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Reign of Remnants #1
The Wind Weaver
Magic and adventure swirl through this spellbinding romantasy where a young woman reignites the embers of an ancient prophecy, unleashing a storm that could save her realm or doom them all.
Fear of maegic plagues war-torn Anwyvn. Halflings like Rhya Fleetwood are killed on sight. But Rhya鈥檚 execution is interrupted by an unexpected savior鈥攐ne far more terrifying than her would-be killers. The mysterious and mercenary Commander Scythe. In the clutches of this new enemy, Rhya finds herself fighting for her life in the barren reaches of the Northlands. Yet the farther she gets from home, the more she learns that nothing is as it seems鈥攏ot her fearsome captor, not the blight that ravages her dying realm, not even herself.
For Rhya is no ordinary halfling. The strange birthmark on her chest and the wind she instinctively calls forth means she is a Remnant, one of four souls scattered across Anwyvn, fated to restore the balance of maegic鈥r die trying.
But mastering the power inside her is only the beginning. Desire for the Commander鈥攁 man she can never trust, a man with plans of his own鈥攂urns just as fiercely as the tempests beating against her rib cage for release. Rhya must choose: smother the flames鈥r let them consume her.
Fear of maegic plagues war-torn Anwyvn. Halflings like Rhya Fleetwood are killed on sight. But Rhya鈥檚 execution is interrupted by an unexpected savior鈥攐ne far more terrifying than her would-be killers. The mysterious and mercenary Commander Scythe. In the clutches of this new enemy, Rhya finds herself fighting for her life in the barren reaches of the Northlands. Yet the farther she gets from home, the more she learns that nothing is as it seems鈥攏ot her fearsome captor, not the blight that ravages her dying realm, not even herself.
For Rhya is no ordinary halfling. The strange birthmark on her chest and the wind she instinctively calls forth means she is a Remnant, one of four souls scattered across Anwyvn, fated to restore the balance of maegic鈥r die trying.
But mastering the power inside her is only the beginning. Desire for the Commander鈥攁 man she can never trust, a man with plans of his own鈥攂urns just as fiercely as the tempests beating against her rib cage for release. Rhya must choose: smother the flames鈥r let them consume her.
544 pages, Hardcover
First published April 8, 2025
595 people are currently reading
42552 people want to read
About the author
Julie Johnson
27听books3,065听followersJULIE JOHNSON is the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Wind Weaver. When she's not writing, Julie can most often be found sitting on the beach near her home in her native Massachusetts, adding stamps to her passport, drinking too much coffee, and avoiding reality by disappearing between the pages of a book. She published her debut novel on a lark, just before her senior year of college, and she's never looked back. Since, she has published twenty other novels, which have been translated into more than a dozen different languages and appeared on bestseller lists all over the world.
You can connect with Julie on her Instagram (author_julie), in her natural habitat (the bookstore), or in her exclusive reader group (The Johnson Junkies).
For news and updates, be sure to subscribe to Julie's monthly newsletter:
You can connect with Julie on her Instagram (author_julie), in her natural habitat (the bookstore), or in her exclusive reader group (The Johnson Junkies).
For news and updates, be sure to subscribe to Julie's monthly newsletter:
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 775 reviews
October 18, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review!
I鈥檓 not happy with this rating for an ARC and know that I don鈥檛 give this rating easily but I need to be honest.
Sadly, this is a DNF for me at 60% as this 1) despicably failed the Bechdel Test and 2) had no plot whatsoever.
This is a 500 pages book. Meaning I鈥檝e read a little over 300 pages. The plot should鈥檝e already been mentioned and moving by now. It would鈥檝e benefited being cut from at least 150 pages.
I鈥檓 actually a whole lot tired of having fierce/snarky personality 20yo FMC who are painted as ignorant. The ignorance made her seem naive and completely unintelligent. And BTW - the FMC is the only woman focus for 53% of the book !!! And then we FINALLY meet another woman but she鈥檚 a complete mean girl and refers to the FMC as 鈥榳hore鈥欌€� I thought we were over this. It despicably failed the Bechdel Test and I wish it was marketed as having only one woman because this isn鈥檛 enough. I鈥檓 sure other readers will feel the same way I did ; I need female friendships. She鈥檚 kind of painted as one of the guys at some point and I guess that鈥檚 what the author wanted to focus on but Adult women friendships are absolutely necessary. It feels useless for me to read a book that doesn鈥檛 have them. It鈥檚 always disappointing for me because I always feel like those types of books are a setback in the Adult genre.
There鈥檚 a gigantic info dump at 40% in form of conversations and it doesn鈥檛 move us anywhere along a plot of some kind.
There is a random display of jealousy at the 44% mark that rubbed me the wrong way. Especially considering the romance in this Romantasy lacked chemistry on whole new levels.
In conclusion, I do think this needs adjustment to appeal to Adult readers. This might be more suitable for 12-13yo. I was rather enjoying the first 12% but then it got tedious and repetitive and mixed with all that is mentioned ; just felt like a big fiasco.
I鈥檓 not happy with this rating for an ARC and know that I don鈥檛 give this rating easily but I need to be honest.
Sadly, this is a DNF for me at 60% as this 1) despicably failed the Bechdel Test and 2) had no plot whatsoever.
This is a 500 pages book. Meaning I鈥檝e read a little over 300 pages. The plot should鈥檝e already been mentioned and moving by now. It would鈥檝e benefited being cut from at least 150 pages.
I鈥檓 actually a whole lot tired of having fierce/snarky personality 20yo FMC who are painted as ignorant. The ignorance made her seem naive and completely unintelligent. And BTW - the FMC is the only woman focus for 53% of the book !!! And then we FINALLY meet another woman but she鈥檚 a complete mean girl and refers to the FMC as 鈥榳hore鈥欌€� I thought we were over this. It despicably failed the Bechdel Test and I wish it was marketed as having only one woman because this isn鈥檛 enough. I鈥檓 sure other readers will feel the same way I did ; I need female friendships. She鈥檚 kind of painted as one of the guys at some point and I guess that鈥檚 what the author wanted to focus on but Adult women friendships are absolutely necessary. It feels useless for me to read a book that doesn鈥檛 have them. It鈥檚 always disappointing for me because I always feel like those types of books are a setback in the Adult genre.
There鈥檚 a gigantic info dump at 40% in form of conversations and it doesn鈥檛 move us anywhere along a plot of some kind.
There is a random display of jealousy at the 44% mark that rubbed me the wrong way. Especially considering the romance in this Romantasy lacked chemistry on whole new levels.
In conclusion, I do think this needs adjustment to appeal to Adult readers. This might be more suitable for 12-13yo. I was rather enjoying the first 12% but then it got tedious and repetitive and mixed with all that is mentioned ; just felt like a big fiasco.
April 13, 2025
鉁� 鉁� 鉁� 鉁� 鉁�
4.5 rounded up
features-
- enemies to lovers
- slow burn
- romantasy
- unique magic system
- touch her and die
- adventure fantasy
- found family
- prophecies
the wind weaver is a romantic fantasy that centers around a girl with one of a kind magic in a dying kingdom. in order to restore life and balance to the kingdom, she must reunite with the others to reunite power with the lands. i enjoyed this book a lot more than i expected to. the characters were so relatable and i loved rhya鈥檚 fire. as for the magic system, it was unique and unlike any magic system i鈥檝e ever read about before.
another thing about this book that immediately caught my eye is the cover, which is stunningggg 馃槱馃槱
right now, this is one of my top reads this year
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌�
am i team soren??? IM SO TORN I LOVE THEM BOTH AND I LOVE THIS BOOK AAAA
陹�:铃�: currently reading 陹� 鈯� 啵� 藮
猡� WHAAAAT HOT MAN #2? OKAY, I SEE YOU 馃憖
my spidey hot man alert senses are tingling 馃き
陹搬儛 :preread: 嗷掙挶 鈯� 啵� 藮
猡� i am such a sucker for beautiful covers 馃槏馃槏
陹�:馃棑锔�: release date 陹� 鈯� 啵� 藮
猡� april 8, 2025
鈥衡赌� thank you to netgalley and berkley publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review <33
4.5 rounded up
features-
- enemies to lovers
- slow burn
- romantasy
- unique magic system
- touch her and die
- adventure fantasy
- found family
- prophecies
the wind weaver is a romantic fantasy that centers around a girl with one of a kind magic in a dying kingdom. in order to restore life and balance to the kingdom, she must reunite with the others to reunite power with the lands. i enjoyed this book a lot more than i expected to. the characters were so relatable and i loved rhya鈥檚 fire. as for the magic system, it was unique and unlike any magic system i鈥檝e ever read about before.
