KayLynn Flanders’ sophomore novel and conclusion to the Shielded duology wraps up the story of Ren, Jenna, Enzo, and Chiara with a nice bow and teases some possibilities of extra exploration or bonus stories at the end.

Where Shielded follows Jenna and Enzo’s arranged marriage and romance, Untethered follows their siblings, Ren and Chiara respectively, on their quest to save their kingdoms, while falling in love with one another quite unexpectedly.

Readers meet the nefarious mages along the way, all the while finding out the hidden, inner strength of some of the side characters.

While I did not wholeheartedly enjoy this installment quite as well as I did the first, it’s not at all bad. I’d rate it a 3.5 stars, which rounds up to 4. I definitely look forward to reading some more of Flanders’ writing. Her first two books were certainly YA appropriate and had little to no objectionable content in them.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, for which I give my own opinion.

What an exciting ending to this crazy adventure that we started in Shielded! Untethered was action packed, fast paced, and kept wanting to know what happens! I like how more in depth the story got with the mages and about finding the Black Library. It was so fascinating to see how places like Turia and Hálendi all had roles in to finding the Library through the “keys.” I also really liked how every character had an importance to the story to move it forward. Shielded was Jenna and Enzo and Untethered was Chiara and Ren. It was a treat watching them all work together as a team! All the connections we saw in Shielded grew and became stronger. Friendships, romantic relationships, sibling bonding. All of it!

It was great reading this from the POVs of Chiara and Ren. We really got to see their personalities shine and get to know them better. I liked Chiara in Shielded, but this book made me love her. I loved seeing her build her confidence up and realize that she is important and can do anything.

KayLynn Flanders wrote an incredible story with incredible characters and I enjoyed every moment of my time with this series!

Shielded was such a fun read and Untethered did not disappoint. It is adventure from beginning to end. I enjoyed new characters we’re introduced to and it was nice seeing others from Shielded.

Chiara is sick of waiting for someone to go out and look for her father who she knows hasn’t just gone missing. She has a bad feeling and with the help of her grandmother she finds herself on the path to not only finding her father but looking for the mages’ long-lost artifacts. She’s determined to find the answers even if it takes her into enemy territory.

Ren leaves the castle to find Chiara and bring her back to Hálendi but when their paths cross and she convinces him to continue on her journey he knows he can’t leave her. He will protect her and in the process he realizes he feels more for her than he thought.

This ya fantasy has love, betrayal, and found friendships. It’s full of adventure and intrigue. I thought the pacing was well developed and I enjoyed the characters. I thought the ending wrapped up this duology well and I will miss these characters. I hope we’ll get to see more one day.

I definitely recommend these books to anyone looking for a great YA duology!

Untethered is the perfect sequel to Shielded. The book picks up shortly after the events of the first book as we follow Jenna's brother Ren and Enzo's sister Chiara. Ren is struggling as the new king of Halendi as he faces opposition from many people in his court. Chiara does not have magic but she wants to help restore her kingdom and make a change.

Untethered was fast paced and keeps you on your toes from the beginning. I loved the relationship between Ren and Chiara as it is not insta love but builds over the entirety of the book. The romance does not overpower the book but helps the story. I think what I really enjoyed about Untethered is that it had a bit of treasure hunter/adventure vibes to it. There are plenty of action packed scenes that make it hard to put the book down.

Fans of Jenna and Enzo will be happy to know that they do play a role in this book but do not expect them to be the main focus in this book. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am a bit hopeful for a third book in this world because there are few characters in this book that need a full story!

4/5 stars

I received an ARC of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Spoilers for book 1 ahead!

With his father dead and Jenna in Turia, Ren becomes the king of Halendi and is left alone to pick up the pieces. There are those in his own court who want him dead, making his list of allies slim. To make matters worse, the Medallion continues to warn of danger. Meanwhile, Princess Chiara of Turia feels invisible. No one pays her much mind, even her own family. When horrible news arrives in Turia, Chiara takes it upon herself to settle matters. Along with a mysterious clue, she sets off on a difficult journey. Both she and Ren discover how powerful the mages truly are and must work together if the Plateau is to be saved.

