Book Review: Shield of Sparrows

Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry has been on my tbr for a while and I actually bought it back in the summer when I went to Kiss & Tale Bookshop. I’d never read anything by Devney Perry before, but I know her romance books are really popular. I’ve been meaning to read her Eden series, but my first read by her ended up being her first fantasy romance novel and it did not disappoint!

Shield of Sparrows follows Odessa Cross, a princess from the kingdom of Quintis. In this world, there are multiple kingdoms and the alliance in place to keep the kingdoms from fighting each other is a marriage alliance. Depending on their heirs, the different kingdoms arrange marriages between their children. The princesses who are married off for the alliance are called “sparrows”. Despite Odessa being the older daughter, her younger sister Mae, has been training her whole life to be the sparrow. But when the prince from Turah, Zavier, comes with his men to Quintis he says he wants to marry Odessa instead. And because he and his men killed seven deadly sea monsters on their way, Quintis is obligated to grant his wish.

Odessa now has to go across the world to Turah with little to no training as a sparrow. She has always longed for adventure, but she is not prepared for the brutal life that lies ahead for her in Turah (Turah has become overrun with monsters). And she’s even less prepared for the spying her father wants her to do in Turah. He wants her to find out how to get to their secret capital city and find out information on the powers of the Guardian – Zavier’s most trusted man and a fierce warrior. Not only is Turah becoming overrun with dangerous monsters, but there is something wrong with them. Odessa and the new friends and love she has made in her new home must find a way to save the people of Turah and the rest of the world from these increasingly dangerous monsters all while anticipating the Crux migration that should be beginning soon. The Crux are huge flying monsters that migrate every few decades and kill all in their path.

There’s a lot going on in this book and the world building is so interesting! I loved all the characters especially Odessa and the Guardian, but the side characters were great too and I was so anxious the whole time that something bad would happen to them. The mystery about the sickness infecting the monsters was really interesting and we learn a little bit about it by the end of the novel, but there’s still so much to learn especially after some plot twists in this first book. This is a slow burn for sure, but the payoff was great and I think book two is going to be even better.

The pacing was pretty good for all the world building, character development, and relationship development in this book. But, the last few chapters were so action packed that I couldn’t believe everything that was happening!

I can’t believe I have to wait until April for book two to find out what happens next!

Read this if you want a fantasy romance with some spice, slow burn, and the arranged marriage trope.

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