Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

A wonderful conclusion to a magical tale full of warring mages looking for redemption and a new chosen family that will not be broken. This story enraptured me almost as much as Shielded. I just loved the romance in the first a title more but this kept me transfixed from start to finish.

I loved the first book and the sequel did not disappoint. I love Kaylynn's writing style and the imagery that she writes is beautiful. Highly recommend

In the sweet sequel to, Shielded readers of the first book will love being back with old characters and meeting new ones! I especially loved the writing and the way the plot progressed from start to finish! I’ll definitely look out for KayLynn Flanders books in the future!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this book in exchange for my honest review.

Untethered basically starts from where Shielded ended but with two different perspectives, one of the newly crowned King Ren, Princess Jennesara’s brother and the other of Chiara, a meek and invisible but bright Princess of the Turian Kingdom. There is also a sprinkling of other points of views from different characters but it’s primarily Ren and Chiara’s story. King Ren is met with new obstacles, and those once loyal to his father are not being loyal to the him as the new King. Many he thought loyal are now indifferent and want to see him fail. But with his medallion insistently warning of trouble brewing in the south, he must make his way there to help Jenna. King Ren crosses paths with Chiara while visiting his sister and as clues and findings fall into place, they learn that the mage’s hold on the Plateau is more powerful than anyone suspected. Together they face old enemies and make new friends as they travel to uncover the lost library and ancient artifacts before their kingdoms are doomed forever.

The author gives us a fresh take on the story with Ren and Chiara. I was happy to read from their POVs but saddened also because I loved Jenna and Enzo from the last book. The romance was very subtle and didn’t take over Chiara’s personal growth in this book. It was so sweet how she and Ren came together at the end, trusting and accepting each other as they are, without fear of judgment or betrayal. I also loved how Chiara’s grandmother was feisty and didn’t allow herself to be told what to do, just because she was an older woman, she has a lot of spunk and is just the greatest character.

The plot is very dynamic, immersive, and fast-paced. The attention to detail in this story is amazing and definitely makes the story have an epic adventure kind of feel to it. I was completely captivated by the story and am so sad to learn it’s only a duology. There seems to be more told afterward, and many different directions the story can continue on with. Overall, Kaylynn Flanders created an amazing book and I’m looking forward to more of her work.

*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I also purchased a finished copy*

I truly liked Shielded. It was a simple, true-to-the-genre, YA fantasy. I didn't love Untethered as much, but it was still a decent read. To start, Untethered follows a different set of main characters, the siblings of the main characters in Shielded. There are two points of view instead of one.

It does delve more into the background of the magic system, and into the plot that is laid out in Shielded but never really explored. Ultimately, it falls flat. The characters aren't as lovable as the ones in Shielded. It goes in such a different direction, and I wasn't a big fan of that.

3.5 stars

Picking up shortly after Shielded, Ren returns to Hálendi only to find himself facing a myriad of threats, including nobles and guards who wish to overthrow him in order to conquer the continent. But Ren senses that a bigger danger may be rising, so he heads to Turia to visit Jenna, the one person he trusts. Meanwhile in Turia, Chiara is tired of constantly being overlooked. Unlike her siblings she doesn’t have a position or magic to assist her. When the king of Turia goes missing, Chiara suspects the mages may be involved, and she pieces together clues about the Black Library, hoping to trade this information for her father’s life.

Unlike Shielded, Untethered utilizes dual points of view with both Ren and Chiara. KayLynn Flanders does a decent job making Ren and Chiara sound different. It was rare that I had to stop and look back to see whose point of view spearheaded the chapter. Also, when you have two characters narrating a young adult novel, it’s a good assumption that they are love interests. And while that proved to be true here, I appreciated that their romance was secondary to the personal journey of each character. Sure, there were some longing looks and poetic internal monologues, but Flanders spaces these out so that they’re not overbearing.

Shielded was singularly focused on Jenna, but with a shifting narrator, the reader is granted the ability to see secondary characters who weren’t as well fleshed out play a larger role. Chiara and Ren are obvious given the dual points of view, but Enzo, Yesilia, and Mari are provided the ability to participate in the adventure. And this was definitely much more of a quest narrative, which also offered Flanders the ability to continue expanding and fleshing out the world, particularly in Riiga. The addition of the Riigan setting provides the reader with a chance to see how power is balanced among the three kingdoms on the continent.

There were two other aspects that I appreciated. First, women are given the ability to be strong and empowered once again. Sure, Jenna is obvious, but Chiara, Mari, Yesila, and even Cora are given the ability to sway important events and chart their own paths in ways that show the ability to rule fairly. Finally, there was also redemption offered to a few of the characters who featured in both novels and conducted some acts that had negative consequences. As a reader, I appreciated this aspect, whether the characters chose to be redeemed or not.

