West Wind

Darci's Review 

The West Wind, the second book of the Four Winds Quartet, explores the intersection of faith and love, and the corruption of the mind and soul through grief. With stunning prose and an exciting plot, Alexandria Warwick blends a tale of temptation, morality, and bravery that tugs on your heartstrings. 

Warwick’s characters are beautifully written. Brielle, a dedicated acolyte at Thornbrook Abbey, believes she is failing the Father due to her struggles with temptations. Zephyrus, the disgraced god of Spring, atones for his past sins and selfishness through self-destructive behaviour. Harper, a fellow acolyte with a harsh and hateful exterior, projects her inner turmoil onto others. The novel uses these different realities of the human condition to show the varying ways in which grief can fester, be exploited, or help people to grow.

The major themes of forgiveness and acceptance are enacted in the blossoming relationship between Brielle and Zephyrus; between Brielle’s faith and the struggles for which Zephyrus ultimately atones. Warwick has used the Greek tale of Hero and Leander and the Scottish ballad Tam Lin as inspirations for The West Wind, with many parallels to these classic works found throughout the book. Brielle and Zephyrus parallel Hero and Leander, as seen with the use of lanterns as a guiding tool, and the character of an acolyte of faith to explore forbidden love and sacrifice. Brielle and Zephyrus also parallel Janet and Tam Lin, as seen through Zephyrus’ involuntary servitude to the King of the Under (the Fae realm), and Brielle’s bravery in rescuing Zephyrus from a horrible fate.

The West Wind is a subtle exploration of the need to find self-fulfilment, combined with a thrilling romance and descriptive world-building. Warwick has solidified her reputation in the fantasy genre with this addition to her repertoire. I have seen her writing skills develop vastly since her last novel and am excited to follow this series into the next instalment.

Publisher's Review 

From the author of The North Wind comes a dark and beguiling tale of forbidden love, inspired by the Greek myth of Hero and Leander and the Scottish ballad Tam Lin.

Brielle of Thornbrook has dedicated her life to the abbey. She spends her days forging iron and her evenings studying the Text, all in preparation of becoming an acolyte. Twenty-one years on this earth and she has never touched a man. And she never will. 
 
But when she finds an injured stranger in the forest, Brielle can’t resist the urge to help him. The encounter leads her to the realm of Under, where the air breathes rot, and the fair folk dance and whisper. Where she discovers that the man she helped is actually a god: Zephyrus, the West Wind, Bringer of Spring.
 
There are few Brielle can trust in Under, least of all Zephyrus. He is charming, dangerously so, and never has a man so thoroughly ensnared her. As she embarks on a journey through the eerie banks and caves of Under, Brielle finds herself in a perilous situation. For here is where faith and heart collide – and where she risks not only her future … but her life.