another thing about this book that immediately caught my eye is the cover, which is stunningggg 馃槱馃槱
right now, this is one of my top reads this year
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌�
am i team soren??? IM SO TORN I LOVE THEM BOTH AND I LOVE THIS BOOK AAAA
陹�:铃�: currently reading 陹� 鈯� 啵� 藮
猡� WHAAAAT HOT MAN #2? OKAY, I SEE YOU 馃憖
my spidey hot man alert senses are tingling 馃き
陹搬儛 :preread: 嗷掙挶 鈯� 啵� 藮
猡� i am such a sucker for beautiful covers 馃槏馃槏
陹�:馃棑锔�: release date 陹� 鈯� 啵� 藮
猡� april 8, 2025
鈥衡赌� thank you to netgalley and berkley publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review <33
April 17, 2025
4.75猸愶笍 | | |
Talk about starting off with a BANG! I loved that this book griped me from the start with action-packed scenes, lush imagery and beautiful prose. I am a HUGE fan of books that don鈥檛 give you all the details up front so it was a lot of fun to have that mystery/unknown aspect, as our FMC learns more about herself and her world. This was such an epic start to a new trilogy and I cannot wait to see where it goes from here.
ps This is the start of something great鈥�
What I loved鈥�
- action-packed, fast-paced, and great overall pacing
- lush imagery that made you feel like you were right there in the thick of it with the characters
- mystery/intrigue, single POV so you learn about the world as the FMC does
- the plot REVEALS and twists were heart pounding and epic!
- crazy beasts and magical creatures
- thorough world building with minimal info-dumps
- the romantic sub-plot was top notch, SLOW burn & high tension 10/10
- Found family, the side characters were A++
- Grade A++ banter (not just with the MMC, but with the side characters too!)
- elemental magic, chosen one, and an ancient prophecy
What I didn鈥檛 love鈥�
- longer chapters (look I鈥檓 just not a fan ok)
- at times the romance veered a tiny itty bitty bit into the cheesy lane - but most will probably love it
- while the overall pacing was excellent there was a bit of a lull around the 60-80% mark - the longer chapters combined with the super fast paced beginning made the slow down (to do important things like finish fleshing out the world and character development) a bit more noticeable.
馃尪锔� - I gave this one chili based on my old style of describing spice but I will go back and update this with chapters and type of content soon.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley (Ace) Publishing for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Talk about starting off with a BANG! I loved that this book griped me from the start with action-packed scenes, lush imagery and beautiful prose. I am a HUGE fan of books that don鈥檛 give you all the details up front so it was a lot of fun to have that mystery/unknown aspect, as our FMC learns more about herself and her world. This was such an epic start to a new trilogy and I cannot wait to see where it goes from here.
ps This is the start of something great鈥�
What I loved鈥�
- action-packed, fast-paced, and great overall pacing
- lush imagery that made you feel like you were right there in the thick of it with the characters
- mystery/intrigue, single POV so you learn about the world as the FMC does
- the plot REVEALS and twists were heart pounding and epic!
- crazy beasts and magical creatures
- thorough world building with minimal info-dumps
- the romantic sub-plot was top notch, SLOW burn & high tension 10/10
- Found family, the side characters were A++
- Grade A++ banter (not just with the MMC, but with the side characters too!)
- elemental magic, chosen one, and an ancient prophecy
What I didn鈥檛 love鈥�
- longer chapters (look I鈥檓 just not a fan ok)
- at times the romance veered a tiny itty bitty bit into the cheesy lane - but most will probably love it
- while the overall pacing was excellent there was a bit of a lull around the 60-80% mark - the longer chapters combined with the super fast paced beginning made the slow down (to do important things like finish fleshing out the world and character development) a bit more noticeable.
馃尪锔� - I gave this one chili based on my old style of describing spice but I will go back and update this with chapters and type of content soon.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley (Ace) Publishing for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
April 14, 2025
4.5 猸愶笍
鈥淥ne last thing鈥鈥檇 hate to see your wings scorched before you ever get a chance to fly.鈥� 馃
Did I get physically blown away by this book? Yes I did, pun intended.
In a divided kingdom, the fae are hunted and our FMC, Rhya, is captured and sentenced to death.
鈥�"The noose chafes, a necklace of death."
At the last minute, she鈥檚 captured/saved by a moody commander - Hello, our MMC Scythe/Penn. From here, hidden magic, mythical creatures, and ancient prophecies are unveiled.
The juicy tension between destiny and desire ignites the perfect slow burn馃敟
"Air and Fire, an inextinguishable passion. Igniting together into pure, unadulterated... combustion."
This book is for you if you love:
馃寑Elemental magic
馃尡Found family
馃敟Slow burn 鈥� it took until the 30% mark for the MMC to remove his helmet (oh my goodness)
馃泴 One bed / One horse
鈿旓笍 He trains her
Now, the plot听does听get pulled in multiple directions but I believe it鈥檚 all setting up for an incredible book two, full of unanswered questions and unforgettable side characters. WIll we get a love triangle? Soren i鈥檓 looking at you 馃憖 I can't wait!
Thank you NetGalley & Penguin Random House for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
鈥淥ne last thing鈥鈥檇 hate to see your wings scorched before you ever get a chance to fly.鈥� 馃
Did I get physically blown away by this book? Yes I did, pun intended.
In a divided kingdom, the fae are hunted and our FMC, Rhya, is captured and sentenced to death.
鈥�"The noose chafes, a necklace of death."
At the last minute, she鈥檚 captured/saved by a moody commander - Hello, our MMC Scythe/Penn. From here, hidden magic, mythical creatures, and ancient prophecies are unveiled.
The juicy tension between destiny and desire ignites the perfect slow burn馃敟
"Air and Fire, an inextinguishable passion. Igniting together into pure, unadulterated... combustion."
This book is for you if you love:
馃寑Elemental magic
馃尡Found family
馃敟Slow burn 鈥� it took until the 30% mark for the MMC to remove his helmet (oh my goodness)
馃泴 One bed / One horse
鈿旓笍 He trains her
Now, the plot听does听get pulled in multiple directions but I believe it鈥檚 all setting up for an incredible book two, full of unanswered questions and unforgettable side characters. WIll we get a love triangle? Soren i鈥檓 looking at you 馃憖 I can't wait!
Thank you NetGalley & Penguin Random House for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
April 29, 2025
fantasy romance is SO back !!! this is now one of my fav reads of the year and i鈥檓 begging more people to read it !!
god i loved this. i loved it so much i鈥檓 a bit speechless and lacking the proper words to encompass how much i enjoyed this! i鈥檒l try my best but i know i won鈥檛 be able to do it justice. if you like fae, elemental magic, and fantasy romance that has equally good plot and romance then this is for you !!
the tension, the banter, oh my god. i have very high expectations when it comes to enemies to lovers, and i feel like this was done pretty well. i love an mmc who starts off broody and mean with so many walls up that the fmc has to break down, and that鈥檚 exactly what i got! i have so many highlights saved from this because i was eating up every single crumb.
this was definitely more on the side of a slow burn which i absolutely love!! if you鈥檙e looking for spice this isn鈥檛 the book for you, but for me it was so refreshing to focus more on romance over lust and have an engaging plot that made the book difficult to put down.
i LOVED rhya as an fmc. so strong and badass yet still kind and honestly hilarious at times. i wasn鈥檛 aware this was a series when i picked it up because i got it in a fairyloot sub, but i鈥檓 so glad it is because i can鈥檛 wait to see where the story goes as well as rhya鈥檚 character arc.
i鈥檓 sat and impatiently waiting for the next book even though this one literally just came out and there鈥檚 no news about book 2 yet!
p.s. : i鈥檓 finally FREEEE! i haven鈥檛 had a 5 star read in over two months not counting rereads. thank god!
