This Filipina author’s debut novel made it to the New York Times bestsellers list

Meet Thea Guanzon, the Filipina New York Times bestseller | Photos from theaguanzon.com

A Filipina is making big strides in the world of fantasy literature today, as Philippine-based author Thea Guanzon, who just released her novel “The Hurricane Wars,” has made it into the New York Times’ bestsellers list.

The novel is a romance fantasy published by Harper Voyager, a subsidiary of Harper Collins. This is also Guanzon’s debut novel, which was released internationally early this month.

“The Hurricane Wars” is set in a Southeast Asia-esque fantasy world, with themes inspired by the revolutionary history, culture, and myths of the Philippines. It’s also an enemies-to-lovers romance.

The story centers on “two bitter enemies on opposite sides of a deadly conflict, [who] forge a volatile alliance in order to save their respective nations from a greater threat on the horizon,” Guanzon said. “The Hurricane Wars” is the first in a planned trilogy.

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Many of the novel’s early readers, Guanzon shared, have reached out on the representation the novel has provided for Filipinos and the diaspora, because aside from being inspired by our own history and culture, there are also various Easter eggs throughout the novel—like that of taho and tarsiers. 

Prior to “The Hurricane Wars,” Guanzon was previously published in the Star Wars anthology “From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi.” She was then approached by an editor and agent on the prospect of writing her own novel.

Guanzon is one of the few Philippine-based authors who have been published and represented by US publishers.