Devney Perry has been a renowned author within the contemporary romance genre for many years now. Like several other authors within this genre, including Rebecca Yarros, she decided to venture into romantic fantasy, better known as romantasy. Shield of Sparrows is this author’s debut within this sub genre and immediately found its audience on the various social media platforms in 2025. Does it manage to stand out in this already quite oversaturated market or was it just not worth picking up?
About the book
Series: Shield of Sparrows Trilogy #1
Published by Red Tower Books on May 6, 2025
Pages: 511
ISBN: 9781649378514
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romantasy
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
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?
My review
Before reading
In November 2025, I finally read Crossroads by this author after hearing many good things about it and therefore eagerly anticipating it. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped, it didn’t make a lasting impression. In fact, I’ve practically forgotten about it already. I was left disappointed after reading it, and this made me a bit cautious about picking up Shield of Sparrows. I was afraid it would leave me disappointed as well. It was practically E-VE-RY-WHERE and therefore unavoidable, which often puts me off as hyped books and me often still are not a good match. Moreover, it is a romantasy, and because the market is already so saturated, I’ve noticed a certain formula creeping into the genre, making it increasingly difficult for new titles to stand out. Fortunately, the intended target audience still eats it up, but a critical reader like me struggles more with that. It took a while before I decided to take the plunge, buy the ebook (hello, what an expensive one!), and read it. I combined it with the audiobook, which was sometimes more convenient for me in finding time to actually read.
Characters
At first glance, the main characters make little impression. Odessa does indeed seem to be the standard romantasy protagonist, a wayward princess whose character gets her into trouble. Because she runs away from her role and its attendant responsibilities, she is very naive and ignorant. She cares little about politics, and this could prove costly for her when she is chosen as the bride of the prince of a neighboring kingdom. Despite dreading having to leave her home, she nevertheless decides to accept her fate. As the story progresses, Odessa grows into her role as princess, without Perry suppressing her rebellious nature. At the same time, she is caring towards the people around her, growing to warm up to them. This is especially true of Evie, a small, wise girl who plays a more important role than initially appears. The male characters are also well-developed, although it takes a while to learn more about them. This suits the story and creates the necessary tension. The chemistry between Odessa and her husband therefore develops slowly, but once it does, there is no stopping it.
Writing
As is often the case, I’ve noticed that writing styles haven’t been particularly striking lately. This isn’t a bad thing, but it does make it difficult to form an opinion on them. This author’s style is also somewhat ordinary, perhaps because I listened to a large portion of this book. Odessa has a lot of questions, and as a result, many sentences end with a question mark. She poses these questions literally, but often mentally as well. This becomes irritating at some point, especially with this high amount.
Plot
Just like with the characters, it took a while for Perry to win me over with the plot, as it seems to develop in a fairly generic way for this sub genre. The events follow one another logically, but aren’t particularly exciting at first. However, it does provide a good insight into Odessa’s character and how she relates to her surroundings. When Odessa arrives in her new kingdom, more and more happens, and this is when the action intensifies. These events lead to several developments that the author unleashes on the reader towards the end of the book. This can be a bit much, but it actually makes it more compelling to keep reading. The book was already intriguing at the core, but its rather standard progression didn’t immediately captivate. As the ending approaches, that changes. This ending, as is fitting for this genre, is a cliffhanger, making you want to keep reading to find out how the story unfolds. Every twist, every secret gives this world and everything you thought you knew another dimension, which just piques your curiosity even more.
Final thoughts
Even though Devney Perry’s Shield of Sparrows isn’t a book that stands out too much in the already oversaturated romantasy landscape, it still provides several hours of entertainment. At first glance, neither the plot nor the characters seem particularly special, remaining largely within the genre’s established boundaries. Gradually, however, both elements develop, and the book becomes increasingly interesting. Odessa grows more and more into her role as princess, and the relationships between the characters grow closer. The plot develops slowly, but becomes more compelling with every secret and twist. While it’s certainly not particularly original, the book still manages to captivate the reader. The ending is, of course, a cliffhanger, leaving you curious for the sequel. I have to be patient just a little longer as this publishes in April.
