A huge thank you to Alexandra Warwick, Netgalley and Andromeda Press for an eARC of The West Wind in exchange for an honest review. This story follows the trials of the banished God Zaphyrus and the pious novitiate Brielle. Zaphyrus had a large part in the first standalone book in the series, The North Wind, as the brother and antagonist of Boreas. I enjoyed The North Wind. I thought it was a unique take on the standalone fantasy romance with strong characters that I related to and rooted for. Unfortunately, I did not relate to the story of The West Wind or the characters as much in this second installment of The Four Winds Series.

We start the book knowing of Zaphyrus's deep betrayals and manipulations through TNW and because of this I had a hard time relating to and trusting him. We continue to question his intentions throughout almost the entire book, and I personally need traces of decency and sincerity to root for a character. I didn't feel like I got this from the MMC. I also felt Brielle's character was a little weak. Going from the kick-ass, stubborn Wren, it was hard for me to bond with the ultra-religious and generally closeminded Brielle. Brielle would not stand up for herself, but she continued to put her heart and life on the line for people who treated her less than shit on a shoe. Overall, I think the story could have worked better with a bit more character development and complexity.

I think Alexandria is a great author, who has a great sense of story-telling. Unfortunately, I just did not connect with the story. While a bit disappointed in this one novel, I will definitely be reading her future books.

A massive thank you to NetGalley and Alexandria Warwick for gifting me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved The North Wind when I read it last year, so when I got approved for this book, I was beyond excited. I’d been waiting for this since I learned it’s release date.

While I thought it started a bit slow, I definitely fell head first into the story just like I did with The North Wind. Brielle’s story and arc are fantastic. Her views of faith and how it exists, how you can live with faith but not live your entire life in servitude, is breathtaking. I think the way Warwick approaches religion in this book is wonderful, and Brielle encompasses all the things I actually like about faith and religion as a whole. She is pure and fair, good down to her core, while also being a person who has made mistakes and wants to atone.

And God almighty do I LOVE Zephryus. His arc is even better than Brielle’s. Watching where he begins and seeing how it ends, I was absolutely sobbing my eyes out when I turned the final page.

Their story together is selflessness, trust, seeing past the ugliness of one’s precious mistakes and growing together to change. It’s bringing out the best in each other.

The writing is perfect. The blends simple with purple prose which I appreciate immensely. Warwick weaves a story that is easy to follow while making you feel sucked into the page.

I adored this book so much. I can’t wait to see where Warwick goes next.

If I could captivate my feelings for this book with mere one single word, I would abbé to say, Unpudownable. Because that’s what this book was. The plot and the writing style was really beautiful. The pacing and he characters’ growth and arc was top notch. I absolutely loved it

5 stars
I must confess, I have not read the North Wind, though I do own it. I saw that while this book is related, it is not necessary to read the other to read this one. I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about these books- if the first is anything like this one… wow! The world building, the descriptions, the character building and growth: chefs kiss. Brielle is the FMC who is a very devout acolyte of her faith. The growth of her character from a quiet, shy, pushover to a strong, outspoken, and questioning woman was delightful. I will say I kept waiting for the basis of her faith to be shattered (aka the fair was a lie to begin with) but she held on to that part of her the whole time. While it changed, it did not go away; this was cool to see and it felt like her character was stronger for it. I will now have to go back and read the other book since this one was so good! Also, I will be buying this when it comes out!!

Thank you, Andromeda Press, Alexandria Warwick, & Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this one more then the 1st book! Brielle was amazing, loved her! This was a sloooow burn, I loved it but I definitely want more of Brielle and Zephyrus because it was not enough!

The West Wind by Alexandria Warwick is book two in The Four Winds series.
This is hands down a favorite Beauty and The Beast retelling I’ve read lately.
A phenomenal dark romance that kept me up till after 12 am.
The character development throughout was fascinating.
This book had my heart-racing, my head spinning and my fingers flipping.

