A YA Fantasy with pirates and magic- oh my! I was excited to read this book on those premises, however it was not enjoyable for me.

“They say we are wreckers, that we take and plunder and kill. And maybe we are what they say. But we call it survival”.

Mira and her family live on Rosevear where they lure ships in to shipwreck them and plunder their goods for themselves. One stormy evening, they are taking goods from a wrecked ship when they find one survivor that Mira is drawn to. They take him with them just to have him disappear into the sea. And then he washes up to shore later and they heal him.
After a couple days, another ship is wrecked that turns out to be a trap by the watch to catch them and arrest them. They arrest Mira’s father and Bryn and she’s determined to rescue him. Andrea that starts with finding her mother’s legacy in the ocean. The boy who survived the shipwreck offers to take her to where Mira needs to go in return for saving his life. And so they venture off together, with only seven days before her father is hanged.

Soooo I will say the writing in this book was well done because it caught my attention, however, it was so ridiculous, that’s why I needed to keep reading to see just how ridiculous this story could get.

First off, what I liked, the way this is written is written to capture your attention. I think it’s actually well written, the way it’s written. The story not so much, but the way it’s written, if that makes sense. I liked some of the characters and I do love pirate stories, once we got pirates into the story, and I love books set at sea, so of course, I enjoyed the ocean parts too! I also think this had such potential.

So, this is why I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would…

This started off sounding like an historical fantasy without actual magic, especially when Mira mentions how she’s heard of witches, but not necessarily that they are real and nothing to indicate there is anything magical in this world, and then suddenly there is magic and there are mythical creatures.

Now, the beginning of this book made me angry. Tell me, why do these people need to shipwreck boats? They say they do this to survive. Well, then, why don’t they bloody leave the place then!? They take ships to get supplies in neighboring towns and islands, but they can’t just leave and thrive somewhere else??? They can’t even be called pirates. They just sound like a bunch of lazy people who get their hands dirty by shipwrecking boats, killing people by drowning and claiming they don’t want to do this, but it’s survival. Leaving the island and living elsewhere is survival, not this murdering and plundering they’re doing. They’re literally just ordinary people, that lure in boats and shipwreck them. Mira even says one time they’re not murderers. Oh okay, maybe you don’t take a knife to the sailors’ throats, but you drown them when you shipwreck their boats, that sounds like murder to me! I mean there was no justification for their actions. I thought maybe they were cursed and couldn’t leave the island. That would explain things, but they can leave the island, so it just made no sense.

I was so frustrated with this story. So much of it made no sense, like Mira thinks whatever her mother left behind for her is what will save her father. Then what she finds, everyone is hunting for it and why? I don’t know. It sounds like it isn’t anything special aside from useful for Mira specifically. It’s not treasure 🤷🏼‍♀️

I noticed previous reviews stating this is similar to ACOTAR and I concur. There’s a scene in here that’s literally the same as when Feyre was under the mountain with Rhysand, like exactly the same. So interesting. Plus, the love triangle that’s happening. And this girl who apparently can’t stop leaning into gorgeous boys she meets 🙄 and the trust Mira has for everyone is astounding! I mean no matter how many times she’s betrayed, she keeps going back to the same person 😆

Also, there was A LOT of shrugging and leaning and I don’t know why that bothered me so much, but I saw that happening a lot!

I needed to vent about this book. I really thought I would like this one, especially when I love books set at sea, but the beginning of the book got me so frustrated that the rest of the book couldn’t make up for it and I couldn’t like it enough.

I know many already love this book and I would say give it a try, it just wasn’t for me 😕

I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am going to DNF this at 44%. I gave it a fair chance but it’s personally not for me.

It has a lot of good elements happening but I found it a little slow and confusing at times and wasn’t invested enough to continue.

Here are some things that might draw you to this book:
Adventures on the high seas
Smugglers
Group of small islands just trying to get by
Rescue mission
The ocean and its perilous call🌊
Magic
Secrets to unfold
&what I would assume is maybe a little tension/romance.

