This book has fast become my favorite read of 2022. The story has hints of a Beauty and the Beast retelling, perfect for fans of ACOTAR and Wintersong. It also give the vibe of a Hades and Persephone re-telling, and that is all the rave on booktok and bookstagram right now, so I think this book is coming out at a perfect time.

Wren and her twin sister, Elora, lost their parents when they were young, and now Wren has taken on the duty of running the household needs. The Four Winds are the rulers of the different seasons, Boreas is the North Wind and comes to Wren and Elora's' village every couple decades to take a wife. The village is not aware what happens after he takes a bride, all they know is that she never returns. When Elora is picked as the chosen bride, Wren must think fast to protect the only family she has left.

This book is a standalone, slow-burn romance with Greek mythology symmetry. I feel like this book has all my favorite tropes put into one book. The flow of the story is really well done, and I found myself never getting bored. Alexandria is an AMAZING world builder. You get entranced into this world and never want to leave. I stated before that this is a standalone book, but the author introduces other characters that I feel would continue adventures in this world for years to come.

This story has been described as a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and the first chapters gave be ACOTAR vibes big time. After that, it reminded me of A Deal with the Elf King, which would make sense since it's apparently also inspired by the myth of Hades and Persephone. Overall, it is a somewhat unique story. The tropes are not new or original, but they are well developed, and the world-building made it so it's different from the other Beauty & the Beast retellings I've read.

Wren and her twin sister Elora lost their parents to famine when they were teenagers. Since then, it's been up to Wren to hunt, provide food and make sure that Elora and she could survive in the little village of Edgewood. The Four Winds are Gods that control different seasons. Boreas is the North Wind and comes every few decades to take an unwed woman from the village for unknown reasons. He always selects one among the prettiest, and Wren knows that her sister is very likely to be selected, but Wren will do just anything to save her sister from this dark fate, including taking her place and fooling the North Wind.

Wren's relationship with her sister reminded me of Feyre's relationship with her older sisters in A Court of Thorns and Roses. Elora is spoiled and takes everything her sister gives without giving back and she lies to herself and pretends that it's what's best for Wren because it gives her a purpose. Her character does change though and there is a little redemption arc for her character near the end. I would not say that I like her, but I don't dislike her anymore. I am also happy that Wren got the courage to speak her mind and let her sister know how she really felt.

Wren is far from being the pretty demure maid that Elora is. Wren is flawed, knows it, and does not care about Boreas' opinion of her. She never misses an opportunity to antagonize him or show him how little she cares about him. She went with him to save her sister, and now that it's done, her only goal is to kill Boreas and go back to Edgewood... But Wren is also fierce and strong (and stabby), and it's hard not to love her from the start.

Boreas is as cold as one bored and superior immortal can be. He reminded me a little bit of Eldas in A Deal with the Elf King, but it took him even longer to warm up to his bride. He does not trust anyone and considers humans to be inferior and unworthy of his attention. Of course, things are not as simple as they seem and there is more to Boreas than meets the eye. We slowly discover as the story goes that he is not as cruel and villain as he appears.

The romance is a slow-burn hate to love, and it was amazingly well done. I really enjoyed the bickering and seeing how Wren would try to hide her physical attraction towards Boreas because she was still planning on killing him, and it's unethical to lust after someone you plan on murdering apparently. There are a few spicy scenes with just enough smut to keep us hooked, but not too much since it's a slow burn. My only complaint is that even though it is a slow burn and it was very well developed, the last 30 pages or so got a little too cheesy. They went from admitting that they wanted to be together and felt something to big love proclamation and saying that as long as they had each other, they didn't need anything else in their life... It just felt a little intense considering that she was still contemplating whether or not to kill him a few days ago and he was still ignoring her and trying to keep her at arm's length since he does not trust anyone. Still, overall the slow-burn was great and that is what I call an awesome hate-to-love romance.

Every few generations, the women of Edgewood live in fear. When the cypress tree grows leathery buds, and the sky bleeds red, they know The Frost King is coming. Each visit, he abducts one woman from the village. No one knows what he does with them; all they know is that they are never seen again. The only thing Wren fears more than the King himself is losing her sister to him. So when he comes to collect, she does everything in her power to be the one he takes instead. When they arrive back at his castle, she realizes the full depth of the sacrifice she made. And she soon realizes The Frost King isn't exactly what she was expecting.

As a romance connoisseur, I appreciate a slow burn as much as the next girl. Alexandria has managed the slowest of slow burns, and the tension built between the love interests along the way is so palpable. By the time it boils over, the readers will be begging for it. The chemistry balances with the resentment and mistrust so beautifully, readers will be fully emotionally invested in every step of their tempestuous relationship.

