QUICK LINKS: Rites of the Starling Recap by Chapter P–8 | 9–20 | 21–30 | 41–51 | 52–59 | 60–64 // Shield of Sparrows Book 1 Summary
Rites of the Starling Chapters 31–40 Summary
This chapter-by-chapter summary of Rites of the Starling by Devney Perry contains spoilers.
Rites of the Starling Chapter 31
Caspia has been struggling since her magical thrum returned. She has lost her appetite, her hands won’t stop shaking, and she catches herself scratching grooves into the wooden furniture. After Andreas and Kos leave for the library, Caspia looks out at the harbor and spots a ship that matches one from her visions.
She heads to the docks and finds the boat, named the Malynn. Caspia questions the captain about his longest voyage, but his answer confirms the ship cannot travel far enough to cross the Marixmore. Caspia leaves feeling unsettled and confused about why she saw this ship in her future.
Walking through the city, a man hands Caspia a newspaper with a lead story about Andreas. Whatever the article says leaves her stunned. She wanders off in a daze and ends up in a neighborhood destroyed during a previous migration and never repaired.
There, Caspia encounters an older woman named Hali, someone Caspia recognized from a vision involving a strange green liquid and a hidden agreement. Hali tries to offer help, but Caspia refuses. Alone among the wreckage, Caspia feels the vibration in her chest intensify. She whispers a plea for more time and tosses her ruined slippers into the rubble as a quiet acknowledgment of the fate she knows is coming.
Rites of the Starling Chapter 32
Odessa, Ransom, and Evie arrive in Roslo Bay alongside Brother Dime. The trip ended sooner than expected because the Voster manipulated the winds and waves with his magic. The sudden arrival leaves Odessa anxious, unprepared for the confrontation with her father.
At the castle gates, the guards don’t recognize Odessa. Her appearance has changed, and her simple clothing makes her look like a commoner. When they try to turn Odessa away, Ransom steps in. He openly wears his silver crown and identifies Odessa as the future queen of Turah. The guards are shocked and escort the group inside.
The group enters the throne room during a lavish party. The guests recognize Ransom as the legendary Guardian, and the king dismisses everyone from the hall. Once the room clears, the king deliberately ignores Odessa and greets Brother Dime instead.
Odessa refuses to let the slight go unnoticed. She interrupts the king and introduces the Mavins, who protected her during the journey. Odessa demands that her father pay them twelve thousand zillahs before morning. The king tries to patronize Odessa, but she stands her ground. Ransom ends the exchange by formally introducing Odessa to her father as his wife and queen.
Rites of the Starling Chapter 33
Caspia returns home to find Andreas sitting with Kos, showing Kos how to sketch. Andreas notices Caspia’s distress and draws a bath to help her relax. The peace doesn’t last. Caspia pulls out the crumpled newspaper and confronts Andreas. The article reveals Andreas is engaged to another woman in a political arrangement set for the winter solstice. Andreas isn’t shocked to see it.
When Caspia asks if he loves his fiancée, Andreas insists he doesn’t and says he’s searching for a way to break the agreement. Caspia is hurt that he didn’t tell her himself, and Andreas admits he should’ve been honest from the start.
Despite the painful revelation, Caspia and Andreas choose to spend the night together. Afterward, Caspia cries for the future she thought they might have. Andreas holds Caspia and apologizes until she falls asleep. Later, Caspia wakes and goes to the balcony, where she watches the white‑sailed ship docked in the harbor below.
Rites of the Starling Chapter 34
Odessa notices her father put their party in the west wing, far from the royal family and important guests. It feels deliberate. After Evie falls asleep, Odessa joins Ransom at the window.
She tells him it felt suspicious that her father showed no surprise upon learning Ransom’s true identity. Ransom argues the king is probably just skilled at hiding his feelings.
Odessa and Ransom discuss the growing crisis. King Ramsey hasn’t warned neighboring kingdoms about the migration, which means thousands will likely be caught off guard. Odessa is also troubled that her father seems unaware of the crux scout and that the nobles were celebrating instead of preparing for an attack.
Ransom then admits something he’s been holding back. He isn’t convinced the monster they encountered was actually a scout. A true migration would’ve brought other creatures with it, which means they may have more time than they thought.
Determined, Ransom plans to head to Allesaria to confront his father and end the Lyssa experiments. Ransom tries to convince Odessa to stay behind in Perris, but she refuses. They agree to finish the conversation in the morning.
Rites of the Starling Chapter 35
Caspia has been in a dark place for eleven days since finding out about the betrothal. She spends almost all her time at the castle library searching for a way back to her continent with little success. She and Andreas have grown cold and barely spoken.
One morning, Andreas brings Caspia a message from Faxon, saying he has found someone who might be able to help. Andreas warns Caspia not to be frightened by the man’s appearance before leading her to the library.
Caspia and Andreas find Kos there, watching books glide through the air on their own. A priest in deep red robes then walks out from between the shelves. The moment the priest comes into view, a wave of intense heat and pain moves through Caspia’s body.
Andreas introduces the priest as Brother Nold. Caspia recognizes Brother Nold as a member of the Velvi’os-telfer, a race that people in Kenn believe to be a myth because the Beesans tried to destroy them long ago. Caspia cannot understand how one of the Velvi’os‑telfer survived and ended up in Calandra.
