Shielded is the debut novel of author KayLynn Flanders. It follows warrior Princess Jennesara of Hálendi on her quest to save not just her family, but the world. Informed that she is betrothed in order to save her kingdom from a magic battle on their border, Jennesara is whisked off on her first dangerous adventure outside of the palace walls. Shielded would make a great experience for children first delving into fantasy novels, but as an adult reading the novel, it is glaringly uncomplicated.

Princess Jennesara would certainly be a great role model for children reading this book. She has a good head on her shoulders, is loyal, determined, capable at protecting herself, but also a bit of a black sheep in her home of Hálendi. Jennesara is a relatable, but familiar character, who feels more comfortable in a training ground than at court, with her first crush on her older brother’s best friend, her love of libraries, and her longing to experience the world outside the palace walls. It is on her first journey outside of these walls, that the princess will learn more about herself and her mysterious magic.

“As far as I could tell, that was the extent of my magic--a one-way glimpse into their emotions. Nothing that could lend me an edge in battle.”

The descriptions of magic, while feeling tropey to me, will undoubtedly capture the imagination of children. Jennesara is adorned with a white streak of hair, signaling she has magic. But she must keep her powers and her white streak hidden, for legends of Hálendi tell of a sister who inherited magic and tried to kill her older brother, and tore the kingdom apart in her quest for the throne. Plagued by this superstition, Jennesara braids her hair on her own, something that disgusts the court ladies, and only speaks of her magical powers--what she calls “tethers” to those to whom she is closest--to her older brother, Ren. It is not until Jennesara is attacked in route to the kingdom of Turia, where her betrothed resides, that she learns there is more to her magic than she ever thought.

Though Shielded does a fairly good job at fleshing out Jennesara, albeit into a recognizable heroine, the rest of the cast of characters suffer from an exaggerated niceness. Every character Jennesara meets, except for the blatantly evil Mages and their Shades, are happy to help her. People without much food or resources take her in. No one tries to steal from the Princess-in-disguise, even though she has an expensive looking sword, ring, boots, and uniform. Heck, even the magic forest she encounters wants to help her so bad that it doesn’t want her to leave!


“[We] both carried secrets. Too many secrets. And there was a war between our people, but we had fought the shadowmen like we’d trained together for years.”

And of course, the Prince of Turia comes to her rescue after she steals his horse, and instantly falls in love with her, even though he doesn’t realize Jennesara is actually his betrothed in disguise. Similarly, his entire family welcomes her with open arms, trusting her with guarding the Princesses, even though at the point in time the kingdom of Turia was at war with Hálendi due to the grossly exaggerated rumors of Jennesara’s murder. I think even Shielded itself realizes the absurdity of their acceptance of Jennesara, because it even tries to explain why everyone--down to the servants of the Palace that she doesn’t even interact with--like her at one point:

“‘You’ve earned their favor,’ Chiara murmured. ‘For saving me’
I tilted my head. ‘Oh.’ I’d never in my life been respected by servants. They must really admire Chiara for me to be so quickly accepted.”

This constant niceness makes it very hard to picture any of these events happening or for other events to seem like they would ever be a problem in the first place. I had to roll my eyes at the contrived conflict standing in the way of Jennesara and Prince Enzo of Turia’s love, because I knew, like everything else in Shielded, it would work out perfectly. I was never able to feel any urgency at anything happening in the novel, because everything was a pretty common trope--there was a wise old healing woman, a master-at-arms who had never fallen in battle, a desirable heir to the throne, beautiful, kind-hearted princesses in need of protection and suitors, etc.,--and had a way of working out for the best, almost like a sitcom. It doesn’t help these matters that the novel’s pacing is extremely fast, so it seems like there is no way anything could be happening as quickly as it does, whether it’s Jennesara’s arrival in Turia, her fitting in with the royal family, or her mastery of her new magic.

As a result of the familiar characterization and how fast everything moves, twists were easy to see coming. Those with evil intentions are easily recognized as evil, either creeping out Jennesara by their behavior, or with their stereotypically evil poisonous black blades, shades, scary clothing, monologues, and abilities. For instance, the evil mages seem to be blatantly color coordinated by hair, clothing, and power levels. With the gray mage predictably weaker than the fearsome black mage, the red mage named for her fiery hair and being covered in blood, and the brown mage being the student to the gray mage.

“Last, there was Gray Mage. The most cunning of all mages of that time, save only the Black Mage, and notoriously slippery. His was the only name mentioned in the text: Graymere. He rode a gray stallion and was known for his shade mages--echoes, elements of his energy who wielded black swords and did his bidding."