This was an excellent sequel to Shielded! I am always wary when a series shifts to a different character's POV from book to book, but I genuinely enjoyed following Ren and Chiara throughout Untethered.

First things first, the world-building is just as amazing as it was in Shielded. More of the Plateau is explored here and we learn more about the land and its magic. While there is a lot we don't know, it doesn't take away from the story at all.

Ren and Chiara were also very interesting characters. They struggle with believing in themselves and worrying that they're not enough. Ren is not sure he can handle a kingdom; Chiara feels like a useless princess with nothing to contribute. As they continue on the journey, they also learn more about themselves and what they're truly capable of.

In addition, the messages in this story were what truly made this book excellent. The characters learn a lot about forgiveness, trust in both others and themselves, and that there are many different kinds of strengths in life.

My only real complaint was the pacing. It took me a little while to get into this book, and there were a few parts that dragged. But there were more scenes that captured my full attention, so I was able to get through it without too much of a problem. The ending did feel a little abrupt; I personally would have liked to know more about these characters and their futures, but the story did at least wrap up nicely.

This is a clean and wholesome read that is still fun and adventurous! I think this is a great book for both teens and older readers alike. This duology will forever have a special place in my heart!

Untethered was another exhilarating adventure from Kaylynn Flanders. I guess I didn't read the synopsis closely, but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw we'd be getting Ren and Chiara's POVs in this one. It really worked for me. I really loved their sweet dynamic and watching these characters who were mostly on the peripheral of the first book really shine in the second. They strengthen and embolden each other so much that their character development plays well off each other, and I thought that was pretty cool. I was worried that it would be hard to get back into this world after how much time has passed since I read Shielded, but the way that Flanders has designed her world and how the familiarity that infused her writing made that not a problem at all. Shielded's strongest point was its worldbuilding, and that holds true in Untethered as we venture into Riiga. The plot was well paced and kept me interested and you can really tell how Flanders's writing is only getting better. You can't help but feel drawn into the family that is at this epic fantasy's heart, and the characters are lovable and just a lot of fun to read about. Full of adventure, family and magic, Untethered is a story about what we do when the world and life we knew is tilted on its axis, and the relationships that strengthen our resolve to face it.

*I received an e-arc from the publisher on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Wow! I loved Shielded, but Ioved Untethered even more! Shielded was Jenna and Enzo’s story, and Untethered is about Ren, Jenna’s older brother, and Chiara, Enzo’s younger sister. This was such a cool change of pace, and I loved hearing the story from their perspectives.

King Ren’s sister, Jenna, saved Halendi from the Gray Mage, but that vindication came with a very high price-the life of their father. Ren now rules over a kingdom divided, where some even want him dead. He’s also left with his father’s mysterious Medallion that warns him of trouble down South.

As the second born, Princess Chiara is the picture perfect Turian royal, but she’s also perfectly invisible. She wants to do her part and help restore peace to the Plateau, but she has no magic or fighting skills to speak of, and she has no chance against a powerful mage. When a member of the royal Turian family goes missing and Chiara finds a clue that might lead to the mages long lost artifacts, she decides to make her move.

When Ren and Chiara’s paths cross, they find that the mages have a very powerful hold over the Plateau, more powerful than anyone could have imagined. They need to trust themselves, and each other, and defeat the mages before they get the magical artifacts and become completely unstoppable.

I was really smitten with Ren and Chiara and their growth in this one. They both started out with so much self-doubt and it was amazing to see them hold their own in the end.

I’m secretly hoping that we get more in this amazing world that KayLynn has built. There are still some questions I have, even though this was an extremely satisfying ending. If you loved Shielded, I think you will definitely love this sequel that is packed with action, adventure, family, friendships, and romance. Untethered is releasing on July 20, 2021, so preorder or request at your local library now!

The second book to Shielded focused on Chiara and Ren (sister and brother to Enzo and Jenna, respectively). They went on a mission to stop the mages, Redalia and Brownlok, after Jenna had already killed Graymere. I won't say much more about the plot as to not spoil anything!

