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Shield of Sparrows [Dramatized Adaptation] #2, Part 1
Rites of the Starling (Part 1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation]
RITES OF THE STARLING is the epic, heart-pounding sequel to Devney Perry’s #1 New York Times bestselling SHIELD OF SPARROWS. 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, 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.
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, 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.
8 pages, Audiobook
Published July 7, 2026
About the author
Devney Perry
95 books34.3k followersDevney is a #1 Amazon, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of over forty romance novels. After working in the technology industry for a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to pursue her passion for writing. She was born and raised in Montana and now lives in Washington with her husband and two sons.”
Visit Devney's website to sign up for her newsletters and learn more about upcoming books.
www.devneyperry.com
Visit Devney's website to sign up for her newsletters and learn more about upcoming books.
www.devneyperry.com
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Review of advance copy
*Thank you, Graphic Audio. I received an advance review copy for free & I am leaving this review voluntarily of my own opinions*
So, I was pretty excited to be able to listen to this installment of the 1st half of the 2nd book in the series, but I admit I immediately ran into one major issue which was the fact we went from the 1st book where it was told all from Odessa's pov, so I was extremely confused when a chapter started with a girl that sounded sort of similar to Odessa but yet wasn't Odessa. I didn't realize there would be multiple pov's (mostly just dual pov going back & forth) & that a whole new character would randomly pop up out of nowhere. I struggled to get into Caspia's chapters because I was mostly confused what the point of her being introduced without any context was. I agree with some of the other reviews that also point out that just having the 1st half of the 2nd book made it also maybe lose some of that excitement & energy we got from the 1st book. I especially think that as I felt like I was reading the 1st book in a series all over again of simply just trying to get a grasp on the characters introduced throughout & the different world building we have to learn about. I do think the 2nd half of this book will be much more exciting & just like with the 1st book, the 2nd half is when we start actually getting answers & get a better picture of what's all happening, along with the real action & excitement that the 1st half lacks.
Regardless of all that though, I know that if it wasn't for Graphic Audio I would've never been able to enjoy this 1st installment of the 2nd book & be able to continue listening to it despite the small issues I had mentioned above. There's just something about the actors, music/sound effects, & all the hard work that goes into producing this book that brings it all alive for us & for me personally makes it extremely more enjoyable to listen to when I might not have enjoyed it anywhere as much in a different format. So, I definitely give Graphic Audio 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & I give the book itself 4 stars 🌟⭐⭐⭐ only because I'm hoping the 2nd half of this book will make up for everything that was lacking in this 1st half like what happened with the 1st book.
So, I was pretty excited to be able to listen to this installment of the 1st half of the 2nd book in the series, but I admit I immediately ran into one major issue which was the fact we went from the 1st book where it was told all from Odessa's pov, so I was extremely confused when a chapter started with a girl that sounded sort of similar to Odessa but yet wasn't Odessa. I didn't realize there would be multiple pov's (mostly just dual pov going back & forth) & that a whole new character would randomly pop up out of nowhere. I struggled to get into Caspia's chapters because I was mostly confused what the point of her being introduced without any context was. I agree with some of the other reviews that also point out that just having the 1st half of the 2nd book made it also maybe lose some of that excitement & energy we got from the 1st book. I especially think that as I felt like I was reading the 1st book in a series all over again of simply just trying to get a grasp on the characters introduced throughout & the different world building we have to learn about. I do think the 2nd half of this book will be much more exciting & just like with the 1st book, the 2nd half is when we start actually getting answers & get a better picture of what's all happening, along with the real action & excitement that the 1st half lacks.
Regardless of all that though, I know that if it wasn't for Graphic Audio I would've never been able to enjoy this 1st installment of the 2nd book & be able to continue listening to it despite the small issues I had mentioned above. There's just something about the actors, music/sound effects, & all the hard work that goes into producing this book that brings it all alive for us & for me personally makes it extremely more enjoyable to listen to when I might not have enjoyed it anywhere as much in a different format. So, I definitely give Graphic Audio 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & I give the book itself 4 stars 🌟⭐⭐⭐ only because I'm hoping the 2nd half of this book will make up for everything that was lacking in this 1st half like what happened with the 1st book.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
(Advance listener copy provided in exchange for honest feedback. All opinions are my own.)
