This was said to be like Furyborn meets Sorcery of Thorns and while I haven't read Furyborn, I did quite enjoy Sorcery of Thorns. This book felt more to me like The Kiss of Deception, which I loved. However, this book was just ok for me and not quite what I was hoping for.

The story itself was quite slow at the beginning and I found myself not wanting to pick it back up, frequently. It was a bit of a struggle to keep reading while not much at all was happening in almost the first half of the book. The second half picked up a lot more but there were so many stop and go parts happening that it contnued to pull me from ejoying the story.

The characters were just meh, I didn't love them or hate them which took the fun out of reading the book. There were a few scenes with Janessara and Enzo that were enjoyable but all together, I just couldn't feel that pull that I like to from characters.

I did like the bits of world building and magic, but again it was not enough to make me love to story as a whole. There were parts I felt could have been left out completely while others could have used more embelisment. You win some, you lose some.

I do think that there are people that will really enjoy this story but it was all but a bit too simplistic for my taste.

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Shielded held such promise with its beautiful cover and the idea of a princess forced into an arranged marriage to protect her kingdom, but in its execution it failed to keep my attention or provide much depth for me to sink my teeth into. The slow pace made it incredibly hard to continue picking up the story, but that could've been overlooked if the there had been any real depth to the characters or the plot. Overall it felt bland when I wanted it to set itself apart from other young adult stories with similar plots. I so wanted to like this one, but after 20+ days of pushing through, I'm just happy I can move on.

I’ll be adding Shielded to my list of YA fantasies that will appeal to readers and not to me (a list that seems to be growing at an increasing pace). While every author will put their own spin on the same idea, I’ve grown tired of the generic warrior princess forced into marriage to save her country, and the interesting magic in Shielded wasn’t enough to save it from that.

I found I couldn’t muster much of an interest in Jennesara. Her narrative style is fairly basic (not a criticism, just a fact), and she followed the template for YA heroine warrior princess. Something I’ve read a lot of but also not bad either. Really, I think my biggest struggle was what she chose to talk about. We’re told what she’s feeling before we have the chance to pull from her actions, and rather than a strong character voice we receive info dumps at random. In third person, I can almost accept those but in first person they often come off as clunky and awkward to read.

The rest of the cast wasn’t really memorable. I appreciated the fact that the prince didn’t follow the dark and mysterious route and was someone I could actually root for (even though the romance that popped up felt rushed and insta-lovey in the bad way, I definitely wanted to see that developed more to make it believable). The villains were very much one note and never contributed to the tension which flatlined this book even further.

The plot itself was nothing terribly exciting or new, and moved quickly to make this a quick read. Though I questioned a number of the plot points because the way they played out seemed more than convenient for Jenna’s story rather than challenging her or at least making me, as the reader, fear for her. The stakes were there but I wasn’t feeling the tension which, like I mentioned, was in part due to the villains holding no weight for me in the story but also just the way the story was told.

But Shielded is easy to get through and the sort of book you might pick up as a comfort read if you love YA fantasy. It hits those key elements I’ve come to know and (usually) love in the genre. Warrior princess, arranged marriage, a bit of romance, magic (that I wanted explained further because that was the interesting part!! but it wasn’t explained enough for me to get a good sense of the boundaries and rules), adventure time across the land, it’s all there. It just lacked that extra oompf, the thing that makes it stand out in the crowd. Which the magic system might have done if it was developed on the page further.

I definitely think this was a strong case of “it’s not you, it’s me.” For readers just getting into YA fantasy or those who love those recognizable elements, I would bet you’ll absolutely love Shielded. I was just looking for this book to take it up a notch and it didn’t.

If you're looking for a fun and fast paced fantasy with a kick ass heroine, brilliant world building and LOTS of action then Shielded might just be the book for you!

Jenna wants nothing more than to prove herself, she knows she is more than just a Princess, that her skills on the battlefield are almost unparalleled. Unfortunately, with no magic she is not in line for the throne and instead of putting her to use in battle her father decides she can do more for her country through marriage, marriage to someone she has never met. When her caravan is ambushed on the way to meet her betrothed Jenna realises that the rumours of magic on the battlefield weren't exaggerated, in fact they may be in more trouble than they originally thought. As the only survivor she takes it upon herself to travel to Turia, to find the truth about the attack and hopefully find the information she needs in their library. It will take Jenna aligning herself with her supposed enemy and revealing something about herself she has kept hidden for years to save the kingdom from a danger no one imagined.

