Compass Points by Jillian Witt is a fast-paced, dual-timeline fantasy that blends elemental magic, fae politics, and a creeping mist-bound mystery. The story follows Rose, a secret weapons master with the rare ability to forge metal with magic. Twenty years ago, she trained alongside Aiden, her childhood best friend and son of the Nordin Point. Now, as the mist plague threatens, she is forced to confront her past, her powers, and a fae emissary named Luke.

The romance is well-balanced and avoids the cheesiness that often plagues fantasy romances (looking at you, ACOTAR). While the worldbuilding could have been more fleshed out early on, the plot grips you immediately and keeps moving. The audiobook’s narrator does a fantastic job, bringing distinct voices to each character. Though the ending felt a bit abrupt, this was an engaging fantasy adventure and I would look out for the next installment although would be hoping for more in depth worldbuilding and a more evenly paced plot. 3.5 rounded up.

3.5 stars! This was a cute and fun book overall. Very much a fluffy fantasy romance with easily digestible world building and an interesting magic system. I think this would be a great palate cleanser if you've been reading heavy/epic fantasy books. The writing is very straight forward and the chapters are pretty short, which I like. Rose and Luc fall for each other fairly quick but they make a great couple🌶. There's also an animal companion, Ari, who talks to our FMC Rose and that is one of my personal favorite fantasy elements. The narrator has great inflection of her voice, but she does over-annunciate a lot of words that start/end with T and D, just FYI. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys romantasy, fae, and magic!

Unfortunately I decided to DNF this book at 70%. There wasn’t anything in particular that caused me to make this decision. I tried to push through several times the story line just didn’t pull me in and I felt like I was forcing myself through the book. I didn’t love the narrator at first, I did have to speed it up to enjoy listening to it.

Compass Points by Jillian Witt is a compelling start to the Compass Points series, blending mystery, magic, and romance into an engaging story. Rose is on the run from her past, but it isn’t long before it catches up to her. As her secrets gradually unfold, she crosses paths with Luc—one of the Fae leaders she was determined to avoid. Their chemistry builds as they work together to combat the plague mist, a dangerous phenomenon caused by the imbalance of the Compass Points.

The unique magical system stood out, adding depth to the world-building without slowing the pace. The story moves at a steady rhythm, keeping me hooked as the pieces of the mystery fell into place. Kasi Hollowell's narration was excellent, bringing the characters and tension to life.

A strong first book in the series—I’m excited to see where it goes next!

Compass Points - Jillian Witt

I don’t know why I waited so long. I don’t know why I don’t have the next two installments. I think I need to get with the program.

Rose ran from the fae court and never expected to go back but when the Mist and Luc arrive in her town at the same time, it's become clear that her weapons are the only hope they have of surviving. Now she has to return to a place that she never had any intention of thinking of again.

Rose and Luc are amazing! I love their banter, I love their connection. The plot is amazing! The writing is superb! I have sooo many questions I’m hoping are answered in book 2! The world building was captivatingly beautiful and I am so glad I got the audiobook of this book. I loved the narration, I felt like I was truly there. Ari is my favorite character though. He is such a stinker I loved it.

You need to grab this series TODAY. Don’t be a dough head like me and wait… NOW! RUNNNN don’t WALK! :)

5 stars

This was so fast paced and fun. It had enough original elements to make it stand out but it still felt like such a classic fantasy. The stakes were not low, yet it still gave me a cozy feeling.

I feel like it's been so long since the last time I came across a male love interest I actually liked. Both him, the main character and the animal companion we're following throughout the whole novel are super likable and that made it easy to care. It also helped to have a less than 300 page space to tell this full first installment in the story, to avoid ever losing interest in the actual plot. It moved enough to keep things interesting.
I also want to point out that the past-timeline was really well used; it felt like every bit we got, we got at the right time.

The actual audiobook was great; I loved the narrator and what she did with the other character's voices.

I will be getting the sequel soon.

Absolutely! Here's a 5-star review for "Compass Points":

"Compass Points" is an absolute gem in the fantasy romance genre! From the very first page, I was captivated by the enchanting world-building and the elemental magic that brought this story to life. The protagonist is strong, relatable, and her journey had me cheering for her every step of the way. The fake dating trope was executed flawlessly, adding layers of tension and chemistry that kept me hooked until the last page. This book is a delightful blend of magic, romance, and adventure. Highly recommend to anyone looking for an engaging and heartwarming read!"

