Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Compass Points series. I got a copy of this on ebook from NetGalley for review.

Thoughts: This was okay. I struggled with this book quite a bit; it just wasn't that engaging or interesting. The story is fairly simple, and the characters don't have a lot of depth. It is definitely an adult book, but the writing style was more like a middle grade level. I almost stopped reading this multiple times but wanted to push through since it is a review book.

The story follows Rose, a magical weapon maker, who is living a reclusive life on an island. The world around Rose is getting slowly devoured by a mist that leaves people in a deep slumber. One day in town a man named Luc accosts Rose, begging her to make magical weapons. Then when they are attacked by the mist, Luc's true persona is revealed. This ends up reacquiring Rose to journey with him and revisit some painful events from her youth. These are events that may help save the whole world.

There was a lot in this book that didn't make much sense. For example, the mist puts people in a deep sleep but what happens to the people? Do they die, are they magically suspended? The book made it sound like they could be revived, but what happens to their bodies in the meantime? Do they just lay out in the wild where they dropped and magically not die from thirst, starvation, or exposure? Then the mist attacks right when Luc gets there; was this coincidence? There's a lot of this type of thing throughout the book. It's an almost childlike take to an adult book where we just ignore huge gaps in the story. The book does improve maybe 60-70% of the way in as we get a bit more complexity around the magic and this world.

I think this is meant to be a cozy romantasy but I never felt like the two main characters had very good chemistry. Yes, they are cute and kind to each other. They are attracted to each other as well, and they make a cute couple. There just didn't seem to be a lot of depth to their relationship or a lot of rapport. I mean the whole book happens over a week, so not a lot of time for them to get into a relationship really.

This wasn't an awful story, but it wasn't that good either; to me it was one of those completely forgettable fluff books. I have absolutely no curiosity as to what happens to these characters because I never engaged with them or the world, and the plot was just too simple. I do not plan on reading future books in this series. More character depth, better world building, a more complex plot, and more descriptive writing would have helped this story a lot

My Summary (3/5): Overall the premise for this was okay but I was left disappointed. This is like an adult romantasy written at a middle grade level. The plot is incredibly simple, the characters don't have much depth, events aren't explained in a logical or even plausible way. I just had no engagement with the characters or story. After writing this review, I am realizing there really wasn't much I enjoyed about this so I should probably rate it lower. However, it was fairly inoffensive and has some cute and fun moments. I guess if you are looking for a quick and shallow romantasy read this might fit the bill for you; it just didn't work for me.

2.5
A fantastical YA read, a little on the younger side of that too. Magical mists, magical creatures turning into animals that speak, magical weapons and a magical weapons maker all make for a decent story. This is a fun but young for me book, full of predictable bits and young sass. It's a solid read if not very complex and I think a good word to use is safe.

Compass Points is the kind of book that makes you grin, swoon, and maybe yell at the characters a little (in the best way). The character are well written, and add plenty of heart and humor along the way. With its fast pace, lovable cast, and the perfect mix of charm and emotion, this book is an absolute delight from start to finish!

4/5⭐

Quick and fast paced read that leaves you with exactment for the next one.

I loved the banter between Luc and Rose. In general the characters were really lovable and I was really connected with them. I love Arie - he is just the best person to have your back always.

When it comes to the world building and the magic system the author did great work. As well it is really easy to read it and the story goes smoothly.

The romance was really well written and this one of the things I will be looking for in the next book.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this so much! It felt like a bit of a slower beginning to a trilogy, but not slow enough that I lost interest. I love Rose and Luc's dynamic so much, their banter is so fun to experience! I hope we get to learn more about the Compass Points (Luc included) in the next novel, which I'm very excited to read!

There's something missing in the execution of this story. Although the consequences are dire, there's a lack of urgency or fear.

The romance is also just sort of mid for me.

I do enjoy reading it because it's a fast read, but the stakes don't seem to be there and the romance isn't holding me.

Rose seems to be missing some type of spark as well.

This was a fun fantasy story for people who don't want to be bogged down with too much worldbuilding. I loved that the story started off with a bang and slipped the necessary world information into the story without ever delving into explanatory monologues. The banter between Rose and Luc was cute and I'm very curious to see where the story will go from here. It was a quick, low stakes read so if you're looking for something light this could be your perfect fantasy romance story. I wish the author had made the story a tad longer and added a bit more emotional and character development. I did love how quickly the story moved though and I will be continuing in the series.