Story Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Production Rating: ★★★★☆
This review may contain light spoilers for Book 2 Part 1. I also want to preface this review that I have not read the entirety of Book 2 and have no idea how it will end, so this review is based solely on Part 1.
I went into this installment VERY excited because I absolutely LOVED Book 1, in which I quickly became attached to our leads: Odessa and Ransom. I loved their dynamic and was fully invested in the mystery of the Lyssa plague and the looming threat of the Crux. Because my expectations were very specific, this ended up being a difficult review to write.
Instead of continuing the momentum from Book 1, we loose Ransom off-screen right away, and Odessa’s storyline becomes much more travel-and-encounter based, centered around prophecy fragments, smaller episodic moments, and a barrage of briefly appearing new characters who may become important later(?) I can see how some of these moments may come together in Part 2, but in this installment I struggled to feel any sense of urgency. My emotional issue throughout most of the book can be summarized as: “I know this new direction is happening, but I am still waiting for Ransom and Odessa to team up and get on with saving the world.”
Because yes—my biggest surprise was how little Ransom appears in this installment. Listeners who were invested in Odessa and Ransom as a couple should know that this book shifts focus heavily toward world expansion and new character threads. At several points I found myself thinking: “This is fine… but where is Ransom?”
New female lead Caspia’s storyline adds worldbuilding, prophetic visions, shapeshifting, and most importantly; fills out more of the mythology of the Crux. I understood why she connected with new male lead Andreas—he is kind, capable, and totally has the strong “handsome woodsman who will carry you through” energy. That said, I personally struggled with the author's sudden expectation of: “Please become deeply invested in this new romance immediately,” while I was still looking around thinking, “Yes, yes, but have you seen a silver-eyed man anywhere?”
Additionally, aside from a few hints about his past, Andreas didn’t yet feel like a character I could be deeply invested in at this stage. So while he is fine, my heart was still grieving the interruption of the romance I signed up for. There were also a few moments—particularly involving Andreas’s isolated cabin with seemingly endless supplies (I believe he mentions that he hasnt been to town since he was a boy?), and Caspia’s incredibly rapid acquisition of language skills and lack of any sort of accent—that required more suspension of disbelief for me personally. These things made it harder for me to fully settle into certain parts of the story or connect with these new main characters.
That said, GraphicAudio’s production remains top notch. The performances for (most) characters, music, and sound design were consistently strong and kept me engaged even when I wasn’t fully connecting with the story direction.
Overall, this was a mixed experience for me. Not because I think it fails as a setup, but because I personally missed the urgency and emotional thread that made Book 1 so compelling. I really wanted to love this book, and despite my low rating of this installment, I will definitely purchase Part 2, and I’m hoping Part 1 feels stronger once I can see how all the threads come together. I would have enjoyed this more as a single installment for the entirety of Book 2. Part 1 felt very much like the chore of setting up dominoes—and I suspect Part 2 is where someone finally gets to knock them over. Thank you, Graphic Audio, for the chance to review this book!
Story Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Production Rating: ★★★★☆
This review may contain light spoilers for Book 2 Part 1. I also want to preface this review that I have not read the entirety of Book 2 and have no idea how it will end, so this review is based solely on Part 1.
I went into this installment VERY excited because I absolutely LOVED Book 1, in which I quickly became attached to our leads: Odessa and Ransom. I loved their dynamic and was fully invested in the mystery of the Lyssa plague and the looming threat of the Crux. Because my expectations were very specific, this ended up being a difficult review to write.
Instead of continuing the momentum from Book 1, we loose Ransom off-screen right away, and Odessa’s storyline becomes much more travel-and-encounter based, centered around prophecy fragments, smaller episodic moments, and a barrage of briefly appearing new characters who may become important later(?) I can see how some of these moments may come together in Part 2, but in this installment I struggled to feel any sense of urgency. My emotional issue throughout most of the book can be summarized as: “I know this new direction is happening, but I am still waiting for Ransom and Odessa to team up and get on with saving the world.”
Because yes—my biggest surprise was how little Ransom appears in this installment. Listeners who were invested in Odessa and Ransom as a couple should know that this book shifts focus heavily toward world expansion and new character threads. At several points I found myself thinking: “This is fine… but where is Ransom?”
