This book was good from the start to the end. I wasn’t sure about the story because I thought Jenna would turned out to be a Princess who would be selfish and not want to help save her kingdom until forced to do so. I was pleasantly surprised that Jenna was selfless Princess who wanted to help save the entire kingdom and was willing to do what her father’s has ask her (after being explained why).

I enjoy majority of the book, it was slow in the beginning but I thought the author was giving us glimpses of who Jenna was and how much she loved her family and the kingdom. It showed how much she was loyal and understood how important her brothel to Prince Enzo was to fight the evil that was trying to destroy the kingdom.

Shielded has an interesting and fast paced story that kept me interested from beginning to end. While I felt the characters weren’t the most well rounded, ​I still liked all of them and genuinely cared what happened to all of them. The world that Flanders built was rich and beautiful, I just wish it was presented in more of a “show-don’t-tell” style. All that said, I look forward to the next book to find out what happens to Jennesara and company!

Wow, I really liked it. It has a simple plot for a fantasy book, but it's entertaining and quick to read. I became fond of the characters and Jennesara wasn't an annoying main character but a super nice one who knows what she wants. What caught my attention the most was the magic system and the world that the author created, anyway it can give more and I plan to read the second book because I'm dying to know what will happen!

Shielded is a book that I really tried to love, but just couldn't. I had to restart it five times because I would put it down due to the incredibly slow pacing at the start of that book. That being said, once I got into it I found myself enjoying it as much as I could. It hits all the typical YA fantasy beats, but doesn't seem to add anything new--anything that sets it apart from all the other YA fantasy out there.

The beginning and end of Shielded read like two completely different books. The beginning is slow, boring, and predictable, but once there is a change of setting, the book really takes off. When Jenna, Enzo, Mari, and Chiara come together at last, that is when Shielded really finds its footing. I think if this book spent more time focusing on the characters I would have found it much more enjoyable. The plot itself just follows the typical YA fantasy formula, which is not always a bad thing, but I really hope that Flanders takes these characters and this world further in the next book.

Overall I give Shielded by KayLynn Flanders three out of five stars for being another run of the mill YA fantasy book that actually has potential to become great with the next installment. I recommended it to anyone just looking for a simple YA fantasy read.

This ARC was provided for review, but in no way affects the following impartial and unbiased review:
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2*
Pros: Warrior female lead. Mystical and enthralling world-building. Awesome fight sequences. Interesting magic system. Special focus in emotional connections and family relationships.
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Cons: Incredibly dull both in rhythm and plot. Predictable from the beginning. Over-descriptive. Underwhelming plotlines, already overdone in YA.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. And it left on a cliff hanger.

At the beginning I hoped that Jenna and Cris to have a relationship. But then when Jenna and Ren left the palace and Ren was "killed" all the hope was lost.

Then Jenna met Enzo and I hoped they could find a way to be together even though she was the next heir until we found out that he brother didn't die!

I love the relationship between Mri, Chiara and Jenna. It was bond that was is loving, sisterly and protective. Mri is such a spit fire of a character.

3.5 stars rounded up.

While I don’t agree that this was The Sorcery of Thorns meets Furyborn, I still very much enjoyed this story. I think Shielded is a fantastic start to this new series. I really enjoyed the sibling relationship between Jennesara and Ren. It definitely reminded me a lot of my own at times. The world building was really fantastic as well as the magic system. I am still unsure how I feel about the romance subplot since I am not sure if it actually adds to the story. Still a great read though.

I think the beginning and end of this are two totally different books.

Princess Jennessara has hidden her magic for her whole life; as the second born child in her family, she isn’t supposed to have it. Determined to do aid her struggling kingdom, she agrees to a betrothal to Prince Enzo in exchange for military aid. But when Jenna’s caravan is attacked on the way there, an ancient power is revealed that could destroy everything, and her magic could be the only thing to stop it.

