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A lush and enchanting fantasy romance, inspired by Beauty and the Beast and the myth of Hades and Persephone. Beloved by readers on TikTok.
Wren of Edgewood is no stranger to suffering. With her parents gone, it is Wren’s responsibility to ensure she and her sister survive the harsh and endless winter, but if the legends are to be believed, their home may not be safe for much longer.
For three hundred years, the land surrounding Edgewood has been encased in ice as the Shade, a magical barrier that protects the townsfolk from the Deadlands beyond, weakens. Only one thing can stop the Shade’s fall: the blood of a mortal woman bound in wedlock to the North Wind, a dangerous immortal whose heart is said to be as frigid as the land he rules. And the time has come to choose his bride.
When the North Wind sets his eyes on Wren’s sister, Wren will do anything to save her – even if it means sacrificing herself in the process. But mortal or not, Wren won’t go down without a fight.
Review
I feel awful for giving yet another book a 4-star rating, especially as I loved The North Wind. I’ll get to the good points of this story soon, but first, let me tell you why I couldn’t give it the full 5-stars.
It took me a few attempts to get past the first paragraph. Then it took a couple of attempts to make it through the first chapter. My initial impression of this book was that it read like a high school creative writing project. It started out overly descriptive with more detail than I felt was necessary.
By Chapter 2, the author seemed to be finding their feet with the story. Descriptions started to lessen as the action happened (still a lot of description though). I could immerse myself in the story more fully from this point onwards.
You might be asking, “Ashleigh, why did you rate this story 4 stars if you struggled that bad?”
Well, for a number of reasons.
I loved the world the story was set in. It was a true fantasy story, with castles, magical rivers and caves, doorways leading to other places, and ghostly spectres serving the royal family.
I loved the way the relationship between the Frost King and Wren developed. It felt natural. Wren was terrified of her husband at first, although she did her best not to let it show. Boreas (the Frost King) was a cold, terrifying figure who slowly opened himself up to his stubborn, brave bride. The couple went from enemies, to friends, to lovers at a pace that felt realistic. I absolutely abhor Insta-love, so this type of relationship development was perfect (in my eyes). In fact, Boreas’ and Wren’s relationship was my favourite part of the story.
And I’ve recently discovered that I’m a sucker for reimagined fairytales (I blame Second Star to the Left by Megan van Dyke), and The North Wind had elements of Beauty and the Beast woven through it.
For a book that took me a few false starts to read, I really did enjoy this book. If the first chapter wasn’t so wordy, I would have given it 5 stars.
Do I recommend this book? Absolutely.
Have you read The North Wind? Do you agree with my review? Leave your thoughts below!
The Story Review 
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