Member Reviews

This is what a Court of Thorn and Roses should have been.
Based on Eros and Psyche, mixed with Hades and Persephone, this is a Beauty and the Beast (Disney version) love story of the North Wind and poor little Wren.

Perfect for the Young Adult audience, this has a middle school reading level but very adult themes.

Sexy as hell, gory, tense and sweet - I didn't know what to expect from the opening chapter but I was quickly hooked. I can't wait for the rest of the series and would love to explore more of the immortals and how they've survived outliving everyone they've ever known and loved, over and over.

Areas for improvement - tightening up the editing for the opener, otherwise a solid 5 star read, I loved.it.

Was this review helpful?

‘The North Wind’s arrival occurs every few decades. One woman, taken captive across the Shade for reasons unknown. One woman killed so that others may live.’

From the blurb:
‘A lush and enchanting fantasy romance, inspired by Beauty and the Beast and the myth of Hades and Persephone. Beloved by readers on TikTok. ‘

When I was offered an opportunity to read this book, ‘Beloved by readers on TikTok.’ almost had me deleting the offer. I suspected that I was entirely the wrong demographic, but I was looking for a lighter read and accepted the offer. And, overall, I am glad I did.

‘The North Wind’ is the first book in a series, and introduces us to Boreas, the North Wind. Wren and her twin sister Elora live in Edgewood. They are orphans, and Wren has taken responsibility for looking after Elora. Wren earns money however she can, and drinks to dull the pain. Elora is privileged but does not seem to notice Wren’s sacrifices for her. Life in Edgewood has been difficult for at least three hundred years. The land surrounding Edgewood is encased in ice. The Shade, which provides a barrier between the village and the Deadlands beyond, is weakening. The only thing that prevents the Shade from failing is the blood of a mortal women married to the North Wind. As the novel opens, the North Wind is about to return to Edgewood to choose a bride. Elora is one of several women selected by the villagers from whom the North Wind will choose.

And yes, Elora is chosen. Wren decides to sacrifice herself instead.

What follows is over four hundred pages of romantasy, of tension and tragedy, filial jealousy and (of course) a fight between good and evil with supernatural elements. Both Wren and Boreas have much to learn, and both will make sacrifices along the way.

I was drawn into this novel and was keen to see how (and where) it would end. Fantasy (with or without romance) does not always work for me, but it did this time. I’d like to read the second book, ‘The West Wind’ to see where Ms Warwick takes us next.

‘Let me remind you, mortal. I am a god. I cannot die.’

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Was this review helpful?

So good! A delightful Hades and Persephone meets Beauty and the Beast reimagining with a delicious slow burn.

This story is so dramatic; Boreas first appearance, the wedding, Wren breaking every rule possible and Boreas losing his mind over cake of all things. Wren and Boreas a pair of idiots and I love them so much. Watching them change and come together was absolutely divine. The pacing of the slow burn was perfection and created just enough tension to keep you hooked but not so far as to drive you insane.

Exploring Boreas' history and Wren's own experiences after the loss of her parents broke my heart the more we learned. The confrontations between the two, and with Elora were rough. All of that breaks down these bristly characters and allows us to completely understand them. I don't like Wren but I understand her character and I appreciate when an author can provide that experience.

I CANNOT wait for the rest of the series. I'll be surely rereading The North Wind again soon.

Was this review helpful?

The North Wind was promoted as being inspired by Beauty and the Beast, and Hades and Persephone, and for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Sarah J. Maas, and Scarlett St. Clair – I think this was mostly accurate.

This was overall a good, enjoyable read for me, hence the 4 stars! It was certainly slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers-esque (which I think is expected for the main characters!). Whilst this was slower romance wise, the general storyline and the events that were unfolding drew me in quickly. But it I did find it had more focus on the romance than the fantasy.

