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adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆’𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔."
I went into this fantasy romance book thinking I'd just read one chapter and if I didn't like it I'd move on... well clearly that didn't happen! I was sucked in so fast.
The world-building was perfect, the plot was plotting, the romance was... mysterious? And lawd was I INVESTED 😍 Also I'm sorry but some things that man was saying 🤭🥵
Y'all were 100% right when you said I needed to read this book ASAP. I trust you completely now 🥹
But also, I now desperately need the next book and I am entirely too impatient for this kind of waiting game 😂
➛ 𝟒.𝟓 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬
I went into this fantasy romance book thinking I'd just read one chapter and if I didn't like it I'd move on... well clearly that didn't happen! I was sucked in so fast.
The world-building was perfect, the plot was plotting, the romance was... mysterious? And lawd was I INVESTED 😍 Also I'm sorry but some things that man was saying 🤭🥵
Y'all were 100% right when you said I needed to read this book ASAP. I trust you completely now 🥹
But also, I now desperately need the next book and I am entirely too impatient for this kind of waiting game 😂
➛ 𝟒.𝟓 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Misogyny, Violence
Moderate: Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Abandonment
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence
Moderate: Terminal illness, Blood, Murder, Abandonment
Minor: Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, War
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Death of parent, Gaslighting
Minor: Vomit
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Summary
Odessa wasn’t supposed to be the bride prize, the Sparrow to continue the centuries old pact between the kingdoms.It should’ve been her sister. But when the Prince of Turin arrives with the mysterious and deadly man known only as The Guardian, she finds herself suddenly married and traveling across the ocean. Before she boarded the ship, her father tasked her to be a spy and to find the secret location of Turin’s capital city. Completely unprepared, she agrees.
Time is speeding by as people around the continent try to prepare for the great Migration of Cruxes, massive birds who destroy cities once a generation as they pass the kingdoms. Odessa learns about Turin, its customs, its people, and the monsters wreaking havoc on its people. Monsters that require many men to take down… or one Guardian. He’s unbelievably strong, silent on his feet, and heals faster than any man. Where did his power come from? Who is he? As many questions as she has, Odessa doesn’t want to spend another minute with the rude soldier.
As she learns secrets about the royal family and the goings-on of Turin, Odessa finds herself in a much more complicated situation than she had even imagined.Hostility between the king and his son, a secret royal child, a man-made plague, and so much more.
Review
There’s so much world building going on in this book and I loved every last nibble of it! I’m very sad that I discovered this book so soon after the first of the series was released because the wait for more is going to be brutal. The big “twists” are actually incredibly predictable, and all the sexual tension leads to minimal sex scenes (so if you're into spice or smut, this isn't going to fulfill you), but the action in the book is fantastic. It’s no Fourth Wing but it’s still really good. I love the Witcher Meets Princess vibe and I love the layers of this story: disease, espionage, magic, monsters, royal secrets-- so much going on.
The epilogue from Ransom’s POV is quite an excellent cliffhanger!
Tropes: Romantasy, Enemies to Lovers, Secret Identity
Odessa wasn’t supposed to be the bride prize, the Sparrow to continue the centuries old pact between the kingdoms.It should’ve been her sister. But when the Prince of Turin arrives with the mysterious and deadly man known only as The Guardian, she finds herself suddenly married and traveling across the ocean. Before she boarded the ship, her father tasked her to be a spy and to find the secret location of Turin’s capital city. Completely unprepared, she agrees.
Time is speeding by as people around the continent try to prepare for the great Migration of Cruxes, massive birds who destroy cities once a generation as they pass the kingdoms. Odessa learns about Turin, its customs, its people, and the monsters wreaking havoc on its people. Monsters that require many men to take down… or one Guardian. He’s unbelievably strong, silent on his feet, and heals faster than any man. Where did his power come from? Who is he? As many questions as she has, Odessa doesn’t want to spend another minute with the rude soldier.
