Tricia Levenseller has carved out a distinctive niche in the young adult fantasy romance landscape with beloved titles like Daughter of the Pirate King and The Shadows Between Us. With What Fury Brings, she makes a commanding leap into adult romantasy, delivering a story that burns with righteous anger while maintaining the addictive romance elements that have made her a #1 New York Times bestselling author. This debut adult novel is both a love letter to the romance genre and a searing indictment of patriarchal systems—wrapped in a package that’s as seductive as it is subversive.
The World That Fury Built
Set in the kingdom of Amarra, Levenseller constructs a matriarchal society that serves as a mirror to our own world’s historical treatment of women. In this realm, the goddess Amarra once blessed women with supernatural strength after hearing the desperate pleas of a queen beaten and abused by her husband. Five hundred years later, the roles have reversed entirely: men cannot hold property, must smile and flex when women look at them, and can be married off as soon as they’re “old enough to perform.”
The world-building in What Fury Brings is both fascinating and deliberately uncomfortable. Levenseller doesn’t shy away from showing the extreme end of this reversed power structure, from sex markets where men are auctioned off to the infamous “penis guillotine” mentioned in her author’s note. These elements aren’t included for shock value alone—they serve as pointed reminders of the real horrors women have faced throughout history, forcing readers to confront these injustices through a new lens.
The kingdom of Amarra feels lived-in and complex, with its own terminology (sirem for lesbians, seul for an exclusive partner, vyra for a paralytic aphrodisiac) and customs that demonstrate how thoroughly Levenseller has thought through this society’s implications. The contrast with the neighboring kingdom of Brutus—a traditional patriarchy—provides additional depth and serves as the perfect backdrop for examining questions of power, justice, and revenge.
Characters Forged in Fire and Fury
Olerra Corasene emerges as a compelling protagonist who defies easy categorization. She’s a warrior general vying for the throne, physically powerful enough to lift grown men effortlessly, yet vulnerable in her fear that she’s not worthy of her goddess’s blessing. Levenseller writes Olerra as refreshingly complex—she’s ruthless in pursuit of her goals but genuinely caring toward those she protects. Her plus-size representation is handled with care and authenticity, never reducing her to her appearance while celebrating her strength and desirability.
What makes Olerra particularly interesting is her internal conflict between the fury that drives her and her genuine desire for connection. She’s not blindly perpetuating a cycle of abuse; she’s conscious of the system’s flaws while feeling trapped by the necessity of working within it to protect her people. Her character arc examines whether someone can break cycles of oppression from positions of power.
Sanos (masquerading as his brother Andrastus) proves to be far more than the “docile” prince Olerra expected to kidnap. The real crown prince of Brutus carries trauma from his abusive father while harboring surprising depths of empathy and intelligence. His initial contempt for Amarran society gradually transforms into understanding, though never into complete acceptance of its extremes.
The identity deception adds layers of tension to every interaction. Sanos struggles with revealing his true name while falling for Olerra, creating genuine stakes beyond the political machinations. His character development from bitter, closed-off prince to someone capable of love and vulnerability feels earned rather than rushed.
Romance That Sizzles and Challenges
The romantic development between Olerra and Sanos crackles with tension from their first encounter. Levenseller excels at building chemistry through conflict—their verbal sparring matches are as seductive as their physical encounters. The power dynamics are complex and constantly shifting; while Olerra holds physical and political power, Sanos’s emotional walls and hidden identity give him agency in unexpected ways.
The sexual content is explicit and well-integrated into the character development. Levenseller doesn’t shy away from exploring consent in a world where traditional power structures are reversed, handling the delicate balance with care. The romance progression feels organic, moving from mutual antagonism through grudging respect to genuine affection and desire.
What elevates this beyond typical enemies-to-lovers fare is how both characters challenge each other’s worldviews. Olerra forces Sanos to confront the privileges he’s enjoyed and the suffering of women in his homeland. Meanwhile, Sanos encourages Olerra to question whether perpetuating cycles of oppression can ever truly bring justice.
