Rites of the Starling: Shield of Sparrows, Book 2

Dang, that was intense!

“‘Who do I believe in now?’ he whispered. ‘I’ve spent my whole life praying to gods who do not exist.’ His voice was heartache. I hadn’t realized until this moment how much this truth would cost him. [He] wasn’t just discovering a long-lost tale. This was reshaping the entire foundation of his history and religion. ‘Believe in the Divine.’ ‘I don’t know your god,’ he murmured. ‘I promised you once, in that cabin in Genesis, that when I came…I’d teach you about the Divine’s grace. I guess it’s time for me to make good on that vow.’ He searched my gaze, taking my face in his hands. ‘Until then, I’ll believe in us.’ ‘Us.’ In a love that would carry me through eternity. A love that would bring us together again…Until the Divine called me home.” “I was not a believer. I was a seeker of truths…I was grateful for the chance to learn the truth, even if it wasn’t gentle…Without light to balance dark, we become children of the night…You will find nothing here…But that does not mean it doesn’t exist…Far away from the eyes of humanity…It’s hidden…I have forgotten what it feels like to love. To grieve. To live…All this time, I’d been reading books, searching for clues, questioning…history. And all this time, it had been linked to my own. My heart raced. Hope surged. By the grace of the Divine…Good will always battle evil…Light will always fight the dark. In those moments, you’ll learn who you truly are. Continue…The Divine was leading me down a path. Now I knew that I had the power to change the future.” “You told me to find a warrior…I meant you.” I’ve always trusted you; that’s what’s so terrifying about telling you the truth. I trust that you are your Father’s daughter. I trust that you will take up His fight as your own. I trust that you will sacrifice your life if it means His Kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven. For she who wants to save her life will lose it, but she who lays down her life for my sake will find it. “The truth was rarely gentle…let the suffering begin.” Thelvi’ank yelvi’u felvi-or wrelvi’it-elfing thelvi’is belvi’uk, Devney Perry! Who knew that the Rites of the Starling would be the message my soul needed for such a time as this?!!

Well paced, character development is 10/10.

Did I love this book yes. Did I get so frustrated why I couldn't understand why people didn't meet when they were in the same place until I understood also yes. Was it amazing....yes eventually when I understood. In the beginning I didn't love it I don't love allot of point of view switching to many new characters new places it was allot. But it was allll so so worth it.

This book had a similar start to the last one in that it was slow to take off. Finally at about 50-60% it started picking up the pace. Could be because of the new character that was introduced but I was very interested in that storyline so I'm not sure why it felt slow. Regardless once it hit, IT. FREAKIN. HIT. I sped through that last 40% and my goodness the juiciness of those pages. The meat and deliciousness. I wouldn't trade it. And now we wait patiently for a year until book 3.... AHHHH!!