Well this story took a turn I wasn't expecting! I have mixed feelings about Broken Dove. I can't say I loved it, but I'm intrigued by where this series is going. I've also been in a semi-reading slump, so I really needed simple writing and an interesting story. This book delivered on both.

This sequel picks up after Wren flees the Company just as the war between Mods and Primes heats up. The world expands a lot compared to the first book, especially as Wren gets more involved with the Uprising, and we get more politics and history along the way, which was all still easy to follow. All the important worldbuilding from book one is recapped here, so I didn't feel like a reread was necessary. My only nitpick is the handful of new Mod powers that show up with no real explanation. Silver Elite explained the powers as a fixed list of known abilities, so having totally new ones crop up to serve whatever was coming up in the plot here felt too convenient.

Speaking of plot, there really isn't much of it. Other than a few action scenes and some twists, the book is mostly filler and Wren learning more about the Uprising. So if you're hoping to get answers to some of the questions from book one, you'll have to continue waiting.

I loved the new cast of side characters too, though sometimes their behavior felt a little YA. I was swooning over Ford's loyalty to Wren, and I hope we see a lot more of him and the rest of the Uprising members in future books.

My biggest issue is the romance. A lot of the romantic tension felt forced, and I think that's because Wren had to become a different person from book one for it to work. She was more stubborn and obtuse, and she misread Cross in ways that didn't align with how their connection was described in the first book. Silver Elite emphasized how deeply they know each other's true selves, which is why Wren suddenly acting like Cross was a stranger with mysterious, potentially malicious intentions just didn't make sense. The communication issues don't help either, especially when these two are linked telepathically. The entire romance just felt like an about-face from everything that was set up in Silver Elite. Phew, I have so many more thoughts about this romance but I'll stop there.

I enjoyed this for what it was, and that cliffhanger ending pulled me back in at the last minute. This sequel won't be for everyone, but I'd recommend it if you love a true love triangle, you're new to romantasy, or you like dystopian-style politics and worldbuilding.

I have mixed feelings about Rites of the Starling, but overall, I really enjoyed it. While it's a huge step up from book one in a lot of ways, it took me forever to finish. Nothing about it was really pulling me in until pretty late into the book. But as a person who didn't love Shield of Sparrows, I am pleasantly surprised with the direction this book took the series.

The book is very slow paced. Some of the action picks up around halfway through but I don't think the plot really took off until around 80%. The story starts with Odessa trying to escape with Evie after the end of Shield of Sparrows and a lot of the events that follow feel random and unclear about what they were trying to accomplish. Most details do eventually click into place, but in the moment, it was hard to keep going when everything seemed unimportant or mundane. I'll admit that I regretted not paying more attention or making more highlights to refer back to because so many things ended up being clues for what was to come. So yes, I agree with all the other reviews that say the first half drags, but I do think the slow build was necessary to make the ending land as hard as it did.

Pacing aside, this book leveled up from Shield of Sparrows in almost every other way.

Caspia's POV took the series somewhere I wasn't expecting and added a layer of mystery that kept me engaged in her story. One of my favorite things in a multi-POV book is when separate storylines start to converge, and this is hands down one of the best examples of that I've read in a while. It's satisfying, and her story adds so much emotional depth to Odessa and the people around her. The map also expands through her chapters, which opens the door for deeper worldbuilding and history between the kingdoms. It got a little info-dumpy and confusing at times, but I loved how the small reveals throughout gradually made the stakes of the story clear by the end.

I also really appreciated Odessa's growth. In the first book, I felt she was helpless and a little obtuse. Here, she's strong, confident, and resilient, and that development felt gradual and earned.

On the romance front, I preferred reading about Andreas and Caspia over Ransom and Odessa's relationship. They just had so much chemistry and Andreas was a charming, swoonworthy MMC. Ransom and Odessa's scenes felt weirdly templated and lacked the chemistry from book one.

After the first book, I was unsure if I was going to read Rites of the Starling, but I am so glad I did. I recommend this book for readers who love slower-paced stories where the puzzle pieces gradually click together, or anyone who loves dual POVs and converging storylines. Skip if you're looking for something fast-paced or action-packed from page one.