Crown of War and Shadow

Bestseller Ward (The Beloved) kicks off a new series with this bumpy slow-burning romantasy. Orphaned Sorrel has been shunned by her fellow villagers her entire life for her magical ability to foresee and experience the sensations of a person’s death when she looks into their eyes. When the Fulcrum, a recently crumbling magical wall outside the village that keeps demons away, kills a local boy, Sorrel becomes the target of an angry mob that blames her for not preventing the death. Desperate to escape, she makes a deal with brooding mercenary Merc: a night in his bed in exchange for safe passage to another city. Prior to leaving, Sorrel’s former employer gives her a magical compass and a black crown and tasks her with returning it to the legendary warrior queen to whom, he claims, Sorrel has a surprising connection. As Sorrel and Merc travel the monster-riddled wasteland, they slowly give in to their growing feelings. Ward’s worldbuilding is vivid and Sorrel’s magic is unique, but it takes too long to get the characters on their quest and into the meat of the story. This uneven pacing also leaves the relationship between Sorrel and Merc, while intense and spicy, feeling rushed. There’s plenty to enjoy here, but readers will hope book two is better constructed. (Feb.)