The plot kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time, and the storytelling was phenomenally told.
The way that Warwick described the characters, it was so vividly told. It was as if I was standing their watching them right in front of me. I love the way the author writes her main characters… strong, independent and little bit chaotic.
The world building in this book was perfect enough that you never felt overwhelmed.
The plot was so well told. It adds another layer to the romance, making their relationship, even stronger and better!
Seriously, this is the best book that I have read this year.
A super fast-paced read and total page turner.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Andromeda Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

A beautiful journey of self discovery. The book starts very quietly, not slowly, but softly. Broken into 3 parts, you realize that's on purpose. As our heroine grows, so does her view of the world and her opinion of herself. This book ripped me apart and put me beautifully back together again. I loved every word.

Netgalley ARC provided and read in exchange for an honest review.

The West Wind by Alexandria Warwick is the second book in The Four Winds series and though it references the first book a small amount, it could be read in its own. We follow the protagonist, Brielle, who is in training to be an acolyte at a very strict abbey. When she finds a stranger in the woods who is near death, she risks her position at the abbey by bringing a man into her room. Zephyrus leads Brielle into Under where her world begins to unravel and she will have to choose between her religion and her heart.

I loved The North Wind when I read it and I was highly anticipating the sequel but I’m sad to say it did not work for me as much as the first one. While Under was a fun place to be, a lot of the rest of the book was very bland. Brielle is a frustrating character to follow because she lacks a lot of agency. She is very focused on her religion and beliefs despite traveling with Zephyrus, who is a god. I am not a fan of an overly pure heroine in a fantasy books because there is a certain weird vibe it gives off. It makes the character feel very childish and it’s something that I personally don’t enjoy reading about.

As someone who has grown up in a very religious area, the religious trauma in this book was a lot to wade through and not in a way that felt particularly well done. I think tackling religion and trauma can be very poignant when done in a way that feels true to life.

This book did pick up towards the end so I will read the third installment when it comes out. I’m hoping this one won’t set the tone for the rest of the series.

I have been waiting for this book from the day I finished the first book in the series and was SO excited to finally get my hands on it!

The West Wind is book 2 in The Four Winds series but can completely stand on its own. It's quite different from The West Wind and while I did truly enjoy Warwick's second offering in the series it didn't quite hit as well as the first.

I feel like The West Wind is has a bit too much going on as the mythology was kind of all over the place (Greek, Fae, and a little Roman thrown in - fauns are Roman and satyrs Greek). It just felt a little hectic but yet slow moving? The characters also weren't quite as likeable as book one. Brielle was *almost* insufferable. I know she lead a sheltered life but ugh. And we don't get any of Zephyrus' back story until the last 1/4 of the book. All in all it was still a great story and I did like the descriptions of The Under a lot! It would make a great movie - I'd love to see it come to life! I cannot wait for book 3!

Thank you to Netgalley and Andromeda Press for an advanced copy of The West Wind in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for this arc.
4.5 ⭐️
I’m an emotional wreck.
I've consumed this beast of a book in the span of a day, by the end of it I was sleep depraved but it was worth it.

We join Brielle on her journey of becoming the person she's always been destined to be. And what a glorious journey in it was! She goes on exploring under and seeing things she's not used to, to confronting her bully, to taking the extra mile for her dream position, and eventually to knowing and accepting what she truly wants. Her faith fueled her and her nature of being a hopeful and brave person. and you grow to admire her, her heart, and her ability to forgive and move on as you read and see her story unfold.

Zephyrus was a hated villain in the first installment, in this sequel he proved to be such a complexed and well layered character. His conflicts were not excuses to what he has done, but in a way it made us understand the how and the why he turned out the way he did. His redemption was earned. Brielle's relentless faith and hope is what ultimately saved him.

The plot was sublime, however, I see this as a thorough character study to both of them. Plus, the world building was magnificent. I'm looking forward to next installment.

