The Silent Shield is the fifth book in The Kingfountain series by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jeff Wheeler.

In this world, there are people blessed by the Fountain and I'm sure Jeff Wheeler is one of those people. Mr. Wheeler has the gift of recreating new and complex worlds, based on historical facts that are easily recognizable and that, nevertheless, possess that magic that is only found in the great classics.

Received from Netgalley for honest read and review.

5th book in this wonderful series,that I have really enjoyed from the start.All the characters are brilliant as usual and this story has got better and better,Centering around Trynne and her nemesis Morwenna,this was a joy to read.

A thoroughly absorbing read.

I received this book for free from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I originally bought the first book in this series on sale for 99 cents on Amazon, now here I am reviewing the fifth book. What a ride it has been so far! I know every time I pick up a book in this series, it's going to be compulsively readable and I'm just going to have some much fun.

If you know someone unsure about fantasy or doesn't know where to even begin, I highly recommend this series. It has a little bit of everything, magic, kingdoms, intrigue, spies, assassins, love, betrayal, friendship and other worlds; it can all be found in this one series.

The two absolute standout aspects of this series for me are the astonishing world-building and amazing characters. The plot is great don't get me wrong and I love the writing but both the world-building and the characters were a breath of fresh air in the stagnant pool of sameness I'd been feeling about other fantasy books.

The only minor issue I have with the series can be easily summed up; these books are all fairly short for fantasy books and as such sometimes there was a lack of subtlety in certain developments. I feel like some fangirl complaining because I just want more of everything in this world!

It has been such a joy to discover this series and I can't wait to explore the backlog of Jeff Wheeler's work and I look forward to reading anything else he releases in the future.

Finally I just have to say the audiobook narrator Kate Rudd does an astounding job capturing the voices of all the characters and breathing life into the world.

I absolutely adore this series from Jeff Wheeler and it just keeps going from strength to strength. The mythology is cleverly woven into a tense and exciting plot. More please!

The Silent Shield is another great book by Jeff Wheeler. His characters' personalities practically jump off the page while you read and it is hard to put his books down because you want to find out what happens next! I would highly recommend this book.

“They call him the Painted Knight, but I think of him as my silent shield. When I am in danger, he is there.”
(from The Silent Shield)


Unlike the second book in the series, which followed several years after the events in the first, The Silent Shield begins soon after the end of The Hollow Crown. The narrative continues to follow Tryneowy “Trynne” Kiskaddon as she continues to train and learn the extent of her powers. Fresh after the loss of her own father, Owen Kiskaddon, who was kidnapped during battle, tragedy strikes again, and Trynne must learn how to continue to protect the king as well as her own lands.

I don’t think this book was quite as strong as the previous book in the series, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Like in the previous book, I enjoyed watching Trynne’s journey to becoming a strong, independent woman (or, young adult), all whilst navigating the slippery slope of politics and trying to fight an opponent trying to conquer Kingfountain.

Trynne had to endure a lot in this book – I won’t mention specifics, because I don’t want to give anything away – but her resilience in the face of so much adversity was commendable. Instead of giving up and quitting, she used her challenges to become stronger and more determined than ever.

The ending wasn’t as huge a cliff-hanger as I was expecting, so I am really not sure of what to expect in the final book, The Forsaken Throne. I can’t wait to see how the series ends!

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.

Having not read the other books in this series was a major factor with this book, although I read it as a standalone I fell I missed so much. But the book really grabbed my attention and I am now going to buy the first 4 books and start from the beginning!
I will update my review once I have read all of the books as I feel I will me much more qualified to give a proper review of the other books as well as this one.
If you like Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time you might just love this book :-)

Jeff Wheeler hits it out of the park again with the 5th book of his King Foun-tain series, Trynne is a wonderfully strong heroine who doesn't swoon and fawn over the men in the story but places loyalty and honour above everything else. I cannot wait for the next book!

Bravo, Mr. Wheeler, bravo.

Once again, a harried mother was asked to review an advanced copy of Mr. Wheeler's latest offering, The Silent Shield.She gratefully accepted the challenge. Knowing that she would be completely engrossed in Tryneowy "Trynne" Kiskaddon's trials, she delayed reading the novel for more than a week, until she had 2 days or so to devote solely to reading this newest addition. It was difficult, as the mother's children still needed to be tended to, but this story was worth the sacrifice.

The Hollow Crown was a homecoming. It was warm and familiar, and I loved every minute. The Silent Shield took me from my safe haven and transported me into the Deep Fathoms. Mr. Wheeler's approach of taking a familiar piece of history and reimagining it with a fictional twist continues to entertain.

I feel that this book was really well written and had a lot of fun twists. Trynne really comes into her own in this novel, and Gahalatine becomes less enigmatic, although I still am not sure if I like him. Many characters have left for their own journeys and we occasionally see glimpses of their paths. There are some vast distances for the characters to cross, and I am anxious to follow them on their journeys.

On a side note:

This particular novel incorporates the familiar tale of The Man in the Iron Mask, the legend of King Arthur, and the tale of St. Joan of Arc, mixes it up with a fictitious and much kinder War of the Roses, and finishes with a chaser of Muirwood. That's right. Muirwood. If you haven't read Mr. Wheeler's Legends of Muirwood trilogy and the sequel trilogy Covenant of Muirwood, you might miss some very important and exciting tie-ins to this novel. So, do yourself a favor, and go download a copy of those novels from Amazon, or run down to Barnes and Noble. You won't regret it.

