Crown of War and Shadow by J.R. Ward Narrator: Stina Nielsen
Published by Macmillan Audio on February 17, 2026
Genres: Fantasy Romance
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I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Fulcrum is failing, and demons are slipping into the mortal world, stalking the night.
No one is safe.
Especially not Sorrel. An orphan and an outcast, she's spent her whole life within the walls of her small village, ostracized for her mystical abilities. She wants to survive...and maybe find somewhere she can call her true home. But Fate has other plans.
Sorrel has been chosen. Cursed.
She must cross the Badlands to return the Queen's crown and convince the fearsome female to save their world from destruction.
Well aware she's no brave hero, Sorrel makes a dangerous deal with Merc, a brooding, commanding mercenary known only by his unscrupulous profession.
The deal? A night in his bed that she will never forget, in exchange for her safe passage.
But Merc has secrets of his own, and even though passion runs hot between them, enemies are around every corner, and danger and betrayal threaten at every turn.
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Sorrel has magical abilities in a world that will kill anyone with magic. Her small village has no problem asking for her aid when they need it though. She winds up traveling to the Badlands with Merc, the mercenary – and boy what an adventure they go on. We slowly unraveled what was happening, and I was shocked at some of the twists. With a healthy dose of adventure and a dash of romance, this is a book I did not want to put down. The audio version was amazing and I highly recommend it. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book. If you are a fan of fantasy romance, you need to add this one to your list.
About J.R. Ward
J.R. Ward is a #1 New York Times bestselling author with more than 15 million novels in print published in 25 different countries around the world. The books in her popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series have held the #1 spot on the New York Times hardcover, mass market, eBook, and combined print/eBook fiction bestseller lists and have debuted in the top 5 on the USA Today bestseller list. Prior to her writing career, Ward worked as a lawyer in Boston and spent many years as the Chief of Staff of one of Harvard’s world-renowned academic medical centers. Ward currently lives with her family in Kentucky where she has learned to enjoy and appreciate all things Southern.