Compass Points is the first in a trilogy by Witt. In this first book we get introduced to Rose, a magical weapon master maker and Luc who is more than what he seems in the beginning, a mysterious mist, and a fabulous animal shifter friend. While this is said to be a new adult, it felt more like a YA read in terms of writing style. The beginning felt a little choppy but not bad enough to be annoying. This is a very slow burn romance and I enjoyed the interactions between the two MC's. I will be heading off to read the next books now. 3.5 stars rounded to 4 from me, while entertaining and a quick read I felt like there could have been more.

Rose is living the quiet, simple life outside a small village, keeping to herself. The talk of the market is the mist plague and the most recent fae town to fall victim to it. And the fearsome Suden Point of the four Compass Points who’s been investigating the deadly anomaly.

Rose is an incredible weapon maker, and when a determined stranger needing a power-infused piece comes around, she’s quick to cast him off. Only a fae would ask, and though she encounters them often living next to a mythical lake, she’s not looking to draw unwanted attention to herself. Unfortunately, Luc, the handsome stranger. is determined to find the half-faeling with the power to forge magical weapons and doesn’t give up. If only he knew her secrets ahead of time and her reasons for running from the Compass Points in the first place, he might’ve thought twice before taking her on. Lucky for him, the mist plague encroaches and forces the pair to work together to escape. When Rose's magically-infused weapon works against the entities within the mist, she soon learns that only hers is effective, and she’ll be forced to return to the Compass Points to make more of them – the absolute last place she wants to go.

Compass Points is a quick, easy read with a slow burn attraction between the two leads that’ll keep you flipping the page. Dive into a unique story blended with faes with elemental powers and gods at the source of their problems, dangerous secrets, a changingly companion and court politics at their worst. And Arie! The bestie that will charm your heart! Definitely recommend!

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I am a huge romantasy fan, and this book did not disappoint. I loved the slow burn romance, the magic, and the secrets to be revealed. I think the author did a pretty good job with the writing. The opening chapter kept me wanting more, but I did struggle with the slowness. I know it was necessary for the build up. I think the character of Rose was well written, and the dynamics of her story were well thought out. I enjoyed the story, and I look forward to more from this series.

Thank you Net Galley ARC

Honestly found some of the world building a little tedious. The higher stakes canceled out any ‘coziness’ in my experience, but I’d still recommend for fantasy fans to check it out.

Rose left the fae courts after a tragic event and moved to a remote village. She is a magical weapons master and Luc, a fae unknown to her, asks her to make a weapon for him. Right after they meet, a mist plague takes over Rose’s village and she realizes she needs to return to the fae courts with him to keep the mist from spreading.

I enjoyed the magic in this book. The fae are divided into four groups and each has a different power. The world made sense and the politics were interesting and relatable.

The book has a cosy, gentle feel. Rose and Luc had good banter and good chemistry. I’m always a sucker for the fake dating trope and it was well done here.

My only complaint about the book was that the pace was a bit slow. The action picked up towards the end but I struggled to stay engaged in the middle section.

Overall, this is a light, entertaining fantasy book. It is the author’s debut and the first in the series. I plan to read the next one soon.

With all the excitement building around this series ahead of book three’s release, I was delighted to receive an ARC of Compass Points via NetGalley. This first installment delivers a captivating mix of magic, secrets, and slow-burn romance that will appeal to fans of romantic fantasy.

The story follows Rose, a 36 year old weapons master with a mysterious past and hidden magical talents. I loved seeing an older FMC take center stage, and her witty, loyal animal sidekick, Arie, quickly became a favorite. The magic system and world-building are intriguing, with layers of political intrigue and a deadly mist plague adding tension to the narrative. Rose’s partnership with Luc, the powerful yet enigmatic Suden Point, brings plenty of sparks, and their fake-dating dynamic was both fun and full of chemistry.

The opening hooked me right away, and while my interest dipped slightly in the middle, the unraveling secrets and character dynamics kept me reading. By the end, I appreciated how the book set the stage for future installments with action, mystery, and a touch of romance.

While I personally wasn’t invested enough to continue the series, Compass Points is perfect for readers who love slow-burn romance, morally complex fae, and stories steeped in magic and intrigue.
If that sounds like you, don’t miss this exciting start to Jillian Witt’s series!

I thought the world in this book was super original and I enjoyed the build up of Rose and Luc's relationship. The banted between them was great, and I loved the nod to ACOTAR with the Chapter 55 reference. Haha! I struggled a little with how the world was set up at first between the directions and the levels of power, and wish more information was given on how the compass points were tested, but I liked that there wasn't a big info dump and the author kept you intrigued the whole way through with little tid bits of info. It started coming together in the end and I am super excited to jump right into Tangled Powers.

