I absolutely loved the North Wind, so I was super excited to be able to read this early. I was sad to leave behind Wren and Boreas, but our new main characters, Zephyrus and Brielle quickly replaced that hole. As in the first book, Alexandria Warwick's beautiful and descriptive prose transports you right into the books world, making for an engaging and escaping read. The vibe in this book is slightly different - with Brielle's dedication to Thornbrook and in turn; her faith. This is the only reason I didn't rate it five stars, as it wasn't as much my vibe, but that's entirely personal and shouldn't put anyone off reading this book. Alexandria also has a beautiful way of creating incredibly complex characters, demonstrated here by both main characters but especially Zephyrus. Portrayed as a villain in the last book, it was satisfying to learn more about him in this one and his motivations behind his questionable actions, and to see his genuine regret.

Would you give up everything for a new life? Brielle finds a man lying in the woods and she knows that it is wrong to bring a man into the abbey. But she can’t just leave him there to die. Once he is healed he disappears but he wants not be gone for long. Zephyrus might be a fallen god but he is trapped to never be free. But with Brielle he finds that anything is possible but there is no future for them. But they didn’t count in falling in love and doing everything possible to be free.
Great characters a good solid storyline.
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the copy. An enjoyable read. This is my voluntary review.

I was very much looking forward to this book as the second in the Four Winds Series.

The West Wind tells the story of faith bound Brielle, working for the honour of ascension to Acolyte, a converted role bestowed on only one most worthy Daughter of Thornbrook each year. However Brielle’s devotion to her faith is tested when she comes across a near dead man and must decide if she should help him or not. Enter Zephyrus, (who we are introduced to in The North Wind), who in an effort to repay his debt for Brielle’s kindness, proceeds to derail her path, and sabotage the trust he nurtures in her. Their journey together has a rather long and winding road, as they unlock parts of themselves long buried.

I have given this book a 4⭐️. I struggled to start this one despite how excited I was to read the next book in this series, my major reservation being my difficulty reading ebooks without assistive technology. Once I was able to access the audiobook i did smash through it quickly. My access issues hindered my enjoyment of the first part of the book, and I really didn’t find myself engaged until about halfway through.

That being said, I do highly recommend this book, any book that has me invested enough in characters to feel the need to cry is an Auto Recommendation.

I would lie to thank NetGally, Simon & Schuster Australia and of course Alexandria Warwick for the opportunity to access this ARC

She’s done it again!

Alexandra Warwick is the absolute queen of the slow burn. I was worried I wasn’t going to like Zephyrus after the North Wind - but he had quite the little redemption arc. Overall I loved the continuation of the story but this one could have been a little more succinct. Absolutely can’t wait to read the next one in the series :)

I had been highly anticipating this book ever since I read an ARC of The North Wind when it was picked up by Simon & Schuster Australia. I absolutely LOVED The North Wind and had been nervously awaiting Zephyrus' story and boy was it worth it!

Our FMC Brielle was easy to relate to on different levels. Truly believing in one thing but testing those boundaries and also allowing herself to make mistakes, grieve her indiscretions and move forward. Finding solace in the ultimate morally grey character on a path - literally and figuratively..

The West Wind is the perfect stand alone quest story which bleeds Greek folklore and entwines itself with the more original origin stories of the Fae.

The romance aspect between Zephyrus and Brielle is slow burn, enemy's to friends to lovers. The chemistry isn't as strong as I would have liked but overall I enjoyed how each character grew together and how they eventually made each other stronger, strengthened their bond.

The world building was unique and easy to get lost in, Alexandria has a beautiful way with words and obviously a deep connection with these characters.

I can't wait for book 3!

Thankyou so much for allowing me the opportunity to read this book ♡

Thank you Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m really loving this series. I felt this book was better written than the first. It felt far more adult and the world building felt more intense, both things I love.

I ADORED Brielle. Like, instantly fell in love with her. Kind, chubby, sword-wielding ginger???? My ultimate weakness. But beyond that, gosh she was lovely, and she really had such a wonderful character arc. I loved every minute of her journey.

Zephyrus was a really interesting love interest. I didn’t like him in The North Wind, so I’d been worried about this book, but I needn’t have. His growth is even greater than Brielle’s in many ways, and I really loved seeing all the ways he changed over the course of this story, all the ways Brielle opened his heart.

The epilogue made my heart feel so full, oh my gosh. After everything these two went through, that ending is exactly what they deserved, and given my love of cosy fantasy, I would genuinely read an entire novel that’s just them together in Kilkare.

Another great, immersive, descriptive work of art.
The pacing was a lot slower compared to the north wind but this didn’t detract from the story at all. As it made sense with the setting of religion and battling with your morals/teachings- that’s not something you rush.
The Under was such a great experience as a reader, It felt like a nightclub fever dream initially which of course kept me invested.