Wren had moments that I didn’t particularly care for, but otherwise she was a good FMC. I finished the read still having some questions I thought would be answered, but I’m hoping this will explored in future editions to the series. Looking forward to more and it was overall a very enjoyable read from Alexandria Warwick.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

Was this review helpful?

a beauty and the beast reimagining??? enemies to lovers??? i was SOLD. the speed at which i requested this ARC was insane. the premise of this book was so intriguing to me. beauty and the beast is probably my favourite fairytale and this book did not disappoint for me. the tension was so good. definitely great for fans of ACOTAR and the general romantasy genre.

wren is the kind of protagonist you can't help but root for. she has this chaotic energy that's as endearing as it is relatable, and her journey from captive to romance lead kept me hooked. watching her grow and wrestle with her desire to save everyone—even if it means risking it all—was like witnessing character development on steroids.

the romance in this book is definitely a slow burn. the amount of times i wanted to scream at the characters, “just kiss already!" was endless. but trust me, the wait is worth it. wren and the north wind god go from “i can't stand you" to “i can't live without you" in the best kind of way. the spicy scenes in this book …. whilst there wasn’t an overwhelming amount of spicy scenes… the ones that were there were INTENSE.

beyond the romance, this book serves up a pretty intense sister relationship arc that'll make you want to hug your own siblings tight. the complicated relationship between wren and her sister had me really emotional, and reminded me a lot of the ACOTAR sister dynamic.

read if you love
- beauty & the beast
- enemies to lovers
- one bed
- arranged marriage
- slow burn
- “my wife”
- some very intense spicy scenes (quality over quantity)

trigger warnings: alcoholism and sexual assault

thank you simon & schuster and net galley for the early copy!

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book, slow burn, enemies to lovers, ACOTAR / Beauty & the Beast / Hades & Persephone vibes wth a HEA. I can’t wait to read the next book.

Was this review helpful?

I received an ARC copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion & review

If you’ve read ACOTAR or FBAA you’ve technically read North Wind - usually I don’t mind similar tropes especially in Fantasy/Romantasy reads but North Wind was just to close without really building anything on its own.

The beginning of the story starts exactly like ACOTAR & the FMC & MMC seem to try to have an enemies to lovers banter about them like FBAA but it just doesn’t land.

The FMC just isn’t a likeable character, she came off bratty and just mean - somehow the ‘maid’ and ‘brother’ suddenly were her best friends but she continued to just be rude to them

I’m grateful for the opportunity to read in advance but I’d like the author to find their own voice & world

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely LOVED The North Wind!!! A fantastic twist on a Hades and Persephone love story. In a whole new league of its own with the twists and turns in this story. I love the back story between both the FMC and the MMC, and the ' Altar ' scene had me giggling out loud! I loved how witty and strong Wren ( FMC ) is and the lengths she goes for, for family.

A beautiful romantasy twist on an old classic story - definitely one to cosy up with on a rainy night! I highly recommend The North Wind if you are looking to start your Romatasy journey, or if you love age old Gods and Goddesses!
.
Thankyou Alexandra Warwick for giving us the story, I didn't know I needed to read!

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars for this standalone

This fantasy story was promoted as Beaty and the Beast + Hades and Persephone inspired and this was accurate.

The book is the slowest of slow burns and the enemies to lovers vibes are very strong. There’s some good plot twists and the spice level are lower than I’m used to but made sense for their story.

I enjoyed the banter between Wren and Borea but really couldn’t stand her sister Elora - spoiled brat comes to mind…

I look forward to seeing which story comes next in the series.

Was this review helpful?

Beauty and the Beast retelling - with a twist.
When Wrens twin sister is chosen to be the Frost Kings prisoner, Wren will do anything to protect her.
Wren must find a way to slay the Frost King (with the help of his brother) or forever be trapped.

“Unhand me,” I say, the words clear despite the fog gathering in the corners of my vision, “or I will castrate you, immortal or not.” The tip of my dagger, which was hidden in my arm sheath, slides out to rest against his groin. The Frost King goes still.

