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The Four Winds #4
The East Wind
Rapunzel meets the myth of Psyche and Cupid in a standalone fantasy romance tale of love, survival and healing, as a mortal woman and a god unite to overcome deadly trials – and their own tortured pasts – in the climactic final instalment of the Four Winds series.
Min of Marles spends her days at the apothecary creating potions and poisons while being pushed around by her employer, Lady Clarisse. But this is no ordinary potion it specialises in brews made with ingredients harvested from the immortal beings her ladyship keeps imprisoned.
Eurus, the East Wind, is one such prisoner, tortured daily by Lady Clarisse. Haunted by his cries of pain, Min impulsively sets Eurus free – only to have him steal her away to his enchanted manor on a remote island.
Min is desperate for freedom while Eurus longs for revenge against old enemies. The two strike a if Min brews a deadly poison for his foes, Eurus will let her go. The only catch? To confront Eurus’ enemies, they must travel to the City of Gods – where he’ll have to compete in a brutal tournament to get closer to his targets.
Forced to work together despite mutual distrust, a powerful attraction grows between Min and Eurus. But with enemies on all sides and every reason to betray each other, will their fledgling love be enough to get them both out of the City of Gods alive?
Min of Marles spends her days at the apothecary creating potions and poisons while being pushed around by her employer, Lady Clarisse. But this is no ordinary potion it specialises in brews made with ingredients harvested from the immortal beings her ladyship keeps imprisoned.
Eurus, the East Wind, is one such prisoner, tortured daily by Lady Clarisse. Haunted by his cries of pain, Min impulsively sets Eurus free – only to have him steal her away to his enchanted manor on a remote island.
Min is desperate for freedom while Eurus longs for revenge against old enemies. The two strike a if Min brews a deadly poison for his foes, Eurus will let her go. The only catch? To confront Eurus’ enemies, they must travel to the City of Gods – where he’ll have to compete in a brutal tournament to get closer to his targets.
Forced to work together despite mutual distrust, a powerful attraction grows between Min and Eurus. But with enemies on all sides and every reason to betray each other, will their fledgling love be enough to get them both out of the City of Gods alive?
432 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 30, 2025
43 people are currently reading
3597 people want to read
About the author
Alexandria Warwick
17 books890 followersAlexandria Warwick is the author of the Four Winds series and the North series. A classically trained violinist, she spends much of her time performing in orchestras. She lives in Florida.
To find out more, visit alexandriawarwick.com or follow @alexandriawarwick on Instagram.
To find out more, visit alexandriawarwick.com or follow @alexandriawarwick on Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
September 14, 2025
I kinda trudged through this, the writing was great, the story and plot gripped my attention but the fmc just wasn’t my favorite. I know she had a lot of trauma and mistreatment and that was the cause of her lack of self confidence and really rough internal monologue. But I don’t feel like she had any character development at all and it starred to feel like the only thing drawing mmc to her was pity. Honestly this is prob more a me problem and I’m sure many others will love this as it is the final installment. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the early copy
January 5, 2026
A handmaiden herbalist meets a vengeful god of storms and winds.
Min our FMC ends up freeing our MMC Eurus from imprisonment in a tower on the estate she resides.
instead of just escaping with his life our MMC takes Min captive. They travel to the city of the gods in order to compete in a tournament that will grant him a boon from the council that he’ll in turn use to enact his revenge on them for banishing him from their land. He makes a deal with Min. He will take her back home as long as she agrees to brew a poison, strong enough to weaken the gods so he might kill them, but as he competes in this tournament with the help of Min, they both start to find they enjoy each other‘s company tension between the two of them builds, and even though Min started out desperate to return home by any means even risking betraying Eurus she too has a change of heart. However, our MMC is so wrapped up in revenge will he be able to forgive and forget?. He’s immortal and she’s mortal so where does that leave them? (You’ll have to read to find out)
This is a semi slow burn enemies to lovers Romance and I overall enjoyed this one at first I wasn’t sure about our FMC because of how subdued and mink she was, but she really grew into herself as the story carried on, and I ended up really liking her character by the end
Tropes
Enemies to lovers
Semi slow burn
A scarred MMC
Winged MMC
Handmaiden herbalist and poison brewer FMC
FMC has a stutter
Trials competition
Parental abuse representation
Revenge arc
Min our FMC ends up freeing our MMC Eurus from imprisonment in a tower on the estate she resides.
instead of just escaping with his life our MMC takes Min captive. They travel to the city of the gods in order to compete in a tournament that will grant him a boon from the council that he’ll in turn use to enact his revenge on them for banishing him from their land. He makes a deal with Min. He will take her back home as long as she agrees to brew a poison, strong enough to weaken the gods so he might kill them, but as he competes in this tournament with the help of Min, they both start to find they enjoy each other‘s company tension between the two of them builds, and even though Min started out desperate to return home by any means even risking betraying Eurus she too has a change of heart. However, our MMC is so wrapped up in revenge will he be able to forgive and forget?. He’s immortal and she’s mortal so where does that leave them? (You’ll have to read to find out)
This is a semi slow burn enemies to lovers Romance and I overall enjoyed this one at first I wasn’t sure about our FMC because of how subdued and mink she was, but she really grew into herself as the story carried on, and I ended up really liking her character by the end
Tropes
Enemies to lovers
Semi slow burn
A scarred MMC
Winged MMC
Handmaiden herbalist and poison brewer FMC
FMC has a stutter
Trials competition
Parental abuse representation
Revenge arc
Want to read
August 11, 202511/08/2025: Just got approved for this one today; turns out I'll be reading it in the reverse order, but oh well! It seems like something right up my alley. Thank you to NetGalley, Alexandria Warwick and Simon & Schuster UK for this eARC!
January 13, 2026
The East Wind is a swoonful fantasy romance that can be read as a standalone or you can integrate it as the book end to a magical interconnecting series, The Four Winds. It's a beautiful love story of healing and growth, where our leads come into personal evolution and discover with each other their souls' most whole complement. This was a comforting read that brings joy, relatability, and hope.
Healer and tonic brewer Min frees Eurus, the East Wind immortal from shackles her mistress placed upon him, but as thanks he kidnaps her from the only home she knows. Eurus forces Min to create poisonous tonics to take down all the gods who have once betrayed him. Min's good deed becomes a nightmare until she gets to know Eurus and sees the pain he hides beneath his wings and mask and finds within him a kindred spirit.
What made this work shine brightest for was Min. I love her, and more so than that, I understand her. I understand her anxiety, her self-doubt, the way she belittles herself because she's been so metaphorically beat down into believing she lacks any true worth. More than a romance, I find this a story of self-love. Or Min learning to accept herself and free herself from the shackles they were also placed upon her, shackles binding her confidence and empowerment. But hers is not a journey that occurs overnight, which is an aspect from the narrative I appreciated. Min doesn't just find herself changed, she has to work at that change. It's gradual, not immediate. She may take a step forward, then two back, before real progress is found. And I relate heavily to that. Bettering ourselves isn't instantaneous or easy, it takes time. And this narrative embraces for our beautiful, kind, generous and strong of heart heroine Min.
While this tale is weaves inspiration of Rapunzel and Psyche and Eros into its own unique story, I also find remnants of Howl's Moving Castle as well. Particularly in how Min is successful in seeing through the shroud and 'monstrous' Eurus. And a running theme, I'd venture, is how these two successfully see each other. Oh yes there is constant pushing and biting words exchanged, but they see each other's vulnerability, hardship, will, and hopes. Eurus sees the strength in Min because he witnesses the suffering and isolation she leaves behind in the home she's fighting to return and save. Min, in turn, sees the potential of humanity and kindness in the god who barks he could never be any such thing yet time and time again proves otherwise. For me, a romance works when the leads can truly depict how they see the true selves of the other.
If I could change anything it's perhaps the pace. Sometimes my attention wandered off page because I felt things moved a touch too slow, but by the final act I was as enraptured as I was when I began this tale. Throughout it all, I never ceased in caring and wishing for deserved happily ever afters for our soft-hearted heroine and her brusque-mannered hero.
Thank you so much to Saga Press and NetGalley for this wonderful complimentary eARC, I leave this honest review voluntarily.
Healer and tonic brewer Min frees Eurus, the East Wind immortal from shackles her mistress placed upon him, but as thanks he kidnaps her from the only home she knows. Eurus forces Min to create poisonous tonics to take down all the gods who have once betrayed him. Min's good deed becomes a nightmare until she gets to know Eurus and sees the pain he hides beneath his wings and mask and finds within him a kindred spirit.
What made this work shine brightest for was Min. I love her, and more so than that, I understand her. I understand her anxiety, her self-doubt, the way she belittles herself because she's been so metaphorically beat down into believing she lacks any true worth. More than a romance, I find this a story of self-love. Or Min learning to accept herself and free herself from the shackles they were also placed upon her, shackles binding her confidence and empowerment. But hers is not a journey that occurs overnight, which is an aspect from the narrative I appreciated. Min doesn't just find herself changed, she has to work at that change. It's gradual, not immediate. She may take a step forward, then two back, before real progress is found. And I relate heavily to that. Bettering ourselves isn't instantaneous or easy, it takes time. And this narrative embraces for our beautiful, kind, generous and strong of heart heroine Min.
While this tale is weaves inspiration of Rapunzel and Psyche and Eros into its own unique story, I also find remnants of Howl's Moving Castle as well. Particularly in how Min is successful in seeing through the shroud and 'monstrous' Eurus. And a running theme, I'd venture, is how these two successfully see each other. Oh yes there is constant pushing and biting words exchanged, but they see each other's vulnerability, hardship, will, and hopes. Eurus sees the strength in Min because he witnesses the suffering and isolation she leaves behind in the home she's fighting to return and save. Min, in turn, sees the potential of humanity and kindness in the god who barks he could never be any such thing yet time and time again proves otherwise. For me, a romance works when the leads can truly depict how they see the true selves of the other.
