Really enjoyed this one! Beautifully written with gorgeous descriptions that made you feel like you were at sea alongside Mira. I am definitely an Eli girly, and I can’t wait for their relationship to deepen in the sequel!!!

Thank you Netgalley/Inkyard Press (RIP) for the eARC.

I liked this one quite a bit! While I don't have a huge lot to say about it, I'd recommend it to authors that enjoyed Alexandra Christo and Adrienne Young. This was marketed as romance fantasy, and I must admit I enjoyed the fantasy--sirens! seafaring! islands!--than I did the romance. I did wish for a deeper dig into worldbuilding, which unfortunately almost always lacks in YA, but overall, I felt satisfied by it. The romance did leave a little to be desired in terms of development and characterization, but overall, quite fun. Good for teens.

Sad that Inkyard shut down, as they were doing some interesting things.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital review copy.

This one is perfect for fans of Adrienne Young's Fable.
Great writing and pacing. I thoroughly enjoyed Compassion and Blade.

This was such a good read! I was fully sucked into the story right away and I really enjoyed the characters. The journey the author took these characters on was exciting and unique which is something I am really interested in with books now. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

From the very start Compass and Blade sucked me in to this magical world and fast paced, sea-faring adventure.

On the remote island of Rosevear, in order to survive, one must live in the morally grey. Like her mother before her, Mira is a wrecker. Her people swim to shipwrecks, plunder, but rescue the survivors. After a trap has been laid, her father sentenced to hang, and a chest full of secrets, Mira sets out on the adventure of a lifetime. The only thing she knows for certain? "The sea gives. The sea takes." It's up to her to save the ones she loves.

Mira is the kind of MC you can relate to - and it's refreshing! Real life isn't always black and white. There are times we have to make an unethical choice in order to survive. Mira is raw, and real, and she feels and learns with all of her heart.

The writing is stunning. It was the perfect pacing while still give us that engrossing, beautiful prose that allows us to see and feel the fantasy world we are reading.

... And the ending? Chef's kiss.

HUGE thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a nice experience, skillfully combining elements of magic, mystery, romance, and adventure. Could have there been more development with the characters and world-building? Sure, but nonetheless the world-building impressed me, drawing inspiration from the author's home island of Scilly. The notion of islanders utilizing the natural landscape to wreck ships and salvage cargo for survival was genuinely captivating. The story's charm was further enhanced by morally ambiguous characters, diverse locations, and enthralling in-world folklore.

Though thoroughly enjoyable, I couldn't help but wish for a more in-depth exploration of the world and its characters. The oscillating emotions that Mira experienced, veering between feelings of betrayal and love for the same individual, felt sudden and not entirely believable. It seemed to lean more toward teenage drama rather than genuinely authentic emotions. Consequently, I am eagerly anticipating the continuation of the series.

This book is an absolute gem for readers who relish the siren aesthetic/ thrilling high-seas escapades, and a delightful blend of romance and magic.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for graciously providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars. This story drops you in the center of the action right off the bat, and keeps moving along from there. There’s a strong sense of intrigue and mystery that kept my attention.

However, I feel like everyone was so guarded that we didn’t really get to know any of them, and the relationships felt flat to me. I think there was a huge missing piece, in that we didn’t get to see why Mira kept falling in love; they just suddenly “were in love.”

The back and forth between Mira being betrayed, and then being in love with the person who betrayed her, felt very jarring to me. It came across as teen hormones more than anything, and I was surprised to find a bedroom scene thrown into the middle of it.

The ending did make me want to read more, so I will most likely be reading the next book, mainly because I want to know more about Elijah.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Holy cow this book was so good.

The story kept me hooked from the beginning to the end. There were so many twists I did not see coming. I loved the underlying romance as well.

Mira lives on an island with her father and has dedicated her life to keeping her friends and family on the island fed through the wrecking and pillaging of ships. He father is captured and Mira goes on a quest to save him, uncovering secrets about herself and her loved ones in the process. It’s an action packed adventure full of magical twists and turns. I loved it!