All wonderful elements but just sadly fell flat for ME but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give this book a try if it sounds interesting to you!

So I liked the concept of this novel, and enjoyed the loose The Little Mermaid vibes at the beginning with trying to save a drowning boy from the sea due to an unexplained pull between him and our protagonist. It was pretty obvious what the mystery behind who Mira is and I was kind of frustrated that given the clues she had, that she didn't even think that was a potential. What we got of the world building and another character with magic was interesting - unfortunately, they aren't fleshed out enough. On the whole the characters and the world felt flat and I was left both thinking this book was too long and that it needed more pages to provide more details.

I personally had a really hard time with the Mira and Seth storyline... especially thinking this book is intended for teens. Spoilers: you'd think that for someone who grew up in a community that struggles so hard to survive that Mira wouldn't allow herself to be played by a handsome face like she does with Seth. He continues to betray her and it takes her WAY too long to finally realize he's not redeemable.

Overall though I felt like the pacing was off and that this leans more into YA for adults that enjoy their fantasy books full of tropes and some on page sex.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.

I love fantasy stories set at sea.  In Compass and Blade, Mira is a teen girl who lives on an island that feeds their people by plundering shipwrecks.  When her father is arrested for wrecking, Mira has to find a way to save him before he is hanged.

Mira is a flawed character, tough and compassionate but also naive.  Her love for her father and her drive to save him anchored the book for me.  There are a few plot points that are a bit silly, but I loved the world and characters — there’s a found family involving a teen smuggling grew, and some interesting magic lore.

What really made the book work for me was Greenlaw’s writing: her prose is smooth as the sea on a windless day.  Her writing captured the setting and emotions of the book so well that I was completely sucked in.

The romantic element didn’t really work for me — it was a bit too insta-love, not well enough developed. Mira’s immediate attraction to two boys was very YA tope-y, but I enjoyed the rest of the book so much that I could look past it.

Fans of Fable and Daughter of the Pirate King should definitely check this one out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for my review copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for this ARC.

I had a hard time with how predictable this book is. The concept is there but I wish there was more depth in the development of the characters and the reasons that things are happening for.

The romance area is very insta-love and relies heavily on the MMC being mysterious.

I wanted to like this more, it is really easy to follow because you are able to catch on the twists really fast.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I did enjoy Compass and Blade. I loved the premise and action. It is full of action and adventure, revenge, pirates, and a touch of romance. The end leaves it open for more books. I will purchase this for our high school library.

Compass and Blade-Book #1 of a trilogy

by Rachel Greenlaw-debut

Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publication 2/27/24 Read 2/29/24

Format: eBook, 299 pgs. kindle

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Inkyard Press for this ARC💙 ! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

✔️ YA
✔️ Sci Fi/Fantasy
✔️ Paranormal/Sea Creatures
✔️ Family secrets
✔️ Magic
✔️ Pirates

Plot/Summary: In the remote isle of Rosevear, Mira is a wrecker just like her mother. She swims out to shipwrecks, looks for survivors and treasures aboard the ships. The sea calls to her, but the isle betrays outsiders by using their beacons to lure the ships to the rocks. When Mira's father and another wrecker are taken by the Council Watch for attempting to end the practice, Mira must find a way to rescue them. She meets a lowly survivor Seth, and together they make a deal with the Watch. They have nine days to find her family's secrets buried in the sea to free her father.

My Thoughts: It was some great world building in this Romantasy. Sea creatures/Sirens are rarely so well written. Mira was a strong heroine though a little naive. As soon as Seth was rescued, red flags should have went up to Mira that he was different. Kai, part of the wrecking crew, wanted to leave him. When Mira looks into his eyes she sees danger, and then he disappears. I know she's only 18, but she should have learned to be wary because of her parents. Her mother died with secrets and her father worried about her being "different."