Rose is a master at creating weapons that are special, but when Luc comes asking for her help to defeat the mist that is spreading everywhere hurting everyone it comes in contact with. Rose declines even if Luc knows a little more than he should about her weapons. When the mist comes which has destroyed everything in its path including someone Rose cares or deeply while with Luc Rose agree's to help and see's her weapons may be the answer.

Luc convinces Rose to come with him and hide while pretending to be his love interest. Coming to Luc's home seems like the answer to keep Rose safe but it may actually put Rose in danger. Working together soon seems like the only answer to saving everyone but while there hidden secrets of who Rose truly is come to light when someone from Rose's past comes back into Rose's life and it's soon revealed he isn't who he's told Rose he is.

This book was a fun read, I liked the world building that happens in this book and the twists of who Rose truly is as well as who the villain is was really good. This ends with a lot of questions and some important stories started in this book/series. I really liked Rose and Luc we see a lot of their back story and I loved the connection thats revealed between the two. I really liked the start of this series we get so much storewide in this book that we need answers to. This is the first book i've read from this author but I really enjoyed her writing style and what she creates in this book. I am really excited to see what happens next. This is one of those books that is just fun, on you just enjoy your time while reading.

Wow, I cannot believe it took me as long as it did to read/listen to this one! It was really, really good and I loved the world building! I can’t wait for the next!

A delightful fantasy world.

This book was just the dose of magic I needed into my life.

The story follows Rose—a weapons master, Ari—her wonderful almost always feathered companion, and the feared Suden Point—Luc.
Their world is on the brink of falling into a dark mist as Luc finds our heroine and almost kidnaps her—that's if she hadn't gone willingly with him. In the attempt of saving every human and fae from the threat hanging at their city borders, Rose finds herself more and more attracted to this deadly, yet charming, fae Suden Point.

I really enjoyed being submerged in this mystical world where humans coexist under the guise of peace provided by fae.
Rose's horrific past catches up with her and the story kept me enthralled as pieces of the past weaved with the present.

I look forward to the next books as this is a series.

The narration was good, although, when voicing the men's parts, I couldn't tell which character was talking. The dialogue tag helped, though. Rose's pain and desire was audible and it kept me in the story.

Compass Points is a delightful romantasy story. Jillian Witt's world-building is fantastic, and I love how it draws inspiration from the National Parks in the U.S. One of my favorite parts is the elemental magic system. On the romance side, it includes some favorite tropes like fake dating, enemies to lovers, and the classic one bed scenario. The main female character, Rose, is a total badass with impressive magical skills, while the male lead, Luc, seems mysterious and calculating but has a sweet side. Plus, Rose’s animal sidekick, Arie, has a witty sense of humor and his own secret motives in the plot.

3.75 ⭐️
1 🌶️

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me a copy of this audiobook to review!

At first I had a hard time getting used to the narrator's pace, but once I got into it, I was hooked. I really enjoyed the different voices she used for each character to fit their personalities.
The story itself was intriguing. I loved the fresh take on fae courts and elemental magic! I also really enjoyed how the FMC's backstory came in flashbacks throughout the book to slowly piece together. All the secrets and surprises had me captivated and kept me guessing. I enjoyed the way the author wrapped up the final events that occurred and completely cleared up any lingering questions or thoughts I had. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC. All thoughts are my own

I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy fantasy romance! The world and magic system Jillian created is easy to follow but also unique and intriguing which I so appreciated! The audiobook was fantastic and I highly recommend!
The FMC, Rose, is a weapons master with a special power for imbuing magic into her creations, but there's more than meets the eye. She has a mysterious past that we start to unravel throughout this first book in the series! She has a shapeshifting companion, Arie, who is funny and sassy and always shows up at the right moments and I absolutely loved him!
We quickly run into Luc, the MMC, when he finds her at a market and requests she make him some custom weapons. Rose isn't so sure about him and declines his offer, but he won't take no for an answer. While on the surface Luca appears grumpy and cold we soon find out there's many layers to him, his true identity and his past.
The major plot device is a mist plague that has been ravaging the lands and putting all the townsfolk into a suspended sleep and surrounding towns one by one in an impenetrable wall of mist. Rose and Luc happen to get caught up in the mist and fight it together and realize that they might be able to find the answers needed to take down the mist and save the lands.
As they go on this adventure to find answers their relationship blossoms! I loved the romance here and the way the slow burn sizzled as they fought their feelings, external circumstances and preconceived notions.
I am so looking forward to continuing on with this series!

