DNF at 38%.

I really enjoyed the first book, and was surprised by my frustration with this one.

This seemed like a completely different world from the first, and did not fit in with the Greek vibes established by the Four Winds. I was thrown off right from the jump by how the FMC was at an abbey that was almost one to one observing christianity. Not that I have a problem with religion, but it didn't fit at all with what I understood of this world and made immersion difficult.

While I was willing to work with that and see if it would eventually be explained, I couldn't get past my dislike of the characters. Three characters end up going on a journey together, and I was continually frustrated by their bad decisions, inability to learn from their past mistakes, and the "bully" character's casual cruelness. I understand making an unlikeable character, but spending so much time with her was just too much for me and made me miserable. To top it all off, when I got the first glimpse of the "bully's" backstory that I thought would start to make me like her, it didn't line up with her current actions at all. That was the point when I decided my dislike of these characters was just too much for me to work with.

The West Wind is the follow up to The North Wind, and you really should read that one first if you were considering reading this as a standalone. It fits the redemption arc better, though you could still enjoy this fine if you insist.
I enjoyed this overall, but there were highs and lows. The pacing is the biggest low as it was just too slow. I understand why so much rising action was necessary, but it shouldn't have felt slow. The writing is good too, so I'm not quite sure what happened to this effect - perhaps scene planning could have been more efficient? But in any case, this is an enjoyable enough read. Brielle reminded me of a deeply pious Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones, and I really respected her character arc from devout novitiate to questioning her position. It felt authentic in that religion is deeply personal, and there are multiple ways to honor one's faith, letting it support without control. I wish the romance had more time on page to develop. The beginning was interesting, but the middle stuttered. The ending was unexpectedly sweet making that midway trudge worth the effort. I will absolutely be reading the next in this series.
TW: there was quite a lot of fat shaming, especially toward the beginning.
Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for this ARC!

A great continuation of the stories of the Winds, fallen gods who face romantic obstacles. While the second in the series it could easily be read and understood as a stand alone book. A combination of fantasy, drama, action, mystery, and romance.

I loved this book! I may be in the minority but I think I liked this better than the first one! I felt like the writing was more intricate and evolved! I really loved how unique it felt and the characters were so interesting. Will be recommend and adding to our library!

DNF 25%

The characters felt flat and predictable, and the story just wasn't it for me. I tried making it work but it almost sent me into a reading slump so I had to dnf

Thank you so much to Netgalley, S&S/Saga Press, and Alexandria Warwick for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review of The West Wind!

This story is about Brielle, a larger woman that is also a Blacksmith for her church. She is extremely devout but it’s obvious she has questions and is different than her fellow novitiates. She is continuously targeted for her differences by Harper, as she has been for 10 years. But it isn’t until Brielle brings an injured man into the Abbey, a grave offense, that Harper’s ire becomes truly dangerous.

And when this injured man heals and it turns out he is less than human, his proximity to Brielle becomes more dangerous. But when he promises Brielle the knowledge of how to obtain her greatest desire, how to ascend to the coveted role of acolyte, Brielle finds herself going against everything she has ever been taught in effort to achieve her dream.

She quickly finds herself setting off on a perilous quest with the West Wind and another unwilling companion, surrounded by magic and monsters. And the reader follows along as Brielle’s confidence is strengthened, love and friendships blossom, and more than one character’s dreams change.

I did like the premise of this story. It felt unique in the lore around the religion, the wind’s, and even Under itself. I loved how I could see the landscape as Brielle’s story takes her to many new places. But, I feel like this story focused way too much on Harper being a bully. I understand the author was trying to show us that Brielle, despite her size and strength, was meek and had been beaten down for years. But about 50% of the book focuses on the fact that Brielle didn’t believe in herself or think she could stand up to anyone and in my opinion it was too much.

It did get marginally better in the second half of the book. I was intrigued enough with the story overall to keep reading. Seeing Brielle begin to stand on her own and fight for herself and others was nice. I liked that we did learn a bit more about Mother Mabel’s backstory. I even liked how we saw Zephyrus grow and evolve through this book, even if the romance fell a little flat. But I did find myself disappointed with the amount of loose ends that were left after the book was over. Overall, this wasn’t for me.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️/5

My review was posted to Goodreads on 10/30/24.
My Instagram review will be posted on 11/2/24.