The agony becomes too much, and Caspia starts to fall. Brother Nold reaches Caspia before Andreas can, and the moment Brother Nold touches her, Caspia screams and loses consciousness.
Rites of the Starling Chapter 36
Odessa is jolted awake by Evie’s screams. Mae has broken into the suite to steal Faze, but Evie bit her on the leg to protect the pet. Odessa defuses the situation right before a servant arrives to take Odessa, Evie, and Ransom to breakfast with the queen.
Breakfast with Odessa’s stepmother Margot is formal and cold. Through the window, Odessa spots her younger brother Arthy in the garden with a colorful kite and a black puppy he names Titus. Both match descriptions from Luella’s journal perfectly, and the sight shakes Odessa.
General Hawksley then tells Odessa she has to see her father alone. Before that, Odessa has a brief but emotional reunion with Arthy and her former nursemaid Nathalia.
The king gets straight to the point and asks if Odessa found the hidden road to Allesaria. Odessa says no, warns the king about the crux scout and the coming migration, and asks for access to the royal healers to work on a cure for the Lyssa plague.
Odessa’s father agrees to grant access to the healers, but he refuses to explain why he wanted Ransom dead or how Allesaria is meant to stop the migration. When Odessa presses further, her father tells her flat out that he’ll never trust her with the full story.
Rites of the Starling Chapter 37
Caspia collapses in the library and wakes to Andreas arguing with Brother Nold. Andreas blames the priest for Caspia’s condition, but Brother Nold denies responsibility. Caspia tells Andreas that the priest’s magic causes her physical agony and asks Andreas to keep Brother Nold at a distance.
She still needs answers, though. Faxon solves this with the library’s layout, putting Caspia and Andreas on one balcony and the priest on the opposite side. The distance makes the pain bearable.
The Voster fled to Calandra centuries ago during conflicts in Kenn, making the crossing only because three Starling ancestors guided them. Two were permanently trapped in their animal forms, while the third escaped as a bird. Caspia concludes this tragedy likely sparked the laws back home banning travel to Calandra, and she believes those ancestors also redirected the crux migration to this continent.
Brother Nold confirms the crux had no presence in Calandra before the Voster arrived. He explains that Caspia’s suffering comes from being a Starling in a place her kind was never meant to go. He warns her to leave, then disappears into the library. Caspia watches him go, certain she will never see him again.
Rites of the Starling Chapter 38
Caspia wakes from a haunting vision in which she turns into a beast and slaughters everyone around her, even Andreas, despite his pleas for mercy. The vision convinces Caspia that staying in Calandra puts Andreas in danger, so she decides to leave. Andreas finds her on the balcony and knows she is ready to say goodbye. He tells Caspia that a ship in the harbor belongs to his family and that the captain can be trusted to get her home safely.
That night, Caspia and Andreas share one final moment together. Before sunrise, she slips away, leaves a goodbye note for Kos, and takes Andreas’s coat to keep something of him close. At the docks, the captain agrees to sail for her home continent, but the ritus has gone silent. Without the ritus, Caspia cannot navigate the ocean and cannot bring herself to board.
Andreas arrives just as Caspia stands frozen. He begs her not to leave and says the obstacles between them no longer matter. Caspia agrees to stay and vows to remain by his side for the rest of her life.
Rites of the Starling Chapter 39
Odessa retreats to her favorite cliffside after a frustrating meeting with her father. Ransom finds her, and Odessa tells him she wants to head to Perris before the migration begins.
Ransom brings some relief with a letter from Cathlin confirming that Zavier survived the battle and is traveling to Quentis with Cathlin to reunite with Evie. Odessa and Ransom decide to wait, though the journey will take about a week.
Odessa persuades Ransom to let her work with the royal healers on a cure for the Lyssa plague. Ransom is skeptical but gives Odessa a blood sample. They agree to tell the healers the sample came from a diseased creature to protect Ransom’s secret.
In the infirmary, the previous head healer is gone, and Odessa meets Alore, a talented healer from Laine who matches a description in Luella’s journal. Odessa trusts Alore enough to share everything about the infection, Ransom’s condition, and King Ramsey’s failed experiments. She then leaves Alore with the blood sample and the journals.
On her way back, Odessa stops in a gallery of crux art. Brother Dime finds her and tells her that magic is a balance between a person’s purpose and the results of their actions. He says she should stay in Quentis and hints that the gallery holds the answers she’s looking for.
Rites of the Starling Chapter 40
Eight days have passed since the Malynn sailed without Caspia. Andreas has been caught up in castle meetings, leaving Caspia with plenty of time to work alone in the library.
Caspia has decided to start a journal to document her world and culture for any future Starlings in Calandra, so they know their origins and what to expect on this continent.
Faxon brings a stack of books on Calandran history and past migrations. One called Sonnet’s Ninety tells of a gladiator who survived a migration by pacifying the crux with stories. After they discuss the books, Faxon asks for Caspia’s blessing to adopt Kos. Caspia gives it immediately.
While sorting through the material, Caspia cuts her finger on a page and freezes. Her blood runs dark green. The magic of Calandra is changing her physically, and she wonders if the same transformation once happened to the Voster when they arrived from Kenn.
Andreas stops by for a quick visit, and he and Caspia agree to go through the books together that evening. Shortly after, Kos comes running in, swallowed up by a librarian’s robe made for an adult.