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

For fans of ACOTAR and Fourth Wing and romantasy in general, The West Wind will, I think, check all the vital boxes. The TLDR of it is thus: devout acolyte-in-training Brielle--who is also a badass blacksmith/swordswoman--meets devastatingly hot, somewhat selfish, roguish god Zephyrus who makes her question her faith and her upcoming decision to take her official vows.

Set in the parallel worlds of the austere/peaceful Thornbrook Abbey and the depraved, sexy world of Under (reminiscent of most worlds occupied by Fae in mythology), this is a quick, fast-paced romantasy with (IMO) much better *spicy* scenes than Maas and Yarros, actually. But unfortunately, these scenes are pretty sparse, and the plot and characters just don't hold up well enough on their own for me to rate this higher than two stars. I liked the descriptions of Under and all its fair folk, in all their grotesque, lithe, alluring detail. But, as with the majority of romantasy novels, most of the characters felt fairly prescriptive. Brielle blurs together with all the other romantasy heroines--although, notably, she is a plus size girlie, which does separate her from the other forgettable leading ladies of romantasy, and her strength and athleticism are highlighted and celebrated throughout the book.

In sum, if you like romantasy, I think you will like this book. But if you are like me and do not enjoy the tropes of this new genre, I'd skip this one (or buy it and skip to the spicy scenes because they are actually some of the better ones I've read--though I am admittedly not well-read in that arena).

It wasn't for me, but I didn't mind it, and definitely have plenty of readers in my life who will actually love it.

This is the second book in this series and it is paced incredibly slow. Despite a few instances where the first book is mentioned this one does work as a standalone. I enjoyed the characters, and Brielle well wasn’t my favorite. She had a lot of qualities that I don’t like in my characters and that was unfortunate. The writing was well done though, and I felt apart of the story. I found the slow pace made the story feel long and drawn out. I think faster pace would have worked much better. This is one of those books that I don’t have a lot I enjoyed, but I don’t have huge gripes about what I didn’t like, it was pretty even keel for me and I would recommend it to the right group.

In this case, if you enjoyed the first in the series, then grab this one and keep reading!

This book has such an interesting premise and I was really drawn to the concept of a religious heroine working with a god. I really enjoyed the characters and the development of their relationships to one another, especially Harper and Brielle, and I really wish we got to see more of some of the side characters like Lissie. Something I had a hard time with in this book was the execution of the plot. There were a lot of plot holes that I struggled to look past, and it felt like there were so many conflicts introduced that were somehow forgotten before the end of the book. The story was really drawn out and there were multiple times where I felt the story could have concluded and wrapped up really nicely, which left the actual conclusion to the book a bit lack luster for me. Overall I think the book was an entertaining read, but could use some adjustments to make it that much better. 2.5⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy!

This was such a good sequel! Although, I do have to say that the first book was just a little bit better.

When reading the first book, The North Wind, I was so excited to read Zephyrus's book. I just loved his character and personality in that first book and thought he would be so fun to read about in his own book. And he definitely was fun but I do wish he had a bit more of that oomph, charm and sarcastic flare that he had in The North Wind.

I also really enjoyed how unique of a female main character that Brielle was. You don't usually find characters like her in fantasy books and that was a really nice change of pace. She was a calmer, quieter kind of girl, I mean she was essentially a nun. She reminded me a bit of Poppy in the beginning of From Blood and Ash.

I think these two main characters did compliment each other well. And I did like how this seemed like an individual story within this world, not just a continuation of the last one. (Although I get the feeling that they might all build together in a way that the reader doesn't quite fully notice until the very end.)

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Thanks to Alexandria Warwick and Netgalley for this arc!

We’ve been waiting for this book ever since reading The North Wind, and we knew Zephyrus was going to be a tough character to redeem—so we were both super excited to see how that would play out.
What we really loved was the whole quest aspect. It’s hard to do that well in romantasy & not have it feel repetitive. This was a great example of how to do it!!
Brielle’s character development was also a big highlight. There’s something so relatable about questioning your faith or something you’ve wanted your whole life, only to realize you’re not even sure why you wanted it anymore. It made her journey feel personal. Warwick’s storytelling is just spot-on too—everything flows smoothly without feeling overdone or underdeveloped. Plus, the world building was great! Even though the world was pretty complex, she never dumped too much information at once, which we always love.

The romance, though? It was just okay for us. It’s a slow burn, but there was barely any tension between the characters to really get invested in it. By the time things finally started happening, it felt anti-climactic.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 2.5
DNF at 30%

I was so looking forward to this one—with a cover and premise like that, how could I not? Unfortunately, it did not deliver. I haven't read the North Wind, but I'd only heard good things about it. After this, I don't think I'll be picking it up. Warwick's writing was lovely, but the pacing was dull and clunky, and I didn't care about any of the characters. They either lacked personality entirely or leaned too heavily on their archetype. Brielle especially came across as bland and lacking any real depth. She was spineless and gave me emotional whiplash with how fast her opinions changed back and forth. Her character may have developed and the plot may have picked up later on, but I don't have enough time to devote to a novel I have to force myself through.