Loved this - can’t wait for the third book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Disclaimer - I only read 41% - apologies and thank you for giving me the opportunity to try this book. 2.5 / 5 stars

I really enjoyed The North Wind, so I was happy when I received the ARC for the follow up book, also because I enjoyed Zephyrus in book one. Unfortunately, I found this sequel very difficult to get into and it felt very different from the first book. I found my mind kept wandering so after around 40% I decided it was time for me to put this aside. I will note that this is not necessarily a poorly written book, merely that it did not work for me.

I think one thing that largely made the tone feel different was that this was quite heavily steeped in religion. I don't mind religion in and of itself, in fact, I often enjoy stories about deities. But there was something very rigid and perhaps a bit <i>too much</i> of it - while I enjoy a bit of fantasy religious elements, I'm not a big fan of overly restrictive ones, especially when the characters are so deeply imbedded to it and their whole world seems to revolve around said religion.

As such, I also didn't enjoy the MC Brielle as narrator very much. She was just a wee bit too deep into all her religious endeavours and her narrative felt weirdly choppy. I also felt that her body wasn't written in a well thought out way - she is a big girl and I get that people may comment negatively on that but the way some of the other characters treated her based on her weight and the words they threw at her felt uncomfortable. As I haven't read the whole book, I don't know how this plays out and my guess would be is that she gets accepted and appreciated for her values, and yet this early treatment just left a sour taste.

Speaking of other characters' treatments of her... This is a fantasy setting but at times I felt like I am reading a variant of Mean Girls. For all that this is about piety and how to be good in life, these other girls felt like they came right out of a high school romcom - Harper is the ringer leader and she really just comes across as the mean girl who is stirring up trouble and bullies others, Brielle in particular. Given the direction the plot was taking, my guess would be that they are going to end up being friends but it doesn't change that she has quite the insufferable start and her behaviour feels like it's in the wrong setting.

The pacing was pretty off and it felt extremely slow. I was also confused about the world building, at least when taking the first book into consideration. There are now fair folk and it just feels like an entirely different setting beyond the odd mention or two of the North Wind and his realm. I also felt rather indifferent to the West Wind as a character despite previously liking him, but I think that's mainly down to just not connecting with the plot. I like a good slow burn and I think it's safe to say that this is one as fairly little happens this half of the book.

I appreciate the chance to read this ARC and feel sorry for not completing it. Given that The North Wind can also be read as a standalone and I enjoyed that one, I am likely still to give future instalments in this series a try and that this particular sequel was just a miss for me.

I really enjoyed the North Wind however I found The West Wind a lot slower. There were times where I had to force myself through some sections, in saying that, I did overall enjoy the progress of the story as a sequel. There were heavily religious themes, which does make sense considering the direction of the story - but I thought there was a littleeee too much for me at times (I acknowledge this is personal preference though).
While I did find it slow at parts, I found that the tension and slow-burn romance between the main characters well paced (considering I do indeed prefer slow-burn romance). The slow-burn-ness of the romance had a really good pay-out in the end.
I'll definitely be reading the next instalment, but hopefully the pacing is figured out a bit better in the next (the non-slow burn aspect of the story, that is)!

I felt so bad for Brielle and everything she went to but she was so strong and always got through it all. I love that she was a larger lady and that Zephyrus loved her curves and her heart. I honestly didn't know how Zephyrus could possibly be redeemed but he definitely was. I liked how he brought Brielle out of her shell. The last 10% of this book was so emotionally destroying. I cried, I got mad and finally cried happy tears. I can't wait to see where the third book takes the next brother.

An exciting second installment to the series. I had the privledge of being able to read the first book, and the second book was every bit as good. The world building is phenominal, and Warwick has carefully constructed a complex world that is easy to get drawn into.

The West Wind was a wonderful continuation of the Four Winds series.

After reading the North Wind, I did not think of Zephyrus very fondly. That being said, this book was a wonderful redemption arc for Zephyrus and added so much more depth to his character.

The slow burn relationship between Brielle and Zephyrus was developed beautifully. These two characters had such a tender and vulnerable dynamic, making their eventual connection all the more satisfying.

Admittedly, this book was slower and less engaging compared to the North Wind. However, I was invested in the character development and emotional stakes.

Overall, The West Wind was an enjoyable read and I look forward to continuing the series!

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book! I haven’t read the North Wind so wasn’t too sure what to expect but this was a great book. I thought it was empowering and whimsical and intriguing the whole way through. I did feel like the ending dragged out a bit and I didn’t need the epilogue but other than that, I had so much fun with this book and will be reading the north wind asap! I wasn’t sure I was going to like Zephyrus as the MMC but I ended up really loving him by the end (though I was confused a lot of the time about whether I was meant to like him or not 😂)

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC!
I am very grateful to have been able to continue this series as I also received an ARC of The North Wind - which I promptly went and pre-ordered. I'm looking forward to having The West Wind on my shelves too.