If I could change anything it's perhaps the pace. Sometimes my attention wandered off page because I felt things moved a touch too slow, but by the final act I was as enraptured as I was when I began this tale. Throughout it all, I never ceased in caring and wishing for deserved happily ever afters for our soft-hearted heroine and her brusque-mannered hero.
Thank you so much to Saga Press and NetGalley for this wonderful complimentary eARC, I leave this honest review voluntarily.
January 9, 2026
'The East Wind' is the fourth and final book in Alexandria Warwick's Four Winds romantasy series. This instalment follows Min, an apprentice bane weaver stuck under the thumb of an abusive mistress, and the oldest of the Four Winds/Anemoi brothers, Eurus. The story opens with Eurus captured by Min's mistress, who wants to use his heart to brew herself a potion of immortality. Min feels sorry for the god, and allows him to escape - not expecting to become his prisoner in the process.
This book did an excellent job of containing its own story, while also giving a satisfying wrap-up of the series as a whole. Each book is technically a standalone as they each follow different couples, but the star brother of each book makes a cameo in the previous title (and all four appear in this finale). I loved the little cameos we got during the main story of this book, as well as the epilogue. Both Eurus and Min come from difficult and traumatic backgrounds, and the story did a great job of portraying their growth and healing. In particular, Min's stutter was something that was really well done - she starts out stuttering almost every single word, but as she grows it starts to become less frequent. I must admit that I was a little iffy on the romance in this book in the beginning, as I always am in captor/captee scenarios. However, as both characters came to eventually accept that they had both done wrong by the other and acknowledge each other's flaws, I did come to appreciate their love for each other. I'm usually someone who really enjoys trials and competitions in a story, but those featured in this book are not the main focal point. This title definitely focuses more on character development and is very character driven. I would have liked a bit more time with some of the secondary characters such as Arvin; he in particular had a plot point/character motivation that felt entirely unfulfilled by the time the book ended.
Overall, I adore the Four Winds series. 'The East Wind' was a fun ride with interesting characters of its own, but I definitely enjoyed it more because of everything that came before it. If you are interested in reading this series, I highly recommend reading the books in publication order (North, West, South, East) for the strongest impact.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.
This book did an excellent job of containing its own story, while also giving a satisfying wrap-up of the series as a whole. Each book is technically a standalone as they each follow different couples, but the star brother of each book makes a cameo in the previous title (and all four appear in this finale). I loved the little cameos we got during the main story of this book, as well as the epilogue. Both Eurus and Min come from difficult and traumatic backgrounds, and the story did a great job of portraying their growth and healing. In particular, Min's stutter was something that was really well done - she starts out stuttering almost every single word, but as she grows it starts to become less frequent. I must admit that I was a little iffy on the romance in this book in the beginning, as I always am in captor/captee scenarios. However, as both characters came to eventually accept that they had both done wrong by the other and acknowledge each other's flaws, I did come to appreciate their love for each other. I'm usually someone who really enjoys trials and competitions in a story, but those featured in this book are not the main focal point. This title definitely focuses more on character development and is very character driven. I would have liked a bit more time with some of the secondary characters such as Arvin; he in particular had a plot point/character motivation that felt entirely unfulfilled by the time the book ended.
Overall, I adore the Four Winds series. 'The East Wind' was a fun ride with interesting characters of its own, but I definitely enjoyed it more because of everything that came before it. If you are interested in reading this series, I highly recommend reading the books in publication order (North, West, South, East) for the strongest impact.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.
January 6, 2026
3.75 ✨
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for allowing me to read this ARC in return for my review. All opinions are my own.
Rapunzel meets the myth of Psyche and Cupid in a standalone fantasy romance tale of love, survival and healing, as a mortal woman and a god unite to overcome deadly trials – and their own tortured pasts.
As being a big fan of the previous books in the series, I was very excited for this one as there was Rapunzel used as inspiration, however I think I really hyped this one up and felt it fell a bit flat. The Rapunzel elements is that Min is treated poorly by Madame Clarisse (which we later find out is her mother) and that Eurus is locked in a tower for the first few chapters.
I found the character of Min quite interesting, she reminded me of the main character in T.Kingfisher’s Hemlock and Silver, in that they are botanical and used plants and herbs to make potions. She had a lot of trauma and sometimes I did just want to shake her. I did like how her stutter seemed to go while she was in the City of Gods, the only bit of development she seemed to get through.
I found the trials a bit boring and they seemed to come out of nowhere. Like one of them I thought Min was asleep and then BAM in a trial. I feel like Eurus wasn’t as intimidating as he was made out to be in previous books and he ended up becoming mortal, just like all of his brothers which was a bit repetitive. I honestly thought he was going to leave when he thought Min betrayed and that would be the end of the book.
Even though it was all domesticated, I did enjoy the ending with all four brothers back and with their respective wives and children. As always, I do think the author’s use of language is wonderful and parts are beautifully written. I am excited to see what she does next as she moves away from this series.
Thank you again to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for allowing me to read the ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for allowing me to read this ARC in return for my review. All opinions are my own.
Rapunzel meets the myth of Psyche and Cupid in a standalone fantasy romance tale of love, survival and healing, as a mortal woman and a god unite to overcome deadly trials – and their own tortured pasts.
As being a big fan of the previous books in the series, I was very excited for this one as there was Rapunzel used as inspiration, however I think I really hyped this one up and felt it fell a bit flat. The Rapunzel elements is that Min is treated poorly by Madame Clarisse (which we later find out is her mother) and that Eurus is locked in a tower for the first few chapters.
I found the character of Min quite interesting, she reminded me of the main character in T.Kingfisher’s Hemlock and Silver, in that they are botanical and used plants and herbs to make potions. She had a lot of trauma and sometimes I did just want to shake her. I did like how her stutter seemed to go while she was in the City of Gods, the only bit of development she seemed to get through.
I found the trials a bit boring and they seemed to come out of nowhere. Like one of them I thought Min was asleep and then BAM in a trial. I feel like Eurus wasn’t as intimidating as he was made out to be in previous books and he ended up becoming mortal, just like all of his brothers which was a bit repetitive. I honestly thought he was going to leave when he thought Min betrayed and that would be the end of the book.
Even though it was all domesticated, I did enjoy the ending with all four brothers back and with their respective wives and children. As always, I do think the author’s use of language is wonderful and parts are beautifully written. I am excited to see what she does next as she moves away from this series.
Thank you again to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for allowing me to read the ARC!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2026
ARC Review - The East Wind
4 ⭐️
2 🌶
This was my first book by this author and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it!
The East Wind is the final book in an interconnected standalone romantasy series called the Four Winds.
From the very first chapter, I knew I liked Alexandria’s writing. It pulls you in and keeps you turning the pages, and even with characters appearing from previous books, I never once felt lost. If anything, it made me curious to go back and meet everyone properly.
Both Eurus and Min come from deeply traumatic upbringings, with abuse shaping their childhoods in different ways. Min is still trapped in an emotionally and physically abusive situation under her current employer, Lady Clarisse, and watching her journey was one of my favourite parts of the book. I really enjoyed the captor and captive dynamic, especially seeing Min slowly step into her own strength and sense of self.
The trials were violent, intense, and honestly so much fun. Every chapter had me wondering who would make it out alive and whether Eurus would achieve the goal he set out for himself.
The plot twists completely caught me off guard. I usually have a pretty good sense of where romantasy stories are heading, but this one surprised me more than once. It was refreshing to read.
While I did enjoy Eurus and Min together, the romantic spark did not fully land for me in the way I was expecting. Their growth and shifting dynamic were really well done, but I think having more context from the earlier books might have helped me connect with Eurus on a deeper level. This is very much a me thing, and I can see how longtime readers of the series would feel that extra emotional weight.
Overall, this was still a very enjoyable read! I do wish I had read the previous books so the character cameos and epilogue would have hit a little harder, but even on its own, The East Wind definitely packs a punch and left me wanting more from this world.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Australia for sending me a physical ARC of this book! 🥰
4 ⭐️
2 🌶
This was my first book by this author and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it!
The East Wind is the final book in an interconnected standalone romantasy series called the Four Winds.
From the very first chapter, I knew I liked Alexandria’s writing. It pulls you in and keeps you turning the pages, and even with characters appearing from previous books, I never once felt lost. If anything, it made me curious to go back and meet everyone properly.
Both Eurus and Min come from deeply traumatic upbringings, with abuse shaping their childhoods in different ways. Min is still trapped in an emotionally and physically abusive situation under her current employer, Lady Clarisse, and watching her journey was one of my favourite parts of the book. I really enjoyed the captor and captive dynamic, especially seeing Min slowly step into her own strength and sense of self.
The trials were violent, intense, and honestly so much fun. Every chapter had me wondering who would make it out alive and whether Eurus would achieve the goal he set out for himself.
The plot twists completely caught me off guard. I usually have a pretty good sense of where romantasy stories are heading, but this one surprised me more than once. It was refreshing to read.
While I did enjoy Eurus and Min together, the romantic spark did not fully land for me in the way I was expecting. Their growth and shifting dynamic were really well done, but I think having more context from the earlier books might have helped me connect with Eurus on a deeper level. This is very much a me thing, and I can see how longtime readers of the series would feel that extra emotional weight.
Overall, this was still a very enjoyable read! I do wish I had read the previous books so the character cameos and epilogue would have hit a little harder, but even on its own, The East Wind definitely packs a punch and left me wanting more from this world.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Australia for sending me a physical ARC of this book! 🥰
dnf
November 13, 2025i was really excited to receive a copy of this book because i did enjoy the others in the series, and was excited to see what direction this one would go in because i thought it had the most interesting premise and plot direction of all the books in the series, but i just couldn't bring myself to finish it because of one thing.
I decided to stop reading this one at about 28% because i just couldn't get over the stuttering that the FMC was doing on the page. i know that this was meant to convey that she is meek, vulnerable and shy, but it just got unbearable and actually made reading what she was saying super hard. i found that there were some dialogue scenes i had to re-read 3 or more times because it just wasn't going in my head properly.
i was really hoping that this written stuttering was something that would slowly be phased out after a couple chapters (for readabilities sake) as the audience would have gotten the message about how meek, vulnerable and shy she was, but no, if anything it actually got worse when she properly encountered 'The East Wind' and was kidnapped by him.