New female lead Caspia’s storyline adds worldbuilding, prophetic visions, shapeshifting, and most importantly; fills out more of the mythology of the Crux. I understood why she connected with new male lead Andreas—he is kind, capable, and totally has the strong “handsome woodsman who will carry you through” energy. That said, I personally struggled with the author's sudden expectation of: “Please become deeply invested in this new romance immediately,” while I was still looking around thinking, “Yes, yes, but have you seen a silver-eyed man anywhere?”
Additionally, aside from a few hints about his past, Andreas didn’t yet feel like a character I could be deeply invested in at this stage. So while he is fine, my heart was still grieving the interruption of the romance I signed up for. There were also a few moments—particularly involving Andreas’s isolated cabin with seemingly endless supplies (I believe he mentions that he hasnt been to town since he was a boy?), and Caspia’s incredibly rapid acquisition of language skills and lack of any sort of accent—that required more suspension of disbelief for me personally. These things made it harder for me to fully settle into certain parts of the story or connect with these new main characters.
That said, GraphicAudio’s production remains top notch. The performances for (most) characters, music, and sound design were consistently strong and kept me engaged even when I wasn’t fully connecting with the story direction.
Overall, this was a mixed experience for me. Not because I think it fails as a setup, but because I personally missed the urgency and emotional thread that made Book 1 so compelling. I really wanted to love this book, and despite my low rating of this installment, I will definitely purchase Part 2, and I’m hoping Part 1 feels stronger once I can see how all the threads come together. I would have enjoyed this more as a single installment for the entirety of Book 2. Part 1 felt very much like the chore of setting up dominoes—and I suspect Part 2 is where someone finally gets to knock them over. Thank you, Graphic Audio, for the chance to review this book!
August 2, 2026
DNF at 1.5h into the book.
The VA cast is fantastic! This rating is in no shape or form a reflection on their performance.
The narrative structure of the book ruins this for me. Introducing a new major character out of the blue and having her become very prominent to the point it takes away from the FMC and MMC which I care about (unlike the new character). The long chapters of this character where nothing of substances happens and instead we're just stuck in her stream of consciousness when we could he following Odessa and Ransom? No thank you.
Book 1 was nice but it wasn't nice enough to make me go through these trenches.
The VA cast is fantastic! This rating is in no shape or form a reflection on their performance.
The narrative structure of the book ruins this for me. Introducing a new major character out of the blue and having her become very prominent to the point it takes away from the FMC and MMC which I care about (unlike the new character). The long chapters of this character where nothing of substances happens and instead we're just stuck in her stream of consciousness when we could he following Odessa and Ransom? No thank you.
Book 1 was nice but it wasn't nice enough to make me go through these trenches.
July 23, 2026
Wow this book was even better than the first. I got a little lost in the plot, but it was so well done. I loved the duel perspectives of Caspia and Odessa and the ending almost had me in tears. The parallels between Caspia and Odessa were so clear and when it all finally clicked I was GAGGED. I can’t wait for the third book!
Review of advance copy
OMGoodness this was so good!!! I loved the first book and immediately knew I had to find the second. I am now anxiously awaiting the third. I loved every aspect of this, the characters are amazing and I can’t wait to see everything play out.
July 21, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
I previously read the book a little while ago, but wanted to experience the Graphic Audio version. It was fun to have the characters brought to life in this way. Its still fuck Margo and Odessa daddy tho.
I previously read the book a little while ago, but wanted to experience the Graphic Audio version. It was fun to have the characters brought to life in this way. Its still fuck Margo and Odessa daddy tho.
Review of advance copy
I got a copy from my Libby account. It was so good. Even better than the first! Loved!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Please stop writing nonsense
Read
June 6, 2026Loved this very much!!!! must read.
Review of advance copy
The last quarter of this book was good, but the rest was just ok. I wish the FMC was stronger and less “damsel in distress”
July 9, 2026
Slowing down quite a bit but will finish last 1/2
July 22, 2026
Enjoyed this first half. Bummed the second part of the graphic audio is not available yet!
July 22, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
Took me a while to understand why we were spending so much time with another character but the reveal at the end of this part was wild
Took me a while to understand why we were spending so much time with another character but the reveal at the end of this part was wild
August 3, 2026
I’m half way through this and I might not finish it. It’s so far just about her traveling. Sooooooo I’m losing interest fast.
August 4, 2026
3.5 / 3.75 ⭐
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews