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The North Wind
by Alexandria Warwick
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
4/5 (just about) ⭐ POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD - PROCEED WITH CAUTION
[b:The North Wind|202934233|The North Wind (The Four Winds, #1)|Alexandria Warwick|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1701996182l/202934233._SY75_.jpg|89668051] by [a:Alexandria Warwick|15371632|Alexandria Warwick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1730129593p2/15371632.jpg]
✦•······················•✦•······················•✦
Soundtrack that carried me through:
1. As It Was — Hozier
2. Sirens — Fleurie
3. Winter Bird — AURORA
✦•······················•✦•······················•✦
I want to start off by saying, I think I maybe made a mistake reading the Crescent City series just before this book. I found the contrast in writing styles between [a:Sarah J. Maas|3433047|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1582137198p2/3433047.jpg] and [a:Alexandria Warwick|15371632|Alexandria Warwick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1730129593p2/15371632.jpg] a bit jarring, but I see that as a shortcoming on my part. Regardless, for the first 70% of [b:The North Wind|202934233|The North Wind (The Four Winds, #1)|Alexandria Warwick|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1701996182l/202934233._SY75_.jpg|89668051] my rating was hovering somewhere between a high 2 and a low 3. If it wasn’t a book club pick, I probably would’ve shelved it as a DNF.
The writing leaned a bit too matter-of-fact for me at first (short sentences, minimal description), and I wasn’t super invested in the plot or worldbuilding. I had so many questions, and not enough answers. Like… Why does the North Wind get to just take a woman every few years? Who agreed to that? What purpose are they actually serving? Why did he marry Wren on this occasion? And the whole "blood for the wall" thing—mentioned a couple of times and then completely dropped. The side characters were a bit flat for me too, bar a couple like Zephyrus and Orla. The lore was murky at best, and I kept waiting for answers that never quite came.
I struggled with Wren’s characterisation at first. She’s introduced as the typical survival-first, headstrong FMC you find in the fantasy genre, but then she’s oddly quick to shift on major decisions. Like, it took one comment from Orla about Boreas having a temper and that’s enough for her to agree to marry him? Shouldn’t that raise more red flags? And for someone with a long history of alcohol dependence, Wren seems to recover… suspiciously quickly from her forced sobriety. I expected at least some struggle with temptation later on but nope. One magical nap and we move on!
✦•······················•✦•······················•✦
You’re probably wondering why on earth I still rated this book 4 stars. To put it simply, the romance. The romance is what completely saved this book for me.
Holy fuck. [a:Alexandria Warwick|15371632|Alexandria Warwick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1730129593p2/15371632.jpg] may have left me cold with the plot, but the romance was absolutely masterful. She writes slow burn with the patience and precision of a woman who understands the assignment. The tension, the chemistry, the longing, it’s just so good. Every little moment of Boreas softening towards Wren had me giggling and kicking my feet. He’s an immortal god, yet also awkward, shy, and kind of clueless about human emotions. It’s SO CUTE. It’s nice to see an MMC that isn’t the typical ‘I have endless lovers and satisfaction and riches’ guy. One of the most satisfying blends of enemies-to-lovers, one bed, slow burn, and mutual pining I’ve read in a while.
Once their story started unravelling, I was all in. When she wakes up to find his arm wrapped around her when they had to share a bed for the first time? Screaming. They still practically hated each other at that point!!! When he reads aloud the smut book she’d been reading in the library DIRECTLY TO HER? I nearly passed out. Also, Boreas saying “Please don’t stab me for this” before kissing her? Sir, I am DELIGHTED. [a:Alexandria Warwick|15371632|Alexandria Warwick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1730129593p2/15371632.jpg], you knew exactly what you were doing.
The sleep potion scene was my absolute favourite scene in the entire book. I sobbed throughout the whole thing. Wren still being unsure about everything and everyone, and obtaining the sleep potion (albeit hesitantly) from Zephyrus—a way out, just in case. Then when Boreas catches her in her betrayal, he doesn’t get angry. He doesn’t demand explanations or punish her. Just offers her the dagger and puts it to his own chest. The way he made Wren tell him step-by-step how she was planning on killing him, then gave her the choice to ‘free’ herself by ending his life right there. He’s giving her power in a moment where she’s never had any. He’s saying: if you truly see me as a monster, if this is the only way you’ll feel safe, do it. End it. He strips himself down emotionally, leaves himself wide open, and puts the choice in her hands. The silence between them in that scene is deafening. There is so much weight, so much history, pain, tension. I was holding my breath. The fact he lets Wren see his scars, his self-loathing... It went so far beyond just trust at that point, and it still breaks my heart just thinking about it. Probably one of my favourite book scenes I’ve ever read.
By the end, I was in love with both of them. Wren’s growth is powerful and earned, and her confrontation with Elora was so satisfying. And Boreas giving up his immortality to live a full mortal life with her was icing on the cake (pun intended
4/5 (just about) ⭐ POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD - PROCEED WITH CAUTION
[b:The North Wind|202934233|The North Wind (The Four Winds, #1)|Alexandria Warwick|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1701996182l/202934233._SY75_.jpg|89668051] by [a:Alexandria Warwick|15371632|Alexandria Warwick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1730129593p2/15371632.jpg]
✦•······················•✦•······················•✦
Soundtrack that carried me through:
1. As It Was — Hozier
2. Sirens — Fleurie
3. Winter Bird — AURORA
✦•······················•✦•······················•✦
“What can power give you? It can't care for you when you've taken ill. It can't make you laugh. It is a rigid, cold thing, affectionless and barren. It does not give. It only takes."