Not only was this way of conveying and writing super hard for me to follow at times, but when the FMC was thinking to herself or having a little inner monologue, there was no stuttering at all, and that just drove me INSANE.
i know that its likely that towards the end of the book the stuttering is something that disappears or she gets over for some reason or another, and it's likely a big part of her character development and growth, but i just couldn't get over it.
I decided to stop reading this one at about 28% because i just couldn't get over the stuttering that the FMC was doing on the page. i know that this was meant to convey that she is meek, vulnerable and shy, but it just got unbearable and actually made reading what she was saying super hard. i found that there were some dialogue scenes i had to re-read 3 or more times because it just wasn't going in my head properly.
i was really hoping that this written stuttering was something that would slowly be phased out after a couple chapters (for readabilities sake) as the audience would have gotten the message about how meek, vulnerable and shy she was, but no, if anything it actually got worse when she properly encountered 'The East Wind' and was kidnapped by him.
Not only was this way of conveying and writing super hard for me to follow at times, but when the FMC was thinking to herself or having a little inner monologue, there was no stuttering at all, and that just drove me INSANE.
i know that its likely that towards the end of the book the stuttering is something that disappears or she gets over for some reason or another, and it's likely a big part of her character development and growth, but i just couldn't get over it.
November 15, 2025
3.5✨ spice 🌶️🌶️
I liked this book didn’t love it, the romance was lacking the Fmc and Mmc had no really chemistry it felt forced most of the time. The plot was ok I did enjoy the little plot twist on finding out about Madme Clarissa though. The trail games were a bit boring and just came out of nowhere, overall it was an ok book not my favourite in the series.
Min is almost mouse like quite, scared and always makes herself small as possible, working and living with a women who has raised her and also abuses her, it’s no wonder she’s has shrunk herself. Min is very good as making poisons it’s why Madame Clarissa keeper her around she’s uses and abuses her to get what’s she’s wants.
The East Wind (Eurus) is captured and tortured by Madame Clarissa ti gain his whereabouts of his ax. Min sets him free by accident and now she’s been help capture by this god that never shows his face and is cruel. Eurus enters into a trial games and takes his human Min assistance with him, Eurus shows a sort of human side to him he’s not all cold and dark he feels just as deeply as everyone else. He’s very driven by revenge of the council and wants to kill them all and with the help of Min he will do just that.
Thank you NetGalley & Publisher for the arc 🥰
I liked this book didn’t love it, the romance was lacking the Fmc and Mmc had no really chemistry it felt forced most of the time. The plot was ok I did enjoy the little plot twist on finding out about Madme Clarissa though. The trail games were a bit boring and just came out of nowhere, overall it was an ok book not my favourite in the series.
Min is almost mouse like quite, scared and always makes herself small as possible, working and living with a women who has raised her and also abuses her, it’s no wonder she’s has shrunk herself. Min is very good as making poisons it’s why Madame Clarissa keeper her around she’s uses and abuses her to get what’s she’s wants.
The East Wind (Eurus) is captured and tortured by Madame Clarissa ti gain his whereabouts of his ax. Min sets him free by accident and now she’s been help capture by this god that never shows his face and is cruel. Eurus enters into a trial games and takes his human Min assistance with him, Eurus shows a sort of human side to him he’s not all cold and dark he feels just as deeply as everyone else. He’s very driven by revenge of the council and wants to kill them all and with the help of Min he will do just that.
Thank you NetGalley & Publisher for the arc 🥰
September 21, 2025
Min has been employed by Madame Carissa for ten years, learning the art of becoming a banewitch. But the madame is cruel and not only abuses Mon, but also captures various creatures that she dissects for her potions. On a rare occurrence of defiance, Min sets one of these creatures free, but that creature is an immortal god, who decides to take Min with him on his escape. Eurus and Min enter a bargain, she’ll make a poison to kill the council of gods and Eurus will let her go back to her old life. But the reason they have access to the gods (because Ereus and his brothers were banished from the city of gods) is a tournament to the death.
This was for sure one of the better winds books. I did appreciate the character development in this more than some of the others. Wild there is still a bit of quick realization of things, the distrust between both main characters was believable. I also enjoyed how we, in this final book, got a glimpse at what all the other brothers were up to.
This was for sure one of the better winds books. I did appreciate the character development in this more than some of the others. Wild there is still a bit of quick realization of things, the distrust between both main characters was believable. I also enjoyed how we, in this final book, got a glimpse at what all the other brothers were up to.
December 2, 2025
ARC Review: The East Wind
Having never read any of the other books in this series, I was pleasantly surprised by how seamless and enjoyable this standalone felt. The author gives you just enough threads from the wider world that you feel rooted in the series—without ever feeling lost or overwhelmed.
This is a Rapunzel retelling, but it’s also so much more. You get the classic grumpy god, the impossible trials, and that slow, inevitable falling in love that makes you turn pages faster than you mean to. The mythology is rich, the emotional beats land, and the chemistry? SO GOOD.
It’s an easy book to love—comforting, magical, and full of heart. I’m already planning to go back and read the other books because if they’re anything like this one, I’m hooked.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!
Having never read any of the other books in this series, I was pleasantly surprised by how seamless and enjoyable this standalone felt. The author gives you just enough threads from the wider world that you feel rooted in the series—without ever feeling lost or overwhelmed.
This is a Rapunzel retelling, but it’s also so much more. You get the classic grumpy god, the impossible trials, and that slow, inevitable falling in love that makes you turn pages faster than you mean to. The mythology is rich, the emotional beats land, and the chemistry? SO GOOD.
It’s an easy book to love—comforting, magical, and full of heart. I’m already planning to go back and read the other books because if they’re anything like this one, I’m hooked.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!
December 9, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finishing The East Wind was such a bittersweet feeling. I loved this book and the others in the series but I’m so sad it’s over! I really enjoy Alexandria’s writing and storytelling. She gets you hooked from the start!
This Rapunzel inspired story has the slowest of slow burns but it pays off. Min and Eurus have been through so much trauma. Their scars are deep and some are physically visible. It takes time for them to trust each other after all they’ve been through. I was so happy when they hit the moment. They deserved their HEA.
Besides the slow burn romance, the main focus is the 3 trials Eurus is competing in to reverse his banishment from the City of Gods. Ultimately, he is using Min for her expertise in making poisons for his ultimate revenge against the Council of the Gods. These aspects make this a fast paced and fun read. I devoured this in less than a day. Plus, as a fun bonus, Alexandria creates a reunion of the brothers. Be sure the read the epilogue!
Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC!
Finishing The East Wind was such a bittersweet feeling. I loved this book and the others in the series but I’m so sad it’s over! I really enjoy Alexandria’s writing and storytelling. She gets you hooked from the start!
This Rapunzel inspired story has the slowest of slow burns but it pays off. Min and Eurus have been through so much trauma. Their scars are deep and some are physically visible. It takes time for them to trust each other after all they’ve been through. I was so happy when they hit the moment. They deserved their HEA.
Besides the slow burn romance, the main focus is the 3 trials Eurus is competing in to reverse his banishment from the City of Gods. Ultimately, he is using Min for her expertise in making poisons for his ultimate revenge against the Council of the Gods. These aspects make this a fast paced and fun read. I devoured this in less than a day. Plus, as a fun bonus, Alexandria creates a reunion of the brothers. Be sure the read the epilogue!
Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC!
August 25, 2025
I have really enjoyed this series, so I was so excited to get the ARC for the fourth and final installment in the series.
Unfortunately, this might just be my least favorite in the series. But the epilogue was super cute.
I found the FMC to be kind of annoying, she was self-deprecating in a way that really grated on me. Yeah, we can all have confidence issues at times, but this was a whole new level of that. I did think that her being a herbologist was quite cool and unique, I thought that added a unique sort of storyline/addition to the story.
I did think that Eurus (The East Wind) had some really great character development throughout this book and I really love some good character development. I'm glad this was a slow-burn, I think that really helped and added to his character development, it gave it a purpose and a course.
Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of miscommunication, which I don't love. But it was done better than most do it, so I didn't mind it nearly as much as I could've. (I think because it was always cleared up faster than that kind of thing usually is.)
I just wanted a little bit more from this book, especially since it's the final book in the series. I wanted more actual story and I wanted a more likable FMC. She didn't really go through much character development, she was still quite annoying throughout the whole book. Not everything said to you needs to responded to with you questioning yourself, it just makes people not want to be around you (yeah, I get she had a rough past, but so do a lot of less annoying people). I don't know. I just really didn't like her. Sorry. I'm sure plenty of people will like her, but I also think there will be people that agree with me about her.
Overall, I highly recommend this series. It is entertaining and whimsical and that's all I really ask for.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Unfortunately, this might just be my least favorite in the series. But the epilogue was super cute.
I found the FMC to be kind of annoying, she was self-deprecating in a way that really grated on me. Yeah, we can all have confidence issues at times, but this was a whole new level of that. I did think that her being a herbologist was quite cool and unique, I thought that added a unique sort of storyline/addition to the story.
I did think that Eurus (The East Wind) had some really great character development throughout this book and I really love some good character development. I'm glad this was a slow-burn, I think that really helped and added to his character development, it gave it a purpose and a course.
Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of miscommunication, which I don't love. But it was done better than most do it, so I didn't mind it nearly as much as I could've. (I think because it was always cleared up faster than that kind of thing usually is.)
I just wanted a little bit more from this book, especially since it's the final book in the series. I wanted more actual story and I wanted a more likable FMC. She didn't really go through much character development, she was still quite annoying throughout the whole book. Not everything said to you needs to responded to with you questioning yourself, it just makes people not want to be around you (yeah, I get she had a rough past, but so do a lot of less annoying people). I don't know. I just really didn't like her. Sorry. I'm sure plenty of people will like her, but I also think there will be people that agree with me about her.