The first half of this book seemed like a really, really slow version of Shadow and Bone. Thankfully, once the setting shifted, things got a lot more interesting, and a lot less familiar. Once Jenna met Mari, Chiara, and Enzo, I actually found the book really enjoyable. I’m a sucker for found family tropes, and the relationship Jenna has with all of them was really sweet. The characters were definitely the best part, and I hope we get to see a lot more of them, with less of the filler/background in the next book. (Also, side note, I really loved the Italian elements thrown in, because I haven’t seen that done before in a book like this!)

The plot was just okay for me. There were parts that were confusing, and parts that were really predictable, which made for a bit of an odd mix. Although toward the end there was a nice little twist that I wasn’t expecting at all. I do wish that the in-between perspective chapters had come together quicker, as I had no idea what was happening in them for a while. The ending also felt a little strange, almost like a list of what was going to happen in the next book, but that’s being a little picky.

To sum up, this book didn’t have much that made it feel particularly new or exciting plot wise, but the character’s relationships seemed a lot more real than in other fantasy I have read. I really did find it likable though, and have higher hopes for the next installment.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ 3.5/5 stars (rounded down)
Pace: slow beginning, fast end
Intended Audience: Young Adult
Content warnings: murder, death of a family member, sexual assault

Very good start to a new fantasy series. I enjoyed all of the characters, the plot was very interesting and keep me intrigued through out the story. I was also impressed with the level of detail the author used. Excited for book two when it comes out.

I liked the name Jennesara. Lady isarr us interested in her brother. Jennesara is seventeen.i really liked the characters. I couldn't get interested.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

It's interesting that this is suggested to appeal to fans of Sorcery of Thorns and Furyborn. Though I would agree ever so slightly with Sorcery of Thorns (which I loved), the only similarities I can see are the presence of magic and a library. I see nothing that it has in common with Furyborn, however. (And, to be honest, I didn't like Furyborn anyway, but I really liked Shielded.) I would say that if you like Mary E. Pearson's Remnant Chronicles (another series I loved), you'll probably like this book, though.

Enough of that, though.

For the most part, this book was a very fast 432 pages. There were a couple of parts that seemed to stretch out a little bit (like Jenna's time in time in the Wild), but even those weren't too bad. The rest of the book more than made up for it.

I loved the sibling relationship between Jennesara (17) and Ren (19, I think)--their love and care for each other, as well as the teasing. This book also had some good parent-child relationships, which I always like to see. Perfect? No, but good. And of course there's a love story which is very sweet despite the worry that it might not work out. I'm a big fan of Enzo (19? 20?). In general, the characters were well written--strengths, weaknesses, failings, personalities. Occasionally the antagonists were a bit clichéd, but it is forgivable.

The writing had a good balance of description and action. It showed me the story without being overly flowery and distracting. The brief glimpses to the mages' part of the story kind of confused me initially, but it all fit together by the end. I appreciated that even though there is still a lot left open for the next book, I'm not left sitting on the edge of a cliff until whenever it comes out next year. I'm very excited for the next book, but I'm not particularly excited about waiting for it.

Note: Nothing bad.

*Thanks to #netgalley and #phrinternational for sending me this digital copy in advance in exchange of an honest review*

The book hasn't got something horribly wrong but it's not exactly something new I can die for.
The story is well written, but it has some elements that have already been successfully navigated by many others: the main character that everyone try to protect that seems to be the best of all, everyone sacrifices for her, deaths of her beloved ones so she'll remain alone..
So it wasn't bad but it hadn't captured my attention and I feel a little bit disappointed. Maybe I was born in the wrong decade to enjoy it.
I hope there will be more originality in the second book.

Shielded is the first book in the young adult fantasy series of the same name by KayLynn Flanders. I really enjoyed Shielded. It surprised me in many ways, and there were aspects that I really enjoyed and an aspect that I wish I enjoyed more, but overall this is a series that I am very interested in continuing on. Shielded is a fantasy book that takes place on a world where magic is not equally distributed. Some kingdoms have no magic, some kingdoms have some magic and there are certain areas of the world where magic literally surrounds you (the wilds). Our story focuses mainly on the kingdoms of Hálendi and Kingdom of Turia.

