Review: Hunt (North #3) by Alexandria Warwick

Hunt (North #3) by Alexandria Warwick
Wolf Publishing
Publication Date: August 12th, 2021
Paperback. 444 pages.

About Hunt:

"Deep within the frozen tundra, darkness is stirring. Nanuq, master of all polar bears, seeks a terrifying power that would grant him control over all who inhabit the North—both animal and man. Slowly, he builds his forces. Slowly, he moves his pawns. 

Salvation lies with young Apaay. After being separated from her family, she finds herself deep in enemy territory, navigating a world of violence and cunning. But her quest for truth is only the beginning. The path laid before her will test her loyalties, beliefs, and even her own identity. For if Apaay is to live in a free world, she must embrace a destiny greater than anything she has ever known. 

In this breathtaking third installment of the North series, Apaay discovers just how far she’ll go to protect those she loves, and to claim her place in a changing world."

Can we just take a second before diving into this review to appreciate this book's beautiful cover? All of the books in this series have been beautiful, but this one has definitely become my favorite. 

Hunt is the third book in Alexandria Warwick's North series, and with its addition the series continues to just get better and better. The thing that has continually drawn me Warwick's novels is her writing, which is constantly imbued with meaning, depth, and a smooth, flowing prose style. The first book I read from her, The Demon Race, captured me because of the dark tones and poetic quality of the storytelling, and it is so apparent with each installment now in the North series that her writing is only getting more fine-tuned and intricate. 

With Hunt, everything that was already intense just seemed to get more intense. This is probably going to be one of my more vague reviews simply because there's not too much I can say specifically in regards to character or plot without giving away too much about the previous books. 

There are three main POV that we follow: Appay, Ila, and Kenai. Apaay and Ila continue to be two incredibly compelling characters to follow. They are both very distinct characters with personalities that have vast differences, but also similarities in their inner strength and determination. Apaay has grown in immense and momentous ways over these three books, and her growth has consistently made sense and felt perfectly timely. I really appreciate how much we get to go inside her head to really get a sense for what she struggles with and how she handles the many obstacles that show up in her path. The dynamic between Apaay and Numiak is so captivating and one that I can't seem to turn away from. It's complicated and messy, but it's also one of those character relationships that carries so much weight and intrigue that it's hard not to become invested in it. It's been a very slow build to watch the two become closer, but it has been entirely worth it. 

Ila has faced some major revelations in recent plot events, so there is a lot for her to sort of continue unpacking and moving through in this book. She is forced into some difficult situations, but seems to really focus on her resourcefulness in this book to never give up or accept things that shouldn't be. Kenai is one of my favorite characters to read from (which might not mean much since I consider all POVs favorites of mine) because his character development and growth is fascinating to follow. His mind is always running and leads him to second guess many of the things he thought he knew or was previously okay with. 

The world-building and setting of the North series continues to be one of my favorite things. I love cold climate settings, and the Inuit setting that it is inspired by is one that I have always enjoyed learning about. The Inuit mythology elements included in the North series are also fascinating and constantly inspire me to learn more about them. Warwick incorporates all of these elements into her world-building in a respectful and compelling manner, and everything works together to develop a truly fascinating world. 

Warwick does an excellent job of pacing and plotting events in a logical manner, with plenty of faster- and slower-paced moments to lend a nice balance throughout and to hold my attention easily. Although this is not necessarily always the most fast-paced of novels, it never really drags or feels overwritten, but instead feels like it moves a great pace, with plenty of unexpected things happening just to make sure readers don't ever get too comfortable. The ending was a bit brutal and I continue to find myself shocked by the many twists and plot directions this book takes, but all in a good way that I love about this series and Warwick's writing. 

Overall, it's five stars from me for Hunt! I can't wait to see what happens next in this series .