Overall, I highly recommend this series. It is entertaining and whimsical and that's all I really ask for.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
November 10, 2025
Although not my favorite from the series I enjoyed The East Wind for how emotional this was. I really enjoy how each fmc and mmc is so different book to book but I will say I struggled a bit with Min. She was naive, timid, and in my opinion never really had a great character development. She started to become more confident but I feel like there could have been more. That being said I loved the slow burn romance between Min and Eurus. It made so much sense in this story with it being a captor/captive romance. I enjoyed parts of the plot and liked the uniqueness of Eurus. Now in my opinion he had a great character development and may be one of my favorites from the whole series.
Overall I enjoyed this and thought it was a satisfying ending to a series I started when it was an Indie read. I definitely recommend this series if you like fairy tale and Greek myth retellings!
Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for an advanced copy!
Overall I enjoyed this and thought it was a satisfying ending to a series I started when it was an Indie read. I definitely recommend this series if you like fairy tale and Greek myth retellings!
Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for an advanced copy!
September 4, 2025
Thank you Saga Press + NetGalley for this ARC!
This was... tough to get through. The main reason for this was our FMC, Min (who I just picture as🧍♀️personified); she's INSANELY naive, has no backbone, constantly monologues(???) in a very cringey/unnatural way, and is just generally ✨annoying✨. A true dingo that I tried to sympathize with & I simply could not do it. I could not, for the LIFE of me, figure out why Eurus would like her. Eurus himself is comparatively 300x better but still pretty meh.
There's a bit of a "bomb" dropped towards the end of the book that just felt so eyeroll-y to me.
I think I enjoyed 2 scenes from the entire book, but the epilogue (which is admittedly pretty cute). I did enjoy The South Wind's book (though it also struggled from 'Annoying FMC Syndrome'), so not really enjoying this one was a bummer.
This was... tough to get through. The main reason for this was our FMC, Min (who I just picture as🧍♀️personified); she's INSANELY naive, has no backbone, constantly monologues(???) in a very cringey/unnatural way, and is just generally ✨annoying✨. A true dingo that I tried to sympathize with & I simply could not do it. I could not, for the LIFE of me, figure out why Eurus would like her. Eurus himself is comparatively 300x better but still pretty meh.
There's a bit of a "bomb" dropped towards the end of the book that just felt so eyeroll-y to me.
I think I enjoyed 2 scenes from the entire book, but the epilogue (which is admittedly pretty cute). I did enjoy The South Wind's book (though it also struggled from 'Annoying FMC Syndrome'), so not really enjoying this one was a bummer.
January 9, 2026
I really enjoyed this finale of the four winds!
I love a book that has trials! Each was so different than the other and had me on the edge of my seat— especially the third trial!
When you think all is over, BAM you get more drama and twists!
I loved Min’s character arc most of all. I wanted to shake her in the beginning because GIRL PLS 😩
A very engaging and lovely book in a grand series! Full of twists.
I love a book that has trials! Each was so different than the other and had me on the edge of my seat— especially the third trial!
When you think all is over, BAM you get more drama and twists!
I loved Min’s character arc most of all. I wanted to shake her in the beginning because GIRL PLS 😩
A very engaging and lovely book in a grand series! Full of twists.
November 5, 2025
✨ Rapunzel Retelling
✨Enemies to Lovers
✨Slow Burn
✨Grumpy x Sunshine
I received an advanced review copy through NetGalley. The series has been on my TBR for quite a while, but receiving a copy pushed it to the top of the list. I of course began reading the North Wind believing this was the second book of the series (I grew up with it being NESW and for some reason I thought this book followed that pattern😛). Although it is a stand alone, I always like to read the books in order (for the most part). I enjoyed the story immensely and I think there are people who read this can resonate with the characters. I was emotionally invested in the growth and the healing of Eurus and Min. Both have suffered physically and emotionally at the hands of one of their parents. This shapes who they become. Eurus isolates himself, trusts no one, and is hellbent on revenge. Min is quiet and allows her employer to treat her as if she is nothing. This is a beautiful story of two individuals coming together, healing each other, and falling in love.
✨Enemies to Lovers
✨Slow Burn
✨Grumpy x Sunshine
I received an advanced review copy through NetGalley. The series has been on my TBR for quite a while, but receiving a copy pushed it to the top of the list. I of course began reading the North Wind believing this was the second book of the series (I grew up with it being NESW and for some reason I thought this book followed that pattern😛). Although it is a stand alone, I always like to read the books in order (for the most part). I enjoyed the story immensely and I think there are people who read this can resonate with the characters. I was emotionally invested in the growth and the healing of Eurus and Min. Both have suffered physically and emotionally at the hands of one of their parents. This shapes who they become. Eurus isolates himself, trusts no one, and is hellbent on revenge. Min is quiet and allows her employer to treat her as if she is nothing. This is a beautiful story of two individuals coming together, healing each other, and falling in love.
January 3, 2026
I liked this one. The thing that bothered me was the fmc Min, her insecurities and her lack of confidence and there’s barely any character development from her. Eurus, though, I liked him a lot.
This was a good ending to the series. Though book one is my favourite.
This was a good ending to the series. Though book one is my favourite.
September 29, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
First of all: I loveeeeeed this book. I kinda guessed I would from part of the editor's note at the front, tbh. ("Neither [protagonist] has known real love and both are convinced they aren't worthy of it." Me, rubbing my greedy palms together: yesssss this was written For Me) I also, based on book 3, figured this was the book of the most fucked up brother--and y'all by now probably know by now how much i LOVE to watch the most messed up characters finding and receiving love!!!
While the FMC's stutter and early and cowardliness normally would have annoyed me in other books, it just...worked for me. Similar to book 2's characters' personalities, tbh. I think it has to do with Warwick's writing style--she just writes characters in a way that makes them likeable and understood, even/despite their weaknesses.
The MMC was a big messed up grouch and I just loved his transformation, his slow reception then craving of touch. (Especially after being
Normally reveals bother me, but it again worked fine for me here, and was resolved in a way that also worked for me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The end--with --was just a perfect encapsulation of this series and Eurus' story specifically. The epilogue with was just so sweet and wonderful! (I also loved the hint that )
My one complaint of the book, though it didn't detract from my love of it--I continue to think a (2nd?) epilogue with Eurus and Min's growing family would have been appropriate. Early on in the book, Eurus has a line about how bad the gods are at parenting (which is further emphasized by how his father's abuse is visible on his body)--I think good closure/refutation of that idea would have been Eurus as a father, unsure but still Trying and doing better for his kid(s) than his father ever did for him. I guess there's fanfiction (that I may have to write), but I was missing that scene!!
Anyway, loved this book and series, will be rec'ing to all my friends and audience! Another for the faves shelf, lads.
And now for my fave quotes from the book (covered bc spoilers):
First of all: I loveeeeeed this book. I kinda guessed I would from part of the editor's note at the front, tbh. ("Neither [protagonist] has known real love and both are convinced they aren't worthy of it." Me, rubbing my greedy palms together: yesssss this was written For Me) I also, based on book 3, figured this was the book of the most fucked up brother--and y'all by now probably know by now how much i LOVE to watch the most messed up characters finding and receiving love!!!
While the FMC's stutter and early and cowardliness normally would have annoyed me in other books, it just...worked for me. Similar to book 2's characters' personalities, tbh. I think it has to do with Warwick's writing style--she just writes characters in a way that makes them likeable and understood, even/despite their weaknesses.
The MMC was a big messed up grouch and I just loved his transformation, his slow reception then craving of touch. (Especially after being
Normally reveals bother me, but it again worked fine for me here, and was resolved in a way that also worked for me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The end--with --was just a perfect encapsulation of this series and Eurus' story specifically. The epilogue with was just so sweet and wonderful! (I also loved the hint that )
My one complaint of the book, though it didn't detract from my love of it--I continue to think a (2nd?) epilogue with Eurus and Min's growing family would have been appropriate. Early on in the book, Eurus has a line about how bad the gods are at parenting (which is further emphasized by how his father's abuse is visible on his body)--I think good closure/refutation of that idea would have been Eurus as a father, unsure but still Trying and doing better for his kid(s) than his father ever did for him. I guess there's fanfiction (that I may have to write), but I was missing that scene!!
Anyway, loved this book and series, will be rec'ing to all my friends and audience! Another for the faves shelf, lads.
And now for my fave quotes from the book (covered bc spoilers):
Review of advance copy
I really enjoyed the 4 wind series. I wished I could read them all again for the first time.
January 1, 2026
This one was good, but did not stand up to the other 3 for me. The FMC was too timid and the overall story lacked the struggles endured in the previous books. As a huge fan of the first 3 I had to finish the series.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Alexandria Warwick's The East Wind arrives as the climactic finale to the Four Winds series, and it carries the weight of four books' worth of mythology, romance, and hard-won wisdom about what it means to heal. This is not simply a retelling of Rapunzel meets Psyche and Cupid—it's a profound exploration of trauma, self-worth, and the terrifying vulnerability required to trust another person after a lifetime of abuse.
A Tower Made of More Than Stone
Min of Marles exists in a cage that wears no visible bars. As an apothecary assistant to Lady Clarisse, she spends her days brewing potions from ingredients harvested from imprisoned immortal beings, including Eurus, the East Wind himself. Her world is measured in stuttered words, flinching movements, and the perpetual fear of doing something wrong. When Min impulsively frees Eurus from his cell, she expects gratitude. Instead, she's stolen away to his remote island manor and forced into a new kind of captivity—one that will require her to confront not just Eurus's demons, but her own.
Warwick crafts Min's character with extraordinary care, never allowing her weakness to define her, yet never pretending that years of abuse can be shed like an old coat. Min's stutter isn't merely a character quirk; it's a physical manifestation of trauma, appearing and disappearing based on her emotional state. This attention to the bodily experience of abuse elevates the narrative beyond typical fantasy romance into something that feels viscerally real. We watch Min's journey not as passive observers but as witnesses to genuine transformation—the kind that happens in inches, not miles.
