Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - The North Wind

Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick

43 reviews

elclark15's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book is an excellent representation of accepting the love we think we deserve. Wren loves her sister more than anything, enough to go in her place when her twin is chosen as the bride for the North Wind/Frost King, a cold and unforgiving God responsible for the death of the realm and a 300+ year long winter that threatens everything Wren holds dear. While Wren’s sister is kind and beautiful, Wren has a facial scar, suffers from alcoholism, and is “too brash, too headstrong.” She tricks the god into marrying her instead, and seeks to reverse his hold on winter. While she is moved to the land of the dead, with the Frost King’s power weakening and an increase of Darkwalkers, shadow-demon like creatures, Wren has no idea who she can trust. If she wants to protect her sister and her village, she may just have to figure out how to kill a god

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isadora_reads's review

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adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

Hooked me from the beginning and I finished it in 1 day. This is a Beauty and the Beast themed spicy romance, with many call backs to the Disney version we are all familiar with. The comparison to Hades and Persephone is limited to the land being trapped in winter and the male lead being a god, who has been banished and judges the dead.

There is also some cross over with ACOTAR #1, if you like strong heroines with are the main family providers that find themselves forcefully taken to the more magical side of their world.

Stand out tropes: one horse, one bed, enemies to lovers, godXhuman relationships, grumpy/grumpy, caregiving, strong heroine, she keeps trying to kill him but he's super patient.

I love the Beauty and the Beast formula, and this book does it very well. But in this story both the MMC and FMC have their own darkness and issues to work out. The burn is slow as both characters find themselves falling in love, despite her goal to kill him in order to give the land reprieve from winter.

I totally look forward to reading the rest of the series and recommend this to anyone who likes spicy fantasy romance.

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teaand_tomes's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you Saga Press #SagaSaysCrew and NetGalley for the gifted review copy!

A compelling blend of fairytale and Greek mythology, drawing inspiration from "The Beauty and the Beast" and the myth of Hades and Persephone. The lead character, Wren, is a relatable figure struggling with alcoholism and loneliness, while the antagonist, Boreas, is a redeemable villain with depth. The selfless sacrifices made by both characters add a powerful layer to the narrative. The book is a masterful mix of romance, adventure, and heartache, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

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madelinereadsbooks's review against another edition

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Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

Wren’s town has been stuck in the dead of winter for the past 300 years; life is difficult and cold. Orphaned a few years ago, Wren bears the responsibility of keeping herself and her twin sister alive. She hunts for food and sells her body, all to save her sister from the same fate. Every thirty years or so, seven suitable women are chosen from the town to offer theirselves to the greatly feared North King. Each time he selects a wife, he takes them away and they are never seen again. This year, Wren’s sister Elora has been selected as one of the seven women to present herself to the North Wind, and Wren will do anything to save her.

The beginning of the book had strong A Court of Thorns and Roses and Hunger Games vibes, and that made so excited to be reading this book. However, I felt let down by the fantasy elements of this book. I felt that there was a lot of focus on the romance, but not a lot of world-building, leaving the fantasy element feeling unfinished. I would recommend this book to Beauty and the Beast lovers (and Hades and Persephone lovers), and to those who prefer the romance element of Romantasy. Please be mindful that this book contains elements that may not be suitable for Young Adult readers.

2.25/5 stars

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queencleo's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.5

This is what a Court of Thorn and Roses should have been.
Based on Eros and Psyche, mixed with Hades and Persephone, this is a Beauty and the Beast (Disney version) love story of the North Wind and poor little Wren.

Perfect for the Young Adult audience, this has a middle school reading level but very adult themes.

Sexy as hell, gory, tense and sweet - I didn't know what to expect from the opening chapter but I was quickly hooked. I can't wait for the rest of the series and would love to explore more of the immortals and how they've survived outliving everyone they've ever known and loved, over and over.

Areas for improvement - tightening up the editing for the opener, otherwise a solid 5 star read, I loved.it.

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rowanhill's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Features:

Explores themes of addiction, sacrifice, and trauma informed relationship building
Slow burn, enemies-to-lovers (captor/captured) romance
Blended retelling of Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Pespehone with other influences mixed in

A tale as old as time but with some interesting new twists! This book is a blended retelling of both Beauty and the Beast and the myth of Hades and Persephone. The mix of these stories works really well and there are definitely influences from other fantasy stories as well. However, everything fits together very cohesively in this slow burn romance. The romance between main character Wren and Boreas (The North Wind) is definitely the focus of this story and it takes time for things to start to thaw between them. There was enough going on with the plot that I was able to stay interested even when their relationship seemed at a standstill and ultimately, the whole evolution of these characters was worth sticking around for. There are occasionally some inconsistencies in the story and world building that can be a little confusing, but it still manages to have a strong identity overall. This is definitely one romantasy lovers will enjoy as long as you don’t mind waiting for things to heat up.

