Rites of the Starling by Devney Perry (Review)

Title: Rites of the Starling
Author: Devney Perry
Type: Fiction
Genre: Adult, Romantasy
Publisher: Red Tower Books
Date published: April 7, 2026

A complimentary physical copy was kindly provided by Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review.

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.

⤖ My Review ⬻

Going into Rites of the Starling, I made sure to temper my expectations due to it being a sequel/middle book in a series and my past experience with those. I figured it wouldn’t be fair to set my expectations too high! But…I’m happy to share that I needn’t have worried! Rites of the Starling kept me engaged and guessing. There were some twists and events that I did not see coming and I absolutely love when that happens!

I was also happy to see more character development, while also getting to explore more of the countries on the Shield of Sparrows map. Now, I kind of regret going into the book with lower expectations, because I did spend a bit of the book dreading that it would let me down. But I’m only human, right?

One final note before I wrap things up: while I did read some of this title in the hardcover format, I did also listen to some parts via the audiobook due to my eyesight regressing again. The narrators were picked well for each character! All in all, very impressive for a sequel, and I can’t wait to see what the author will share with us next with Seven and the Swift next May!