"Compass and Blade" by Rachel Greenlaw delivers an intriguing premise but doesn't fully capitalize on its potential. The novel sets out to weave a tale of adventure and discovery, yet struggles with pacing and character depth, which may hinder reader engagement.

While Greenlaw's world-building is commendable, the narrative often feels predictable, lacking the surprising twists that could elevate the storyline. Character motivations and developments are sometimes underexplored, leaving a desire for more complexity.

Despite these challenges, the book offers moments of excitement and creativity that may appeal to fans of the genre. Overall, "Compass and Blade" provides a moderately engaging read but might not leave a lasting impression.

I was a little disappointed in this book--it had such incredible promise, but it fell flat in some places. Mira was supposed to be a strong FMC, but almost all of the decisions she made--and many of the long, introspective passages of her inner struggles and (attempted) emotional development--were frustratingly naive. She made the same mistakes over and over, not learning from them, and I found myself skimming most of the first half of the book to focus on the plot without having to mire through her constant failed attempts at navigating the world and her own life. Many of the other characters were far more interesting.

In short--Read this for the plot and the twists and turns, but don't expect too much in the way of interiority.

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

When I first requested this book, I wasn't very sure about it. The plot sounded amazing, but I didn't know where it was going to go. Which can either be a bad thing, or a very good thing. I loved this book. It was unlike anything else I have ever read, and I read a lot. I would recommend this book who anyone who likes Sarah J Mass or Rebecca Yarros.

There were just too many ya tropes. I couldn’t find myself getting into it. I had to restart it as I out it down for a few days. I think this just wasn’t for me but I’m sure readers who enjoy ya adventures would like this.

This book was okay, it just wasn't for me at the time that I read it. At times I enjoyed it but I often got annoyed with how oblivious Mira was to herself and to those around her. The romance was very meh. Overall it was not a bad book but I was underwhelmed.

Compass and Blade is an upper YA Romantasy following Mira, a young woman living on a remote island who feels called to the sea. The way her people survive is through plundering ships that sail too close to their home, a necessity which eventually leads to her father being captured and imprisoned. To save him, Mira goes on a journey that has her discovering her late mother’s secrets and meeting the crew of a ship whom she bargains with to help her.

The beginning of this felt very similar to Adrienne Young’s “Fable” duology and I was interested to see where it would go because I love stories that take place on the sea. But somewhere along the way, the wheels (or maybe the rudders?) fell off. It became difficult to reconcile what I liked about the first few chapters with how I was feeling about the rest of the book. The purpose in Mira leaving the island in the first place and the actual series of events that unfolds felt really disconnected.

Also, the romantic plot was so chaotic that it was like literary whiplash. There were decisions Mira made in regard to her love life that were deeeeeply frustrating to witness!

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

Fast-paced and full of action. I really liked the characters, and the plot was really well done. Add some fantasy where people can hear the seas song and you have a magical sea adventure. It also shows how far we’re willing to go to save the ones we love.

I highly recommend this story for sea fans, and if you’re a fan of books like fable, then this story is perfect for you. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

#CompassandBlade #NetGalley
thank you for allowing me to read and review this novel. I think young adults will really enjoy it. It has a wonderful storyline that is very popular right now with that age group.

This book was unfortunately not for me. I did dnf it. I can see how it has a great premise for others though!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Okay, this one is a bit of a mixed bag. While I like the characters and found the plot interesting, there were some aspects that really ​impacted how enjoyable it was to read.


We start off with some fantastic exposition. The descriptions are so lush, the stakes high, and the world is in the first stages of being established. It was easy to get sucked into what Mira was experiencing, but then she meets the boys. ​


For the most part, characters in this were developed okay, and this was seen through Mira’s perspective so any missed characterization was easily brushed off. However, this girl is boy crazy. Boy crazy to the point that her introspections on how beautiful two characters are actually distracts from the story and quickly got old. Pairing this with Mira’s naivety, it seemed like a lot of bad decisions and not enough information.

The other point of contention was the secrets. We were consistently confronted with how much others were lying to Mira, but the reader and main character don’t get any answers until the very end. It was a frustrating way to tell a story, and—I have to admit—there were times I was ready to DNF because the mystery wasn’t interesting enough to make me truly want to push through. However, the layering of the secrecy and lies was used well in the end, so I wouldn’t say they weren’t necessary.

Because that ending? Gorgeous. The last six chapters made everything leading up to them so worth it. Greenlaw gave readers everything they were expecting and such a satisfying conclusion to the book without cutting herself off from expanding the story in the next book. It does raise expectations for that book, but if the writing stays consistent and she manages to simmer down when it comes to how much Mira would like to lick the boys she comes across, we should be fine.