This is quite possibly one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read. If you watched the Little Mermaid on repeat as a kid, and then realized that Pirates of the Caribbean was more your vibe, the imagery of this book is going to suck you in.

Plot wise it’s almost nonstop adventure and backstabbing and maneuvering and planning and ACTION. I was torn between ripping through this book in a day or two and forcing myself to slow down so I could hang out with the characters longer. I truly didn’t want it to be over.

Shouts out to NetGalley for providing the ARC and I can’t wait to see others get as hype about this book as I am

This was such a fun read! It has magic and mystery, romance and adventure, and secrets and betrayal. The world building is well constructed and I love that it’s inspired by the author’s home island of Scilly. The idea of the people of this island using the natural landscape to wreck ships and salvage the cargo for their survival was so interesting. The morally gray characters and the different locations explored in the book combined with the in-world folklore was a delight. To be honest I couldn’t put it down and ended up reading it in one sitting; RIP a good night’s sleep. I only wish we had more time to explore the world and characters and am very much looking forward to the continuation.

If you are into siren core aesthetic (and I mean who isn’t?), adventure on the high seas, along with romance and magic, look no further.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Inkyard Press for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing I'd like to say about Compass and Blade is that it is so evocatively written. From the very first page, Rachel Greenlaw hooked me with her lyrical prose. The writing was so immersive (pun fully intended) that I felt like I was diving into the sea alongside Mira. I could taste the sting of salt and feel the sea breeze from the world that Greenlaw created.

That's not to say that this book only hinges on pretty prose, though. Greenlaw has also crafted a cast of wonderful, three-dimensional characters. Mira is a sympathetic main character and I felt the angst and turmoil she had to face in her quest to save her kin. Alongside this are two very different love potential love interests and a wonderful "found family" cast that I grew to love and root for.

This book is fast-paced and full of twist and turns that made for a very propulsive read. This is a stunning example of YA fantasy and one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

This book was a lot of fun to read! The storyline was fast paced and really interesting and quite a few plot twists and betrayals. I really liked the characters! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This was definitely enjoyable! I loved the pirate/heist aspect of the story. I do wish we got more details on the back story, I feel like that was missing something and I would have loved more magical aspects, but overall I enjoyed this story.

If you loved the fast-paced, high-stakes plot and sizzling romance of FOURTH WING, then you will absolutely love this book!! Morally gray characters and deliciously charming villains abound in this pirate-esque fantasy, complete with hilarious banter and beautifully descriptive prose, and a fantastic twist at its climax that will have you screaming out loud as you read. An absolute must-read for YA fantasy romance fans!

"Fable” and “Daughter of the Pirate King”... with elements of “A Court of Thorns and Roses”?

This seafaring YA fantasy doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s still a worthwhile voyage for fans of the genre (like me). It’s slow to start, but I got really into it before the 50% mark. There are many familiar elements, but I had a little trouble empathizing with the main character and her associates. She engages in some villainous behavior that I didn’t perceive as morally gray. Her people aren’t engaging in fun pirating; this is sad pirating.

Now let’s dive into the romance situation, and beware, it’s a little spoiler-y. We’ve got a love triangle here. There’s a strong case of instalove with Seth, whom Mira should absolutely not trust, but she does so repeatedly. There are references to a thread connecting them, making you think Mira and Seth are fated… but this is a Tamlin situation, and there’s a Rhys with bargains and shadow magic and everything. I’m interested in seeing where this goes.

I rounded up to three stars, but it's more like a 2.5. I was excited to read this book, the description sounded intriguing, but ultimately the story fell flat for me. The world building was pretty weak and the plot was lacking. There were brief mentions of fantastical creatures and other worldly magic, but those ideas were never fully fleshed out. There was an undertone of missing information throughout the story. The main characters are wreckers and are bringing ships and sailors to their death, but why? The story briefly mentions the island being poor, but how is wrecking boats and stealing goods the only answer? Why did the main character think that something hidden by her mother would help her get her father out of jail? How is that the most practical solution in this scenario (spoiler- it isn't practical at all, and ultimately doesn't really help the situation.). And why is the main character so naive to trust a person she barely knows (Seth) multiple times over, when he has so clearly proven that he isn't to be trusted? The main character came off as foolish and less intelligent than everyone around her. Maybe the story will get better as the trilogy continues, but ultimately this was a weak start.