This second book is better than the first book.
I like the worlds and magic that this author has built. So much beauty, intrigue, and potential for adventure.
I just find it hard to love the main characters. The West Wind had left such a bitter taste in my mouth from the first book, I did come to understand him better in this book. I liked him.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book. All opinions are my own

Thank you NetGalley for this arc,

This is the sequel to the North Wind and I ate I up! I enjoyed it so much more than the first book. We meet Brielle who is part of the abbey and a Novelite. She finds a mysterious man abandon on the ground and she beings him back to her room to help heal him. The mysterious man is The West Wind Zephyrus the bringer of Spring a god. Through Zephyrus Brielle discovers the Under, the fair folk and starts questioning her faith. Can she still have faith is she leaves the abbey or is Zephyrus and the under just tempting her?

I ate up this book so fast, I really enjoyed the world building, the slow burn romance and the self discovery and personal journey from both characters. Really enjoyed the character development of both characters. I went from not liking Zephyrus to rooting for him at the end. Can’t wait for the next book

I have been anticipating this book for over a year because I read The North Wind before it was picked up by traditional publishing. I knew Zephyrus was going to be a tough character to redeem, which was why I was so looking forward to this.

What I liked:
- The quest: I didn't realize how much I was missing a quest based story until I read this one. More fantasy books with a quest!!
- Brielle's character development: I love a story about someone who is challenging their faith because I did the same thing. It's also relatable to think you want something for your whole life and then when you're about to get it, you question why is it is you've wanted it and whether or not you still do.
- The storytelling: Warwick just has the perfect storytelling voice where nothing feels to extra or underdeveloped and the story feels smooth.
- The worldbuilding: I feel like the pace really helps with this, but even as complex as it was, she never info dumps and I LOVE that

The romance was just okay for me. I think it's just a really slow burn, but I wasn't feeling the tension between the characters enough to really care about the slow burn? I just started feeling like it was too drawn out to the point where once it was happening it felt a little anti-climactic.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: November 12, 2024
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

I truly fell in love with Alexandria Warwicks writing when I read her first book in this series—The Four Winds series. This is book #2 in that series and I absolutely loved this. We have an incredible world with a very well written complex plot/storyline, we are still living in with very realistic characters, spice, action and adventure. This will have you turning page after page to see where we are headed next, it will keep you on your toes. This book starts off slowly and then your pulled through page after page until the last page. I loved that this wasn’t heavy on the spice, there is some spice but not too much to overwhelm a reader. Brielle & Zephryus are a favorite of mine currently at the moment. What I want you to get out of my review is that if you love adventure and action with some sweet spice sprinkled inside, a book that has self discovery and acceptance, a fantasy romance and Greek mythology retelling then this is absolutely a book and a series you need to have on your TBR.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I continue to enjoy this series of connected Retellings. It’s a really interesting take and a unique world and magical system to explore. I enjoyed the character arc of our heroine who grew a lot into a strong admirable woman.

A great follow up to the North Wind! Both books can be read as stand alones as well.

I did really struggle through the first part of the book, but eventually things picked up and was intrigued. Brielle is a complex FMC and I felt for her a lot. I love how she came into her own by the end of the book.

It was hard not to compare Zephyrus to the North Wind, so he felt a little bit lackluster to me. I did however enjoy learning more about his backstory and getting glimpses of the relationships between the four brothers.

I am extremely intrigued by the South Wind and his world, even though we only spent a few moments in his realm. I am looking forward to reading that one!

This was an okay romantasy and i liked it but it was very slow for a good amount of the book. This book is a retelling of Tam Lin and the fmc is dedicated to the abbey and life of faith towards becoming an acolyte. After hiding a man in the abbey which is against the rules she is drawn to outside the abbey with the mmc Zephyrus who is also known as Bringer of Spring. This is a very slow slow burn but there was tension between the main characters. When they finally got together it was nice but boy did we have to wait. I loved the part about powers and how the gods and the abbey played together. Overall this was okay and if you like slow burn retellings you should read this.

I didn't love this as much as the first one - but I did enjoy it. Zephyrus felt a little flat to me - but I loved Brielle. I liked that she was a bladesmith and her transition from blindly trusting to thinking on her own was great. I love that each of these books stands alone but also connects. My favorite part of the book though was the relationship between Harper and Brielle.

Fascinating follow-up to Alexandria Warwick's The North Wind. I was definitely intrigued by this new world she designed for readers -- especially its connection to the Under. The Under is a dark world with vicious characters, monsters, and dangerous at every turn that made the perfect setting for Brielle's quest.

I really enjoyed Zephyrus's redemption story in this book. His character's morally grey behavior in book one is explained even more in his own book and it is easy to see from his own POV why he makes the choices he does. I felt like Brielle was a solid tether for him in the best ways. I also loved that he, in turn, challenged Brielle to come out of her shell and find her voice as a character. I also enjoyed reading about the relationship between Harper and Brielle from rivals to friends. It was interesting to see that relationship play out throughout the book and change over time.

Solidly written fae romance with fun twists that make for an enjoyable afternoon.