Compass and Blade

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3.3

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Author(s)

Rachel Greenlaw

Publisher

Inkyard Press

Genre(s)

Age Range

13+

Release Date

February 27, 2024

ISBN

978-1335012326

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For fans of Fable by Adrienne Young or To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo, this romantasy debut is filled with sirens and mysterious magic, swoony romance and cutthroat betrayal.

This world of sea and storm runs deep with bargains and blood.

On the remote isle of Rosevear, Mira, like her mother before her, is a wrecker, one of the seven on the rope who swim out to shipwrecks to plunder them. Mira’s job is to rescue survivors, if there are any. After all, she never feels the cold of the frigid ocean waters and the waves seem to sing to her soul. But the people of Rosevear never admit the truth: that they set the beacons themselves to lure ships into the rocks.

When the Council watch lays a trap to put an end to the wrecking, they arrest Mira’s father. Desperate to save him from the noose, Mira strikes a deal with an enigmatic wreck survivor guarding layers of secrets behind his captivating eyes, and sets off to find something her mother has left her, a family secret buried deep in the sea.

With just nine days to find what she needs to rescue her father, all Mira knows for certain is this: The sea gives. The sea takes. And it’s up to her to do what she must to save the ones she loves.

Editor review

1 review

Shipwrecks, Sirens, and Selfish Intentions

March 30, 2024

Overall rating

3.3

Plot

4.0

Characters

3.0

Writing Style

3.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

COMPASS AND BLADE by Rachel Greenlaw is a fast-paced adventure about a young woman's discovery of who she is and what she will become. Mira lives on a small island that sees little trade which means there is little food and money to go around. Her villagers watch for boats to wreck upon a hidden reef not far from their shore. Mira with six others "wreck" the ship searching for valuables and anything that will keep their village afloat through the harsh winters. However, one shipwreck threatens to put the entire island at risk of the gallows, and Mira's father and the leader of their small band are taken, tried, and convicted unless the others turn themselves in.

Mira is an interesting character. Her mother died when she was young, and since Mira inherited her exceptional swimming skills, she took her place on the wreck crew. Her mother's death has left a whole in her family. Mira feels like she is missing a part of herself, but can't explain that to her father. He grew up on the island, Mira's mother came to the island as an adult. Mira wants to know her past, why she never feels the cold of the water, and can hold her breath unnaturally long, but those are questions her father refuses to answer. However, with his arrest and a hanging date set, Mira sets out with one of the shipwreck survivors to find something her mother left for her. She doesn't know what, but she believes it will be the key to everything: saving her father, saving their village, and learning who Mira really is.

While I really enjoyed Mira and her adventure, I found the story itself to be a bit repetitive. There were several chapters where Mira was introspective about what she would find and who she was, but nothing new was learned in these introspections. The love interest (Seth, the shipwreck's survivor) was too convenient. Mira was extremely naive, and Seth took advantage of this. That all being said, I do believe this was a tool the author used to set up the next book, and I may feel differently about it once I read that.

Overall, COMPASS AND BLADE is an exciting adventure with pirates, sirens, and a little romance thrown in.