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Shield of Sparrows #1
Shield of Sparrows
Shield of Sparrows is a slow-burn, high-stakes romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros―where enemies become lovers, monsters stalk a cursed realm, and a forgotten princess finds the strength to tear off her crown and become the warrior she was never meant to be.
The gods sent monsters to the five kingdoms to remind mortals they must kneel.
I’ve spent my life kneeling―to their will and to my father's. As a princess, my only duty is to wear the crown and obey the king.
I was never meant to rule. Never meant to fight. And I was never supposed to be the daughter who sealed an ancient treaty with her own blood.
But that changed the fateful day I stepped into my father’s throne room. The day a legendary monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince ruined my life.
Now I’m crossing treacherous lands beside a warrior who despises me as much as I despise him―bound to a future I didn’t choose and a husband I barely know.
Everyone wants me to be something I’m not―a queen, a spy, a sacrifice.
But what if I refused the role chosen for me? What if I made my own rules? What if there’s power in being underestimated?
And what if―for the first time―I reached for it?
The gods sent monsters to the five kingdoms to remind mortals they must kneel.
I’ve spent my life kneeling―to their will and to my father's. As a princess, my only duty is to wear the crown and obey the king.
I was never meant to rule. Never meant to fight. And I was never supposed to be the daughter who sealed an ancient treaty with her own blood.
But that changed the fateful day I stepped into my father’s throne room. The day a legendary monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince ruined my life.
Now I’m crossing treacherous lands beside a warrior who despises me as much as I despise him―bound to a future I didn’t choose and a husband I barely know.
Everyone wants me to be something I’m not―a queen, a spy, a sacrifice.
But what if I refused the role chosen for me? What if I made my own rules? What if there’s power in being underestimated?
And what if―for the first time―I reached for it?
511 pages, Hardcover
First published May 6, 2025
30257 people are currently reading
258521 people want to read
About the author
Devney Perry
87 books26k followersDevney is a #1 Amazon, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of over forty romance novels. After working in the technology industry for a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to pursue her passion for writing. She was born and raised in Montana and now lives in Washington with her husband and two sons.”
Visit Devney's website to sign up for her newsletters and learn more about upcoming books.
www.devneyperry.com
Visit Devney's website to sign up for her newsletters and learn more about upcoming books.
www.devneyperry.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 26,703 reviews
May 10, 2025
Do you like questions? Do you really really like questions? Do you like entire paragraphs written in question form? Both spoken aloud by the FMC and her inner thoughts?
No really, do you like repetitive questions? Page after page of the same whining? The same questions? Do you want to scratch your eyes out bc you’re reading a 500 page story told in the form of ongoing questions?
How about… incomplete sentences? Half-thoughts? Do you like them? Nonsense? Incompleteness? Yes? Yes but in italics??
If you answered OMG YES to any of the above, then boy oh boy is this the book for you!
*Thank you Red Tower/Entangled Publishing for the advanced copy.
No really, do you like repetitive questions? Page after page of the same whining? The same questions? Do you want to scratch your eyes out bc you’re reading a 500 page story told in the form of ongoing questions?
How about… incomplete sentences? Half-thoughts? Do you like them? Nonsense? Incompleteness? Yes? Yes but in italics??
If you answered OMG YES to any of the above, then boy oh boy is this the book for you!
*Thank you Red Tower/Entangled Publishing for the advanced copy.
May 4, 2025
my favorite book of the year. maybe even my favorite romantasy EVER.
thank you to Red Tower and Devney for a physical ARC.
thank you to Red Tower and Devney for a physical ARC.
June 24, 2025
So... this was Fourth Wing. Let me explain.
If you compare this and Fourth Wing, the skeleton is exactly the same. And I'll prove this to you by showing you what I think is the brief that Red Tower sent to prospective romance authors. (For legal reasons, I'm just making this up, don't sue me, Red Tower.)
*Adding in this updated edit for everyone who is confused as to why I only compare this to Fourth Wing and not other romantasy books despite the fact that the fake brief below could also be used for a multitude of book on the market. It's because this book and Fourth Wing are under the same imprint, Red Tower. I thought I made that clear by saying Red Tower a few times in this review, however, I guess it wasn't enough, so there you go.
Yes, I know Fourth Wing is also an amalgamation of a million different books and i'm by no means saying that book is original. It just so happened to be the first book under the imprint and thus the comparison for this book, also published under that imprint.
Hope that clarifies. Yes, I have read other romantasy books before. Chill out.
Back to the review.*
There will be some spoilers below.
Hello, romance author
Here at Red Tower, we know what sells, so we've put together a brief of what we'd like you to write about. Here is what we want to see:
The female main character must be perceived as weak initially--as in many people in the beginning of the book must say it at least 3 times, but as we get farther into the book we see that she's not actually weak. She must also have different hair than everyone else and be the daughter of a leader of the kingdom she lives in.
She must have two siblings: a brother that isn't seen on page and a sister that is much stronger and more beloved than her. It’d be great if she had a dead parent and mommy issues, too. Bonus points if she speaks only in fluent sarcasm. Her best friend must be a librarian of sorts.
The male main character must be tall, broad, tan, brunette, and have a distinct eye color that is mentioned no less than 100 times. He must be a prince and have a cousin that looks very similar to him. He must be infected with some kind of disease that gives him power, but is hard for him to control.
He must also be an extremely good fighter and eventually train the female main character, using daggers and swords. He must have a good female friend that is also a warrior, but is not interested in him at all; no, she will like his best friend. We also want her to help train the female main character.
The female main character must be brought up to believe that the male main character is evil because he is associated with the death of someone close to her. The female's initial love interest must end up being a bad guy.
The kingdom they reside in must be initially perceived as good, but is actually hiding secrets from everyone. The secret must be sought after by the female main character--specifically through her search of texts and books that speak on this secret disease.
The kind, quiet guy that is somewhat close to the female main character must die in the end trying to protect her.
We encourage you to write sentences that use periods in between words (e.g. "not. at. all" or "what. the. fuck") Yes, you may also use "fuck" however many times you please. In fact, we encourage colloquial, modern language. If you want to change things up a bit, use "gods" instead of "god" for words like "godsdamn."
Please, include a battle scene at the end with flying mythical creatures. Also, do try and include some kind of small and sweet mythical companion for our female main character. There must also be a smut scene. You can include more than one, but there must be at least one and the male main character must remark on the female main character's hair before the act.
The final chapter must be written from the MMC’s POV. It’s important to hear his broody thoughts on the ordeal.
We also would appreciate you limiting the number of queer characters you have in your books. At the end of the day, you're a romance author whose current audience is straight white women between the ages of 25-40, so we have to stay as normative as possible.
Aside from that, we at Red Tower, want you to have fun and be creative! Feel free to change the male main character's hair length or make him slightly more or less ethnically ambiguous.
All the best,
Red Tower Books
…
See what I mean? The only positive i'll say is that I enjoyed the world-building more in this than in Fourth Wing, which is why it got a 2 star instead of a 1 star.
Thanks to the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
If you compare this and Fourth Wing, the skeleton is exactly the same. And I'll prove this to you by showing you what I think is the brief that Red Tower sent to prospective romance authors. (For legal reasons, I'm just making this up, don't sue me, Red Tower.)
*Adding in this updated edit for everyone who is confused as to why I only compare this to Fourth Wing and not other romantasy books despite the fact that the fake brief below could also be used for a multitude of book on the market. It's because this book and Fourth Wing are under the same imprint, Red Tower. I thought I made that clear by saying Red Tower a few times in this review, however, I guess it wasn't enough, so there you go.
Yes, I know Fourth Wing is also an amalgamation of a million different books and i'm by no means saying that book is original. It just so happened to be the first book under the imprint and thus the comparison for this book, also published under that imprint.
Hope that clarifies. Yes, I have read other romantasy books before. Chill out.
Back to the review.*
There will be some spoilers below.
Hello, romance author
Here at Red Tower, we know what sells, so we've put together a brief of what we'd like you to write about. Here is what we want to see:
The female main character must be perceived as weak initially--as in many people in the beginning of the book must say it at least 3 times, but as we get farther into the book we see that she's not actually weak. She must also have different hair than everyone else and be the daughter of a leader of the kingdom she lives in.
She must have two siblings: a brother that isn't seen on page and a sister that is much stronger and more beloved than her. It’d be great if she had a dead parent and mommy issues, too. Bonus points if she speaks only in fluent sarcasm. Her best friend must be a librarian of sorts.
The male main character must be tall, broad, tan, brunette, and have a distinct eye color that is mentioned no less than 100 times. He must be a prince and have a cousin that looks very similar to him. He must be infected with some kind of disease that gives him power, but is hard for him to control.
He must also be an extremely good fighter and eventually train the female main character, using daggers and swords. He must have a good female friend that is also a warrior, but is not interested in him at all; no, she will like his best friend. We also want her to help train the female main character.
The female main character must be brought up to believe that the male main character is evil because he is associated with the death of someone close to her. The female's initial love interest must end up being a bad guy.
The kingdom they reside in must be initially perceived as good, but is actually hiding secrets from everyone. The secret must be sought after by the female main character--specifically through her search of texts and books that speak on this secret disease.
