⭐⭐⭐

This was a beautiful retelling of a classic with some fresh updated themes. I really enjoyed spending time in thos world that I purchased the audiobook so I can experience it again.

The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick is a romantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast and I loved it! The way the world is described allowed me to really picture it and enjoyed watching the characters slowly reveal themselves.

While it is a Beauty and the Beast theme, it was done quite differently and introduced different characters that will be seen in upcoming novels.

I can't wait to read more of this series!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC!

The characters are relatable
Brilliant moving plot with lots of action and emotions and connections that seemed real
The Godly world was well fleshed out

I loved this book! Once I heard it was inspired by my all-time favourite Disney movie - Beauty and Beast, I had to read it!
I am new to the romantasy world, this was my second book in this genre, and I'm completely obsessed!
The spicy scenes were fire! The writing was outstanding. I couldn't put this book down!

This is a slow burn, enemies to lovers' book.

I can't wait to read about the other brothers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 🌶️/5
Tropes:
❄️Enemies to lovers
❄️One bed
❄️Slowburn
❄️Beauty and the Beast inspired (kind of more of a vibe?)

Wren and her sister Elora are struggling to survive the upcoming winter and that’s when the north wind (Boreas) arrives to take his new sacrifice/bride. After a quick double cross Boreas is left with Wren as his wife… will he warm up to her? Yes, but it will take quite awhile.

This was a solid book with some pretty solid world building, although I did find myself getting confused with names every now and again. The slowburn was icy until it wasn’t, and I liked the character development despite not loving Wren as much as I thought I would. Wren is headstrong and gave up a lot to ensure her sister never went without and Elora ended up resenting her for it? I grew to hate Elora (your sister literally gave up everything for you) and I’m glad Wren named her horse after their mother before Elora had the chance to name her child.

This was a very easy read and I found myself engrossed in the story ( I read it in one sitting) and if you’re a fan of ACOTAR and beauty and the beast retellings (loosely based on) I think you will enjoy this book. I desperately want to read the West, East and South Winds (what is he hiding behind the hood? I need to know… I’m intrigued) and thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for this ARC.

This story is described as a Beauty and the Beast/ Hades and Persephone retelling and that’s exactly what it is. It quite literally opens with the same scene as a different Beauty and the Beast retelling (yes the very popular one) and it sets the mood for the whole story. While the writing isn’t bad, I feel this book itself lacks originality, there’s nothing that makes it unique or special. I struggled to pick up this book because I didn’t really want to read it as I felt like I knew exactly where the story was going. It was boring, not a lot of plot happened and it lacked action. The only thing I can mention that was unique in this book was the FMC was an alcoholic and I haven’t read that in a book before. Everything else was very simple, already-done Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone vibes. The plot could have been interesting, I do feel as though there was potential, but unfortunately the world-building and character backstories were lacking in information. And a lot of, what I feel were basic questions, were not answered and we weren’t given the information for them, so there definitely were holes where information or world building could of been given but wasn’t. I’m guessing there will be a second book but potentially featuring a different couple, if that’s so I hope the author provides a lot more world building and information and takes the time to fully flesh out the characters.

I LOVED this book! It had me in a chokehold the entire way through. The complex main character, the realistic friendship and slow burn built between the two main characters, the interesting world, everything! Wren was such a feral and determined main character, and I loved seeing how far she would go to get what she wants. I feel that the epilogue let her down as a character (it was too generic), but I've a known dislike for epilogue so it's possible it's just me.

Overall, I would strongly recommend this book for fans of ACOTAR, Beauty and the Beast retellings, and true slow burn, enemies to lovers stories.

Wren of Edgewood is no stranger to suffering, and with her parents gone, it her her responsibility to ensure she and her sister survive the harsh and endless winter. If the legends are to be believed, their home may not be safe for much longer. Already we have a character portrayal of the older sister trying to keep herself, and her sister, safe and well in a world that would see them perish.

For three hundred years, the land surrounding Edgewood has been encased in ice, but the magical barrier that protects the townsfolk is beginning to weaken. Only one thing can stop the fall of the barrier” the blood of a mortal women bound in wedlock to the North Wind, a dangerous immortal who’s heart is said to me a frigid as the land he rules. There’s nothing one could love more than a morally grey immortal who clearly has no capacity for feelings, or love, but will potentially fall for the feisty main character anyway.