鈿狅笍SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD鈿狅笍
i sense a possible love triangle on the horizon and i don鈥檛 know how to feel about it!!! i really loved penn from the jump but there鈥檚 also just something about soren馃 i do love a good love triangle where it鈥檚 actually hard to choose between the two love interests. if this becomes one i can鈥檛 say i鈥檇 be too mad at it as long as it doesn鈥檛 turn into a tamlin situation馃え
god i loved this. i loved it so much i鈥檓 a bit speechless and lacking the proper words to encompass how much i enjoyed this! i鈥檒l try my best but i know i won鈥檛 be able to do it justice. if you like fae, elemental magic, and fantasy romance that has equally good plot and romance then this is for you !!
the tension, the banter, oh my god. i have very high expectations when it comes to enemies to lovers, and i feel like this was done pretty well. i love an mmc who starts off broody and mean with so many walls up that the fmc has to break down, and that鈥檚 exactly what i got! i have so many highlights saved from this because i was eating up every single crumb.
this was definitely more on the side of a slow burn which i absolutely love!! if you鈥檙e looking for spice this isn鈥檛 the book for you, but for me it was so refreshing to focus more on romance over lust and have an engaging plot that made the book difficult to put down.
i LOVED rhya as an fmc. so strong and badass yet still kind and honestly hilarious at times. i wasn鈥檛 aware this was a series when i picked it up because i got it in a fairyloot sub, but i鈥檓 so glad it is because i can鈥檛 wait to see where the story goes as well as rhya鈥檚 character arc.
i鈥檓 sat and impatiently waiting for the next book even though this one literally just came out and there鈥檚 no news about book 2 yet!
p.s. : i鈥檓 finally FREEEE! i haven鈥檛 had a 5 star read in over two months not counting rereads. thank god!
鈿狅笍SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD鈿狅笍
i sense a possible love triangle on the horizon and i don鈥檛 know how to feel about it!!! i really loved penn from the jump but there鈥檚 also just something about soren馃 i do love a good love triangle where it鈥檚 actually hard to choose between the two love interests. if this becomes one i can鈥檛 say i鈥檇 be too mad at it as long as it doesn鈥檛 turn into a tamlin situation馃え
May 12, 2025
鈥淵ou are the storm, Rhya Fleetwood鈥�
What a stunning introduction to this immersive world filled with elemental magic, war torn lands, and a terrifying foe.
She is one of the four elements, fated to reincarnate time and time again until they find each other and help bring balance to maegic and the land.
Fire daddy is so broody and filled with yearning. Cannot wait to get more from water daddy.
What a stunning introduction to this immersive world filled with elemental magic, war torn lands, and a terrifying foe.
She is one of the four elements, fated to reincarnate time and time again until they find each other and help bring balance to maegic and the land.
Fire daddy is so broody and filled with yearning. Cannot wait to get more from water daddy.
March 1, 2025
3.75 Stars
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to review.
The first 60% of this book was incredible. I was immediately engrossed in the book, the opening of the book was incredibly unique and really gets you invested in the story. I love the heroine Rhya and the hero 鈥淪cythe鈥�. Their journey, their banter, their chemistry and development over this portion of the book was superb. I loved the world as well and the descriptions, I was fully expecting this to be a 5+ star read.
Then around the 70% mark things took a turn. Shortly after they reach their destination, it almost feels like i began reading a different book. I had no idea what the plot was, the timelines didn鈥檛 make sense and the book just stopped flowing. It is almost like every chapter was separate. it really bummed me out as the first part was so so so good.
The other thing that i love and hate is the cover of the book. It is stunning鈥bsolutely beautiful, and will definitely catch people鈥檚 attention. That being said the bird on the cover has zero relation to this book. I went in fully expecting a magical phoenix-like mythical creature to play a role in the book, but there is nothing.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to review.
The first 60% of this book was incredible. I was immediately engrossed in the book, the opening of the book was incredibly unique and really gets you invested in the story. I love the heroine Rhya and the hero 鈥淪cythe鈥�. Their journey, their banter, their chemistry and development over this portion of the book was superb. I loved the world as well and the descriptions, I was fully expecting this to be a 5+ star read.
Then around the 70% mark things took a turn. Shortly after they reach their destination, it almost feels like i began reading a different book. I had no idea what the plot was, the timelines didn鈥檛 make sense and the book just stopped flowing. It is almost like every chapter was separate. it really bummed me out as the first part was so so so good.
The other thing that i love and hate is the cover of the book. It is stunning鈥bsolutely beautiful, and will definitely catch people鈥檚 attention. That being said the bird on the cover has zero relation to this book. I went in fully expecting a magical phoenix-like mythical creature to play a role in the book, but there is nothing.
March 17, 2025
4.5 stars - I loved this, a solid breath of fresh air in the romantasy genre even though the MMCs name (Pendefyre) was criminal.
*Updating with full thoughts as we are closer to release day now!*
As I said above, this book genuinely felt like a breath of fresh air. It starts exciting and the action feels non-stop, which is not to say there wasn't time for the characters to develop too. There absolutely was, and I felt like the balance of plot progression and meaningful character interactions was wonderful. It actually reminded me of The Road of Bones, in the best way! So if you enjoyed that one, you may like this too.
The story follows Rhya, a "halfling" on the run. A mysterious commander (Scythe...aka PENDEFYRE, still can't get over that name lol) saves her when she gets captured, and he seems way too hellbent on ensuring her wellbeing, and she can't quite figure out why. That doesn't stop him from being a complete grouch though, lol. As these things go, Rhya and Penn (gonna stick to calling him his nickname) begin to realize there's more than what meets the eye when it comes to the other.
Rhya has this mysterious birthmark also, and it turns out that means she's a super magical person aka a Remnant and Penn knows quite a few things about what that role of a Remnant entails. They're on quite the adventure, constantly being pursued by enemies. The action was really fun! The start of the book had essentially no other female characters (other than the FMC) which felt really odd, but eventually there are other women and I loved the found family/sisterly bond they had.
Another slight grievance is the dialogue was a bit jarring, at times it felt a bit "trying too hard to sound medieval" but then contrasted really abruptly with modern lingo.
All in all a very fun read - and I will add I haven't been this unsure about who the final love interest in a book will be a while!! So I need book 2 ASAP.
Thank you Berkley/Ace Books for the ARC!!
*Updating with full thoughts as we are closer to release day now!*
As I said above, this book genuinely felt like a breath of fresh air. It starts exciting and the action feels non-stop, which is not to say there wasn't time for the characters to develop too. There absolutely was, and I felt like the balance of plot progression and meaningful character interactions was wonderful. It actually reminded me of The Road of Bones, in the best way! So if you enjoyed that one, you may like this too.
The story follows Rhya, a "halfling" on the run. A mysterious commander (Scythe...aka PENDEFYRE, still can't get over that name lol) saves her when she gets captured, and he seems way too hellbent on ensuring her wellbeing, and she can't quite figure out why. That doesn't stop him from being a complete grouch though, lol. As these things go, Rhya and Penn (gonna stick to calling him his nickname) begin to realize there's more than what meets the eye when it comes to the other.
Rhya has this mysterious birthmark also, and it turns out that means she's a super magical person aka a Remnant and Penn knows quite a few things about what that role of a Remnant entails. They're on quite the adventure, constantly being pursued by enemies. The action was really fun! The start of the book had essentially no other female characters (other than the FMC) which felt really odd, but eventually there are other women and I loved the found family/sisterly bond they had.
Another slight grievance is the dialogue was a bit jarring, at times it felt a bit "trying too hard to sound medieval" but then contrasted really abruptly with modern lingo.
All in all a very fun read - and I will add I haven't been this unsure about who the final love interest in a book will be a while!! So I need book 2 ASAP.
Thank you Berkley/Ace Books for the ARC!!
May 5, 2025
The Wind Weaver is a book that is so easy to enjoy, with it鈥檚 near constant elements of drama and a love-triangle leaning romance that keeps you wondering. Rhya is navigating a magical world entirely new to her, and we the reader discover all there is to know about elemental magic and the rarity of Rhya鈥檚 abilities as she does. There鈥檚 so much wonder in this world, but such high stakes too with Rhya鈥檚 position, and it鈥檚 a whirlwind of a story that keeps you turning the pages. I can鈥檛 wait to see where book 2 leads!