Themes That Cut Deep
What Fury Brings tackles weighty themes with surprising nuance. The central question—what happens when the oppressed become the oppressors—runs throughout the narrative without easy answers. Levenseller doesn’t advocate for the Amarran system as ideal; instead, she uses it to examine the roots of inequality and the human desire for revenge versus justice.
The book explores toxic masculinity by forcing traditionally masculine characters into positions typically occupied by women. Sanos’s journey involves unlearning ingrained beliefs about gender roles and power, while also grappling with his own trauma from an abusive father figure. These themes resonate beyond the fantasy setting, offering commentary on real-world issues of gender, power, and systemic oppression.
Family dynamics receive careful attention, particularly the relationship between parents and children across both cultures. The impact of abuse echoes through generations, shown in both Sanos’s relationship with his father and Olerra’s drive to prove herself worthy after her mother was killed by her husband.
The Writing: Levenseller’s Evolution
Levenseller’s prose has matured significantly from her YA works while retaining the engaging voice that made her popular. Her adult debut showcases more complex sentence structures and psychological depth, though she maintains the accessibility that draws readers in. The dialogue sparkles with wit and tension, particularly during the protagonists’ heated exchanges.
The pacing moves at a confident clip, balancing action sequences with character development and romantic tension. Levenseller knows when to let scenes breathe and when to ramp up the intensity. Her battle scenes are visceral and well-choreographed, while intimate moments receive equal attention to emotional and physical details.
Some exposition feels slightly heavy-handed, particularly when explaining the historical background of Amarra’s transformation. However, this information is necessary for understanding the world’s complexities, and Levenseller generally integrates it smoothly into dialogue and character observations.
Minor Criticisms in a Strong Foundation
While What Fury Brings succeeds on multiple levels, it’s not without minor flaws. The identity deception plotline, while emotionally effective, occasionally strains credibility—it seems implausible that no one would recognize the crown prince of their greatest enemy, even with changed styling.
Some secondary characters feel underdeveloped, particularly Olerra’s rival cousin Glenaerys, who could have benefited from more screen time to establish her as a more formidable antagonist. The political maneuvering sometimes takes a backseat to the romantic plot in ways that leave certain plot threads feeling slightly rushed.
The book’s exploration of its complex themes, while thoughtful, occasionally tips toward didactic territory. Levenseller’s passion for her subject matter is evident and admirable, but some conversations between the protagonists read more like philosophical debates than natural dialogue.
A Series with Promising Potential
As the first book in the Wrath and Fury series, What Fury Brings establishes a world ripe for further exploration. The political ramifications of Olerra and Sanos’s union, the potential for social change in both kingdoms, and the deeper mythology of the goddess Amarra all provide rich material for future installments.
The ending provides satisfying resolution to the central romance while leaving plenty of room for the series to grow. Levenseller has created a foundation that could support multiple storylines and character arcs across different kingdoms and social structures.
Perfect For Readers Who Crave
What Fury Brings will particularly appeal to readers who enjoyed:
- Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series for its blend of fantasy politics and steamy romance
- Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Blood and Ash series for enemies-to-lovers dynamics and world-building
- Scarlett St. Clair’s Hades X Persephone series for mature themes and explicit content
- Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing for strong heroines and romantic tension
- Carissa Broadbent’s The War of Lost Hearts series for complex moral questions and dark fantasy elements
The Final Verdict
What Fury Brings announces Tricia Levenseller’s successful transition to adult romantasy with authority and passion. While it may not convert readers who prefer their fantasy without explicit content or heavy thematic material, it delivers exactly what it promises: a furious, sexy, and thought-provoking examination of power, revenge, and love.
Levenseller has crafted something genuinely unique in the crowded romantasy market—a book that’s simultaneously a page-turning romance and a serious engagement with questions of justice and oppression. It’s angry and beautiful, challenging and entertaining, proving that commercial fiction can carry weighty themes without sacrificing reader enjoyment.
For fans of Levenseller’s previous work looking for something more mature, readers seeking fantasy that grapples with real-world issues, or anyone who appreciates romance that doesn’t shy away from complexity, What Fury Brings delivers on all fronts. It’s a bold debut that establishes Levenseller as a force to be reckoned with in adult fantasy romance.
This is what fury brings: a book that burns bright with righteous anger while never forgetting to tend the flames of love.