The God Who Learned to Be Human
Eurus presents one of fantasy romance's most compelling examinations of masculine trauma. He is not the wounded hero who simply needs love to fix him, nor is he the tortured villain who performs cruelty with secret tenderness. Instead, Warwick gives us a god so consumed by his quest for revenge that he has forgotten what it means to simply exist without rage as armor. His childhood torture at his father's hands has left him believing that isolation equals safety, that vulnerability equals weakness, and that the only path forward is through vengeance.
The chemistry between Min and Eurus builds with agonizing slowness, and that patience serves the story beautifully. Their relationship begins in a power imbalance so stark it's uncomfortable—he is her captor, she his unwilling prisoner. Yet Warwick refuses to romanticize this dynamic. Instead, she forces both characters to reckon with what they're doing to each other, to acknowledge the harm, and to actively choose something different. The evolution from captor and captive to equals who choose each other freely becomes the emotional spine of the entire narrative.
A Tournament of Trials, A Testament to Survival
The tournament arc in the City of Gods serves multiple functions within the narrative architecture. On its surface, it's a series of brutal challenges designed to test competitors' worthiness. Beneath that lies a deeper examination of what strength actually means. Min accompanies Eurus through trials that demand not just physical prowess but emotional resilience, strategic thinking, and the willingness to depend on another person. The third trial—a harrowing descent down rain-slicked cliffs while arrows rain down and Min confronts her fear of water—stands as one of the book's most visceral sequences.
What makes these trials remarkable isn't the spectacle (though Warwick delivers that in abundance) but how they mirror the internal work both characters must do. Each physical challenge reflects an emotional hurdle: trust, vulnerability, letting go of control, facing mortality. When Min pulls an arrow from Eurus's shoulder and recognizes the poison coating its tip, her knowledge becomes power. When Eurus shields Min's body with his own, his strength becomes protection rather than domination.
The Mother Wound That Bleeds Through Generations
The revelation that Lady Clarisse is Min's biological mother arrives with devastating impact, recontextualizing everything we've witnessed about their relationship. This isn't abuse perpetrated by a cruel employer but by the woman who gave Min life—and then spent that life trying to extinguish Min's spirit. Warwick handles this complex dynamic with nuance, never excusing Lady Clarisse's cruelty but allowing us to see the grief and trauma that warped her into something monstrous.
The confrontation between Min and Lady Clarisse on the storm-battered cliffs provides the book's most emotionally charged moments. Here, Min must literally and figuratively let go of the woman who birthed her but never mothered her. It's a scene that refuses easy catharsis, acknowledging both the relief of freedom and the grief for what could never be.
Where the Four Winds Converge
Readers of the previous books—The North Wind, The West Wind, and The South Wind—will find deep satisfaction in seeing the Anemoi brothers reunited. Warwick has spent three books establishing each brother's distinct personality and showing how immortality and trauma have shaped them differently. The family reunion sequence in the epilogue, with Boreas, Zephyrus, Notus, and their respective partners gathered at Min and Eurus's estate, feels earned rather than tacked on.
Each previous heroine—Wren, Brielle, and Sarai—carried her own wounds into her story, and Min's journey completes a quartet of women who refuse to let their pain define them. Where Wren struggled with alcoholism and self-worth, Brielle questioned her faith, and Sarai grappled with grief and abandonment, Min's arc centers on reclaiming agency after years of having none. Together, these four women represent different facets of trauma recovery, each valid, each hard-won.
The Poison That Becomes Medicine
Min's expertise as a bane weaver—someone who creates both poisons and remedies—operates as the book's central metaphor. She begins by brewing Eastern Blood, a poison with no antidote that guarantees death. She ends by reopening her grandmother's apothecary, now renamed Nana's Tinctures & Teas, focusing exclusively on healing. This shift from poison to remedy mirrors her internal transformation from someone who believed she was worthless to someone who knows her inherent value.
Warwick's prose shines brightest in these quiet moments of Min working with her herbs and tinctures. The sensory details—the smell of chervil, the burn of larkshin poison, the careful measurement of nightshade—ground the fantasy elements in physical reality. When Min identifies a poison coating an arrow during the tournament, her knowledge saves Eurus's life. Her expertise, so long dismissed by Lady Clarisse, becomes the thing that makes her irreplaceable.
Critiques Worth Noting
While The East Wind delivers emotional resonance in abundance, it's not without structural challenges. The pacing in the middle section occasionally drags, particularly during extended sequences of Min brewing potions while waiting for tournament trials. Some readers may find the power imbalance in the early relationship dynamic too uncomfortable to overcome, even as the narrative explicitly acknowledges and works to correct it.
The villain, Prince Balior, feels somewhat underdeveloped compared to the rich characterization given to Min, Eurus, and Lady Clarisse. His motivations remain murky, and his ultimate defeat happens largely off-page through the intervention of Eurus's brothers rather than through the protagonists' direct action. Additionally, certain plot threads—particularly around the Council of Gods and Eurus's original revenge plan—resolve with less complexity than their buildup might suggest.
The ARC of this book arrived in my hands courtesy of Simon & Schuster, and I approached it with both anticipation and trepidation. The publisher's faith in Warwick's vision to close out this series has been vindicated by what she delivers: a romance that understands that love alone cannot heal trauma, but that choosing to heal alongside someone you trust can make the unbearable bearable.
The Inheritance We Choose
The East Wind ultimately asks what we owe to those who hurt us, and what we owe to ourselves. Min's answer—that she owes Lady Clarisse nothing, but owes herself everything—rings with hard-won truth. Her decision to take over her grandmother's estate and transform it into a space of healing rather than harm represents more than real estate; it's about reclaiming history and rewriting its meaning.
The epilogue, set months after the main conflict resolves, gives us Min and Eurus hosting a family dinner. It's domestic, warm, slightly chaotic with children and conversation. Eurus, who once couldn't tolerate even his brothers' presence, has learned to welcome family into his life. Min, who stuttered through every interaction, speaks clearly and confidently. They've built not just a home but a life together—one where peace isn't the absence of conflict but the presence of safety, trust, and mutual respect.
A Tower Made of More Than Stone
Min of Marles exists in a cage that wears no visible bars. As an apothecary assistant to Lady Clarisse, she spends her days brewing potions from ingredients harvested from imprisoned immortal beings, including Eurus, the East Wind himself. Her world is measured in stuttered words, flinching movements, and the perpetual fear of doing something wrong. When Min impulsively frees Eurus from his cell, she expects gratitude. Instead, she's stolen away to his remote island manor and forced into a new kind of captivity—one that will require her to confront not just Eurus's demons, but her own.
Warwick crafts Min's character with extraordinary care, never allowing her weakness to define her, yet never pretending that years of abuse can be shed like an old coat. Min's stutter isn't merely a character quirk; it's a physical manifestation of trauma, appearing and disappearing based on her emotional state. This attention to the bodily experience of abuse elevates the narrative beyond typical fantasy romance into something that feels viscerally real. We watch Min's journey not as passive observers but as witnesses to genuine transformation—the kind that happens in inches, not miles.
The God Who Learned to Be Human
Eurus presents one of fantasy romance's most compelling examinations of masculine trauma. He is not the wounded hero who simply needs love to fix him, nor is he the tortured villain who performs cruelty with secret tenderness. Instead, Warwick gives us a god so consumed by his quest for revenge that he has forgotten what it means to simply exist without rage as armor. His childhood torture at his father's hands has left him believing that isolation equals safety, that vulnerability equals weakness, and that the only path forward is through vengeance.
The chemistry between Min and Eurus builds with agonizing slowness, and that patience serves the story beautifully. Their relationship begins in a power imbalance so stark it's uncomfortable—he is her captor, she his unwilling prisoner. Yet Warwick refuses to romanticize this dynamic. Instead, she forces both characters to reckon with what they're doing to each other, to acknowledge the harm, and to actively choose something different. The evolution from captor and captive to equals who choose each other freely becomes the emotional spine of the entire narrative.
A Tournament of Trials, A Testament to Survival
The tournament arc in the City of Gods serves multiple functions within the narrative architecture. On its surface, it's a series of brutal challenges designed to test competitors' worthiness. Beneath that lies a deeper examination of what strength actually means. Min accompanies Eurus through trials that demand not just physical prowess but emotional resilience, strategic thinking, and the willingness to depend on another person. The third trial—a harrowing descent down rain-slicked cliffs while arrows rain down and Min confronts her fear of water—stands as one of the book's most visceral sequences.
What makes these trials remarkable isn't the spectacle (though Warwick delivers that in abundance) but how they mirror the internal work both characters must do. Each physical challenge reflects an emotional hurdle: trust, vulnerability, letting go of control, facing mortality. When Min pulls an arrow from Eurus's shoulder and recognizes the poison coating its tip, her knowledge becomes power. When Eurus shields Min's body with his own, his strength becomes protection rather than domination.
The Mother Wound That Bleeds Through Generations
The revelation that Lady Clarisse is Min's biological mother arrives with devastating impact, recontextualizing everything we've witnessed about their relationship. This isn't abuse perpetrated by a cruel employer but by the woman who gave Min life—and then spent that life trying to extinguish Min's spirit. Warwick handles this complex dynamic with nuance, never excusing Lady Clarisse's cruelty but allowing us to see the grief and trauma that warped her into something monstrous.
The confrontation between Min and Lady Clarisse on the storm-battered cliffs provides the book's most emotionally charged moments. Here, Min must literally and figuratively let go of the woman who birthed her but never mothered her. It's a scene that refuses easy catharsis, acknowledging both the relief of freedom and the grief for what could never be.
Where the Four Winds Converge
Readers of the previous books—The North Wind, The West Wind, and The South Wind—will find deep satisfaction in seeing the Anemoi brothers reunited. Warwick has spent three books establishing each brother's distinct personality and showing how immortality and trauma have shaped them differently. The family reunion sequence in the epilogue, with Boreas, Zephyrus, Notus, and their respective partners gathered at Min and Eurus's estate, feels earned rather than tacked on.