Our main character, Princess Jennesara, or Jenna, is the second born child of the royal family in the kingdom of Hálendi. In Hálendi, magic is passed to the first born only. But Jenna and her older brother both have magic, which is something that she must hide. (for reasons that are explained in the book, but I won’t get into here) Meanwhile, Hálendi believes that Turia does not have any magic within its’ walls because of a war fought long in the past between all of the kingdoms and the evil Mages. The Mages were defeated and no one has heard from them since. Princess Jenna has been given to Price Enzo of Turia in exchange for supplies and an alliance in a current battle. Jenna and her entourage sets out to meet Prince Enzo when her group is attacked by a Mage. Jenna escapes into the Wilds and the real journey begins.

Shielded was a a great story when it comes to world building. I could vividly picture each of the kingdoms and the wilds and I loved hearing the backstory of the mages. The various points of views were great to add mystery to the overall story, and I have to say that the author kept me on my toes. I did guess a few of the plot twists, but the story took a very different direction that I was initially expecting it to, which I loved. My only complaint was in the romance department. I thought Shielded was very strong in terms of plot progression but I wasn’t really feeling the romance. It was there and I liked both of the characters, but I couldn’t really feel their romantic connection to one another. They just kind of liked each other, but I didn’t feel like it was based on enough foundation. I am certainly interested in continuing on with the story because I am really invested in the plot of the series. I am just hoping that I will come to enjoy the romance more as the plot progresses.

Overall, if you are a plot driven reader that enjoys fantasies with great world building, I think you will really love Shielded. I can’t wait to see where this series is going next.

Honestly I’m conflicted about this one. On one hand I actually quite enjoyed this book. Flander’s writing style is pretty good and it isn’t clunky like many debut YA authors. It isn’t very distinct but it has that YA addictiveness which makes it easy to read. Unfortunately I can’t deny that it is rather generic. Maybe the tropes just hit me the right way but I’m not sure I’d recommend it to someone who’s looking for an innovative read.

The story centres around Jenna and her fight to save her kingdom. The description of the book didn’t catch my attention at all. Jenna is not exactly a chosen one but she is the heir to the throne and has unexpected abilities; it's something that's been done many times. One thing I quite liked about this book is that we are quickly sent off on an adventure; I always enjoy a cool journey filled with danger. We get some real stakes and real consequences. It also has a cute romance centred around the trope of ‘two people are betrothed but when they meet one is hiding their identity’ and I guess I like this trope! I thought the interactions were sweet. The book isn’t very large in scale so we have plenty of time devoted to Jenna and her relationship with several key characters. Most of the twists are rather predictable though so it doesn’t really keep you guessing.

Overall it was a fun adventure but it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. Maybe you’ll enjoy it too; maybe you’ll be frustrated by the tropes. I really can’t say.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3509556651
Loved it! Great world building and interesting characters.
When an author is able to weave a story and characters while keeping up with twists it just adds to the overall enjoyment. I'm interested in reading more.

Loved loved loved the cover!


**Big Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I stalled out at about 60% in this one. The beginning of this book had me immediately hooked and anxious to read more. Once she left "The Wild" I found myself less and less pushed to pick up the book and read more. I can't say for sure if this was just because of my mood (hello mood reader) or if it was the pacing of the story. I do plan on finishing it but I don't feel as engaged in the story anymore. I wanted to love this book.

This book has had a really slow start and had a confusing world, but I did think that was entertaining. I found that many of the characters annoyed me and I was wanting something more from the story.

I loved the characters in this book and the romance. I'm really hoping that another book gets released as it ended on sort of a cliffhanger.

✨ 3.5 Stars ✨ (ARC received for review from publishers with thanks)

For a seasoned YA fantasy reader this book will feel like an old friend. It had a lot of the standard YA fantasy tropes which I love but did also make it a bit predictable in places.