I would recommend this to those who like Adrienne Young. The vibes were on point and the plots have many similar elements.

*Compass and Blade* by Rachel Greenlaw is a gripping, fast-paced adventure that masterfully blends rich world-building with complex characters. Greenlaw's vivid storytelling and intricate plot twists keep readers on the edge of their seats, making it a must-read for fantasy enthusiasts.

Just okay.
Maybe I have read too many YA fantasies, but this one just fell short.
However, I think you might enjoy this is you are new to YA fantasy and you haven’t seen all these tropes played out before.

This was fun!!

If you liked Adrienne Young's Fable, or any other YA novel on the high seas, and enjoy magic then this one is going to hit all the right spots for you.

Mira's community survives by plundering ships wrecked along the coast of their island. Mira is one of an elite seven in the community who actually goes out, on the ropes, to scavenge and bring the bounty back from the boats for the community. Not everyone is happy with this arrangement though. The authorities are ready to put a stop to their pillaging and set up a trap, raid the community and take Mira's father and another island leader captive, with the intent to hang them in just nine days time.

Its up to Mira to save them and she goes on a journey to find herself and the answers she need to save them and her community.

There is betrayal, magic, love interests, finding oneself and a whole lot of adventure.

I truly enjoyed it. It's definitely YA and it's short; I wouldn't have been sad with more depth to the characters and a little more atmosphere but putting it into an early YA context helps see that it actually fits just right. I was hooked from the first page and couldn't wait to see how it would all play out.

Fingers crossed there's a book 2 in the works because there's definitely room for more stories with this cast of friends and foes.

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 hole 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. While I wasn’t thrilled with the repetitive nature of the book, I’m intrigued enough to read the next installment. If you are a fan of YA fantasy adventure, I believe you will enjoy it.

I loved this book. I could see everything and Mira was an amazing character. The writing is gorgeous and the worlds Greenlaw created are so alive (as are her characters). I love that I couldn't predict everything and that her characters are not all good or all bad. i was totally immersed in the book and finished it in 2 days.

Did not like this very much. The SOLE reason I finished the book was because of receiving it through Netgalley.

First, I started this book in February. It is now June. That's how long it took me to finish it.

Second, it wasn't even that bad of a book at first? And then it devolved.

Sure, the writing was a bit choppy and yet somehow a bit dramatic as well, but the pacing was fast and there was action to keep things going. But then after like 100 pages, it got repetitive and there was nothing that made me inclined to pick up the book.

The plot is all over the place. Mira steals from sinking ships to help support her island. Her dad gets taken and she wants to save him, so she embarks on a quest to find something her mother left her. For one, that line of thinking did not make the most sense. For two, the plot shifts. Now there's magic and witches involved, mystical creatures are mentioned, and there's somewhat shady pirates? The storyline didn't feel cohesive, and none of the arguably interesting elements felt fleshed-out enough to keep my interest.

The characters are very YA and very cliche - which aren't necessarily bad things in themselves, but their depth was lacking. I honestly don't have a lot to say here because they all felt blank.

Let's not forget one RANDOM fade-to-black/vague intimacy scene thrown in near the end. Please. Why did we need that. Aside from not feeling connected to the characters, I was approximately 0% sold on the romance. Mira just thought about how much she wanted to kiss him. EVEN WHEN IT MADE NO SENSE. Teenagers, or writing that needs more emotional connection? You tell me.

Overall, Compass and Blade was a big miss for me. Especially with the ending and the rather... open... conclusion we were left with.

2 ⭐️

Compass and Blade follows Mira, striving to save her father from certain death after being caught by the council. He was caught in the act as a wrecker, someone who wrecks ships in order to plunder them - punishment for said act is the noose. She joins a rag-tag crew in order to find her own family secrets and save her father before his hanging in 9 days.

It was an extremely promising concept, but once we got into the plot, every single YA trope was thrown into the mix. I wish I was kidding. Things were extremely predictable from the get-go, from the protagonist that is a bit different and feels a calling to irresistible insta-love.

I skimmed through a good majority and nearly DNF'd this book multiple times.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, pirate fantasy is genre I would usually love. However, there was a lot lacking for me with the plot and characters. I can overlook the excessively descriptive analogies in the writing, I cannot deal with the awkward, choppy, and unrealistic dialogue.

🧭 YA Fantasy
🧭 Ragtag crew
🧭 Betrayals & Revenge
🧭 Pirates & Sirens & Magic
🧭 Budding romance

Thank you to NetGalley, Inkyard Press & Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC of Compass and Blade by Rachel Greenlaw.

This was an okay read for me - even though the idea for the story is good, I wanted more in depth characters. I would have liked to feel more emotion when I was reading the obstacles experienced by the main character.