Each previous heroine—Wren, Brielle, and Sarai—carried her own wounds into her story, and Min's journey completes a quartet of women who refuse to let their pain define them. Where Wren struggled with alcoholism and self-worth, Brielle questioned her faith, and Sarai grappled with grief and abandonment, Min's arc centers on reclaiming agency after years of having none. Together, these four women represent different facets of trauma recovery, each valid, each hard-won.
The Poison That Becomes Medicine
Min's expertise as a bane weaver—someone who creates both poisons and remedies—operates as the book's central metaphor. She begins by brewing Eastern Blood, a poison with no antidote that guarantees death. She ends by reopening her grandmother's apothecary, now renamed Nana's Tinctures & Teas, focusing exclusively on healing. This shift from poison to remedy mirrors her internal transformation from someone who believed she was worthless to someone who knows her inherent value.
Warwick's prose shines brightest in these quiet moments of Min working with her herbs and tinctures. The sensory details—the smell of chervil, the burn of larkshin poison, the careful measurement of nightshade—ground the fantasy elements in physical reality. When Min identifies a poison coating an arrow during the tournament, her knowledge saves Eurus's life. Her expertise, so long dismissed by Lady Clarisse, becomes the thing that makes her irreplaceable.
Critiques Worth Noting
While The East Wind delivers emotional resonance in abundance, it's not without structural challenges. The pacing in the middle section occasionally drags, particularly during extended sequences of Min brewing potions while waiting for tournament trials. Some readers may find the power imbalance in the early relationship dynamic too uncomfortable to overcome, even as the narrative explicitly acknowledges and works to correct it.
The villain, Prince Balior, feels somewhat underdeveloped compared to the rich characterization given to Min, Eurus, and Lady Clarisse. His motivations remain murky, and his ultimate defeat happens largely off-page through the intervention of Eurus's brothers rather than through the protagonists' direct action. Additionally, certain plot threads—particularly around the Council of Gods and Eurus's original revenge plan—resolve with less complexity than their buildup might suggest.
The ARC of this book arrived in my hands courtesy of Simon & Schuster, and I approached it with both anticipation and trepidation. The publisher's faith in Warwick's vision to close out this series has been vindicated by what she delivers: a romance that understands that love alone cannot heal trauma, but that choosing to heal alongside someone you trust can make the unbearable bearable.
The Inheritance We Choose
The East Wind ultimately asks what we owe to those who hurt us, and what we owe to ourselves. Min's answer—that she owes Lady Clarisse nothing, but owes herself everything—rings with hard-won truth. Her decision to take over her grandmother's estate and transform it into a space of healing rather than harm represents more than real estate; it's about reclaiming history and rewriting its meaning.
The epilogue, set months after the main conflict resolves, gives us Min and Eurus hosting a family dinner. It's domestic, warm, slightly chaotic with children and conversation. Eurus, who once couldn't tolerate even his brothers' presence, has learned to welcome family into his life. Min, who stuttered through every interaction, speaks clearly and confidently. They've built not just a home but a life together—one where peace isn't the absence of conflict but the presence of safety, trust, and mutual respect.
December 2, 2025
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Series: Four Winds #4
ARC: Thanks to NetGalley. All opinions my own.
After five years following the Four Winds series, The East Wind delivers a deeply emotional and satisfying final chapter. I loved The North Wind back in 2022, adored The West Wind in 2023 (still my favourite — Zephyrus absolutely wins for personality, and comic relief), and enjoyed The South Wind earlier this year. This fourth instalment brings everything together with heart, pain, healing, and a romance that feels genuinely earned.
🌬️
The Story
This time we follow Eurus — the last remaining god among the four brothers. His upbringing was brutal; his father’s experiments have left him traumatised, touch-averse, and understandably wary of everyone. When he’s captured by the ruthless Lady Clarisse, who wants to extract the secret of immortality, Eurus is already at breaking point.
Min, an apothecary trained by her beloved and departed Nan, works under Lady Clarisse’s thumb and suffers her own abuse. She’s desperate to prove her worth, even believing that discovering immortality might earn her a safe place to stay at her treasured manor. When the chance arises to help Eurus escape, she is reluctant — but their shared pain, caution, and slow understanding create something fragile and hopeful between them.
💔
Trauma, Vulnerability & the Slow Unravelling
This book’s emotional core sits squarely in Eurus and Min’s parallel journeys. Both have been shaped by cruelty; both must relearn trust. Their romance is tender, cautious, and beautifully vulnerable. When they finally give in to the physical side of their connection, it lands with real emotional weight — intimate, not just spicy for the sake of it.
The themes of reclaiming self-worth, confronting the shadows of abuse, and choosing gentleness over vengeance give the story a satisfying depth.
❤️🔥
Characters & Chemistry
Min’s kindness and quiet resilience complement Eurus’s protective intensity perfectly. I really enjoyed how their bond grows — tentative at first, then slowly warming as they mirror each other’s fears and hopes. The spice is well-written, and the character work feels thoughtful and grounded.
👑
A Strong Finish to the Series
The reunion of the four brothers at the end was especially poignant — a lovely hallmarky bow on the entire series. And yes, The West Wind remains my favourite, and Zephyrus still steals every scene he appears in.
🌟
Final Thoughts
A moving, action-packed finale to a series I’ve consistently enjoyed. It’s dark in places, tender in others, and ultimately hopeful. I’m glad to see this instalment out in the world, and I can’t wait to see what Alexandria Warwick does next.
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Series: Four Winds #4
ARC: Thanks to NetGalley. All opinions my own.
After five years following the Four Winds series, The East Wind delivers a deeply emotional and satisfying final chapter. I loved The North Wind back in 2022, adored The West Wind in 2023 (still my favourite — Zephyrus absolutely wins for personality, and comic relief), and enjoyed The South Wind earlier this year. This fourth instalment brings everything together with heart, pain, healing, and a romance that feels genuinely earned.
🌬️
The Story
This time we follow Eurus — the last remaining god among the four brothers. His upbringing was brutal; his father’s experiments have left him traumatised, touch-averse, and understandably wary of everyone. When he’s captured by the ruthless Lady Clarisse, who wants to extract the secret of immortality, Eurus is already at breaking point.
Min, an apothecary trained by her beloved and departed Nan, works under Lady Clarisse’s thumb and suffers her own abuse. She’s desperate to prove her worth, even believing that discovering immortality might earn her a safe place to stay at her treasured manor. When the chance arises to help Eurus escape, she is reluctant — but their shared pain, caution, and slow understanding create something fragile and hopeful between them.
💔
Trauma, Vulnerability & the Slow Unravelling
This book’s emotional core sits squarely in Eurus and Min’s parallel journeys. Both have been shaped by cruelty; both must relearn trust. Their romance is tender, cautious, and beautifully vulnerable. When they finally give in to the physical side of their connection, it lands with real emotional weight — intimate, not just spicy for the sake of it.
The themes of reclaiming self-worth, confronting the shadows of abuse, and choosing gentleness over vengeance give the story a satisfying depth.
❤️🔥
Characters & Chemistry
Min’s kindness and quiet resilience complement Eurus’s protective intensity perfectly. I really enjoyed how their bond grows — tentative at first, then slowly warming as they mirror each other’s fears and hopes. The spice is well-written, and the character work feels thoughtful and grounded.
👑
A Strong Finish to the Series
The reunion of the four brothers at the end was especially poignant — a lovely hallmarky bow on the entire series. And yes, The West Wind remains my favourite, and Zephyrus still steals every scene he appears in.
🌟
Final Thoughts
A moving, action-packed finale to a series I’ve consistently enjoyed. It’s dark in places, tender in others, and ultimately hopeful. I’m glad to see this instalment out in the world, and I can’t wait to see what Alexandria Warwick does next.
October 12, 2025
Trigger warnings: child abuse
She lives in a house where a woman tortures creatures, deities, and people on the daily; so much so that they occasionally die, but thinks being kept someplace warm and with food is mistreatment. She’s not in a cell, she’s in a house; she’s not freezing, she has clothing; she’s not being beaten, she’s allowed to speak her mind, but she can’t take a walk through town so it’s mistreatment. (Yes, yes, being kidnapped is wrong, being held against your will is still horrible and all, but this is a romantasy, so this isn’t mistreatment, it’s courting.)
The main character has a spine so weak that even wet pasta would look at her askance. She’s so full of self pity, so empty of self confidence, and so down on herself that I’m surprised she managed to do anything without some mood altering medication. At one point, Min is told that she defends Eurus as fiercely as though she and he were lovers … but looking back through that chapter, I have no idea what she said that was deemed either fierce or fond or protective.
Eventually Min is dragged through the ubiquitous trials that shove her and Eurus into the forced proximity trope, and Min talks about poisons again. Oh yes, she makes poisons. It shows up often in the book, and … there’s imagination there in what each poison does, but it often feels more like an excuse for the author to show off than for Min to have anything to say on her on. So often the book drags Min along in a way that has her feeling less like a character and more like a toy,
But.
As the book goes on the relationship between Min and Eurus begins to actually be interesting. Eurus has had a horrible childhood, as has Min; both want approval from a parent who will never give it, both are leery of trusting someone, both want so badly to be told they’re worth something, worthy of someone, and the slow building relationship between them is the best part of this book.
The world building is non existent. It’s just fantasy powers with modern clothes and magic. The writing is solid, the pace lags somewhat in places but — overall — it’s an easy read. Personally, I didn’t mind this book … but I don’t love it. I found it predictable, repetitive, and somewhat generic. But if you’re looking for a romantasy with a solid relationship and a love interest who isn’t a giant walking red flag but is instead someone with their own character arc that learns to be a better person and a better partner, then consider giving this book a try.
November 9, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, S&S/Saga Press, and Alexandria Warwick for allowing me to read this ARC of The East Wind.
*Have not read the other books in the series, but I’ve been hassling my local library to get the books that are available*.