I really enjoyed Untethered! Chiara and Ren were two characters we didn't learn much about in Shielded (they weren't the focus, which isn't a bad thing at all). I loved that we got to get inside their heads and see what they were thinking during the events of this book. The one thing that I loved was seeing all the growth Chiara went through. She wasn't very confident in herself at the beginning of the novel and by the time it ended, she was confident enough to be the princess everyone thought she was. Lastly, Ren was one of my favorite characters because he always put everyone else before himself. He clearly thought he was expendable, but really, he was a huge part of the book and I was rooting for him the whole book.

What a perfect sequel. Untethered has the perfect mix of characters we know and love, evil villain, and adventure to create a well balanced young adult novel. Chiara’s character development is fantastic and I love how Ren struggles with self doubt instead of immediately being confident at such a young age in his abilities. It made the story feel more real. The dash of romance was nice and sweet although it’s a definite slow build up.

It was so nice seeing loose ends get tied up in this sequel. The plot was well done and the storyline did not suffer 2nd book syndrome. I loved this world and would absolutely be ecstatic if we got another installment either of this specific series or even an altogether new one from this world.

All in all I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend!

A action packed sequel to Shielded that highlights battling enemies, healing from grief and saving their kingdoms. Untethered keeps you on the edge of your seat as a mysterious mystical enemy encloses on the land and how the characters must harnesses their inner power to save the ones they love.

After the end of Jenna and Enzo's story, we are left with some questions and concerns. We know that Graymere is dead, but what about the other mages? And how will it work now that Ren is King of Hálendi, while Jenna is currently betrothed to the future king of Turiana? And what about The Black Library? What happens if the mages find it? And did I feel some tension between Ren and Chiara?

If you had any of those questions, then welcome to the book that provides all of these answers! We didn't get to see much of Ren, Jenna's older brother, in Shielded as he was off fighting and healing soldiers on the battlefield, but this book is Ren's story. And Chiara's, Enzo's little sister, who we saw a good bit of in Shielded. I loved splitting up this series into two separate stories, while keeping it in the same world. Jenna and Enzo's story was mostly complete by the end of Shielded, with only a few major questions left behind. Picking up the story with Chiara and Ren was such a fun change and I loved the two of them as MCs!

Following along with their story, we have Ren, who's unsure of his new responsibilities and fears for the future, and Chiara, who feels invisible at home and wants to be anything but useless. When Chiara's father is kidnapped on the way to a royal wedding in Riiga, she does the only thing that felt right, go out and find him. But while Chiara doesn't have the fighting skills and magic of Jenna, she does have her wits about her. She's definitely not a stupid person and manages to find a friend, Aleksa, on the road who's willing to help her get into Riiga. Ren, who now wears the Medallion, gets a feeling that trouble is brewing in the south and heads to check on Jenna in Turiana. After discovering that Chiara has left for Riiga with her grandmother, Ren volunteers to get her and bring her home.

But things aren't always that easy. Because while Chiara is on a mission to save her father, she also ends up being the key to finding The Black Library. And while she doesn't want to help the mages find it, things change when her eight year old sister Mari sneaks off to find Chiara and ends up getting picked up by one of the mages. This book has so many twists and turns as we follow Chiara and Ren on their rescue mission. I was honestly amazed with how much happens in this book, especially since it was only 400 pages long.

One of my favorite things about this series, and KayLynn's writing in general, is her ability to lay down a plot that is filled with action, adventure, and romance, yet it doesn't feel overdone or too much. And her characters are always so tough, even when they feel like they're weak. There's a lot about this book that I love and I wish I could get more stories out of this world. Though this is a satisfying ending, I was still left with some questions. I'm hoping this means that we're getting another book in the series, because I would love to know the answers to some of these!

Overall, this was such a good sequel. I loved Ren and Chiara's story and the ending that we get from this book. While I have some questions, I'm hoping this means that we get a third book in the series, but I won't hold my breath. If you like action, adventure, magic, and romance, this is a series you will love and should definitely check out!

I thoroughly enjoyed Shielded and was excited to learn that this sequel involved the relationship between the side characters from the first book. The story continues shortly after the first story ends and things are still uncertain in the countries. Our main characters are still dealing with the after effects of the traumas they face. I really enjoyed the slow build of characters relationship, learning more about each other and facing new obstacles together. I was satisfied with the conclusion, but it feels like this world is still open for more adventures in the future.