I think some of the world-building is a bit lacking in context. There are a few unanswered questions about why things were the way they were. Whether some of it was truly out of The Frost King's control or if he just genuinely wanted others to suffer, it seemed like kind of a gray area.

Even with the above mentioned, I still rate it four out of five stars. I loved the story and the complexities of the relationships between the main characters and the secondary characters. The familial dynamics were really interesting, and it was a great touch to see how they influenced Wren's feelings about the King.

The North Wind is a wonderfully enjoyable spin on the Hades and Persephone/ Beauty and the Beast lore. It's suitable only for an audience of 18+, and it's perfect for fans of Scarlett St. Clair and the ACOTAR series.

I'm a bit unsure about how to feel about this book.

Wren, along with everyone else in her village, has been leading a difficult life through endless winter for her whole life. But when the North Wind comes to take his next sacrifice from the town, she tricks him into taking her instead of her sister. Thus starts an enemies-to-lovers story while dealing with some mysterious danger at the same time.

I enjoyed the premise and I liked how much amusement Boreas (the North Wind) got out of Wren's talking back from the beginning. However, as the story progressed, I started liking it less. Wren was a bit too headstrong at times and Boreas was frustrating to watch him just remain so closed off. It was really hard to connect to both of them since we really didn't get to know them that well. I also didn't really like the end of the book and how the story went in the last 20%. It left me in a place of more questions than answers, but not in a way that seems like it will be answered in future books. And the characters in the next book aren't very likeable.

Overall, if you liked The Bear and the Nightingale and stories about gods and mortals, you might enjoy this one as well.

4⭐️
I really enjoyed this Hades and Persephone retelling, it was a romance, enemies to lovers story. It was an interesting read with characters that you become invested in the further their story went .
It was a quick fun read with good world building and pacing throughout.
I’m curious to see where this series goes and who’s story we see next .
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for and advance copy to read

I was excited to get my hands on this book seeing it being described as Beauty & the Beast meets Hades & Persphones. I got the vibe fans of ACOTAR would like it right off the bat, and although it still reminds me of Maas' series it didn't quite meet those high standards. But I will say overall it was good!

It's a slow burn, enemies to lovers fantasy romance. I think it could have been shortened some, particularly once we are in the Deadlands. The "tension" the main character loves so much when she reads her own romance books drags out a bit too much for me. At the 50% mark is where it really picks up and gets good though! You get the romance, the action, and start seeing where all the pieces fall into place.

I look forward to continuing with the series to see where it goes. I enjoyed the characters and even though this book was a standalone, I'm curious to see where the author takes it and will be excited to delve back into this world.

**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book for an unbiased review.

I absolutely loved this Fantasy Romance and can't wait to read more from this author.

I enjoyed the concept of the North Wind being a God and the frozen landscape of the book really reflected the Boreas' state of mind. I found the descriptions of the world were evocative and beautiful. Wren is a strong character and at times frustrating, but her actions are understandable given her history. In fact both Boreas and Wren are very complex and believable.

This is slow burn romance ... I mean really slow burn. These characters have a long way to go from hatred to love. But when they do it heart-rending and explosive. Love conquers all - huzzah!! I stayed up waaaaay too long reading this book and nearly bit all my fingernails off towards the end.

Gimme the next one stat please.

A lush Beauty and the Beast retelling with a sprinkling of Hades and Persephone. I adored these characters and their stories. The burn was slow, but very hot and full of amazing tension. Wren was the epitome of a badass female MC. She always put her loved ones before herself and shoved her feelings down so deep she can barely tell what or if she feels anymore. Boreas is a god who needs control above all else and also has issues expressing his true feelings. These two have so much chemistry and complexity between them, and I loved getting to know more about them as the story progressed. Really enjoyed the world building, the snippets into other realms, and how the Deadlands provided such a stunning, interesting backdrop. There was a lot of character growth and great banter. Really fun! *I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Andromeda Press for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Content warnings: alcoholism, alcohol abuse, killing of animals, gore

Rep: twin sisters, forced marriage, enemies to lovers

Thoughts
Neutral thoughts:
I kind of had trouble with this one. Our MC, Wren, is an interesting character. As I mentioned up above about alcoholism, Wren suffers with alcoholism very much. To the point that it was VERY uncomfortable and it really was putting me off from reading. I have family members who have suffered thru this and it was all I could think about. So kudos to the author for getting the experience right. It unfortunately made me want to skim a lot of the time that Wren was getting drunk in the first quarter of the book.