May 21, 2025
Un peu trop pr茅visible. Les tropes de Romantasy sont bien l脿 mais sont un peu trop similaires 脿 ce qu鈥檕n conna卯t. 脟a a quand m锚me bien march茅 pour moi ! J鈥檃dore le syst猫me de magie des 茅l茅ments et le enemies to lovers avec monsieur regneugneu a fonctionn茅 pour moi aussi m锚me si je comprends que certains n鈥檃ient pas aim茅鈥� presque un coup de c艙ur mais pas tout 脿 fait !
April 17, 2025
Overall I did really like this book. Loved the main characters. Super solid secondary characters. A much bigger world I'm excited to find out about. And there's a lot of story left to tell. But is this book a Romantasy? I suspect it WILL be in future books. But at times, this definitely felt like a YA book. I think the cover screams YA as well. Without getting into spoilers, I feel like I might know where this series is heading. And I'm excited if that is indeed where it goes. If it ends up not being what I suspect....then I'm not sure how I feel. At times the MMC was a bit too much of an asshole. There were definitely scenes where I wasn't rooting for him. He has a lot of growing up to do for sure. All in all, I'm super curious how this series will continue and I will definitely be reading book 2.
May 17, 2025
Das Buch hat mir wirklich richtig gut gefallen, und ich bin super gespannt, wie es weitergeht! Die Welt ist spannend aufgebaut, und man wird direkt in die Geschichte reingeworfen, ohne vom Worldbuilding 眉berfordert zu sein 馃寧鈿旓笍 Den Found Family Trope fand ich hier auch total sch枚n umgesetzt. Was die Love Story angeht, bin ich mir noch nicht ganz sicher, wo das alles hinf眉hrt. Es f眉hlt sich ein bisschen an wie bei ACOTAR, wenn ihr wisst, was ich meine 馃憖 Ich kann鈥檚 kaum erwarten, Band 2 in die H盲nde zu kriegen 鈥� warum ist der bitte noch nicht drau脽en?!
April 9, 2025
I really really wanted to love this book but I didn鈥檛.
This book is toted as enemies to lovers. The beginning makes you think so as well. The MMC Penn rescues the FMC Rhya from death, but basically takes her hostage. Treating her terribly, laying her across the back of his horse like a sack of flour, hands tied, rope around her center. She gets sick and he finally helps by letting her rest. She asks to be allowed to set upright and he says no for no real reason. He鈥檚 basically a huge ahole for NO reason. We come to find out they aren鈥檛 enemies and he has been looking for her for years. She鈥檚 apart of a group of four elementals and if they get all four together they鈥檒l help the world survive.
So let me get this straight. You want the help of a woman you basically treated terribly and acted like she was a huge inconvenience? Nah. You know what would work? Treating her like the essential female that she is. There is literally no explanation why he does this.
Also this is of course the MMC and I have thus far seen nothing that makes him swoon worthy.
The FMC ends up away from the group and falls unconscious. A nearby fae named Soren helps her, gives her new clothes, feeds her, treats her like a real person and she鈥檚 like oh I need to get back to Penn. Girl. That man hasn鈥檛 answered any of your questions, he treated you like crap, and basically said he needs you or you wouldn鈥檛 have survived, like why are we running back to him? Soren gives her more answers in 5 mins than she got from him ever. But she leaves as quickly as possible.
Oh then the MMC is like I like you now so I must lock you away. 鈥淥h no! I can鈥檛 live like that!鈥� She says. So they do the whole training montage. I couldn鈥檛 do it anymore so I DNFed at 60%.
I鈥檓 sorry but I can鈥檛 get behind this relationship, the MMC, or this FMC that is dumber than a box of rocks. Sorry girl but I would have stayed with the male who actually was nice to me.
This book is toted as enemies to lovers. The beginning makes you think so as well. The MMC Penn rescues the FMC Rhya from death, but basically takes her hostage. Treating her terribly, laying her across the back of his horse like a sack of flour, hands tied, rope around her center. She gets sick and he finally helps by letting her rest. She asks to be allowed to set upright and he says no for no real reason. He鈥檚 basically a huge ahole for NO reason. We come to find out they aren鈥檛 enemies and he has been looking for her for years. She鈥檚 apart of a group of four elementals and if they get all four together they鈥檒l help the world survive.
So let me get this straight. You want the help of a woman you basically treated terribly and acted like she was a huge inconvenience? Nah. You know what would work? Treating her like the essential female that she is. There is literally no explanation why he does this.
Also this is of course the MMC and I have thus far seen nothing that makes him swoon worthy.
The FMC ends up away from the group and falls unconscious. A nearby fae named Soren helps her, gives her new clothes, feeds her, treats her like a real person and she鈥檚 like oh I need to get back to Penn. Girl. That man hasn鈥檛 answered any of your questions, he treated you like crap, and basically said he needs you or you wouldn鈥檛 have survived, like why are we running back to him? Soren gives her more answers in 5 mins than she got from him ever. But she leaves as quickly as possible.
Oh then the MMC is like I like you now so I must lock you away. 鈥淥h no! I can鈥檛 live like that!鈥� She says. So they do the whole training montage. I couldn鈥檛 do it anymore so I DNFed at 60%.
I鈥檓 sorry but I can鈥檛 get behind this relationship, the MMC, or this FMC that is dumber than a box of rocks. Sorry girl but I would have stayed with the male who actually was nice to me.
May 26, 2025
Dieses Buch hat mich herausgefordert.
Mir gef盲llt das Cover echt gut und deshalb hab ich mich sehr auf die Story gefreut, aber leider war es sehr anstrengend, sich durch diese knapp 600 Seiten bzw. 17 Stunden in der H枚rfassung zu k盲mpfen. Rebecca Veil und ich haben aber nat眉rlich alles gegeben und waren letztendlich beide erfolgreich.
Zuerst m枚chte ich aber anmerken, dass es hier wirklicher, echter slow burn ist. Also, das ist wirklich eine seeehr langsame Liebesgeschichte, daher f眉r Lesende, die sowas m枚gen vermutlich 100 % das richtige Buch.
Mir dauerte das leider alles viel zu lange. Bis die erstmal waren wo sie hinwollten war das Buch schon halb vorbei. Die Gespr盲che habe ich als langweilig empfunden. Die Liebesgeschichte, wie gesagt, slow burn enemies to lovers, fand ich ganz gut gemacht, es gab nicht wirklich spice, also von daher total in Ordnung. Was er jetzt in ihr gesehen hat au脽er ihrer Magie bleibt wohl sein Geheimnis, er hat uns keinen Einblick in seine Gef眉hlswelt gegeben. Eigentlich h盲tte er auch ihre Gef眉hle kennen m眉ssen, aber er scheint wohl echt schlecht darin zu sein, sie zu deuten und musste sich deshalb lange zieren.
Es kam dann wohl sp盲ter ansatzweise etwas Schwung rein mit neuen Figuren und bisschen Action, aber insgesamt konnte mich das Buch dann nicht mehr abholen.
Trotz der L盲nge des Buches blieben s盲mtliche Charaktere eher blass und austauschbar. Deshalb war es f眉r mich nicht so schlimm, wenn der eine oder andere dann pl枚tzlich nicht mehr dabei war.
Die Magie und das Drumherum h盲tten meiner Meinung nach mehr erkl盲rt werden m眉ssen, das fand ich doch recht oberfl盲chlich beschrieben, obwohl wir bei 600 Seiten das Gegenteil h盲tten erwarten d眉rfen.
Insgesamt also ein eher langsames Buch mit magical slow burn, Fokus auf den beiden MCs und nicht so ganz viel Action.
Mir gef盲llt das Cover echt gut und deshalb hab ich mich sehr auf die Story gefreut, aber leider war es sehr anstrengend, sich durch diese knapp 600 Seiten bzw. 17 Stunden in der H枚rfassung zu k盲mpfen. Rebecca Veil und ich haben aber nat眉rlich alles gegeben und waren letztendlich beide erfolgreich.
Zuerst m枚chte ich aber anmerken, dass es hier wirklicher, echter slow burn ist. Also, das ist wirklich eine seeehr langsame Liebesgeschichte, daher f眉r Lesende, die sowas m枚gen vermutlich 100 % das richtige Buch.
