Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry

This was a fun, well-rounded read. It had unique elements, a exciting world, and overall it was a really good time. While I do have some moderate gripes, it gave me enough to stay invested and I’d definitely recommend it.

I like that the FMC doesn’t wake up chosen by the gods and wielding unspeakable power by page 37. She’s soft, but she's got grit. She’s real and not interested in proving herself through sheer brute force. When she does pick up a sword, it’s not to become the next legendary warrior, but because she's growing as a character. She feels grounded in a way that a lot of fantasy heroines don’t, and that was genuinely refreshing.

That said, this book is 660 pages long. And buddy, you feel every one of them. The pacing struggles, especially in the first half, where there’s a lot of walking and talking and describing every detail of every dagger and trunk and tattoo. It’s not info-dumpy, but it is very extra. Things don’t really pop off until the last quarter, and by then I was begging the plot to do something deeper. So while I was engaged, I couldn’t shake the feeling that a tighter edit would’ve made the emotional beats land harder.

I love a good twist, however, it was so heavy-handed I guessed it in chapter two. I kept hoping it would zag last minute, but alas, it zigged... hard... straight into predictability. There were still some fun turns that I didn't see, but the major ones were very obvious quite early on. 

And I hate to be that person, but when the MC's name was finally revealed, it was an immediate attraction killer for me. I hated it. Full stop. A personal ick for sure, but it was a sharp pivot from intrigue to cringe.

Personal icks aside, this book still pulled me in. The writing is engaging, the world feels lived in, and there are enough breadcrumbs to keep you flipping pages.  I had a good time. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a slower fantasy romance that leans character-focused with just enough magic to keep things interesting. It didn’t blow me away, but it absolutely held my attention. And sometimes, that’s enough.