I do think that Wren is really cool and she is the definition of a badass. She had a lot of respect for herself and tried to make the best decision based off what was around her. But she is VERY prickly, but I'm sure that she is someone that people will come to love and understand as they get further into the book.

Read if you like: From Blood and Ash and ACOTAR
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Wren lives in eternal winter and struggles to provide for her sister. When it comes time for the Frost King, or the North Wind, to choose his bride amongst mortal women, Wren will do anything to save her sister from this fate.
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This book was full of action and adventure. It is a dark story with lots of violence and suffering, but I love a good enemies to lovers story and thus did not disappoint.
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CW: death, murder, violence, gore, fighting, sexual content, kidnapping.

(ARC received from NetGalley) 2.5/5 The story is a beauty and the beast/Hades and Persephone retelling. The pacing is quite slow (especially the romance), I personally found Wren a bit insufferable, Boreas a bit dull, and the world building a bit weak; the story picks up around the 40% mark once the main characters decide to show personality traits other than anger and indifference. Not my cup of tea, but I believe that if you are a fan of Nesta Archeron from the ACOTAR series, you’ll love Wren.
P.S. Please check CW (alcoholism, mentions of suicide and rape)

May his death be a symbol. Death to my grief. Death to my torment. Death to power. Death to the dark water that has closed over my head.
This was the perfect new adult fantasy romance. This book is all that you could wish for.
I just didn't know it would be this good. Because this book dragged me in and wouldn't let me go. It was addicting.

I really enjoyed this book, although there were definitely parts of it that just didn’t work for me. Starting with what did work for me though, I really enjoyed Wren and Boreas! I liked how Wren was unapologetically herself, and didn’t care about being proper and doing what others expected of her. She also struggled with no longer being the one taking care of her sister and keeping them both alive, in addition to her addiction to alcohol that she struggles to overcome. Boreas was very much your typical love interest, but I think his backstory made him more likeable for me.

I loved the slow burn romance, and there were some pretty spicy scenes that I wasn’t expecting so this is definitely an adult novel. This has a ton of tropes that I love, including enemies to lovers, only one bed, and forced proximity!

I also thought the world was really interesting, but this is where it kind of went downhill a bit for me. I had so many unanswered questions and there were things about the world and the magic that felt incomplete, such as who/what the darkwalkers are, the difference between the Gray and the Deadlands, and Boreas’ magic (especially at the end). There is also a lot of elements of Greek mythology and different gods, but a lot of the fantasy elements aren’t really explained well, but it definitely all intrigues me and I think everything could easily be explained more in the rest of the series, even though it follows other characters in each book.

I also thought some of the pacing was a little off, specifically at the end because things happened so quickly and the plot felt like it took a backseat to the romance, but I’m definitely curious about the sequel, which will follow Zephyrus! I’m curious as to how Alexandria Warwick will make him more likeable, and if she can pull it off she may quickly become a new favorite author!

This definitely gave me the same vibes as A Court of Thorns and Roses, For the Wolf, and From Blood and Ash, so if you like any of those I definitely recommend trying this one out.

🌬 The North Wind - Alexandria Warwick 🌬
🗡 A fiesty mortal
❄ An ice cold god
🕳 A dangerous corruption
⚖ A balance to right
🔥A slow burn, enemies to lovers romance
🌶A smattering of spice

(ARC received in exchange for honest review at www.netgalley.com)

As if survival isn't hard enough with Edgewood being encased in ice but the magical barrier known as the Shade that separates them from the Deadlands is weakening, letting dangerous and dark creatures slip into their lands. 😈

Only one thing can stop the Shade's fall: the time has come for the Frost King to choose his next sacrificial bride. Wren will do anything to make sure it's not her sister. As Wren secretly takes her sister's place she finds things are not as simple as they seemed. 👀

Will Wren make good on her plans to kill the King? Or is there another way to thaw the eternal winter and fix the Shade?🗡

I loved this book. This was a great twist on The Beauty and the Beast with a touch of Hades and Persephone. I thought the worldbuilding was immersive, and the plot kept my interest - although I did want to know more about The North Wind's powers and why they were simultaneously over stepping, and failing. 🔮

I adored Wren's feistiness, abrasiveness and strength. It was well balanced with her inner vulnerability and it was so enthralling watching her grow and acknowledge what she wanted. 💪

Oh Boreas, I knew there was something more hiding beneath that cold, harsh exterior! I loved seeing him come out of the icy shell he built around himself. ❄

The love story between Wren and Boreas was delicious - it was a slow burn but I found the enemies to lovers aspects entertaining and enjoyed seeing them open up to each other (even if it felt like it took FOREVER) 😂. There was a sprinkle of spice which I loved 🌶💖

If you like standalones, slow burn, a bit of spice, enemies to lovers, strong characters and an interesting setting this might be for you! 😍

I can't wait for the next book to find out more about the other brothers! 📚🌬 (Although I'm currently mad at one of them and it might take quite a bit to change my mind! 🤣)

This book took me by surprise!! It was absolutely an amazing ride and I enjoyed every minute!!! I didn’t not want to put the book down or the story to end! It serves major enemies to lovers and we get some spice!!!

The main character Wren is a stubborn, strong willed, feisty, and take nothing from no one kind of girl. She lives in a village trapped in eternal winter who send a girl to the Frost King as a sacrifice periodically.

Wren focuses solely on making her twin sister’s life easy and comfortable. She loves her sister Elora more than anything. When the Frost King comes to collect a girl, he chooses Elora. Wren, being the protector that she is, tricks the Frost King and goes in her sister’s place.

Wren goes with the Frost King and ends up being forced into a marriage rather than becoming a sacrifice. After the wedding, the Frost King realizes the deception and he’s furious. Wren does everything she can to undermine her husband. She plots to escape and kill him in hopes of ending winter. The story follows Wren as she plots, sneaks, and gets to know the Frost King.

I loved loved loved this book. It’s great!!

ok so i am literally NEVER getting over this one-

this was just so utterly addicting, i stayed up until 4 AM to read this one, sacrificed my already very little sleep, and survived the day on less than two hours of sleep. this is what this book did to me. i have absolutely no regrets.

i was drawn in with the very first words, the writing style is so pretty yet so dark. this writing perfectly sets the tone for the book and prepares the atmosphere for all the events to occur.

i loved the world building, all the mythology and layers to the fantasy world staying consistent with the character’s actions and adding to the complexity of the plot. There are still some questions I have regarding The North Wind’s actions and their effect on this story’s world that i felt were never really properly explained, but this serves to only more enhance the uniqueness and flaws the main characters hold.

the slow burn enemies to romance is just PERFECT AHHHHHH *cue more screaming* i literally needed to know what would happen next all the time and any point where wren and the north wind were together was simply *constant squealing*
i appreciate how it actually took time for the characters to warm to each other, it wasn’t just insta love. there was legit hatred, conflict, morality issues. There were true dark sides to the characters and their relationships.
love love LOVE the characters! truly enemies to lovers, definitely questioned the north wind a bit in the beginning, and we have our wonderful morally grey wren. the story is told in solely wren’s perspective and her voice is so unique and enjoyable to read. what a badass character, girl knew what she was doing, was aware of her flaws, and still remained strong and resilient throughout.

boreas (the north wind) is just so dark but also just SO FLUFFY AWWFGIUW. i will not lie i did not have a great impression of him from the beginning, and many of his actions and motives are a bit not-so-well thought out, but his redemption ark is *chefs kiss* and his relationship with wren is just the cutest thing ever. plus the library and dinner scene…. AHH

not everything is happy sunshine and rainbows- there are questionable decisions and realistic consequences. I loved how there was much more to this book than just getting the two love interests together- there are conflicts, new issues that arise, not everything just turns out perfectly.

i’m excited to see how all the next books play out (except for the one based on a certain someone, he can go die thanks)

(ALSO THAT EPILOGUE OMGOMGOGMG MY HEART) also i’m craving cake

***thank you thank you thank you to Alexandria Warwick, Andromeda Press, and NetGalley for this solid fantasy/romance read with a perfect slow burn enemies-to-lovers!***

Thank you, NetGalley, Alexandria Warwick, and Andromeda Press for the opportunity to read this book! It releases January 13th, 2022.

The North Wind by Alexandra Warwick is one of those books that I randomly discovered on NetGalley. I saw the cover and I was sold. It is always a hit or miss when requesting books based on the cover. Well, I am happy to report that it was a hit. Wren is from Edgewood where she lives with her twin, Elora. Where Elora is graceful and beautiful, Wren is stubborn and scarred. The time has come for the North Wind, also known as the Frost King to choose a woman from the village for a sacrifice. In order to save her sister’s life, Wren takes her place only to find out that there will not be a sacrifice. She will become The North Winds bride, but she won’t go down without a fight. No one takes away her freedom. However, she soon discovers that there is more at play here. The Shade is growing and her captor is not who she first believed him to be.