The kind, quiet guy that is somewhat close to the female main character must die in the end trying to protect her.
We encourage you to write sentences that use periods in between words (e.g. "not. at. all" or "what. the. fuck") Yes, you may also use "fuck" however many times you please. In fact, we encourage colloquial, modern language. If you want to change things up a bit, use "gods" instead of "god" for words like "godsdamn."
Please, include a battle scene at the end with flying mythical creatures. Also, do try and include some kind of small and sweet mythical companion for our female main character. There must also be a smut scene. You can include more than one, but there must be at least one and the male main character must remark on the female main character's hair before the act.
The final chapter must be written from the MMC’s POV. It’s important to hear his broody thoughts on the ordeal.
We also would appreciate you limiting the number of queer characters you have in your books. At the end of the day, you're a romance author whose current audience is straight white women between the ages of 25-40, so we have to stay as normative as possible.
Aside from that, we at Red Tower, want you to have fun and be creative! Feel free to change the male main character's hair length or make him slightly more or less ethnically ambiguous.
All the best,
Red Tower Books
…
See what I mean? The only positive i'll say is that I enjoyed the world-building more in this than in Fourth Wing, which is why it got a 2 star instead of a 1 star.
Thanks to the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 12, 2025
4.5🤩⭐️
“Not all monsters are born from the gods, my queen. Some of us were made……..”✨❤️🔥
I know I know… this might sound a little contradictory but hear me out: I’ve read this story a thousand times… and yet I absolutely LOVED this one!!
Like—why does it feel like there’s a literal romantasy template floating around that authors pull from?🤨🤔🧐
We’ve got:
• Misunderstood outcast FMC 🔥
• Thrown into an arranged marriage for political gain 💍
• Off on some epic quest ✨
• Gets captured by a brooding, morally gray man who ends up being her fated whatever 🖤
• Makes besties with his crew = found family 🫂
• Realizes she’s actually some ancient magical being who could destroy or save the world 🐉🔮
• Then boom… HEA (after angst, betrayals, and maybe a dragon type thing) ✅🔥
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
I ate it UP like the loyal romantasy simp I am. And dare I say it?🤦🏾♀️✨💀❤️🔥😂
This is one of my new fave romantasies. PERIOD.‼️
Denver Perry (known for small town romances, btw) snapped with her romantasy debut. Red Tower Publishing & Entangled really know how to publish books that are so easy to devour. Like yes, it feels familiar — BUT IT SLAPS EVERY TIME. Thank you for the ARC!!🫂🤗
Let’s get into it:
• Enemies to lovers (painfully slow burn but WORTH IT — the angst!! the tension!!) ⚔️❤️🔥
• Arranged marriage with a man who gives “touch her and die” energy 💅
• Magic, myths, secrets, and messy prophecies 🕯️📖🗝️
• World-building so lush I could literally see every location in my head like a full-on movie 🎬🏰🌌
• Major twists that had me clutching my chest 😮💨
• And that ending? RUDE. I am NOT okay 😩📉
The vibes?? Gave me the same giddy thrill I felt after reading that one dragon book from Red Tower4️⃣🪽 (yeah… that one), but I’ll be honest… I liked this world more 🫣🫶
I’m officially stanning this series and I will be impatiently waiting for the sequel while spiraling into a book hangover 👸👑☠️
READ IT. Even if it’s got a familiar recipe, it still served a 5-star meal 🍽️📚
💭“Did you ever stop to think that maybe the door to your cage has always been unlocked, Sparrow? And all you had to do was push it open?”🐦
🚨just found out this got picked up to be a film!!! Hoping the adaption is able to accurately depict this wonderful book!!🚨
“Not all monsters are born from the gods, my queen. Some of us were made……..”✨❤️🔥
I know I know… this might sound a little contradictory but hear me out: I’ve read this story a thousand times… and yet I absolutely LOVED this one!!
Like—why does it feel like there’s a literal romantasy template floating around that authors pull from?🤨🤔🧐
We’ve got:
• Misunderstood outcast FMC 🔥
• Thrown into an arranged marriage for political gain 💍
• Off on some epic quest ✨
• Gets captured by a brooding, morally gray man who ends up being her fated whatever 🖤
• Makes besties with his crew = found family 🫂
• Realizes she’s actually some ancient magical being who could destroy or save the world 🐉🔮
• Then boom… HEA (after angst, betrayals, and maybe a dragon type thing) ✅🔥
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
I ate it UP like the loyal romantasy simp I am. And dare I say it?🤦🏾♀️✨💀❤️🔥😂
This is one of my new fave romantasies. PERIOD.‼️
Denver Perry (known for small town romances, btw) snapped with her romantasy debut. Red Tower Publishing & Entangled really know how to publish books that are so easy to devour. Like yes, it feels familiar — BUT IT SLAPS EVERY TIME. Thank you for the ARC!!🫂🤗
Let’s get into it:
• Enemies to lovers (painfully slow burn but WORTH IT — the angst!! the tension!!) ⚔️❤️🔥
• Arranged marriage with a man who gives “touch her and die” energy 💅
• Magic, myths, secrets, and messy prophecies 🕯️📖🗝️
• World-building so lush I could literally see every location in my head like a full-on movie 🎬🏰🌌
• Major twists that had me clutching my chest 😮💨
• And that ending? RUDE. I am NOT okay 😩📉
The vibes?? Gave me the same giddy thrill I felt after reading that one dragon book from Red Tower4️⃣🪽 (yeah… that one), but I’ll be honest… I liked this world more 🫣🫶
I’m officially stanning this series and I will be impatiently waiting for the sequel while spiraling into a book hangover 👸👑☠️
READ IT. Even if it’s got a familiar recipe, it still served a 5-star meal 🍽️📚
💭“Did you ever stop to think that maybe the door to your cage has always been unlocked, Sparrow? And all you had to do was push it open?”🐦
🚨just found out this got picked up to be a film!!! Hoping the adaption is able to accurately depict this wonderful book!!🚨
August 4, 2025
The hype around this is so insane and I really want to see if it's worth it!! Im so excited to start this because I have a feeling I'll love it.
Buddy reading this with my sister.
Buddy reading this with my sister.
June 30, 2025
Sometimes, the monsters aren’t the ones with claws and teeth and scales. They’re the main characters asking endless rhetorical questions as a narrative device.
I wanted to give this five stars, I really did. Because somewhere beneath the noise of FMC Odessa’s thoughts, there’s a good story buried in there with yearning, action and twisty twists… But Shield of Sparrows showed me that it’s somehow possible to be completely captivated and somewhat aggravated all at once.
Odessa’s relentless incessant questioning is used as a narrative crutch, and the effect was frustrating. After a while, it stopped adding anything of value to me and just started dragging the worldbuilding, plot and everything else down. The story started to feel like it was circling itself, stuck in her head, instead of moving forward.
Which is a shame, because when the story focused less on Odessa’s internal static and more on the plot, it really worked for me. While the story is formulaic, it’s also innovative, and the balance of fantasy to romance was perfectly executed, in my humble opinion. Villains and side characters are given complexity. There is a cute animal companion or two.
And for a book that begins so rooted in predictability, the final act hits harder than expected and surprised me many times over.
So here we are. 3.5 stars. Because despite everything, I liked it. If Odessa had asked half as many questions, this easily could’ve been a four or five-star read.
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
In a nutshell:
Loved the romance, plot, yearning and especially the ending.
But the inner monologue had me questioning everything. Literally. So many questions.
Full review to come.
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
Me: I'll read something that's not enemies to lovers romantasy next.
Also me: Just one more fix.
I wanted to give this five stars, I really did. Because somewhere beneath the noise of FMC Odessa’s thoughts, there’s a good story buried in there with yearning, action and twisty twists… But Shield of Sparrows showed me that it’s somehow possible to be completely captivated and somewhat aggravated all at once.
Odessa’s relentless incessant questioning is used as a narrative crutch, and the effect was frustrating. After a while, it stopped adding anything of value to me and just started dragging the worldbuilding, plot and everything else down. The story started to feel like it was circling itself, stuck in her head, instead of moving forward.
Which is a shame, because when the story focused less on Odessa’s internal static and more on the plot, it really worked for me. While the story is formulaic, it’s also innovative, and the balance of fantasy to romance was perfectly executed, in my humble opinion. Villains and side characters are given complexity. There is a cute animal companion or two.
And for a book that begins so rooted in predictability, the final act hits harder than expected and surprised me many times over.
So here we are. 3.5 stars. Because despite everything, I liked it. If Odessa had asked half as many questions, this easily could’ve been a four or five-star read.
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
In a nutshell:
Loved the romance, plot, yearning and especially the ending.
But the inner monologue had me questioning everything. Literally. So many questions.
Full review to come.
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
Me: I'll read something that's not enemies to lovers romantasy next.
Also me: Just one more fix.
May 8, 2025
UPDATE I changed my mind upon reflection this bitch deserves a 5 star, ok?