For younger readers, this will definitely help to keep all of the evil villains straight. For an adult, spelling it out in this manner was completely unnecessary. The fact that Jennesara hadn’t even encountered the Red Mage, but was able to read about all of her abilities in a book in the library completely spoiled the surprise. Instead of Jennesara finding a worthy female opponent in battle at last and discovering why she is so dangerous first-hand, reading it in a book is severely anti-climatic.

The one part of Shielded that I found to be somewhat obscure or layered was the magical lore. It’s clear that the author put a lot of work into her ideas surrounding the magic of her lands. I especially loved the idea of a lost library, complete with dangerous magical artifacts and knowledge existing somewhere for the taking. When reading about Jennesara hunting for clues to reach the Library before the evil mages, I was at my most intrigued. Unfortunately, this Library was never reached in this novel.

Though I found Shielded to be pretty bland and limited to archetypes overall, there were a lot of phrases in the novel that I found to be a little too original and quite distracting. Some of these phrases include “the air tasted like a soup of tranquility and dust,” and “her voice quieted like the breath before a scream,” as well as “Now that I’d left the Wild, the absence of its magic left me stretched thin, like a worn-out sweater,” and “He tasted like a fresh apple, still warm from the tree.” These types of phrases and their weird metaphors jolted me right out of Shielded, and often forced me to reread. I can’t possibly imagine drinking a soup of tranquility and dust or someone tasting like a warm apple that was not baked in the oven, but freshly picked from the tree, or a person knowing what a sweater was in this type of fantasy novel.

I really wanted to enjoy Shielded for its strong warrior-princess heroine and the interesting magic system and lore, however, I truly believe it was not meant for adult, or even young adult readers. While I was hoping for an experience similar to that of reading Tamora Pierce or Robin McKinley--novels I cherished as both a child and an adult--Shielded does not have the same levels of subtlety and originality, in both storytelling and characterization. I would definitely recommend Shielded to very young readers, such as those in elementary school, who have an interest in fantasy novels.

Shielded follows Jennesara, princess and magical heir who is betrothed to a prince she does not know. Jenna agrees to go in order to help her land, her brother, and to hide the magic that she is not supposed to have. While on her way to her new home, her party is ambushed and through a series of events, she escapes. Jenna finally makes it to her new land but everyone is now at war, she has to hide who she is, and the soldier who found her is not who she thinks he is.

The book was fine. I liked a lot of it even if I struggled through some parts. The beginning was fast paced and I loved the relationship between Jenna and her brother as well as Jenna and her father. Jenna might be a princess but she trains with the guards and loves every second of it. I love this about her so Jenna is ok by me. I struggled in the middle with everything that was going in because there were a lot of moving pieces and I found it to be a little predictable. I knew something was going to happen before it did. I wasn't mad at it but I just knew. I wish that the magic system was explained a little better since I still have no idea how it works or really why. Jenna figures out a lot by just going to the library and it is wild to me that no one and I mean no one thought it would be a good idea to know more about the enemies they vanquished many years ago. There are stories that Jenna is not told because men but there also aren't others who might be willing to share or something that marks what happened during the great war.

My main gripe is that there were so many characters to keep up with that I barely remember any of them. Aside from Jenna, Ren, and Enzo everyone else is a blur. Even the trio aren't entirely memorable since we don't know much about them. The romance was meh and this is coming from someone who doesn't mind instalove in books. I wish there had been more interactions between Jenna and Enzo full of banter. I am glad that Flanders didn't do Jenna dirty when it came to Ren so yay! Would read book 2.

Side note: Is this Frozen fanfic? Or is that just me?

Shout out to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in advance in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! It had all the things I love in a book, Action, adventure, a strong main character! I read this book so quick and I am so sad it is over. This will be great book for my teen patrons at the library and it would be a good book club. I will be purchasing it for the libraries YA collection.

‘Shielded’ is an action-adventure fantasy with magic and a slow burn clean YA romance. Highly recommended.

Our main character, Princess Jennesara, is easy to like and relate to; she’s strong, skilled at fighting, and compassionate. Far from a powerless damsel, which is a joy to read. Interactions with her peers are delightful; witty banter with her brother, teasing and protective friendships with the Turia royal children, and a slow budding romance with her betrothed. Looking forward to continuing this series!

