With Shield of Sparrows, bestselling author Devney Perry steps into romantasy for the first time, bringing with her the emotional depth and layered character work that listeners know from her contemporary romances. In a world where political alliances are forged in blood and monsters wear crowns, a forgotten princess must learn to wield power on her own terms. A story of quiet defiance, layered sisterhood, and reclaimed strength, it’s full of rich emotional stakes woven through magic, war, and memory. Odessa’s journey is less about destiny—and more about choosing herself, even when the world expects her to disappear.

Patty K. Rivera: Odessa begins her journey feeling powerless but slowly redefines what power means. What was important to you about telling a story rooted in resilience and transformation?

Devney Perry: My favorite characters are those who grow over the course of a story, and Odessa’s journey is so much more than her traveling from one side of a continent to another. She’s someone who wasn’t just underestimated by her family but by herself, too. In this book, she is in her early twenties and this story is her journey to embracing her inner strength. I hope that Odessa’s story inspires other young women to go beyond the boundaries created by peers or elders or society and to blaze their own trail.

Emotional stakes in Shield of Sparrows are as high as the political ones. How did you balance character intimacy with the scope of war, magic, and mythology?

Characters are the foundation of my storytelling. It’s what makes writing so interesting for me as the author. Each individual has their own unique voice and personality. So, balancing character intimacy with external forces becomes an exercise in truly listening to those characters’ personalities and how they’d react in different situations.

Mae and Odessa navigate power in such different ways. Mae plays the game, while Odessa resists it. How did you approach writing a sisterhood built on love, rivalry, and the constant pressure to prove yourself?

Sibling dynamics are always such a fun element of storytelling. As in real life, there are so many nuanced emotions and motivations when it comes to a relationship with a brother or sister. For Shield of Sparrows, I knew these sisters had very different personalities, so I let those differences shine. But the foundation of their relationship is love, which makes their relationship all the more compelling and intriguing.

Samantha Brentmoor narrates the audiobook with such intensity and nuance. What was it like hearing her embody Odessa? Were there any moments in her performance that made you hear your own story differently?

I am Samantha Brentmoor’s biggest fan and couldn’t imagine another voice for Odessa. She delivers the perfect balance of emotion, sarcasm and dry humor that I hear in my head when I’m writing characters. She’s such a talent and an incredible actor. I can’t wait for everyone to hear her performance.