I enjoyed this book as a whole and a large part of that was Jenna. She is unbelievably strong, not just physically but mentally. She loves her family without question and when she fears for their safety throws herself into unknown danger to try and save them. She knows she will never be Queen, but wants to prove herself by becoming a warrior like no other and desperately wants her father to acknowledge her prowess. Unfortunately, he see's her as a girl first and what better way for a girl to help her kingdom than through marriage. Even though she resigned herself to the fact that she would be married, she never stopped her training and I admired her resilience.

We get introduced to a whole host of other characters in this book, but we see them all through their relationships with Jenna. Relationships play a big part in the book, whether they are familial or romantic and with Jenna being an easy person to like and trust she had no trouble in making friends. We have Prince Ren, Jenna's older brother, I adored the relationship between these two. He see's her for what she truly is and they have a bond that is near impossible to break. Prince Enzo, Jenna's betrothed is another favourite of mine, another character that completely accepted Jenna for who she was, he wasn't broody or simpering, he knew what he wanted and what was right and made sure to fight for it. Two of my favourite, but probably smaller relationships were Yesilia and Master Hafa, both push Jenna to become the best she can be and even though they might come across as slightly standoffish you can feel the bonds that tie them together and know they would do almost anything to protect her.

The world building in this book was brilliant. Through Jenna we get to travel through Halendi and Turia as well as The Wild, a forest that separates both kingdoms. Jenna spends a good portion of the book in the Wild and while I got some serious fey vibes from it, I felt in places it wasn't described as well as it could be and I found bits slightly hard to follow. I enjoyed seeing the differences between the two kingdoms, especially through Jenna's perspective. She has grown up in a Kingdom of Ice and Wind and in Turia struggles with the heat and wonders at the amount of life that lives there.

I've seen some people say the romance in this book was insta love, and while it was fast, I would say it was more insta like. You could definitely tell there was an attraction there, but their lack of trust with each other stopped anything from happening until much later on in the book. Because of this I found it a little more realistic.

This was a fast paced book, we fly from plot point to plot point and there is really no good place to put it down. That being said, I do feel that the author lacked a little in her descriptive writing. I don't want four pages to describe a tree, but I felt it was a little simplistic and that she traded descriptions for the action scenes, because there were a lot of action scenes. The battle scenes easily came to life, I only struggled a little with the scenes that included the mages as I had a tough time imagining what was happening and felt a little lost in some parts.

I enjoyed this book overall and liked that it was a standalone. If you like a lot of action, fast paced plot and a likeable and kick ass female lead then this is the one for you.

For fans of YA Fantasy, I would compare reading Shielded to eating your favorite meal at a chain restaurant. The flavors you expect are there so it’s fairly enjoyable, and there are even a few intriguing touches throughout the story; however, it ultimately doesn’t really offer anything new. That being said, if you’re looking to lose yourself in a typical YA Fantasy, you will likely enjoy this book .

Our 1st person POV protagonist, Princess Jennesara of Hálendi, or “Jenna”, is a refreshing YA heroine compared to the fiery, rash narrators you’ll often find in other YA novels. She is level-headed and thoughtful, calculates risks before taking action, and proves herself a kind person and a good friend. I didn’t believe that she is a skilled warrior like both the book’s blurb and first few chapters imply because, until this story, she has never seen combat before. As the character in whose head we live throughout the story, Jenna is definitely a likable narrator.

Like Jenna, Crown Prince Enzo of Turia has some similarly refreshing qualities for a YA prince. He isn’t broody or cold, nor is he always rambling about his duty or honor or something else YA princes usually sulk about. He’s kind, brave, and protective of his family. His romance with Jenna is sweet, and we get the fun hidden identities trope; however, their love story lacked enough chemistry to make my heart swell or inspire me to pause mid-paragraph so I could press the book (or in this case, my Kindle) to my chest and smile with glee. There are elements of insta-love, and the romance seems like it’s handed to the characters instead of something they worked for. On the bright side, there is not a love triangle in this story!