‘Shielded’ will be available on July 21, 2020. I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

I’m waffling between a 3.5 and 4 star rating! Slow to get off the ground, but about a quarter of the way in, it got pretty good. Unfortunately towards the end, it got murky with too many betrayals and stupid decisions. It felt very clunky and more editing could have really fixed a lot of that. There was some world building but it could have done with more. All in all, I enjoyed the story and appreciated the clean romance side of it as well.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. Any fan of Sarah J. Maas will love this story. I read it within a day-and-a-half and it inspired me to create a playlist for it (see blog post). I get fired up when reading about a confident, kick-ass female character - and especially one that carries a sword.

This story sucks you in and nothing feels forced. The characters seem almost tangible as they are relatable and multi-faceted.

Jennesara is determined and loyal and I love the world and magic that Ms. Flanders created. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series!

This was such an enjoyable book. I finished the book within a few days. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Graceling or Throne of Glass series. There were some worldbuilding in the book, and some well developed characters. I am looking forward to book 2!

*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

There were so many things to love about this book. The setting was beautiful and explained so carefully. The Wild seemed truly terrifying and magical. There was just enough time in the "before" "Wild" and "battle" settings that the pacing felt true. One thing I was never quite sure about what the magic system. However, I think that is part of what makes this a great first book in a series. It makes sure that we are still looking for the answers to come about how the magic works in this world. I also really enjoyed that characters. Jenna was a great heroine and leader. She had the fear that pushed her on, but didn't leave her cowering. The love interest felt a little forced toward the end, but the trust between them led me to understand how it could develop.

I would definitely look forward to the next book.

Up front, I love a good YA/Fantasy romance. Bonus points if it involves some of my all-time favorite tropes: A princess who isn’t a dainty, delicate flower, a roguish love interest, strong familial ties, mistaken identities and elaborate world building.

Shielded hits each of these notes and more, playing within those tropes we’ve come to expect and flipping a few of them on their heads. Our princess is not one for balls and fancy gowns, she’d rather be in the dueling ring with the guards. Not due to the standard “not like other girls” excuse, but rather in cause of the fact that her kingdom is one filled with warriors and battle. Her people destined to defend the border of their kingdoms against a mysterious threat to the north. Our girl Jenna is a sword-wielding badass out of necessity, rather than a need to stand-out.

Establishing this play on the trope early on, Flanders continues to surprise with the twists and turns of the Halendian world and surrounding kingdoms. Betrayal is imminent and mages lurk in the background spinning lies into the ears of Rulers who really should know better.

Where Shielded truly shines is in its exploration of human relationships, be they romantic, familial or friendly. It is always fun to see siblings in a fantasy setting, and Flanders adeptly proves her understanding of such a relationship as she gives us Ren and Jenna - a brother/sister team balanced on respect, love and no tiny amount of good-natured teasing. Each acts as the foil to the other, and a grounding line to some of the more rash decisions throughout the novel.

Now, if interpersonal relationships aren't the way to entice you, Shielded certainly has enough work put into the world-building to keep one entertained. Through Jenna’s eyes, we are treated to a rich world of peoples and traditions. Halendi and Turia stand apart as neighboring kingdoms crafted to reflect the land and histories of the people Flanders has created. From their everyday attire to the way her characters show affection, she succeeds in fleshing out what otherwise could have risked being a flat fantasy landscape. Peppering the text with colloquial terms (often drawn from real world languages given a nice fictional twist), and unique personalities fed by cultural beliefs and concerns, one believes in these characters as fleshed out peoples. A success not many YA novels can claim.

There also exists a neat balance between the magic systems at play, creating a sense of fairness in the world which keeps any one character from seeming too overtly OP. Where one person may have a magical strength useful to them in battle, another is able to ‘see’ magic in a manner that allows for otherwise non-magical defense. It’s neat, it’s clean, and it keeps the characters relying on each other’s strengths in order to succeed.

There are a few deus ex moments, what book is without them? But even then, Flanders makes it a point for our characters to suffer the consequences of their actions and decisions, no matter how poor or fitting they may be. Not one person bounces back with a laugh and a smile, they groan and shamble until fully recovered. They are haunted by past mistakes and constantly second guess themselves, always asking, “Is this for the greater good?” - an authorial decision that could quickly take Shielded and its sequels from YA to NA status if Flanders carries on as strongly as she’s begun.

If you’re looking for a new series to follow, and hungering for a strong heroine to rally behind, look not further than Shielded and Jennesara.

I've read a lot of truly engaging, innovative fantasy in the last year, and A Sorcery of Thorns was one of those books, so I was excited about the comparison. I figured I'd try this one! It sounded fun! I totally appreciate arranged marriage stuff! It could be awesome!