⭐️ 3

The writing seems stronger for me here than the previous book, The North Wind. Less cringe-worthy. I really enjoyed how the book began, it was more original than the first as well because something about a book starting with a basic hunting scene, in winter, did not sit well with me (iykyk), so this was much better. That being said, the book was just way too long. There became a point where everything was just dragging. The charm faded a little.

BUT! This book keeps its three star rating because the FMC is a buff woman who is larger than the love interest with heavily muscled arms. Im not sure I've ever read a romantasy novel where that is stated once not to mention multiple times. YES! HAVE BIG BUFF WOMEN AS LOVE INTERESTS! I LOVE THAT! The body diversity within this genre is abysmal. So yay

"From the author of The North Wind comes a darkly reimagined tale of forbidden love, inspired by the Greek myth of Hero and Leander and the Scottish ballad Tam Lin.

Brielle of Thornbrook has dedicated her life to the abbey. She spends her days forging iron and her evenings studying the Text, all in preparation of becoming an acolyte. Twenty-one years on this earth and she has never touched a man. And she never will.

But when she finds an injured stranger in the forest, Brielle can't resist the urge to help him. The encounter leads her to the realm of Under, where the air breathes rot, and the fair folk dance and whisper. Where she discovers that the man she helped is actually a god: Zephyrus, the West Wind, Bringer of Spring.

There are few Brielle can trust in Under, least of all Zephyrus. He is charming, dangerously so, and never has a man so thoroughly ensnared her. As she embarks on a journey through the eerie banks and caves of Under, Brielle finds herself in a perilous situation. For here is where faith and heart collide - and where she risks not only her future...but her life."

Is it wrong that I'm more excited about the Tam Lin aspect than the Greek aspect?

The beginning of The West Wind felt rather slow, but I appreciated the vivid descriptions of Under and the intriguing creatures and characters inhabiting it. Brielle, however, wasn’t particularly likable. There also were elements that didn't quite make sense, like the author focusing extensively on Brielle's large size and shape in the first half, despite being the only blacksmith in Thornbrook and one of the few inhabitants who trains with the swords she forges. Additionally, I found the religious elements and the antagonism between her and Harper off-putting. Zephyrus was an ok character, but I felt like we didn't get a lot of answers as to why he was such a bad guy (I've gathered you learn more about him in the first book of this series).

Fortunately, the second half improved significantly as the relationships became less frustrating. I was drawn to the concept and liked a series where each book is a standalone story, yet some characters reappear, adding depth and continuity.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. The West Wind was a fun sequel to The North Wind, I enjoyed it, but I do think that the first book resonated more with me. I'm not sure if it was the characters that I didn't feel as strongly about, but I still had a great time reading it! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads for release date.

I was looking forward to Zephyrus’ story after meeting him in the first book, but knew going in it might be hard to redeem him, after his terrible actions in the first book. Overall, Zephyrus is redeemed but it took a while to get there and I felt the story dragged in some spots. Brielle was a hard character for me to enjoy because I felt she was overly nice to people who treated her poorly. Seeing her constantly sacrifice or do something nice for those who treated her so badly was kind of infuriating for me. I’m thankful for the ARC and sorry I did not enjoy it as much as I wanted to.

3-3.5 *

Overall I enjoyed the book but for some reason I couldn't stay immersed into the story. I think the pacing was a bit slow and it was a tad longer than it needed to be. Also the FMC Brielle was...idk. I didn't connect with her much. The story was nice, I definitely enjoyed that. The characters overall were okay as well. Oh, there was one scene in the book that was unbelievable <spoiler> Brielle battling the South Wind and keeping up. An Ancient God and a 21 yo girl with 10 years of practice..but no combat experience... I couldn't believe that and that made me eye roll.