Of our cast of side characters, my favorite is Jenna’s elder brother, Prince Ren. He is the Hálendian crown prince who uses his magic not for power or for war, but as a healer. He and Jenna have a close bond, literally and figuratively, which KayLynn Flanders develops very quickly but very efficiently early on in the book. This makes it easy to root for their sibling relationship, and although Ren isn’t in the story very much, when he does make an appearance he shines off the page.

Otherwise, I can’t say much more about the other side characters. We have the older mentor figure who trains Jenna to use her magic, the creepy and mysterious foreign ambassador, the cantankerous grandmother, and a couple “surprise” betrayals. Jenna’s friendship with Princess Chiara is endearing but not too memorable, and Princess Marietta is supposed to be eight years old but reads much younger, like she’s four or five. The Turian king and queen are very quick to trust Jenna and welcome her into their home, despite the fact that war was just declared between their kingdoms.

Lastly, regarding characters, we have our big baddie Graymere and his posse of evil mages. Unfortunately, these villains were the weakest of the bunch. Not only are they one-dimensional, but their names are extremely contrived to the point of being comical (Graymere, Redalia, Brownlok…). Their magical abilities, as well as their backstories and motivations as followers of the original Black Mage, are underdeveloped and actually become quite muddled over the course of the book. There's nothing unique or particularly frightening about them, even with some spooky shadow magic sprinkled in.

Additionally, throughout the book the author includes small cutaway scenes in 3rd person POV to show what the villains are up to. Flanders’ intention, I believe, is to create tension with dramatic irony while taking the opportunity to explore the villains’ motives and provide worldbuilding on the history and magic system. I’m generally not a fan of authors’ inserting cutaways between chapters like this, as it’s incredibly jarring and pulls the reader out of the story. This was definitely the case with this book, especially since the POV changed from 1st to 3rd. In my opinion, the book would be stronger without these scenes.

As for pacing, some parts this book were a bit slow for me, while others had so much going on that I became lost. Except for the most intense and emotional scene of the entire story that takes place about a quarter of the way through the book, the beginning of this story mostly consists of Jenna traveling, with some magical worldbuilding and a medley of characters mixed in. By the time Jenna reached her destination, I was so ready for something new to happen. Then, the rest of the book rapid-fire includes relationship building, flirtatious moments, political intrigue, an assassination attempt, combat training, researching in the library, a ball, a siege, a game of cat-and-mouse, an escape, a final battle, negotiations, and more. Also, a lot of the book entails Jenna getting injured, laying in bed and healing, then getting hurt and doing it all over again.

The magic system in this world is pretty loose and also a bit confusing. Some mages like Jenna or Graymere seem to have many different abilities, while others like Ren appear only to have a single power. Jenna’s magical artifacts are cool, but combined with all of her other half-baked abilities they lose their luster. I guess the book is called “Shielded” because one of her powers includes being able to shield herself and those near her from sight, like an invisibility spell? Did I miss something? There are just so many elements to Jenna’s powers that, as she begins to understand one aspect of them, something new comes up. Maybe this was Flanders’ intention, so we could feel the confusion Jenna was experiencing, but overall it detracted from the belief that she was becoming a more powerful mage. Also, I didn’t really understand why she wasn’t allowed to use magic or even reveal that she had powers at any point throughout the story? I know there’s a brief explanation at the beginning, but for me it didn’t heighten the stakes enough to make Jenna’s constant worry over concealing the streak in her hair believable.

Magic system aside, the worldbuilding in this book is just okay. Halendi is a cold, icy northern kingdom that I think is supposed to be based on Scandinavia, but I’m not really sure. There is a magical forest through which Jenna has to travel to reach Turia. Turia is clearly Italy-inspired, from its geography, place and character names, and clothing, to the blatant use of Italian words in dialogue (“maledetto“, “bosco“, “cavolo“, etc.). I also have no idea what country Riiga is supposed to be based on – maybe Latvia?

Please correct me if I’m wrong, but this book also lacks PoC characters and LGBTQ+ characters, so if that’s something you’re looking for you might not enjoy this read. Perhaps Flanders will introduce these characters in book #2, but I don’t believe there are any in this book. I’m pretty positive Enzo, his family, and the other Turian characters are not written to be PoC. Their skin tones are described as “olive” with dark hair, and this paired with the fact that Turia is clearly based on Italy, in my opinion, means it would be a stretch to label them as characters of color.

