Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-arc of The Wind Weaver.

The Wind Weaver is a Romantasy book with an interesting magic system and good world building. The FMC Rhya, is a halfling, trying to survive in a country where her kind are exterminated. She crosses paths with Commander Scythe, and they travel north to safety from persecution. Rhya is special and finds out her fate is part of a maegical prophesy.

Characters:
Rhya, the FMC, settled for inferior treatment and emotional abuse from the MMC. Their relationship was toxic.
The MMC, Pendefyre, was overly controlling and excessively rude, and not in a hot way. It is hard to believe the FMC and MMC had romantic feelings for each other.
My favorite character was Soren. He was interesting and multifaceted.
Note: the red bird on the cover is not in the story.

Pacing:
The pacing of this story varied between slow and medium paced.

Spice: I would rate the spice as one 🌶️. There were two steamy kissing scenes, one almost spicy scene.

Tropes: Enemies to lovers, one bed, one horse, touch her and die, found family.

Overall, the imagery was well done. At times, the story felt heavy and cumbersome. I struggled to feel emotionally invested/did not bond with the characters.

I rated it 3 stars.

The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson started with such an explosive bang that I was immediately hooked. After reading several books with multiple POVs, I really appreciated the singular POV in this one, especially with the main character, Rhya, who was so easy to connect with. As for the MMC, Scythe (or Pendefyre, LOL), he ticked all the boxes for a brooding, dark, and mysterious character, which I’m always a sucker for. The chemistry between him and Rhya developed beautifully throughout the story, and I loved watching their relationship unfold.

The world-building was also a standout for me—rich, immersive, and full of intrigue. And can we just talk about the cover? It’s absolutely stunning, and I’m already planning on having a physical copy of this book on my shelf because it’s just that gorgeous.

However, I do have one small gripe: the Phoenix on the cover didn’t really seem to have any significance in the story itself. It’s a bit of a mystery, but maybe it’ll become clearer in the next book. I’m hoping it’s a symbolic or thematic element that will come into play later.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the first 75% of the book, I did find the last 25% a bit trickier to stay engaged with. The pacing or the flow seemed to dip a little, and I found it harder to stay fully immersed in the plot towards the end. That said, it wasn’t enough to diminish my enjoyment of the overall story.

In the end, I really loved the concept and am excited to see where the journey goes next. I’m definitely invested in the series and can’t wait to dive into the next book!

5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC!

FRIENDS. I've been obsessed with books that have made me feral in the past, but this book? Rhya and Penn? Pls.

I think what drew me in from the jump was Rhya herself, obviously. She was so broken and sad when we first meet her that she's fully unrecognizable by the end. I really love how much she loves everyone almost immediately, despite not trusting them.

Also, I really like Soren as a character, but if Johnson tries to make a goddamn love triangle, I will have some words with her. Same thing for if something happens to Farley.

The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson is the first romantasy in the Reign of Remnants series. Johnson transports the readers to war-torn Anwyvn where human’s fear of maegic has led to them wiping out the fae. The tale that unfolds held me spellbound as we learn about the prophecy surrounding four weavers.

I was browsing for a fantasy when I came across The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson. Typically, I listen to this genre, but had an opening for a book and dove in. Johnson takes us to Anwyvn, a war-torn land with villages and kings. Here, Rhya Fleetwood, a halfling fae with a strange marking on her chest, has been captured and awaiting an officer before she is hung. Bound in iron, she has little hope of escape when Commander Scythe arrives. Much to her surprise, he slays her captures and drags her across the countryside. I was hooked from the beginning.

Told from Rhya’s perspective, the reader learns of the world and other lands beyond the impenetrable mountain ranges. Rhya knows she is fae, but knows nothing of their world. She was raised by humans and taught to hunt, forage and keep hidden. Scythe takes her to the Northlands where we encounter strange creatures, fae and kingdoms that have not been wiped out. Her she learns that the strange mark she carries means she is a Remnant, one of four souls scattered across Anwyvn, fated to restore the balance of maegic. Rhya is a wind weaver.