4.5 stars!! honestly a fkn GOOD romantasy debut by Ms. Devney Perry 💅🏼 the world building was incredibly well done and unlike anything I’ve read in this genre recently!!
the plot twists and mystery elements that she is so skilled at weaving throughout her books really shone here and kept me flipping pages at an alarming rate - I was held hostage against my will simply needing to know what would happen next. ugh.
the tension and slow burn almost genuinely killed me, I would lay my mf life down for both of these characters. the ending eviscerated me and maybe was some of the craziest shit I have ever read LOL. I need book 2 immediately, and naturally I will probably have to wait 7294 years for it. kill me I hate (love) arc reading!!!
4.5 stars!! honestly a fkn GOOD romantasy debut by Ms. Devney Perry 💅🏼 the world building was incredibly well done and unlike anything I’ve read in this genre recently!!
the plot twists and mystery elements that she is so skilled at weaving throughout her books really shone here and kept me flipping pages at an alarming rate - I was held hostage against my will simply needing to know what would happen next. ugh.
the tension and slow burn almost genuinely killed me, I would lay my mf life down for both of these characters. the ending eviscerated me and maybe was some of the craziest shit I have ever read LOL. I need book 2 immediately, and naturally I will probably have to wait 7294 years for it. kill me I hate (love) arc reading!!!
July 1, 2025
Not too bad. RTC.
Truthfully, I don't really get on with Devney's usual books, but I'm hoping this one will surprise me since it's out of her typical wheelhouse. Here's hoping 🤞❤️
Truthfully, I don't really get on with Devney's usual books, but I'm hoping this one will surprise me since it's out of her typical wheelhouse. Here's hoping 🤞❤️
May 6, 2025
I do not say this lightly: this book was terrible.
I’m truly, truly hoping that the eARC I received is different from the physical ARCs because WOW. Y’all HAVE to be lying in your reviews. 🫠
- Do you like questions? Do you enjoy when the MC’s internal thoughts are question after question after question? The record was 10 in a row. TEN. Entire paragraphs were dedicated to her asking herself questions. “But Sarah, were the questions worthwhile?” Absolutely not. Each chapter was more of the same, with the incessant questioning being recycled again & again.
- incomplete sentences. Everywhere you look.
- the dialogue! When the reader is FINALLY taken out of the FMC’s head, the dialogue falls flat as a piece of paper. “What?” “Oh.” <— no, no. I’m not quoting that funny Trisha Paytas meme. That is an ACTUAL ENTIRE CONVERSATION from this book.
I love Devney. This did not sound like her voice or writing. I’m so sad & disappointed.
… but for real. THE QUESTIONS?!?!?
I’m truly, truly hoping that the eARC I received is different from the physical ARCs because WOW. Y’all HAVE to be lying in your reviews. 🫠
- Do you like questions? Do you enjoy when the MC’s internal thoughts are question after question after question? The record was 10 in a row. TEN. Entire paragraphs were dedicated to her asking herself questions. “But Sarah, were the questions worthwhile?” Absolutely not. Each chapter was more of the same, with the incessant questioning being recycled again & again.
- incomplete sentences. Everywhere you look.
- the dialogue! When the reader is FINALLY taken out of the FMC’s head, the dialogue falls flat as a piece of paper. “What?” “Oh.” <— no, no. I’m not quoting that funny Trisha Paytas meme. That is an ACTUAL ENTIRE CONVERSATION from this book.
I love Devney. This did not sound like her voice or writing. I’m so sad & disappointed.
… but for real. THE QUESTIONS?!?!?
July 10, 2025
4.25 stars
Devney Perry knew what she was doing when she gave us banter, unanswered questions and a twist like that. DAMN.
Devney Perry knew what she was doing when she gave us banter, unanswered questions and a twist like that. DAMN.
August 11, 2025
i’ll be honest next to nothing happens for 90% of this book but i was still thoroughly entertained 😌
July 15, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ this was one of the best romantasy books i have read this year! the stakes were high, i enjoyed the world building and i loved the twists.
May 13, 2025
“when i am nothing but dust and ash, Turah will endure. I have made peace with my destiny. But before i step into my grave, my choice is you.”
listen, i was so conflicted about how i felt about this book.. even with the several days that have passed since I’ve read it. i just think that it had good and bad elements in equal measure, which made it hard for me to tell if i even liked the book. my favorite thing about this was probably the romance, it was a slow burn and Odessa and the guardian had fun banter. i loved how he was always there keeping an eye on her, even when she thought she hated him the chemistry was undeniable. there was also just enough mystery and intrigue to keep me reading. my main issues were with the pacing and world building, it just didn’t have the proper balance.
“I love you.”
“Yes, you do. Don’t forget.”
there was a valiant attempt at creating a huge world with tons of monsters, but i never really understood what the point of anything was? i was so confused for the first half of the story. the pacing was also choppy and the fmc Odessa was kinda getting on my nerves, i just wanted her to be more assertive and ask questions. there were some reveals that i should’ve seen coming, but by that point the page count was dragging like a mf and i just wanted to see how it would end. the last couple chapters drew me right back in though, there was so much happening and it managed to surprise me in a way i didn’t expect. honestly, the guardian carried this and i do still feel like there’s some potential for the next book to be better.. so obviously i’ll have to read it.
listen, i was so conflicted about how i felt about this book.. even with the several days that have passed since I’ve read it. i just think that it had good and bad elements in equal measure, which made it hard for me to tell if i even liked the book. my favorite thing about this was probably the romance, it was a slow burn and Odessa and the guardian had fun banter. i loved how he was always there keeping an eye on her, even when she thought she hated him the chemistry was undeniable. there was also just enough mystery and intrigue to keep me reading. my main issues were with the pacing and world building, it just didn’t have the proper balance.
“I love you.”
“Yes, you do. Don’t forget.”
there was a valiant attempt at creating a huge world with tons of monsters, but i never really understood what the point of anything was? i was so confused for the first half of the story. the pacing was also choppy and the fmc Odessa was kinda getting on my nerves, i just wanted her to be more assertive and ask questions. there were some reveals that i should’ve seen coming, but by that point the page count was dragging like a mf and i just wanted to see how it would end. the last couple chapters drew me right back in though, there was so much happening and it managed to surprise me in a way i didn’t expect. honestly, the guardian carried this and i do still feel like there’s some potential for the next book to be better.. so obviously i’ll have to read it.
August 20, 2025
Shield of Sparrows might be the best romantasy I’ve read since Quicksilver by Callie Hart—and that’s saying something.
I was totally hooked by the dark, dangerous world, the slow-burn romance (SO GOOD), and the creepy monsters lurking around every corner. The worldbuilding was rich without being too much, and the tension between the characters? Chef’s kiss.
That said, the pacing dipped a bit in the middle, and I saw one of the twists coming from a mile away but it still kept me flipping pages way too late at night.
If you’re into slow-burn romantasy, high stakes, and fierce heroines who can hold their own, Shield of Sparrows is a must read.
👉Read My Honest Book Review on My Blog:
Shield of Sparrows
Advance Review Copy generously provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Connect With Me:
BLOG ⟫ INSTAGRAM ⟫ NEWSLETTER ⟫
I was totally hooked by the dark, dangerous world, the slow-burn romance (SO GOOD), and the creepy monsters lurking around every corner. The worldbuilding was rich without being too much, and the tension between the characters? Chef’s kiss.
That said, the pacing dipped a bit in the middle, and I saw one of the twists coming from a mile away but it still kept me flipping pages way too late at night.
If you’re into slow-burn romantasy, high stakes, and fierce heroines who can hold their own, Shield of Sparrows is a must read.
👉Read My Honest Book Review on My Blog:
Shield of Sparrows
Advance Review Copy generously provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Connect With Me:
BLOG ⟫ INSTAGRAM ⟫ NEWSLETTER ⟫
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August 5, 2025it’s time !!! DEVNEY PERRY ENTERING HER ROMANTSY ERA 🧎🏽♀️
July 21, 2025
UM WHAT???
August 28, 2025
"Praise is for the bedroom, Cross. Not the training ring."
Dopamine has flooded my brain rn..
In this fantasy romance, a red headed princess is sold off like political cattle into a royal marriage that she absolutely did not want or ask for. Her dad literally said "See that terrifying prince over there? That's going to be your new husband. Oh and while you're at it, give me all the information we need to take his entire kingdom down. Good luck and byeeee 👋🏻 " and then married her off three hours later.
Odessa turns out to be a horrible spy. Probably because she's too busy falling for the wrong man (literally, same, bestie).
There's a massive infection on the loose that makes monsters freak out and bleed green blood. Lots of killing said monsters with green blood.
Tons and tons of blood oaths yet everyone is still lying.
Also a sexy brooding Guardian with a tragic backstory because obviously.
✔️ Pros:
• Gorgeous writing. Lush and immersive without overdoing it.
• Fast pacing. You will blink and be 70% in, emotionally unstable and clutching your Kindle.
• Plot twists. Real ones. Like gasping-into-your-pillow level twists.
❌ Cons:
• The angst needed to go harder. I wanted emotional devastation and got medium spice heartbreak.
• Banter? Meh. YES it had banter but I found it lacking
• Odessa, our girlie, could’ve had more bite. A little too damsel and not enough delulu feral queen for my taste.
