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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you SO MUCH to Simon & Schuster Australia for sending me a gorgeous PR box for this book. All thoughts are my own. Obviously. I emailed and begged for this bc I love this series.
And I LOVED this book. So much.
Oh, my gosh.
Sarai was such a wonderful main character. She’s been through so much and has hardened herself, moulded herself into something she isn’t, just to survive, to hold onto the people she has left, to not disappoint, to not be hurt again. And gosh, how I ached for her. Her journey towards loving and accepting all the dark and broken parts of herself showed just how truly strong she is and I loved that so much.
Her romance with Notus was swoon-worthy. So much tension and heartache, so many missed opportunities and blocks in their path to each other. But their love shone through even when they wished it wouldn’t, and it was stronger than everything standing in their path.
I loved the nods to both Sleeping Beauty and Theseus and the Minotaur, the things borrowed and woven into this story were really lovingly and cleverly written. I especially loved the labyrinth and everything that happened there. Also the way music was present throughout this tale was lovely, too. I loved this story more and more the further in I got.
If you’ve not read this series then I highly recommend you do.
And I LOVED this book. So much.
Oh, my gosh.
Sarai was such a wonderful main character. She’s been through so much and has hardened herself, moulded herself into something she isn’t, just to survive, to hold onto the people she has left, to not disappoint, to not be hurt again. And gosh, how I ached for her. Her journey towards loving and accepting all the dark and broken parts of herself showed just how truly strong she is and I loved that so much.
Her romance with Notus was swoon-worthy. So much tension and heartache, so many missed opportunities and blocks in their path to each other. But their love shone through even when they wished it wouldn’t, and it was stronger than everything standing in their path.
I loved the nods to both Sleeping Beauty and Theseus and the Minotaur, the things borrowed and woven into this story were really lovingly and cleverly written. I especially loved the labyrinth and everything that happened there. Also the way music was present throughout this tale was lovely, too. I loved this story more and more the further in I got.
If you’ve not read this series then I highly recommend you do.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My favorite part about The South Wind was how immersed I felt in the world. Every time I picked it up, I felt like I was IN the sand dunes in the desert of Amara. I live for the world building!
Our FMC Sarai was prickly and strong, as one must be with a secret Sleeping Beauty-like ticking clock over your head. Notus is everything you expect from a banished god: stoic, gentle but strong, and I loved waiting to see him cracked open by Sarai. I could have done without so many secrets and miscommunications between them, but where would there story be without?
A bit of political intrigue, beautiful writing style, a few plot holes I was willing to overlook, an ill-fated journey into the desert together, and an ending wrap up that i loved!
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Firstly, thank you so much Netgalley and also Simon & Schuster AU for the opportunity to read this ARC! This was such a dream opportunity as a fan of Alexandria Warwick. The following will be my review:
The South Wind was a Solid 3.5/5⭐️ that follows Princess Sarai as she navigates her last days, leading up to her 25th Birthday where she is destined to no longer live due to her for told curse. Sarai, carrying the weight of her kingdoms burdens, grief and anxiety for the future - attempts to heal these concerns through an Arranged Marriage to a Prince who can help her people. However, with her Ex - Notus the South Wind re-appearing in her life as a Kings Guard in request of her Father, Sarai must deal with her previous feelings coming to the surface. Not to mention that he is now her Betrothed as they come into agreement of a Fake Engagement to discover the truths behind Prince Bailors intentions.
The South Wind was an interesting read as a continuation in the standalone series, truthfully speaking it was hard to evaluate my thoughts on this book. To unpack it, I’ll start with the obvious being Ms Alexandria Warwick never fails to stick to her beautiful writing style. She always knows how to teleport you into the world she has carved from her imagination and make it feel as magical as can be, because of that I had no trouble falling in love with the setting getting to know the characters and finding interest within the plot. While the writing while intricate, detailed and beautifully conveyed did feel dragged on at times as sometimes we focused too much on details, that repetition occurred which I found to be the hardest part of consuming the storyline - including how it made the relationship between Notus and Sarai feel push and pull with the miscommunication trope a bit too much and dragged the book along many of the time.
