A Cool Idea That Turns Into a Slow, Long Story
A Cool Idea That Turns Into a Slow, Long Story
When I first saw Wind Weaver, I was excited. A girl with wind powers, a scary prophecy, and a dying world needing heroes? Yes, please. I thought this would be a fast, fun read with adventure, magic, and a slow-burn romance that would make me smile. I was ready to fall in love with the world, the characters, and the plot.
But as I kept reading, I started to feel bored. This book is very long, and not in a good way. It feels like it drags on and on, with scenes that could have been quick but are stretched into pages of heavy descriptions. The author uses big, fancy words to sound magical, but it ends up sounding forced. I found myself re-reading sentences because they were so long, and sometimes I still did not understand what was happening. The writing felt like it was trying too hard to sound old and epic, and it took away the fun of just enjoying the story.
The pacing was a big problem for me. At 50% into the book, I still did not know what the main goal was. The story felt like it was going in circles. Rhya, the main girl, keeps getting caught, then escaping, then getting caught again. She keeps asking questions and never gets answers. There is a huge info dump at around 40%, but it is just people talking and does not move the story forward. I felt like I was waiting for something big to happen, but it never really did, and it made me want to put the book down many times.
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The Main Girl: Rhya, A Chosen One Who Feels Very Naive
The Main Girl: Rhya, A Chosen One Who Feels Very Naive
Rhya Fleetwood is a halfling, and in this world, that means she is hunted and killed if found. At the start, she is about to be executed, but she is saved by a mysterious man named Penn. She has a strange birthmark on her chest, and she can call the wind, which means she is a Remnant, one of four souls meant to bring balance back to the world. Sounds cool, right? I thought I would get to see her learn to use her powers, become strong, and take control of her fate.
But Rhya felt very naive to me. She gets treated badly by Penn, but she keeps following him. He ties her up, drags her across the land, ignores her questions, and acts like she is a burden. Yet, she keeps thinking about him, missing him, and wanting to stay with him. It made me want to shake her and tell her to run far away. There is a fae named Soren who helps her, gives her food, clothes, and actually treats her kindly. He even answers her questions, which Penn never does. But instead of staying with Soren, Rhya runs back to Penn, who continues to treat her like she is nothing.
She keeps making poor choices and does not learn from them. By the middle of the book, her actions felt repetitive. She runs away, gets caught, and then runs away again. There is no real growth, and it was hard for me to connect with her or root for her to succeed. She felt like a character stuck in the same loop, and it made the story drag even more.
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The Main Guy: Penn, The Broody Knight Who Is Just Mean
The Main Guy: Penn, The Broody Knight Who Is Just Mean
Penn is supposed to be the broody, mysterious hero. At first, he saves Rhya from death, which made me think he would be a cool, protective character. But right after saving her, he basically kidnaps her. He ties her up, ignores her, and treats her like a problem he has to deal with, even though he needs her help to save the world.
I kept waiting for a reason why he was being so harsh, but there was none. He could have explained why he saved her or why she was important, but he just keeps secrets for no reason. Later, he suddenly starts acting like he cares about her, but it feels fake and confusing because of how mean he was before.
Penn also has zero charm. He does not communicate, he is rude, and he makes her feel small. I could not see why Rhya would fall for him. Their romance felt forced, and there was no chemistry. They did not have fun conversations, playful moments, or sweet scenes that made me feel the romance. Instead, it felt like Rhya was falling for him just because he was there, not because he was kind or supportive. For a book that is supposed to be “enemies to lovers,” it did not feel like that at all. They are not really enemies, and they never really become true lovers. It was just a confusing, messy situation.
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The Missing Women and the World That Felt Empty
The Missing Women and the World That Felt Empty
One of the biggest problems I had with Wind Weaver was how empty the world felt, especially when it came to female characters. For the first 270 pages, Rhya is the only woman in the story. It takes 27% of the book before another woman shows up, and even then, she is not a strong, interesting character. Later, when we finally meet another woman, she is a mean girl who calls Rhya a “whore.” Seriously? Is this what we get after waiting so long to see another woman?
There are no female friendships, no female warriors, and no supportive women around Rhya. The few women we do see are maids or seamstresses, stuck in typical “women’s roles” and only talk about men. It felt like I was reading a book from 20 years ago, not one written in 2025.
Even in a high-fantasy world, the author keeps the same old gender stereotypes, which made me sad. In a world with fae and magic, why do we still have to see all warriors as men and women stuck in small roles? I wanted to see Rhya have female friends, mentors, or rivals, but there was nothing. It made the world feel small and empty, and it took away from the fantasy vibe.
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Why I Gave It 2 Stars
Why I Gave It 2 Stars
I really wanted to love Wind Weaver. I liked the idea of a girl with wind powers, a prophecy, and a quest to save the world. I liked the idea of enemies to lovers. I wanted a fast, fun read with adventure, magic, and romance.
But this book was slow, repetitive, and frustrating. The writing was heavy, the chapters were long, and the plot moved at a snail’s pace. Rhya felt naive, Penn was rude, and their romance had no spark. The world felt empty, with barely any women and no strong female connections. There was also a weird jealousy scene halfway through that felt random and forced. It was clear that this book was trying to be adult romantasy, but it felt more suited for younger teens, and even then, it would need work to be enjoyable.
The story was not moving, the characters were not growing, and the romance was just not working for me. I gave it 2 stars because I have seen worse writing, and there were some good moments, like the parts with Soren and the initial setup of the world. And I would feel bad about giving it a 0 star. But overall, this book was a disappointment.
If you want a romantasy with magic, adventure, and romance, there are many better books out there. This one just felt like a long, slow journey that did not give enough to make me care.
Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Wind Weaver had a lot of promise but ended up being a letdown for me. If you love long books with heavy writing and slow pacing, you might still enjoy it. But if you want a fun, fast, romantic fantasy with strong characters and a plot that keeps you excited, this book might not be for you.
I hope future romantasy books will give us female friendships, better pacing, clear stakes, and romances that feel real and earned. This book showed me what I do not want in a romantasy, and it helped me understand what kind of stories I want to read more of in the future.
