Shield of Sparrows: An Enemies-to-Lovers Epic Romantasy

The book came in good condition, but it has a slight dent on the cover. Since I purchased it at a promotional price, it’s okay.

Excelente

Perfecto estado y la historia es súper adictiva u fácil de leer sin embargo no me sentí enganchada con el romance pero la construcción del mundo considero que es muy completa y no puedo esperar a leer el segundo por que ese cliffhanger me dejó en shock

After I saw a fable book club reading this book that has been hyped up by so many people already, I got my hands on the sprayed edges edition and after finishing another book club book I dived right into this one and oh my god it did not disappoint. The book I’m talking about is “Shield of Sparrows” by Devney Perry which has been all over booktok / bookstagram but has been absent in local bookstores near my city and I don’t get why. This story, it’s gold. I can’t even properly review this book because it was so long and yet way to short and there was so much happening, I’m not going to spoil this amazing story, so it’ll be a bit of a story outline review. Odessa Cross, firstborn Daughter of the Gold king of Quentis. Always overlooked, always overshadowed and never in the inner circle. Which gave her a lot of leeway in the castle to just roam around. But not today, today she has little time to roam because some guards from Turah are coming. With a younger sister Mae being appointed as the Sparrow, to be wed of to a Prince of one of the other lands to unsure mixed bloodlines and peace among lands due to an old accord that’s been sealed with magic called “The shield of Sparrows”. But nothing goes as planned, as the king has planned. The prince of Turah demands a Bride prize and the bride to be has to be Odessa. The marriage having to take place that same evening to they can go back to Turah the next day. Once in Turah, Odessa can’t have imagined all the dangers lurking about. All the monsters that seem to be drawn to them. After being locked up, she has a demand. To wield a sword, which wasn’t the brightest idea, since she has to train with the best guard of Turah, the one her folk loathe with a vengeance called the guardian, but who even is he? How did he get his ‘powers’ and surely he had a name? With the king of Turah of burning books and on a hunt, Odessa can’t seem to find the reasoning of, she sets about finding out truths. The truth about monsters becoming more feral than they are supposed to, the truth about the capital that seems more than a myth then an actual place. The truth about the guardian but also, adventure. To find out what caused the infection that makes the monsters kill hundreds of people, but also to find out if it can be cured. Because the monsters aren’t the only infected among them. Live as she has known it her entire life had changed so much. She’s become a warrior, a savior, a “sister”, a keeper of secrets and hasn’t let the shadows pull her back, gone is the little mouse and risen has a woman with a purpose. Absolute ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐star read; can’t wait for the next one.

This beautiful book arrived on a Wednesday. I read the back and opened the book to read the first page. Wrong move as I needed to fix dinner. This is the kind of book that draws you in immediately. I can only recall a handful of books that have drawn me in as quickly as this one did. Odessa is the oldest princess, born by the love of the kings life. But her mother was gone and the second wife had also born a princess, Mae. Mae loved the spectacle of royal life and trained for the day she would be married to a stranger. Mae was ready to fulfill the magical treaty that kept their world safe. Except that’s not what happens. Full of twists and turns that had the pages flying by, I devoured all 528 pages in less than 36 hours. Every spare minute was devoted to those pages. I carried it around at work and was stopped by follow readers demanding to know about it. I had 5 or 6 committed to reading it when I was done. I am not an epic fantasy reader. I prefer a softer version of fantasy. I don’t like fantasy that requires I learn almost a completely different language to understand what’s happening. This book fills that request. Yes there are names of kingdoms and people but there was an apple. That simple fruit made me happy. It expressed my contentment with the story. There were enough normal things that it wasn’t a job to read it. Instead, I could focus on the story. And I really loved the story. There’s an interesting dynamic between some of the main characters that had me seeing more was going on than the words on the page. Of course I was proud I’d figured it out or so I thought. Sure I saw the part the author intends you to see. But the mysteries in this book are many and packed tightly between the words. All the hints are there but don’t think you have a clue even at the bitter end. You will be left wondering what you just read. I loved it. The monsters add a lot to this book. Two monsters capture my heart while many, many more have me hiding my head. Keep an eye out for the monsters. This is a slow burn romance that rides some twists of an arranged marriage troupe. It’s an enemies to lovers while trying to stay alive thriller kind of book. All of it had me flying through the pages at rapid speed. Of course it has an ending that makes you cry out for book 2. At this point we don’t even know how many books there are in this series let along when the next book comes out. This book offers great writing, excellent world building, and a story that just captured me! I highly recommend it for anyone who loves romantasy but especially someone who is new to the genre and aren’t sure if it’s for them. This book will convince you. A crown jewel of a first book! Don’t miss this new series!

It’s official: I am obsessed! I wasn’t expecting to love this book as much as I did. I adore romantasy, but after a while, many books in the genre can start to blend together, and I find myself less and less surprised. I’m usually able to predict most of the twists - but this one genuinely caught me off guard in the best way. Yes, it follows the familiar romantasy formula - enemies to lovers, forced proximity, found family, the “he trains her” dynamic - but I absolutely ate it up. It ticked all my boxes. Odessa was a fantastic FMC: brave, stubborn, and determined to break free from the cage she’s been trapped in her entire life. When she asks herself, “Who would I become if I wasn’t at the mercy of men?”, it really stood out to me. I loved how curious she was - constantly questioning the world around her - which made her feel all the more relatable. Her character development is inspiring, and I can’t wait to see how she continues to grow in book two. While the cast is full of compelling characters (and yes, a very swoon-worthy love interest), my favourite aspect of the book was the world-building. Perry’s writing is so immersive and vivid that I felt completely transported to this magical yet brutal world - one filled with monsters bearing both claws and crowns. The story reveals its details gradually; we learn as Odessa learns, and I never once felt overwhelmed. The tension, the danger, the slow-burn romance, the twists - it all comes together to create a gripping, high-stakes adventure that hooked me from the very first page. This has quickly become one of my favourite reads, and I am beyond excited for book two. I know it’s going to be just as epic!