Rites of the Starling

Shield of Sparrows, Book 2

By: Devney Perry

Narrated by: Jason Clarke, Samantha Brentmoor, Megan Wicks

A princess journeys across a cursed realm to find the truth about her family, only to discover her quest intertwines with the fate of a lost warrior. Love, danger, and magic collide in a captivating romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros.

​Calandra's five kingdoms are on the verge of destruction. The crux migration is coming. And in the wake of a devastating attack, I've been separated from the man who owns my heart.

​I'm lost. Terrified. Homesick. Hunted by monsters, driven to exhaustion, and kidnapped by a powerful priest, the only thing keeping me going is the little girl counting on me to keep her safe. ​It's my turn to become the Guardian.

​Our lives change one fateful night. A night of death. A night of monsters. A night of truths. That night, when I learn the real meaning of fear—and the depth of my own strength.

​Everyone wants me to be something I'm not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice. But what if I embrace my crown? What if the secrets I uncover save our realm? ​What if my sacrifice means salvation for the man I love?

For too long, I've feared the monsters we make. ​It's time to discover the monster within.​

Contains mature themes.

©2026 Devney Perry (P)2026 Recorded Books

Great series just didn’t care for audio version

I think I like the first book better only because I didn’t like how they changed ransom’s voice, and all the sexy scenes, got in the way of the plot and storyline

WAIT!!! No No No

I need more!!! I can’t wait until the next book. Going to go cry now

Wow!

I just finished Rites of the Starling, and I’m in awe of how well-crafted a romantasy Devney Perry created! DP is one of my go-to authors. I’ve read all of her titles to date and find them great reads. Her initial endeavor into fantasy and the first in this series, Shield of Sparrows, was fantastic…so I came into this read with high expectations. And all were exceeded!

For a fair number of fantasy titles by other authors, I get a pretty good notion of what may be intended as twists or surprises before they’re revealed. But I didn’t have a clue about the twists in Rites of the Starling! It WOWED me for sure! The way DP pulled together the elements within the story is impressive.

Narration was stellar! I was able to be totally lost in the story because of such impeccable narration by Jason Clarke, Samantha Brentmoor, and Megan Wicks…among my favorite voice performers in audiobooks.

I highly recommend Rites of the Sparrow! But be sure to read Shield of the Sparrows first. I can hardly wait for the third book in the trilogy!

Prepare for a lot of information

It was slow going but it all came together in the end. I truly loved the first book this one was more challenging to stay engaged. A lot of the chemistry between desa and ransom was missing in this book. New characters were introduced and at the end it came together to make sense.

Masterpiece

Be ready to devour this audiobook and have your mind blown. The duet is incredible and took me to another realm full of mystery and wonder.