In 2022 I had the pleasure of reading Warwick’s debut novel, The North Wind. In addition to a beautiful book design, the story kept me intrigued with a feisty main character, a slow burn romance, and an interesting world of a pantheon of gods.
In contrast, The West Wind focuses on what is known in our world as a hopeful-to-be a vowed nun. The Christian undercurrents and devotion to Brielles faith as the only form of “love” she could have due to being overweight were triggering to me personally. I did make it 40% through but as Brielle travels with a literal god she continues to have conviction in her single god (who is referred to as the father the son and the Holy Spirit. So a Christian god). She travels with another acolyte, Harper, who is incredibly abusive to her even when she is on the brink of death. Brielle continues to be pious and guard this abusive companion to please Him and walk the good path. So to speak. Both of these prominent characters do have pasts but remain one dimensional. I was overjoyed to receive this ARC from Netgalley but have been disappointed. It does not remind me of the first book and leans so heavily into the Christian religion I am unable to continue. I am hopeful that the after Brielle opens her eyes is that being pure and dedicating one’s life to serving an entity that has done her not a single favor in life is pointless. I hope for Brielle’s sake that she finds that love and companionship are not earned by pious holiness. And that being of a larger physical size does not mean that she is unworthy of any love other than that from the Christian god. I am very sad for who she is. Maybe I will bring myself to finish it beyond 40% some day. But this brought a great deal of religious trauma to the surface and I am unable to continue at this time. I can see this book being a great fit for an expansive group of people. The writing is detailed and vivid and I think readers will enjoy that. I personally would rate this one star. But that is only because of personal preference and needing a trigger warning of Christian trauma. However, the writing technically is not bad. It simply wasn’t the story for me.

Thank you to Andromeda press, Alexandra Warwick, and Netgalley for an Arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I am a blade

This book... It started out as a 3 - 3.5 star read, but ended at a solid 4 stars and on my favorites shelf. What a ride.

This book is broken in to three parts, and properly so!

The first part is the beginning of Brielle's journey. She begins as a meek, lonely, depressed individual that is struggling. She finds solace in her faith because she has no one and nothing else. Her entire life revolved around Thornbrook and the existence she's built here. She is not her own person - rather one part of a whole. Her own thoughts are drowned out by these thoughts and beliefs that have been pushed on her since she joined the abbey as a young child.

Alexandra brings this to life, not only by the words on the page, but by the writing. Throughout the first part of the book, the short, stilted sentences were a bit of an annoyance. As I continued to read, I realized this is representative of who Brielle is during this section. She doesn't have her own thoughts, as I mentioned above. She exists, thinks, and breathes her faith and what is said in their version of the bible, the Text. Everything she does, she compares to the word of their Father and what he would deem "appropriate". Including her innermost thoughts. She doesn't take action for herself. Her thoughts and feelings are expected to be contained and the writing style reflects that.

I found her existence in the abbey fascinating. How bland everything was with the strict expectations. I enjoyed existing here with Brielle because we kind of know what to expect based on the synopsis of the story, right? She's been at the abbey for so long... so what happens that makes this girl, who can't even TOUCH a man, who can't even THINK of a man, the lead in a Fantasy Romance?

In this part, we're also introduced to Zephyrus. Boy, I did not like him for the majority of this part. He's shady, unattached, and not a likeable character. I was thoroughly concerned that this was going to be a man that I couldn't get attached to. As a male main character meant to be a romantic lead, I was really scared this was going to be the case and it would destroy this story for me. Turns out, he wasn't meant to be liked here. That feeling began changing towards the end of the first part of the book. His character began changing... evolving.

Brielle is also indicated to be a larger woman. Muscular, but plus sized. She is bigger than Zephyrus, our other lead. I've seen some comments saying how it didn't need to be mentioned so much... I disagree. As an insecure plus sized individual myself, I understand the thought process here. With that insecurity, my weight is constantly on my mind just like it is for Brielle. Only once or twice is her weight brought up in a negative light because of others teasing her. It's certainly not shown to be her only, or most significant, quality. At one point, Zephyrus tells Brielle to sit on his lap. Her response is that she's "too heavy". His response to her -

"Your body," he murmurs, eyes intent, "is beautiful to me. It has always been so."

As someone that relates, it was incredibly refreshing to be represented like this.

There's a teensy bit of lowkey spice in this first part, towards the end. And when my thoughts towards Zephyrus really began to switch from "don't like" to "Omg, more please." The author writes Brielle's innocence and naivety incredibly well. Her struggle within herself as she spends more time with Zephyrus.

"Brielle."
I'm spiraling, too far gone to care if he has spoken my name aloud in a place that would surely snatch it. Zephyrus claims he is faithless, but my name rings like the holiest of prayers.