Thank you to NetGalley & Alexandria Warwick for sending me an e-ARC of The West Wind! This is reminding me of From Blood and Ash mixed with the Cruel Prince 👑

I enjoyed book 1, so I was disappointed when I had a hard time getting into this one. I struggled with Part 1, but in Part 2 & 3 the romance got cuter and the last 20% was pretty good! 👏🏼 I started enjoying the plot more as there was a lot of action. However, the plot was pretty predictable too. I wasn’t shocked by any of the twists.

For the first half, Zephyrus bugged me! For most of this book I felt like he was just taking advantage of the FMC and disregarding her beliefs or opinions. He’d flirt and manipulate her into desiring him when she’s a devout religious woman vowed to celibacy. He’s like “yeah you’re gonna die so you should kiss me” and then afterward is like “oh wait I have a potion to heal you haha” 🤦🏼‍♀️

I also thought the FMC was really annoying in the first half of the book, being so negative and focusing so much on how no one likes her. It was just hard to like her when she was constantly having a pity party. At 35% I was tempted to DNF since I didn’t like the characters. BUT, I pushed through and it got better by 50%!

Just one random thing I thought was funny… When they do decide to be together, she’s like “oh I’m not taking anything to prevent pregnancy since I vowed to be celibate” and he magically has a special leaf in his hand that prevents pregnancy??? Like dude, you were just paralyzed and almost dead, and now you have birth control magically appear? 😂 it doesn’t make sense lol.

🌶️🌶️🌶️ innuendos + discussion throughout
Chapter 6: FMC observes open-door scene
Chapter 22: kissing scene
Chapter 35: open-door

This was good! I like female fantasy writers better than male writers. The writing is just so much more intricate. This was no exception

Sequel to The North Wind, book 2 of the Four Winds series, follows the brother who controls the spring wind of the west. I have not read The North Wind, but didn’t suffer at all for it, since each book seems to be a medley of different myths. Each reference to the North brother was adequately explained, and there wasn’t any character crossover.

The book description promises a mashup of the Greek myth of Hero and Leander and the Scottish ballad Tam Lin. Unfortunately, this combo didn’t work out so well. There were nods to each tale throughout the story, such as a light in a window, a naïve girl happening upon a faerie man, and a group of horses at a crossroads, but they were more decoration than substance. The main character is Brielle, a novice at the abbey of Thornbrook who breaks the abbey rules in order to help Zephyrus, the West Wind. Zephyrus insists on paying back the debt, which takes Brielle on a forbidden jaunt into the fae realm of Under. Of course, this trip doesn’t go smoothly, and the rest of the book flows from the consequences of that trip.

This story just didn’t work for me. I think the author tried to incorporate too many ideas, and then none of them received enough attention to be believable or cohesive. Seemingly, Brielle is both a blacksmith, strong, and a capable knife fighter, but also lacking in defined muscle, flabby, and extremely sheltered. Brielle’s nemesis at the abbey is the predictably pretty and petty Harper, who seems to torment her for no reason. I found the lack of plausible backstory for each character hard to swallow. It seemed as if their defining traits simply appeared out of thin air, which had the unpleasant effect of forcing me back to reality whenever something was too unbelievable (which was often). The author might as well have picked “body issues” and “people pleaser” out of a bag of weaknesses for main characters in a writing exercise, and just kept them in the finished book. The supporting characters similarly seemed like paper cutouts to be propped up whenever a quest was needed (where did this mythical sword quest come from?) or a villain required (hello kelpie who guards treasure). There were rules for entering the realm of Under, such as not saying someone’s name aloud lest it be stolen, and yet, names were spoken many times without any consequences. I did not find the lore consistent, which had the effect of hauling me out of the story anytime something implausible or random occurred.

Good ideas were evident, but I found the execution to be severely lacking. One star, unfortunately. Hopefully more experience can remedy some of these issues in future works. Honestly, if you liked A Court of Thorns and Roses (just the first book itself, not all of ACOTAR) then you might be ok with this read.

Thank you so so so much Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The West Wind. And thank you so much Alexandria Warwick for writing this amazing book! The West Wind is the second book in the Four Winds series and t can be read as a standalone. I rated it a solid 5 stars (though if I could I would have given it 100 stars). I enjoyed it so much that I plan on reading the North Wind very soon!

