Feb. 7th, 2025

[personal profile] lsobiesk


Written by Stephen Hong Sohn

Edited by Lizzy Sobiesk

I delayed reviewing Thea Guanzon’s Hurricane Wars (Harper Voyager, 2023) until I knew the second installment was coming out. As I’ve gotten further into these various series, sometimes they do get canceled or are not completed (see C.V. Wyk’s Blood and Sand and then Akemi Dawn Bowman’s Infinity Courts series), so I’ve gotten leery about reading them until I know there is another one coming. In any case, still, I do think this one is going to be a trilogy, and that fact is yet to be confirmed, but I am actively onto the second. Here is the official marketing description: “All Talasyn has ever known is the Hurricane Wars. Growing up an orphan in a nation under siege by the ruthless Night Emperor, she 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 tasked with obliterating any threats to the Night Empire’s rule with the strength of his armies and mighty shadow magic. He discovers the greatest threat yet in Talasyn: a girl burning brightly on the battlefield with the magic that killed his grandfather, turned his father into a monster, and ignited the Hurricane Wars. He tries to kill her, but in a clash of light and dark, their powers merge and create a force the likes of which has never been seen. This war can only end with them. But an even greater danger is coming, and the strange magic they can create together could be the only way to overcome it. Talasyn and Alaric must decide… are they fated to join hands, or destroy each other? An exquisite fantasy brimming with unforgettable characters and sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance set in a richly drawn world, The Hurricane Wars marks the breathtaking debut of an extraordinary new writer.”

 

So, let’s talk about the elephant in the room, especially for those who are thinking about reading this one. Please pay careful attention to the phrase “sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance.” What you might not have heard of, and I certainly had not, is the term “romantasy,” of which this particular book is exemplary of. The romantasy is not just a romance plot baked into a high fantasy work; it is an amalgam of romance fiction and fantasy fiction, meaning that there are explicit scenes! I was not prepared for this fact, and I am truly torn about this hybrid genre. The fantasy elements are well worked in, especially as Guanzon focuses on the various strains of magic that pit one group against the other. Those who are well-versed in this genre know that it’s almost always a battle between good and evil, but the definition of good and evil can change over the course of any series. Such is likely the case with this one, as it becomes clear that the good and bad sides may be more complicated than we at first understand. My other critique of this novel is that it spends quite a lot of time in which Alaric and Talasyn are stuck together, trying to bring their magic together. Part of this plotting is no doubt related to the sexual tension that Guanzon wants to work in, but for this ornery reader, I found that set up to be deflating to the high fantasy conceits. At the end of the day, if you’re a purist about high fantasy, this one won’t be for you, but if you’re open to generic hybridity in which the passions of two people on the other side of the tracks won’t be denied, then you’ve come to the right place, er, I mean novel! Finally, the other element that intrigued me is that this novel is part of the rise of so-called Asian-inspired fantasy. In this case, Guanzon clearly draws upon the archipelagic geography of the Philippines. Beyond that element, I wasn’t quite sure what other refractions are baked in, but the many islands that populate this narrative are no doubt influenced by Guanzon’s ethnic background. I’m going to give the second one a shot and see how that goes. Wish me luck!

 

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