This was such a fun read! It did, admittedly, have a bit a slow period after initially kicking off with quite a wild start. Once it got moving again, though, it was fantastic. I will also note that the slow period was during a travel period for the characters and a lot of world-building was done during this time. Once this was complete the story really picked and never slowed down again. I read the remaining 70-75% in one sitting and could not put it down. The FMC and MMC had the best chemistry and their journey from enemies to not-quite-enemies to something more was the actual best. I cannot wait for the next book!

Julie Johnson's The Wind Weaver is the first installment in the author's Reign of Remnants series, blending epic fantasy with a slow-burn romance, elemental magic, and an intricate world-building. 200 years ago, there were four Fae kingdoms: Wind, Water, Earth, and Fire. They were ruled by those known as Remnants. Then, during the Cull, mortals like those called Reapers rose up and have been killing fae ever since. Set in the war-torn realm of Anwyvn, where fear of "magic" drives the persecution of halflings, the novel introduces readers to Rhya Fleetwood.

Rhya, a halfling marked by a mysterious birthmark, faces the noose in a society that despises her kind. Her execution is interrupted by Commander Scythe (Prince Penn), a mercenary figure whose motives are as shadowy as his demeanor is intimidating. Rather than salvation, this rescue thrusts Rhya into a perilous journey across the barren Northlands, where she must confront both external dangers and the untamed power within her.

As a Remnant—one of four souls destined to restore the balance of magic—Rhya’s path is fraught with high stakes, from mastering her wind-wielding abilities to navigating her growing attraction to the untrustworthy Scythe. The Northlands, with their harsh terrain and lurking dangers, serve as a fitting crucible for Rhya’s transformation, while glimpses of courtly drama hint at broader conflicts to come. The Wind Weaver explores power, identity, and the courage to embrace one’s true self.

Rhya’s struggle to control her magic mirrors her internal battle to define her place in a hostile world, making her journey a potent metaphor for self-acceptance. This story is classic romantasy. A young woman who has no idea who she is, the brooding anti-hero who takes her under his wings, a third dangerous man who pushes her buttons, and elemental magic, something that is the hallmark of those called Remnants.

It is a story of a found family of soldiers who end up protecting her, and a dressmaker who becomes her best friend. The romance between Rhya and Penn is a slow burn, heavy on tension and light on resolution, due to a war that has now descended upon this world. I may have mentioned Soren, and I am curious to know whether the author will make this a love triangle or not, especially given the events at the end of this book.

It was cute! I wound up reading it in a single day on my weekend. Light read and the protagonist is indeed the special one but she’s not an all powerful world saver at this point so she was interesting. If you’re looking for a fantasy romance this is a solid choice. I will absolutely read book two!

The Wind Weaver swept me away (pun intended) with its lush world-building, elemental magic, and slow-building enemies-to-lovers romance. From the first intense scene when Rhya, a halfling, is bound and awaiting execution simply for existing, the fear, tension, and unrest set the tone for the rest of the book. The hatred for halflings in this world is brutal, and Rhya’s capture by the king’s men makes it clear that survival is going to be a fight every step of the way. Saved by a shadowy figure whose motives are anything but clear, Rya quickly learns it's not a rescue out of kindness, but one that drags her deeper into danger. Rya also discovers that the unusual mark she was born with means she's a remnant, one of four born with elemental magic and an enormous amount of power.

Rhya is a fantastic protagonist, and her character development is one of my favorite parts of the book. She’s fierce and defiant, but there’s also a vulnerability to her that makes her easy to root for. She grows so much as she learns more about her power and works to harness her abilities, and I like that her physical journey parallels her emotional one.

The romance is a slow-building one with major enemies-to-lovers, touch her and die vibes. Rhya and Scythe definitely don’t start on good terms, and his treatment of her, even though he actually saved her from execution, is unkind and borders on cruel. I actually wondered a time or two if he was supposed to be her love interest. lol Scythe is gruff, morally gray, and he doesn't even explain why and where he's taking her. However, as they spend more time together, the walls between them start to fall. There's so much chemistry and sexual tension between them, and the angst is fantastic. There’s also a lot of pain in both of their pasts, which adds depth to their bond and the growing trust between them. And their banter is fabulous. The dialogue and banter with all of the characters, really, is a strength of the novel.

Rhya encounters many others throughout their journey, several of whom begin to form a makeshift family that’s equal parts messy and heartwarming. The found family aspect brings so much warmth and a bit of humor to a world that’s otherwise dark and full of mistrust. There’s also one particular character who stays pretty mysterious, and I’m so curious to learn more about them in the next book. I can already see the potential for a love triangle forming, and honestly, I’m not complaining!