This tale how all the elements I love in an engaging fantasy. A magical system, strange beasts & creatures, villains, hope in the form of a prophecy, battles and adventure. Johnson takes her time building up the world, but as we learned along with Rhya, it didn’t feel like chunks of info dumps and each tidbit pulled me in further. We learn of past attempts at fulfilling the prophecy and meet two other weavers.

The romance between Rhya and Scythe (Penn) was intense from the bickering to the banter. Penn has baggage and duty, she needs to master her powers before they consume her. It was frustrating and equally addictive as Penn gave in to his feelings and fought them. Secondary character both delighted and frustrated me. The Queen was petty, but the water weaver intrigued me. I do not yet trust him and don’t get me started on his human brother who is desperate to capture fae and consume their power.

The Wind Weaver was an excellent start to the Reign of Remnants, and I look forward to the next one. I did end up grabbing the audio version so that I can do a re-read before the next one.

"Wanting you is all I do"

Thank you Berkley Romance, Berkley Pub and Ace Books for free book #berkleypartner #berkley All opinions are my own.

I feel like I’m living in a fantasy era this year and wow am I loving it! The Wind Weaver captivated me right from the start. The story is full of world building with lots of twists and turns. Romance-wise, it is a bit of a slow burn but it felt right in terms of this being the first book of the series. I’m so excited to see the characters grow and evolve as the books progress!

In the maegic war-torn land of Anwyvn halflings like Rhya are swiftly executed. But when her day of reckoning is interrupted by an unexpected savior she is forced into the clutches of a new enemy. The further she gets from home, the closer Rhya comes to understanding that her captor, Commander Scythe may not be who he seems and neither is she. As she soon discovers, she is not just a mere halfling but the weaver of wind and one of the four souls scattered across Anwyvn fated to come together and restore the balance of power to the land or die trying.

I loved the imagery and the sense of found family that develops between these characters. The elemental maegic is a fun twist and I really enjoyed how the story unfolds and Rhya learns about the many different facets of her power. The writing is fantastic and such a great start to what I hope will be an amazing series!

Read if you like:

Fantasy / Romantasy
Enemies to Lovers
Found Family
Slow Burn
Story that is part of a series
World Building
Elemental Magic
Some spice

* The chosen one/ancient prophecy
* Elemental magic
* Enemies-to-lovers
* Forced proximity
* Slow burn

The Wind Weaver is the first book in an exciting new romantasy series, Reign of Remnants. I enjoyed this book very much. It has all the elements of a great romantasy: interesting world-building and magical system, plenty of action and fight scenes, morally grey characters, and, of course, romance. I liked Rhya, the main heroine. She is young and inexperienced, but she is clever and resourceful. I enjoyed discovering the magical world and Rhya's abilities together with her. The world-building was intriguing and not too complex to understand. The romance was the weakest part because of the love interest. I didn't like the Commander very much. I thought he was dull, and his interactions with Rhya were boring.

On the other hand, I adored Soren! His character was fascinating and fun. And his banter with Rhya was top-notch! I thought that he treated Rhya with more consideration than the Commander. Some reviewers compared The Wind Weaver to ACOTAR. So, if the author decides to do a love interest switcheroo a la ACOTAR in the next book, I will not be mad. Even though I didn't quite love the romance, I was still invested in all other aspects of the story, and I cannot wait to read the next book.

Thank you berkley romance and prhaudio for the free copies!

What a fantastic start to a new romantasy trilogy! Anwyvn is a war-torn country where the fear of maegic led to the Culling decades prior. Now, those with magic are rounded up and killed on sight. The story begins with the FMC, halfling Rhya, having been caught and awaiting her execution. But instead of the hanging she was expecting, she is rescued and brought to the Northlands, a place very different than she is used to where magic isn’t as shunned.

The more time she spends in the Northlands, the more she learns about herself and the mysterious birthmark on her chest. Not only that, but she is finding the brooding Commander Scythe a temptation she cannot refuse, especially when she learns their lives are uniquely linked.