However, I do see the direction she was going and respect the leap she has taken because there are deeper themes explored such as Sarai’s deep grief, regrets and fear for her life and her loved ones. I think this is what made her such a strong character; because she was afraid and emotional. She was completely laid bare and burdened in so many aspects - which is where her relationship with Notus really acts as a glue to mend her when she calls for it. While Notus and Sarai take a long time to get passed their up and downs because both aren’t the best communicators due to putting everyone else above their own needs, they balance each other when they finally do come together, including the external factors that come between them.
Over all, it was well done and I still do look forward to reading about The East Wind when the time comes. The positives do out weigh the bad, so this is by no means a bad review - rather I hope anyone who read’s this see’s it as a maybe because this is coming from a personal opinion where my favourite from this author is The North Wind and I can 100% vouch for this author and her writing. Being that it is a maybe, I hope to convey that my interpretation of this story could look different to you - so I still encourage you to have a go and find out if it’s your dream book!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
*Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for providing a digital copy to review*
Fairy tales and Greek Mythology are two of my special interests, and when I see a book take inspiration from them, I get excited. And when they happen to be my favourite fairy tale (Sleeping Beauty) and myth (Theseus and the Minotaur), I couldn’t wait to see how they worked together.
Fairy tales and Greek Mythology are two of my special interests, and when I see a book take inspiration from them, I get excited. And when they happen to be my favourite fairy tale (Sleeping Beauty) and myth (Theseus and the Minotaur), I couldn’t wait to see how they worked together.
I still have yet to read The North Wind but I have read The West Wind, and so far I think Notus is my favourite of the brothers. While he made a mistake which hurt Sarai greatly, he comes back to her and does all he can to help her. Sarai, on the other hand, annoyed me greatly. Yes, she got hurt, but she really needed to just talk to Notus. I hate the miscommunication trope with a passion, and Sarai’s stubbornness just made it worse.
This is a second-chance romance, and at times, I did feel a bit lost with Notus and Sarai’s relationship as we don’t really learn much about when they were together until later on. It made it harder for me to get invested in their relationship.
Family trauma is a prevalent theme in this book, with Sarai and her brothers trying to live up to their father’s expectations. Sarai conforms herself to be the ‘perfect’ princess, pushing her wants and interests aside. The events in this book, including her relationship with Notus, allow Sarai to develop greatly as a character, which I enjoyed reading.
I loved the elements taken from the myth and fairy tale, and how they linked together. These elements felt so familiar, and it was interesting seeing them adapted in this book.
I’m going to preface this review by saying I absolutely loved the first two books and I may have overhyped this in my head, but this one was rather disappointing.
The South Wind felt like Sarai complaining for 70% then I was like finally the Labyrinth and then it was just learning about her childhood and not a lot else???
The North Wind and The West Wind both had great plot that was driven by the characters and actions. This really lacked any action driven plot. I was pretty bored the entire time.
Alexandria Warwicks writing style definitely saved this from being a DNF for me. I love how she uses language to create gorgeous imagery and such visceral emotion.
I’m really hoping the East Wind is as brooding and mischievous as he is made out to be in his introduction in this story so I’m looking forward to that.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest opinion.
The South Wind felt like Sarai complaining for 70% then I was like finally the Labyrinth and then it was just learning about her childhood and not a lot else???
The North Wind and The West Wind both had great plot that was driven by the characters and actions. This really lacked any action driven plot. I was pretty bored the entire time.
Alexandria Warwicks writing style definitely saved this from being a DNF for me. I love how she uses language to create gorgeous imagery and such visceral emotion.
I’m really hoping the East Wind is as brooding and mischievous as he is made out to be in his introduction in this story so I’m looking forward to that.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest opinion.
‘The child was born into silence. Initially the midwife believed her to be stillborn.’
The third instalment in Ms Warwick’s Four Winds series is inspired by both the Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo and the fairytale Sleeping Beauty. And yes, I really enjoyed it. I have only just finished reading ‘The West Wind’ and while I didn’t enjoy it as much as ‘The North Wind’, I am hooked on this series.
This fantasy story takes us to the kingdom of Ammara, where Princess Sarai believes that she has less than three months to live. She is cursed, she believes, to die on her twenty-fifth nameday. Her father, the king, is ill. Her older brother, the heir, is dead. Her remaining brother, recently married, is preparing for rule. But the kingdom is under threat, and the king has arranged a marriage for Sarai to Prince Balior, from a neighbouring kingdom.