Overall I enjoyed this book, as I finished it in two days, and it’s a perfect read for anyone looking for an easy YA Fantasy story.

Thank you to Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press via Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Princess Jennesara wants to help her kingdom, Halendi, by going to war, but she has no magical talent to speak of. Instead, her father believes Jenna can best assist the war effort by marrying the prince of Turia, a neighboring country with resource-rich land. Jenna does as her king demands and sacrifices her personal happiness for the sake of her people. At least, that was the plan, but then her caravan is attacked on the way to Turia, and Jenna learns that Halendi is in far more danger than a war could ever conjure.⁣⁣⁣
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What I liked most about this story is Jenna herself. She's sweet, willing to put others before herself, and is also strong and capable. She wants to solve problems and is willing to put in the hard work to make it happen, and that makes her a very endearing character. The pacing of the story was spot on, and there were plenty of twists and turns for both the plot and the characters, which kept me engaged throughout. This was a really fun, absorbing read, and the writing sucked me in right from the start. If you like strong female characters with big hearts, give Shielded by KayLynn Flanders a try today!⁣⁣⁣

Shielded is about Jennesara, princess of Hálendi, who has magic which is only supposed to be inherited by the heir to the throne, her older brother. War is brewing on the border and Jenna sets off for the neighboring country of Turia. While crossing the wilds between the two countries, Things Happen, and Jenna ends up alone and undercover as a guard in the Turian capital, trying to uncover the truth and help her kingdom.

If you are looking for a pretty standard and easy YA fantasy, this is definitely it. The beginning is rather slow but after that it is engaging enough. The characters are likable, the villains are evil, the magic is unexplained. The book doesn’t really do anything unexpected so having read a lot of YA fantasy I could see what was coming well before the characters, which is a little frustrating but it was still a fun read.

I don’t know what the second book will be about or when it comes out but all I know is that I NEED IT.

This book was everything I needed in a fantasy during this pandemic; and not to sound like Belle from Beauty and the Beast but.. it had a princeESS in disguise, daring swordplay, magic and SO much more! I completely adored this concept of magical tethers and a royal family being interconnected through their magic.

In this story we meet Princess Jenna of Halendi the second born daughter of this kingdom of royals wherein the firstborn inherits magic. But in a twist of fate, Jenna too was born with magic putting her at danger if anyone found out, but with evil mages in the horizon, Jenna’s father plans to send her away to the neighboring kingdom of Turia where Jenna would wed the crown prince Enzo. Setting of on her journey, Jenna is betrayed by one of the least likely persons ever, forcing her to keep faking her death to figure out who betrayed her family to these evil mages.

There is so much action in this book that it’s amazing and it has everything you could need or want in a fantasy, a definite must read!

I enjoyed this book so freaking much!!

Princess Jennesara of Hálendi is considered an oddity to the courtiers in the palace, but she knows her skill with a blade could aid in the growing struggles at her country’s border. Instead, her father, unbeknownst to Jenna until three days before their departure, signed her hand in marriage to Prince Enzo of Turia in exchange for resources and soldiers. But she isn’t just nervous to marry a man she’s never met - she’s been hiding a secret her whole life, one she must still maintain: the white streak in her hair, an outward symbol of the magic in her blood, magic that isn’t supposed to go to the second-born of her bloodline.

She isn’t able to completely figure that out, though, because on their way to Turia, their caravan is attacked by a mysterious mage in gray, who slaughters her maid, believing it to be her. Her whole family has been killed, and now she’s on the run… but from whom?? She has no idea who to trust, but she travels to Turia in the hopes she can learn what she can to defeat the mage who murdered her family, and she finds there’s much more behind these brewing hostilities than first meets the eye.

Ok… This is my type of YA fantasy - the kind that throws you into a whirlwind of action and romance and doesn’t let you go. Of course, I’m all for intricately woven fantasies with expansive worlds and lyrical prose and blah blah blah, but danggg if a book pitches me into the main character until I’m living her adventure - that’s when I’m reminded of why I fell in love with reading in the first place.

