Devney Perry’s ‘Rites of the Starling’ Tops Bestseller Lists as BookTok Booms

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Summary:

  • Romantasy author Devney Perry’s “Rites of the Starling” hits bestseller lists, part of BookTok’s impact on fiction readers.

  • Perry’s sequel debuts as a #1 New York Times bestseller with rave reviews, while BookTok continues to shape the industry.

  • BookTok’s influence on the publishing industry is undeniable, driving sales and growth, particularly in the romantasy genre.

Romantasy author Devney Perry has landed at the top of multiple bestseller lists with her newest novel, “Rites of the Starling,” as a swelling BookTok creator economy continues to dictate what fiction readers buy.

The 484-page sequel, published April 7 by Entangled Publishing’s Red Tower imprint, debuted as an instant #1 New York Times bestseller and currently holds a 4.6-star rating across more than 53,000 Goodreads reviews.

The series opener, “Shield of Sparrows,” published on May 6, 2025, also reclaimed the No. 1 spot on the USA Today Best-selling Booklist for the week ending April 15.

 

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Perry’s run sits inside a category the BookTok community has rebuilt from the ground up. As of 2026, the hashtag #BookTok has surpassed 370 billion views, with more than 50 million videos contributing to the conversation and discovery of books across genres.

The community is now entering its sixth year anniversary of its transformation of the publishing industry, with creator headcount and engagement still climbing rather than plateauing.

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In 2024 alone, BookTok content directly influenced 59 million print book sales in the United States, generating more than $760 million in revenue, according to Publishers Weekly. Books featured by BookTok creators experience average sales increases of up to 600%, while 45% of TikTok users say they have purchased a book after seeing it recommended by a creator.

Romantasy is the disproportionate winner. U.S. print romance sold about 51 million units over the last 12 months, and romance print sales were up 24% year to date in 2025, with some subcategories seeing over 150% year-over-year growth. PublishDrive data shows that romantasy titles featured prominently on BookTok regularly see sales spikes of 500-800% within days.

Top creators driving that velocity include Cassie (@cassiesbooktok) at 3.9 million followers, romance author Ana Huang (@authoranahuang) at 1.1 million, and speculative fiction reviewer Hina Sabatine, who reaches 1.1 million followers across genres.

A feature film adaptation of “Shield of Sparrows” is in development at Amazon MGM Studios. Derek Kolstad, architect of the action franchises John Wick and Nobody, is set to pen the script. Liz Pelletier, Publisher and CEO of Entangled Publishing, and Sherryl Clark, former President of Bad Robot, are attached to produce under their newly launched Premeditated banner. Perry and Kolstad will executive produce.

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