*I received a copy of Hunt courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.*

Amazon | IndieBound

Review: Night (North #2) by Alexandria Warwick

Night (North #2) by Alexandria Warwick

Wolf Publishing

Publication Date: October 8th, 2020

Paperback. 392 pages

About Night:

"After months in captivity, Apaay managed to escape Yuki's labyrinth with her life. But her freedom did not come without a steep cost. When the Face Stealer, the North's most notorious demon, calls in her blood oath, Apaay must heed his demand. Debts, after all, must be repaid. 

As Apaay attempts to navigate her uprooted life, something dark slithers among the snow-dusted conifers of the North. A long-dead war is unfinished, and there are those who would see it revived. In a place where misplaced loyalty could mean her death, Apaay must look inward to repair her broken soul—for if she cannot place trust in those around her, she might find enemies are closer than they appear. 

In this stunning follow-up to Below, Alexandria Warwick brings the second book in her dark and seductive North series to thrilling new heights."

Below (North #1) Review

Night is the impressive follow-up to Below, part of Warwick's North trilogy that is inspired by Inuit mythology and set in the Arctic. I really enjoyed the incorporation of Inuit mythology and the beautiful setting and story that Warwick created in the first book, so I was really excited to have a chance to read Night early., and I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.

Night felt considerably slower-paced than Below, but I think it matched the story well and I didn't find that it dragged, but rather allowed time for the character process various traumas and experiences from both the first book and their current situations. There is a lot to unpack and deal with, and I think Warwick matched the pace of the story nicely with the general atmosphere. This was much more character-driven than Below, and I really liked getting a chance to spend some more time with these characters.  Unlike with Below, however, I wasn't pulled into this book as quickly as I was before, but I think a lot of that just has to do with the slower pace that I wasn't necessarily expecting. The plot slowly expands over the course of this book in a compelling manner, slowly incorporating more twists and detailed components that I enjoyed watching unfold.

Apaay continues to be an incredibly  brave character never seems to stop fighting. Her internal struggles take over a lot of her focus and actions in this book and I found it to be a really relatable and authentic look at how much our lives can be overtaken by our thoughts and mental battles. No matter how exhausted she becomes by these struggles, though, Apaay holds strong and I loved following her journey. The other main players in this book would have to be the Face Stealer--and he's come a long way from his role in the first book! There were times when I almost forgot how he was in the first book and it almost felt jarring at times, but overall I think Warwick handled this transformation and multi-faceted nature of him in a really careful way that worked well. Another character we get a POV from is Ila, and I particularly enjoyed getting to see her own story continued from Below and how she has been growing and adapting to her new life.

One of the things that continues to most stand out to me about Warwick's books is how sincere they are and how deeply she explores some truly dark and difficult subjects. Warwick doesn't tiptoe around difficult situations or conversations, and she readily explores everything that her characters feel and experience, which is part of what brings them to life in such an authentic manner that really allows me to connect with them.

Overall, I've given Night four stars! There's so much more that I could say about this book, but since this is a sequel review I'm trying to refrain from going into too much detail. Night isn't out until October 8th, so there's plenty of time to pick up a copy of Below in preparation of its release! If you like exciting fantasy, Arctic settings, and richly drawn characters, then definitely give this series a read!

Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Review: Below by Alexandria Warwick

Below by Alexandria Warwick

Wolf Publishing

Publication Date: February 4th, 2020

Paperback. 320 pages

About Below:

"In the heart of the frigid North, there lives a demon known as the Face Stealer. Eyes, nose, mouth—nothing and no one is safe. Once he returns to his lair, or wherever it is he dwells, no one ever sees those faces again. 

When tragedy strikes, Apaay embarks on a perilous journey to find her sister's face—yet becomes trapped in a labyrinth ruled by a sinister girl named Yuki. The girl offers Apaay a deal: find her sister's face hidden within the labyrinth, and she will be set free. But the labyrinth, and those who inhabit it, is not as it seems. Especially Numiak: darkly beautiful, powerful, whose motives are not yet clear. 

With time slipping, Apaay is determined to escape the deadly labyrinth with her sister's face in hand. But in Yuki's harsh world, Apaay will need all her strength to survive. 