This book had me googling at 3am "is it legally binding to marry someone via blood oath if you didn’t hear them say ‘I do.’” Apparently, it's complicated and I'm now on a watchlist.
Do I wish there were more angst? Yes. And I can't put my finger on it but I felt like the chemistry wasn't all the way there.
But at the end of the day, I was fed. The writing? Ate. The twist? Devoured. The Guardian? Has me emotionally deceased. Someone pick up my corpse from chapter 44 because I am not okay.
Dopamine has flooded my brain rn..
In this fantasy romance, a red headed princess is sold off like political cattle into a royal marriage that she absolutely did not want or ask for. Her dad literally said "See that terrifying prince over there? That's going to be your new husband. Oh and while you're at it, give me all the information we need to take his entire kingdom down. Good luck and byeeee 👋🏻 " and then married her off three hours later.
Odessa turns out to be a horrible spy. Probably because she's too busy falling for the wrong man (literally, same, bestie).
There's a massive infection on the loose that makes monsters freak out and bleed green blood. Lots of killing said monsters with green blood.
Tons and tons of blood oaths yet everyone is still lying.
Also a sexy brooding Guardian with a tragic backstory because obviously.
✔️ Pros:
• Gorgeous writing. Lush and immersive without overdoing it.
• Fast pacing. You will blink and be 70% in, emotionally unstable and clutching your Kindle.
• Plot twists. Real ones. Like gasping-into-your-pillow level twists.
❌ Cons:
• The angst needed to go harder. I wanted emotional devastation and got medium spice heartbreak.
• Banter? Meh. YES it had banter but I found it lacking
• Odessa, our girlie, could’ve had more bite. A little too damsel and not enough delulu feral queen for my taste.
This book had me googling at 3am "is it legally binding to marry someone via blood oath if you didn’t hear them say ‘I do.’” Apparently, it's complicated and I'm now on a watchlist.
Do I wish there were more angst? Yes. And I can't put my finger on it but I felt like the chemistry wasn't all the way there.
But at the end of the day, I was fed. The writing? Ate. The twist? Devoured. The Guardian? Has me emotionally deceased. Someone pick up my corpse from chapter 44 because I am not okay.
June 17, 2025
My favorite book of 2025 so far, the Romantasy I’ve been waiting for to get me out of my fantasy slump!!
What to expect:
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Forced proximity/ arranged marriage
✨Slow Burn
✨Witty Banter
✨Magic & monsters (but in a cool creature way)
✨Major cliffhanger
This book has it all- tension, banter, mystery, whimsical setting, magic, creatures, and a cliffhanger that has me dying for book 2!! If you’re looking to get into the fantasy romance genre this would be a wonderful starting place as the world building is very approachable and given to the reader on what I refer to as a “need to know” basis. If you’re already a fan and love SJM books or the Empyrean series, read this immediately.
I’m truly obsessed with the setting of this book!! From ocean voyage to the forest, I couldn’t dream up a more ideal and whimsical fantasy setting- this reminded me of some of what I loved in the Throne Of Glass series.
The tension, banter and SLOW BURN between the main characters is *chefs kiss*❤️🔥 Not going to say too much here as to not spoil, but yeah let’s just say I’m a big fan of the MMC & Odessa.
Deveny’s writing style is so captivating and keeps you needing to know what happens next, this was my first book by her and I’ll now be making my way through her backlog until book 2 is in my hands!!
Thank you to Red Tower Books for the physical ARC🫶🏼
What to expect:
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Forced proximity/ arranged marriage
✨Slow Burn
✨Witty Banter
✨Magic & monsters (but in a cool creature way)
✨Major cliffhanger
This book has it all- tension, banter, mystery, whimsical setting, magic, creatures, and a cliffhanger that has me dying for book 2!! If you’re looking to get into the fantasy romance genre this would be a wonderful starting place as the world building is very approachable and given to the reader on what I refer to as a “need to know” basis. If you’re already a fan and love SJM books or the Empyrean series, read this immediately.
I’m truly obsessed with the setting of this book!! From ocean voyage to the forest, I couldn’t dream up a more ideal and whimsical fantasy setting- this reminded me of some of what I loved in the Throne Of Glass series.
The tension, banter and SLOW BURN between the main characters is *chefs kiss*❤️🔥 Not going to say too much here as to not spoil, but yeah let’s just say I’m a big fan of the MMC & Odessa.
Deveny’s writing style is so captivating and keeps you needing to know what happens next, this was my first book by her and I’ll now be making my way through her backlog until book 2 is in my hands!!
Thank you to Red Tower Books for the physical ARC🫶🏼
July 26, 2025
“You are mine, Odessa.”
This book was great! This romantasy was about power, love, bravery, betrayal and finding your path in the world. Shield of Sparrows follows Odessa, a princess who's life is turned around when a monster hunter from another realm wants Odessa instead of her sister. Odessa signs a treaty and goes with her fiancé to his land while also trying to spy for her father. Odessa must fight monsters, love for a man who is not her fiancé as well as uncovering the secrets of the world around her.
Thoughts
I was completely immersed in this compelling and enchanting fantasy from the very beginning. The plot was very interesting and kept me engaged throughout the book. The plot twists and betrayals were very shocking. The pacing was well done, although slow in the middle. The world building was excellent, I loved learning about the background of the world and the monsters that wreak havoc on the world. The author spent a great deal of time describing the world and the setting. The writing was descriptive, engaging and it flowed well. I was transported into this world through the authors writing and I felt every moment with the characters. I felt so many emotions while reading this book, I was sad, mad, happy and heartbroken. The ending was so heartbreaking and shocking! I can't wait to read the next book!
Characters
I loved Odessa, she was brave, stubborn, kind, resilient, determined and protective of the people she cared about. Odessa did ask a lot of questions, but it made her relatable and more human. I'm in awe of how determined and brave Odessa was. She went through many difficult situations, but the situations made her stronger and more determined. Odessa's character development was great, I enjoyed watching her become her confident and brave throughout the book. I'm in love with the Guardian, he was rough around the edges, but was a sweetheart and very protective of Odessa. The Guardian's character development was well done, I loved seeing a softer side to him throughout the book and open up his hear to Odessa. There were several sweet things he did for Odessa that made me giggle and my heart melt. The side characters were also great especially Evie, Zavier, Cathlin, and Luella. I loved how the characters interacted with Evie especially with Odessa, Zavier, and the Guardian. She was such a sweet girl and my heart was glad that they were also so protective and caring to her.
Romance
The romance was great between the main characters, I loved the tension and slow-burn. I'm glad that their feelings developed over time, although I was hoping they would be enemies for longer. I giggled and blushed at many of the romantic scenes. I'm glad that they learned to trust one another and made sure to come clean about the lies that told. The chemistry between the main characters was amazing! I hope we continue to see more development of their romance in the next book.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy with romance, awesome characters, excellent world building and engaging writing.
This book was great! This romantasy was about power, love, bravery, betrayal and finding your path in the world. Shield of Sparrows follows Odessa, a princess who's life is turned around when a monster hunter from another realm wants Odessa instead of her sister. Odessa signs a treaty and goes with her fiancé to his land while also trying to spy for her father. Odessa must fight monsters, love for a man who is not her fiancé as well as uncovering the secrets of the world around her.
Thoughts
I was completely immersed in this compelling and enchanting fantasy from the very beginning. The plot was very interesting and kept me engaged throughout the book. The plot twists and betrayals were very shocking. The pacing was well done, although slow in the middle. The world building was excellent, I loved learning about the background of the world and the monsters that wreak havoc on the world. The author spent a great deal of time describing the world and the setting. The writing was descriptive, engaging and it flowed well. I was transported into this world through the authors writing and I felt every moment with the characters. I felt so many emotions while reading this book, I was sad, mad, happy and heartbroken. The ending was so heartbreaking and shocking! I can't wait to read the next book!
Characters
I loved Odessa, she was brave, stubborn, kind, resilient, determined and protective of the people she cared about. Odessa did ask a lot of questions, but it made her relatable and more human. I'm in awe of how determined and brave Odessa was. She went through many difficult situations, but the situations made her stronger and more determined. Odessa's character development was great, I enjoyed watching her become her confident and brave throughout the book. I'm in love with the Guardian, he was rough around the edges, but was a sweetheart and very protective of Odessa. The Guardian's character development was well done, I loved seeing a softer side to him throughout the book and open up his hear to Odessa. There were several sweet things he did for Odessa that made me giggle and my heart melt. The side characters were also great especially Evie, Zavier, Cathlin, and Luella. I loved how the characters interacted with Evie especially with Odessa, Zavier, and the Guardian. She was such a sweet girl and my heart was glad that they were also so protective and caring to her.
Romance
The romance was great between the main characters, I loved the tension and slow-burn. I'm glad that their feelings developed over time, although I was hoping they would be enemies for longer. I giggled and blushed at many of the romantic scenes. I'm glad that they learned to trust one another and made sure to come clean about the lies that told. The chemistry between the main characters was amazing! I hope we continue to see more development of their romance in the next book.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy with romance, awesome characters, excellent world building and engaging writing.