This one has me hooked! I was really intrigued by the magic system, with the history of the continent and the Remnants, and how everyone is connected. The plot is well laid out and pretty fast-paced, and I LOVED how things were revealed over time. The reader learns over time with Rhya many things about her character and the world, and it kept me really engaged to see how it all builds up. We are kept in her POV the whole time, which lends to the mystery and intrigue of the story.

The pacing did get a little slower when we hit about 2/3 of the way through the book. It felt like it was going really steady up until then and then it got a little bobbled until the major action at the end (for about 10-15% or so). Even with that, it was a quick read, but was just a little jarring when the pacing slowed down like that.

This one is a sloooow burn, with so much built up tension! I have a feeling book 2 will give us some more spice, as this one had a lot of almosts but not yet there (and it was such a TEASE). I also am leaning towards this being a love triangle, but would just love for us to have a why choose 👀.

The side characters were phenomenal, and I love a found family dynamic. This one has it in spades with all of the commander’s friends. There is so much fun and banter amongst all the friends, and I can’t wait to see their relationships grow throughout the series!

I'll add, I feel like this one is going to get a lot of comparisons to ACOTAR. There were some things that felt similar and I could see a lot of people pointing to read this if you liked that.

I did this one partially on audio and enjoyed the narrator's voice! She did a great job with Rhya's character, although her voice for the men wasn't my favorite. This is told completely from her POV, so the male voices were only when they were speaking to her, but it could take me out a little bit. I would still recommend the audio though, and I really enjoyed listening while following along in my print copy.

This was an action packed romantasy that made for a fun read! I can’t wait to see the story continue in book 2 and I am VERY interested to know where the romance will go in the future!

The Wind Weaver started out with a bang! Julie Johnson really gets a hold of you from the first sentence.

The fantasy aspect of this was really well thought out and easy to grasp as you learn from the FMC Rhya’s standpoint who essentially was shielded from the world before her guardian passes away.

I also really liked that the female character was strong but stayed true to her feminine and caring nature.

This is a fantasy book for those who love more world building and slow build of knowledge. There was a lot of action packed scenes as Rhya and the commander who interrupts her execution embark on their journey to wherever he’s taking her 😏. The romance is definitely a sub plot here!!!

✨Slowburn
✨Elemental magic
✨Fae wars/politics
✨Lots of world building
✨Found Family

Thank you Berkley & Ace pub for the free book!

Holy cannoli Batman! The Wind Weaver might be my favorite read of 2025, because I freaking loved this so much!

Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group, for granting me access to this book for review through NetGalley! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In The Wind Weaver, Johnson's talent with prose and dialogue is unmatched. Her lush world-building places you squarely at the centre of each scene in the book - the chill of the snow, the roar of the waterfalls, the crackling of the fire. The characters are emotionally complex and engaging, and drive an engaging and adventurous plot forward. The fantastical aspects of the book are unique, including the use of elements and mythical creatures. The romantic arc of the book is filled with smothering tension and desire, and the main male character displays a level of unhinged yearning that leaves you breathless.

Obsessed is an understatement to describe how I felt about this novel. The only crime it commits is making me eagerly await the next instalment in Rhya's story.

“I am a great many things. Fantastic waltzer, for instance. Superb fighter. Halfway-decent cook.” His eyes sparkle with amusement. “Damn near godlike in bed.”

How absolutely stunning is that cover? Those colours!! How could I resist?

The story opens with Rhya being captured soon to be executed but this is stayed by a terrifying captor who spirits her off without telling her much. Not knowing what their destination is and what Scythe’s intentions are, she remains distrustful until they are forced to band together to fight against a greater evil. Later she is separated from the group and is given shelter by Soren who enlightens her on what it means to be a Remnant, until she is claimed by Scythe and they continue on their journey to Caeldara. Here Rhya develops some strong bonds of friendship while Scythe continues to shield her against the court, the reigning queen and herself. But you wonder what his motives are? Is he driven to protect her because he feels unable to manage control or is she in true danger? The unspeakable occurs forcing them to fight alongside those Scythe distrusts, forging an uneasy alliance. Will they succeed in restoring the balance of maegic or is it futile?