The world-building is great, too - layered and immersive, with elemental magic that's powerful and dangerous. I loved learning more about the Remnants, their unique connection, and the prophecy that these four will save the world from the blight that threatens to take over, and I feel like we've only just begun to learn everything about this fascinating world and the magic. With political unrest, deadly prejudices, brewing war, and supernatural threats, the plot and world are as layered and compelling as the characters.

I thought this was a fabulous start to the Reign of Remnants series! It’s packed with action, suspense, and emotional stakes, and I'm eager to read the next book to find out what happens to my faves. I have a feeling I'll be in for a wild, unpredictable, and swoon-worthy ride.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Ace for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

The human kingdoms of Anwyvn fear maegic, killing halflings on sight. Rhya Fleetwood's execution is interrupted by Commander Scythe, who brings her to the Northlands. Everything she thought she knew about this world is incomplete, and there's more to her than even she knew. Her ability to call the wind and the birthmark on her chest means she is a Remnant, one of four souls scattered across Anwyvn, fated to restore the balance of maegic…or die trying.

This is book one of the Reign of Remnants. Rhya is at death's door in the opening, blindfolded and with a noose around her neck from the people ready to kill her for being a half-elf when humans want nothing to do with even halflings. When Scythe arrives, he's surly, angry with the hunters and soldiers that had taken her prisoner. Though he makes short work of them, he doesn't provide any answers and makes for the North at a breakneck pace. We slowly learn about the different kingdoms, the superstitions, and the creatures in the world. Rhya has more skills than she is willing to reveal to strangers, but still has little understanding about the maegic she has.

It's not a spoiler to say that Scythe isn't who he appears to be when he first shows up in the story. Travel to the north is difficult, and even there it isn't entirely safe. There are various factions eager to kill the fae and one kingdom born of dark magic who would love to kill fae and absorb their magic. Being a Remnant means Rhya has more magic than most, even if she can't control it. When she uses the magic, it comes out as a storm and exhausts her. While the first half of the book involves getting Rhya to a place of safety and belonging, the second involves solidifying that place and finding a way to control her power. There are emotional pulls as well, so the romantic element ebbs and flows as both resist it at turns and grow closer.

While some questions are answered, others are still ones that remain. Death and destruction follow some of the battles, and there are interpersonal tensions that challenge Rhya. Life isn't easy for her as a Remnant, and she still has a long way to go before she will learn what that means. Four Remnants are part of the prophecy, and one has never been found yet. There is a natural pause at the end of this story that will feed into future novels of the series.

This is a fantastic romantasy! Perfect amount of world-building without being bogged down and an interesting magic system. I’m not much of a spicy reader, and this book did not focus on spice scenes, which was perfect for me. There were some parts that were a little slow and I feel it could be edited down from 500 pages to maybe around 400 instead. But, that still did not hurt my enjoyment of the book and I’m looking forward to more in this world!

Thanks for the opportunity to read and I’ll be spotlighting this book on pub day!

This book was freakin amazing!! It was jam packed with action. This is book 1 of the Reign of Remnants, and I can't wait to see where the rest of the series goes. This one really planted visuals, the world building and cast of characters. I know who i'm rooting for!!

If you like:
✨Elemental Magic
✨Found Family
✨Fae / monsters
✨Slow burn
✨Forced Proximity

I will be thinking about this book for days! Weeks! Months!

This was such a fun romantasy, and an excellent start to the series! Rhya has been raised in the Midlands, a war-torn country that lacks maegic and hate faeries. As a hafling, she is hated and hunted, until she is rescued and taken against her will by Penn, a broody, grumpy stranger to the Northlands. It’s while she’s there that she learns of the history of Anwyvn, the prophecy of the fated tetrad, and the magical destiny awaiting her. It had me hooked from the first page, and I found myself completely invested in Rhya and Penn’s story. (And while I love Penn, I think I’m actually on Team Soren). You need to read this immediately if you love action packed romantasies filled with prophecy and magical destiny, morally complex characters, slow-burn forbidden love bursting with tension, and the most lovable side characters ever. I can’t wait for the next book!
🏹
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🏹
Read if you like:
▫️strong, stabby, sassy heroine
▫️broody, grumpy hero
▫️slow burn, angsty romance
▫️faeries and elemental maegic
▫️prophecies and destiny
▫️reluctant allies
▫️court politics
▫️found family
🏹
Thank you to Ace Books, Berkley Publishing, Julie Johnson, and NetGalley for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

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!