I thought this story really started off strong, but about 65% in I had to really push myself to finish it. I wish there was a little bit more world building, and not just thrown right into the whole plot at once. (that’s what it seemed to me)


Thank you NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion

What could have been a fun swashbuckling adventure full of pirates and sirens and sea magic was….not that. Instead, this book was bogged down by overused tropes, heavy-handed melodrama, pointless purple prose, and a flat supporting cast of characters that I was nevertheless expected to care about. I found the pacing messy and the writing choppy. Despite her motivations being very clear throughout the story, I truly could not tell you a single one of Mira’s personality traits, nor could I tell you why she felt drawn to Seth in the first place. Every character was like a blank slate with nothing unique or interesting about them. The theme of doing what is needed for survival was not so much included as shoved down the reader’s throat, making it feel like the author doesn’t trust the audience.

Compass and Blade was such an interesting and enjoyable read! I really liked the plot and all of the characters! While I predicted some things I certainly didn’t see other parts coming. This book was very adventurous and fun to read. Mira, the fmc, was strong and resilient, I loved seeing a powerful female lead that could fight and survive on her own.

The romance part of this book was enjoyable for most moments but a little confusing at times and there was a small love triangle but I’m still a bit lost about it all. I liked both Elijah and Seth for the most part but I’m still not too sure about either of them. However, I recently heard this will be a trilogy so I hope it gets explained more in the next 2 books!

A few things I didn’t like about this book is that it felt a little rushed for some parts. There was a lot of world-building for such a small book. I also didn’t like the ending too much. It was left very open and there wasn’t much of a compelling cliffhanger for the next book. Since this was a fantasy I wish there was a little more magic. There were a lot of magical creatures mentioned but never actually seen to add the plot. I also would’ve like to see Mira tap into her powers/connection a little more since it was mentioned there was more she could do.

Unfortunately there were also some tropes in this book that I’ve already seen before in other popular fantasy novels such as Mira’s strong connection with the ocean and then the whole bargaining tattoo idea was a staple concept in Acotar. I truly really liked the plot but there was definitely more the author could’ve done to make it more unique.

Overall it was definitely an enjoyable read with an exciting plot and great characters! I definitely still recommend! For the now I think a lot is still left very open and lacks some detail but I’m hoping there will be more answers in the next two books as this is said to be a trilogy! Hopefully those books will be a little longer too in order to avoid rushing some scenes and plot details.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Inkyard Press, and the author for an e-arc of this book!
(All thoughts and opinions are my own and 100% honest)

This was my first Pirate/ sea babetrayalsed book I’ve ever read and I absolutely loved this journey ✨

I adored the love triangle of betrayal✨

Every character had amazing depth and growth through this story ✨

The ending of this story truly had m weeping like a baby✨

Very excited to read th next addition to this story when I comes out ✨



I will be reviewing this story Via: TikTok, and Goodreads
Review will be posted 2/1/24

This book started out great. A girl who's on a team who wrecks ships, saves the passengers, and steals the cargo to make a living is very engaging! And the description is beautiful.

However, as for the rest of the book, it felt like all the other YA high seas books I've read. Used all the classic tropes, nothing new unfortunately.

DNF @ 30%

I couldn't get into the story. The romance was very much insta-love and its a hard thing to overlook. I did like the setting as islands aren't a huge scene we see often, but definitely want more of! I liked the secondary characters for than the MC. There just wasn't enough to hold my attention.

Compass & Blade does masterful work in creating a world we don't often see in YA. The islands were so vivid and tangible. I want more work featuring ships and pirates and sirens, etc. I think that is such an untapped subsection and Greenlaw lays the groundwork well.

I struggled when this started falling into familiar tropes and didn't do a ton to flip them on their head or add anything unique to it. It felt very much like a lot of things we've seen before.

Enjoyable but I was hoping for more based on how original and refreshing the setting, world, and characters felt from the onset.

4.5 stars

A super fun high stakes adventure at sea full of smugglers, treasures, mythical creatures, bargains, and backstabbing. It follows Mira, a girl with a mysterious pull to the sea, living on an island where they wreck & steal from ships to survive. When her father is caught, she ventures out in search of a treasure that she hopes will secure his freedom.

This was such a page turner and I loved all of the constant twists and turns. I was actually getting anxiety wondering how it was going to end. It has a solid cast of characters and a bit of a love triangle which I’ll admit kept me on my toes. Potential shadow daddy anyone?

This wasn’t without faults, but it was entertaining enough that I think it deserves a high rating anyway. It definitely seems like it’s going to be a series which I hope is the case because I was left with some unanswered questions. Highly recommend if you like fast paced pirate themed adventures!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!

The premise of this book is very unique. I love the twist on a mermaid folklore meets pirating.

However I found the writing very hard to get into, many of the same phrases were repeated an excessive amount of time, hopefully some skilled editing can hone that in as it really retracted from my enjoyment I was too hung up on the Deja vu feeling.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC all opinions are my own.

Actual Rating 1.5

Mira and the rest of the people on her island are wreckers who swim out to floundering ships to loot them. She’s always enjoyed being in the water even though it claimed her mother’s life. But when she and her people fall into a trap, Mira finds her father taken captive. In an attempt to save him, Mira makes a deal with a stranger. But with only nine days to accomplish her quest, it’s a race against time and unforeseen forces to save the ones she loves.

What I liked most about this read was the world. The setting was interesting, and I enjoyed the incorporation of magic and magical creatures. I was quite intrigued by the deals and tattoos that were included relating to one character and felt that the author did an excellent job surrounding that aspect. I would have loved to see a bit more world building as there were many times when it didn’t feel as immersive as it could have, but those things might be more present in the second book.

