Inspired the Greek myth of Hero and Leander the ballad of Tam Lin; the second book of The Four Winds series from Alexandra Warwick had so much potential. I was excited to give The West Wind a go after enjoying The North Wind, and I had my fingers crossed that with some good editing, the writing would have improve I'd enjoy the companion sequel even more. I was also keen to see Zephyrus redeem himself in his own story. Unfortunately, this book was a huge disappointment for me. While I love the concept and am generally a fan of romantasy, I could not get into the characters and felt like I was wading through mud for far too long.

A good book but I did find it slow in parts which took away the enjoyment compared to Book 1 which I could not put down. Book 1 gripped me from the very beginning where as this one almost seemed to long. I look forward to the next installment.

The West Wind
Alexandria Warwick
This was a very enjoyable second book to The North Wind.
The West Wind focuses on Zephyrus and I enjoyed the adventure and quest aspects as well as the slow burn romance.

This is the second in the four winds series, but it stands alone. The links to the first book are loose, and not essential to following or enjoying this novel. “The West Wind” works within familiar fantasy tropes to deliver a strong and interesting story.

Brielle was left on the doorstep of Thornbrook Abbey when she was 11, and since then has known nothing but devotion to her God and the blacksmithing she has learnt for the benefit of the Abbey. She thinks of the head of the Abbey, Mother Mabel, as the closest thing she has to a mother, and all she craves in life is to advance, to become an acolyte.

When Brielle finds a mysterious man near death in the fields near the abbey, she defies the rules to hide him in her room and heal him. She doesn’t know that this act of charity – and defiance – will upend her understanding of the world, the abbey, and her own heart.

This is very much a classic fantasy story, and the structure and many of the tropes and story beats will feel familiar to readers. However, Warwick presents strong and vivid characters who feel both real and unique. This is a major reason why the novel feels fresh.

The plot doesn’t present a lot of surprises in itself, but its’ exploration of the development of the two main characters (Brielle and the West Wind, Zephyrus) provides unexpected moments, reversals, and a surprising amount of suspense.

Most readers will find themselves caught up in Brielle’s quest – both the obvious one and the more subtle one of her quest for understanding. Warwick writes in a style that’s absorbing, although occasionally a touch remote. It took me a couple of chapters to feel fully engaged with Brielle, but once I was, I was keen to keep reading.

This is only loosely linked to the first in the series, with an almost entirely independent plot and characters. It will be interesting to see if eventually the books in the series build to a greater whole.

This doesn’t break new ground but is a highly enjoyable read. Recommended for those who enjoy character based classic fantasy.

The Greek myth of the Anemoi, the Four Winds returns in the second instalment - this one about Zephyrus, the West Wind.

Another all encompassing romance, this one winds in the story of Hyacinth and Apollo with a story of temptation from Faith and into the world of the Fair Folk

While I liked the book, it definitely was not as good as 'The North Wind'. I just don't really like Zephyrus at all and the main love interest is someone I need to like in my romantasy books. I liked Brielles growth throughout the story and that she's not your typical main female character. I do also like that the books are linked but could also be considered standalones.
I think it was hard for me to connect with Brielle at the start as she's very religious as a noviety and I'm not at all, her overall development was great even if she annoyed me with her choices at times. Look forward to what 'The South Wind' will bring.

I felt this was a little too long for not so good and end payoff.

The concept was good but the pacing was to slow. As a slow burn, the pacing is supposed to help build the tension but it just didn't feel right or scratch the itch in just the right way.

Overall there was nothing wrong with the book, i just felt like it needed a little more editing (too much fluffing around and getting to the point). I wish the romance was better executed.

If your brain lights up when the word forbidden gets mentioned, The West Wind needs to be your next read!

>Forbidden love
>Slow burn
>Electric chemistry
>Magical world building
>Loneliness & abandonment
>Body positivity

The West Wind is a dark and enchanting retelling of forbidden love, drawing inspiration from both Greek mythology and Scottish folklore.. Brielle’s (FMC) journey from devoted acolyte to a woman questioning her faith and desires is beautifully compelling, I couldn't put this book down!. Her resilience, bravery, and ability to forgive make her a character worth rooting for. I also loved how the Author focused on body positivity and the important journey of self worth.

Zephyrus, once a villain, emerges as a deeply layered character whose redemption is both hard-earned and oh so satisfying. The main plot involves a quest with unexpected twists but still manages to include intimate character building which explores faith, love, loneliness & abandonment. The West wind is an interconnected standalone but I would highly recommend reading The North Wind first!

Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster Australia for providing a digital & physical copy to review. I also purchase the audio book using one of my Audible credits.

This instalment in the series felt more epic than the first book, but I didn’t feel as connected to the characters as i did in the first book. It didn’t sparkle to me.

The West Wind is a beautifully written, romantasy read that I was thinking about for days after I finished it.

I loved the first book - The North Wind - and was eagerly awaiting this book to be released.

The West Wind is a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance, and that alone had me signing up to read it!!

Warwick’s writing style is so beautiful, its emotive and rich, this book can feel slower paced while the world builds, but there is plenty of plot and character development to keep readers interested.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia and NetGalley for this title.

Loved this just as much as the first book. The fantasy universe that has been created is so enthralling!

🍃The West Wind 🍃 - Alexandria Warwick
📖 ARC Review

⭐️ 5/5

BY THE FATHER... this book was SOMETHING ELSE!

I devoured every inch of this book. Enthralled from start to finish.

I was invested into Zephyrus' story from his very first introduction in The North Wind, and I must say - his story did not disappoint. It was everything I found myself wishing it to be. Brielle and Zephyrus are a PERFECT match, in all ways eachother's opposite, and somehow simultaneously each other's identical.

I am a sucker for a story filled with forgiveness of self and other, as well as growth. This quenched every possible thirst I had, and left me wanting for nothing more from the characters, their story or their ending.

As always, remarkably and superiorly written by Alexandria, and filled with an incredible amount of tid bits of wisdom that I will forever cherish.

Thank you to the author and to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this as an ARC. A huge and well deserved 5 stars from this reader!

Warwick does a lovely job of applying her writing style to entirely new characters, and I'm glad it wasn't a rehash of The North Wind. We got to explore more of the world and the lore, including the mysterious Under.
Brielle is a righteous and strong character. I had trouble understanding her "journey" through the book, other than to open her mind a little. While Zephyrus was interesting in Book 1, I felt this was very much Brielle's book and Zephyrus was just there as a plot tool. Despite not identifying as strongly with the characters this time around, I very much enjoyed the adventure and world building, as well as the development of Harper and Brielle's friendship over the course of the book (this was the best aspect, in my opinion).
I am anxiously awaiting Book 3 after the glimpse of The South Wind we received here.

*Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster Australia for providing a digital copy to review*

I haven’t read The North Wind, the first book in the series but it didn’t hinder me from enjoying this book.

It’s described as being inspired by Greek myth as well as the Scottish ballad Tam Lin and you really get the sense of both while reading. The book is set in Carterhaugh which is an actual place in Scotland where the ballad takes place while Zephyrus, The West Wind, is from Greek myth and is not a figure I know too much about

Brielle is our FMC, a devout woman who has spent most of her life at the abbey and whose goal is to become an acolyte. She is an outcast at the abbey and is often targeted with jibes about her weight. I really related to her, especially with being non-confrontational and taking everyone else's opinions to heart. I loved her growth throughout the book. She starts to challenge the beliefs she’s had for most of life and begins to think about what she really wants.

I thought Brielle and the West Wind were similar but they also taught each other things which benefited them separately and together. I knew the West Wind was the antagonist in the first book and we see how his actions are the result of centuries of trauma. I liked their relationship as well as the one between Brielle & Harper.

Overall I enjoyed the story and look forward to learning more about his brothers.

In the forest of Carterhaugh, 21yo Brielle - blacksmith and novitiate to the Daughters of Thornbrook Abbey - stumbles across a man injured and left for dead. Despite being against the rules to have a man on premises, Brielle brings him back to the Abbey for healing. Little does she know, he is no ordinary man, but the capricious god of the West Wind, Zephyrus.

When Zephyrus offers thanks for his rescue, and an explanation for his injuries, he lures Brielle into the dangerous, tantalising underworld populated by the Fair Folk and ruled by the sinister Orchid King. Armed with her iron daggers, Brielle is determined to return to the Abbey with both her person and her Faith unharmed. But will she?

This book, book 2 in the Four Winds series, is markedly different from book 1, the North Wind. I really liked that it is *different* to the preceding novel, with its own style, atmosphere and characters. The character Boreas (The North Wind) is hardly mentioned while and Notus (The South Wind) has a small role towards the end, hinting at the content of the next book. The world building is absolutely spot on, and I found it incredibly immersive (which is difficult to do in a 1st person POV)

Brielle is a character with insecurities and doubts about herself; Zephyrus is a trickster, a self serving false god. Mother Mabel (the head of the Faith) gives strong "Tissaia from the Witcher" vibes while the Orchid King is every bit an oozy, sinister creature. And the folk of Under are delightfully unhinged, from the sprite Lissi to the demon Yakim.

