Compass and Blade by Rachel Greenlaw (Harper Collins, 2024) HB RRP $20.99
Reviewed by
Melissa Wray, Newcomb Secondary College
Compass and
Blade is an epic fantasy story where you must settle in and enjoy the ride! Mira lives
in an extremely remote location where the inhabitants wreck passing ships on
purpose to survive. They use the recovered loot to trade, ensuring they
have the necessary things for survival for the whole community. Mira’s unique
ability to swim deep, far, and fast makes her perfect for being a retrieval team member. A team that must rely completely on each other to return safely
to shore after swimming out to the wrecks.
When the community
is raided and Mira’s father is taken away with the threat of death, Mira must
turn her world upside down and risk everything to secure his freedom. She has
never left the safety of her community before, but with the help of Seth, the
survivor of the most recent shipwreck, she forms a plan to free her father. However,
Seth has his own secret agenda, and Mira must decide how far to go, how much
help to seek and who is truly trustworthy.
They set off with
Mira not fully trusting Seth but having no other choice but to believe what he
tells her. Along the journey Mira will seek answers to the questions she has
about her own destiny as well as her mother’s past. A past where the secrets of
it died with her mother. Mira soon discovers that not everything she has believed
in her whole life is true and that sometimes you must risk more than you want
to, but there is always a cost.
Greenlaw has
created a world with a perfect blend of description, both above the water and
below the surface. The affinity Mira has with her need to be in the ocean is
expressed through a lovely lyrical writing style. Greenlaw has also created a
range of support characters that are fierce, independent, and loyal
to each other. As Mira tries to decide who to trust in this new world she has
discovered, she also finds an attraction brewing that catches her by surprise.
Torn between two attractions, she must decide who to trust and who to resist.
There are some mature descriptive romance scenes to be aware of within the
novel.
The storyline is
fast-paced and action-packed, with plot twists and deceit aplenty. Mira is
determined to free her father, but her vulnerability haunts her as she also
seeks answers to her questions about her mother. Her father is the only person
she has left, so she is determined to save her father and return to her life.
However, others around Mira have different plans for her. Ones
that might not let her reach her goal. There are villains, sweeping seas and
dangerous lands for Mira to navigate. There are also themes of family,
friendship and loyalty that she must consider throughout her high-stakes voyage.
Compass and
Blade is suitable for
the 14+ years age group.
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