Overall, Compass and Blade was a compelling young adult fantasy novel that exposed the sea's world of mystery and magic. Mira discovered family secrets and embraced a coming-of-age journey built around her mother.

Imagine you have a super important task to complete (save your father) and your timeline is only 9 day. So you do a bunch of random side quests that provide very little to your knowledge and growth, let alone the saving of your father. You spend a lot of time lusting after hot boys even after one betrays you multiple times…you never learn. Just for you to basically fail completely at the task at hand.

I really wanted to like this but there were so many cliches, plot twists that I found predictable, lack of character growth… I just wanted a lot more. I love the idea of the world where the people survive by shipwrecking. Love the idea of pirates, sirens, magic, found family, etc. But it really didn’t deliver for me. I’d struggle to read a second book if there is one. And girl. Leave. Seth. Alone.

I love a good historical fantasy, especially one with strong female protagonists to drive the story forward! Compass and Blade really delivered and I'm grateful to have gotten an Advanced Copy.

While this historical fantasy wasn't for me, I would still recommend it for fans of books with strong female characters and lots of action, romance and adventure. Good on audio, I just struggled to get into this story. Perhaps it will be one I try again at a later date but for now it was a DNF for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Book Name: Compass and Blade
Author: Rachel Greenlaw

ARC
Thank you to Netgalley and **Harlequin Trade Publishing, Inkyard Press** for an ARC of Rachel Greenlaw’s Compass and Blade

Stars: 5
Spice: 1.5 (Illusions but not fully fade to black)

Series
Cliffhanger
Fast Paced
FMC POV
High Fantasy
Similar to Fabel with some strong ACOTAR vibes and tropes

- Thoughts.
- One Bed
- Instant Love
- FAST paced
- Wreakers and Magic and Sirens and …..
- World Building 10/10
- Older YA
- Shadow Daddy
- Adventure Heavy

Negatives are this … there are a few plots and tropes that feel REALLY copied and pasted from ACOTAR...But I love ACOTAR and love those tropes overused as they can be… So yes shadow daddy and …other things….. feel a bit copy-ish at best but SO good and as this is much more YA-friendly than ACOTAR (looking at you chapter 55) I’m not mad at it. The love in this is instant love and instant lust but again I ain't mad at a teenage girl who never leaves her island feeling a bit hot and heavy over every hot male… fits. Overall I freaking ate this up! 100/100 and the only thing I am mad at is there isn’t a book 2 ready to go….like now

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this ARC!

Overall, a sweet tale. Mira was a fierce and devoted character, and I loved the setting, the islands, the magic, the pirates and smugglers. But I felt like the real action didn't kick off until about halfway through. I struggled with some themes and storylines being hammered out a bit too much, to the point that it became redundant, and some of the dialogue was a bit awkward. I do feel think it sets up well for a sequel, and I would be interested in checking that out!

Mira’s island community survives on the loot they plunder from shipwrecks. However, it is her island’s fault for the shipwrecks and they are the ones who lure the ships onto the rocks. Growing tensions with a Council who want to prevent more tragedy, Mira finds her father arrested for being an accessory to the crime and she has to do anything in her power to save her last living family member.


Her father has kept her mother’s possessions locked away in a chest as well. Mira hopes the contents will shed some light on who she is and why she is different from the others. She will also have to work with a survivor of one of the wrecks where a bit of romance is not too far from the horizon.


As a YA novel, I gave it some grace with the tropes and the predictability. Nevertheless, I was entertained throughout and found it to be a quick read. I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. I give it about 4 stars for keeping me engaged and providing me an entertaining story. I will also be creating a YouTube Book review of this book which I will share on my channel: Coffee, Books, and Rain

✨Compass and Blade✨

Thank you to NetGalley @netgalley , Inkyard Press @inkyardpress and the author for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book! It was a super unique premise and the action kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book!