What really drew me in to Zephyrus, and had me seeing the good in him despite all the negatives, he's always respectful and patient of Brielle's boundaries. He knows her faith and what the abbey calls for. The rules. He respects every single one of those. Brielle is consistently in charge, and as soon as she calls for an end, Zephyrus does so without complaint. Even when she apologizes, he assures her that she has nothing to apologize for. And every time, his first thought is to check on her to make sure she is okay. Even at the beginning, when he's offering to treat some wounds, he dons gloves to respect her faith that she cannot be touched by a man. Without being asked.

"Sorry." I've never offered a more pitiful apology.
Zephyrus catches my hand, gives it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong."
"I thought -" a frail, helpless sound escapes. "I thought I wanted to do... that. But-"
Despite the abrupt shift in mood, Zephyrus' eyes soften. "You don't have to explain anything to me. You decide when to start and when to stop."

The romance, once it kicked up, had me swooning. Which brings us to the second part of this book. I'd say the first part, if I had to categorize it, is more of the Fantasy part of a Fantasy Romance. The second part is the Romance part. And my god.

It was about halfway through this part that I realized the writing had changed. Where the first part had short, choppy sentences and thoughts, this second part had longer more passionate sentences. Here is where Brielle begins to live instead of just exist. As her feelings for Zephyrus grow, so does her realization that the life she's had has been empty. That she was forced in to a box and she's not living up to her true self. She finds it here. Her true self. There's a small bit of spice here as well.

She finds that she is strong. Willful. Capable. It's a fun ride to watch her start as a small girl existing, to a strong woman living.

The end had my heart in pieces. The third part... I didn't know what to expect. This whole book had me needing to know what came next. I must confess, I didn't read the first one before I read this ARC, but now I'm going to. A bit backwards, yes. But I found I didn't really need knowledge of the first to read this. It references characters from the first, but it wasn't a direct sequel.

I highly recommend this book for any Fantasy Romance enjoyer. :)

Having enjoyed the north wind, I was very excited for the west wind. I had a difficult time getting into the writing style this time around. I’m not sure if it’s me and my reading preferences have changed, or I just didn’t notice with the first book. Felt choppy, and inconsistent. I love the atmosphere and fairytale like vibes of this world. Poor Brielle. Everyone is also so mean to her. Almost for no reason it seems. I can only take so much of a character getting beat down without them sticking up for themselves. Also, this is again a personal preference-but the religious aspect was too much. I’m not sure if I will continue the series yet or not.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy! I loved getting back into the world and meet all the characters again! I had such a fun time and can only recommend it!

~4.5~

How I adore this series. The West Wind is a wonderful next installment in The Four Winds series!

We follow Brielle who is a novitiate at Thornbrook Abbey as she navigates her role as the blade smith whilst also trying to succeed at her dream of being an acolyte of the Faith. When she finds an unconscious wounded Zephyrus, the Bringer of Spring and the West Wind, in Carterhaugh forest her life changes. She is swept into Under, the realm of the fair folk, and caught up in Zephyrus’ games. Her faith will be tested and her life will be forever changed.

I was very intrigued by the prospect of Warwick redeeming Zephyrus after his villainy in book 1. She pulled it off artfully. The prose in her writing is beautiful and adds so much to the story. Brielle is an amazing relatable character. Her hardships are truly heartbreaking.

My reason for taking that half star off was that it felt like there was too much going on in this book. Sections would end and it would seem like a complete part of a confined story. Essentially it was hard to get an overarching idea of the plot. Events would occur that I was certain would take the entirety of the book to resolve but no it only took up sections. This did not take away from my enjoyment of the story but it was a tad confusing at times.

I commend the author for making this story completely different from the first book. She used the myth of Tam Lin as inspiration for this story. The introduction of fair folk and fae dimensions was a bit odd since I assumed the mythology would still pull mostly from Greek myth. We had Greek myths, Fae and a facsimile of Christianity like faith. I was confused as to why the separate faith was brought into the mythos. It would have made perfect sense for the God Brielle worships to be a Greek god from classical mythology.

