The Wind Weaver (Reign of Remnants 1) by Julie Johnson- review & excerpt tour

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 8, 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.

Fear of maegic plagues war-torn Anwyvn. Halflings like Rhya Fleetwood are killed on sight. But Rhya’s execution is interrupted by an unexpected savior—one 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—not 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…or die trying.

But mastering the power inside her is only the beginning. Desire for the Commander—a man she can never trust, a man with plans of his own—burns just as fiercely as the tempests beating against her rib cage for release. Rhya must choose: smother the flames…or let them consume her.

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REVIEW: From the first page of “The Wind Weaver,” I was instantly enthralled by the beautifully woven tapestry of magic, conflict, and romance. 

The author pulls you into the war-torn kingdom of Anwyvn, where fear of maegic looms large, and halflings like our protagonist, Rhya Fleetwood, are viciously hunted.

Rhya’s journey begins with a death sentence hanging over her head, only to be interrupted by the arrival of the mysterious and formidable Commander Scythe. This story has a thrilling twist, and it sets the tone for the entire book.

Right from their first encounter, the tension between Rhya and Scythe crackles with intensity. The author creates a compelling dynamic, as Rhya goes from being a prisoner to navigating the complexities of her captor, who has his own secrets.

I admired Rhya’s strength. Her existence as a halfling with a peculiar birthmark and the ability to summon wind reveals her as a Remnant, (one of four souls fated to restore the balance of maegic.) However, mastering her powers is just the tip of the iceberg. I felt every pang of frustration and challenge Rhya faced along the way. The journey of self-discovery she embarks on was really well written.

But then comes the electrifying twist….

The forbidden desire that ignites between Rhya and Commander Scythe. Their connection adds yet another layer to the story. As Rhya grapples with her ever growing feelings for Scythe, the stakes are raised. The internal conflict of choosing between her heart and the wellbeing of Anwyvn creates an emotional depth that kept me glued to the pages. The author writes this tension magnificently, leaving me rooting for both the romance and Rhya’s greater cause.

The world the author builds is as immersive as it is intricate. The portrayal of the Northlands, with its chilling winds and perilous landscapes, became a character in itself. Each setting felt alive, filled with both beauty and danger, drawing me further into the story while adding weight to the characters’ struggles.

What truly stands out is the heart of the book, the stakes are not just about life and death but about love, sacrifice, and the relentless pursuit of one’s destiny. Rhya’s journey is about more than merely mastering maegic, it’s about learning who she truly is amidst the chaos.
Every twist in the plot kept me guessing, leaving me breathless with anticipation for what would come next.

So, in conclusion, “The Wind Weaver” is a spectacular debut that intertwines romance with fantasy in a way that feels both magical and heart-wrenching. The authors ability to blend action with deep emotional threads makes this book unputdownable.

So for anyone in search of a captivating romantasy filled with enchanting characters and a plot that challenges the heart and soul, I wholeheartedly recommend diving into this unforgettable tale.

I’m on the edge of my seat, eagerly anticipating the next installment!

Copy supplied for review

🦋 Reviewed by Julie

 

 

The noose chafes, a necklace of death.I feel my pulse-steady, staccato-thudding away beneath the fragile skin at my throat. There’s no fear. Not anymore. That came earlier, with the bruising hands and snarling hounds that tracked me through the wild marshland. And it fled with the sun, slipping over the horizon into crushing darkness.

What is it Eli always said?

Fear only means you have something left to lose.

I have nothing left now. Nothing but my life, and that isn’t worth much of anything to anyone.

Certainly not to my captors.

“Wily little bitch, isn’t she?” A gruff voice barks out a laugh somewhere to my left. “Took half our unit to track her down. A dozen men. Three days we spent in that damned bog with wasps and snakes and spiders. Knee-deep in mud and moss and all manner of shit. She nearly slipped our net when we lost the light yesterday.” A gob of spit lands on my cheek. “Faery scum.”

Another voice answers-this one younger, and slightly wavering. A new recruit, perhaps, not yet worn-out by this endless, bloody game of war the mortal men seem intent on playing. “She’s just-she’s so young.”

“Don’t let your eyes fool you, boy. Faery trickery, that is. They mask their true nature with pretty faces and sweet smiles, same as a poisonous flower. In the olden days, they say some of them cast such a glamour, could make you see anything they wanted. March you straight off a cliff, thinking you were skipping through a field of daisies.”

The younger soldier sucks in an audible breath. His terror is palpable even through my blindfold.

“Don’t worry, son. Maegic like that hasn’t been seen in these parts in nigh on two centuries.” The gruff voice chuckles. “The ones we hunt down, like this runt here, are halflings mostly. Leftovers from before the Cull, back when bloodline mixing wasn’t outlawed. They’re no more enchanted than you or me.”

There’s a marked pause. A cave of silence yawning wide between the two men.

“‘Course, that don’t make ’em helpless,” the older soldier tacks on, almost defensively. “She’d gut us in our sleep given half the chance. Never doubt that.”

“How did you finally catch her?”

“Ran her to ground by the Red Chasm. The ore in those rocks is enough to confuse ’em. Clouds their sense of direction, muddies their minds.” He exhales a sharp breath. “No foe is invincible-not even a damned point.”

I tense at the slur, binds going tight across my chest despite my attempts to keep still. Point. The soldiers who’ve taken me prisoner use the insult often, hissing it at me under their breath when they change watches, tossing it around in casual campfire conversation. As if reducing an entire race to our most notable physical trait-the pointed tip of an ear-somehow makes their barbarity easier to stomach. Every time I hear it, something within me snarls in silent rage. A broken beast, itching for retribution that will never be mine.

Gods above, grant me vengeance in my next life.

Excerpted from The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson Copyright © 2025 by Julie Johnson. Excerpted by permission of Ace. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

 

 

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JULIE JOHNSON (born July 3, 1991) is a New England native and internationally bestselling author. When she’s not writing, Julie can most often be found 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, including Der Spiegel, AdWeek, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and more.

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).