Finally got my hands on the first book and I wasn't disappointed with the sequel. Really, really great writing, and I was totally immersed in the universe (and so sad to see it go when it was over)!

I am delighted to say that I loved this book even more than Shielded (which was a favorite of mine last year). These characters feel like friends. I love them so much and would happily read any more books that come out in this universe!

This book followed Ren and Chiara's stories. At first I was disappointed by that idea since I loved Jenna and Enzo so much. KayLynn Flanders made me adore these two just as much! And we still got to see all of the characters that we had grown attached to in Book 1. This was a beautiful wrap up to this duology and still left an opening for more should she decide to give us more stories (which I sincerely hope she does!).

If you love strong female characters, disguised royalty, slow burn romance, fun fantasy adventure, and strong family dynamics then these books are for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the e-ARC of this amazing book!

I would give Untethered 4.5 out of 5 stars! At first I was nervous if I would like it because it wasn’t from Jenna’s point of view, but I was so wrong!! This book was so incredible, the plot was amazing, and I am still obsessed with the characters. I love Jenna and Enzo’s relationship, but I actually think that I like Chiara and Ren’s better! I did like Shielded better, but only by a little. Overall, this book series is absolutely amazing, I think everyone should read it!

DID NOT FINISH.
Could not keep the storyline straight and just felt like there was a lot of confusion.

If Atháren were any more swoon-worthy it would be criminal.

Oh how I ADORED this sequel. I often fear for follow-up books that entirely change POVs from the original, but the balance of each old beloved character worked perfectly from Chiara and Ren's perspectives, giving them time to shine as the protagonists while simultaneously letting Jenna, Enzo, and Mari have their own less centered journeys.

The message of familial strength and love - both in blood and in the bonds you choose to form - was my favorite part of Shielded, and Untethered keeps that theme at the centerfold while also adding in a heartwarming and touching journey of self-assurance and finding your worth. This entire world's magic system is based on the strength and comfort of love, and the warm fuzzies I got at every hand hold, protective stance, and lingering glance were nonstop. I loved every bit of it.

I was particularly happy with the way this world continues to grow without needing to dump new information on the readers. It's a gradual learning curve that's easy to understand, which is rare to see in fantasies with huge kingdoms like this.

My only qualms lie in the pacing and execution of the climax- I often felt like we skipped over what could have been some fun legs of the journey, and the ending was just a bit abrupt, but maybe that was only because I wanted to hang on to these characters a little longer. As for how it all comes together in the end, without any spoilers, I feel like circumstances were a little too convenient for our protagonists. Things fell into place just a bit too easily, and it was quite a stretch of imagination to believe.

Also, have I mentioned how much I love Ren? Because I love him. A lot.

I really enjoyed reading this story. Ren and Chiara are two characters that really compliment each other. They make each other feel seen and supported even in the worst of times.

This book picks up some time after the events in the first book, and Ren has been crowned King. He is basically alone both his mother and father are dead, and his sister is in Turia planning her wedding.. He only has a handful of people that he can trust in his kindgom and he is really struggling to figure out his new role.. When he has the feeling that he needs to travel South to Turia (with the help of a magical amulet) he takes it..

Chiara is a princess with no magic, and doesn't feel like any one really sees her, like she can just fade into the backround.. When her father travels to a neighboring kindgom, and dissapears she gets her chance to have an adventure of her own.

Chiara and Ren are now traveling together to find the Black Library and save her father.. But there are so many obstecles that they have to navigate through., Old enemies, and old friends have resurfaced to stand in their way. I really loved the moments between them when they start to really show how much they trust each other by sharing their feelings and fears..As the story progresses they really show alot of growth, and I love seeing Janna, Eros and Mari again.

Im not sure if this series is finished or not, but I would love to get a story of Janna and Eros wedding, and what happens in Rens kindom after the events of this book.

The only thing that was missing for me was I really wanted more romance and chemistry between the characters. You can see the potential, and the moments when the feelings between them could be turning into something but it didn't have as much as I wanted.

I really enjoyed both books in this series, and will definitely be reading all the books that this author puts out.