As she learns secrets about the royal family and the goings-on of Turin, Odessa finds herself in a much more complicated situation than she had even imagined.
Review
There’s so much world building going on in this book and I loved every last nibble of it! I’m very sad that I discovered this book so soon after the first of the series was released because the wait for more is going to be brutal. The big “twists” are actually incredibly predictable, and all the sexual tension leads to minimal sex scenes (so if you're into spice or smut, this isn't going to fulfill you), but the action in the book is fantastic. It’s no Fourth Wing but it’s still really good. I love the Witcher Meets Princess vibe and I love the layers of this story: disease, espionage, magic, monsters, royal secrets-- so much going on.
The epilogue from Ransom’s POV is quite an excellent cliffhanger!
Tropes: Romantasy, Enemies to Lovers, Secret Identity
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, War
Minor: Abandonment
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Bullying, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Sorry that’s just the sound of me screaming. I NEED the sequel NOW.
Obviously that’s not going to happen.
As you can tell, this was a REALLY good book. For me, at least.
I listened to the audiobook from the library (and the actors did a fantastic job 🙌🏼) but now I really want my own copy with the beautiful sprayed edges.
The characters were compelling. I immediately liked the main character because I related to her; she was always late, awkward, asking questions, and I loved those quirks about her. I also loved getting to know the other characters around her and just how deep they fell into the plot with their own motivations and backstories.
The worldbuilding was also impressive, though I feel like I say that with every fantasy. It’s because, as a writer, I know Worldbuilding is hard! But here there are different creatures, magic system, religions, history, and propaganda brought on by the government, all that fed into the plot and wasn’t info-dumped.
Speaking of the plot, it was compelling and multilayered. I thought I knew what it was going to be about—an arranged marriage, a spy, a betrayal—but it went so much deeper, each layer adding another “to do” to the FMC’s quest. Plus the multilayered plot added to the intrigue. There were plot twists I guessed and plot twists that THREW me. I still have SO many questions!! I can’t ask them here because *spoilers* I also have theories. Completley wild out there theories that have to do with the Crux and the FMC’s heritage. I don’t know how the Brotherhood fit into it.
And, the romance. Chef’s kiss on the slow burn. I love it to be so slow that it’s on a back burner simmer and this did a really good job at that. There is one spicy chapter and that’s the perfect level for me.
So, I will be now thinking about this book and staring into the abyss until I can preorder the sequel someday….
Sorry that’s just the sound of me screaming. I NEED the sequel NOW.
Obviously that’s not going to happen.
As you can tell, this was a REALLY good book. For me, at least.
I listened to the audiobook from the library (and the actors did a fantastic job 🙌🏼) but now I really want my own copy with the beautiful sprayed edges.
The characters were compelling. I immediately liked the main character because I related to her; she was always late, awkward, asking questions, and I loved those quirks about her. I also loved getting to know the other characters around her and just how deep they fell into the plot with their own motivations and backstories.
The worldbuilding was also impressive, though I feel like I say that with every fantasy. It’s because, as a writer, I know Worldbuilding is hard! But here there are different creatures, magic system, religions, history, and propaganda brought on by the government, all that fed into the plot and wasn’t info-dumped.
Speaking of the plot, it was compelling and multilayered. I thought I knew what it was going to be about—an arranged marriage, a spy, a betrayal—but it went so much deeper, each layer adding another “to do” to the FMC’s quest. Plus the multilayered plot added to the intrigue. There were plot twists I guessed and plot twists that THREW me. I still have SO many questions!! I can’t ask them here because *spoilers* I also have theories. Completley wild out there theories that have to do with the Crux and the FMC’s heritage. I don’t know how the Brotherhood fit into it.
And, the romance. Chef’s kiss on the slow burn. I love it to be so slow that it’s on a back burner simmer and this did a really good job at that. There is one spicy chapter and that’s the perfect level for me.
So, I will be now thinking about this book and staring into the abyss until I can preorder the sequel someday….