I thought I would snuggle up with some hot tea before diving into this book that I believed would give me all the wintery feels. Let me tell you, this book has enough steam all on its own. While it is obvious what will happen as the story resembles Beauty and the Beast, it never gets old. I will never say no to a Beauty and the Beast retelling or a Hades and Persephone retelling. I did love the unique underlining premise. It felt like it had inspiration from Norse mythology or from The Winternight Trilogy. TRIGGER WARNINGS: alcoholism, mention of rape, assault.

It has a wonderful winter aesthetic, and I love the lore surrounding the plot, but the real highlight is the characters. I love how they are all flawed but develop beautifully. Wren struggles with alcoholism and self-esteem issues stemming from the death of her parents and how she is treated by those around her, including her sister. She never thought it would be the cold, cruel Frost King to help her love and accept herself. There is also plenty of action and suspense to keep readers on their toes!

Overall, I am counting the days for book two! 4 out of 5 stars!

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

I initially really liked this but lost steam as the book progressed. I felt like not a ton happened in the middle chunk of the book and generally felt like it was just too long. Obviously, this had some uneven pacing for me, but there are some exciting moments. I felt a bit confused about the worldbuilding at times. There's some vampire creatures, but I'm not entirely sure what was going on there. There's Greek mythology involved as well and while this is interesting, I'm not sure it's well explained with how everything works together with this world.

The book does feel good for winter because it's pretty bleak at times with the setting. I was definitely curious about the area and the residents nearby when Wren is taken, and I liked learning more about them! This has Beauty and the Beast vibes, as well as Hades and Persephone, both of which I really enjoy. It's also based on Greek mythology, so we have some gods involved as well. I really liked all of these elements!

I didn't particularly care for Wren for the most part. She's a bit of an alcoholic, and it feels like that's all she could think about for a while (which I didn't particularly enjoy reading about). I did like how she tries to support her sister and sacrifices a lot for her. Wren can be caring for those who are important to her. She's also pretty stubborn and full of herself, and she has some fun moments standing up to the North Wind. He's decent overall - it's definitely an enemies to lovers romance, and I did root for them to be together. He can be a bit of a jerk at times certainly, and he has some secrets (including some heartbreaking ones). I liked learning about his backstory!

There were a few interesting side characters, but not everyone was particularly memorable. Wren's sister is not super likeable - she's very full of herself and selfish, and I didn't like how she treats Wren.

This was enjoyable enough, but I did hope that I'd love it more. I'm not sure that I'll be continuing the series (this is technically a standalone, but the other books seem like they'll follow the other Winds), but if you're looking for a fantasy romance to try out, I'd recommend giving this a shot.

My video review can be seen on my booktube channel (around minutes 1:36-4:14 of this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in7GxyvT_d4

#TheNorthWind #NetGalle

I had so much fun reading The North Wind and need to read more from Alexandria Warwick. This book reminded me of Sarah Maas and Robin LaFevers (with some Edith Pattou mixed in) with strong, imperfect heroines, dark immortals, and folklore. The depth and heartbreak that is suffered when you realized the relationships you had are not what you thought is captured in the North Wind, but the realization and personal growth that comes from it only makes you stronger.

This is a new adult beauty and the beast retelling. It is a romance, from the perspective of Wren, who lives in a small village with her sister. She will do everything in her power to protect the only person she has left after their parents die. so, when the North wind, a god banished to the mortal realm returns to choose another woman to take back to the deadlands, her sister is chosen. Wren takes desperate measures to keep her out of the North wind king's clutches and ends up taking her place, unaware by the king. who is unfeeling, intimidating, and as cold as the wind he controls. Wren is determined to survive by any means necessary, in other words she needs to find a way to kill a god.
I enjoyed this book. It is a slow burn, enemies to lover's trope with hot tension and sensual teasing throughout (cough: dinner scene). The author definitely knows how to write a scene and is very detailed. I enjoyed the storyline and plot points. Wren had a very hard willed character, suffering from her own unresolved problems and trauma. In the beginning she was so confrontational and aggravating, she intentionally refused to bathe or brush teeth chews and spit food everywhere and it was described so well, the north king was not the only one grossed out. The slow buildup of trust and like to affection so great for this book they both helped each other and was not just the sweet maiden coming in and changing the cold heart. But they needed each other. There is heartbreak, suffering, tender moments and love. I Would definitely recommend it especially if you're looking for a more adult version of beauty and the beast. The only reason this was not five stars for me was because I had a couple issues within the story line, but still great time.
Trigger warnings: alcohol abuse, dismemberment, death of a child, and cutting
I received this advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.