Eurus has been captured by the Bane Weaver, Madame Clarisse, who is a malevolent apothecarist and owner of the property named St Laurent, where she “trains and houses” an apprentice named Min. Min is a young woman, who toils everyday to appease MC for fear of being abused if she doesn’t complete her daily chores and follow MC’s recipes for torture on her “guests” in the basement and North Tower of St Laurent. Min has been told to not go into the North Tower, but her curiosity wins over her fear, and she discovers MC has captured a God and is planning to steal his power and immortality. Feeling guilt about her or MC’s plan and/or possibly still exploring this mysterious God’ in his cell, she accidentally releases him and is taken as a captive herself. Now she must serve as a bane weaver to the God in order to help him seek revenge on an old wound via a series of challenges in a “game” within the City of Gods.
Both Min and Eurus begin to discover they both lived similar traumas and each struggle through their trauma in different ways. Learning how to trust people is difficult for Eurus and Min’s depths of self loathing is entrenched deep within her.
Personally, let me say, this was the most frustrated I’ve felt about a character in a book in a long time. The amount of times I had to stop and tell my husband what was going on and then continue was probably irritating to him. Granted, I understood why each character struggled. Trauma works it way through each person differently.
It took a minute to get into the book, although once it picked up from the escape of St Laurent, I was in. The ending of the book was so raw and painful, there were multiple moments where I felt like my heart had been ripped out and stomped on. And I was for sure there was no way I’d forgive the character, short of extreme actions. And then I was gripping the edge of reader for dear life. Thank you Alexandria for making me this passionate about a story, one I haven’t felt in a while.
I’d rate this book a 4.75 and would recommend to anyone that likes the Crowns of Nyaxia series or maybe ACOTAR; especially this one because of the games. I do wish there had been more about the Gods in the book. A couple of missed opportunities to expand, but I get the choice made
*Have not read the other books in the series, but I’ve been hassling my local library to get the books that are available*.
Eurus has been captured by the Bane Weaver, Madame Clarisse, who is a malevolent apothecarist and owner of the property named St Laurent, where she “trains and houses” an apprentice named Min. Min is a young woman, who toils everyday to appease MC for fear of being abused if she doesn’t complete her daily chores and follow MC’s recipes for torture on her “guests” in the basement and North Tower of St Laurent. Min has been told to not go into the North Tower, but her curiosity wins over her fear, and she discovers MC has captured a God and is planning to steal his power and immortality. Feeling guilt about her or MC’s plan and/or possibly still exploring this mysterious God’ in his cell, she accidentally releases him and is taken as a captive herself. Now she must serve as a bane weaver to the God in order to help him seek revenge on an old wound via a series of challenges in a “game” within the City of Gods.
Both Min and Eurus begin to discover they both lived similar traumas and each struggle through their trauma in different ways. Learning how to trust people is difficult for Eurus and Min’s depths of self loathing is entrenched deep within her.
Personally, let me say, this was the most frustrated I’ve felt about a character in a book in a long time. The amount of times I had to stop and tell my husband what was going on and then continue was probably irritating to him. Granted, I understood why each character struggled. Trauma works it way through each person differently.
It took a minute to get into the book, although once it picked up from the escape of St Laurent, I was in. The ending of the book was so raw and painful, there were multiple moments where I felt like my heart had been ripped out and stomped on. And I was for sure there was no way I’d forgive the character, short of extreme actions. And then I was gripping the edge of reader for dear life. Thank you Alexandria for making me this passionate about a story, one I haven’t felt in a while.
I’d rate this book a 4.75 and would recommend to anyone that likes the Crowns of Nyaxia series or maybe ACOTAR; especially this one because of the games. I do wish there had been more about the Gods in the book. A couple of missed opportunities to expand, but I get the choice made
November 26, 2025
This is an ARC review. I received an early edition of this book through NetGalley, all thoughts and opinions are true and my own.
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Honestly this series started off so well for me, I LOVED The North Wind and The West Wind. The godly vibes and character development were really good and the character interactions were interesting. I personally saw a drop in The South Wind that I really hoped wouldn't continue into The East Wind... But it did.
The glimpse of Eurus in The South Wind made him so powerful and intriguing and a genuine god. However after the first few chapters of this book he is really just a man. He's not overly intimidating and half the time I feel like the conversations could take place in a modern contemporary romance book.
Min wasn't an overly likeable main character to be honest, she had her moments but half the time I wanted to shake her shoulders and tell her to get a grip.
- SPOILERS PAST HERE -
So the plot point from The South Wind about the prince and the bull didn't really go anywhere? They were kind of in there but it was so rushed and added very little. Just seems like that part of the story wasn't thought out and could have been removed from both books without it really changing anything.
The City of Gods apart from it apparently being fancy looking could have literally just been anywhere. Nothing screams God to me.
I feel like the two main characters are mostly just bonding over a shared trauma, once again like in The South Wind I was being told they were in love but I didn't see it anywhere? The sex scene was awkward and could have been left out too.
The twist of Madame being her mother wasn't all that powerful, it changed nothing.
The final "battle" where all the brothers joined forces would have been more interesting if they weren't mainly powerless mortals by then? 3 of the 4 couldn't really do anything? It was lovely to see their little interactions though, especially with the fondness I have for the first two brothers.
I would have liked to have seen a different ending compared to the other books, I think. Having every single one just end with them giving up their powers just became predictable and boring.
The writing style overall is still wonderful to me though, and you can tell the premise was incredible and could have been done really well - this just missed the mark.
I look forward to seeing what this author does next without it having to be set in this same universe.
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Honestly this series started off so well for me, I LOVED The North Wind and The West Wind. The godly vibes and character development were really good and the character interactions were interesting. I personally saw a drop in The South Wind that I really hoped wouldn't continue into The East Wind... But it did.
The glimpse of Eurus in The South Wind made him so powerful and intriguing and a genuine god. However after the first few chapters of this book he is really just a man. He's not overly intimidating and half the time I feel like the conversations could take place in a modern contemporary romance book.
Min wasn't an overly likeable main character to be honest, she had her moments but half the time I wanted to shake her shoulders and tell her to get a grip.
- SPOILERS PAST HERE -
So the plot point from The South Wind about the prince and the bull didn't really go anywhere? They were kind of in there but it was so rushed and added very little. Just seems like that part of the story wasn't thought out and could have been removed from both books without it really changing anything.
The City of Gods apart from it apparently being fancy looking could have literally just been anywhere. Nothing screams God to me.
I feel like the two main characters are mostly just bonding over a shared trauma, once again like in The South Wind I was being told they were in love but I didn't see it anywhere? The sex scene was awkward and could have been left out too.
The twist of Madame being her mother wasn't all that powerful, it changed nothing.
The final "battle" where all the brothers joined forces would have been more interesting if they weren't mainly powerless mortals by then? 3 of the 4 couldn't really do anything? It was lovely to see their little interactions though, especially with the fondness I have for the first two brothers.
I would have liked to have seen a different ending compared to the other books, I think. Having every single one just end with them giving up their powers just became predictable and boring.
The writing style overall is still wonderful to me though, and you can tell the premise was incredible and could have been done really well - this just missed the mark.
I look forward to seeing what this author does next without it having to be set in this same universe.
December 6, 2025
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, and somehow The East Wind managed to exceed every expectation. I could not believe my luck when I was approved for an early copy, and now I’m both deeply satisfied and completely heartbroken that the Four Winds series has come to an end.
I have adored the stories of the North, West, and South Winds, but this final instalment is hands down my favourite of the series and the most perfect conclusion Alexandria could have given us.
At its heart, this is a story of bravery, survival, and healing. Of two broken, tortured souls finding one another and slowly learning to trust ... not just each other, but themselves. Min of Marles begins as a quiet, timid pawn, crushed under the control of a cruel mistress, and watching her transformation into a powerful, self-assured heroine was one of my favourite character arcs I’ve read in a long time. Eurus is trauma, vengeance, and wingspan; equally scarred by abuse and betrayal, aching, dangerous, and devastating in the best way.
Their relationship is forged through necessity, sharpened by distrust, and softened by shared pain. Both characters have endured unimaginable cruelty, and seeing them learn that they are worthy of love, and capable of giving it.... was incredibly moving.
Alexandria’s writing is everything I’ve come to love: descriptive without being heavy, immersive without slowing the pace. She pulls you straight into her world of immortals, gods, and deadly trials, and does not let go. I genuinely binged this book in a single day because I could not tear myself away.
Rapunzel meets the myth of Psyche and Cupid in a tale that grows into something deeper, darker, and entirely its own. Layered with mythology, political intrigue, revenge, and emotional depth. And yes, the spice? Easily my favourite of the entire series. (Gods help me, the nickname “Bird” absolutely ruined me.) Plus a creatively deployed jar of honey that I will never forget.
The reunion of the four brothers was one of the most touching moments of the book and served as a deeply satisfying conclusion to the series.
I am devastated to say goodbye to this world, but incredibly grateful to have experienced such a powerful ending. The East Wind is a stunning finale and one of my top reads of 2025 — exactly what I hoped for, and more.
Thank you to the author, Simon & Schuster Australia and Netgalley for an eARC. All opinions are my own.
I have adored the stories of the North, West, and South Winds, but this final instalment is hands down my favourite of the series and the most perfect conclusion Alexandria could have given us.
At its heart, this is a story of bravery, survival, and healing. Of two broken, tortured souls finding one another and slowly learning to trust ... not just each other, but themselves. Min of Marles begins as a quiet, timid pawn, crushed under the control of a cruel mistress, and watching her transformation into a powerful, self-assured heroine was one of my favourite character arcs I’ve read in a long time. Eurus is trauma, vengeance, and wingspan; equally scarred by abuse and betrayal, aching, dangerous, and devastating in the best way.
Their relationship is forged through necessity, sharpened by distrust, and softened by shared pain. Both characters have endured unimaginable cruelty, and seeing them learn that they are worthy of love, and capable of giving it.... was incredibly moving.
Alexandria’s writing is everything I’ve come to love: descriptive without being heavy, immersive without slowing the pace. She pulls you straight into her world of immortals, gods, and deadly trials, and does not let go. I genuinely binged this book in a single day because I could not tear myself away.