This book was incredibly fun! I have been in a bit of a reading slump and this got me out of it. I tend to be a bit picky when it comes to books about pirates and sea fairing adventures because I’ve been disappointed in the past, however I loved this book! The characters were well rounded and realistic. And the world itself was so magical! Not to mention the writing was beautiful. The plot itself was a bit predictable for me but it is YA so it wasn’t a surprise to me. That being said I still really enjoyed the book. There was never a dull moment in the story and each scene held an important detail. There was action all the way through that made it impossible to tear myself away! I can easily see this book becoming a huge hit! I will absolutely purchase this book when it comes out!

"When Brynn whistles through the village, the signal for a wreck, I come alive. And in the sea when I hit my rhythm, when she folds me into her wild embrace, I am at peace. More than anything I want to wake with the sea surrounding me. "

" You're right, I do want you, Mira. Give yourself to me forever and I'll save the whole damn world."

Compass and Blade is a story about a young adult named Mira who lives on an island of plunderers, her whole way of life is simply surviving. One day during what was supposed to be a routine of plundering a shipwreck the unthinkable happens. Her island falls under attack and her father, and their leader are taken prisoners. Mira comes up with a plan, follow the coordinates her mother left to bring back something to barter with to save the two men. Mira hires a crew to help navigate but as the journey progresses things fall apart. Left with virtually no one to trust she has to navigate fractured matters of the heart and the rest of the journey with unlikely allies.

You can really feel the connection the author has with the ocean; her lush and poetic style of writing had a hold on me the entire time. My favorite parts are the ones written about the ocean and the ones surrounding her parents.

This story has its share of morally grey characters, its share of betrayals, and fast-moving adventurous story line.

The events wrapping up the last leg of the book were clever and unpredictable, I was not ready for it to end .

Compass and Blade is perfect for those who loved books similar to  Fable

. I am adding it to my permanent summer reading list and can't wait to reread it again.

This is one of those books that had me sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. The one where you're kinda tempted to skip ahead for a little sneak peek just to make sure everything is going to be okay for the main characters. I loved the main character Mira who grew up on the islands and along with the other seven wrecks ships. In order to steal the cargo but at the same time go out of their way to save any surviving sailors, but they're not doing this for fun. They do it to survive and when her dad and the leader of the seven is captured. She embarks on a journey hoping to return with the answers to saving their life, and therefore is thrown into a world of unknown. I love how in so many ways Mira is prepared for this adventure, but in other ways she's not. Mira knows how to fight and has what it takes to survive, but lacks knowledge and experience on so many other things. For my enemies to lovers girlies this book definitely give of those vibes, but I promise by the end of the book. It'll be the last thing on your mind Compass and Blade is a story filled with magic, adventure, creatures of the deep, creatures up high, and so much more. This is not a story you want to miss.

Minor Spoilers

"Give yourself to me forever and I'll save the whole damn world"
This quote will live forever in my head rent free.

Mira has never been beyond the shores of her small island where she loots sinking ships with the other islanders so they can sustain their community, until one day a wrecking expedition doesn’t go quite as planned. When she gets to the ship, the group finds it empty and upon arriving back at shore, they find their friends and family members being detained by the Watch - the group that acts as police for the islands and has been trying desperately to catch them in the act. Mira sets out to save her father and the other captured islander, but first she has to track down what her mother left her by following the song of the sea.

I found this a little hard to get into. Maybe it’s because I couldn’t understand why Mira thought her moms secret inheritance would be helpful in freeing her father or why she thought she was so valuable to the watch or even why the concept of wrecking was so illegal. In any case, I didn’t find Mira super compelling. And oh my god SETH!!!! He really annoyed me. Like just pick a side dude. I thought Eli was great and he really redeemed the book for me as did the crew of the phantom. I do hope we get to see more of the magical creatures in book two as well.