I am so excited for this book! KayLynn Flanders delivers on an action-packed sequel that does not disappoint! Now the next question is will there be a Mari book?

I was so excited to get to this after having enjoyed Shielded so much last year. I will admit I did not know going into this that Jenna was no longer the main character - something I have disliked in other series and this one was no exception. I get attached to my main characters POV, and while Jenna and Enzo did make appearances throughout this novel it took me a long time to warm up to Ren and Chiara. I think this book struggled in the beginning but the middle was quite strong. Overall a good continuation and I am looking forward to reading more from this author!

4.5 Stars

Untethered is one of the books I genuinely was looking forward to reading. I thoroughly enjoyed Shielded and had high hopes for its sequel.

Untethered builds on Shielded and they’re best read one right after the other. I didn’t have time to do this, and though I remembered a lot, I feel as if I missed some of the more nuanced elements.

KayLynn remains an excellent worldbuilder, adding to what she already had in place and expanding to new lands completely. Her settings have a sense of place that help the reader feel as if they are standing in the same space as her characters.

Magical elements continue to feel fresh even while there’s a sense of familiarity.

While most of the plot twists are strong and surprising, there are a few that you’ll know before they happen.

The pacing is on-point, making Untethered an exciting read you’ll want to gobble up in one sitting.

I really enjoyed this authors books! I loved the characters from the first book, but it was nice getting to see the point of view from some of the other characters. It was a good story and I liked some of the characters we got to know better. Overall, it was a pretty decent book and series.

I loved reading Shielded last year. It was a good, generic YA novel that was pleasant to read. I didn't realize, though, that Untethered would be through completely different characters' points of view while continuing the same storyline! I kinda liked it. It made it more interesting to me. However, I will say that I didn't love Chiara as a main character. I just don't love timid, untalented characters who have to struggle with every challenge they face. And I found the romance pretty lacking. I did like how the story went though, and how it wrapped up all the loose ends from Shielded. Overall, a fine duology; one I think 15-year-olds would enjoy.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 3
Plot/Movement: 3
Character Development: 3
Overall: 3

Thank you, Delacorte Press and NetGalley, for the review copy!

I really loved Untethered (and Shielded) and I'm sad that it looks like this is just a duology. The author did such a great job with creating so many characters that I fell in love with. I got so attached to everyone. I especially loved how the women/young girls were so strong.

This is a sequel, so there are spoilers from book one below.

Untethered is told by both Ren and Chiara. Ren is still morning the loss of his father and feels like he's a failure. Chiara still feels unseen and unneeded at home. She definitely crushes on Ren, but worries that he only sees her as a sister. When her father goes missing, Chiara decides to go find him without telling Enzo and Jenna. Once they notice she's missing, Ren decides to go find her. Chiara thinks that if she can find the black library, maybe she can trade that knowledge for her father's life. They get some help from others, including a young woman, Aleksa. King Janiis is getting married and everyone realizes how bad it is when his future bride is the mage, Redalia. She wants to get even more power from the black library and is willing to kill anyone to get it. Everything has fallen apart in Riiga and there is so much at stake. Everyone has their own reasons to help. Chiara blames herself for everything and just wants to help her father and make sure everyone lives. She and Ren get closer during their search and Ren starts to see her in a different way. Chiara doesn't have magic, but she might be the strongest person there.

I don't want to give away too much. The book is fast paced and I loved every minute of it. I adored everyone in this series, but especially Mari. Maybe we'll get lucky and get a book from her when she's a bit older. I definitely want more, but the ending felt right, too.

I gave this book 5 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

Warnings for blood, cuts, death, fire, suicide, and memory issues.

Title: Untethered
Author: KayLynn Flanders
Pub. Date: July 20, 2021
Rating: 5

This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you so much to KayLynn, Delacorte Press and NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved Shielded when I read it last year, so being able to read Untethered early in order to start building up the hype is amazing. I’m super grateful.

