Review: Compass and Blade
Available for pre-order at Bookshop.org Release Date: March 5, 2024
2/5
For fans of: Pirates of the Caribbean, sirens, mermaids, pirates, smugglers
The Big Questions:
What genre is this in? Romantic fantasy
Are there any swoon-worthy characters? YES, there is quite the mysterious figure who lurks in the shadows
Is it spicy? A sprinkle of spice
Is it violent or gory? Swashbuckling PG-13 level
Should I buy, borrow, or pass on this book? Honestly, pass.
“You would kiss a lover with a dagger pressed to their throat and call it love.”
Synopsis: 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 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 The sea gives. The sea takes. And it’s up to her to do what she must to save the ones she loves.
Review: From the synopsis, I thought, YES, this is the perfect summer read for me. It’s got freakin’ sirens, it’s got freakin’ smugglers, it’s on the high seas, there’s magic, it’s high stakes, a feisty FMC, a secretive MMC, and a hunt for buried treasure?!!? It’s got so much I love, which is why I didn’t give it a 1. Let me start with what I loved, which was the world building and lore. Magical creatures, witches, starts on an island but the world is so much bigger with so much history to discovery. I thought the setting and ambience were perfection. I could feel the salt on my skin and the humidity in the air. I could sense the storms, the rough waves, the raging seas, the starry skies, all of it. That was excellent. The plot and pace were also so well done. I never once felt like there was a lull in the action or any of the plot didn’t make sense. It was all working so well. There is even a mysterious shadowy figure that is giving major Rhysand vibes in all the right ways. So why, the low rating? I hate the main couple.
Mira is so so so so special with a major savior complex that is devoid of any charm to make her palatable. She has lived in community her whole life, working on a team that needs everyone’s cooperation to work. She understands the importance of teamwork in getting the job done. Yet she alone thinks she can save her father. Why? Because she’s got a secret, yet she doesn’t know what that secret is. If you read the synopsis, it is not hard to figure out. Not only that, for someone who balances the major moral conundrum of the survival of her people by frequently destroying other people’s property, stealing property, and potentially killing innocent people in the process, she is extremely naive. She trusts too easily, forgives too quickly, moves too slowly, and has zero control over her emotions. Even when the stakes are literally life or death, she lets herself get caught up in her own lustful feelings for a boy she barely knows. She just has the major hots for him. Who is this “him”? He is Seth, but he gives off major Chad vibes. Again, why does she like him? No one knows. She doesn’t even know. There is zero chemistry between them. They barely tolerate each other, there is no character growth between them, they both suck at any kind of personality. All they have is some metaphysical tether tying them to each other’s loins. I just can’t with the both of them. They irritated me to no end.
Thank you Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.