The Fury She Holds

by Milli C. Vieira

The kingdom is crumbling.
The docks have been left to rot.
And something lurks in the shadows.In a kingdom plagued by poverty and violence, Talwyn remains two things: a fearless bounty hunter and a drunk. Only those closest to her know she harbors a secret that kings would go to war over. Talwyn is a Fury—a wielder of a rare and powerful fire magic.

On the night Talwyn exacts a long-awaited revenge, she becomes the center of a deadly manhunt. While she and her friends race to apprehend her enemies, Talwyn catches the eye of a handsome noble who can’t seem to stay away.

With danger around every corner, Talwyn’s fight for peace becomes a battle between the world she lives in and the life she once knew.

396 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication January 6, 2026

Reviews

[S. Pedigo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of being an ARC reviewer for Milli C. Viera’s The Fury She Holds, and the book was nothing short of amazing. Fantasy is usually a tough genre for me (I’m a bit of a snob), but slipping into Milli’s world was effortless and by the end of the first chapter I was fully engaged in the story. Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge fan of sharp dialogue and good banter, and this book delivers. I laughed out loud throughout, and when the drama hit and the jokes stopped, I found myself completely invested. Milli has a rare talent for making you laugh one minute and then surprising you with emotional depth the next.

Most fantasy books often feel dense or overwhelming, but The Fury She Holds is the exception. Milli introduces her world organically so that it never feels like a heavy lore dump. Each piece of worldbuilding fits neatly into the story and doesn’t take away from the pacing of the plot. The cast is fantastic, and while I had a few favorite side characters (Waylon), Talwyn stole the spotlight every time.

With Talwyn, Milli has created a wonderfully stubborn and cranky FMC who is determined to do the right thing even when everything in her world is working against her. What I loved most about her were her flaws. She is not perfect and she never pretends to be. When she makes mistakes, she owns them. When she faces setbacks, she does not wallow or seek comfort. She keeps moving forward, even when the cost is high.

As someone who regularly plays fantasy TTRPGs, the entire book felt like an unhinged campaign where anything might happen. If you enjoy D&D, Critical Role, or Dimension 20, you will have a great time with this story. Even though Milli has never played D&D, she captured the experience perfectly.

I cannot recommend this book enough, and I am already excited to add the special edition I ordered to my shelf.

[Shawn Burt · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love romantasy this book is for you. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I loved it. I loved the plot and the storyline. The character dynamics were on fire and the pacing was just right. The Fury She Holds leads us on a whirlwind adventure of friendship, romance, excitement and heartache.

Tropes:

-Golden retriever FMCs
- Grumpy/ sunshine
- Strong female leads
- Fierce friendships
- Witty banter

[Jade Noémie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful book, wishing I could read the sequel already!! The word building and the assemble characters were so enticing, and the golden retriever MMC in a Romantasy was amazingly refreshing. Definitely recommend!

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thankyou for the ARC copy of this book.

I blitzed through this book in two days, staying up to the early hours to finish it because I just couldn’t get enough.

The Fury She Holds is an exceptional debut book which immerses you into the world of Tal and her gang from the very first page. The characters are well fleshed out, the world is intriguing and the dialogue is some of the best I’ve read this year. There were multiple moments where I laughed out loud.

There were also multiple moments where I cried. The Fury She Holds leads us on a whirlwind adventure of friendship, romance, excitement and heartache.

This book should 100% be on your tbr for 2026, and I will be recommending it to everyone I talk to. However, I would especially recommend it to you if you are a lover of:

- Golden retriever FMCs
- Grumpy/ sunshine
- Strong female leads
- Fierce friendships
- Witty banter
- Six of Crows

[Avonlea · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ARC Review: The Fury She Holds by Milli C. Vieira

Romantasy lovers, this one’s for you. Humor, depth, tension, and characters you’ll want to protect with your life—it’s all here.

Milli’s debut absolutely delivers. The plot is tight, the pacing addictive, and the character dynamics? Chef’s kiss. I couldn’t stop reading.

🌀 Worldbuilding: I wanted more. The kingdom and surrounding realms felt intriguing but underdeveloped.

👀 Loose threads: Syb’s council room vision left me hanging. Maybe it’ll pay off in book two, but I’m still wondering. The Pyrie concept? I’m obsessed. Reincarnation? Secret lineage? Not dead? I need answers.

📚 Ending: No cliffhanger—which I actually appreciate because I’m not utterly dying in a puddle of what ifs right now, but I did kinda want a final “WOAH” moment to launch us into the next book.

💘 FMC & MMC: Tal and Faron are magic. I don’t usually fall for golden retriever MMCs, but Faron? Dimples, smirk, and that slow-burn. Mhmmm. He has shown his potential in book 1 for his eventual “touch her and die” energy? I’m sold.