And now the time has come to choose his bride. When the North Wind sets his eyes on Wren’s sister,Wren will do anything t save her, even if it means sacrificing herself in the process. But mortal or not, she won’t go down without a fight. Not only would one be obsessed with the fire and ferocity of the main character but the lush and evocative world the author has created. There is something beautiful about a world encased in ice that will always be appealing to me.

And there is nothing more a reader would love then a wholly earned enemies to lovers romance with just enough spice to keep the sparks flying in this cold world. With a clear and distinctive fairytale influence the world building is still new and atmospheric. It was everything one would have wanted from a epic romantic fantasy in a world designed to destroy where love would blossom.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘬

I chose the book because it was described as being a ‘beauty and the beast’ cross ‘hades and Persephone’ retelling, and these are two of my favorite stories.

It is so much more than that. Complex world and character building with beautiful writing that had me staying up late to finish. In all honesty, I forgot I was reading an Arc, and w into go search for the next release date. Suffice to say I was disappointed this had only just come out. Needless to say, I recommend giving it a go wholeheartedly

3 Stars

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a free copy in exchange for my review*

I started this as audio and was about to DNF at 25% before deciding to give the ebook a try first. I found what I enjoyed the most about it was the writing style and that prompted me actually continue and finish.

The North Wind is the story of Wren, a scarred woman living in a small village with her twin sister, Elora. When the Frost King comes to their village looking for a young woman as a sacrifice and chooses Elora, Wren disguises herself as her sister and takes her place. Instead of being sacrificed however the Frost King makes her his bride.

This was a dark, richly written fairytale about old gods, eternal winter, and overcoming adversity through love. In addition to the writing style, I enjoyed the exploration of toxic family, alcoholism, and judgement in death. Most of the characters made me apathetic, but I enjoyed the love story between Wren and Boreas.

The story was slow but the writing engaged me, and although the climax and resolution felt lacklustre I was satisfied by where the story ended.

The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick was wonderful read- once I got a feel for who the heroine, Wren, was I was sucked into the story. I enjoyed the Beauty and The Beast, enemies- to-lovers tropes, set in a fantasy inspired world. Warwick wonderfully showed the development of the characters - most especially Boreas/The North Wind. Keep in mind that I am not someone who reads a lot of fantasy and can't really comment too much on the world itself etc etc.
My only real criticism of the story is that I felt like I needed a little more out of the ending - not in the sense that the ending itself was different, but more so that there was further explanation of the events leading to the resolution. Possibly more on what the consequences of the ending/resolution were to the world and it's people. (Perhaps these are explained in other books? This is not something I have yet investigated)
All in all a wonderful read, well-developed characters and some steamy, slow burn romance. 3.5/5

When I received the little ‘hey, you might like this book’ email, it didn’t take more than two seconds for me to get heart eyes for this beauty. The new cover art looks amazing, and the gorgeous story inside? Even better.
I loved the dynamic between the two leads so much - there was so much banter, and that delicious mix of heavy weaponry and UST couldn’t be beat. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series, but I don’t know how the other winds could possibly top this one.

Was very hades and Persephone vibes. Enjoyed it. Sometimes read a little weird but I think that’s just the style of the author and not being used to it.
I did find it slow to read though, but did pick up.
The characters were good, over all not a bad book, but not great. Enjoyable.

The North Wind follows Wren, who has been providing for her twin sister since they were orphaned by any means necessary. In the desolate wintery lands of Edgewood, the immortal North Wind selects himself a bride to be sacrificed and feed the magical barrier surrounding the lands each year.

When Wren’s sister is selected as the sacrifice, Wren disguises herself and accompanies the North Wind back to his lands in her sister’s place. She plans to kill the immortal to end the blight on her villages, but the longer she stays the more she realises that his murder may not be the way to save the mortals.

Warwick’s writing is captivating, and I was instantly immersed in this story. There was a lot for me to like - enemies to lovers, one horse/one bed, forced proximity, a fierce and stabby FMC and a grumpy mysterious MMC. There is inspiration from beauty and the beast and Hades and Persephone and even mental health rep with addiction and loss.