Rapunzel meets the myth of Psyche and Cupid in a tale that grows into something deeper, darker, and entirely its own. Layered with mythology, political intrigue, revenge, and emotional depth. And yes, the spice? Easily my favourite of the entire series. (Gods help me, the nickname “Bird” absolutely ruined me.) Plus a creatively deployed jar of honey that I will never forget.
The reunion of the four brothers was one of the most touching moments of the book and served as a deeply satisfying conclusion to the series.
I am devastated to say goodbye to this world, but incredibly grateful to have experienced such a powerful ending. The East Wind is a stunning finale and one of my top reads of 2025 — exactly what I hoped for, and more.
Thank you to the author, Simon & Schuster Australia and Netgalley for an eARC. All opinions are my own.
August 24, 2025
I continue to be very elated when I get approved for an ARC in this series. This one I got an email for, which was very exciting. I was actually checking NetGalley the day before to see if the book was on there!
This is the final book in one of my most beloved series. I found The North Wind quite randomly way back when it was an indie release. I’ve loved every moment of these books. And all through I guess technically you could read these independently of one another I would highly suggest reading them in order. Especially for this book as fairly early on in the book you get a reference to all three of the previous books and even several characters from previous books.
The East Wind follows Min of Marles. She is an apprentice bane weaver, a herbologist that can make all manner of potions and tinctures. She lives at her late grandmother’s estate being mistreated by Madame Clarisse who owns the property now. The madame keeps all manner of immortals for ingredients in her quite twisted brews. But it’s the god in the north tower who intrigues Min the most…
Min is a very frail and timid character. She has a stutter which is definitely brought on by the abuse she has endured. She’s a bit naive but I really enjoyed her characterization. All the previous FMCs are fairly confident in themselves. She’s perhaps most similar to Brielle from The West Wind.
The East Wind, or Eurus, is on the surface an unforgiving, quite brutish character. He does not like change and does not like to be defied. His character growth is one of my favorite parts.
The romance as always is a slow burn, which I love. This slow burn is maybe the slowest as Min and Eurus start the story as abductor and abducted. Lots of character growth from both parties is needed.
There is unfortunately one of my least favorite tropes as I’m sure others agree: miscommunication. It’s more of one character hears another character say something and it’s misconstrued but I think it still falls under the trope. Admittedly, I was very irked by this. But it resolves pretty quickly so I can’t be too mad.
As always, the epilogue was amazing and heart warming. I love seeing a brief glimpse into The Four Winds minds via epilogue. It was a bitter sweet ending but a good ending all the same.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
This is the final book in one of my most beloved series. I found The North Wind quite randomly way back when it was an indie release. I’ve loved every moment of these books. And all through I guess technically you could read these independently of one another I would highly suggest reading them in order. Especially for this book as fairly early on in the book you get a reference to all three of the previous books and even several characters from previous books.
The East Wind follows Min of Marles. She is an apprentice bane weaver, a herbologist that can make all manner of potions and tinctures. She lives at her late grandmother’s estate being mistreated by Madame Clarisse who owns the property now. The madame keeps all manner of immortals for ingredients in her quite twisted brews. But it’s the god in the north tower who intrigues Min the most…
Min is a very frail and timid character. She has a stutter which is definitely brought on by the abuse she has endured. She’s a bit naive but I really enjoyed her characterization. All the previous FMCs are fairly confident in themselves. She’s perhaps most similar to Brielle from The West Wind.
The East Wind, or Eurus, is on the surface an unforgiving, quite brutish character. He does not like change and does not like to be defied. His character growth is one of my favorite parts.
The romance as always is a slow burn, which I love. This slow burn is maybe the slowest as Min and Eurus start the story as abductor and abducted. Lots of character growth from both parties is needed.
There is unfortunately one of my least favorite tropes as I’m sure others agree: miscommunication. It’s more of one character hears another character say something and it’s misconstrued but I think it still falls under the trope. Admittedly, I was very irked by this. But it resolves pretty quickly so I can’t be too mad.
As always, the epilogue was amazing and heart warming. I love seeing a brief glimpse into The Four Winds minds via epilogue. It was a bitter sweet ending but a good ending all the same.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review: The East Wind by Alexandria Warwick
Rating: ★★★★
The Official Blurb (The Hook);
Rapunzel meets the myth of Psyche and Cupid in this climactic final installment of the Four Winds series. The East Wind is a standalone fantasy romance centered on survival, healing, and the unlikely bond between a mortal woman and a tortured god.
My Thoughts;
As a long-time fan who has read all four books in the Four Winds series, I can confidently say that The East Wind was my absolute favorite. While each book in this series follows a similar framework—a Wind brother meeting a mortal woman—Alexandria Warwick’s writing is so skillful that each story feels entirely distinct. The world-building remains lush and immersive, but it is the character work in this final volume that truly stole my heart.
What resonated with me most:
* The Emotional Depth: This story is heavy with themes of trauma and recovery. Both Min and Eurus have endured immense suffering, and watching them navigate their tortured pasts felt raw and authentic.
* Relatable Internal Monologue: I felt a deep connection to Min of Marles. Her internal monologue regarding self-doubt was incredibly relatable; the author captured those feelings of self-doubt in a way that felt very personal and moving.
* The Romance: The distrust-to-love dynamic against the backdrop of a brutal tournament in the City of Gods kept the stakes high. Their attraction felt earned because it was built on a foundation of shared healing.
The Verdict;
I thoroughly enjoyed this entire series and would highly recommend it to any fantasy romance lover. It’s a beautiful exploration of how two broken people can help each other move forward. I’m sad to see this world end, but this was the perfect finale.
Thank you to NetGalley, Alexandria Warwick, and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: ★★★★
The Official Blurb (The Hook);
Rapunzel meets the myth of Psyche and Cupid in this climactic final installment of the Four Winds series. The East Wind is a standalone fantasy romance centered on survival, healing, and the unlikely bond between a mortal woman and a tortured god.
My Thoughts;
As a long-time fan who has read all four books in the Four Winds series, I can confidently say that The East Wind was my absolute favorite. While each book in this series follows a similar framework—a Wind brother meeting a mortal woman—Alexandria Warwick’s writing is so skillful that each story feels entirely distinct. The world-building remains lush and immersive, but it is the character work in this final volume that truly stole my heart.
What resonated with me most:
* The Emotional Depth: This story is heavy with themes of trauma and recovery. Both Min and Eurus have endured immense suffering, and watching them navigate their tortured pasts felt raw and authentic.
* Relatable Internal Monologue: I felt a deep connection to Min of Marles. Her internal monologue regarding self-doubt was incredibly relatable; the author captured those feelings of self-doubt in a way that felt very personal and moving.
* The Romance: The distrust-to-love dynamic against the backdrop of a brutal tournament in the City of Gods kept the stakes high. Their attraction felt earned because it was built on a foundation of shared healing.
The Verdict;
I thoroughly enjoyed this entire series and would highly recommend it to any fantasy romance lover. It’s a beautiful exploration of how two broken people can help each other move forward. I’m sad to see this world end, but this was the perfect finale.
Thank you to NetGalley, Alexandria Warwick, and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
East Wind was… fine, and for a final book in a series I’ve been invested in, that was a little disappointing.
On paper, this finale had so much going for it. The overall plot was strong, the stakes were clearly defined, and the story had all the pieces needed for an emotionally satisfying conclusion. Unfortunately, the biggest thing holding this book back for me was the FMC.
She consistently came across as naive and spineless, especially in moments where I desperately wanted her to stand her ground or show meaningful growth. Because she’s at the center of the story, that lack of agency ended up dragging down scenes that should have felt powerful or triumphant. I went in with high hopes for her arc, and it just never fully landed for me.
That said, there were elements I genuinely loved.
Seeing all the brothers back together again was such a highlight. Their dynamic brought back the warmth, humor, and emotional familiarity that made me fall in love with this series in the first place. Those scenes felt nostalgic in the best way and reminded me why I stuck with these characters through every installment.
The epilogue was another bright spot: sweet, tender, and genuinely satisfying. It felt like a proper goodbye and gave the emotional closure that the main climax didn’t quite deliver.
As for the final battle… it unfortunately felt anticlimactic and rushed. After all the buildup across the series, I expected something more intense and drawn-out. Instead, it wrapped up too quickly, missing that heart-pounding payoff I wanted from a true finale.
Bottom line: East Wind closes out the series with a solid plot and some truly lovely character moments, but a weak FMC and a rushed final battle kept it from being the knockout ending I hoped for. I still enjoyed returning to this world (especially for the brothers), but this one didn’t fully stick the landing for me.
On paper, this finale had so much going for it. The overall plot was strong, the stakes were clearly defined, and the story had all the pieces needed for an emotionally satisfying conclusion. Unfortunately, the biggest thing holding this book back for me was the FMC.
She consistently came across as naive and spineless, especially in moments where I desperately wanted her to stand her ground or show meaningful growth. Because she’s at the center of the story, that lack of agency ended up dragging down scenes that should have felt powerful or triumphant. I went in with high hopes for her arc, and it just never fully landed for me.
That said, there were elements I genuinely loved.
Seeing all the brothers back together again was such a highlight. Their dynamic brought back the warmth, humor, and emotional familiarity that made me fall in love with this series in the first place. Those scenes felt nostalgic in the best way and reminded me why I stuck with these characters through every installment.
The epilogue was another bright spot: sweet, tender, and genuinely satisfying. It felt like a proper goodbye and gave the emotional closure that the main climax didn’t quite deliver.
As for the final battle… it unfortunately felt anticlimactic and rushed. After all the buildup across the series, I expected something more intense and drawn-out. Instead, it wrapped up too quickly, missing that heart-pounding payoff I wanted from a true finale.
Bottom line: East Wind closes out the series with a solid plot and some truly lovely character moments, but a weak FMC and a rushed final battle kept it from being the knockout ending I hoped for. I still enjoyed returning to this world (especially for the brothers), but this one didn’t fully stick the landing for me.
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