There were several things I didn’t like, though. There were a few plot holes that weren’t major but were noticeable enough. The romance was one of the most absurd ones I’ve run across in YA. To call it insta would be giving it too much credit. The first scene when they’re getting frisky, I was certain it was a dream sequence because it just seemed much too soon for that kind of interaction – alas, it wasn’t. And they had negative chemistry. I’m also fairly certain it’s setting up for a love triangle.

The characters were not great. The secondary characters felt like caricatures rather than real people. More depth and development for all characters would certainly help this read. We’re also supposed to feel sympathetic for Mira and her people, but they literally kill people for a living so…that didn’t quite work for me. Mira was a mess. There was little-to-no logic behind her actions, and the author didn’t even try to explain why she did things aside from needing the plot to go in that direction. She isn’t a strong female protagonist, she’s a teen who is easily distracted by cute boys and promises of treasure (we’ve all been there, but don’t call her something she isn’t).

The book is set up for a sequel, which I won’t read. If you enjoy YA fantasy with insta love, the beginnings of love triangles, and a gullible and flip-floppy heroine, then you’ll likely enjoy this. My thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for allowing me to read this work, which will be published February 27, 2024. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Tales of sirens and what amounts to piracy is always fun! I could feel the spray of the ocean and the ropes in my hands as the ship made its way to adventure and treasure. For me, the story fell apart a bit when a love triangle slowly emerged amongst the wreckage of misplaced trust and betrayal, and it ended on a note of vengeance I found disquieting. Plus, anything marketed as YA which has a sex scene between minors is going to frustrate me because that is an unwise for those with undeveloped prefrontal cortexes.

The concept of this story is very good, and I did enjoy it I do feel like there could have been more depth. I liked Mira, but there were also times I was so frustrated with her choices that it outweighed everything else. I also feel like there could have been more world building to engage readers more and give a better backstory of the setting. I went really back and forth between enjoying the story and being frustrated with it.

I liked the pacing of this story and the overall plot was well-planned. I did have some issues with the readability of the dialogue in this story but nothing that would deduct from the value of the story.

Definitely will be recommending this to my audience when I host a nautical themed reads week.

The story concept here is really interesting, but Mira is so wishy-washy as a main character that I found myself wanting her to “snap out of it.” When she and her crew go out to scavenge the latest shipwreck they’ve orchestrated, she saves a handsome stranger. Later, she ends up falling in insta-love with Seth, but then learns he isn’t what he seems. You could see this coming. Literally not a surprise that Seth really isn’t a great guy.

Mira’s rescue attempt of her father almost gets derailed. Again, you could see that coming due to the rather convoluted plan. I wasn’t entirely sure how Mira made the leap between opening her mother’s chest and finding her notebook and the coordinates to saving her father.

I know this is a series debut, and again, I really like the story idea with smugglers and sirens. There’s just so many tropes at play here that there’s almost too much going on in the book, Compass and Blade has the potential, but it’s off to a rocky start.

I feel like 3.5 stars is generous, but I’ve also never even attempted to write a novel, I appreciate the chance to read this early copy!

Rachel Greenlaw’s Compass and Blade takes you on an adventure across island and sea that you won’t soon forget. This vast world full of wreckers, watchers, magic and mysteries keeps you captivated and turning pages through twists and turns as you search for answers and next steps alongside main character Mira and a full cast of supporting characters, each with their own points of interest and intrigue. With scenes that haunt, I know I’ll find my mind drifting back to places in this unique world for some time to come. Already can’t wait for the next book in this series to see how Mira’s journey continues!

Thank you to the team at HarperCollins Children’s for the ARC.

This book started out strong and then devolved about halfway through. The plot doesn’t make a ton of sense. The main character, Mira, is VERY naive and makes incredibly bad decisions, so this was a frustrating read. She finally grows a spine in the last 10 pages of the book, so I suppose you could call this a very long, drawn out origin story. The romance was very unbelievable and there are two love interests for Mira, one of whom is a powerful lord with shadowy powers. They make bargains that show up as marks on their skin. Sound familiar? It’s Rhysand -1.0. And I say -1.0 because saying Rhysand 2.0 implies an upgrade with the update and there is none of that here.

Thank you, NetGalley, Inkyard Press, and Rachel Greenlaw for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I think Rachel’s writing has a ton of potential but still needs some work.

"Compass and Blade" by Rachel Greenlaw offers an intriguing fantasy adventure with a unique world. The novel showcases inventive storytelling and a well-constructed setting. However, uneven pacing and character development prevent it from reaching its full potential. While the narrative has its moments, there's room for improvement in coherence and depth. Despite its drawbacks, readers seeking a fresh fantasy realm may still find enjoyment in Greenlaw's imaginative landscape.

Unfortunately, I think this is a DNF for me at 50%. This book started off strong...and then very quickly unraveled. I couldn't make sense of where the plot was going, the romance was so forced, and the big reveal is already very obvious—as in the reader knows by a couple chapters in and yet the main character just doesn't see it. I was getting too frustrated, so sadly I'm setting this one aside.

If you like a spooky pirate, atmospheric books with sirens and magic then I'd say this book may be for you! You really get into the action right away which was fun, and you get a lot of intrigue that holds your attention, but the insta love was a bit much for me and sometimes it felt like you never really get to know any of the characters. It wasn't a bad read at all.

This one just didn't work for me as much as I had hoped it would.

Thanks for the opportunity to read it early.