Thankyou to netgalley and Simon and Schuster Australia for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Didn’t end up finishing this as I thoroughly lost interest by about halfway. Half-baked mythology mish-mash thrown together from various cultures/folklore, flat writing, annoying main character - being universally rude and petulant and telling the reader every two pages how strong and brave you are does not a complex character make; also, author apparently couldn’t even decide on her appearance as she goes from brown-skinned to pale and back several times, and she acted like an angry teenager rather than the 20-something she’s apparently supposed to be. The other characters seemed to barely exist other than as person-shaped receptables for the MC's various outbursts.

If you want this trope/character configuration and Russian-inspired mythology done well, go for Naomi Novik or Katherine Arden instead.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own
I really wanted to love this book, as so many people have… but I found it hard to like the main characters. They were both quite contradictory in their actions and goals. It may have been simply bad timing on my part, but it took quite a while to get into.
In some romance fantasy books there’s a lot of tension whenever there’s a scene with the MCs, and it didn’t feel that tense here.

- Fantasy Romance
- Enemies to Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Beauty & the beast retelling
- Hades and Persephone

——————————————————————————————

The North Wind is book 1 in a new series that I imagine is going to be a massive sensation! I seriously devoured it and loved it so much!!

I loved Wren straight of the bat, she had a certain edge to her that I just gravitated for and connected with straight away.

As for the North Wind, we’ll we all love a grumpy mean guy that deep down has a heart for those that are in need but has a heart encased in steel and let’s no one in.

This book had everything in it and more!! I loved the angst between the characters, I enjoyed the world building and I’m super excited to continue the series and see where it will take us.

I enjoyed this work of fantasy. It owes a great deal to Beauty and the Beast in its plot lines, and is a classic enemies to lovers tale. However, it is an entertaining version and well worth a read.

The North Wind is an enjoyable read in the romantasy genre from a reshaping of Beauty and the Beast, the myth of Hades and Persephone (loosely) and the personified wind Gods, specifically Boreas, the God of the North Wind and Winter. It is the first in the Four Winds series.

I struggled through the narrative voice in the first three chapters, while the scene and context for the story was basted across the page. Repeatedly. However I will say that Ms Warwick seems to have quite a talent for spinning a tale once she has her characters in play. The standard mash-up of tropes are used to carry the protagonists to their HEA. There were some twists on the general format (the back story has a slight Katniss ring to it, ethnically ambiguous character description), but I didn't engage with the secondary characters (particulary Zephyrus, the God of the West Wind) and there wasn't enough depth or tension in the plot to hold my attention. While this novel didn't hit the mark for me, this is an easy read for anyone who enjoys Scarlett St. Clare, Naomi Novik, Alexander Bracken, and J.L. Armentrout.

I received an ARC in return for an honest review.

Wren and her sister Elora live a hand-to-mouth existence in the town of Edgewood, close to the border between the worlds and shrouded under a permanent winter. Once every 30 years the Frost King arrives to claim a woman from the village to strengthen the border between the worlds. This is the year the Frost King returns. When Elora is chosen by the Frost King, Wren sacrifices herself to save her sister, and taken through the Shade into the Deadlands...but things are not exactly as they seem.

This was an interesting read - the world building was fantastic with the Shade and the Deadlands and the Citadel and the doors and doors and doors. . There was heavy leaning on the Greek mythology of the Anemoi, with a touch of Beauty and the Beast thrown in there, too. I loved the Spectre characters, and the Darkwalkers were wonderfully nightmarish.

BUT. I did not like the two main characters. While there was no set time period for this to be set (other than the vague fantasy-medieval time), Wren appeared to be an anachronistic, modern, Mary-Sue style character with a martyr/saviour complex who rarely thought about her actions, and Boreas was a one dimensional character, all hot body and tortured past. A few times Wren annoyed me to the point where I just had to walk away from the book. The spectre characters were much more entertaining.

There was a lot of sexual tension and brooding looks, making this a slow burn enemies-to-lovers book. I've seen some readers classify this as YA, but while the overall language is accessible for YA readers, given the explicit sexual content this is NOT a YA book - NA (New Adult) perhaps, instead.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 . Romantasy fans will enjoy this one.

~ Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~