Mir dauerte das leider alles viel zu lange. Bis die erstmal waren wo sie hinwollten war das Buch schon halb vorbei. Die Gespr盲che habe ich als langweilig empfunden. Die Liebesgeschichte, wie gesagt, slow burn enemies to lovers, fand ich ganz gut gemacht, es gab nicht wirklich spice, also von daher total in Ordnung. Was er jetzt in ihr gesehen hat au脽er ihrer Magie bleibt wohl sein Geheimnis, er hat uns keinen Einblick in seine Gef眉hlswelt gegeben. Eigentlich h盲tte er auch ihre Gef眉hle kennen m眉ssen, aber er scheint wohl echt schlecht darin zu sein, sie zu deuten und musste sich deshalb lange zieren.
Es kam dann wohl sp盲ter ansatzweise etwas Schwung rein mit neuen Figuren und bisschen Action, aber insgesamt konnte mich das Buch dann nicht mehr abholen.
Trotz der L盲nge des Buches blieben s盲mtliche Charaktere eher blass und austauschbar. Deshalb war es f眉r mich nicht so schlimm, wenn der eine oder andere dann pl枚tzlich nicht mehr dabei war.
Die Magie und das Drumherum h盲tten meiner Meinung nach mehr erkl盲rt werden m眉ssen, das fand ich doch recht oberfl盲chlich beschrieben, obwohl wir bei 600 Seiten das Gegenteil h盲tten erwarten d眉rfen.
Insgesamt also ein eher langsames Buch mit magical slow burn, Fokus auf den beiden MCs und nicht so ganz viel Action.
April 8, 2025
this was giving major ACOTAR vibes with elemental fae, soul bonds, and court politics.
rhya was a bit naive in the beginning for me, but her assertion and character development were so well done. the enemies to lovers burn was delicious and I鈥檓 enjoying the possible sprinkles of a love triangle developing!!
the ending was super fast paced and once I hit about 75% I couldn鈥檛 put it down.
thank you so much to Berkley romance and Ace publishing for the arc!
what to expect
鉄� fae and halflings
鉄� court politics
鉄� elemental magic
鉄� enemies to lovers
rhya was a bit naive in the beginning for me, but her assertion and character development were so well done. the enemies to lovers burn was delicious and I鈥檓 enjoying the possible sprinkles of a love triangle developing!!
the ending was super fast paced and once I hit about 75% I couldn鈥檛 put it down.
thank you so much to Berkley romance and Ace publishing for the arc!
what to expect
鉄� fae and halflings
鉄� court politics
鉄� elemental magic
鉄� enemies to lovers
November 11, 2024
3.5/5
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!
This is a very solid fantasy debut, but I found it to be far too slow in pacing to make up for its hefty length. There is a lot of what felt like filler scenes that I wish we had spent instead learning more about the world. At the end of this book, I鈥檓 still very unclear as to what the plot will be moving forward because the villains seemed to be very 2-D with the politics of the world very surface level.
Rhya was an okay main character, I felt like she had very little personality.
The magic system was pretty light and not fully developed at this point.
The romance was awful in my opinion. Penn was boring as ash and very controlling. I felt like it was unbelievable that they had feelings for each other based on their interactions.
Soren, on the other hand? My man! Loved him from his first appearance and I pray that he is endgame. He was funny, snarky, intriguing, and I may read the sequel just for him. That is how you write a character.
The side characters as a whole were overwhelming because of how many there were and how similar they all were.
All this being said, I feel that the series has potential, especially if we see more of Soren! 鉂わ笍
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!
This is a very solid fantasy debut, but I found it to be far too slow in pacing to make up for its hefty length. There is a lot of what felt like filler scenes that I wish we had spent instead learning more about the world. At the end of this book, I鈥檓 still very unclear as to what the plot will be moving forward because the villains seemed to be very 2-D with the politics of the world very surface level.
Rhya was an okay main character, I felt like she had very little personality.
The magic system was pretty light and not fully developed at this point.
The romance was awful in my opinion. Penn was boring as ash and very controlling. I felt like it was unbelievable that they had feelings for each other based on their interactions.
Soren, on the other hand? My man! Loved him from his first appearance and I pray that he is endgame. He was funny, snarky, intriguing, and I may read the sequel just for him. That is how you write a character.
The side characters as a whole were overwhelming because of how many there were and how similar they all were.
All this being said, I feel that the series has potential, especially if we see more of Soren! 鉂わ笍
May 9, 2025
THE WIND WEAVER by Julie Johnson
Thank you @berkleypub & @acebookspub for my gifted copy. 馃挅 #berkleypartner #berkleyig
#penguinrandomhousepartner
鉁� The Wind Weaver is the first book in the Reign of Remnants trilogy.
馃摉 In The Wind Weaver, magic and destiny collide in a war-torn realm where maegic is feared, and halflings like Rhya Fleetwood are hunted. Saved from execution by the ruthless Commander Scythe, Rhya is thrust into a perilous journey through the Northlands. As her powers awaken, she discovers she's a Remnant鈥攐ne of four elemental beings destined to restore balance to their dying world. But harnessing her magic isn鈥檛 her only challenge鈥攄esire and danger blur as her connection to Scythe deepens. Rhya must decide whether to fight her fate鈥� or embrace the storm within.
馃挱 This debut novel was a step outside my comfort zone, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. With lush, lyrical prose, Julie Johnson masterfully blends romance, fantasy, and adventure, crafting a fast-paced, high-stakes story that never drags. At nearly 550 pages, it鈥檚 longer than my usual reads, but I was fully hooked and completely invested in Rhya鈥檚 journey from start to finish.
If you're a romantasy fan who craves epic world-building, elemental magic, and sizzling tension between a fierce heroine and a morally gray love interest, The Wind Weaver absolutely belongs on your TBR. 馃尙锔�
Thank you @berkleypub & @acebookspub for my gifted copy. 馃挅 #berkleypartner #berkleyig
#penguinrandomhousepartner
鉁� The Wind Weaver is the first book in the Reign of Remnants trilogy.
馃摉 In The Wind Weaver, magic and destiny collide in a war-torn realm where maegic is feared, and halflings like Rhya Fleetwood are hunted. Saved from execution by the ruthless Commander Scythe, Rhya is thrust into a perilous journey through the Northlands. As her powers awaken, she discovers she's a Remnant鈥攐ne of four elemental beings destined to restore balance to their dying world. But harnessing her magic isn鈥檛 her only challenge鈥攄esire and danger blur as her connection to Scythe deepens. Rhya must decide whether to fight her fate鈥� or embrace the storm within.
馃挱 This debut novel was a step outside my comfort zone, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. With lush, lyrical prose, Julie Johnson masterfully blends romance, fantasy, and adventure, crafting a fast-paced, high-stakes story that never drags. At nearly 550 pages, it鈥檚 longer than my usual reads, but I was fully hooked and completely invested in Rhya鈥檚 journey from start to finish.
If you're a romantasy fan who craves epic world-building, elemental magic, and sizzling tension between a fierce heroine and a morally gray love interest, The Wind Weaver absolutely belongs on your TBR. 馃尙锔�
April 4, 2025
This seems like a romantasy written for the sake of writing a romantasy
There鈥檚 no passion, no chemistry, no driving force. This is supposed to be an adult novel but reads more like a young adult as far as exposition, characters and plot. I鈥檓 also just at the breaking point of these FMC with special abilities who are SO strong and cool but also somehow so naive.
猸�
Available April 15, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for a free advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
There鈥檚 no passion, no chemistry, no driving force. This is supposed to be an adult novel but reads more like a young adult as far as exposition, characters and plot. I鈥檓 also just at the breaking point of these FMC with special abilities who are SO strong and cool but also somehow so naive.
猸�
Available April 15, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for a free advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
October 19, 2024
Fantasy for 2025 is hitting HARD.
The pacing, incredible. The world-building, exciting. The magic, insanely fun.
The romance, slow burn and rage-inducing but ultimately solid. I was frustrated a few times but dumb behavior but it鈥檚 only because I cared so much (which means you know it鈥檚 an amazing one).
I鈥檓 all in on our wind weaver, Rhya! Highly recommend!