Mira comes from a small island village and she wrecks shipwrecks and seizes the booty. One fateful day her father is kidnapped and held prisoner by the Watch and a journey begins to free him and discover more about her heritage .

This book had everything from shipwrecks to sirens to even a hot steamy shadow daddy!

The FMC Mira had a bit of insta love with both the main male characters but it wasn’t too much that it bothered me!

This is the first book in a series and I’m excited to see where the story goes!

A wonderfully written story of a young woman, Mira, learning about herself, unlocking family secrets, learning who to trust in a pirate world all the while trying to save her dad and friend!

The character development of Mira has the reader feeling the tug and pull of who to trust to make the right decision to save her father and friend, while holding the one possession that everyone wants! She's being hunted and she's being tricked!

The world building of this story was very well crafted and descriptive. It's just one of those books so we'll done, you envision how it would be on the big screen!

Now, I need the sequel to Compass and Blade.

It’s very rare that I read a book for review and become genuinely angry at the experience; most of the time I’m able to find something positive, even if the book isn’t one I particularly liked. Compass and Blade is one of those rare cases, because there was nothing redeemable about it. The entire thing was loaded down with cliches and too many obvious plot twists, the world building was weak, the pacing was much too fast, and Mira’s gullibility was comically ridiculous. Her uncontrollable lust for the hot boys she meets is the source of a lot of her problems and by the time the story’s over, she’s learned nothing. I’m not sure if this is the first in a series, but if so, I don’t wish to read further installments.

I think my review can pretty much be summed up with "When can I get my hands on the sequel??"

Mira is a wrecker who finds warmth in the frigid waters while swimming out to plunder shipwrecks for the sake of surviving on the remote isle of Rosevear--ships the islanders lure in to the rocks. Part of her job as a wrecker is to rescue survivors which allows her to strike a deal with one after a trap is set by the ruling Council watch and her father is captured and sentenced to death. Mira sets out on a ship with the survivor with only nine days to find what she needs to save her father from the noose.
*****
The beginning was quiet with elements of the world building grabbing hold and sucking me in as I waited for those threads to be pulled forward. And were they ever! The magic system is enticing and powerful and I can't wait to see where Mira goes with it. I feel like we were only given a small taste of what's to come and I am ready for it!
As for the romantic element of the story, I can't say much without spoiling anything, but I will say I am 100% happy it traveled the path it did.

But seriously, can I please have the sequel now?

Compass and Blade by Rachel Greenlaw

Life on their island is one of survival, Mira has always lived with one foot on land and one in the sea. Her family and friends survive by scavenging ship wrecks until the Watch captures 2 of her loved ones and she finally has to leave her island to discover more about her mysterious mother in time to save them.

I loved this story. It was fun and entertaining. It was definitely YA and I would have loved a bit more atmosphere and depth to some of the characters. But honestly it was still incredibly engaging and hard to put down and I appreciate a short book! The magical elements were unexpected and so intriguing. I loved Mira and the other characters. Her journey felt authentic to being young and on her own for the first time. I loved the twists and turns and adventure. I’m assuming/hoping there is a second book - I can’t wait to find out more about Elijah.

For anyone who loved Fable or is looking for a magical adventure at sea.

Thank you to @inkyardpress for my copy! This book is out tomorrow!

I am fully in my pirate era and this book did not disappoint. The world building was very simple and easy to follow. I did want to see more of the magic and creatures so I’m hoping we get more in the next book. The pacing was perfect and I was drawn in from the very beginning.

I loved Mira! She was strong and fiercely loyal to her family. She did make some dumb decisions near the end of the book but I’m hoping she finally learns from her mistakes in the next book. Also I’m here for her turning morally grey!

The romance plot was fantastic and I loved the direction it took. I didn’t see it coming and really enjoyed it.

The ending was so intense and there was a moment that definitely made me tear up. I’m dying for the sequel!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy to review!