Rose is a talented weapons master, and she just might be the key Luc needs to save the continent. She might be the key to saving her friend, Tara. Forced proximity? Fae? A hidden past? Check, check, and check.

It's a cute romantasy read, and there's not much more to it. It was hard to visualize the world based on National Parks, but the magic of the world was a neat concept, and Luc was a charming character.

As long as you're willing to suspend reading into any sort of complexities, it's a really fun start to a trilogy -- and I don't mean this in a negative way at all. It's a great distraction to the real world, and I devoured this book very quickly. I had a lot of fun in this world and with the characters, and I quickly wanted to read the rest of the series. It's just fun.

Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Rose minds her own business. She has one friend and a talking shifting pet (she doesn't ask too many questions.) She is a talented weapons master and is hiding a wealth of secrets. Aside from being on pins and needles about the mysterious fog that is rolling through the country making people go night night for an undetermined amount of time, life is good. Then HE walks into her life and now she has to face people, places, and memories that she has been running from for 10 years.

Is the story unique? Not really. But the WAY the story goes is different and interesting. I love the relationship between her and Luc. She doesn't spend half the book griping about how she doesn't want to have anything to do with him. She accepts him as an ally and trustworthy partner really early in the book which I appreciate. I am excited to see how this story plays out. I gave it 4⭐ because it was easy to read, had some very quotable lines and fun banter, and is different enough in a genre that is growing stale to keep me invested.

2.5 rounded up to 3

Rose has made a life for herself in a remote village. But when the mist plague reaches her home, she finds herself swept away into a world of intrigue and deadly secrets.

Read if you like:
-Fae
-Secret Identities
-Opposing Courts
-Gods & Magic

Compass Points was billed as an adult romantasy, but it read more like a YA book. I wish there had been more world building as I felt like parts of this were simple/bare bones. There could have been more added to really bring this world to life. Not a bad book, just not one that really captured my imagination.

Compass Points
Compass Points Book 1
By Jillian Witt
5 ⭐️

This is exactly what I like in a lighter (as opposed to dark fantasy/romantasy) themed Fae based romantasy. This story is creative and, while somewhat predictable, it has me very invested in needing to know what happens next. This is a series; book 1 doesn’t have an intense cliffhanger. I love the MCs: Rose, Luc, and I’m including the sassy familiar-like sidesick Arie in that list. Their banter was delightful throughout. There is a bit of spice but nothing too crazy imo.

This was a great introduction for a series. Compass Points (from my interpretation of it) is about a society that is led by royalty or nobles that represent the points of a compass that form gangs or territories? Fae and humans exist in this book. To be a compass point you must be fae (surprise surprise) and then you take a test that is like a handful of quests? The story starts and kicks off fast which is great, but it misses a lot of information that leads you your own interpretation of things. The female main character is a magical weapon maker, accompanied by a “shape shifter”. The male lead seems to be the lead of the whole compass. Pro-tip would be to google definitions the names/titles of the royalty just to help you get an idea of who they represent. Anyways, the king comes to the weaponry and this mist comes to hurt them and the adventure takes from there. The female leads family was slaughtered when she was younger so of course she is really guarded and unsure of a lot of things. Together they must figure out why and where the deadly mist is coming from.

The author drops a couple of bombs in this book that catch you out of nowhere but connect a couple of dots. Absolutely loved the ending with everything.

During the story the author goes back and forth between times periods and the three main ones are to represent:
1. How she discovered she had power
2. The level of her power
3. Why she is hiding her power

There was a couple of instances where time changes were within the chapters and it was incredibly hard to deceiver when and where they were.

This is an easy and quick read. However, sometimes it’s missing a lot and messy writing. I am hoping the following books in the series fills in the gaps.

Finally, I don’t think this should have been labeled a romance. There’s maybe two hot and heavy kissing scenes. Other than that there’s no romance.

This could be a standalone if you decide not to continue with the series.

Book art would have been great for this book.

I really enjoyed this one! The concept of the compass points felt so original and refreshing. I absolutely loved Rose and Luc—they had such great chemistry, and their banter was everything I hoped for. The animal shapeshifting was such a fun element, and I always appreciate a strong female lead, which Rose delivered perfectly.

The story gave me major Emily Wilde vibes, which I loved—it had that same blend of adventure, charm, and magic. Since this is the first book in a trilogy, not everything was wrapped up, but it left me eager to dive into book two and see where the story goes next!