Read
July 4, 2025this is so deeply uninteresting, dnf @ 40%
June 1, 2025
✩ 4.65 stars ✩
What to Expect:
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Arranged Marriage
➼ Hidden Identity
➼ Magic & Monsters
➼ One Horse
➼ Mystery
➼ Plot Twist
➼ Narrated by Samantha Brentmoor (final chapter Narrated by Jason Clarke)
➼ First Person Single POV (except last chapter)
“When I am nothing but dust and ash, Turah will endure. I do not need a crown. And I have made peace with my destiny. But before I step into my grave, my choice is you.”
Guys, the hype is real! I loved this one! There was a point in the middle where it felt a little repetitive and I predicted most of the twists until the very end, but it’s a formula authors keep using for a reason. The fact is, we just can’t get enough of the hidden identity, enemies-to-lovers, slow burn romance combo. I will happily read these tropes over and over until I’m old and gray.
The ending did surprise me a little, firstly because it was a little more red wedding than I was expecting and then those last few pages did take a surprising turn. I had a sense that something would be revealed about that character, but I certainly wasn’t expecting that. Likely humans started this whole problem as per usual. 🙄 We’ll have to wait and see how things play out in the next book! I’m already impatient for the sequel!
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: I’ve seen this book EVERYWHERE but I haven’t read any reviews or the blurb on purpose so I could go in as blind as possible.
I’ve seen tons of people giving this 5 stars but just as many saying it’s overrated so we’ll see how I feel… 🙃
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
What to Expect:
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Arranged Marriage
➼ Hidden Identity
➼ Magic & Monsters
➼ One Horse
➼ Mystery
➼ Plot Twist
➼ Narrated by Samantha Brentmoor (final chapter Narrated by Jason Clarke)
➼ First Person Single POV (except last chapter)
“When I am nothing but dust and ash, Turah will endure. I do not need a crown. And I have made peace with my destiny. But before I step into my grave, my choice is you.”
Guys, the hype is real! I loved this one! There was a point in the middle where it felt a little repetitive and I predicted most of the twists until the very end, but it’s a formula authors keep using for a reason. The fact is, we just can’t get enough of the hidden identity, enemies-to-lovers, slow burn romance combo. I will happily read these tropes over and over until I’m old and gray.
The ending did surprise me a little, firstly because it was a little more red wedding than I was expecting and then those last few pages did take a surprising turn. I had a sense that something would be revealed about that character, but I certainly wasn’t expecting that. Likely humans started this whole problem as per usual. 🙄 We’ll have to wait and see how things play out in the next book! I’m already impatient for the sequel!
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: I’ve seen this book EVERYWHERE but I haven’t read any reviews or the blurb on purpose so I could go in as blind as possible.
I’ve seen tons of people giving this 5 stars but just as many saying it’s overrated so we’ll see how I feel… 🙃
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
May 28, 2025
Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry — 4 stars
Narrated by Jason Clarke & Samantha Brentmoor
Format: Audiobook (yes, I recommend it)
Genre: Romantasy | Enemies to Lovers | Slow Burn | Cursed Kingdoms | Arranged Marriage | Hidden Identity | Forbidden Romance
━━━━━━━━━━
SPOILER-FREE THOUGHTS:
━━━━━━━━━━
Okay… I really didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did. Like, I saw the blurb and went oh hell yeah, cursed realms and monster-hunting and enemies-to-lovers? Count me in. But then the audiobook said 19 hours and 51 minutes and I went WAIT A DAMN MINUTE. That’s long. Like actually long. I almost dipped. But thank god I didn’t, because guess what? I finished it. And honestly? The audiobook is the way to go. The narration HITS. Especially when the book gets slow (and trust me, it does), the voices kept me locked in.
Now, about the plot… I was confused. Like genuinely. I went in thinking Prince Dorian was the MMC, right? And then boom—Guardian enters the chat and I’m just sitting there whispering who tf are you?? For a good chunk of the book, I kept trying to piece it together like a detective. Who is the love interest?? What is going on?? Why is there so many confusions??
But once you hit that last 20-30%… It’s GAME ON. That’s when things start clicking, twists pop off, and suddenly I was wide awake at 3AM muttering nooo way. I swear, the reveal?? I almost saw it coming. Almost. Devney definitely kept it chaotic but in a way that made me want more. Like NOW.
And Odessa… wow. She was trying her best. But girl was literally the worst spy I’ve ever seen. Like, she lies so badly it’s hilarious. There’s a whole scene where she tries to act casual and it’s like watching someone try to sneak candy into a movie theater in a clear bag. Just—painful.
Also… Ransom. I kinda hated the name at first. Still do, a little. But man did he grow on me. He’s the classic grumpy-slow-burn-brooding type who’s secretly soft. Their enemies-to-lovers arc? CHEF’S KISS. Took forever, but when they finally had moments—those were gold.
Now onto the world. Look, I wanted to love the lore. It had so much potential. The blood magic, the Voster priests, the Lyssa and the monsters and all that? Amazing in theory. But half the time, it felt like I needed a PowerPoint to follow what was going on. Like “Migration” is mentioned 100 times but never explained?? And the necklace thing? Teased multiple times like it’s important then… nothing?? I KNOW it’ll matter later but why tease it now if you’re gonna drop it??
Still… I had fun. Even when it was messy, I kept going. The last few chapters had me glued to the audio. And now I’m sitting here like, what do you mean there’s not a sequel yet??
━━━━━━━━━━
SPOILERS AHEAD – READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
━━━━━━━━━━
The reveal? I kinda guessed it. Like I had this little thought——but then I gaslit myself out of believing it because it was just SO convoluted. BUT I WAS RIGHT. WHAT.
The way the book set that up without confirming it until like 80%?? Devious. I respect it.
Final thoughts? This book is a hot chaotic romantasy mess and I enjoyed every minute.
No regrets. 4 stars.
Now give me book 2.
Narrated by Jason Clarke & Samantha Brentmoor
Format: Audiobook (yes, I recommend it)
Genre: Romantasy | Enemies to Lovers | Slow Burn | Cursed Kingdoms | Arranged Marriage | Hidden Identity | Forbidden Romance
━━━━━━━━━━
SPOILER-FREE THOUGHTS:
━━━━━━━━━━
Okay… I really didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did. Like, I saw the blurb and went oh hell yeah, cursed realms and monster-hunting and enemies-to-lovers? Count me in. But then the audiobook said 19 hours and 51 minutes and I went WAIT A DAMN MINUTE. That’s long. Like actually long. I almost dipped. But thank god I didn’t, because guess what? I finished it. And honestly? The audiobook is the way to go. The narration HITS. Especially when the book gets slow (and trust me, it does), the voices kept me locked in.
Now, about the plot… I was confused. Like genuinely. I went in thinking Prince Dorian was the MMC, right? And then boom—Guardian enters the chat and I’m just sitting there whispering who tf are you?? For a good chunk of the book, I kept trying to piece it together like a detective. Who is the love interest?? What is going on?? Why is there so many confusions??
But once you hit that last 20-30%… It’s GAME ON. That’s when things start clicking, twists pop off, and suddenly I was wide awake at 3AM muttering nooo way. I swear, the reveal?? I almost saw it coming. Almost. Devney definitely kept it chaotic but in a way that made me want more. Like NOW.
And Odessa… wow. She was trying her best. But girl was literally the worst spy I’ve ever seen. Like, she lies so badly it’s hilarious. There’s a whole scene where she tries to act casual and it’s like watching someone try to sneak candy into a movie theater in a clear bag. Just—painful.
Also… Ransom. I kinda hated the name at first. Still do, a little. But man did he grow on me. He’s the classic grumpy-slow-burn-brooding type who’s secretly soft. Their enemies-to-lovers arc? CHEF’S KISS. Took forever, but when they finally had moments—those were gold.
Now onto the world. Look, I wanted to love the lore. It had so much potential. The blood magic, the Voster priests, the Lyssa and the monsters and all that? Amazing in theory. But half the time, it felt like I needed a PowerPoint to follow what was going on. Like “Migration” is mentioned 100 times but never explained?? And the necklace thing? Teased multiple times like it’s important then… nothing?? I KNOW it’ll matter later but why tease it now if you’re gonna drop it??
Still… I had fun. Even when it was messy, I kept going. The last few chapters had me glued to the audio. And now I’m sitting here like, what do you mean there’s not a sequel yet??
━━━━━━━━━━
SPOILERS AHEAD – READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
━━━━━━━━━━
The reveal? I kinda guessed it. Like I had this little thought——but then I gaslit myself out of believing it because it was just SO convoluted. BUT I WAS RIGHT. WHAT.
The way the book set that up without confirming it until like 80%?? Devious. I respect it.
Final thoughts? This book is a hot chaotic romantasy mess and I enjoyed every minute.
No regrets. 4 stars.
Now give me book 2.
April 26, 2025
Shield of Sparrows has all the right ingredients for a great romantasy—an arranged marriage, enemies-to-lovers tension, a cursed world crawling with monsters, and the promise of a princess ready to reclaim her power. The worldbuilding is rich and intriguing, with a dark, dangerous realm that genuinely feels alive. I could easily picture the twisted creatures and the magic lurking behind every corner.
