Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry

A Promising Foundation That Struggled to Deliver

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 story, 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.