The book follows Brielle, who has dedicated her life to the Abbey and forging iron weapons for them. Her goal is to dedicate her life to the Text and become an Acolyte. As she prepares to one day become an Acolyte she encounters and injured man in the forest who she ultimately ends up helping. Little does she know that the man is the West Wind, Zephyrus, the Bringer of Spring.

I absolutely loved the plot of the story and Alexandria’s writing style had me craving more information on the Under and the Four Winds. Plus the slow burn romance was addicting enough for me to wonder what was going to happen between Brielle and Zephyrus. I also loved the growth between both Brielle and Zephyrus (I wish I could say more but I don’t want to spoil!)

The West Wind left me an emotional wreck with the beautiful story between Brielle and Zephyrus. If you love slow burns, multi-layered characters, forbidden romance, adventure with a dangerous quest, and a dash of spice, I highly recommend adding the West Wind to your TBR! This book has definitely become one of my favorites. I cannot wait to start reading the North Wind and read about the next Wind in the next installment. Alexandria Warwick has definitely joined my list of favorite authors!

5⭐️ (+ easily one of my favorite reads this year)

Where Warwick's The North Wind felt like an appetizer... the West Wind delivered the whole damn meal... and I ATE UP every second of this book. Perfect for romantasy lovers and those who appreciate slow burn romances (where the couple really has to EARN each other's love), and enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers (yes to ALL the angst, I literally sobbed through the last 1/3 of the book), The West Wind is a MUST read. This is easily, hands down, Warwick's best writing and storytelling to DATE, and I would highly recommend reading this series out of order, and starting with The West Wind first (yes you read that correctly).

Now to get into my more detailed thoughts...

What I Loved:

💖 BRIELLE: Brielle, the FMC, is such a refreshing character and I loved that we got a curvy, STRONG, master swordsmith romantasy FMC. She’s brave yet naive, a little in denial, but still someone who strives to do the right thing, even for people who don’t deserve it. Her journey is layered with so much personal growth, and the tension surrounding her commitment to her faith added a unique dynamic to the romance. It’s rare to see such well-thought-out discourse on faith in a fantasy novel, and Warwick handled it beautifully. I also felt that, for the first time, it made SENSE why the FMC knew her way around a fighting ring... because she had literally been raised honing swords and trained by a master swordsmith all her life.

💖 Zephyrus as a Morally Grey, Golden Retriever MMC: Zephyrus was such a refreshing twist on the morally grey trope. Instead of the typical brooding "shadow daddy" who'd kill anyone who looked at the FMC wrong, Zephyrus was a lovesick, golden retriever-type MMC. He had his flaws and made questionable choices, but his playful, loyal nature brought a distinct charm that set him apart from other morally grey heroes. I loved that he didn't feel like a caricature of a morally grey MMC, and this just made his character feel super unique.

💖 The Romantic Build Up & Perfect Slow Burn: The forbidden romance between Brielle and Zephyrus was chef’s kiss. The slow-burn tension was everything I wanted, and the kinky, dark, sensual atmosphere of Under really heightened that. It was a perfect straddle of subcontext on purity culture and religion, and depraved sexy moments. I loved their relationship, and more importantly, seeing Brielle turn Zephyrus into the man he didn't know he could become while he taught her that there was no "right way" to ascribe to faith.

💖 Female Friendships and Character Growth: One of my absolute favorite parts of this book was Brielle’s evolving friendship with Harper. I despised Harper at the start (like seriously HATED HER) but ended up loving her by the end of the book. Warwick gave us real, meaningful character development in their relationship and to Harper's character, which added so much depth to the story outside of the primary romantic plotline.

