Review: The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

Posted on by Julia Dath
Photo of a copy of Thea Guanzon's The Hurricane Wars Uk Edition. Photo by Julia Dath.

It’s not just enemies-to-lovers in Thea Guanzon’s The Hurricane Wars. Be prepared for a wild ride of enemies-to-conspirators-to-enemies-to-allies-to-friends-to-adversaries-to…who knows? This sweeping fantasy novel from author Thea Guanzon was one of my most anticipated books of 2023, and from the complex world building and engaging plot to the addicting romance, it certainly didn’t disappoint. This book is perfect for fans of the fantasy-romance genre as it balances political plot and a sizzling tension between two people from opposite sides of the war that are forced into close proximity.

There’s a recurring theme of hate and love being two sides of the same coin as they’re both fueled by passion, and I’m not exactly sure that I believe that ideology myself, but for the purpose of the story, it sets up shadow magic user Alaric and light magic user Talasyn for a long road of complicated feelings. The two characters juxtapose one another in every way, and the story opens with them meeting on the battle field as opposite sides in the Hurricane Wars. There’s a strange connection between them immediately, and this spurs a powerful series of events that change the course of their lives.

I loved a lot about The Hurricane Wars. I loved the snappy dialogue, the wide cast of characters, and the truly absurd political theatrics that draw Alaric and Talasyn together. At the same time, I feel like this series has a lot of room to grow and a lot of questions to address politically. The plot, at times, felt contrived to me around the romance. I’m the sort of fantasy reader that’s quite interested in the politics of the world, and when Guanzon gets into these moments of describing the complex political minefield that exist in the world, it is quite intriguing. Talasyn is introduced as a main character that’s quite solid in her ideals and her views on the war in front of her. To me it felt like Talaysn’s characterization, and the logic of the world, occasionally were placed on the back burner in favor of making sure that the “enemies-to-lovers” aspect of the story continued to advance.

I’m interested to see how these characters will progress through this series. Will Talasyn bend her morals for love? Will Alaric dismantle the brutal fascist tactics that he’s been pushing throughout the first book? How far can attraction move a relationship when there’s a major difference in values?

This is only the beginning of The Hurricane Wars, and, above all, I’m excited to see where Guanzon takes these characters. The stage is set, and the tension is high, so there’s sure to be lots of drama as the series continues.

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