Compass points follows Rose, a clever, powerful girl, in a world burdenen by mistake enchanting the villages it attacks to an endless sleep. When she meets Luc, the Suden point, she must face her past in order to secure the future of human and get alike.

This was a fun, fast paced story with witty banter and a great protagonist, love interest and shape shifting sidekick. I thoroughly enjoyed myself throughout the book.

I will say, that world building was a little messy. Though intriguing, I didn’t really see the purpose of having both humans and get in the world. There was a line about half-fey being able to make magic weapons, but honestly, this couldn’t just as easily have been made in a world of all fey with high and low fey, or humans and magicians. In fact the fey did feel sort of just like magicians with a fancy name.

The plot is pretty predictable, but it is executed well, and the three main characters are great to follow. I would have liked a little more interaction with the normal people in this universe - it kind of seemed like Luc and Rose and the other compass points with powers at their level were the only type of people, some background characters that were more than faceless silhuets would have been nice, although the lack there off doesn’t exactly take anything from the story.

That said, I had a great time, and rooted for Rose, and felt for her as well. I liked how the romance developed and how the story progressed. All in all 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

My review will be on Goodreads and Storygraph today (March 18th, 2025)

"Compass Points" by Jillian Witt is an intriguing start to the Compass Points series. Narrated by Kasi Hollowell, the audiobook brings the story to life with a captivating performance that keeps you engaged throughout. The plot is fresh, with a unique blend of mystery and adventure, and I’m genuinely excited to see where the series goes from here. It’s a promising first installment with room for growth in both the storyline and character development.

If you're looking for an immersive audiobook experience with potential for a thrilling series, this one is worth checking out!

#CompassPoints #JillianWitt #CompassPointsSeries #Netgalley

The narrator did an excellent job using mutiple voices for the different characters! The range shown was quite impressive and made it easier to distinguish everybody.

The plot of the book is very intriguing. I like the fact that Rose and Luc are supposed to be a "fake" couple but as they got to know each other more, feelings started popping up.

Rose is definetly not your typical fae fmc and i quite enjoyed the diversity within her character and all the characters in the book. I also enjoyed how to author added more context to the story by periodically adding fragments of past memories to the story. It added a lot of context and helped expand on the world building without being too overwhelming.

I haven't read a Fae Fantasy book in a while, and I'm happy to report this one did some really unique things with the fae! I loved the Lore and world building that made for an enjoyable read!

My particular favorite was Rose's shape-shifting companion who is snarky around every corner! The romance was a little too instant love for me, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. If you're looking for your next fantasy, definitely check out this completed trilogy!

Swoon! I totally fell for the MMCs charm.
The swoony tension in this is palpable.
This is a Romantasy for those Disney movie lovers. When she meets a fae male with a disarming smile in the first chapter… you know it’s going to be a good book.

❤️‍🔥Forced proximity
❤️‍🔥Tension
❤️‍🔥Swoony Banter
❤️‍🔥Dangerous & mysterious mmc

1.5🌶️ open lightly descriptive

This edged on the side of cozy, but the stakes were a little higher than typical cozy fantasies.

I enjoyed the banter between all the characters and often laughed or giggled along with them.

I felt the ending was a little rushed, but all together that book itself holds up. The slow burn was a little too slow for me and needed more action at the end to make it worth it. This was a debut though, and I believe the author will improve with time.

The romance itself was believable and the story told was fresh and exciting. I will definitely add this author to my list because I believe they will only continue to improve as they grow.

A cozy romantasy set in a magical world inspired by United States National Parks?? YOU ARE SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE!! It’s like this novel was made just for me 🌲🧭🤍

This fast paced fantasy read felt like a warm hug in a book. It had all the elements I love in a fantasy read - fae, family secrets, an unlikely partnership, a sassy animal guardian, one bed, AND FAKE DATING 😍….& you know fantasy does it better because it’s for the sake of the realm 😉

I truly adored the characters in this novel 🫶Jillian’s easy to digest writing style paired with the wonderful narration of this audiobook was an excellent experience. I loved how Kasi Hollowell gave so much life to our sidekick Arie whether he was in feathers or fur! 🐦‍⬛🐻

This no spice romance 💘 still brought all the banter & tension! Making our FMC Rose & MMC Lucy’s relationship grow in a perfect slow burn 🔥