The pacing, incredible. The world-building, exciting. The magic, insanely fun.
The romance, slow burn and rage-inducing but ultimately solid. I was frustrated a few times but dumb behavior but it鈥檚 only because I cared so much (which means you know it鈥檚 an amazing one).
I鈥檓 all in on our wind weaver, Rhya! Highly recommend!
April 28, 2025
My first book from Julie Johnson and she certainly nailed it for me! I'm so picky with romantasy's these days but I had so much fun reading this one.
Halflings like Rhya Fleetwood are killed on sight. But Rhya鈥檚 execution is interrupted by an unexpected savior鈥攐ne far more terrifying than her would-be killers. The mysterious and mercenary, Commander Scythe. In the clutches of this new enemy, Rhya finds herself fighting for her life in the barren reaches of the Northlands.
However, Rhya is no ordinary halfling. The strange birthmark on her chest and the wind she instinctively calls forth means she is a Remnant, one of four souls scattered across Anwyvn, fated to restore the balance of maegic鈥r die trying.
This book does have a slow start but I enjoyed both the FMC and MMC so much that I didn't mind. Upon the introduction of the side characters, this book went from a low 4 star to a 5 star for me.
The romance was such a sloooooooooow burn which I absolutely adore. Commander Scythe was just the perfect amount of grumpy and protective, and I'm eager to learn more about his history with the previous Wind Weaver (SUSPICIOUS SIDE EYE).
I don't want to say too much as this book is perfect if you have no expectations however I'm so eager for book 2, I need to know more about the other remnants stat!
Halflings like Rhya Fleetwood are killed on sight. But Rhya鈥檚 execution is interrupted by an unexpected savior鈥攐ne far more terrifying than her would-be killers. The mysterious and mercenary, Commander Scythe. In the clutches of this new enemy, Rhya finds herself fighting for her life in the barren reaches of the Northlands.
However, Rhya is no ordinary halfling. The strange birthmark on her chest and the wind she instinctively calls forth means she is a Remnant, one of four souls scattered across Anwyvn, fated to restore the balance of maegic鈥r die trying.
This book does have a slow start but I enjoyed both the FMC and MMC so much that I didn't mind. Upon the introduction of the side characters, this book went from a low 4 star to a 5 star for me.
The romance was such a sloooooooooow burn which I absolutely adore. Commander Scythe was just the perfect amount of grumpy and protective, and I'm eager to learn more about his history with the previous Wind Weaver (SUSPICIOUS SIDE EYE).
I don't want to say too much as this book is perfect if you have no expectations however I'm so eager for book 2, I need to know more about the other remnants stat!
Want to read
January 17, 2025"Magic and adventure swirl through this spellbinding romantasy where a young woman reignites the embers of an ancient prophecy, unleashing a storm that could save her realm or doom them all".
May 12, 2025
Viel Action, ein bisschen Magie und langsam wachsendes Vertrauen
Rhya ist ein Halbling und deswegen zum Tode verurteilt, doch als der mysteri枚se General Scythe eintrifft, erkennt er, dass Rhya kein gew枚hnlicher Halbling ist. Er entf眉hrt sie in die Nordlande und Rhya entdeckt, dass die Menschen, Fae und die Magie au脽erhalb ihrer Heimat ganz anders sind.
Zun盲chst ist Scythe eben Rhyas neuer Entf眉hrer, der sie etwas weniger grob und tats盲chlich sogar ein bisschen menschlich behandelt, aber sein komisches Verhalten ist auch nicht sehr vertrauenerweckend. Da fand ich es gut, dass Rhya noch viel hinterfragt, wachsam bleibt und ihre eigenen Entscheidungen trifft, die ich meistens gut nachvollziehen konnte.
Mit Scythe wurde ich nicht so richtig warm, habe mich aber im Laufe des Buches an ihn gew枚hnt. Er k枚nnte ganz anders mit Rhya umgehen und ehrlicher sein, aber er ist verschlossen und reagiert dann auch bl枚d auf Rhyas Handlungen, wenn sie mit den gegebenen Informationen ihre Entscheidungen trifft. Ich hatte bei ihm einfach das Gef眉hl, dass er nur so ist, damit er besonders mysteri枚s und anziehend wirkt, aber ich fand ihn dadurch eher anstrengend. Da gab es andere Charaktere, die ich interessanter fand und bei denen ich hoffe, dass sie in den Fortsetzungen mehr Aufmerksamkeit bekommen.
Die Magie der Verbliebenen sowie die Fae, Halblinge und deren Machtk盲mpfe fand ich schon spannend, aber es k枚nnte auch gern noch etwas mehr sein. Es gibt hier auch jede Menge Action, aber im Mittelteil zieht sich die Handlung auch ein bisschen. Ich fand es schade, dass hier besonders in der zweiten H盲lfte die meiste Spannung auch nur durch Action kommt, obwohl ich fand, dass die magische Welt so viel mehr zu bieten h盲tte. Gerne mehr Intrigen, Machtk盲mpfe und gro脽e Ereignisse!
Rhya ist ein Halbling und deswegen zum Tode verurteilt, doch als der mysteri枚se General Scythe eintrifft, erkennt er, dass Rhya kein gew枚hnlicher Halbling ist. Er entf眉hrt sie in die Nordlande und Rhya entdeckt, dass die Menschen, Fae und die Magie au脽erhalb ihrer Heimat ganz anders sind.
Zun盲chst ist Scythe eben Rhyas neuer Entf眉hrer, der sie etwas weniger grob und tats盲chlich sogar ein bisschen menschlich behandelt, aber sein komisches Verhalten ist auch nicht sehr vertrauenerweckend. Da fand ich es gut, dass Rhya noch viel hinterfragt, wachsam bleibt und ihre eigenen Entscheidungen trifft, die ich meistens gut nachvollziehen konnte.
Mit Scythe wurde ich nicht so richtig warm, habe mich aber im Laufe des Buches an ihn gew枚hnt. Er k枚nnte ganz anders mit Rhya umgehen und ehrlicher sein, aber er ist verschlossen und reagiert dann auch bl枚d auf Rhyas Handlungen, wenn sie mit den gegebenen Informationen ihre Entscheidungen trifft. Ich hatte bei ihm einfach das Gef眉hl, dass er nur so ist, damit er besonders mysteri枚s und anziehend wirkt, aber ich fand ihn dadurch eher anstrengend. Da gab es andere Charaktere, die ich interessanter fand und bei denen ich hoffe, dass sie in den Fortsetzungen mehr Aufmerksamkeit bekommen.
Die Magie der Verbliebenen sowie die Fae, Halblinge und deren Machtk盲mpfe fand ich schon spannend, aber es k枚nnte auch gern noch etwas mehr sein. Es gibt hier auch jede Menge Action, aber im Mittelteil zieht sich die Handlung auch ein bisschen. Ich fand es schade, dass hier besonders in der zweiten H盲lfte die meiste Spannung auch nur durch Action kommt, obwohl ich fand, dass die magische Welt so viel mehr zu bieten h盲tte. Gerne mehr Intrigen, Machtk盲mpfe und gro脽e Ereignisse!
March 20, 2025
i was so invested in this (which is surprising for me with a romantasy book). but i loooved the magic system & the characters. the one thing i can鈥檛 get over is the name pendefyre LMFAO can they all just call him penn instead of using that name馃槶馃槶馃槶
May 6, 2025
1.5 猸愶笍
I literally don鈥檛 have the proper words to easily summarize how much I hated this.
Which is suprising. Because I loved the first chapter, and even thought to myself that 鈥榳ow, this has the potential of being a 4-5 stars book鈥�. How quickly it proved me wrong.
My biggest issue is that neither of them act or speak like real people.
Let me paint you the scene: the female lead was hunted, starved, beaten, burned, almost raped, and dragged away by the male lead who kills a camp full of men only to keep abusing her in different ways. He literally treats her like a worthless ragdoll鈥攑urposefully drops her, pulls her by the hair, throws and ties her over the back of a horse for several days at a time, lets her lie in her own filth when she gets sick, and doesn't even take off the iron cuffs that are literally burning her skin off every second, every hour, every day. I wouldn鈥檛 have been suprised if the male lead punched her in the face if she failed to respond to him.
