ebookreview | [ 471 ]

The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick

Series:
The Four Winds #1

Genre:
Hades and Persephone, Retellings, Beauty and the Beast, Romance, New Adult, Mythology, Fantasy, Gods, Adult, Spicy Romance, High Fantasy, Slow Burn, BookTok, Enemies to Lovers

Publication Date:
January 13, 2022

Read Date:
May 24th, 2023

Date Finished:
May 25th, 2023

Rating:
3 out of 5

Blurb:

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.

The North Wind is a standalone, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance, the first in a series sprinkled with Greek lore. Perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Laura Thalassa, and Scarlett St. Clair.

Review:

I wanted to believe that a book trounced by BookTok to be a mix between Hades and Persephone and Beauty and the Beast would be something I would highly enjoy. The book was meant to meet all of my expectations but this book was more of a letdown than anything.

Wren really grated on my nerves. I know what she did for her sister was out of love and protection, but she should also realize that the situation she placed herself in was also by her own power. Instead of making use of her time and learning about why Boreas needs a wife every thirty (?) years, she makes trouble for EVERYONE. Not just for the Frost King but for her own maid and everyone within her path. I could not stand her at all. Her character does not gain any character growth, at least that is my opinion, nor do I ever feel any connection with her.

I did feel sorry for Boreas because much like Hades within the Underworld, he has a duty to keep things going like a well-oiled machine. The only thing I did not understand is why he needed a wife every thirty years nor what happened to his last wife. We get a vague storyline having to do with Zephyrus. And if he was having problems with Bringer of Spring, why did he even allow him into his home? I did not understand that. If he was behind the death of my own wife, I would never allow him IN MY HOME OR NEAR MY WIFE. Did he not learn from past mistakes?

I loved the idea pertaining to the world and its characters, but their entire storyline and half of the world seemed vague and lacking. It felt disconnected and although there were some recognitions from the Underworld, it was not enough to give it any character.

Maybe book two might be better.