Yuki only plays the games she wins"

Last year I read, reviewed, and loved Alexandria Warwick's debut fantasy novel The Demon Race, so when she contacted me about her upcoming North trilogy, I was immediately and eager to read the first book. Below has proved to be another ambitious and compelling story by Warwick that I had a wonderful time reading and now can't wait to continue the trilogy.

Below is set int he Arctic among the Inuit, a group of people that I have become interested in learning about as of late and whose mythology and culture I find deeply fascinating. I really appreciated how Warwick managed to weave in elements of Inuit culture in ways that felt natural and respectful, it's clear that Warwick went into this book having done her research and ready to craft a story that incorporates these elements into an exciting fantasy setting.

Apaay is a bold and seemingly unafraid young woman who is constantly thrust into frightening and unexpected situations, yet remains steadfast even in the face of danger. No matter how intimidating or impossible some situations seem, she never truly gives up and is always loyal to both herself and others. I really enjoyed getting to know Apaay and following her through this book, as she really undergoes a lot of strong personal development that Warwick carefully showcases and expands upon as various events occur.

The Face Stealer and Yuki are both great villains with a lot of depth to each of them. Yuki is easily the more vocally cruel and intimidating of the two, as she lieks to play games with those who end up at her labyrinth and is unafraid to inflict harm or shame on those before her. The Face Stealer is equally as intimidating as Yuki in many ways, though he is much more dangerous due to the powers that he holds and how he enacts his own power over others. Both characters are deeply conflicted and the Warwick carefully unfolds more and more about them, allowing the reader to more fully understand some of their actions and what led them to where they are now.

The thing that I have loved the most about Warwick's books is how her stories aren't just about the plot and how the characters get through whatever present danger they're facing: they are also about how these characters find inner strength, how they grow and learn to understand the world, and how the themes are relevant not only to the characters' lives, but to our own lives as well. There is a lessont o be learned in everything and Warwick weaves this in in such a deft way that you never really notice. The characters are all crafted so carefully and with such detail to background and character development that it's easy to get inside their heads and feel connected to them.

Below is intense and not afraid to throw some punches. This book is filled with a lot of intense and emotionally challenging moments that really establishes the severity of these life or death situations that occur. Despite these moments of despair, what I love about Warwick's writing and her characters is that there are often constant underlying current of hope littered throughout. When a situation feels hopeless or impossible to navigate out of, there is still some reason to believe that maybe, just maybe there is still a way out. I don't see that sort of hope a lot, so it was a nice refresher to see here.

Overall, I've given Below four stars! I can't wait to continue the trilogy and would highly recommend this to anyone interested in a dark YA fantasy inspired by Inuit mythology!

*I received an ARC of Below courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating or enjoyment of the novel.*

Review: The Demon Race by Alexandria Warwick

*The Demon Race will be released Tuesday, September 18th in Ebook and Paperback formats!*

The Demon Race by Alexandria Warwick

Wolf Publishing, 2018

Ebook ARC. 351 pages.

About The Demon Race:

"A race across the desert. 
An unimaginable prize. 

It occurs once every thousand years: the Demon Race. A test of will and strength, it is a race across the Saraj, a fight for the prize of a lifetime. And it is the key to Namali Hafshar’s freedom. 

When shy, seventeen-year-old Namali learns of her arranged marriage, she flees home and enters the Demon Race for the chance to change her fate. But to compete, she must cross the Saraj on a daeva, a shadow demon that desires its own reward: to infect her soul with darkness. 

Namali soon learns the desert holds more dangers than meets the eye. The only person she can trust is Sameen, a kind competitor seeking his own destiny. As her affection for him grows, however, so too does the darkness in her heart. 

In this race of men and demons, only one can win. But the price of winning might be more than Namali is willing to pay."