I want to start off by saying, I think I maybe made a mistake reading the Crescent City series just before this book. I found the contrast in writing styles between [a:Sarah J. Maas|3433047|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1582137198p2/3433047.jpg] and [a:Alexandria Warwick|15371632|Alexandria Warwick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1730129593p2/15371632.jpg] a bit jarring, but I see that as a shortcoming on my part. Regardless, for the first 70% of [b:The North Wind|202934233|The North Wind (The Four Winds, #1)|Alexandria Warwick|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1701996182l/202934233._SY75_.jpg|89668051] my rating was hovering somewhere between a high 2 and a low 3. If it wasn’t a book club pick, I probably would’ve shelved it as a DNF.
The writing leaned a bit too matter-of-fact for me at first (short sentences, minimal description), and I wasn’t super invested in the plot or worldbuilding. I had so many questions, and not enough answers. Like… Why does the North Wind get to just take a woman every few years? Who agreed to that? What purpose are they actually serving? Why did he marry Wren on this occasion? And the whole "blood for the wall" thing—mentioned a couple of times and then completely dropped. The side characters were a bit flat for me too, bar a couple like Zephyrus and Orla. The lore was murky at best, and I kept waiting for answers that never quite came.
“I am not gentle. I am a creature whose teeth were sharpened on suffering, and above all else, I will survive.”
I struggled with Wren’s characterisation at first. She’s introduced as the typical survival-first, headstrong FMC you find in the fantasy genre, but then she’s oddly quick to shift on major decisions. Like, it took one comment from Orla about Boreas having a temper and that’s enough for her to agree to marry him? Shouldn’t that raise more red flags? And for someone with a long history of alcohol dependence, Wren seems to recover… suspiciously quickly from her forced sobriety. I expected at least some struggle with temptation later on but nope. One magical nap and we move on!
✦•······················•✦•······················•✦
"Patience is for those who know little of what they want. I tell him as much."
You’re probably wondering why on earth I still rated this book 4 stars. To put it simply, the romance. The romance is what completely saved this book for me.
Holy fuck. [a:Alexandria Warwick|15371632|Alexandria Warwick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1730129593p2/15371632.jpg] may have left me cold with the plot, but the romance was absolutely masterful. She writes slow burn with the patience and precision of a woman who understands the assignment. The tension, the chemistry, the longing, it’s just so good. Every little moment of Boreas softening towards Wren had me giggling and kicking my feet. He’s an immortal god, yet also awkward, shy, and kind of clueless about human emotions. It’s SO CUTE. It’s nice to see an MMC that isn’t the typical ‘I have endless lovers and satisfaction and riches’ guy. One of the most satisfying blends of enemies-to-lovers, one bed, slow burn, and mutual pining I’ve read in a while.
“I stare at the bed.
He stares at the bed.
Of course there is only one bed—again.
Of course.”
Once their story started unravelling, I was all in. When she wakes up to find his arm wrapped around her when they had to share a bed for the first time? Screaming. They still practically hated each other at that point!!! When he reads aloud the smut book she’d been reading in the library DIRECTLY TO HER? I nearly passed out. Also, Boreas saying “Please don’t stab me for this” before kissing her? Sir, I am DELIGHTED. [a:Alexandria Warwick|15371632|Alexandria Warwick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1730129593p2/15371632.jpg], you knew exactly what you were doing.
“The Frost King draws my hand forward, closing it over the hilt. The leather crinkles beneath my sweaty palm as he positions the dagger point to rest over his heart.”
The sleep potion scene was my absolute favourite scene in the entire book. I sobbed throughout the whole thing. Wren still being unsure about everything and everyone, and obtaining the sleep potion (albeit hesitantly) from Zephyrus—a way out, just in case. Then when Boreas catches her in her betrayal, he doesn’t get angry. He doesn’t demand explanations or punish her. Just offers her the dagger and puts it to his own chest. The way he made Wren tell him step-by-step how she was planning on killing him, then gave her the choice to ‘free’ herself by ending his life right there. He’s giving her power in a moment where she’s never had any. He’s saying: if you truly see me as a monster, if this is the only way you’ll feel safe, do it. End it. He strips himself down emotionally, leaves himself wide open, and puts the choice in her hands. The silence between them in that scene is deafening. There is so much weight, so much history, pain, tension. I was holding my breath. The fact he lets Wren see his scars, his self-loathing... It went so far beyond just trust at that point, and it still breaks my heart just thinking about it. Probably one of my favourite book scenes I’ve ever read.
"He, Boreas the North Wind, had baked a cake."
By the end, I was in love with both of them. Wren’s growth is powerful and earned, and her confrontation with Elora was so satisfying. And Boreas giving up his immortality to live a full mortal life with her was icing on the cake (pun intended