Notes from the Shelf

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored. It contains spoilers for The South Wind by Alexandria Warwick, as well as for the surprise gifts in Once Upon a Book Club’s Romantasy Box.

First Impressions

I preordered the Romantasy Book Box from Once Upon a Book Club back in May, and it has finally arrived! This special edition box features The South Wind by Alexandria Warwick, the third book in her Four Winds series. I’ve purchased her previous two Romantasy book boxes through Once Upon a Book Club as well, so I’m excited to see how this one compares.

Read my full reviews for The North Wind and The West Wind

However, unlike the first two, which I read ahead of receiving the box, I’m going into The South Wind completely blind, so I’m hoping the story is as good as the first two. Right off the bat, I noticed that The South Wind is about 100 pages shorter than the previous two books in the series, so I’m curious to see if the story still feels complete or if it ends up feeling a little rushed.

What Is the Romantasy Book Box?

For anyone unfamiliar with Once Upon a Book Club, here’s how it works: each box includes a featured book plus four wrapped gifts. Every gift is labeled with a page number. When you reach that page, you open the corresponding gift. Each one is designed to match the story, creating a unique immersive reading experience.

In the past, I’ve been mostly happy with the boxes, though I didn’t keep all four gifts from either of the first two. At $80 per box, it’s definitely an investment, so I’m curious to see if the surprises inside this one will feel worth it. For some readers, the limited edition book alone justifies the cost, but I’m looking for a balance of both story and keepsakes.

The South Wind Romantasy Box

Here’s a look at the book and the four mystery gifts, still wrapped and waiting for me to dive in:

I’m starting the book tonight and will update this post each time I open a gift. I’ll share:

• The page number where the gift appears
• My first impressions of the gift
• How well it ties into the scene in the book
• Whether it feels like something I’ll keep or pass along

Bookmark this post and check back for updates as I unwrap each gift!

Reader Thoughts

I’d love to hear from you:

• Have you ever tried a Once Upon a Book Club box?
• Do you think the $80 price tag is worth it for a limited edition book and themed gifts?
• Which gift do you think will surprise me the most?

Drop your thoughts in the comments—I’ll be comparing notes as I go!

The Gifts

Gift 1: Page 65

Scene Recap (spoiler warning!)
For this scene, Princess Sarai and Notus, the South Wind, are arguing. He grabs her wrist so she doesn’t leave, and she sees that he still has on the gold arrow bracelet that he had bought each of them as a gift for her 19th birthday, when they were still dating. It symbolized that she had pierced his heart as he has pierced hers.

The Gift
The gift is an 18k gold-plated arrow bracelet.

First Impressions

• It’s a very cute gift to go along with the story
• It feels a bit lighter and thinner than I expected

Does It Match the Story?
I thought this was perfect for the story! When I read the scene, I knew it had to be that bracelet, and I was so excited to open the gift! It definitely made reading this scene more enjoyable.

Final Thoughts on This Gift
Despite it feeling a little lighter and thinner than expected, I do like the gift and plan on keeping it. It would be perfect for my Ren Faire costume!

Gift 2: Page 154

Scene Recap (spoiler warning!)
Princess Sarai is talking with her friend Roshar on her engagement to Notus, and he notices her swollen lips and comments on a woodsy scent on her neck, much to Sarai’s embarrassment.

The Gift
The gift is a cedarwood vanilla perfume.

First Impressions

• It was exactly what I wanted from the scene
• I’m surprised I like the scent so much; I’m usually pretty particular on perfumes
• The scent isn’t very woodsy with the added vanilla, so it doesn’t quite match the scene in my opinion

Does It Match the Story?
This was spot-on for the scene and once again made me excited to open the gift!

Final Thoughts on This Gift
I don’t typically enjoy cedarwood, but I really like the smell of this perfume! I think the vanilla balances it out well. I’ll be keeping this gift.

Gift 3: Page 288

Scene Recap (spoiler warning!)
Princess Sarai finds herself stuck in a dark place, and when she reaches out to feel her way, she finds a mirror that allows her to see her brother Amir, her sister-in-law Tuleen, and Notus engaging in a discussion on finding Sarai.

The Gift
The gift is a mirrored tray.

First Impressions

• I was expecting a hand mirror to go with the scene
• The tray feels extremely lightweight and cheap
• The paint is worn-off in places and looks sloppy

Does It Match the Story?
It matches the story a bit in that it is a mirror, but I was definitely expecting a hand mirror, not a tray. Maybe a decorative tray is something that more people could use in their homes, but for me, it missed the mark.

Final Thoughts on This Gift
I’m not too happy with this gift. I thought it would be a hand mirror, so I’m disappointed it’s a mirrored tray instead. I’m not sure where I would put this in my house, so I’m going to see if a relative or friend wants it. It’s very lightweight and already had a piece on the bottom crack off, so it’s not very high quality in my opinion. Also, the paint is smudged off in places and the streaks makes it look unfinished.

Gift 4: Page 368

Scene Recap (spoiler warning!)
Princess Sarai is cornered by Prince Balior in the kings chambers, with her brother Amir and sister-in-law Tuleen being held as hostages while the city burns. She grabs a candlestick out of desperation and flings it at Prince Balior’s face.

The Gift
The gift is a set of three candlestick holders and three electric candles.

First Impressions

• I would rather have had real candles
• The candlestick holders seem like good quality, and I like they’re staggered heights
• The electric candles don’t fit in the candlestick holders properly

Does It Match the Story?
I think this does match the story to an extent, but I wish it had just been one really good quality candlestick holder that was a bit more gothic looking or more detailed. These seem a bit plain.

Final Thoughts on This Gift
It annoys me that the electric candles don’t fit properly into the candlestick holders. They’re clearly not meant for these types of holders. Also, I don’t really like electronic candles. I wish they had been real candlesticks. The holders do seem to be of good quality, and I’ll probably keep those, but I’ll be getting rid of the electric candles.

Conclusion

In the end, I very much enjoyed two of the gifts, found one to be a partial miss, and one to be a complete miss. That’s in line with what I’ve experienced with the other three boxes I’ve bought from Once Upon a Book Club in the past.

The North Wind I had also liked two of the four gifts, but with The South Wind, I actually liked all four and still have them. I had also bought the New Year’s box for 2022 featuring the book Improbably Yours by Kerry Anne King, but I don’t remember the gifts, except one that I definitely gave away, so I’m just assuming it was similar where I liked one or two of the gifts and gave the others away.

Overall, opening the gifts to me adds an excitement to the story, and it also encourages me to read the book sooner than if I just bought the book on its own. Plus, the limited edition book is worth the price of the box to me, so any of the gifts I end up keeping is a bonus.

The last book in the series, The East Wind, comes out January 15th, so I would assume the Once Upon a Book Club box will be announced for preorder around that time. I’m excited to see how The East Wind wraps up the series and what surprises the final box has in store.

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