But … Sarai has feelings for Notus, the South Wind, whom her father has invited back to Ammara to help protect Sarai against the evil of the Darkwalkers. Sarai and Notus were previously lovers and while she has not forgiven him for leaving her, she announces a fake engagement to him when she has reason to question Prince Balior’s motives.
The scene is set for a fast-moving fantasy romance which involves several different quests as well as great danger posed by both the Darkwalkers and the horrors of the labryrinth within the place grounds.
The heroism of both Sarai and Notus held my attention, as did the several quests that Sarai undertakes in search of self-knowledge and truth. And, of course, both Sarai and Notus have kept secrets from each other which may have made life so much easier had they been shared.
And now I wait, patiently, for ‘The East Wind’: the final book in this series.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
The third instalment in Ms Warwick’s Four Winds series is inspired by both the Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo and the fairytale Sleeping Beauty. And yes, I really enjoyed it. I have only just finished reading ‘The West Wind’ and while I didn’t enjoy it as much as ‘The North Wind’, I am hooked on this series.
This fantasy story takes us to the kingdom of Ammara, where Princess Sarai believes that she has less than three months to live. She is cursed, she believes, to die on her twenty-fifth nameday. Her father, the king, is ill. Her older brother, the heir, is dead. Her remaining brother, recently married, is preparing for rule. But the kingdom is under threat, and the king has arranged a marriage for Sarai to Prince Balior, from a neighbouring kingdom.
But … Sarai has feelings for Notus, the South Wind, whom her father has invited back to Ammara to help protect Sarai against the evil of the Darkwalkers. Sarai and Notus were previously lovers and while she has not forgiven him for leaving her, she announces a fake engagement to him when she has reason to question Prince Balior’s motives.
The scene is set for a fast-moving fantasy romance which involves several different quests as well as great danger posed by both the Darkwalkers and the horrors of the labryrinth within the place grounds.
The heroism of both Sarai and Notus held my attention, as did the several quests that Sarai undertakes in search of self-knowledge and truth. And, of course, both Sarai and Notus have kept secrets from each other which may have made life so much easier had they been shared.
And now I wait, patiently, for ‘The East Wind’: the final book in this series.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
I have been excited about this series since I first picked up The North Wind last year and devoured it in a few days. I fell in love with Alexandria Warwick’s writing, and the world she had built in the first book of the Four Winds series. Little did I know that each book that followed would feel like en entirely new world.
In the third book, which can be read as a standalone, we are introduced to Sarai, a princess who is cursed by the Lord of the Mountain to only live until her 25th name day. The story ties together the myth of Minos and Sleeping Beauty.
While navigating grief and her own feelings of inadequacy and lack of freedom, Sarai is faced with the return of her ex, Notus. Notus is the god of the South Wind, and is the third brother of the Four Winds we meet in this series.
Ammara feels atmospheric, rich and golden, and completely distinct from the other settings in the series. The side characters also help to make this world feel real. Roshar, in particular, stands out. I think I want to read an entire book about him.
Sarai is wonderfully flawed. She’s stubborn, insecure, and makes incredibly relatable missteps and bad decisions. There’s a complex web of emotions and insecurities that have led her to this point in her life, and her attempts to untangle and make sense of herself in order to move forward are, at times, emotionally intense.
As for Notus… I’m not sure how, because each of the Four Winds is incredibly distinct from the other, but somehow they’re all my favourite. Notus feels like peak ‘man written by a woman’ to me. I love him. He’s hot. I don’t know how else to say it.
Their love feels steamy and rich and helps balance the emotional intensity with something warm and romantic.
Time is taken to lay the foundations at the beginning of the story so that the world is well established when the plot really takes off. Reading the second half of this book flew by and I couldn’t put it down.
Sarai’s grief, her feelings of inadequacy, and her lack of freedom create a moving emotional core. Watching her untangle her own identity was powerful.
This is a lush, emotional, romantic fantasy with both character depth and wonderful worldbuilding. Alexandria Warwick continues to impress me, and I’ll read anything she writes.