Overall, I enjoyed the adventure Untethered offered and I would recommend it to other readers.

I really liked this book and how she got over someone. I enjoyed the romance and the friendships. I liked she came to enjoy her family. I liked that she was able to get over a boy and move on with her life. Great story.

I really enjoyed this duology and was glad to learn more Ren and Chiara in this book. Both of them have their own struggles, questioning themselves about their capabilities and self-worth and learning to deal with their weaknesses while finding their strengths. But they also realize that they have each other, family and friends that they can rely on to help them through hard times. The story also ties up loose ends from the previous book and ends with solid conclusion. This story had made me so invested in this world and the characters that I wish we could revisit them in a future story just to see what they have been up to. Overall, this was a solid series and one I would recommend to anyone who likes adventure, magic, political intrigue, a touch of romance, and encouragement through friends and family.

*I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review*
This was a great sequel! looking at the younger sister was quite brilliant and. I enjoyed reading from her viewpoint, keeping in touch with the originals from the first book.

Exactly what I was hoping for in a sequel! I LOVED Shielded so much, and it was amazing to return to this world and get more from it and the characters! Absolutely recommending to anyone who loves magic and stories of kingdoms and brave warriors and strong women!

I didn’t like this one as much as I loved Shielded, but one of my middle school students read Untethered and she was obsessed! So, don’t take my word for it!
3 stars from me: librarian
5 stars from a student: 6th grader

I really enjoy Shielded and imagining returning to this world with a new point of view really intrigued me. With how the first book ended, I was really curious about how this story will continue from a different point of view. And just like the first book, the sequel is still fun to read, full of adventures with a sprinkle of romance.

Here are some reasons why you should read this book:
- I'm a fan of the world-building and magic system. It was engaging and really interesting.
- This book has a perfect pace that I love for fantasy books. The action scene was fascinating but didn't overshadow the other things.
- Reading from Ren's POV was refreshing. I like his characters. He has such complexity and it gives some depth to his character.
- Not only full of adventure, but this book also has some heart-warming moments.

This one is pretty mediocre.

There's nothing exactly wrong with it, in the way that there's nothing exactly wrong with plain toast. Where the first book was a fun magical adventure romp, this one is a boring trek to save the day while the POV characters complain and bemoan at how useless and pathetic they are.

Making a character relatable doesn't involve completely changing their character from the first book or making them dull/whiny/unlikable. I kept thinking I should like these characters, but the truth of it is, I didn't.

While the book finishes up the overarching plot from book 1, it feels like an unnecessary addition. That's not a good thing.

Untethered was an action-packed young adult fantasy about a young, new king and his friend to save their kingdom, friends, and family from the evil mages. It was a decent read for me, but for someone who prefer characterizations, this book kind of lack in this department. The characters chemistry feel flat and I couldn't careless about their relationship because it lacked of depth. Overall 2.5/5.

This book is a mind-blowing sequel to the first book Shielded, and above all, it followed some of my absolutely cherished characters! The story picks up a few months after Shielded, and we follow Ren’s journey as he deals with his new responsibilities, role, and juggling life on just one hand, unable to trust anyone. The kingdom is thrumming with betrayal, as he journeys to his sister. Chiara on the other hand sets out on a deadly adventure to unearth the mystery behind the disappearance of a royal family member. As soon as Ren learns of this, he vows to bring her back. And so the story begins as we follow two of my cherished characters, as they embark on a dangerous adventure to protect ones they love, to protect their kingdom and people from power-thirsty traitors.
The writing style is fairly easy to follow and the plot although intricate, is one of the best out there. Beautifully crafted, this fast-paced story with hidden libraries, fight scenes, heart-stopping backstories, amazing character arc, and wonderful imagery, is absolutely worth the read. Besides, it’s a dual POV! And we love that!! It does have a few additional povs now and then but that just adds to the intrigue. Loved every second of this book and I highly recommend it!

I reread Shielded before diving into this one, and I felt like I was completely misremembering the first book, because I honestly didn't like it that much the second time around? Nothing happened for half the book, and everything else felt rushed and unlikely. Anyways, rereading Shielded reminded me of the characters, and while I was excited to see how Ren and Chiara's story would go, hoping I might like it more since we would get a double POV and I always love that... I have to say, I was rather disappointed. There was no reason for these two to have this random deep connection to one another. Ren is a king now and has no business running off to save another's kingdom's royal? Chiara is trying to prove herself, and it was nice to see her show everyone that she was more than capable. But, I don't know, running off with your grandmother? Going on a random journey? There wasn't anything about this story that intrigued me, from the romance to the adventure.