Going into The Demon Race, I expected an adventurous YA novel that was on the darker side, but still something relatively 'of the norm.' I did not expect such a dark, emotional, character-driven, all-around stunning journey to find oneself. I am more than thrilled about this book. This is a standalone fantasy with a Middle Eastern-inspired desert setting and an abundance of demons and daevas. There is a very minor romantic aspect of this book, but it does not overtake the story and there is really nothing physical. There is, however, plenty of violence and disturbing aspects of this novel, so if that's not your thing then I would just keep that in mind.

The culture of this world is Middle Eastern-inspired, but with its own set of gods and religion that I really enjoyed learning about. I love that Warwick created some strong religious stories and rituals around this culture that really cemented it as something that felt authentic. At the same time, however I would have also loved to know even more about some of the other major gods or players. One small disappointment I had was with the daevas themselves. I won't go into the role they play itself because it's a small surprise, but I wanted to know more about them and what they were like. They were a clear representation of evil and sort of 'infected' people with their evil, but I would have liked to have them described more often or even expanded upon whether they had any sort of personality. This is a minor issue, but it is one that would have brought this book to life even more for me and intrigued me even more.

Our main protagonist, Namali, lost her mother a few years prior to the start of the events of this book and has been living alone with her father ever since. Her father has been closed off to her since her mother's death, and at the very beginning of the novel Namali is informed that she will be married off to a merchant, something she does not want to do. I thought Namali was a great character. She's not without her flaws, but she's a surprisingly steadfast young woman who knows what she wants--and what she doesn't--and will do anything she can do get it, a determination that she didn't even realize she had in the beginning of the book. As mentioned, this is a majorly character-driven book, so Namali's development throughout the events of the story are incredibly important and also written extremely well. She's a bit on the quiet side and is often unsure of herself, but at various moments of the book she begins to find her own bravery and find out who she truly is and what she wants from her life. Namali's entire journey through darkness, despair, anger, and hope is something that I found beautiful and that affected me deeply, as I could relate to many of the feelings Namali struggled with, even though our situations are of course vastly different.

The second most prominent character in this book is Sameen, a young man that Namali meets at the beginning of her journey. Sameen is an angel (not literally) and someone I hope I can be like. He's kind, caring, and seems to be a genuinely selfless person who cares about others. He knows what he has to do survival and is willing to do it, and he is also a very loyal person. I don't want to go into Sameen's role too much in this story, but he acts a wonderful balance for Namali's own struggles and is another great character int his book.

This is also a very insightful book with themes such as female oppression, judging others, etc., and I really enjoyed this most of the time. There were a few times where it did start to feel a bit overdone and that the message was being forced into the reader than the merely fully absorbed, but it still didn't bother me too much in the end. It is something that I could see some readers disliking, though, so I thought it was worth mentioning since it was something that even I noticed.

I don't know for sure whether or not the evil attempting to overtake Namali and other characters was meant to have any relation to depression or things in that realm, but this really hit home for me. The struggle between Namali and the evil that attempts to take over both her and the rest of the competitors is one of the biggest conflicts in this book, and it speaks to so many true aspects of life itself. The message that no matter how much darkness overtakes you, no matter how many bad thoughts you might have or fears you have about yourself, there is hope and there is a chance to find yourself again is a huge one in this book, and also one that I think is incredible important.

This is a book that I know I will not forget about easily, if ever, because of how much I wasn't expecting it. I didn't expect to highlight so many paragraphs and phrases that were so real and so relevant to my life and the world itself. The biggest surprise was simply how dark and cruel this book was. The Demon Race goes to some dark places, but it does so in a beautiful, impacting manner. Whether you like the story itself or not, there is no denying Warwick's ability to craft some truly beautiful words and employ a brilliant style of prose.

Overall, I've given The Demon Race four-and-a-half stars. If you like dark, character-driven adventure journeys, then you must pick this one up! This is one that I will definitely try to get my hands on a physical copy of so that I can easily revisit it and tab up my favorite lines.

Buy the book: Amazon

*I received a copy of The Demon Race courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the book.*

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