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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoy this series. One of my favourite parts is definitely the fact that even though the books are linked by the brothers, each story is completely different.
The south wind has a little bit of a sleeping beauty and the Minotaur and the labyrinth mixed in with the story but it isn’t enough to make it feel like a retelling. It’s just a really enjoyable read. I will be buying it for my bookshelf when it is finally released.
The south wind has a little bit of a sleeping beauty and the Minotaur and the labyrinth mixed in with the story but it isn’t enough to make it feel like a retelling. It’s just a really enjoyable read. I will be buying it for my bookshelf when it is finally released.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
Thank you @sagapress and @alexandriawarwick for the free arc and @netgalley for the free e-arc 💖.
✨What it is about:
Cursed to die on her 25th birthday, Princess Sarai agrees to an arranged marriage to secure her kingdom’s future. When her dangerous fiancé reveals dark secrets, she turns to her ex-lover, the god of the South Wind, for help.✨
💭My thoughts:
This is the third book in the Four Winds series by Alexandria Warwick, inspired by Sleeping Beauty and the Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo. In this one get to meet the third immortal brother of the series, Notus (the South Wind).
While this was a good read, it took a little while for me to feel fully invested in the story. I felt the beginning was a little slow, but once I was in, I was hooked.
Though a little frustrating at times, I liked Sarai’s character. She was strong, passionate, and real. Even though she struggled with feeling like she wasn’t enough, she owned it, and even though she wasn’t a skilled fighter, she wasn’t a damsel in distress either which I liked.
The tension between her and Notus was palpable, and the yearning felt so real. There were lots of secrets and interesting elements, like the use of music, that really caught my attention. That said, toward the end, I felt a bit confused and was left with some questions. I might just have to go back and re-read some parts to hopefully clear those up. I liked how the fourth brother, the East Wind was introduced, and I can’t wait to learn more about him in the next book in the series.
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read if you like:
⬇️Sleeping Beauty
⬇️Arranged marriage
⬇️Second chance romance
⬇️Fake engagement
⬇️Complex family dynamics
⬇️Fantasy romance
⚠️CW: Death of a parent, suicide, sexual content.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
♡ Thank you to @sagapressbooks for the galley.
If you liked The North Wind, pick this one up: the love story of the third immortal brother, Notus, and Princess Sarai of Ammara.
This is a fast read with some light political maneuvering, an arranged marriage to join empires, a dysfunctional family, and a second chance romance.
I loved the desert setting which felt influenced by Arabian Nights! Blustery sand dunes, dry heat oasis under setting suns, and spice markets. This gave the book unique flavor distinct from the Norse winter setting of the North Wind, or the abbey of the West Wind.
I wasn’t a big fan of the labyrinth, which included an oddly timed steamy scene, but I did appreciate the use of music for healing. If you don’t like a plot reliant on keeping secrets from each other, you may get frustrated.
However, sometimes one needs a straightforward and predictable plot, a villain we love to hate, and a HEA. These you will find here. It was also really fun to have Wren and Boreas make a cameo!
💓
Trigger warnings for suicide‼️
If you liked The North Wind, pick this one up: the love story of the third immortal brother, Notus, and Princess Sarai of Ammara.
This is a fast read with some light political maneuvering, an arranged marriage to join empires, a dysfunctional family, and a second chance romance.
I loved the desert setting which felt influenced by Arabian Nights! Blustery sand dunes, dry heat oasis under setting suns, and spice markets. This gave the book unique flavor distinct from the Norse winter setting of the North Wind, or the abbey of the West Wind.
I wasn’t a big fan of the labyrinth, which included an oddly timed steamy scene, but I did appreciate the use of music for healing. If you don’t like a plot reliant on keeping secrets from each other, you may get frustrated.
However, sometimes one needs a straightforward and predictable plot, a villain we love to hate, and a HEA. These you will find here. It was also really fun to have Wren and Boreas make a cameo!
💓
Trigger warnings for suicide‼️
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
As with the first 2 books, this is also standalone, but does have many moments that are related to the events of the other books. I really enjoyed the easy, light world-building and the focus on the relationship between Notus and Princess Sarai. Warwick does an excellent job, once again, on developing her characters throughout the story and showing how they grow from slightly dislikable characters to really enjoyable and multi-faceted characters.
There is also a fun focus on music as a way to tell stories and to heal, especially when facing your own inner darkness.
Thank you to @sagapressbooks and @netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.
There is also a fun focus on music as a way to tell stories and to heal, especially when facing your own inner darkness.
Thank you to @sagapressbooks and @netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content warning - su!cide, d3ath of a parent, grief, war. References to mental health challenges. A couple of s3x scenes, the most graphic at around the 75% mark
In this third book of the Four Winds saga, we are taken to the city of Ishmar in the realm of Ammara, a desert city suffering from severe drought. The oases are drying up, and Princess Sarai Al-Khatim's life is running out. While she is to be wed to the Prince of a rival kingdom, she also owes her life to the Lord of the Mountain, and on her 25th name day she will be sacrificed to the Labyrinth; both pacts made for her by her father the King.
But when Ammara is threatened by the Darkwalkers that have already plagued the realms of the North Wind and the West Wind, the South Wind is there to protect the realm.
The only problem is - Sarai and Notus, the South Wind, have *history* and their on/off romance is getting in the way of her betrothal to Prince Balior - and their quest to save both the realm and Sarai's life.
==
This was a fun retelling of ancient myths, that bring together both Beauty and the Beast and the tale of Theseus and the Labyrinth.
Sarai is a fiercely independent woman who both rails against the trappings of royalty and duty.. and who uses it to her advantage when it suits her. Notus is tall, dark and brooding, and says her name a lot (he's a bit one dimensional).
There are major communication issues that woukd be resolved if the people involved would just stop and listen to each other instead of being on their high horses in righteous anger. The main antagonist, the Lord of the Mountain is a fascinating character and he will have a part to play in the next book (spoilers).
Of the supporting characters, I wanted to find out more about Tulleen and Roshar and the blind storyteller - they're characters who deserve more than just a bit part, and their stories would really expand the world of Ammara.
There are some very dark scenes in this book compared to the others in the series, and some readers may find them confronting.
I enjoyed the theme of music being a healer and a way to "soothe the savage beast" as the old adage goes, and the inclusion of both the East and the North Winds, linking the stories together.
I really enjoyed this, and can't wait for the next instalment in the Four Winds series!
~This is a NetGalley Arc. All opinions are my own. I also purchased the audiobook via Audible ~
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, War