Pro: Slow but satisfying

Every few decades, the immortal known as The North Wind descends upon Wren’s village and selects a young woman as a ‘sacrifice’. Nobody knows what happens to the women who are selected, only that they are never seen again. Convinced that nothing but the purest of evil awaits those chosen by the being responsible for the cold, Wren is thrown into a state of panic when her twin sister, Elora, is chosen. In a last bid to protect Elora, Wren tricks The North Wind into taking her instead. Given these circumstances, it is little wonder that things are off to a rocky start.

Wren spends the better part of the book plotting The North Wind’s (Boreas’s) demise, even as they start to warm up to each other a little more. Both characters are selfish and hard headed in their own ways, but there are also reasons behind their behavior that make it understandable even if it can get a little annoying. A lot of their journey as a couple is just as much about growing past their trauma-informed behaviors as it is about connecting with each other and I found the way they do so very enjoyable. We don’t get a lot of Elora after the beginning of the story, but the way she is woven into the later parts of the story is very well done and supports the growth of the other characters in a meaningful way. It takes a little longer than I would like to start seeing these shifts, but it is worth the wait!

The Breakdown: What story are we in now?

From the first few moments of this story, I was drawn into this world of ice and the characters trying to survive within it. However, if you look closer, you start to see all of the little cracks under the surface. To me, it feels like Warwick has a clear idea of what the world and characters look like as well as how they want to represent the key elements they are drawing from the source material. However, they don’t always know how to connect these ideas or what things should be at a more micro level and it leads to small inconsistencies throughout. A very good example of this is early in the book when Wren makes an off comment about a three headed dog guarding the river/entrance to the Deadlands (Underworld). Where the parallels to Greek myth are clear at this point, this comment felt out of touch with the world being established. Nothing else from Greek myth has been so directly mentioned to this point and the concept of a traditional Cerberus in a wintery world plagued by Deadwalkers feels almost comically out of place. Even if the intent was to reveal Wren’s lack of knowledge, there were a lot of other options that would feel more cohesive.

This moment and others are quite small, but world building is all in the details. Though I appreciate the story took its time, there are definitely moments where things stalled and became repetitive in a ‘loading screen’ like fashion while we transitioned into the next big ‘scene’. Most of the inconsistencies happen in these off moments. Perhaps what I am missing most is a clear cultural touchstone in this world. There is definitely a history and lore guiding the events unfolding, but we never get a real sense of how this history has seeped into culture in consistent and meaningful ways. This might have helped make the broader plot clearer and more compelling while also giving Wren more clear and powerful motives. Overall, I was very immersed in this world but found myself a little lost in the woods at times.

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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booksbyfi_'s review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

3.5

Thank you to Simon & Schuster (Australia) and NetGalley for providing me with this e-ARC! Opinions are my own.

➼ ★★★.5 stars

if you’re looking for an enthralling, steamy, captivating romantasy read - you need to read Alexandria Warwick’s ‘The North Wind’ RIGHT NOW!!! Prepare to be transported to a world where Boreas, a devilishly handsome and misunderstood God who reigns over the deadlands, collides with Wren, a headstrong, stubborn, altruistic heroine determined to flip his realm upside down…

"Endure. Survive. Fight. It is all I can do."

we LOVE a girl who would do ANYTHING for the people she loves and miss wren does just that!! Her relationship with her sister, Wren, was very real in terms of the burden eldest daughters have to carry when it comes to their siblings (even though Wren and Elora are twins, Wren just gives the vibes of the eldest daughter!).

“unhand me…or I will castrate you, immortal or not.”

wren made me laugh in this book so much bcs she has NO CHILL HAHAHAH she really eats up these one-liners when interacting with those in the way of what she wants to achieve, and i love that for her lol

“but he only pushes back his hood, revealing a countenance of such agonising beauty that I can only look at him for so long before I’m forced to run away."

Now, let’s talk about THE NORTH FREAKING WIND mmhm…

Boreas is your classic dark-hair, misunderstood, cold-hearted, “villain” mmc and i ATE IT UP!!! That man could take me to be his wife and I wouldn’t complain one bit, if it meant I got to live with his GORGEOUS self lol. He was actually kinda funny too bcs some MMCs lack substance, period.

notes:
- worldbuilding was great!
- pacing was great up until about 75% of the book - it got quite slow here and kinda felt like filler chapters and then picked up in the last 30-40 pages!
- the side characters are so cute esp orla, pallas, silas, and thyamine (my faves)
- hades x persephone retelling
- inspired by the beauty and the beast

tropes:
- enemies to lovers
- slow burn romance
- one bed

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