🔥 Tal is stubborn, sarcastic, and growing into her power. I saw pieces of myself in her. She’s got walls to break and a destiny to claim and I’m here for it.

🎉 Milli’s writing blends action, emotion, and character development so seamlessly it feels effortless. For a debut? She crushed it.

I can totally see her building multiple series that dominate the romantasy shelves. Watch this space!

Do yourself a favor, read it.

[Erin Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was epic. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this romantic fantasy. The main character, Tal, is a freaking bada** and not in an obnoxious way. She is a well rounded character with flaws in addition to her born in flaring and ever-growing power. She is an entirely relatable character with spunk and humor that will keep you smirking through endless banter. Faron is by far one of my favorite book boyfriends. I love his witty retorts and constant flattery that you can never decipher if it is flirtatious joking or genuine. The storyline was full of action and suspense. Each page turned urged you to read “just one more”. The characters are complex, with a found family feel and clear build relationships that make for realistic and relatable friendships. Something I truly admired about this fantasy specifically was how this author built the world and information delivery. She wrote with intent to avoid: lengthy definitions, overly descriptive backgrounds, and too-long explanations of rules of magic. I truly enjoyed how the author slowly revealed information through dialogue and simple yet effective internal monologue. Each description and detail was calculated and extremely well-delivered. Being that fantasy is not a common genre I enjoy, this book misses all the trademark issues I find within fantasy while still maintaining the magic that the genre offers. Highly recommend this book!

[Kirstin O’Donnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️I’m Obsessed. This Book Is Going to Explode on TikTok.❤️

I don’t say this lightly, this book consumed me. You know that feeling when you start a story expecting a good time, and suddenly you’re sitting there at 3AM whispering “no way… NO WAY”? Yeah. That was me.

The writing is razor sharp, the pacing is immaculate, and the emotional punches? Unexpected. Violent. Delicious.

The characters feel so real you’ll want to shake them, hug them, scream at them, and protect them. Every single relationship is layered, messy, human, exactly how I love it.

And the plot twists? Plural.
Perfectly set up, devastatingly executed. Not one wasted page.

This is the book I’ll be thinking about for weeks. I genuinely believe this is going to be the book everyone is talking about.

If you love stories that are:
✨ Expertly woven
✨ Emotionally devastating in the best way
✨ Dark, immersive, and addictive
✨ Full of characters who feel painfully real

…then add this to your TBR immediately.

I can’t wait for everyone to experience this.

[Katelyn M ChaosBookReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fury She Holds is a richly layered romantasy. Talwyn is a fierce, flawed FMC who feels deeply human—stubborn, sarcastic, and burdened by choices that actually carry weight. Her fire magic isn’t just power for show; it’s tied closely to who she is and the consequences she’s trying to outrun.

The character dynamics are a standout. The banter is sharp and natural, the friendships feel earned, and the slow-burn grumpy-sunshine (hopefully eventually touch her and ☠️ in book two 👀) romance simmers with just the right mix of tension and restraint. Nothing feels rushed or overly convenient, which makes the emotional moments hit harder when they arrive.

The plot unfolds at a steady, confident pace, revealing twists that reward attention without relying on shock value. By the end, I was left with lingering questions, emotional investment, and a strong desire to continue the series.

A compelling debut with heart, heat, and depth—perfect for readers who love strong heroines, found-family vibes, and romantasy that prioritizes character as much as magic.

[Wellesley Rhyston · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fury She Holds completely caught me off guard in the best way. The plot twists just kept coming. Every time I thought I had a handle on what was happening, another reveal dropped and blew my mind. There were a couple twists I anticipated, but it felt more like a reward for paying close attention to the details than predictability. This book really invites you to notice things, which was such a breath of fresh air as a reader.

The chemistry and banter between the main characters was electric. Sharp, natural, and full of tension. I ate it up.

The elemental magic was another standout. While the foundation felt familiar, Milli’s unique touches made it feel fresh and distinct. It never felt recycled or overdone, which is hard to pull off, and instead felt unique to this story.

Vieira’s writing is beautifully descriptive and immersive, and I genuinely did not want this read to end. I am very much looking forward to whatever she writes next. Thank you for the advanced reader copy! :)

[Jessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did not come to play—it leapt off the page, lit everything on fire (literally), and strutted off like, “You’re welcome.” Talwyn is everything I want in a main character: chaotic, deadly, emotionally allergic, and surrounded by the most lovable band of misfits I would absolutely follow into a questionable alley.

I was obsessed with the Elemental magic, and I’m begging book two to give me more. I want to meet ALL the Elemental users and anyone else who has any kind of "power." And those cloaked dudes?? I have at least 47 theories and zero answers. Book two, I'm counting on you to spill everything.

The worldbuilding was so good. The tension, the action, the secrets—chef’s kiss.