The cover designs of these editions of this series are stunning!

I enjoyed the slow burn storyline with Brielle and Zephyrus. I liked that we got to learn more about Zephyrus in this book, that he is "deeply flawed, a man in the midst of transition".
And we got a tiny bit more about the other brothers. The connection between this book & The North Wind was felt good.

I'm personally not a fan of the more explicit elements of these stories, I think they would hold their own without the spice.

Following a set pathway through an organised religion, versus freedom of self-discovery & expression. Lost love, loyalty and betrayal.
4.5 stars

The fair folk’s king requires his tithe every 7 years. Every 7 years the daughters at the Abbey pay with their blood. Brielle, a noviciate and daughter, works as a bladesmith to ensure the iron daggers are ready for the journey to the Under to appease the Under King.

Brielle is obedient, subservient and sure of her God.
Until she stumbles across an unconscious man who makes her question everything she believes and holds dear to her heart.
Zephyrus is an outcast God. Known for his manipulative and selfish characteristics. When Brielle unwittingly assists his recovery she creates a debt that must be repaid.
Will this debt be both of their undoing?

I am surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. I didn’t struggle through the introduction and world building like I did with the North Wind.

I love Brielle, while innocent she is not naive to the world. As a plus size FMC she is written so well! Her journey through her faith is explored in a respectful way that makes sense to the experiences she faces as a character.

Zephyrus, Zephyrus, Zephyrus… I adore him. Even after his choices in the North Wind and I’m so glad we learnt more of his back story and reasons why he is the way he is. I will forgive him for any of his shortcomings.

Alexandria Warwick is a master at writing some unlikeable characters in short frames and boy did Harper make my blood boil. How she does this needs to be studied.

If you were on the fence after the North Wind don’t let that stop you from picking up the West Wind. It’s worth reading. It still encompasses all the fantasy tropes and locations while taking us on a unique journey of faith, love and redemption.

Such a great story! I loved The North Wind but I think I like this one even better
Thank you for the ARC

I enjoyed this book a lot. I read the North Wind prior to reading this, and I definitely enjoyed the storyline of this one so much more.

Yes it is a longer read, but I felt the storyline, the growth of the characters and the ending to be great.

Brielle is a strong woman, she has her faith and has dedicated her life to the abbey - she is determine to become an acolyte. To become an acolyte you must remain pure - you must have never touched a man - and Brielle is set to do this.

But Brielle comes across an injured man in the forest, and Brielle cannot walk past him without helping him. She soon discovers that this man is an immortal god - Zephyrus or The West Wind - Bringer of Spring. Can she stay true to her faith?!

In the North Wind we are introduced to Zephyrus, he is sneaky, charming and deceptive. I actually didn't like his character in the North Wind, but this book shows his growth as a person and by the end of the book I definitely changed my tune on him.

The world building in this book is great, and it was very easy to follow.

You don't necessarily need to read the North Wind before this, but I definitely think it will help - especially with mention of some characters in this book (and to help with the world building too!).

I'm intrigued to see what the next installment has for us.

The premise was wonderful, I enjoyed the prose and the world was fascinating. However I did not feel like this was a coherent sequel to the North Wind, as the world, and even the characters, felt very different to the first book.

The pacing was a little weird, but The West Wind felt much less ACOTAR-inspired, and I really enjoyed the direction the story took. I look forward to the next installment!

“The West Wind is a force, and helplessly, I’m swept downstream.”

Brielle, a dedicated novitiate of Thornbrook, only dreams of becoming an acolyte and dedicating her life to the Father. Her world is thrown upside down when she comes across an injured man in the forest, Zephyrus, the West Wind. Her encounter with the Bringer of Spring takes her on a journey through Under, and Brielle must confront all she knows, and battle between her faith and her heart.

“You would do well to heed my warning, young novitiate. Do not trust Zephyrus. He will use you for his own gain.”

Having read and enjoyed The North Wind, I was looking forward to this instalment focusing on the trickster Zephyrus, and I was not disappointed! I really enjoyed the adventure and quest aspect of the story, it added excitement to the plot, as the romance is a slow burn. The depth and growth of both Brielle and Zephyrus is well done, and I loved being on the journey with them. This book is foremost a romance story, but it is also a story about self-growth and the courage needed to be vulnerable.

“‘I believe there are 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.’”

The Four Winds has become a loved series of mine and I will definitely be continuing. Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Australia for this ARC.

I had high hopes for this book as I really enjoyed the first in the series. Sadly, it didn’t really live up to my expectations. It wasn’t a bad book, and the plot is good, but I found it to be too long and ponderous in places, and some of the characters’ development was hard to believe. With tighter editing I think it could have been really good.
3.5*