Sigh. It wasn't awesome. This book was just sort of a cliché slog with a baffling magical system (read: not in the good way), cardboard characters, and a singularly boring protagonist.

The book starts when Jenna, cliché super great fantasy heroine with secret magical abilities that no one can know about, gets shipped off to a neighboring kingdom to marry their crown prince. Halfway there, she nearly gets killed, her father and brother do get killed, and everything kind of goes to hell in a handbasket. Why, you ask? Because it is at this point that everything stops making sense.

There's some kind of mystical forest thing that she wanders around in for an excessive period of time (which makes no sense and never reappears), she kind of stays with some villagers (unclear on why that plot segue was necessary), and eventually finds her way to hanging out with some random soldiers from the neighboring kingdom that is apparently now at war with hers, for completely unclear reasons. (I mean, you'd think the obvious reason would be that the king and heirs to the throne were killed, but it kind of seems like Other Country is just as mad at her country, which makes no sense.)

I'm going to guess that if you have ever read any fantasy literature whatsoever, you can figure out who the solider is - that's right, the prince in disguise! There is a bunch of drama about her hiding her identity, which mostly seems to involve carefully braiding her hair, and the usual "I am a princess but I can defeat all these evil thugs with no issues" trope.

The only redeeming part of this novel (and the reason it earned 3 stars instead of 2) is Jenna's relationship with Chiara and Mari, the prince's sisters. They are so sassy and cute! Mari is THE BEST. You gotta admire a princess who knows every single hiding place in the castle. The several chapters of this book where Jenna is helping keep them safe and hiding in a fireplace are pretty great.

But, in general, this is just too cliché, too slow, and any book that has me constantly going, "Oh god, how much longer until I finish this and can start something else," is not really worth a reread. Solid effort, but I would not really recommend.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

I really enjoyed Shielded! It harkens back to more traditional YA fantasies that I love: like the works of Tamora Pierce or Sherwood Smith.

Jenna is a plucky, headstrong heroine and it is hard not to root for her. I anxiously awaited the moment she would meet Prince Enzo, and while the twist there didn’t surprise me, I still enjoyed it.

From a pacing perspective, it is a bit slow in the beginning, and it feels like the story doesn’t really start until around the 50% mark. BUT, Jenna is fun to follow and KayLynn Flanders’s writing is eminently readable, so I flew through the first half anyway. Then, the pace picks up and never slows down until the action-packed ending.

Huge thanks to Random House Children and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I know this story is suppose to be in comparison to Sorcery of Thorns and Furyborn but don't think that is an accurate comparison. The story didn't put an emphasis on libraries and there were more characters involved rather than the protagonist heavy Furyborn.

This was such a fun simple story. Jennesara is a princess born with magic she was never suppose to inherit. On the way to her betrothed, her wagon is attacked and she is stranded in a magic forest. Jennesara escapes, is picked by up the royal guard and taken to the castle of her betrothed. Under a false name, she does her best to save her kingdom and the prince she comes to love. The rest of the action follows these events.

I enjoyed this story a lot. There is not enough to be said about the magic system in this book. It was unique, special, intriguing and fresh. The plot was simple and predictable at times but the way it was written kept me interested. I fell in love with these characters and I easily connected with them. I loved the magic forest and Jennesara's relationship with it. The author did an excellent job of creating villains by giving each of them an individual voice. The book was fast paced, the political elements were interesting and the action kept me locked in. I'm looking forward to reading book two.

The kingdom of Hálendi is in trouble. It's losing the war at its borders, and rumors of a new, deadlier threat on the horizon have surfaced. Princess Jennesara knows her skills on the battlefield would make her an asset and wants to help, but her father has other plans.

As the second-born heir to the throne, Jenna lacks the firstborn's--her brother's--magical abilities, so the king promises her hand in marriage to the prince of neighboring Turia in exchange for resources Hálendi needs. Jenna must leave behind everything she has ever known if she is to give her people a chance at peace.

Only, on the journey to reach her betrothed and new home, the royal caravan is ambushed, and Jenna realizes the rumors were wrong--the new threat is worse than anyone imagined. Now Jenna must decide if revealing a dangerous secret is worth the cost before it's too late--for her and for her entire kingdom.- Goodreads

This book is directed for fans of Sorcery of Thorns. As I didn't like that book, I may have/should have stayed away from this one. It was okay. Just like Sorcery of Thorns. I was sucked into the world and the appeal of some really deep and thoughtful characters as well as magic but none of that delivered for me.

