A review by nattymomo
The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick

adventurous funny medium-paced

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

3.5

I love when a romantasy book delivers on both the fantasy and the romance—and The North Winddefinitely does both. It gave me serious Beauty and the Beast meets Hades and Persephone vibes in the best way. It’s got an icy immortal, a resilient mortal girl, a crumbling magical world, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers tension that had me leaning all the way in.

Wren was such a gritty heroine. She’s tough and pragmatic, but still feels deeply—especially when it comes to protecting her sister. She has that quiet strength I love, and while she makes plenty of stubborn choices, you understand every single one of them. She’s not trying to be a savior, she’s just trying to survive—and I respected the heck out of that.

Then there’s Boreas. The immortal North Wind himself. Cold, cruel, and emotionally constipated at first, but you know there’s warmth under the frost—and watching it slowly emerge? Chef’s kiss. Their relationship has tension, teeth, and tenderness, and it burns so slowly it’s practically glacial—but once the thaw starts? Feral. Me. Screaming.

The worldbuilding was vivid and harsh, with this ever-present feeling of dread that matched the icy terrain perfectly. I loved the Greek myth inspiration and thought the magic system, while subtle, worked really well for the story. Also: consent was handled beautifully. The romance is more emotional than spicy (think yearning, with one or two well-earned scenes), but I didn’t mind that because the build-up? Worth it.

All in all, this was a frosty little fairytale with high stakes, high tension, and just enough warmth to melt the ice. Definitely diving into the next in the series.

—

Start Date: 6/23/2025

End Date: 6/24/2025

Star Rating: 3.5⭐️

Format: Kindle

Spice Rating: 3🌶️

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Setting: Fantasy Realm

Publication Date: 5/9/2024

Publishing House: Simon & Schuster UK

Est Page Count: 448 pages

Audio Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Audio Pub Date: 5/21/2024

Audio Length: 16 hrs 41 mins

Audio Speed: n/a

Narrator: Charlotte Brentan, Travis Tonn

Narrator Rating: n/a

POV: First Person

Content Triggers: Death of parents, captivity, violence, implied past sexual coercion, trauma, starvation/survival themes, body horror