And then when she finally gets a scrap of food and water, and a clean shirt, she calls it a "considerate gesture." Are you joking? No, seriously. IS THIS A JOKE? Is this satire? Because no sane person would think, 鈥淲ow, what a kind and thoughtful gesture from my kidnapper who's physically abused me and only needs me alive for his own selfish purposes鈥�.
This girl has been abused for weeks straight, and instead of crawling out of her skin with fear and rage and desperation, she purses her lips sweetly and throws out sarcastic comebacks like she鈥檚 in a modern YA enemies-to-lovers sitcom. What the actual hell?
Guess what! There are fates worse than death! And being kidnapped and degraded by someone who clearly sees you as sub-human should be one of them! But I bet you that if the 鈥渒idnapper鈥� had been ugly 60 year old man, these exact scenes would have been treated like a horror novel! Atleast maybe then the female lead would鈥檝e reacted accordingly.
Cause girl, be so fucking for real right now. I don鈥檛 care if he has a jawline sharp enough to cut diamonds鈥�he threatened to drag her behind his horse in a noose, with a 鈥渃ruel smile鈥� on his face. That鈥檚 not misunderstood. That鈥檚 not morally grey. That鈥檚 straight up pitch-black, irredeemable levels of evil.
And the female lead? I wanted to root for her. I really did. But she is written with all the emotional depth and self-preservation instincts of a wet paper towel. She's not traumatized. She's not filled with of dread and anger and hatred and fear. She's not calculating her escape. She鈥檚 just passively...there. Sarcastic. Pouty. Throwing shade at the man who might very well sell her into slavery.
Also, about the鈥渨ell, maybe he鈥檚 not so bad鈥� because he left a shirt out for her. Let鈥檚 not pretend the shirt thing was some act of kindness. It鈥檚 not. It wasn鈥檛 for her comfort. It was because he didn鈥檛 want to keep smelling the stench of waste after he let her soil herself multiple times while she was too sick and weak to move.
And while we鈥檙e at it, why is she wearing nothing but a thin male tunic in the middle of winter?! It鈥檚 literally sub zero temperatures and snowing! People die in those conditions inside tents, clothes, and warm sleeping bags. Like what?
It鈥檚 just so unfortunate because I wanted to like this going into it. That first chapter gave me a glimpse of another reality where the female lead had grown bitter and jaded after the week she鈥檇 endured. But instead of delivering a compelling adult fantasy, it gave me a deeply uncomfortable power imbalance with a side of tone-deaf character reactions.
And worst part of all of it? The male lead doesn鈥檛 even have a reason for abusing her and treating her like she was filth stuck on his shoe. He鈥檚 just casually an extremely awful person. He abuses her because he can. He calls her a child in one breath, and then in the next breath spits that he should鈥檝e just left her behind to be tortured, burned alive, and possibly raped because she鈥檚 being an inconvenience to him. And yet, he apparently needs her to help him. How about鈥� no, go fuck yourself?
So it鈥檚 an enemies-to-lovers romance, except they鈥檙e not actually enemies, the male lead is just the worst human alive and likes inflicting her physical pain for no reason, and the female lead never actually hates him for his actions or makes him face any consequences, she just lets him treat her like shit and falls in love with him anyway 馃憤馃徎
So yeah. 1.5 stars. The 0.5 is for the opening chapter. It鈥檚 been a long time since a book got me raging this bad. I guess it鈥檚 because I had too high expectations.
Sorry if my review upsets someone, but reading this book was also upsetting.
DNF 20%
I literally don鈥檛 have the proper words to easily summarize how much I hated this.
Which is suprising. Because I loved the first chapter, and even thought to myself that 鈥榳ow, this has the potential of being a 4-5 stars book鈥�. How quickly it proved me wrong.
My biggest issue is that neither of them act or speak like real people.
Let me paint you the scene: the female lead was hunted, starved, beaten, burned, almost raped, and dragged away by the male lead who kills a camp full of men only to keep abusing her in different ways. He literally treats her like a worthless ragdoll鈥攑urposefully drops her, pulls her by the hair, throws and ties her over the back of a horse for several days at a time, lets her lie in her own filth when she gets sick, and doesn't even take off the iron cuffs that are literally burning her skin off every second, every hour, every day. I wouldn鈥檛 have been suprised if the male lead punched her in the face if she failed to respond to him.
And then when she finally gets a scrap of food and water, and a clean shirt, she calls it a "considerate gesture." Are you joking? No, seriously. IS THIS A JOKE? Is this satire? Because no sane person would think, 鈥淲ow, what a kind and thoughtful gesture from my kidnapper who's physically abused me and only needs me alive for his own selfish purposes鈥�.
This girl has been abused for weeks straight, and instead of crawling out of her skin with fear and rage and desperation, she purses her lips sweetly and throws out sarcastic comebacks like she鈥檚 in a modern YA enemies-to-lovers sitcom. What the actual hell?
Guess what! There are fates worse than death! And being kidnapped and degraded by someone who clearly sees you as sub-human should be one of them! But I bet you that if the 鈥渒idnapper鈥� had been ugly 60 year old man, these exact scenes would have been treated like a horror novel! Atleast maybe then the female lead would鈥檝e reacted accordingly.
Cause girl, be so fucking for real right now. I don鈥檛 care if he has a jawline sharp enough to cut diamonds鈥�he threatened to drag her behind his horse in a noose, with a 鈥渃ruel smile鈥� on his face. That鈥檚 not misunderstood. That鈥檚 not morally grey. That鈥檚 straight up pitch-black, irredeemable levels of evil.
And the female lead? I wanted to root for her. I really did. But she is written with all the emotional depth and self-preservation instincts of a wet paper towel. She's not traumatized. She's not filled with of dread and anger and hatred and fear. She's not calculating her escape. She鈥檚 just passively...there. Sarcastic. Pouty. Throwing shade at the man who might very well sell her into slavery.
Also, about the鈥渨ell, maybe he鈥檚 not so bad鈥� because he left a shirt out for her. Let鈥檚 not pretend the shirt thing was some act of kindness. It鈥檚 not. It wasn鈥檛 for her comfort. It was because he didn鈥檛 want to keep smelling the stench of waste after he let her soil herself multiple times while she was too sick and weak to move.
And while we鈥檙e at it, why is she wearing nothing but a thin male tunic in the middle of winter?! It鈥檚 literally sub zero temperatures and snowing! People die in those conditions inside tents, clothes, and warm sleeping bags. Like what?
It鈥檚 just so unfortunate because I wanted to like this going into it. That first chapter gave me a glimpse of another reality where the female lead had grown bitter and jaded after the week she鈥檇 endured. But instead of delivering a compelling adult fantasy, it gave me a deeply uncomfortable power imbalance with a side of tone-deaf character reactions.
And worst part of all of it? The male lead doesn鈥檛 even have a reason for abusing her and treating her like she was filth stuck on his shoe. He鈥檚 just casually an extremely awful person. He abuses her because he can. He calls her a child in one breath, and then in the next breath spits that he should鈥檝e just left her behind to be tortured, burned alive, and possibly raped because she鈥檚 being an inconvenience to him. And yet, he apparently needs her to help him. How about鈥� no, go fuck yourself?
So it鈥檚 an enemies-to-lovers romance, except they鈥檙e not actually enemies, the male lead is just the worst human alive and likes inflicting her physical pain for no reason, and the female lead never actually hates him for his actions or makes him face any consequences, she just lets him treat her like shit and falls in love with him anyway 馃憤馃徎
So yeah. 1.5 stars. The 0.5 is for the opening chapter. It鈥檚 been a long time since a book got me raging this bad. I guess it鈥檚 because I had too high expectations.
Sorry if my review upsets someone, but reading this book was also upsetting.
