Shield of Sparrows (Shield of Sparrows, #1) by Devney Perry
Series: Shield of Sparrows #1
on May 6, 2025
Genres: Romantasy
Pages: 511
Format: Hardcover
Source: Bought
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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?

Read if you like:

• Romantasy
• Enemies to lovers
• Slow burn
• Forced proximity
• Fantastical creatures

My thoughts:

Shield of Sparrows, Devney Perry’s debut romantasy, had a lot going for it. I’m happy to say that the hype was well-earned. While not perfect, Shield of Sparrows was a solid entry into the romantasy genre for Devney Perry and a great start to what should be an addicting trilogy.

Let’s get my biggest complaint out of the way first. The pacing was off and the first half of the book dragged quite a bit. There was a lot of world building going on but not much else. It was a lot to take in and felt like an info dump at times. There were also times when it felt rather repetitive.

Now onto the things I loved, which were many.

I have always loved Devney Perry’s writing style and that is still the case with Shield of Sparrows. Her style translated really well to the romantasy genre. She has a way with words when it comes to describing people and places. In this case, I could so clearly visualize the characters, the towns, and the monsters.

She is also the queen of slow burn romances and she continues to hold that title. The longing and tension woven throughout every interaction between Odessa and our MMC was pure perfection. The banter between these two was fabulous and only added to their chemistry. While I did predict some of the twists regarding the romance, I don’t feel like that took away from my enjoyment of the story.

The plot has a lot of potential but I do feel like readers really only got a glimpse of it in this first book. Most of the time was spent building the setting, introducing the characters, and developing the romance. I loved the romance and the characters but the monsters are what captured my attention the most. Each monster is so unique and quite terrifying. I do feel like there might be more to their story than what we’ve seen so far though and I’m eager to see if any of my theories about them might be right.

I’m also very curious about the magic system in this world. It was only briefly touched on but, based on the ending, I think it will be a focal point in book two.

Overall, I could go on and on about Shield of Sparrows but instead I’ll tell you to go read it for yourself (and then impatiently wait for book two with me). I foresee Devney Perry making a name for herself in the romantasy genre.

TL;DR:

Devney Perry continues to impress me. Shield of Sparrows, her debut romantasy, has earned the hype surrounding it’s release. While the pacing was a little slower than I’d like, the romance, the characters, and the writing make up for it. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this one (except for that cliffhanger ending!)

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