I’m honestly kind of at a loss, because the book was so good, so captivating – now that I’m done, I don’t know what to do with myself. I fucking loved this book. Whereas Shielded was basically non-stop from the first moment, this book is more of a slow burn with a fiery explosive ending. Everything just keeps building and building with little bursts of action and high stakes to relieve a bit of the mounting pressure. But then you get towards the end, and you just know it’s going to be intensive, explosive, an outcome to change the world…
And I honestly don’t think it disappoints. At all.

I loved the inner conflict, panic and turmoil that haunts Ren. The need to explore, do and see, to prove herself – Chiara is a fearless badass.

The journey they each go on individually, trying to find their places in the world…and if they included each other is so good. KayLynn legit had me so engrossed that I stayed up way past my bedtime, and work is going to be really difficult. But I couldn’t put the book down. I needed to know what happened next. I needed the tension and slow burn building of their feelings for each other.
I loved that Ren struggled with anxiety and panic. – well, that sounds a bit sadistic – but I loved how it was handled. I loved that the people around him didn’t think less of him, didn’t look past him…they just were there for him. Helped him get through it. I loved that Chiara is a risk taker and fiercely loyal. That despite being raised in a castle and being relatively sheltered, she never gives up, she keeps fighting. She’s so incredibly strong and loyal and it’s wonderful.

It was also so nice getting to see more of Jenna and Enzo. Not going to lie, I was a little sad when I first saw that Untethered wasn’t going to follow the two of them as the main characters. I loved them so much, loved Shielded so much, I was sad.
And now I’m telling you that there is no reason to be sad. They’re in it plenty, have pretty significant roles, and having the whole group together is just so amazing and so good.

Honestly, I can’t think of a single negative thing amount this book – not that, that’s my objective. I just loved it so much. I inhaled 75% of it in one sitting, because I needed to know what happened next. But I guess my only complaint is that the book is over. I don’t think there is another one, so this is probably it for these characters. I’m not ready to give up Jenna, Enzo, Ren and Chiara. I want to know what happens next! I want slice of life, happily ever after (or for now) stuff! I want to see weddings and parties and just everything.
Hell, after all they went through and suffered in this book, I think it’s only fair!

I loved this book, loved this series, it should definitely be on your radar, on your TBR and you should be reading it. Start with Shielded and meet Jenna and Enzo and fall in love. Then on July 20th, get ready to meet Ren and Chiara in full light and fall in love with them on their journey to save themselves, their families, their kingdoms…their world. It’s a book you don’t want to miss.

For me this was unfortunately a case where it paled in comparison to the first one. The first one was just so dang good, so perfectly plotted and balanced, and lead by two all-star leads. This one just wasn't at that level for me. I enjoyed it as the end of all that began in the first one, but really wished that Jenna and Enzo had maintained the lead in this installment.
Something about this second one (and its plotting) felt much more forced than the first one. Almost like the thought was "Lets make the second book from the other potential couples point of view so we can have a fresh romance to liven this one up" and then proceeded to build the plot around "how can we isolate these two so we can get them together?". I dunno it just felt forced - particularly in the inactivity of the hero and heroine from the first book (eventually they are allowed to take action, but come one, there's no way those two would have sat and twiddled their thumbs and let others go handle things) And while Ren maybe could stand up to Jenna and Enzo's shadow, Chiara most definitely did not. And I have a feeling I'm in the minority here, I'm sure there are a lot of Chiara fans out there (I loved her in the first book). But I am not a big fan of "the one un-magical person in a magical story saving the day". And in this case it was definitely a stretch buying her value (especially in the case of villains keeping her alive) . I mean I get that our heroine can be unique and loved and powerful in her own way without having any magic, but this IS a fantasy...so just give the poor girl some powers already.
Loved the first book in this series but this one was just okay for me (and I probably wouldn't be so hard on it if I hadn't loved the first one so much) - had Jenna and Enzo been leading the charge, and Ren and Chiara left to fill the sub-plot romantic roles I think it would have flowed much more naturally from the first one, and we probably would have found ourselves with some less forced scenerio's, and overall higher stakes. I will say the "big showdown" at the end was pretty good and definitely made this one worth while for me, and I liked the little side plot of Brownlok and Mari.
Overall I'm really enjoying this author and will definitely read anything else she writes, I'm hoping this is just a little bit of that sophomore slump.