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Sexism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Gore, Infidelity, Grief, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
REVIEW HAS SPOILERS
Shield of Sparrows pulled me in immediately through the eyes of Odessa, a protagonist who reminded me of a younger version of myself. Her introspective nature, her questions about the world, and her struggle to find where she fits were deeply relatable. Even as I realized we were very different people, I enjoyed being anchored in her perspective. One of the strongest aspects of the book is how it never gives the reader more information than Odessa herself has—it creates a feeling of true immersion.
Shield of Sparrows pulled me in immediately through the eyes of Odessa, a protagonist who reminded me of a younger version of myself. Her introspective nature, her questions about the world, and her struggle to find where she fits were deeply relatable. Even as I realized we were very different people, I enjoyed being anchored in her perspective. One of the strongest aspects of the book is how it never gives the reader more information than Odessa herself has—it creates a feeling of true immersion.
Odessa’s perceived “uselessness” in her kingdom makes sense, especially when you consider how introspective, curious, and possibly neurodivergent she is (she reads like someone with undiagnosed ADHD to me). It’s no wonder she’s underestimated. The court values performance, while Odessa simply thinks—deeply, and often. Her transformation from a girl dismissed by everyone to a woman brave enough to save children and challenge magical hierarchies felt earned. Her growth—mental, emotional, and physical—is one of the best things about this book.
The romance brought a slow burn and heavy tension. Her guilt over her feelings for the Guardian, while trying to remain loyal to Zavier, added a compelling internal conflict. However, I felt the love scene—when it finally came—was oddly placed. It might have landed better if their intimacy had unfolded earlier or more gradually, giving time for the emotional beats to deepen rather than feeling a bit sudden and “checked off.”
The worldbuilding is absolutely where this book shines brightest. From the Voster priests to the mythology of the gods and monsters, to the ancient blood treaties and haunting Chain of Sevens—it’s all 10/10. I would love a companion guide with maps, lore, illustrations, and timelines. This world deserves that kind of expansion.
That said, the marketing line “The only way to kill the monsters we fear is to become one…” set up expectations that weren’t met. I kept waiting to learn what Odessa is. Her unnatural reaction to Voster magic. Her distinct gold eyes. The crux seemingly drawn to her. We’re teased with all these signs, but never given answers. With how long the first book was, I had hoped for a bit more payoff there.
I believe this is meant to be the first in a trilogy, and while I’m not waiting with bated breath, I will read the next one—for the world, for Evie, for the mystery of Odessa’s mother, and for the answers we were only beginning to uncover.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Abandonment
Moderate: Sexual content
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Gore, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The gods sent monsters to force mortals to kneel, and Odessa Cross has spent her life obeying—her father, the crown, and a fate she never chose. She wasn’t meant to rule or fight, yet a treaty sealed in blood & a stranger's arrival changed everything. Now, bound to a prince Odessa barely knows & hated by the warrior at her side, she's expected to be a queen, a spy, a sacrifice. But what if she chooses her own path? What if there’s power in being underestimated—and she finally claims it?
I've seen this blurbed as being The Witcher meets Cinderella, and I can totally see it. I knocked off a star because I felt like some parts of the book dragged on, but even so, I will definitely pick up the next book in the series when it comes out. This is a slow burn romantasy, with the enemies to lovers & arranged marriage tropes thrown in. I think if you like SJM and/or Rebecca Yarros, this would be another book to check out - my understanding is that Perry typically writes romance, and this is her first fantasy book (similar to Yarros when she came out with Fourth Wing.
I've seen this blurbed as being The Witcher meets Cinderella, and I can totally see it. I knocked off a star because I felt like some parts of the book dragged on, but even so, I will definitely pick up the next book in the series when it comes out. This is a slow burn romantasy, with the enemies to lovers & arranged marriage tropes thrown in. I think if you like SJM and/or Rebecca Yarros, this would be another book to check out - my understanding is that Perry typically writes romance, and this is her first fantasy book (similar to Yarros when she came out with Fourth Wing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Sexual content
Minor: Gore, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail