Episode Fifty Four
A demon wall is cracking, a crown is missing, and the only person who can cross the Badlands alive might be the exact person you should never trust. We’re Mari, Ashley, and Jonathan, and we go deep on Crown Of War And Shadow by J.R. Ward, the first book in the Kingdom of the Compass series. If you like gritty romantasy, high-stakes quests, and a love story that keeps asking “is this real or is it control,” there’s a lot here to argue about.
We start with the book-world vibe check: this isn’t a bright, courtly fantasy, it’s harsh, cinematic, and dark, with demons pressing in and ordinary people making brutal choices. We talk pacing, the heavy journeying, and the moments where Ward’s writing turns almost poetic. Then we dig into what makes Sorelle compelling: she’s a healer and outcast, not a swaggering assassin, and her kindness becomes a real kind of power in a world that punishes softness.
From there, we get into spoilers and twists, including what Merck is hiding, why the romance hits differently than other “he lied to her” stories, and how the late-book reveals flip the meaning of key symbols and alliances. We also explore a fun theory about whether this new series could connect to Black Dagger Brotherhood lore, and what that might mean for Ward’s wider universe.
If you’ve read the book, come tell us where you landed: Team Merck or Team Absolutely Not? Subscribe to Of Swords And Soulmates, share this with your favorite romantasy reader, and leave a rating and review so more people can find the show.
Crown of War and Shadow by J.R. Ward
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Our Thoughts
Our Thoughts on My Funny Demon Valentine
“I liked the book. It just was I couldn’t finish it. I didn’t have enough time.”
“it was not my it was not my cup of tea, although I feel like it had shining moments.”
“I very much enjoyed this book. To me, it had uh there was something about it . . .that felt like almost like a never-ending story or like a very much 80s fantasy movie.”