Crown of War and Shadow

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Synopsis

Orphaned and outcast, Sorrel has never known any other life except working as a servant at the pub where she lives and using her talents as a healer to help the people of her village, but her magical abilities have left her ostracized. Lately the Fulcrum, a mystical construct that was created to imprison the Dark King and his minions, appears to be failing, as evidence of demons escaping into the world have been cropping up everywhere, and some blame Sorrel for it. Knowing she won't be safe there much longer, Sorrel seeks a way to escape to the Badlands, where an Outpost exists that might offer some security. It's too dangerous for her make such a trek alone, though, so she enlists the help of Merc, a dangerous mercenary who is known only by his shadowy profession. In exchange for one night in her bed, he will provide the protection she needs to make it safely to her destination. Before leaving, Sorrel is entrusted with certain knowledge of her past and the crown of the Queen in the South, who might be able to help defeat the Dark King when the time comes, which she is to return to the monarch. The journey is fraught with untold perils, but along the way, Sorrel and Merc grow close and begin to fall in love. But once they've arrived at their destination, the Queen proves more difficult to persuade than Sorrel imagined, and she discovers that Merc has been hiding a few secrets of his own that could imperil their fragile bond.

Review

Crown of War and Shadow is the first book in J. R. Ward's new romantasy series, Kingdoms of the Compass, which is a bit of a departure from her typical stories. Taking place in the mythical land of Anathos, it tells the story of Sorrel, a young woman who lives in the small village of Greensward and about whom little is known of her background. As a foundling, she was taken in and raised by the local pub owner who treats her more like a servant than a member of the family. She has skills as a healer and midwife, having treated many within the community, but most still look on her with suspicion because of her magical abilities. Lately there have been rumors of demons escaping from the Fulcrum, a magical prison that was created to hold the Dark King who once terrorized their land, and when animals begin to turn up slaughtered in ritualistic ways, it seems the rumors are coming to fruition. Some of the townspeople think that Sorrel has something to do with it, and as it becomes more and more dangerous for her, she must find a way to leave but has nowhere to go. Then a mysterious stranger, a mercenary who merely goes by Merc, arrives in town, so Sorrel reluctantly asks him to help her escape. She has no money, so for the price of one night in her bed, he agrees to protect her as she journeys through the Badlands to an Outpost where she thinks she might be safe and able to start a new life. Before they leave town, the pub owner lets Sorrel in on a few secrets regarding her heritage and tells her that her destiny is to take the crown he has kept safe all these years to the Queen in the South, a warrior who sees no one, and to convince her to fight against the Dark Kings forces. Together Sorrel and Merc make the perilous journey that is fraught with untold dangers, falling in love along the way. However, convincing the queen of her mission proves more challenging than Sorrel could have imagined, and Merc is harboring a few secrets of his own that could destroy all that they've started to build between them.

Sorrel is the exclusive first-person narrator of the story. She knows virtually nothing of her past. The only life she's ever known is living in the cubby hole beneath the stairs in the pub, where she's expected to help out with cleaning and serving. She also has a semi-secret side job as a healer and midwife, and while working in this capacity, she has had occasion to bring some--usually infants--back from the dead. She has no idea how she wields this ability, just that she can. Word has gotten around, so the villagers come to her when they need help with their ailments, but they still generally view her with suspicion because of her magic. With the presumed arrival of the demons, many are becoming more convinced that Sorrel's unholy use of magic is what's causing the Fulcrum to fail. When Merc arrives, she's drawn to him in more ways than one but keeps her distance until things become too dangerous for her to ignore anymore. Then she offers her body in exchange for his services as her bodyguard while traveling to the Outpost. Before she goes, she learns some things about her heritage, which at first, she's reluctant to accept. But the farther they go on their journey, the more it becomes apparent that she'll have to complete her mission if there's ever to be any safety in Anathos again. Sorrel begins the story as a shy, retiring young woman who is fearful to leave the only life she's ever known in the village, but along the way, she discovers unexpected courage and untapped abilities within herself. I love that she cares so much about other people and wants to help when needed, even though sometimes it places her life in peril. Although some darkness begins to reveal itself within her late in the story, her good heart wins out, and I think it will give her what she needs to complete her quest to save Anathos.

Since the story is told from Sorrel's POV, we only see Merc through her eyes. He's a pretty mysterious character throughout, and at times, I found myself wanting to know more about him. As he and Sorrel journey to the Kingdom of the South, we gradually learn a few bits and pieces of his past, but the larger reveals don't come until the very end. While this could be a little frustrating, once I got to that part I understood why the author couldn't say much more without giving it all away too soon. We get to see enough, though, to make me like his character. He may be a mercenary, but he has his own code of honor that he follows. He's a skilled fighter who keeps Sorrel safe and always seems to think of her first, putting his life on the line more than once to save her. He sometimes exhibits a surprisingly gentle side, taking care of her in a more personal way as well. When it comes to his secrets, he decides to show honesty in revealing them to her, even though it leads to heartbreak in the moment and other bad consequences for him. While I would have liked to get to know him better in this book, now that the truth is out there, I look forward to hopefully learning more about him as the series progresses.

Crown of War and Shadow is the first of a planned trilogy and was a great start to the series. The bulk of the story is about Sorrel and Merc's journey through Anathos, first to the Outpost, and later to the Kingdom of the South. It's kind of a slow build to the climax, which reveals a lot about both characters, but it was still enjoyable getting there. There's a fair bit of adventure along the way as they face dangers and meet new people. Some of these supporting characters are rather intriguing, so I'm hoping that they will reappear in the next two books. While this book is classified as romantasy, the romance definitely doesn't overwhelm the story, so I think it could appeal to a broader audience. It's clear that Sorrel and Merc are very attracted to one another and want more in their relationship. However, he seems to be trying to show honor in his dealings with her, and she's inexperienced and doesn't quite know how to ask for what she wants, leading to some friction between them. Ultimately there are only two love scenes in the entire book, both of which are fairly brief and not particularly graphic compared to J. R. Ward's other works, which was a little disappointing, but as I said, it would probably make the book more suitable for a wider audience. I found myself wishing that Sorrel and Merc could trust each other a little more, but I'm hoping that now that their secrets are out, their relationship will grow stronger as we get farther in the series. There were a few slower parts, but they're punctuated with enough excitement and reveals to keep me intrigued. While all my questions weren't answered, I'm making allowances for more reveals in the story that's left to come. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what happens next for Sorrel and Merc in the second book, which I hope will be released around the same time next year (2027).

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J. R. Ward

Themes

Amazing Animals
Bodyguard Heroes