Shielded by KayLynn Flanders

Shielded (Shielded, #1)

by KayLynn Flanders

For fans of Sorcery of Thorns and Furyborn comes a thrilling new fantasy about a kingdom ravaged by war, and the princess who might be the key to saving not only those closest to her, but the kingdom itself, if she reveals the very secret that could destroy her.

The kingdom of Hálendi is in trouble. It's losing the war at its borders, and rumors of a new, deadlier threat on the horizon have surfaced. Princess Jennesara knows her skills on the battlefield would make her an asset and wants to help, but her father has other plans.

As the second-born heir to the throne, Jenna lacks the firstborn's--her brother's--magical abilities, so the king promises her hand in marriage to the prince of neighboring Turia in exchange for resources Hálendi needs. Jenna must leave behind everything she has ever known if she is to give her people a chance at peace.

Only, on the journey to reach her betrothed and new home, the royal caravan is ambushed, and Jenna realizes the rumors were wrong--the new threat is worse than anyone imagined. Now Jenna must decide if revealing a dangerous secret is worth the cost before it's too late--for her and for her entire kingdom.

A Whitney Award Nominee

"A gorgeous fantasy that captivates from beginning to end, and a fierce heroine every reader will root for."--KATHRYN PURDIE, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Burning Glass and Bone Crier's Moon

"Beautiful writing, wondrous world building, and enchanting characters. This is YA fantasy at its most fun."--DANA SWIFT, author of Cast in Firelight

Reviewed by thepunktheory on

4 of 5 stars

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Full review on my blog coming soon!

At first, I was a little bit hesitant about Shielded. It has nothing to do with the book per se but rather it's because I read so many novels just like it recently. Princess? Discovers some of her magical abilities? Kingdoms at war? Fighting? Conspiracies?
Does that sound familiar to you?
However, I quickly took a liking to the concept of magic Flanders presents here. Especially the heroine's journey on her own (that goes on for quite a bit) was rather interesting! The world Flanders created certainly keeps you on your toes. Just about anything could happen and things are afoot here...
So, after some initial difficulties, I quite liked the novel. Honestly, the only complaint I have (and it's one I mentioned about 795 times before) is that I could have done without the love story. No spoilers (so no details!) but why can't there be just one damn book without one? Seriously, there are so many more important things going on in the story, I really couldn't care less about some romance arc. Use those words for more world-building, give me more history, give me more info about the magic system!
That being said, I enjoyed just about everything else! The fight-scenes are well-written and thrilling. The magic system is intriguing and Flanders gives us just enough info to understand what's going on but keeps us longing for more. I really hope that in the next book we'll learn a lot more on that front.
I do have a question or two in the logic department, but those are just little things, so I'm prepared to overlook it. There are no major plot or logic holes, so we're good.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 16 February, 2021: Finished reading
  • 16 February, 2021: Reviewed