What to expect:
❄️Enemies to Lovers
❄️Take Me Instead
❄️Don’t Go To The North Wing
❄️You Must Stay Here
❄️HEA

With a 300 year backstory filled with betrayal, our MMC and FMC play the ‘I hate you’ game for a good 70% of the book.
The wards surrounding the Citadel are failing - The Frost King and Wren must work together to restore and maintain them while she’s secretly undermined it all.
Steeped in longing and angst, this isn’t a book you want to miss.
Finishing out the book the way the author did, left it open for another 2-3 books to follow.
I cannot wait to get my hands on those and love them just as much as I did reading Wrens and Boreas story.

Thanks you Simon & Schuster Australia, and author Alexandria Warwick for an ARC. This ARC was given in exchange for an honest review. #TheNorthWind

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed The North Wind. The characters are pretty fun, Wren being the snarky one while Boreas is the direct opposite of her. For enemies to lovers, you could call this a slow burn, but they burn hot!
However, the ending was slightly unsatisfying because ... it was kinda abrupt and anticlimactic for me? Sure it's good flow and stuff but I feel like more could have been done.

Was this review helpful?

Overall a good read! It was a very slow burn and took me a little to get into the storyline and I felt like there were a few plot holes but in the end it was an enjoyable read.

I loved this authors spin on the hades&persephone and beauty&beast retelling!!

Was this review helpful?

TLDR: This book is homebrand ACOTAR. Save your money and just read the real thing.

When Wren’s sister is chosen to be the North Wind’s new wife, Wren will do anything, even sacrifice herself to save her sister from this fate.

Admittedly I only read 65% of this novel before I absolutely could not bear to read anymore (this novel is entirely too long, and the burn is so freaking slow). But here are my thoughts on the 65% I did read:

Wren
Wren is your stereotypical dystopian heroine from a few years ago, the character traits of which has been rising in popularity in the Romantasy genre in recent years as authors flock to where the readers are. As you can probably guess from what I said above, Wren is tough, she’s like a little cockroach doing whatever it takes to survive and she’s not pretty, despite her identical twin sister being the most gorgeous woman in her village (an idea I’ll come back to later). The only way Wren differentiates herself from any typical reader insert is her alcohol addiction, a fact that is mostly ignored or written with a complete lack of nuance.

Wren’s character arc throughout “the North Wind” is incredibly confusing. Despite this cockroach-like character trait of hers and her constantly reminding of how tough she is, Wren constantly has a bleeding heart. There is a part where Wren is, quite literally, nearly beaten to death by the villagers near the North Wind’s palace, and instead of trying to retaliate in anyway (like her tough demeaner would have you believe), she instead decides to throw a party for them after there has been absolutely no change in their behaviour or feelings towards the North Wind.

Similarly, Wren is always poking her nose into things that are absolutely none of her business, despite her insistence that she has no feelings for the North Wind or does not care about how he manages his business. I really struggled with this aspect of her as she is constantly insisting she can’t wait to kill the North Wind, yet instead of doing anything to help her achieve this goal, she busies herself with helping him befriend the villagers (the same ones that tried to kill her) and deal with the shades (souls of the dead). This constant flip flopping of Wren’s feelings and actions got so exhausting and boring and was poorly written that I honestly just didn’t care when they started falling in love for real.

The North Wind
First, the North Wind had too many names. He was called the North Wind, the Frost King, Boreas and many more. Second, the use of “Boreas” as a name really annoyed me. This is because in addition to his powers as being the North Wind, he is also weirdly in charge of the equivalent of the underworld??? For some reason?? It is somewhat explained in the text but god, it is a stretch. I wish the author had of used any name other than Boreas for the North Wind because then I could have justified it as fantasy. However, using the Greek mythology name and other Greek mythology ideas throughout the text, this really annoyed me because where is Hades in this world? I get that this is meant to be a Hades x Persephone reimagining, however I feel like that could have been achieved without the explicit mentioning of Greek mythology.

Additionally, the big reveal that this big bad god is secretly just shy and a bit socially awkward, was incredibly lame and he is also just completely uninteresting too.

Elora
Elain is Wren’s sister. Sorry, I meant Elora. My bad.