I would highly recommend this book especially if you enjoyed the first one. I’m hoping the next with be The South Wind!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The North Wind was one of my favorite reads of last year. The romantic tension was so tight you could cut it with a knife. The writing was so beautiful I highlighted countless pages. The West Wind, however, lacked everything that made The North Wind so incredible. It went from a book I was eagerly anticipating to a book I was dreading reading in a matter of days.

My biggest problem with this was the characters. None of them were characters I related to or loved. Zephyrus was the closest for me, but even he was held at a disconnect. I think he was just a bit softer than I like my love interests to be. Some of his quotes were great, and some of his actions were cute, but as a majority, he was unremarkable.

As for Brielle, I couldn't stand her. It's just so draining to read about characters who can't stand up for themselves. I know, it's hard. I struggle with it myself. But come on, there's an overarching theme of abuse and Brielle accepting it. Harper verbally abuses her constantly for the first 300 pages, and Brielle just lets her. And for the majority of the book, Harper is one of our three characters. I'm sorry, but I can't accept that. I can't deal with 33% of character interactions being toxic. Brielle's complete lack of spine drove me crazy. I'm all for softer characters, but Brielle was mushy. Not soft, mushy.

My other problem with this is that it's marketed as a fantasy-romance. The North Wind was definitely a fantasy-romance, and not just that, it was an amazing fantasy-romance. This one was not. For the majority of the book, Brielle refuses to acknowledge her romantic feelings because of her religion. I never even liked the religious aspects, so to have it standing in the way of the romance was absurdly irritating. By the end, I was almost screaming. It was obvious to everyone but Brielle what was happening. There's a fine line between angsty tension and overdone will they won't they, and this fell on the wrong side of that line.

When I got approved for this one on Netgalley, I was ecstatic. I couldn't wait to read the follow up to one of my favorite books. Sadly, it was a massively disappointing follow up. I'll still read Book 3 of the series, as I know Warwick can write things I love, but my expectations will definitely be lower.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Net Galley and Andromeda Press for the opportunity to read rate and review this arc which is available for purchase May 18th.

This is the second book in a stand alone series about the 4 Winds and their lives. This book is about the West Wind Zephyrus and a nun named Brielle. I had an issue with the religious portions of the book. The story was fine but my I could not get over the devout religious portions that smacked heavily of Christianity. I honestly did not like this as much as the first book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought The North Wind was a pretty solid fantasy romance, but I just couldn't get into this one. The writing style was almost to direct for the slow pacing and I didn't feel the chemistry between the MCs.

I received an ARC of this book and am writing this review of my own volition and without compensation. Thank you to NetGalley and XpressoBookTours for this ARC.

The West Wind follows the story of Brielle, a chaste, virginal young woman determined to live a quiet, meek life as a member of Thornhold, a religion sanctuary overseen by the strict Mother Mabel. Brielle's desire for the title of Acolyte to secure her place at Thornhold is all but assured, until a chance encounter with a mysterious man in the deep forest has her rethinking what it means to be devout and if there is maybe more to life than the church she follows.

Very rarely does a book ensnare me quite so much as The West Wind did. From the very first chapter I was completely hooked. This story is a perfect blend of action packed adventure, thoughtful, philosophical ideas and red hot romance. The diversity in this story is also so appreciated and so hard to find! I found myself identifying with Briella on so many levels. Written in the first person, the reader cannot help but empathize as Brielle struggles with issues of identity, desire and the chaos that comes with confronting with what you think you want with what you actually want. I also was so delighted to see the weaving in of other mythologies and fairy tales from cultures across the world in The West Wind. I actually squealed when Apollo and Hyacinth were mentioned! It just made this story even richer and more fun to see how beautifully Warwick weaves her lore into the fabric of existing fantasy.
For readers who enjoy From Blood and Ash but like to think a little deeper and hold their breath a little longer, The West Wind is the story for you. I absolutely loved this gem of a book. It is destined to become a classic in the genre of fantasy-romance and sure to bring delight into the hearts of true romantics everywhere.

I had a really good time with this book. The world building was solid and the effortless way the author blended different myths and legends was astounding.
I especially loved Brielles, Zephryus and Harper’ character arcs. It gave each of them the human qualities that some characters lack.
Brielle also became an important character for me because she was bigger and was treated differently by her peers which is not something commonly seen in many fantasy books.