But as much as I loved the setup, the execution left me wanting more. The pacing was a real struggle; for much of the book, Odessa, our princess-turned-reluctant-heroine, is trapped in her own head, asking question after question without getting any meaningful answers (for herself or the reader). Instead of building suspense, it bogged the story down, and I found myself disconnected from her and her journey.
The slow-burn tension between Odessa and the Guardian had its moments, but with so much internal monologue and a plot that only really picked up around the 70% mark, I had already lost a lot of my initial excitement. Plus, a key deception introduced early on was far too easy to guess, which dulled the emotional impact when it was finally revealed.
When the twists started coming at the end, they felt less like a satisfying payoff and more like chaos thrown together for shock value. It was a rushed finish that didn’t land the way I hoped.
Overall, Shield of Sparrows had a fascinating world and a solid premise, but a meandering middle and a messy ending held it back. I’m curious about where the story will go next, but it’ll take some convincing for me to continue.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.
But as much as I loved the setup, the execution left me wanting more. The pacing was a real struggle; for much of the book, Odessa, our princess-turned-reluctant-heroine, is trapped in her own head, asking question after question without getting any meaningful answers (for herself or the reader). Instead of building suspense, it bogged the story down, and I found myself disconnected from her and her journey.
The slow-burn tension between Odessa and the Guardian had its moments, but with so much internal monologue and a plot that only really picked up around the 70% mark, I had already lost a lot of my initial excitement. Plus, a key deception introduced early on was far too easy to guess, which dulled the emotional impact when it was finally revealed.
When the twists started coming at the end, they felt less like a satisfying payoff and more like chaos thrown together for shock value. It was a rushed finish that didn’t land the way I hoped.
Overall, Shield of Sparrows had a fascinating world and a solid premise, but a meandering middle and a messy ending held it back. I’m curious about where the story will go next, but it’ll take some convincing for me to continue.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.
May 19, 2025
4 stars! ☆
⤿ major spoilers ﹒⟢
you ever finish a book and think “wait… did i actually like that?” yeah. that was me the second i closed this.
i went in with literally no memory of the blurb—just vibes. and for a while, the vibes were great. i was hooked. there’s a cursed realm, monsters, a forgotten princess, a broody guardian, an arranged marriage to a prince she doesn’t know… all the usual romantasy stuff. i was invested! i was curious! and then suddenly i was 400 pages deep like “wait is anything actually happening?”
the setup really pulled me in. odessa is this overlooked, hidden-away princess with zero power and even less freedom. she’s being forced to marry the prince of another kingdom, and also forced to act as her father’s spy to infiltrate a secret city and uncover their defenses. except here’s the twist—she’s genuinely horrible at spying. i’m not exaggerating. she gets caught eavesdropping immediately, lies so badly it’s laughable, and is constantly asking super suspicious questions in a way that’s basically flashing a neon sign that says “i’m spying on you!!!”
and then there’s ransom. aka the guardian. aka the guy who shows up and makes everything worse. he’s traveling with the warriors from the enemy kingdom and basically hates odessa on sight. and she hates him back. obviously. except also not really. and then… surprise! plot twist? they’re married. yeah. odessa marries the prince, but it turns out ransom is the prince. the entire wedding was a setup. the man she’s been trying to spy on and constantly arguing with? secretly her husband. and the guardian. and the crown prince. all rolled into one.
the whole book is filled with those kinds of reveals. some i called super early—zavier not being the real king, odessa getting dragged into all the politics, odessa’s mom being important—and some felt completely out of nowhere. the lyssa twist? confusing. the luella and lyssa connection? stupid. the necklace subplot? brought up like five times and then dropped like it meant nothing. it’s clearly going to matter in a future book but right now it just felt like setup with no payoff. and the pacing made it all worse—because everything gets dumped at the end. we don’t even get the big reveal until 70%, and then the last 10% just flies.
i don’t even know how to describe the plot because there isn’t that much of it. odessa gets married, moves into a treehouse village, tries and fails to spy, argues with ransom, travels around to different communities, continues to fail at spying, has a few emotionally confusing moments, and then everything explodes at the end. copy, paste, repeat. there’s not a ton of forward momentum, but the book keeps introducing new things like it’s building to something bigger. (hopefully)
and speaking of odessa. wow. she starts off naive, which i can deal with, but by the end of the book she’s actively making the worst decisions possible. there’s this moment where she’s like “why would he assume i’m lying?” girl. you are lying. she’s out here sneaking around and then whining when people catch her. and she’s genuinely confused why ransom doesn’t trust her—right after she tries to kill him. like. come on.
but what’s even funnier is that she knows she’s a bad spy. like it’s canon. she literally thinks to herself “i’m calandra’s worst spy” after someone questions what she’s doing, and she’s right. she’s terrible at the one thing she’s supposed to be doing. people dodge her questions, get suspicious, and still she just keeps going like she’s not the most obvious person in the room.
as for the other characters… they’re fine. i liked zavier (or i guess dray) more than i thought i would. mae is barely in it after the beginning. margot doesn’t really stand out, but her father? yeah, he’s just kinda awful. the way he throws odessa into this whole mess without any real support made everything harder. banner disappears early on. and the side characters all sort of blur together. i genuinely don’t remember half their names. odessa’s staff? the forest people? the other girls? no idea. they exist. i think.
ransom as a love interest took a while to win me over. he’s rude, guarded, and basically acts like odessa is a nuisance for the first third of the book. but i appreciated the slow burn. they don’t kiss until way late, and honestly the build-up kinda worked for me. i didn’t love them together, but i understood the shift. i still hate his name though. ransom? seriously?
and the world-building… it’s trying. there’s a lot of good ideas here—the voster priests, the magic tied to water and blood, the crux migrations, the gods and their monster creations—but most of it’s delivered through long, dry dialogue dumps. instead of getting immersed in the world, you’re just reading a character answer questions like a history professor. the concept is interesting, but the execution made it feel a little lifeless sometimes. and some of the lore just didn’t make sense. or maybe it did and the book just never explained it clearly. some things don’t even get explained at all. i mean, i finished the book and i still don’t know what the migration actually is.
but here’s the thing. i enjoyed it. i rolled my eyes and still kept flipping pages. i complained about odessa every other chapter and still wanted to see how it ended. even now, i’m kinda mad at how much i liked reading it. it’s not a perfect book—honestly it’s barely a coherent one—but it kept me locked in. messy, dense, frustrating… and somehow fun.
4 stars. not proud of it. not taking it back either.
━━━━ ⊱⋆⊰ ━━━━
☆ 🖇️ pre-read 𖥻 ＜꒱
i opened this without knowing a single plot point. feeling brave today.
⤿ major spoilers ﹒⟢
you ever finish a book and think “wait… did i actually like that?” yeah. that was me the second i closed this.
i went in with literally no memory of the blurb—just vibes. and for a while, the vibes were great. i was hooked. there’s a cursed realm, monsters, a forgotten princess, a broody guardian, an arranged marriage to a prince she doesn’t know… all the usual romantasy stuff. i was invested! i was curious! and then suddenly i was 400 pages deep like “wait is anything actually happening?”
the setup really pulled me in. odessa is this overlooked, hidden-away princess with zero power and even less freedom. she’s being forced to marry the prince of another kingdom, and also forced to act as her father’s spy to infiltrate a secret city and uncover their defenses. except here’s the twist—she’s genuinely horrible at spying. i’m not exaggerating. she gets caught eavesdropping immediately, lies so badly it’s laughable, and is constantly asking super suspicious questions in a way that’s basically flashing a neon sign that says “i’m spying on you!!!”
and then there’s ransom. aka the guardian. aka the guy who shows up and makes everything worse. he’s traveling with the warriors from the enemy kingdom and basically hates odessa on sight. and she hates him back. obviously. except also not really. and then… surprise! plot twist? they’re married. yeah. odessa marries the prince, but it turns out ransom is the prince. the entire wedding was a setup. the man she’s been trying to spy on and constantly arguing with? secretly her husband. and the guardian. and the crown prince. all rolled into one.
the whole book is filled with those kinds of reveals. some i called super early—zavier not being the real king, odessa getting dragged into all the politics, odessa’s mom being important—and some felt completely out of nowhere. the lyssa twist? confusing. the luella and lyssa connection? stupid. the necklace subplot? brought up like five times and then dropped like it meant nothing. it’s clearly going to matter in a future book but right now it just felt like setup with no payoff. and the pacing made it all worse—because everything gets dumped at the end. we don’t even get the big reveal until 70%, and then the last 10% just flies.
i don’t even know how to describe the plot because there isn’t that much of it. odessa gets married, moves into a treehouse village, tries and fails to spy, argues with ransom, travels around to different communities, continues to fail at spying, has a few emotionally confusing moments, and then everything explodes at the end. copy, paste, repeat. there’s not a ton of forward momentum, but the book keeps introducing new things like it’s building to something bigger. (hopefully)
and speaking of odessa. wow. she starts off naive, which i can deal with, but by the end of the book she’s actively making the worst decisions possible. there’s this moment where she’s like “why would he assume i’m lying?” girl. you are lying. she’s out here sneaking around and then whining when people catch her. and she’s genuinely confused why ransom doesn’t trust her—right after she tries to kill him. like. come on.
