Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Crown of War and Shadow by JR Ward Series: Kingdom of the Compass #1
Published by Bramble on February 17, 2026
Genres: Fantasy Romance
Pages: 480
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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In the dead of night, passions rise and empires fall.
Welcome to Kingdoms of the Compass.
The Fulcrum is failing, and demons are slipping into the mortal world, stalking the night.
No one is safe.
Especially not Sorrel. An orphan and an outcast, she’s spent her whole life within the walls of her small village, ostracized for her mystical abilities. She wants to survive…and maybe find somewhere she can call her true home. But Fate has other plans.
Sorrel has been chosen. Cursed.
She must cross the Badlands to return the Queen's crown and convince the fearsome female to save their world from destruction. Well aware she’s no brave hero, Sorrel makes a dangerous deal with Merc, a brooding, commanding mercenary known only by his unscrupulous profession. The deal? A night in his bed that she will never forget, in exchange for her safe passage.
But Merc has secrets of his own, and even though passion runs hot between them, enemies are around every corner, and danger and betrayal threaten at every turn.
I enjoyed JR Ward‘s writing over the years in one of her UF/PNR series so I was really excited to see how she would take on a new series in a new genre. Crown of War and Shadow, a Fantasy with some romance, is the first book in The Kingdoms of the Compass series. I vacillated back and forth on how to rate this. While there were some points that initially I wasn’t super on board with, others that made me *grrr* out loud, I can say I was really engaged the entire time and it was difficult for me to put the book down. So whatever my thoughts were while reading the book my feelings were engaged and ultimately it paid off by the end.
A world with some magic in it has trapped an evil King and his demons behind a magic wall. That wall or fulcrum is starting to weaken and crack, demons are crossing over and once is it weak enough, The Dark King will be able to cross back into this world or plane of existence. Sorrel has lived her life in a small village as a servant in an Inn. She is an orphan and has always been there as long as she can remember, helping the women of the village give and survive dangerous births. She also has a special gift, if she looks you in the eye she can see your death.
When the fulcrum starts to fail and her village almost doomed Sorrel learns she has a fate, one that will take her on a journey into great danger to find the Queen who talks to no one and convince her to use her armies to fight against the demons. A mercenary will help her travel to this Queen, but there is a cost, one that Sorrel is willing to pay, to spend a night of passion with him. Merc is scarred, strong and something about him pulls at Sorrel immediately.
I thought this would be your basic Orphan is the chosen one story. And while it is set up that way, there is much more underneath that is slowly hinted at and teased out. Sorrel has a destiny and there is a prophecy she is a part of, along with a reason behind her hidden magic. I liked that so much of it was a mystery and we discover all of it with her character.
There is a romantic sub plot also happening between her and her escort Merc. He too has a past that is unclear but the reader is sure it is full of heartbreak as well. As they journey together to find the Queen they have many obstacles to overcome and each builds the bonds between them. I liked the slow burn of the romance, even if at times it was infuriating, I was definitely a fan of the relationship building between them. Merc, was a bit stupid at times as he had mistaken Sorrel as a prostitute in the beginning, so some of his assumptions about her were wildly unfounded, still I did love his protectiveness of her and willingness to march towards certain death to help her.
“There are many things you can question about me. Morals, scruples, the very air in my lungs. But never doubt that I want you.”
The overall story was a great set up. There is a lot going on in this world and as we are discovering it with the MC. I did struggle with the pacing as at times it moved slowly and then at other times so quick. This could be part of the writer’s intent though, so that we are in tune with the single POV main character. There is a great backstory and lore, a curse, betrayal from an unexpected source and a building love that will cross plains of reality (probably). Getting to the end was definitely worth the journey. There is a bit of a cliff hanger type ending. I’m so excited to see what Sorrel will do in the next book and how much more magic there is to be uncovered.
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Hopefully the next is even better!!!
Right…the set up is solid so there should be more room for the plot and characters.
Beautiful cover and sounds like one you will be excited for the sequel too. Great review!
Yes…in fantasy series the sequels are really where the world and story can flesh out. I look forward to seeing where this one goes.
Sometimes book 2 in a fantasy series is way better. Book 1 is just a set up in a way.
Exactly!!! It always takes some time to set up the world and characters. Book 2 is when you can really get a good story going.