Title: Rites of the Starling
Author: Devney Perry
Publisher: Red Tower Books
Publication Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: 9781682816752
Synopsis:
Calandra’s five kingdoms are on the verge of destruction. The crux migration is coming. And in the wake of a devastating attack, I’ve been separated from the man who owns my heart. I’m lost. Terrified. Homesick. Hunted by monsters, driven to exhaustion, and kidnapped by a powerful priest, the only thing keeping me going is the little girl counting on me to keep her safe. It’s my turn to become the Guardian.
Our lives change one fateful night. A night of death. A night of monsters. A night of truths. That night, I learn the real meaning of fear—and the depth of my own strength. Everyone wants me to be something I’m not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice. But what if I embrace my crown? What if the secrets I uncover save our realm? What if my sacrifice means salvation for the man I love? For too long, I’ve feared the monsters we make. It’s time to discover the monster within.
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The Shield of Sparrows series is easily on of my favourites coming out right now. This second book throws the reader into in the aftermath of an attack, with the spread of the Lissa disease pervasive across the realms and the people living in ignorance of the impending devastation of the crux migration. Survival is not a given in this world, and Odessa finds herself on the run at the mercy of the voster priests who certainly don’t inspire feelings of safety. She is separated from Ransom, her Guardian, and thrown into the role of protector, herself. All she knows is she is being taken further and further from the man—and the place—that she’s come to love.
Told in two perspectives, this book is gripping in its exploration of the magic of Calandra. The world expands even further in interesting and contradictory ways as the reader is introduced to Caspia, a young woman whose story is confusing at first, yet beautiful all the same. As she tells her own tale, and Dess’s understanding of her world grows, the puzzle pieces click into place to connect these two women and their stories. Though they are years apart, and their upbringings couldn’t be more different, their stories are uniquely intertwined, and it is the knowledge that they share across decades that could possibly change the course of Calandra’s history.
There’s a lot of criticism about how slow this book is in comparison to the first, and I have to disagree. While the first book was about world building and Odessa’s self-discovery, this second book infuses a beautiful and tragic history into the mix, tying past and present and revealing the beginnings of answers to the questions about what plagues this mysterious place. This second book reveals Odessa’s transformation from burgeoning queen into self-actualized and confident leader as she rises into her new role.
In this world, every day is a fight to survive. Characters love and live hard, with survival no guarantee from one day to the next. What Dess and Ransom know is that they cannot sit idly by as devastation and destruction loom over them. Their history is a bloody one and it’s destined to repeat itself. History is determined by those who maintain control, and they are doing everything in their power to uncover the truths, so that just maybe, they can reshape the realm for the better.
If you haven’t read this series, you have to. It’s everything that is great about romantasy, but with an incredibly unique world filled with wild and dangerous creatures, people, and secrets.
Happy reading!
Worn Pages and Ink 