Rites of the Starling: A Slow-Burn Epic Romantasy (Shield of Sparrows, 2)

Dang, that was intense!

Rites of the Starling had the impossible task of following a five-star favorite of mine, Shield of Sparrows. It never reached the same heights for me. Even so, Rites of the Starling still had flashes of what made me fall for this series in the first place. Devney Perry expands the world in a big way here. She trades some of the intimate tension of book one for politics, prophecy, and kingdom-level stakes. This sequal will be enjoyable if you love lore-heavy fantasy with shifting alliances and layered history. I am just not that audience. The biggest challenge was pacing. Much of the story is devoted to world building, backstory, and setting up what comes next. I kept waiting for the passion of Odessa and Ransom to take center stage again. Their banter and slow-burn chemistry were such a highlight in Shield of Sparrows. I missed the relationship building moments that made them feel special. They are still devoted to each other, but the romance often feels pushed to the side while the plot takes center stage. Odessa remains easy to root for. She is stubborn, brave, and full of wild ideas. These traits make her fun to follow. I especially loved how much Ransom supports that fire in her. He sees her strength before others do. Ransom's devotion to Odessa still radiates off of him. I wanted more scenes that let them fall more in love together. Instead, Perry was constantly moving plot pieces around the board. Ransom doesn't even show up until Chapter 27. We are forced to read through pages and pages of Odessa babysitting Evie while on an adventure through the kingdom with new characters. The dual timeline and extra points of view were a mixed bag. Caspia and Andreas added important history, but their chapters slowed the momentum for me. Don't get me wrong, I understood why they mattered. I found myself eager to return to the present timeline whenever they appeared. The audiobook cast deserves applause. Jason Clark brings a husky and sexy presence that suits the tone of Ransom perfectly. Samantha Brentmoor and Megan Wicks add emotion and polish that made slower sections easier to stay engaged with. This was a genuinely strong audio production. Rites of the Starling is a sequel felt like a bridge book to me. It lays a track for what could be an explosive finale. It also sacrifices some of the romance and momentum that made the first installment so addictive. I’m still seated for book three because the cliffhanger promises Odessa stepping fully into her power with Ransom worshipping her on his knees. I need to see what happens when the girl everyone underestimated claims the crown with a hot and obsessed warrior by her side.

6 stars!!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I swear Devney Perry’s talent of making you think one way and then totally twisting the plot to make it even more intriguing and intense is just mind blowing! 🤯 These characters are amazing and the new ones are so much fun and lovable as well. All I know is this book finished me and I had to read/listen to the last paragraph of the story several times because I refuse to believe it. 😱

Rite of the Starling might the the first book I have put in for pre-order because I loved shield of sparrows and I did not want to feel like the only person who hadn't read it. Fomo was real. I'm glad I ordered it because this book did not disappoint. Action, political intrigue, monsters. Touch her and die. Destiny. Throughout I was trying to figure out if what was happening was current, the future, the past? Also, what do you mean with that ending? Now how am I supposed to wait for book 3? Definitely 5 stars. For me- deserves the hype. “I love you. Yes, you do. Don’t forget.". Ugh my heart.