💖 How The West Wind Differs from The North Wind (For the Better): While The North Wind felt like a familiar take on the fae-romance genre, drawing a bit too much from A Court of Thorns and Roses, The West Wind breaks new ground with a much more original story. Instead of following a contrived path, Warwick constructed a distinctly new world where humans rule and fae are the outcasts (a distinct difference from most other romantasy books out there). The deeper themes around faith, Brielle’s sheltered life as a near-nun, and the forbidden romance between her and Zephyrus made the stakes feel MUCH higher than in Wren’s story. While Boreas, as an MMC, remains my favorite of the Four Winds (so far), the West Wind as a whole was a much stronger story than the first.

Overall, The West Wind is the epitome of everything I want in a good romantasy: emotional depth, rich character development, and a gripping story with an original setting that shines on its own. Whether you’re in it for the slow-burn romance, the exploration of faith, or the lush world-building, TWW doesn't disappoint. It's Warwick's best work, hands down, by far.

Thanks to NetGalley, Saga Press, and Alexandria Warwick for this ARC!

This ended up being more romantasy than I thought it would be, which is not my normal genre. While not quite my cup of tea, I can appreciate good world building and beautiful prose, which this book had plenty of. The first part of the book dragged a bit but the action picked up somewhere in the middle, and continued on through the end of the book. I really wanted to love Brielle but found her a frustratingly dull protagonist, and I felt the romance could have used more build up than we got.

Overall, not a bad book - I am actually intrigued enough by the world and lore to go and read the first one.

Uhm WHAT. When I read The North Wind earlier this year I *knew* Zephyrus’ story was going to be my favorite and it did NOT disappoint. It was soooo good and his choice at the end?! All the tears.

"The West Wind" by Alexandria Warwick is a dark and enchanting tale that transports readers to the richly imagined world of the Under and the life of Brielle of Thornbrook - who risks everything to save a god - Zephyrus, the West Wind, Bringer of Spring.

After reading "The North Wind," I was eager to get my hands on this book and learn more about Zephyrus' story and if there was any hope for his redemption. "The West Wind" did not disappoint! I had several jaw-dropping moments and enjoyed the twists and turns to keep the plot moving. I felt the author did a fantastic job of weaving together elements of fantasy, adventure, and several moments of super spicy romance. Warwick's lyrical prose and vivid descriptions of the Under bring the setting to life, making it easy to get lost in the story and within this creative and dangerous world she's created. I truly loved all the magical elements within her world-building.

The characters are well-developed, each with their unique voice and motivations. The descriptions of the creatures living in the Under were fantastic! However, I found myself struggling with Brielle's character a bit at times. She has dedicated her life to the abbey and her faith, yet her heart is being pulled towards Zephyrus, leading her to question all she's known. So many times throughout the story, Brielle reminded me of the type of friend who keeps returning to the guy who can't be trusted. She continues to risk everything for him and do everything for him, knowing his past and present proves he's wrong for her. That doesn't usually work out well for women in the real world. But that is who Brielle is for everyone at the abbey as well. She gives and gives. And yet they have also mistreated her over the years.

With that being said, the protagonist's journey in "The West Wind" is thrilling, emotionally resonant, and transformative, keeping me engaged from start to finish with only very few moments where it feels a little slow. What I absolutely LOVED about Brielle is her strength, determination, and the deep fight within her. Warwick keeps Brielle's heart kind while transforming her into a formidable woman, a heroine capable of standing independently and making her way. She even becomes bold enough to question Mother Mabel at the abbey by asking, "Is it my protections you care for or control?" She also realizes that Mother Mabel's interest in keeping Brielle "safe" is in keeping her small - and in Brielle's eyes, there is no longer any difference. She has grown too much. It was a unique read to weave her strict religious values with that of a god, who was also her love interest.

No worries if you still need to read book one, "The North Wind.” This book has several references to it, but it can be read as a stand-alone, although there are some “The North Wind” spoilers included - so something to keep in mind if you have not read book one. Warwick also introduces the third brother, Notus, the South Wind, in this second book which maybe gives us a peek into book three?? I don’t know but Notus is an interesting character with many open wounds exposed and explained.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's about growth, sacrifice for others, having faith in something greater than yourself while not losing yourself, and understanding that you are not the sum of your past.

Thank you, #NetGalley, #AlexandriaWarwick, and #SagaPress, for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #TheWestWind