SPORTOCHICK’S MUSINGS: This phenomenal book with flowing descriptions will pull readers into the intense storyline. The surprising twist ending is the perfect lead into the next book while still leaving one satisfied.

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Crown of War and Shadow
Kingdoms of the Compass
by J.R. Ward

Narrated by Stina Nielsen

Pub Date Feb 17 2026
Macmillan Audio

DESCRIPTION

Crown of War and Shadow is a brand new, sweeping, slow-burn romantasy from #1 New York Times bestseller J. R., perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros, and Jennifer Armentrout!

An outcast burdened with a curse. A mercenary out for himself. A kingdom that must be saved.

In the deep, dark, dead of night, passions rise, and empires fall…

The Fulcrum is failing, and demons are slipping into the mortal world.

No one is safe.

Especially not Sorrel. An orphan and an outcast within the walls of her small village because of her mystical abilities. She wants to survive…and 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 desire runs hot between them, adventure, danger, and betrayal lurk around every corner.

Crown of War and Shadow is the first book in the Kingdoms of the Compass series.

Crown of War and Shadow
*Forced proximity/Only one bed
*Chosen mates
*Dark mercenary
*Who did this to you?
*Touch her and die
*I’ll die for you
*Hidden magic

REVIEW

Narrator

Stina Nielsen did a fabulous job in speech pacing, volume levels of all the characters, and voice variations. This made listening to the book thoroughly enjoyable.

The Book

Crown of War and Shadow is a phenomenal book with flowing descriptions that will pull readers into the intense fantasy storyline. I love how the author kept you so immersed in the storyline that you may have missed the hidden signs revealing who Sorrel and Merc really are. I don’t usually get as surprised as I did with this ending, but I liked it and will pay more attention in the next book to this new series.

The cast is large and complex with the primary female and male characters, Sorrel and Merc. Each of them immediately grabbed my attention with all their secrets and unusual actions causing me to wonder and want to solve what they were hiding.

The surprising twist ending is the perfect lead into the next book while still leaving one satisfied.

I received this book for free from Netgalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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