Despite being on the cusp of starvation every day, Elora sits at home doing nothing to help, except look pretty and turn down every marriage proposal she receives. While Wren is out in the freezing cold, getting attacked by darkwalkers and risking her neck, Elora does f all. This killed me in so many different ways, the first being just how much similarity it bore to Elain/Nesta in ACOTAR. The second being just how much of a cow she is. Wren has a complete alcohol addition yet Elora does nothing to help her, and nothing to help their situation in life. She is completely undeserving of Wren’s sacrifice and just a horrible, boring, poorly written and thought out character.

The World
The world building in this story makes absolutely no sense because it is not explained to the reader very clearly. There is such little description in this novel that it was only when I got 50% of the way through that it was revealed that the North Wind has blue eyes.

Because the world building is so poor, it’s hard to know where and what everything is. I have no idea what the Deadlands are or where they are situated in relation to the Shade or what either of these things look like. I also have no clue what these darkwalkers look like either. Sometimes they’re described as being humanoid, sometimes they’re describes as being horses, sometimes they’re describes as being complete beasts. I also don’t know what they look like in general. How do you tell a normal human apart from a darkwalker other than the fact that they smell like smoke? I don’t know.

More things that I don’t know: Why does the Shade need the blood of a mortal woman to strengthen it? To be honest, I don’t really know what the Shade is but I really don’t know why Wren needed to marry the North Wind. It’s explained that there have been wives in the past and that they had “happy-ish” lives, but why? Why did these women need to marry the North Wind? It is absolutely never explained and I wish it were.

Overall, I absolutely would not recommend this book which is so disappointing because I saw it advertised all over my TikTok and Instagram and I was really excited to get the opportunity to read it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read “The North Wind” by Alexandria Warwick in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book! I'm a sucker for a book with beauty & the beast vibes and Hades & Persephone and this book manages to combine both. I really liked this version of the afterlife with its different divisions and judgement of wrongdoings during life. Wren is highly likeable and a great example of a strong female main character who refuses to be pushed to the side. Her banter with Boreas (aka The Frost King) is perfect. No spoilers, but the epilogue is everything and made me laugh.

Was this review helpful?

LOVE (NOUN): A Profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. Attraction that involves sexual desire. A person you love in a romantic way. Eternal Devotion.


In Short: I really enjoyed this book. It was an enthralling read and would recommend for anyone who loves a good enemies-to-lovers romance.

In Length:
The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick was a compelling fantasy romance novel. It drew me in rather quickly to the story that was unfolding and surprised me by how much I enjoyed this book - I am a sucker for a HadesxPersephone-like story though (do with that information as you will).

Wren's character, although predictable, is stubborn and fiery. She is the perfect counterpart to Boreas, giving us, as readers a great enemies-to-lovers plot, no matter how incredibly slow a burn that may be. The classic tale of Beauty and the Beast rears its head in these characters' relationship, from wanting each other dead to falling madly, 'giving up everything' in love.

The North Wind is, when it comes down to it, a book that has focussed more on the 'romance' aspect, than the 'fantasy' aspect of the story. I think the world Warwick has made has great potential but needs to be built upon more for readers to understand the complexities that I'm sure are involved in this fantasy world.

Favourite Quotes


"There are many ugly things in this world, wife. But I do not think you are one of them."

"I'm not sleeping on the floor, if anyone is sleeping on the floor, it's you. You're young. I'm many millennia old. I have back pain."

"Please don't stab me for this."

Was this review helpful?

The North Wind
Alexandria Warwick

“Take care, mortal,” he warns softly, “or your insolence will bring misfortune upon this town. I have chosen. My mind will not be changed. Now stand aside.”

This lush and enchanting romantasy read has stolen my heart. This is inspired by Beauty and the Beast and the myth of Hades and Persephone.

This is not a marriage. This is war.

I simply loved every second reading this story. The enemies to lovers was so satisfying. And it certainly ticks the only one bed trope I adore.

“I only wonder if this path remains unchanged, or if my destiny has begun to diverge.”

The start gave very similar Feyre vibes and the timeline moved quickly. This is a standalone story but we have The West Winds coming, a new story, same world situation.

“It would be the cruelest irony to die after having discovered a life with living.”