And Shielded was one of those books for me. Every almost kiss, every near-death experience, every magical battle, I was there. I was Jenna. And it was the most fun adventure!

And let me just say, I love these characters. And I love the happy endings. And I love the - ok I need to stop, or this review will go on forever. Sure, the world wasn’t super developed, the writing wasn’t lyrical, but this book will transport you from 2020 to a world full of royalty, drama, magic, and hidden identities (I know that alone is a good reason ;). If any of that sounds like your cup of tea (I know it is mine), then pick this one up!!

Thank you soooo much to Netgalley, Delacorte Press, and Kaylynn Flanders for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own!!

This book takes the reader on an adventure that makes them feel like their life is going to change. Regardless of this it seemed to fall just short of my expectations. It still is a really interesting book but will not be on my must re-read list. The world building was good, but for some reason it seemed like there was a slight lack of character growth that would have made this book a 5 star read. Then again it is just my opinion and maybe there is more growth than I noticed when I read it, but until I get a chance to read it again at a later date I will leave my rating at 4 stars. I will still recommend this to some of my family and friends because everyone has different tastes in books and I would prefer them to draw their own conclusions.

Everything you love about YA fantasy but could use a little boost to really be a standout. I loved Jenna’s character and the strength of character she demonstrated. I felt she remained true to herself while also balancing her own desires with duty and practicality. Her spirit captured me and her connection to the princesses was adorable. Other standouts for me were the fight scenes and action sequences. The detailed, tactile writing brought them to life and I appreciated how realistic they were. I loved that Jenna didn’t remain untouched but truly had to fight her way through, unlike a lot of fantasy heroes. The romance was filled with tension, magnetism and warmth, leaving me appreciating the beauty of their connection. Definitely a swoonworthy hero and I fell almost as hard as Jenna. I did struggle with several parts of the story at times. Jenna’s journey to Turania slowed the pacing a bit and I found myself having to push through several times. The switches in POV also left me feeling more confused and re-reading a bit rather than creating the mystery they were intended to. Overall, I enjoyed the story and think YA fantasy readers will enjoy it too!

I received an ARC of this title from #netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a great YA Fantasy! I enjoyed the fast-paced action packed adventure.

Jenna is ambushed with a marriage she didn't know about and then ambushed again on her way to meet the poor sap. She didn't want to get married but understands that she's not the heir and despite her wish to marry for love she is bound to follow what is expected.

When she's ambushed on her way to meet her betrothed she finds out that the impending war is much worse than expected and now it's up to her to save her kingdom and now she has the magic to do so. She's a tough young woman who doesn't let her circumstances keep her from her duty to her people. I really enjoyed her strength throughout the book.

I found Enzo very adorable and enjoyed watching him and Jenna fall in love. He has such a great supportive family which really lent well to the story also. Sometimes the most important relationships are found in the connection the MC has with the supporting characters. I found that in Shielded and really loved it.

I liked the world setting in Shielded and can't wait to see more of it. Overall I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys YA Fantasy and can't wait for the next one!

Shielded was a delightful fantasy about a princess with secret magic, scheming and powerful mages, and survival. Princess Jennesara has always done what is right by her kingdom and hidden her magic, and when her father inform's her that she will be wed to the crown prince of Turia, Jenna obediently says goodbye to her family and her home and travels with a convoy into the Wild to do her duty. A vicious attack and a heartbreaking loss sends Jenna fleeing for her life into the Wild, unsure of who she can trust. As Jenna seeks refuge disguised as her maid with her former betrothed, she uncovers a dangerous plot by mages for domination of their world. With war imminent, Jenna must put a stop to these mages's schemes and find a way to master her magic to bring peace to Turia and Halendi.
I really enjoyed Shielded. It has a feel of a classic high fantasy with some very good worldbuilding and likeable characters. I liked Jenna's character and her resilience, as well as the way women are portrayed in this novel in general. They do not compete or tear each other down, but support and help one another. I also liked that, even though there was a great romance in this book, that Jenna's story line was not reliant on her love interest to be fulfilled. It took a back seat to her ARC as she survives the attempts on her life and country. This book also had a great number of twists in it, lending the plot a sense of uncertainty as to where it was going to go. This kept me pretty engaged with it. Filled with action, betrayal, and romance, Shielded is a story of a young woman surviving in a world where men seek to take away her power, and how embracing that power can change the course of nations.

