Lush. Dark. Romantic. Introducing a newly reimagined tale written in the vein of Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone.
Long before civilization, there were the gods. And before the gods, there was the earth, the celestial bodies, and air given flesh. They are the Anemoi—the Four Winds—and they have been banished to the four corners of the world.
Wren of Edgewood is no stranger to suffering. Her parents are gone. Survival is all she knows. For three hundred years, the land known as the Gray has been encased in ice, surrounded by a great barrier called the Shade, which protects the townsfolk from the Deadlands beyond.
But day by day, the Shade weakens.
Only one thing can stop the Shade's fall: a mortal woman taken captive across the barrier, bound in wedlock to the dark god who reigns over the Deadlands. He is the North Wind, the Frost King, an immortal whose heart is said to be as frigid as the land he rules.
And the time has come for the Frost King to choose his bride.
My Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
(Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own and are honest and unbiased.)
If I could pick one word to describe this book, it would be "mesmerizing." Words can't express how much I loved The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick. The summary mentioned that The North Wind was reminiscent of Hades and Persephone and Beauty and the Beast. That's what made me jump on the opportunity to read this book. What kept me reading, however, was the fact that Warwick absolutely enthralled me with her complex characters, gut-wrenching plot, and lovely writing style. The enchanting first-person narrative flowed like water. Warwick spun a tale of winter, but her writing style was as lush as spring. The very first sentence snatched ahold of me like evening frost upon the grass, and I was held captive until the end.
I could read an entire series just centered around the daily
lives of the characters—the side and main characters alike. The
main characters' development was poignant and empowering, especially Wren's. Wren offered a nice change from the typical heroine. Brash,
aggressive, witty, and imperfect, Wren was refreshingly unique and
entertaining. She was a tough character with an unexpectedly soft core that
contrasted nicely with her prickly personality. She came a long way from start
to finish, and I loved every second of it, even though there were a few times
her judgmental inclinations got under my skin. I admired how the characters'
prejudices and misconceptions were turned on their heads. Though
the chemistry that developed between the couple was exceptional, the relationship didn't overshadow the individual
characters, a fact I appreciated.
This work had a few deep messages. For me, one of the deepest was that it's important to love and find wholeness in ourselves. Warwick expertly explored the effects of grief, as well as the familial roles we can so easily sink into during crises. There were a few questions that went unanswered, but they were minor enough to not present a problem. While I loved that Warwick wrapped the tale up so neatly, I didn't want the story to end. The last pages left me heartbroken in the best of ways because I didn't want to say goodbye to the characters, but there was no better way to leave them. If you enjoy dark fantasy, slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance with an excellent payoff, interesting nods to Greek mythology, and plenty of tear-jerking moments, get The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick. Then message me so we can gush about it together because there's so much I want to say and can't for fear of spoiling it for anyone.
Content Warning: Graphic sex scenes, violence, mild gore, and alcoholism.
Alexandria Warwick is the #1 fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender. She is the author of The Demon Race and the North series.
Thanks for being on the tour! Lovely review! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! I appreciate you having me on the tour, and I'm glad you enjoyed my review!
DeleteI just finished this book and I agree with everything you wrote. The angst, the relationships, the characters!
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the book, too! Feel free to connect on social media or email if you'd like to further discuss the book. :)
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