DNF 20%
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2025
2,5/5 Muss es noch ein bisschen sacken lassen, aber mochte es tbh nicht so sehr. Die Gespr盲che waren absurd, die Romance habe ich 0,0 gesp眉rt (auch wenn ich vermutlich wei脽 worauf es hinauslaufen wird in den n盲chsten B眉chern lol) - das Worldbuilding war aber top, liebe das mit den Elementen 馃槏
Ich frage mich wann genau die Liebe sich 眉berhaupt entwickelt hat, die Anziehung war f眉r mich nicht existent und irgendwie war es alles zu pl枚tzlich und zu zickig und patzig鈥� das Buch h盲tte 200 Seiten weniger vertragen k枚nnen, manche Szenen haben sich f眉r mich echt bisschen umsonst angef眉hlt. Naja - vielleicht lag es auch an der deutschen 脺bersetzung aber ich bin nur froh es beendet zu haben, soooorrryyy
Ich frage mich wann genau die Liebe sich 眉berhaupt entwickelt hat, die Anziehung war f眉r mich nicht existent und irgendwie war es alles zu pl枚tzlich und zu zickig und patzig鈥� das Buch h盲tte 200 Seiten weniger vertragen k枚nnen, manche Szenen haben sich f眉r mich echt bisschen umsonst angef眉hlt. Naja - vielleicht lag es auch an der deutschen 脺bersetzung aber ich bin nur froh es beendet zu haben, soooorrryyy
December 7, 2024
I was in a horrendous reading slump and this book finally broke that spell. It was Romantasy perfection! It also reminded me that I will always be a Romantasy/Fantasy girlie. I devoured this book in 24 hours and was even frustrated when I had to stop reading it to go celebrate Thanksgiving with my family.
This story immediately drew me in. This story starts out strong and was action packed. It had everything that I love in a Romantasy novel. Tons of angsty moments between the FMC and MMC. All of the enemies to lovers, slow burn vibes you could ask for. I also really loved the interactions that Rhya had with the Commander's inner circle. One of my favorite Fantasy tropes is Found Family and there were a ton of moments that really shined in this book. There is also a really unique magical prophecy that I can鈥檛 wait to learn more about. This book was an easy five star read for me. I am beyond excited for the next books in this series.
You should read this book if you love the following tropes:
-Enemies to Lovers
-Slow Burn
-Found Family
-Forced Proximity
-Magical Prophecy
Thank you so much Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for gifting me for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story immediately drew me in. This story starts out strong and was action packed. It had everything that I love in a Romantasy novel. Tons of angsty moments between the FMC and MMC. All of the enemies to lovers, slow burn vibes you could ask for. I also really loved the interactions that Rhya had with the Commander's inner circle. One of my favorite Fantasy tropes is Found Family and there were a ton of moments that really shined in this book. There is also a really unique magical prophecy that I can鈥檛 wait to learn more about. This book was an easy five star read for me. I am beyond excited for the next books in this series.
You should read this book if you love the following tropes:
-Enemies to Lovers
-Slow Burn
-Found Family
-Forced Proximity
-Magical Prophecy
Thank you so much Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for gifting me for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 21, 2025
Wow! I loved this so much. I鈥檓 dying for book 2! This book will grip you from the opening scene and never let go. The pacing is flawless. Julie Johnson has weaved a fascinating world with an intriguing magic system complete with dynamic characters.
I love the heroine, Rhya, and I can鈥檛 wait to discover her potential as she continues to explore her power. We also meet a broody, tortured, protective MMC in Penn, and then we meet Soren who has so much charisma he leaps off the page in every scene. That鈥檚 just scratching the surface, as each additional character鈥檚 personality, and the found family that develops between them, only further enriches the story.
I both didn鈥檛 want to stop reading, and wanted to draw it out as long as possible. As of now this is one of my top reads of 2025! I鈥檓 a big fan.
Audio馃帶: The narration was excellent. Billie Fulford-Brown masterfully gave each character a distinct voice that made even the most minor characters stand out. She has a strong ability to convey emotion to the reader for each scene that further enriched the overall experience. Highly recommend!
**Thank you to Berkley Romance and Ace Publishing for providing me an advanced copy! All opinions are my own.**
I love the heroine, Rhya, and I can鈥檛 wait to discover her potential as she continues to explore her power. We also meet a broody, tortured, protective MMC in Penn, and then we meet Soren who has so much charisma he leaps off the page in every scene. That鈥檚 just scratching the surface, as each additional character鈥檚 personality, and the found family that develops between them, only further enriches the story.
I both didn鈥檛 want to stop reading, and wanted to draw it out as long as possible. As of now this is one of my top reads of 2025! I鈥檓 a big fan.
Audio馃帶: The narration was excellent. Billie Fulford-Brown masterfully gave each character a distinct voice that made even the most minor characters stand out. She has a strong ability to convey emotion to the reader for each scene that further enriched the overall experience. Highly recommend!
**Thank you to Berkley Romance and Ace Publishing for providing me an advanced copy! All opinions are my own.**
April 7, 2025
Johnson takes us to Anwyvn, a war-torn land with villages and kings. Here, Rhya Fleetwood, a halfling fae with a strange marking on her chest, has been captured and awaiting an officer before she is hung. Bound in iron, she has little hope of escape when Commander Scythe arrives. Much to her surprise, he slays her captures and drags her across the countryside. I was hooked from the beginning.
Told from Rhya鈥檚 perspective, the reader learns of the world and other lands beyond the impenetrable mountain ranges. Rhya knows she is fae, but knows nothing of their world. She was raised by humans and taught to hunt, forage and keep hidden. Scythe takes her to the Northlands where we encounter strange creatures, fae and kingdoms that have not been wiped out. Her she learns that the strange mark she carries means she is a Remnant, one of four souls scattered across Anwyvn, fated to restore the balance of maegic. Rhya is a wind weaver.
This tale how all the elements I love in an engaging fantasy. A magical system, strange beasts & creatures, villains, hope in the form of a prophecy, battles and adventure. Johnson takes her time building up the world, but as we learned along with Rhya, it didn鈥檛 feel like chunks of info dumps and each tidbit pulled me in further. We learn of past attempts at fulfilling the prophecy and meet two other weavers.
The romance between Rhya and Scythe (Penn) was intense from the bickering to the banter. Penn has baggage and duty, she needs to master her powers before they consume her. It was frustrating and equally addictive as Penn gave in to his feelings and fought them. Secondary character both delighted and frustrated me. The Queen was petty, but the water weaver intrigued me. I do not yet trust him and don鈥檛 get me started on his human brother who is desperate to capture fae and consume their power.
The Wind Weaver was an excellent start to the Reign of Remnants, and I look forward to the next one. I did end up grabbing the audio version so that I can do a re-read before the next one.
Told from Rhya鈥檚 perspective, the reader learns of the world and other lands beyond the impenetrable mountain ranges. Rhya knows she is fae, but knows nothing of their world. She was raised by humans and taught to hunt, forage and keep hidden. Scythe takes her to the Northlands where we encounter strange creatures, fae and kingdoms that have not been wiped out. Her she learns that the strange mark she carries means she is a Remnant, one of four souls scattered across Anwyvn, fated to restore the balance of maegic. Rhya is a wind weaver.
This tale how all the elements I love in an engaging fantasy. A magical system, strange beasts & creatures, villains, hope in the form of a prophecy, battles and adventure. Johnson takes her time building up the world, but as we learned along with Rhya, it didn鈥檛 feel like chunks of info dumps and each tidbit pulled me in further. We learn of past attempts at fulfilling the prophecy and meet two other weavers.
The romance between Rhya and Scythe (Penn) was intense from the bickering to the banter. Penn has baggage and duty, she needs to master her powers before they consume her. It was frustrating and equally addictive as Penn gave in to his feelings and fought them. Secondary character both delighted and frustrated me. The Queen was petty, but the water weaver intrigued me. I do not yet trust him and don鈥檛 get me started on his human brother who is desperate to capture fae and consume their power.
The Wind Weaver was an excellent start to the Reign of Remnants, and I look forward to the next one. I did end up grabbing the audio version so that I can do a re-read before the next one.
May 6, 2025
The way this book calls to my soul 馃
April 19, 2025
I love Julie Johnson so was super excited to dive into The Wind Weaver and it didn't disappoint, particularly the world building and magic system in this was exciting and fun, there was a great balance between plot progression and character development it felt action packed from the beginning and didn't let up, I'd say the romance is super slow burn and a bit rage inducing, men be dumb, however the bickering and banter was top notch and had me giggling and kicking my feet, im not gonna talk about the MMC's name.... 馃槀because WAT...anyway I'm looking forward to the next book this was a fantastic start to the series and it has so much potential already!
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