I have to say that my favourite scenes are those that include Soren – I seem to have a thing for the smart-alecky MC who always has something to say, usually hilarious and cocky at the same time. The worldbuilding is well done and the maegic system intricately fascinating. The banter is clever throughout and I love the friendships that feature throughout this story.

Pick this up if you are a fan of
- The Chosen One
- Elemental magic
- Slow burn
- One bed/one horse

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkeley group for the opportunity to read this before release.

HELL YEAH BROTHER

This slapped so hard (idk if that’s even a good phrase to use anymore lmao) and I had a WONDERFUL time reading it. The slow burn was SO SLOW but in the best way, I loved following how the two characters navigated their feelings. I wouldn’t say enemies to lovers, but definitely so antagonistic with one another.

Rhya was SUCH a good FMC, I loved how stubborn and strong she was throughout. The Chosen One is a trope I am really fond of and she was such a good candidate for it. She fought for herself often and had a quick wit. I loved how she was able to endear herself to those around her and I loved her gentle heart.

The world and magic system was so interesting and I’m really excited to see where the story goes from here. The ending really broke my heart and it sets up the playing field for book 2 to be even more brutal.

Thank you SO much to @acebookspub for the eARC, I’ve really enjoyed every Ace book that I’ve received recently and hope to continue to get approvals from yall 🥹🤍 The Wind Weaver comes out TOMORROW and I highly recommend checking it out!

I was already intrigued before reading a single sentence because the book is dedicated to Stevie Nicks, as her song "Rhiannon" inspired the book's FMC, Rhya Fleetwood. And then, this book hooked me with its dramatic opening!

It's an angsty and action-packed story. A slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance set in a world filled with magic and danger. Endangered halfling FMC, Rhya is strong-willed but doesn't yet realize the depth of her strength or power. Meanwhile, MMC Pendefyre "Penn" is morally gray, brooding, and keeping secrets. There's a whole lot of tension between these two! In addition to the romance, I look forward to seeing Rhya's further growth across the series.

The characters are well-developed, including some memorable side characters, and there is a strong found family element. One character, though, leaps off the page, Soren. And Soren is enigmatic and delicious!

The world-building is vibrant and imaginative, incorporating magical creatures, high-stakes politics, warring factions, elemental magic, and an ancient prophecy. This book is on the longer side, over 500 pages, and although there are some pacing issues, I was completely invested. The ending was fantastic, and this is a solid start to the series. I can't wait for book two!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing, Ace Books Publishing, and Netgalley for the gifted ARC

This seems like a romantasy written for the sake of writing a romantasy

There’s no passion, no chemistry, no driving force. This is supposed to be an adult novel but reads more like a young adult as far as exposition, characters and plot. I’m also just at the breaking point of these FMC with special abilities who are SO strong and cool but also somehow so naive.

I have to say it. I have mixed feelings regarding this book. I am not saying that I hate it. I truly did enjoy reading this book. Literally, I read it in one sitting until the bitter end. It’s just a few things that I am conflicted with. 

Before you go any further, be warned that it may contain some spoilers. Not a long, just a tiny bit of it.

Let me say it. The endless slow burn had me frustrated forever. Literally, the endless back and forth between the two characters annoyed me endlessly. Goodness! Literally, the slow burn didn’t work for this romantasy. The characters may have started off as enemies in the beginning, but it only lasted a few chapters. You could already tell that the male love interest was interested in her. Like, how is the female main character that clueless? Make it make sense. 

Besides the slow burn, the worldbuilding was slow-paced. I could not deal with it when the ride back to the male love interest's homeland took about 75% of the book, and the female main character still didn’t know who she was. Like, what?!? It had me so frustrated that it took this long. I had to say it.

Now that I said my rant, let’s talk about why you should give it a chance. Because I truly did enjoy reading this book besides its frustrating slow burn and world-building pace. The endless banter between all of the characters will have you laughing at all times. I literally laughed so many times. It made the conversation enjoyable to read. I also love the found family trope. It’s the best trope to read in any fantasy or romance books. You just feel for all of the characters. And I love it that they included the female main character as well.