I need to preface the next bit with a disclaimer: I really enjoyed this book, BUT, there were bits that rubbed me the wrong way. Eg:
* the constant references to Brielle's body ("thick waist" "lack of defined muscle" "curves" (so many references to curves), comments about weight etc) comes across as fat phobic. The woman is a blacksmith for crying out loud - she would be all muscle!
* the religious Faith was clearly modelled on the Christian religion, and while ultimately this was a story of a woman questioning her beliefs, I felt the religious aspect was a little too heavy handed for a romantasy.
* some sexual references throughout, including one open door sex scene that goes on for pages and pages around the 80% mark. (That's a me issue - I'm tired of open door sex scenes in every book I read. Also I didn't feel they had chemistry)

Overall an excellent read, and I'm looking forward to book3, The South Wind!

~Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. While I recieved the ARC for free, I did purchase the audiobook version of this as well~

3.5⭐️ read the North Wind before you start this, huge spoilers. Yes a standalone but very much interconnected.

“I believe there are a few good things in this world”, he says, “but the kindness of your heart might be the best thing I have ever experienced, in any lifetime”

Betrayal, Faith, Self discovery, Cruelty, Selfishness, Self loathing, self sabotaging. The characters had a range of different traits & personalities & each their own unique story within the book.

This book was a very slow starter for me, I enjoyed the world building but the first 50% of the book could have been condensed.

I thoroughly enjoyed the West Winds character, his trauma and growth and flirtatious attitude. It was nice to learn his full story after reading North Wind.

As someone who absolutely adored The North Wind I was super excited to get stuck into this one.

The first half way slow, even though I enjoyed it, I really wanted it to pick up pace.

Love the fantasy elements of this book and overall enjoyed this book. However I still prefer the first book.

If I could swear I would.. did not disappoint absolutley LOVED it !! Thankyou so so much for allowing me to read it earlier, look he’s better than Zephyrus
And I feel there was more instant gratification for both of them. I couldn’t put it down I loved brielle so much and feel this one may be my fav out of them both so far !!

It feels SO GOOD to be able to say I’ve finished this book! It’s been a journey… I started this book in the middle of my busiest month of the year uni-wise so it took me ages to get through, but every single second was worth it. I adored Brielle and Zephyrus’ story. It was so completely different to book 1 in the best way possible. Where I loved The North Wind for its familiarity (the characters, plot, etc all felt like home in a way that’s so rare for a book I’ve never read) the West Wind was like a breath of fresh air in a world where so many fantasy books have started to blend together. It was inspired by the myth of Hero and Leander (a myth I had never heard of until this book) and the first thing that comes to mind when I think of this story is unique. The plot, the characters, the world… it all felt so unique… so fresh and so new and so exciting to experience. I could never quite tell where the story was going to go, and that made my reading experience so much more exciting!

This book was HEAVY on the religious aspect which I was unsure about at first, but is something I ended up really enjoying. I liked the way it was handled throughout the book, and it set our FMC up perfectly for some major character development. And speaking of Brielle… I loved her. She was such a strong willed character to follow, and I loved watching as she experienced her world in a new way and realized all that life has to offer. Also the fact that she’s a bladesmith just made her that much cooler. And I never thought I’d say it, but I actually loved Harper in the end. I really hated her for a while there… but I really think it’s a testament to an author’s writing ability when they’re able to make you hate a character so thoroughly only to turn your feelings entirely on their head by the end. I am genuinely impressed… to balance beautiful writing with an engaging plot that illicits so many emotions is an achievement. Alexandria Warwick has truly become one of my favourite authors and I cannot wait to read more from her!

“I believe there are few good things in this world, but the kindness of your heart might be the best thing I have ever experienced, in any lifetime.”

Okay this was an amazing follow up to The North Wind! I feel like this entire series is going to be up there with one of my top fantasy series! Thoroughly enjoyed being back in this world!

The dynamic between Briella and Zephyrs is unmatched! Loved the push and pull of enemies to lovers. It was great watching Briella fight between following the ‘rules’ she was raised on and breaking free to follow her own heart and thoughts and watching her figured out the truth from the lies.

I need the next two books immediately, the wait is going to kill me but forever grateful to receive and early copy.