Wren ensures her and her twin sister survive, wearing that burden and responsibility since their parents died. Winter is harsh and feels endless. For three hundred years the land surrounding Edgewood has been encased in ice as the Shade, the magical barrier that protects the townsfolk weakens. The only fix is a mortals blood, namely the North Wind’s brides blood.

“We hold fast to what is familiar. Fear often prevents us from stepping beyond that boundary.”

The North Wind is a dangerous and cruel immortal whose heart is as frigid as the land he rules. The North Wind sets his eyes on Wren’s sister as his new bride and Wren will do anything to save her.

“There are many ugly things in this world, wife. But I do not think you are one of them.”

I loved it. Alexandria Warwick has instantly become an automatic buy author after this phenomenal novel. Simon and Schuster Aus have smashed this out the park. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy. Released 1st May! Buy it and thank me later.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the opportunity to read this ARC.
From the moment we meet Wren we are completely aware she is a fighter who will defend completely without fail any person she considers hers, any person on whom she bestows her affection which is not lightly given.
At the outset of 'The North Wind' the person whom protects with staunch passion is her twin sister and Wren is about to make the ultimate sacrifice in taking her sister's place as the woman the god know as North Wind is stealing away from the village.
Alexandria Warwick has built a very convincing world filled with places and characters that are very engaging. I really enjoyed the relationship that develops between the two main characters and am interested to see where this series will travel to next.
I think Simon & Schuster were very wise in picking up this indie author and running with her storyworld..

Was this review helpful?

3:5 This was a copy from NetGalley however I did pick up a hard copy because we call
Know there’s something about reading fiction on paper that just hits right.

I really wanted to love this book. I think there are some Great troupes in it,
enemies to lovers.
Forced proximity.
Family aspects.
And a retelling of beauty and the beast with a dash of hades and Persephone had me all over it.

I still think it was a good read, but I felt Wren was a little flat for my taste I couldn’t empathise with her and was left waiting for her to become more
In her character.

Was this review helpful?

When it said inspired by Beauty and the Beast and the myth of Hades and Persephone the answer was YES.
So yes absolutely Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone vibes, plus some ACOTAR vibes for sure.
Wren was not as imminently likable as some characters we encounter in similar universes/situations, BUT I like that. Her situation is rather trash, and as a result she gives herself permission to be angry and bitter. She even has a harmful coping mechanism, very human I thought.
We deal with themes like expectations and trauma and addiction.
There were, parts throughout that I was a bit MEH about, but it kept me reading, and I really enjoyed it overall.
I have seen some reviews with a negative perception of the slow burn, but honestly, it makes total sense that the burn would be slow with our main characters so I think its works well.
I did finish the book with some questions that I felt weren’t quite answered.
BUT I am looking forward to reading the next books!

Was this review helpful?

A Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone retelling….say no more. I jumped onto NetGalley to grab this book and…..well….where to start. Let's begin with the story. I needed to close the book several times to look at the cover (which I love). Not because I loved the cover, but to make sure I was reading the right book. It was just like reading a copy of ACOTAR, but less perfect. I generally don't like books that seem to be a copy of another book. The plotline had holes and there were moments of dumping too much information, although I could live with that. The epilogue…I don't even want to talk about it. Then the characters; I liked Boreas, but hated Wren. She is such a whining bish. Yes, your characters need to be flawed and give them room to grow, but ffs…she was a complete flaw and I didn't grow to feel for her. On the bright side; I did like the dialogue between them and the chemistry that had some great sparks. I also think that if the story was written in dual POV, it would have been better. The worldbuilding was underdeveloped and could have been better, but it didn't bother me very much. The pacing was slow, not just slow, but really sloooooooowww. I totally get that building the world and setting everything up for the next book in the series is a necessary step, so can live with that. I liked the writing style and guess it's just refining and probably more developmental editing. For me this book was okayish. Probably a nice read if you are not an ACOTAR fan (or you like stories that are really the same) and enjoy retellings.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley, and Simon & Schuster for this ARC.

Was this review helpful?