Thank Netgalley for an ARC to review.

For once I actually liked the main character, Jennesara, she’s strong, smart and has magic. I adored her relationship with the rest of the side characters. My only negative was that there wasn’t enough romance. I’m a romance lover in any of the books I read. I’m assuming this means this will be a slow burn romance, as there is a love interest in the book. I just hope there’ll be some angst thrown in the make it perfect :) But, honestly, Jennesara seems to a strong character that stands up for herself and the wisely chooses to hide her identity to save herself and what she loves. I willl definitely look forward to reading the sequel.

Princess Jennesara of Hálendi knows that her military skills could save her troubled kingdom, but her father wants to marry her to the prince of Turia in exchange for resources. When her royal caravan is ambushed, Jenna soon learns about a new threat to the people. Revealing this threat comes at a cost, and Jenna has to decide if it's worth it.

Magic in Jenna's kingdom is feared, so she has always hidden the streak of white in her hair that indicates she has it. Her magic is generally only something that tells her how her family members feel, not like her brother's ability to heal himself and others. The Wild lands carry magic as well, and that's feared; plants move to absorb creatures within their grasp, animals can preternaturally follow any travelers going through them, and even the water can lull people into forgetfulness. It's an untamed place and is an obvious sign of Jenna's desperation that she travels through it in order to escape the attempt on her life. Instead, everyone else in her caravan dies.

Jenna caught on quickly that she had to safeguard her identity, and I thought it was clever of her to take on her maid's name and role. As difficult as it was for her to go around an entirely different kingdom, she managed to land on her feet and get exactly where she needed to go. She was able to fall in with people that would be central to the war and gathered more information behind the mages that had triggered its start. History is important here; it's not a spoiler to say that the mages from hundreds of years ago that had prompted the founders of the kingdoms to move to this new land are the ones that are now tearing everything apart to get their revenge.

There are wonderful surprises for Jenna even as there are many struggles on the way to the end of the book. She was betrayed on a fundamental level at the start, and all of it is revealed by the end. While she was able to triumph. I feel there are more than enough hooks for a sequel or two. This world is one I would definitely love to revisit.

I mean look at that cover!!

Now I don’t usually choose YA books, mostly because I find them to be a little formulaic at times. However, when I saw the cover of this book … it just called to me. I had to have it, and I was not disappointed.

This one was hard to put down. The story was paced well and very interesting. A big plus is the main character herself, she was absolutely winning. As a young girl forced to play the game of thrones with absolutely zero training, not only does she do a darn good job of it but she also retains her sweet nature and courageous spirit. She could be a little bit of a Mary Sue in that she is surprisingly good at battling and intrigue once she gets into it but I get the feeling there is a genetic reason why she is predisposed to the life she finds herself in that will be explained more fully in future books so it’s not hard to stomach.

The romance she finds herself in is adorable. It’s not treacly but still sweet and completely understandable … he is a real cutie! The secondary characters in the book are also easy to love, especially the two sisters she meets in Turia. Oh! There is also a family that helps her when she is injured that I find myself inordinately fond of. I don’t think I’ll ever see them in the book again but I just loved them and keep hoping they will show up again. This demonstrates to me the strength of the authors ability to make you feel for and identify with the characters, even background characters.

All in all, I really liked this book and I’m looking forward to more from this author. If I’m not mistaken this is her debut book and it deserves any and all hype it receives. I hope it is very successful!

Song for this book: Hold Me by The Sweeplings

I just read Shielded a couple of days ago and let me tell you it was really great!!!
This book was everything I look for in a fantasy and more. This is such an exciting debut from new author, KayLynn Flanders! 
Overall, Shielded delivered the goods, and I cannot wait to continue with the next installment. Of course there was a bit of a cliffhanger as you would expect, I'm looking forward to seeing Jenna learn how to harness and practice her abilities further as she grows more confident in her power. We've only touched the surface in discovering what she is capable of, and I have a feeling that it's going to be thrilling to see her magic mature. If you're looking for a fantasy that will keep you feverishly turning the pages long into the night, look no further. Your next fantasy read is right here.😁

Shielded is the story of a princess who is on the run from a mysterious force that has attacked her family. It's fairly standard for a YA fantasy but it's got some great elements that set Shielded apart from its counterparts.