Jenna was boring and a bit entitled. Half of the book is spent with her trying to get out of The Wilds (magical forests) and nothing exactly happens other than her getting lost and occasionally meeting something that makes her fight for her life and remember who she is.

Jenna was a princess who has a bit of magic but never took the time to develop it or find information. She was a skilled solider that wasn't allowed to fight in a real battle and she reminded the reader of that every chance she could get be it her actions or words.I completely understand that not everyone wants to build their skills or have the drive to do more but like you're a princess who has magical powers, who also has a brother with powers why aren't y'all sneaking away to train? Baffles me.

But the book was slow and boring and I expected a lot more action, excitement and development. I can see why it appeals to some people but there is nothing there for me to gasp over. 

Overall, 

2 Pickles

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review Shielded by KayLynn Flanders. What a great debut with a wonderful plot and characters! Defiantly will be recommending this read to my young adult customers!

*This copy was given to me by Net Galley and the publisher to review. All opinions are my own.*

Shielded is an amazing debut novel by Flanders! The main character Jenna is torn between helping her family and discovering a dark magical secret that could help the entire country. It could also help her learn more about her secret magical powers as well.

When she is forced to disguise herself as someone else in potential enemy territory and begins to make friends she soon realizes ties that bind are more than family relationships.

With the help of her new friends she soon has the enemy on the run, but will it be too late?

This was such a joy to read and the characters from antagonist to protagonist were well rounded and a delight to read. I have only a few complaints. The break in the chapters with "what's going on elsewhere" while needed, could have been done better. It was a tad distracting and a bit confusing at times. Otherwise I loved the plot, atmosphere, characters (especially Mari) and I can't wait for the next book. We have to find out what's next!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

The kingdom of Halendi is in trouble. Its borders are under attack, there are rumors about an ancient library and about a new and dangerous threat. Even though she's very skilled and she wants to help her kingdom to fight, Jennesara is the second heir of the throne and she's a princess, a woman.
There are certain things people expect from her, her father included. Unlike her brother, she doesn't have magical ability (or she shouldn't have), so the king decided to arrange her hand in marriage to the kingdom of Turia, to get the help they need in their war.
When, on the journey to reach her new home and kingdom and future husband, her caravan is ambushed Jennesara finds herlsef involved in a plot bigger she would have thought.

Even though the first part of the book is a bit slow paced, I liked Shielded. Jennesara is brilliant and brave and hide a dangerous secret, able to change everything. She's very close to her family, her brother above all, and so curious about everything. I liked reading about her thoughts and adventure. The story is full of plot twists and discoveries.
I loved how the author writes about Jenna's relationship with her brother, Ren. They are very close and I liked a lot their bond, their affection. The writing style is very captivating.
A beautiful and intense book! Jenna is a fantastic main character!

I really liked this! I feel like I have been on fantasy overload lately but this refreshing tale drew me right in from the start. I was excited when I was approved for this ARC after seeing it on every DISO list out there. I was invested in every main and secondary character that made their appearance. The world building was well done and laid out in the first few chapters in such a way that it stuck with me until the end. I am excited to see what happens next! *I possibly may add more to this once I go back and review my highlights and notes from reading*

This book can best be described as a coming of age story. I really enjoyed Princess Jennesara, she to me is the typical “I’m more than a princess” it is an empowering book. Jennesara is more interested in fighting than what a being a princess entails—especially when that something has to do with an arranged marriage. Jenna has a dangerous secret which is an exciting aspect of the story. This story is perfect for girls middle grade to even high school. The storyline is interesting and keeps you invested. Four stars!

If you loved Sorcery of Thorns then you’re bound to enjoy this. We’ve all been put into a situation that we didn’t want to be in right, meet Jen, forced into a marriage she doesn’t want only to find her kingdom under attack and her “tethers” broken. I really enjoyed how strong she becomes by the end of the book. ALSO, the prince? Hello, sounds like such a good guy. I’m really excited to see what the second book has in store for us. Kaylynn really brought the world to life in this book, very descriptive and easy to follow all the while addictive to the point I stayed up half the night reading. 😅 I hope all the best for this author and hope to see her become more mainstream so that her work can be appreciated!

Shielded can best be described as a true YA fantasy novel. It’s predictable, with romance featuring heavily in the plot: handsome prince, fierce princess, etc. however, the dialogue and plot are unsophisticated to a more experienced and older reader, and it’s difficult to remain engaged throughout the story.