This book is mainly told from Princess Jennesara’s “Jenna’s” perspective, she was a good mix of being young and inexperienced but also being Kick-Ass. I sometimes find that authors try and create this combination and it doesn’t always feel natural, but the way that Jenna was so determined to be trained to use swords but also being sheltered by her father created the balance in a more natural way.

Although there was a bit of instant love I did feel like the main love interest has some uniqueness compare to lots of other YA fantasies, he didn’t have a bad attitude or brooding personality that a lot of them seem to have. He treated Jenna and the other characters with genuine care and kindness. I also loved the Royal family and how quickly they formed friendships with Jenna.

Throughout the book we get the small snippets of another perspective which I feel like were surplus to requirement, and didn’t particularly add anything to the story. A bit more world building would be good to see and I also feel like the magic system could’ve done with a bit more explanation it was very vague and I still don’t particularly understand it.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I hope that the sequels will expand on this foundation and create something increasingly unique.

Princess Jennesara “Jenna” from the kingdom of Halendí is unusual. Unlike most princesses, she has been trained to use a sword and finds herself able to best most of the guards in the castle. However, what makes Jenna even more unusual is the white hair at her temple, an indication that she carries magic in her blood, a trait that only her older brother Atharén “Ren,” the heir to the throne, is supposed to possess. Ren helps keep her secret which could upset the entire balance of power in Halendí and the surrounding kingdoms of Turia and Riiga. But when an ancient evil begins to surface on the border of Halendí, Jenna’s father agrees to marry Jenna off to the kingdom of Turia in order to receive their support and troops in the impending war. As Jenna journeys across the kingdom, she begins to discover more about her own powers and those in the kingdoms that have been awakened, finding the fate of not only Halendí but also those of the other kingdoms on her shoulders.

KayLynn Flanders debut novel seems to move both fast and slow. The plot seemed to take about a third of the book to really get moving, but the reader benefits from this pace because there’s a great deal shown of Jenna’s character. Jenna doesn’t just have to say that she’s skilled with a sword and strong-willed since the reader is able to experience the challenges with Jenna as she moves through The Wild, an incredibly dangerous magical forest that often swallows individuals who venture into her depths. Forced to survive, Jenna proves to be likeable, resourceful, and smart as she draws on everything she has been told and the skills that have been ingrained in her to survive. Though this section of the book moved slowly, it set up the action that came afterward and often seemed to come on quickly and unexpectedly.

In addition to Jenna, the characters that surround Jenna are also given their due. Ren and King Shraeus, Jenna’s father, are kind and show their devotion to each other early in the novel. With the death of Jenna’s mother, it is clear that these three have become a unit, even with the duties of running a kingdom. This is echoed when the royal family of Turia is introduced. King Marko, Queen Cora, Enzo, Chiara, Mari, and Yesilia are a bonded family that appears to care about the future and freedom of choice for each individual. All of these characters reveal Jenna’s positive traits: her love, loyalty, and duty.

Though Enzo is the clear love interest and appears halfway through the novel, their connection didn’t frustrate me. The build up to several eventual revelations, including their feelings for each other, seemed to be a natural progression from the time of their first meeting. Thankfully Flanders veers away from the young adult trope of the dreaded love triangle, allowing Enzo and Jenna to show the power of first love.

However, another young adult trope is on display. Jenna appears to be the Chosen One, but unlike other novels, the reader is not bashed over the head with this knowledge. Like Jenna, the reader is taken on a journey as she learns and grows both in the knowledge and powers she possesses and doesn’t completely understand. It’s clear that she has a part to play, but even Jenna is resistant and unsure of what that may mean.

Overall, Shielded was a fun and exciting journey. I look forward to the sequel from Flanders and learning what happens to Jenna and company, particularly since the conclusion of the novel satisfactorily wraps up this installment while still leaving several plot threads hanging.