Shield of Sparrows

I didn't quite know what to expect when I picked up Shield of Sparrows. There are plenty of romantasy titles out there, and it's hard for a new series to be anything but familiar. This book, however, drew me in much quicker than I anticipated. I didn't want to stop reading from the first chapters as the political tension, dangerous magic and main character who clearly had no idea how much her life was about to change was very difficult to put down. When Odessa is coerced into a marriage she didn't want and sent to a kingdom that she barely understands, I was already so into where the story was going.

One of the things I enjoyed was the gradual opening of the world rather than all at once. You're informed about the kingdoms, the monsters, the history and the rules at the same speed as Odessa, making it more natural. The overall atmosphere is quite big and threatening, and something worse is always lurking just around the corner. I also found Odessa to be more enjoyable than I anticipated. She is the usual neglected princess at the beginning but believably develops as she is put into a situation beyond her control. She messes up, she gets angry, she doubts herself and she feels real, not perfect. The Guardian was another that was good for me. His romance with Odessa is a slow-burn that's right up there with actually earned. They don't have instant love, but instead argue, mistrust and have little moments that add to their tension, and that made all their scenes together more interesting.

The pacing was pretty good for me, particularly in the first half (until the end of the book) as the story continues to move forward with new locations, new issues, and new secrets. The middle does drag a bit and there are moments that seem to be the plot going round the same questions without providing answers yet. Even the slower sections never made me want to give up on the book, as I was curious about what was really going on and the characters. The final section of the book takes the other direction, and quickly gets intense, with twist after twist, reveal after reveal, and chaos after chaos. It was exciting but it seemed a little hurried in contrast to the meticulous way that the story is developed earlier.

I think it's the emotional aspect of the book by the end that really hit me. It begins as a political romance with a dash of political fantasy, but slowly evolves into something more, with more at stake, darker truths and real decisions to make. Some of the parts were predictable (in the romantasy sense of the word) and some of the times it was possible to predict where the story may be heading, but there were still enough surprises to keep it entertaining. Well, that conclusion certainly did the trick. I was a bit taken aback, a bit mad in a good way, and a bit curious as to what's next.

The conclusion was that I really enjoyed Shield of Sparrows. It doesn't quite revolutionize the genre, but it's a fun, well-drawn and twisty enough tale to keep things interesting. Some pacing and a couple of other issues, but for me the emotional pay off, the romance and the world building was worth it. It's a first book that you want to read the sequel to. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.