This book truly exceeded the hype. I had the best time, and now I’m feral waiting for the sequel.

Thank you, Milli C. Vieira and Bookfunnel for the opportunity to read this fantastic story.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book sucked me in so fast. I love the world that is created. It is dark and grisly, filled with sadness and pain, but also has moments of levity and mirth. The characters are diverse and have great depth. Each has their strengths, but they also all battle flaws within themselves as well as past traumas. Their little family of misfit bounty hunters has such great chemistry.

Talwyn is a complicated main character. She has some major issues, and at times, you just want to yell at her. The romance with her and Faron really has a slow burn. The intense collision of their meeting followed by time carefully getting to know one another was crafted very well.

The plot was filled with danger, mystery, emotional upheaval, banter, comedy, sadness, darkness, and so much intrigue. I truly enjoyed every moment, and I can not wait for the next book.

[Natasha Campbell-Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book, and this is my genuine review.

It has been a LONG time since I’ve read a book this good. The pacing was perfect, the world building, the magic system, the romance (ugh, THAT TENSION), all of it was incredible. Milli has such attention to detail that you can really feel as if you’re there, experiencing everything right alongside her characters, who are so wonderfully flawed it just adds to the magic. Mistakes were made, feelings were felt, but all of it was believable, like Talwyn’s drinking problem. I hated it, and it made me want to shake some sense into her, but it made her more genuine. There wasn’t a single character that felt 2D, even the in the background.

If you love grumpy-sunshine romances where she’s the grump and he’s the sun, found family, a unique power system, and fantastic world building, this is the book for you.

[Elisabeth Schut · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m just so grateful I got to be an arc reader. This books was amazing and I can’t wait for book 2 to come out.

This book was probably my favorite romantasy read this year. It had me hooked from the beginning to the end. I don’t care it a slow burn since the story/plot and characters was not boring.

The FMC she is feisty, independent, strong, stubborn
The MMC is like a golden retriever, but the way he flirts and he acts around the MMC reminds me of Hook from Once Upon A Time with Emma.

It’s adventurous, magic, mystery, great bantering, some sad moments.

[Ina Voloshyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a bold, fearless heroine, you’ve come to the right place. She’s ruthless, driven, and you really don’t want to be her enemy (the last one suffered for a solid four or five pages).
She knows how to drink (almost), how to be a good friend, and how to protect herself and the people she loves. She’s a fiery redhead - and yes, I think I’m in love.

Aside from one cool MFC, the book itself is a solid piece of work: great plot twists, a dark, well-built world, and truly engaging, attractive characters. Really hoping part two comes out soon 🙂

[Tanya Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books grabs you from the start. Tal and her amazing group of friends thrive to protect there home. Faron and Tal have fire from the start but neither act at first. Tal has magic that must be hidden and there are powerful people searching for her. Faron and Tals group of friends all do there part to find out who is hunting Tal and how to help her.
This book is has magic, battles, kidnapping, slow burn, and friendships that never falter. I'm waiting to see what can come next.

[Shawndra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relatable, lovable characters and a premise that kept me turning pages even when I should have been doing other things, like my job. One of the better romantasies I’ve read with an FMC that can truly hold her own.
Cannot recommend enough. I don’t want to give spoilers but the slow burn had me gritting my teeth and I had a couple audible “oh my gosh!” moments as I read.
Thank you so much for letting me be an ARC reader!

[Sarah M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I was hooked on page one. The chemistry between Tal and Faron is undeniable. There’s humor, banter, a little spice and some unexpected twists and turns that’ll keep you reading way past your bedtime. The story wraps up nicely but leaves room for further exploration. Can’t wait to learn more about their world and what the future unfolds.

[Sarah Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story very much! There were points where I found myself confused and felt the plot was lacking but overall it was a good story and I think the author did fantastic for a first book! I’m excited to see where the story goes.

*sloooooow burn
*she’s the morally grey one
*golden retriever MMC
*he falls first-HARD

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hidden power? Secret identity? Robin Hood vibes? Enemy to lover? All the things. This book was delicious and you owe it to yourself to check it out asap. Talwyn is well written and grows so much in the book, cant wait to see what happens next.

[Lorah James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feisty, powerful and funny the lovable characters will grab you by the face and press you to the window to their rich and fascinating world. Can't wait for the next installment because this is going places and I wanna be there when it does!

[TinyBai · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fury She Holds will have you laughing so hard you cry. The banter between characters is on point. The reverse grumpyxsunshine is pure protection. Vieira's fresh take on magic and anti-heroes is a breath of fresh air. I am anxiously awaiting the next installment.

[Allyssa Medeiros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beta reader for this novel. It is AMAZING! Checks all the boxes:
Badass FMC? ✅
Elemental magic? ✅
A romance to tie it all together?✅

I am so excited for the official release date this January!