but what’s even funnier is that she knows she’s a bad spy. like it’s canon. she literally thinks to herself “i’m calandra’s worst spy” after someone questions what she’s doing, and she’s right. she’s terrible at the one thing she’s supposed to be doing. people dodge her questions, get suspicious, and still she just keeps going like she’s not the most obvious person in the room.
as for the other characters… they’re fine. i liked zavier (or i guess dray) more than i thought i would. mae is barely in it after the beginning. margot doesn’t really stand out, but her father? yeah, he’s just kinda awful. the way he throws odessa into this whole mess without any real support made everything harder. banner disappears early on. and the side characters all sort of blur together. i genuinely don’t remember half their names. odessa’s staff? the forest people? the other girls? no idea. they exist. i think.
ransom as a love interest took a while to win me over. he’s rude, guarded, and basically acts like odessa is a nuisance for the first third of the book. but i appreciated the slow burn. they don’t kiss until way late, and honestly the build-up kinda worked for me. i didn’t love them together, but i understood the shift. i still hate his name though. ransom? seriously?
and the world-building… it’s trying. there’s a lot of good ideas here—the voster priests, the magic tied to water and blood, the crux migrations, the gods and their monster creations—but most of it’s delivered through long, dry dialogue dumps. instead of getting immersed in the world, you’re just reading a character answer questions like a history professor. the concept is interesting, but the execution made it feel a little lifeless sometimes. and some of the lore just didn’t make sense. or maybe it did and the book just never explained it clearly. some things don’t even get explained at all. i mean, i finished the book and i still don’t know what the migration actually is.
but here’s the thing. i enjoyed it. i rolled my eyes and still kept flipping pages. i complained about odessa every other chapter and still wanted to see how it ended. even now, i’m kinda mad at how much i liked reading it. it’s not a perfect book—honestly it’s barely a coherent one—but it kept me locked in. messy, dense, frustrating… and somehow fun.
4 stars. not proud of it. not taking it back either.
━━━━ ⊱⋆⊰ ━━━━
☆ 🖇️ pre-read 𖥻 ＜꒱
i opened this without knowing a single plot point. feeling brave today.
June 17, 2025
“From the monsters with claws. And the monsters with crowns.”
i had a really good time with this start of a new fantasy romance series! i truly don’t want to say too much, because i think me going into this one not really knowing anything made the experience even better for me. but the very basic premise is that very dangerous monsters attack the kingdoms of this world. and we follow a princess who very unexpectedly has to make a journey with a prince from another kingdom. there are a lot of people looking to benefit from this arrangement, but our princess is just trying to see the world that has been previously hidden from her, and slowly also finds out some of the secrets that could change so many lives.
this was just fun, and i will say that maybe it lulled in the middle a little bit, but the ending was truly a five star from me. i will for sure be picking up book two upon release. also, many of you know that i have a deep love for the witcher (especially wild hunt) in my heart, and this does have major geralt of rivia vibes, but also yennefer and ciri, too! the monsters were cool and actually were frightening. the twists and turns were truly unexpected. The atmosphere was lush and somehow even cozy. And the banter had me kicking my feet a little too, i won’t lie.
trigger + content warnings from the author: Shield of Sparrows is a heart-stopping romantasy set in a world of deadly monsters and even deadlier mysteries. As such, the story includes elements that might not be suitable for all readers, including combat, violence, blood, gore, death of humans and animals, injury, dismemberment, illness, hospitalization, arson, alcohol use, sexual activity, and graphic language, with mentions of poisoning and trafficking in backstory. Readers who may be sensitive to these elements, please take note. We invite you to grab a blade and prepare for a new world…
additional trigger + content warnings i found while reading: thoughts of suicide, mention of suicide, talk of still births in past, loss of partner during childbirth in past, raids, talk of pregnancy (not mc), talk of infertility (not mcs), forced medical experimentation, fire, one sentence mention of death of a child, talk of human trafficking, domestic abuse in past (not mc)
♡ buddy read with amy, penny + maëlys
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July 19, 2025
ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ✦ . ⁺ . 3.3 - 3.5 ☆ . ⁺ . ✦
ㅤ ㅤ ˋ°•*⁀➷ㅤmight contain spoilers ❗
ㅤ I'm pretty sure this is the first time BookTok hasn't utterly deceived me with a book and instead recommended something I enjoyed reading. Despite not being "the next big romantasy of 2025" as it continues being advertised, it is undoubtedly a book that is enjoyable and easy enough to read, making you have a really nice time while reading it. So, bravo, BookTok for finally offering me something good to read!
ㅤ ㅤ “Forgive me, Highness, for not giving a fuck.”
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ short summary
ㅤ Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry throws Princess Odessa Cross—famously the royal nobody expected much from—into the spotlight when a foreign prince randomly picks her as his bride. Cue the dramatic journey across cursed lands, mythical monsters, and political backstabbing galore.
ㅤ She’s stuck with a grumpy Guardian escort who clearly can’t stand her (so of course, sparks fly), and while their romance is the classic slow-burn "we hate each other until we don’t" trope, it’s still plenty entertaining—even if a little by-the-numbers.
ㅤ As Odessa toughens up and starts challenging gods and destiny itself, the story leans into magic, danger, and self-discovery in all the right ways. It’s a fun, fast-paced fantasy with familiar beats, but enough bite to keep things interesting.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ honest thoughts
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I admit that I let myself be swayed by BookTok once more while selecting up this book, but despite this tiny factor, I actually found myself loving the plot of this novel. I was startled to discover several parts that were rather distinctive to the action itself and the trajectory of the narrative; so, you can imagine that, at times, I was completely gripped and intrigued about the story's progression.
ㅤ I will, however, mention that some of the plot points felt a bit far-fetched at times. I was reading through some of the revelations and history of the characters, and I was not really feeling them. They also seemed slightly forced and a bit underdeveloped; like the author was just trying to tie things together and make them make sense.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ Another thing I particularly appreciated about this novel was the diversity of aspects when it comes to world-building.. I adore books that have excellent world-building that manage to bring together a wide range of distinct aspects to create a truly large and vivid fictional world. Well, this book came pretty close. You get a great map featuring all kinds of diverse kingdoms, a looming threat that, for once, does not appear to be something produced by humans, and a diversity of monsters that makes it difficult for you to decide if you hate them or just want to pet them. (even though you might probably die in doing so).
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ Unfortunately, the romance is the same old story given once again, and it isn't even told that amazingly nice. Don't get me wrong; I am a sucker for the same old clichés, and I don't mind reading about them over and over. However, I am slightly bored when these clichés are not fully exploited and adapted to the characters and the narrative. And, while the conversation and interactions in this book were amusing, I never found myself completely swooning over the characters' love story. There was a continual feeling of wanting a bit more.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ Fortunately, the novel managed to maintain some surprise at the end. If you were like me, you probably realised the truth about the prince of Turah pretty early in the book (I literally perceived the truth since the very first interaction 😭), so if you decide to read this, don't be too disappointed because there are still some pretty interesting and shocking revelations waiting for you; some that you will not see coming.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ The book's ending was arguably the most horrible aspect for me; not because it was awful or underwhelming. But how can you conclude a book like that and make me wait for the next one now?. I was truly hoping for at least one more page that would tell me something since I refuse to be left in such full ignorance while not even knowing when the second book in this series will be out.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ characters
ㅤ Please note that I was rather unable to resonate or to get attached to these characters in any way; therefore, my opinions might be rather short, and you should definitely take it with a pinch of salt.
ㅤ ✾ Odessa - This Disney Merida copy that I really tried to like. I truly hoped there was more to her character than the constant hesitation between "i need to make my father proud" and "i am good for nothing" because it was getting so tiring at one point. I did appreciate that she slowly found her courage to become bolder and to try to actually find the truth instead of waiting for it to be served to her, but she was still so passive most of the time that I was confused if she was meant to be and remain a soft character or if she was meant to be seen as a true warrior. What I did love the most about her progress was the slow nature of it, which made it seem so real. You don't get this weak girl that turns into a perfect warrior in the span of a few months; but rather a character that slowly evolves and still makes mistakes. This made her feel so relatable
ㅤ ✾ Zavier - You were there, and you were great and so soft that it made my heart ache. However, I very much knew it from the very start, so all the efforts to keep the facade for this character were absolutely futile.
ㅤ ✾ Guardian - Apart from picking the wrong name to go with (which I will not spoil in this review, but be ready because it is almost as fuckass as Kingfisher) this man can do no wrong. He gave me yearning, he gave me sacrifice, he gave me a man burdened by the complexity of his responsibility, and I loved everything about it. Was he one of the favourite fantasy men I've ever read about? No. Don't get me wrong, he was really captivating, and the way he was constantly bantering with the FMC definitely so much fun, but I truly hoped for MORE. I needed just a bit more for me to actually say I loved his character.
ㅤ ✾ Too many side characters to mention - but I was a bit sad that I didn't necessarily get the feeling that I was getting attached to these characters in any way. I truly wanted for the FMC to grow close to more of these characters, but it somehow still felt like there wasn't really a bond growing between them. I truly hope that the second book will be able to shine more light onto these characters and their story.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ should you read this?
