The Compass Rose

In Gail Dayton’s The Compass Rose, Captain Kallista Varyl grapples with her emotions while carrying out her task.

Kallista is a North Naitan soldier who dreams of a home and family, both of which appear unworkable with her military life. She beseeches the One God to defend Her people, as they are being annihilated by the Tibran army, and Kallista’s life is altered forever. Now she is bound to three men by magic and another man and female by ties of family and appreciation.

Torchay is Kallista’s bodyguard and friend. He would do anything to protect her; nonetheless, the one thing he is afraid to do may destroy everyone. Stone is bound to Kallista by an uncanny and breathtaking magic that has decimated his fellow soldiers. He must learn a new way of life or die.

Aisse vo’ Haav abhors her life in the women's quarters. On the night she flees, a dark magic saves her from certain death and offers her a new life. Will Aisse be able to surmount her terror or will it bind her to her past?

The future and fate of the Adara and all who have magic depend on Kallista and her companions. Gail Dayton eloquently weaves a saga of unrequited love with the fear of rejection that haunts us all. The Compass Rose cleverly and sagely reveals the heart and soul that unites a group of strangers into a family.

Gail Dayton’s The Compass Rose captured me from the first page. She movingly and deftly communicates the tale of one small group’s ability to modify the future for the better; as they come to the realization that love and duty due not have to remain separate. I eagerly await the sequel.

Reviewed by: Dena