Flanders is definitely ranked herself as a favorite author for me. This story, like its predecessor was full of my favorite things: action, adventure, evocative settings, and heart warming moments. Can't wait to get a physical copy in my hands.

While I generally like seeing beloved stories continue from the perspective of other characters, the problem comes when those other characters aren't as engaging and interesting as the original viewpoint characters. The story itself is still interesting, but Chiara and Ren just aren't doing anything useful. They're also kind of the same person, personality-wise, which makes their chapters difficult to tell apart.

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

3.5 stars

I was lucky enough to be able to read both this book and its predecessor as ARCs. Although I did like the first book more than the second, they were both good. The story is fun and interesting, and the writing provides good imagery without being distracting. I look forward to reading more by this author.

One of my biggest complaints about this book was probably the attitude that some of the characters (Chiara, Ren, and Mari) had about themselves. They frequently had "nobody needs me, nobody sees me" attitudes, especially Chiara. I guess with Mari it was more that she hated being the little kid that got left out of adventures (but hello, she's 8). Ren and Chiara sort of improve over the course of the book, at least. Sometimes it was difficult to tell their chapters apart, though, especially if I picked up reading in the middle of one. Perhaps another reason I liked the first book better was that the relationship between Enzo and Jenna was more developed. Chiara and Ren were interested in each other, but it hardly develops at all.

I would have liked to have an epilogue, as I feel like the book ended just a little too short of resolution; yet I don't feel like there's enough left open for a third book.

Note: Nothing bad.

When I reviewed Shielded, the first novel in this duology, I truly enjoyed how Flanders created a character young readers would be charmed and delighted by: Jennesara, or Jenna for short. However, Jenna takes a back seat in this novel. The focus is now on her older brother Ren and his potential love interest Chiara (Jenna’s betrothed younger sister).

And the character development in this novel compared to the last is lacking. Ren always second guesses himself, is indecisive, guilt ridden, and always needs someone else to get him out of a fix. He’s bumbling along, unsure of what to do, relying solely on a magic (an amulet given to him by his father) he doesn’t fully understand. He feels flat throughout the novel. Never fully coming together in scope, more like a patchwork of dull threads that makes for an uninspiring coat.

Further, the potential romance between Chiara and Ren is disappointing. There were moments that Flanders could have built on or flushed out to make it enticing or swoon worthy, but most ended up awkward, thwarting a good scene that could have held witty banter and heady moments that romance readers could appreciate.

When it comes to magic and lore, action and adventure, this novel felt like its title, untethered. The story needed more focus. First, there are too many additional side characters given a point of view. I understood why Flanders chose to do this, but it felt like a crutch to explain rather than add to the story. Flanders could have easily continued the story without using these additional characters. Possibly cutting them out and having a razor sharp focus that could have made the pacing more enjoyable.

Then, there’s the story itself. Ren’s incapability to rule, Jenna’s wedding, Chiara wanting to be seen and actually contribute in some way, and rogue mages on the lose, the plot and subsequent subplots felt disjointed, never coming together fully to make for a cinematic experience. And finally, the action scenes didn’t have the same momentum and finesse as the previous novel.

Untethered has certain moments that were similar to the charisma and charm of the previous novel, but with scenes that tended to drag on, unnecessary character point of views, and a plot that felt scattered, like seeds thrown into the wind, never finding a place to root in the fertile soil, the narrative did not live up to a breathtaking conclusion.

Happy Reading ̴ Cece

#Untethered #NetGalley
Thank you, NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review
I just want to say this author is one heck of a writer! I absolutely loved this book and I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy :-)

This was one of those books I've been waiting for, and it did not disappoint! Shielded was one of my surprising favorites and this book did a wonderful job of meeting my high expectations! Ren and Chiara are wonderful characters with the growth and heart that make this book so enjoyable to read. This was an epic journey with action and adventure and a romance that blossomed throughout, a wonderful book! Would highly recommend to anyone who wants a great story, fantastic characters, and story that you will enjoy over and over!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Finally read Shielded, and I can say this is a worthy and captivating sequel. Full of adventure, action, and did I mention there's a hidden library???, fans of the first book won't be disappointed.

Wonderful sequel to Shielded! While I felt that the book could have easily been spread into two books it moves at a break neck pace and leaves you staying up well past bedtime to discover what happens next.

Thoroughly enjoyable. A lot happens in this sequel and we see the story unfold between two main characters: Ren and Chiara. We have short chapters from the POV of other characters similar to how the first book had short chapters occasionally giving a POV that wasn't Jenna.

Both Ren and Chiara are dealing with so many personal doubts and they just want to keep their families safe and make a difference. Through this drive, they are separately thrown into a whirlwind of events that keep testing their limits in new ways.

The way new characters are added to the traveling group keeps things interesting and I'd say the last quarter of the action is incredibly intense. Nothing is overly graphic violence-wise and the hardships are consistent with those in the first book - nothing is glossed over but nothing is gratuitous.

Ren and Chiara go through some major character growth that we get to witness and even though things look horrible, neither is willing to give up.

KF gives every narrator (in both books) a fresh voice and keeps the protagonists relatable and likable without being perfect.

I received an ARC via NetGalley I'm exchange for this honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.
Untethered is the sequel to Shielded. I would give this book 3.5 stars out of 5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and was really interested in seeing how it would end. This book, while overall good, didn't draw me in as much as the first book nor did it really answer any of the questions from the last book or even the beginning of this book. I wish the book had continued with Jenna's point of view instead of being almost exclusively through Chiara's and Ren's point of view. These different points of view almost made the book seem like a completely different book as opposed to a continuance of the story from the first. We didn't get to finish Jenna's story and character arc and don't get much closure for her even at the end of the Untethered. So while Chiara and Ren's point of view was interesting to read. Telling the point the story from their point of view meant some other really interesting parts were skipped over. I do hope there is a third book to tie up all the loose ends! Nonetheless, readers should definitely give this book a read. Untethered is still full of action and adventure, some romance, and interesting world-building.

I loved the characters names. I really liked ren and chiara.there was a lot of action. Ren had a lot of drama. I liked the place name Halendria. I loved the switch between characters. I liked the descriptions. I loved the world building

I enjoyed the book and seeing the world from Chiara and Ren's viewpoint. A good positive conclusion to what began in Shielded. I can definitely recommend this book to our readers.,

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to receive an e-ARC of Untethered.
Untethered by KayLynn Flanders, is a striking sequel to Shielded. While shielded followed the story of Enzo and Jenna here we read about Ren and Chiara. Untethered is a whirlwind of action.
We read about how Ren and Chiara attempt to save their kingdom & family from the dangers of the mages. Untethered's plot was action-packed and full of friendship. The book was fast-paced and an enjoyable read. The writing was fairly descriptive. Untethered had 2 main perspectives (Ren and Chiara) but it had also included some other minor points of view. The characters were interesting and loveable. I had liked the setting of the book. The setting was vivid and stood out.
Why 4 stars? you might ask. My reasoning was that while reading, Untethered I had felt like this was more of a second installment to a trilogy rather than the ending to a duology.

Do I think you should read Untethered By KayLynn Flanders? Yes! You should pick this book series up if you're looking for a fantasy book with action.

I requested and received an e-arc of Untethered via NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions and thoughts expressed are mine. I voluntarily reviewed this book.
REVIEWED: 3/14/2021 & 3/15/2021
EXPECTED RELEASE DATE: June 20, 2021

Shielded, the first book in this series, was an enjoyable fantasy adventure so I was excited to pick up this sequel. Sadly, I don’t think I was able to enjoy it as much — however there were definitely still elements I enjoyed. I thought Chiara was an interesting and compelling narrator, and I honestly wished more of the book had been from her point of view. Her narrative is one of finding strength in yourself and your values, and also in traits that are too often deemed weak. I really loved that aspect, and thought her character growth was cool. Overall, the plot didn’t do too much to entertain me — it felt rather similar to the first novel and just in general a bit formulaic. I also wasn’t super into Ren’s and Chiara’s romance; it was just kind of boring for me. However, I did appreciate that their relationship was based off a healthy foundation of trust, so that was nice. All in all, by all means a decent sophomore novel, I just wouldn’t say it was a standout for me.