ㅤ You should read this if you want to read an ordinary, unique at times, but mostly trope-focused romance book. This was a really entertaining book for me to read, and I will definitely continue with this series, especially after the novel's conclusion. However, I can't say it had a big impact on me, so I might not recommend it to everyone I know. It is well worth your time, and except for a few instances where progress appears to be slow, it is a compelling story.
⊹₊┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ✿ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈₊⊹
ㅤ ᯓ ✿ pre-reading ⪼ ㅤ started ┆22-May-2025┆
ㅤ ㅤ ⤿ FOMO kind of made me pick this up way earlier than planned, so here we go! Also, I am currently visiting my parents, and I have nothing else to read on my Kindle.
ㅤ ㅤ ˋ°•*⁀➷ㅤmight contain spoilers ❗
ㅤ I'm pretty sure this is the first time BookTok hasn't utterly deceived me with a book and instead recommended something I enjoyed reading. Despite not being "the next big romantasy of 2025" as it continues being advertised, it is undoubtedly a book that is enjoyable and easy enough to read, making you have a really nice time while reading it. So, bravo, BookTok for finally offering me something good to read!
ㅤ ㅤ “Forgive me, Highness, for not giving a fuck.”
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ short summary
ㅤ Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry throws Princess Odessa Cross—famously the royal nobody expected much from—into the spotlight when a foreign prince randomly picks her as his bride. Cue the dramatic journey across cursed lands, mythical monsters, and political backstabbing galore.
ㅤ She’s stuck with a grumpy Guardian escort who clearly can’t stand her (so of course, sparks fly), and while their romance is the classic slow-burn "we hate each other until we don’t" trope, it’s still plenty entertaining—even if a little by-the-numbers.
ㅤ As Odessa toughens up and starts challenging gods and destiny itself, the story leans into magic, danger, and self-discovery in all the right ways. It’s a fun, fast-paced fantasy with familiar beats, but enough bite to keep things interesting.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ honest thoughts
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I admit that I let myself be swayed by BookTok once more while selecting up this book, but despite this tiny factor, I actually found myself loving the plot of this novel. I was startled to discover several parts that were rather distinctive to the action itself and the trajectory of the narrative; so, you can imagine that, at times, I was completely gripped and intrigued about the story's progression.
ㅤ I will, however, mention that some of the plot points felt a bit far-fetched at times. I was reading through some of the revelations and history of the characters, and I was not really feeling them. They also seemed slightly forced and a bit underdeveloped; like the author was just trying to tie things together and make them make sense.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ Another thing I particularly appreciated about this novel was the diversity of aspects when it comes to world-building.. I adore books that have excellent world-building that manage to bring together a wide range of distinct aspects to create a truly large and vivid fictional world. Well, this book came pretty close. You get a great map featuring all kinds of diverse kingdoms, a looming threat that, for once, does not appear to be something produced by humans, and a diversity of monsters that makes it difficult for you to decide if you hate them or just want to pet them. (even though you might probably die in doing so).
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ Unfortunately, the romance is the same old story given once again, and it isn't even told that amazingly nice. Don't get me wrong; I am a sucker for the same old clichés, and I don't mind reading about them over and over. However, I am slightly bored when these clichés are not fully exploited and adapted to the characters and the narrative. And, while the conversation and interactions in this book were amusing, I never found myself completely swooning over the characters' love story. There was a continual feeling of wanting a bit more.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ Fortunately, the novel managed to maintain some surprise at the end. If you were like me, you probably realised the truth about the prince of Turah pretty early in the book (I literally perceived the truth since the very first interaction 😭), so if you decide to read this, don't be too disappointed because there are still some pretty interesting and shocking revelations waiting for you; some that you will not see coming.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ The book's ending was arguably the most horrible aspect for me; not because it was awful or underwhelming. But how can you conclude a book like that and make me wait for the next one now?. I was truly hoping for at least one more page that would tell me something since I refuse to be left in such full ignorance while not even knowing when the second book in this series will be out.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ characters
ㅤ Please note that I was rather unable to resonate or to get attached to these characters in any way; therefore, my opinions might be rather short, and you should definitely take it with a pinch of salt.
ㅤ ✾ Odessa - This Disney Merida copy that I really tried to like. I truly hoped there was more to her character than the constant hesitation between "i need to make my father proud" and "i am good for nothing" because it was getting so tiring at one point. I did appreciate that she slowly found her courage to become bolder and to try to actually find the truth instead of waiting for it to be served to her, but she was still so passive most of the time that I was confused if she was meant to be and remain a soft character or if she was meant to be seen as a true warrior. What I did love the most about her progress was the slow nature of it, which made it seem so real. You don't get this weak girl that turns into a perfect warrior in the span of a few months; but rather a character that slowly evolves and still makes mistakes. This made her feel so relatable
ㅤ ✾ Zavier - You were there, and you were great and so soft that it made my heart ache. However, I very much knew it from the very start, so all the efforts to keep the facade for this character were absolutely futile.
ㅤ ✾ Guardian - Apart from picking the wrong name to go with (which I will not spoil in this review, but be ready because it is almost as fuckass as Kingfisher) this man can do no wrong. He gave me yearning, he gave me sacrifice, he gave me a man burdened by the complexity of his responsibility, and I loved everything about it. Was he one of the favourite fantasy men I've ever read about? No. Don't get me wrong, he was really captivating, and the way he was constantly bantering with the FMC definitely so much fun, but I truly hoped for MORE. I needed just a bit more for me to actually say I loved his character.
ㅤ ✾ Too many side characters to mention - but I was a bit sad that I didn't necessarily get the feeling that I was getting attached to these characters in any way. I truly wanted for the FMC to grow close to more of these characters, but it somehow still felt like there wasn't really a bond growing between them. I truly hope that the second book will be able to shine more light onto these characters and their story.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ should you read this?
ㅤ You should read this if you want to read an ordinary, unique at times, but mostly trope-focused romance book. This was a really entertaining book for me to read, and I will definitely continue with this series, especially after the novel's conclusion. However, I can't say it had a big impact on me, so I might not recommend it to everyone I know. It is well worth your time, and except for a few instances where progress appears to be slow, it is a compelling story.
⊹₊┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ✿ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈₊⊹
ㅤ ᯓ ✿ pre-reading ⪼ ㅤ started ┆22-May-2025┆
ㅤ ㅤ ⤿ FOMO kind of made me pick this up way earlier than planned, so here we go! Also, I am currently visiting my parents, and I have nothing else to read on my Kindle.
April 22, 2025
I need the next book like yesterday bro. This was really, really good.
May 10, 2025
Overall, I enjoyed this book, but there were a few parts that seemed rather chaotic.
I could tell that this author is established in the Romance genre - the writing, romance between the main characters, relationships with side characters, plotting (for the most part), and spice was very well done.
Where I had a slight issue was the Fantasy aspects. There were a lot of elements mentioned, but not all of them were tied in to the story very well. I understand that this is the first book of a series, so there is plenty of time for her to flesh out the Gods/Shades, Alchemy, high priests & their magic, Moons (??), etc. I feel like we got a lot on the Lyssa and crux/monsters, but the rest felt kind of random and chaotic.
I think there is great potential here and I can’t wait to see where she takes it! Great job to Devney for her first Romantasy, I look forward to seeing all of the strings tied together in future books.
I could tell that this author is established in the Romance genre - the writing, romance between the main characters, relationships with side characters, plotting (for the most part), and spice was very well done.
Where I had a slight issue was the Fantasy aspects. There were a lot of elements mentioned, but not all of them were tied in to the story very well. I understand that this is the first book of a series, so there is plenty of time for her to flesh out the Gods/Shades, Alchemy, high priests & their magic, Moons (??), etc. I feel like we got a lot on the Lyssa and crux/monsters, but the rest felt kind of random and chaotic.
I think there is great potential here and I can’t wait to see where she takes it! Great job to Devney for her first Romantasy, I look forward to seeing all of the strings tied together in future books.
May 8, 2025
3 stars
- post read -
okay, the ending was actually pretty good, but the first half was meh
- preread -
ITS OUT!! i’m reading this ASAP.
- prerelease -
i’m so ready for this to be released 👀
- post read -
okay, the ending was actually pretty good, but the first half was meh
- preread -
ITS OUT!! i’m reading this ASAP.
- prerelease -
i’m so ready for this to be released 👀
May 18, 2025
Okay this book HIT. It has all the tropes you know and love but it’s done in such a fun way that has you guessing the WHOLE book.
I had crackpot theories galore with this one (which rarely happens). I loved the FMC too, she was a breath of fresh air, just a normal girl in an abnormal situation.
The MMC is the classic broody man with so many secrets surrounding him. The plot was so intriguing, the only issue I had was that sometimes the plot was a bit slow.
5 stars, what a banger of a romantasy!
I had crackpot theories galore with this one (which rarely happens). I loved the FMC too, she was a breath of fresh air, just a normal girl in an abnormal situation.
The MMC is the classic broody man with so many secrets surrounding him. The plot was so intriguing, the only issue I had was that sometimes the plot was a bit slow.
5 stars, what a banger of a romantasy!
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