HOLY. COW. One of the best romantasies I’ve ever read! The magic, the tension, the world building… SOOOOO. GOOD. It’s so easy to pull for the FMC, and the MMC… Broody and morally grey!! Seriously cannot wait for book 2!

The Wind Weaver is the start of an exciting new romantasy series featuring elemental magic and halfling Fae who have been hunted nearly to extinction. Despite being over 500 pages, I actually found this to be an easy read and got through it a lot quicker than I normally would. I loved the magic system based on four people being the embodiment of the four elements and the mystery of who those people are.

I liked the MC Rhya, but I feel like the side characters really stole the show in this one. My main issue was the romance sadly - I just didn’t feel a spark between Rhya and the Commander and didn’t really like the way he treated her. There’s another character who I feel would make a much more intriguing love interest, but I honestly can’t tell if that’s delusional or not - I think I’ll stick around for that possibility alone.

Thank you to Berkley/Ace and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun start to a new Fantasy series. The world building was fascinating and hooked me from the start. The Magic system felt very reminiscent of Avatar: The Last Air Bender however with only one person in command of each element (Fire, Water, Air, and Earth.)

My only issue is with our two main characters, Rhya and Scythe. They were hot and cold/back and forth so much that it makes you wonder if you’re reading about the same people. (Onyx Storm Violet and Xaden, is that you? 👀) Their connection didn’t make much sense to me and fell a bit flat.

I was also very partial to fire being spelled with a “y.”
Fyrewisps, Fyremas, Fyre Priestesses. But that’s just my own personal bias.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for an eARC and to the author for a finished copy.

(4.25⭐️) put this book on your tbr bc I have a feeling it’s going to be the next big romantasy hit!

wow I really enjoyed this!!! after seeing this compared to avatar: the last airbender, I was so intrigued! the elemental magic was incredible and I loved getting to learn about the fmc’s powers as she was discovering how to control and use them! I also was LIVING for the little snippets of romance we got, I wanted MORE but being the first book in a trilogy it felt like the author was setting up a lot of things to carry into the next books, the romance being one of them.

the pacing was slow at times and would lose me, BUT when I picked it back up it would only take a couple of pages to get me right back into the story! the subtle hint of a ~love triangle~ is interesting (I’m not a big fan of love triangles) but it feels like one of those that you just know who will win in the end, there’s a definite underdog lol

this world was set up so well and I’m SO excited to see how the plot continues to develop and unfold! our fmc is insanely powerful and headstrong, but she also allows herself to feel and you can tell she’s an empath bc her feelings can take over sometimes and I can relate!!! I have so many questions I can’t wait to have answered in the coming books!

thank you to netgalley and ace books for this e-arc!!!!

Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️
Spice: 1/5 🌶️

Set to be hung by the humans, fae-born Rhya is rescued by a dark and mysterious soldier, who saves her just to remain aloof and incredibly grouchy throughout their travels. Slowly but sure, Rhya learns more about her rescuer, Scythe, as they come across multiple challenges, friends and different lands. What seems to keep Scythe’s interest in Rhya alive? The mysterious brand on her chest, which she was raised to believe was just a birthmark. As more secrets are uncovered and a prophecy is revealed, it turns out that Scythe knows a whole lot more about Rhya than he’s letting on.

Dang, was this a fun story. It was incredibly long, and it seems almost like there were multiple stories within one book! I loved discovering more and more with our FMC Rhya, trying to piece together her history, her powers and the powers of those around her. Seeing her build relationships with those she thought were foes, as well as the blossoming relationship between her and Scythe (and maybe Soren…?), I was hooked throughout the whole story. SO MUCH POTENTIAL with this world and this magic system… I’m excited to see what happens next!

What I Loved About This Story:
✨ Enemies to lovers (with SO much friction & disdain!)
✨ Hidden & misunderstood powers
✨ Elemental magic
✨ Some fun one-horse AND one-bed situations
✨ Incredible world-building
✨ PERHAPS the start of a tumultuous love triangle AND I’M HERE FOR IT!

Thank you for the free book @BerkleyRomance and @acebooks! I am grateful to be a Berkley Romance 2025 Influencer and given the opportunity to read this book early; my review is all my own.