Rites of the Starling by Devney Perry | Audiobook Review • Ana's Attic Book Blog

Rites of the Starling (Shield of Sparrows 2) by Devney Perry

Duet Narration by Jason Clarke, Samantha Brentmoor and Megan Wicks

Fantasy Romance. Book 2 in a series. Does not stand alone.

I’m not a huge fantasy reader, but these books are gorgeous, and since I love Devney Perry’s contemporary romances, I decided to give this series a try. I really enjoyed Shield of Sparrows last year, but my memory is awful, so I ended up doing a marathon listen and re-listened to book one before jumping right into Rites of the Starling. I’m so glad I did. At the same time, I kind of wish I had waited until all three books were out because book three doesn’t release until March 2027, and I’m not sure I can handle another 40-hour binge re-listen before then. Plus that ending? I need the next book immediately.

On my reread of book one, I fell even more in love with Odessa and Ransom, and of course “little star,” Evie, and their new pet monster, Faze. Rites of the Starling picks up right where Shield of Sparrows ended, and the first half was a little rough for me. Ransom and Odessa are separated, and Odessa is traveling across Calandra with Evie and Faze, encountering terrifying monsters and sometimes even scarier people. But with every stop came new clues about what is really happening in this world.

At the same time, we get an entirely new storyline with new characters, Caspia and Andreas. Their romance almost felt like reading a second book set in the same world, and it takes more than half the story before you really start to understand how the two storylines intertwine. I didn’t connect with Caspia and Andreas quite as much as I did Odessa and Ransom, so the first half felt like it was missing that all-consuming, heart-melting romance I was craving. Even so, I was completely hooked, trying to piece together how all these threads would eventually come together.

Then the second half hit and WOW. I was absolutely bawling for multiple reasons. Once everything started falling into place, I wanted to go back and re-read the entire book knowing what I know now. There are still some things that left me confused, but I’m assuming book three will clear a lot of that up. I just hope I can retain most of this worldbuilding for another year.

During the first half, I’ll admit I got a little frustrated whenever Caspia’s chapters interrupted Odessa’s storyline, but I had a small theory about why Devney structured it that way, and thankfully I was right. I’m really glad I paid attention to every detail because once everything aligned, it clicked beautifully into place.

The Narration:

The narration was really well done. For parts of the book, I did an immersive read while listening along, and all three narrators elevated the experience. I did notice a few pronunciation inconsistencies where names or terms were said differently at times, even by the same narrator. And while Samantha Brentmoor is one of my favorite narrators, I personally prefer her in contemporary romance. For some reason, she just doesn’t have a “fantasy” voice to me. That said, I loved how distinct the two female narrators sounded from each other because I always instantly knew whose POV I was in.

I usually do Likes and Dislikes here, but I think that would get way too spoilery, so I’ll just jump right to my quick Down & Dirty.

The Down & Dirty:

The first half of Rites of the Starling dragged for me a bit, and I started worrying it might fall into second-book syndrome territory. But the second half completely turned things around and left me desperate for book three. Devney Perry’s worldbuilding is incredibly immersive, and she does such a great job planting small clues that lead to much bigger reveals later on. This book definitely moved the overall story forward in a major way, and now I’m counting down the days until the finale.