyn and Alaric is basically “I hate you, but also I might kiss you or stab you, and frankly, I’m not sure which one I’d enjoy more.” I’ve said many times that I love when the enemies are literally trying to kill each other—this book can be the poster child for the trope. Their banter is razor-sharp, the slow burn is deliciously torturous, and the political stakes are dangerously high. Book 1 ends on a cliffhanger that had me itching to see how all the repressed passion explodes.
As a fellow Filipino, I am so ridiculously proud of Thea for breaking into the international romantasy scene. And as a Reylo fan, I am living for the DNA this book carries. The Filipino flavor woven into the story is rich and unmistakable—from the mythology to the language—and it’s so refreshing to see non-Filipino readers appreciating our culture. This book is proof that you can write something deeply rooted in your culture and still have it resonate globally.
Content Warnings
Note: This is not an exhaustive list of content and trigger warnings.
war • violence • sexual content
Goodreads | Storygraph | Bookshop (support your local bookstore)
Owned: signed hardcover • paperback • Kindle • Audible