Although King Atháren's sister, Jennesara, saved Hálendi from the Gray Mage, the reprieve came at a steep price--the life of their father. Now Ren rules over a divided kingdom, with some who want him dead, and a Medallion that warns of worse trouble brewing in the south.

As second born, Princess Chiara is the perfect Turian royal--perfectly invisible. She longs to help restore peace on the Plateau, but with no magic and no fighting skills, she doesn't stand a chance against a mage. So when a member of the Turian royal family goes missing and Chiara finds a clue about the rumored resting place of the mages' long-lost artifacts, she decides it's time to be seen.

As Ren's and Chiara's paths cross, they find the depth of the mages' hold on the Plateau is more powerful than anyone suspected, and that they must learn to trust themselves, and each other, before the mages retrieve their artifacts and become too powerful to ever defeat.

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Shielded is good and Untethered is also good! I'm so happy to get the ARC. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC! I enjoy my time reading this book! I hope for another book by the author!!

I would like to thank the author and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Untethered by KayLynn Flanders is the sequel of Shielded that has some adventure, romance, and intriguing world building. I really enjoyed the first book, so I was excited to see how the story would end. Overall, this novel was okay. It didn’t have much the excitement that I felt in the first book. I was surprised that this novel now focused on Ren and Chiara’s POV, so this felt like a completely different book even when it was the continuation of the previous one.

The story followed Atharen and Chiara. Atharen, Jennesara’s brother, now ruled the kingdom, even when he felt he was not fit to rule, especially now that the kingdom needed a strong ruler to keep all things together. Chiara, the princess of Turian and Enzo’s younger sister, was the quiet princess who longed to restore peace even when she had no fighting skills and magic. When her father suddenly went missing, she went to find him while also finding clues to long-lost artifacts that might save the whole kingdom. When Ren’s and Chiara’s paths crossed, they teamed up to find the artifacts before the villainous mages got them.

The story picked up some time after the events in the previous book. It had been a year since I read the first book, so the sudden change in the narrative made me quite lost and confuse about who was who and what was happening. After I got used to it, reading different point of views was interesting. However, there were too many subplots which in my opinion felt so disjointed. Maybe the author was trying to have more conflicts to make the plot more complex and layered, but they weren’t really coming together at the end. Moreover, some scenes tended to drag on, losing its momentum. Fortunately, the ending was able to tied up the loose ends.

I did not hate nor like the characters, but they had their potential. I adored both Ren and Chiara in the first book. Here, since they each had their own POV, their flaws and doubts were shown. It was not really a bad thing especially it made the characters more relatable and realistic. However, after some time, it just became repetitive, and some choices they were making were quite absurd just to keep the plot moving. On the other hand, the romance was not instalove but I wished there was more chemistry.

Overall, Untethered was an okay read. I did not like it as much as the first book, but it tied up the loose ends well.

3/5 stars!

Untethered is the anticipated sequel to Shielded, a YA fantasy book I really enjoyed. KayLynn Flanders takes us back to Turia and Halendi where our characters have to team up once again to defeat the mages and find the Black Library. The first book left us with quite an open ending so it was refreshing to see that the book was written from someone else’s point of view.

The perspectives shift between Turia’s princess, Chiara, and Halendi’s king, Ren. There are other perspectives sprinkled in between to fill in the gaps of our knowledge as our characters go on their respective adventures. I did enjoy reading from Ren’s perspective. He is an engaging and complex character who’s working through a lot of trauma and insecurity. Chiara, however, isn’t a character I could easily relate to and I was annoyed with her timidness and naivety at times. It’s as if her character didn’t go through as much development as I would have liked to see from someone in her position.

Flanders is a skilled writer. I found her descriptions in the first book to be one of the reasons why I loved it so much. This book is more dialogue heavy and some scenes suffer a bit from telling and not showing. I do think that her writing style does come through beautifully when describing scenery and I could envision some of the scenes with perfect clarity.

Although I was entertained by the plot of this book, some of the developments felts awfully convenient. I definitely think that the plot lacks complexity and so devices were used to get certain characters to a certain point and I could see right through it. I think this specifically relates to the character of Cynthia Hallen. She felt like an overutilized, underdeveloped character.

The action at the end was really exciting to read and I found the pace of the book to bee good overall. I was engaged in the story consistently and the all the strands of the plot were wrapped up nicely. I would have liked to see more of our original set of characters, Jenna and Enzo, but I understand that this isn’t their story. They got their time in the spotlight.

In conclusion, I think that this is a solid YA fantasy duology with an interesting magic system, beautiful descriptions and an engaging cast of characters. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who’s looking for an adventurous story sprinkled with a little romance.