The story starts with our main character, Jennesara, a princess with magic despite being the second child. She's hidden it all her life to prevent anyone from trying to challenge her brother's rule. However, when her brother & father are attacked by a mysterious person, with no hope for survival. Jennesara must use every ounce of magic and wit to survive the harsh wilderness and dangerous opponents. I'll be honest, the first half of my book was my favorite part of it. Jennasara's relationship with her family is incredibly strong and Flanders does a good job showing readers how much Jenna cares for her brother and father. When her family is attacked and Jenna can't help them, readers can feel her pain and frustration. You are actively rooting for her to figure out the mystery so that she can get her vengeance.

The strength of these earlier relationships is so strong that there's a huge contrast when the love interest shows up later on in the story. The chemistry between the two was just not as interesting as the chemistry she had while interacting with any other character in the story. Their interactions were fun at first but once it becomes established that there's supposed to be a romantic connection between them, everything else feels slightly forced. There was no spark in their interactions and it left me wishing that the love interest was just a friend because the story is strong enough that Jenna doesn't need a romance. Alternatively, if Jenna was going to have a romance with this character, maybe draw it out until the second book and give it a little more time to grow.

Personally, I think not every YA fantasy needs a romance and this is a great example of one. The world in this story is incredibly interesting and the politics are easy enough for teens to follow but still complex enough to explain the world state. Not to mention the secret history about magic and mages, makes it hard to put down the book when every other chapter is exploring secrets.

I was really hooked during the first half of the book because KayLynn does an incredible job of letting readers explore all aspects of the world she's created. Places aren't just talked about, there are side POVs where characters are actively interacting with elements of the world that the main character is unaware of. It's a great way to let readers experience the world without trying to push a single character POV through all of it.

So when you have a story that's got such a creative world and great platonic & family relationships, there really isn't a need for a romance. It was honestly one of the only points of the book that didn't feel as creative to me. The other aspect that was standard was the plot itself, which follows a fairly typical fantasy plotline. It wasn't bad but it didn't challenge any norms either. I'd say this is an excellent book for teens who are starting fantasy because it's fun and relateable without getting too convoluted and hard to follow.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley in response for an honest review.

I really loved this book. I was a bit skeptical at first because with the first chapter I thought we were going to be getting one of those "not like other girls" stories. Honestly it was very little of that and this book had very strong characters. There wasn't insta-love, maybe some insta-feelings, but not love. I really liked how each character seemed fleshed out and thought about rather than put in the book just to be used as a tool for another character.

I also thought the magic in this book was great. It was interesting because it wasn't just one kind of magic and we learned the system as the main character developed her powers. I was ok with being slightly in the dark about how the magic worked because the main POV character was the same. Aaaaannnd, this book had one of my all time favorite tropes, "the hidden royal". I absolutely love when a royal character has to pretend to be someone else. It adds a lot of mystery and the character usually has to show a lot of skills to hide their true identity.

The one thing that did bug me a bit was how the ending seemed to be wrapped up almost too nicely, but no spoilers so I can't get specific .Overall it was a great start to a series and I will definitely continue on when the next one comes out.

I really enjoyed Shielded. The characters, settings, and magic system combined to create an entertaining read. Jennesara is a reliable narrator, and it's fun to see her address the challenges that come her way. I liked her relationship with her love interest (not saying who since spoilers!) though I would have been interested to see it develop a little more through conversations rather than pining after each other. I would categorize their romance as blushing and cute, but no less fulfilling than other types of romance. I don't know why, but I thought more would happen in the first part of the book. It seemed like it took longer than expected to get to the true action, but I do think the beginning set up Jennesara as a character in her original world fairly well. It gave a good starting point to build upon and see Jenna's growth. Once the plot picked up though, I was hooked and couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

Overall, I am very happy I read Shielded. I'm excited to see where the author's career goes. I would recommend Shielded to readers who like romance, second-world fantasy, strong female narrators, and fights with both magic and swords. :)