Quite simply, I love these books because I can allow my mind to explore a new world, and have absolutely NO WORRIES about having to answer any awkward questions when my 7 year old picks up my Kindle and reads what's on the page. There's not very many squeaky clean fantasy authors out there, however, Mr. Wheeler is one of the best of group. Honestly, I'd be fine with my 7, 9, or 17 year old reading these novels. In fact, I will probably encourage them to do so.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Another good and solid read for the series. I love the continuing advancement of the story with all the characters. My only gripe is [ Gahalatine being swayed by one speech, even if he is smitten with Tyrnne is a bit unbelievable. Also, I know Jeff's characters tend to forgive easily but I think Tyrnne should have taken longer to develop feelings for him. (hide spoiler)] Looking forward to the next one!

Jeff wheeler just keep delivering good reads. This book is no exception. It is full of adventure, action and a bit of romance. I like that he uses past legends to shape parts of his story. I'm glad we have a female heroine, one who knows what she believes and won't be lead astray, one who is petite but can still kick butt and one who is completely selfless in her actions. It makes me think what decision I would make if I were in Trynne's shoes. The only very minor issue I have is that sometime I would like to see the characters that fall in love actually get to be together. I'm hoping that, like with Evie and Owen, things work out but my heart is still breaking for Fallon. I'm eager to read the last book and find out some answers to the questions this book left us with. In the mean time I think I will pick up Mr. Wheelers Muirwood series.

Jeff Wheeler has become one of my favorite authors and this fifth book in The Kingfountain Series has continued the trend.  I admire that this author has managed to consistently turn out fantasy that is clean and appeals to both YA and adults.  I am going to try not to give any spoilers because the book and series are so good that I don't want to spoil it for others. 

This book picks up one year after the events of book four and the king has been trying to prepare for the promised war.  We don't know the fate of Owen Kisskaddon, but we have learned there is at least one traitor in their midst.  Tryneowy (Trynne) has become an oath maiden and remains faithful to her vows despite all that has happened and events that continue to unfold.  The Kisskaddon family has endured much since the series began and that continues throughout this latest offering. 

Having read previous series by this author I feel certain that he will ties up all the loose ends in the final book to be released late this fall and I look forward to seeing if the family and kingdom can have the peaceful, long HEE they deserve. 

5/5 STARS  ** This is an honest, unbiased review.  I would like to thank the author/publisher for providing an ARC through Netgalley, all opinions are mine

Since Jeff Wheeler kindly gave me an early copy I'm trying to be extra good about not giving out spoilers in this review.

Through the entire series I have liked how each book resolves a number of problems even though new problems crop up. I never have felt like I'm just being strung along. The Silent Shield has this same format. As you remember we were left on tenterhooks from The Hollow Crown that Owen has been kidnapped and King Drew has been given a year respite from the war because of this unexpected treachery by King Gahalatine. Another piece of intrigue that remained was the question of who could be trusted; Fallon or Morwenna, or neither.

Another aspect I've enjoyed through the series are the monologues, or interludes, by a "mystery" character. This literary device works well to see some of the events from a different perspective. It's also fun to sleuth out who is speaking. You will immediately identify the character speaking in the little monologues inThe Silent Shield, and in this case, the reader will be happy to know the extenuating circumstances.

As always, I love the characters in the Kingfountain series. The protagonist, Tryneowy Kiskaddon (usually called Trynne) has come to accept her role as being chosen by the Fountain and she is dedicated to fulfilling the role of an Oath Maiden. I was happy to see that she has been tested in keeping those oaths. I did wish that I had felt her struggle a little more with resisting the temptation to kill for revenge. She certainly had reasons to want to kill for revenge! The man who disfigured her would be a good example. Trynne is loyal, looks for the good in others and is faithful to the will of the Fountain. She also still suffers from some self-doubt; her achilles heel. She continues in her role as a Lancelot as a fierce protector of her king, the epitome of a King Arthur.

Iago Fallon Llewellyn is steadier and has grown from his experiences. I liked him more as a person this time around and feel a little sad that he and Trynne will not get to marry (as stated in the last book by Sinia, Trynne's mother). Elwis is another character who has grown into his role and learned to be more humble and patient. I hope something good comes for him in the last book.

Morwenna Argentine has never been a character that I can fully trust. How can I when she is named so similarly to Morgan le Fay, who was Arthur's downfall in the Arthurian legends? Nevertheless, there continues to be more to her than meets the eye? How does she relate to Owen as her father's daughter? What does she feel her place should be in the world? She obviously wants to be respected, much like Fallon seeks. It's interesting to see how Fallon and Morwenna approach the problem of wanting respect differently.

In the last book we saw a very small slice of King Gahalatine, that he wanted to be the benevolent emperor for the world. In The Silent Shield we get to see more of Gahalatine. He is interesting because he is obviously misguided, manipulated and is actually a decent human being. He believes he is doing what is right. He see the good in Trynne as well as some of the rulers of nations who have opposed him. In the long run, I felt like Gahalatine was listening to others which made him very unusual.

The Kingfountain series is excellent for young adults and adults because it is clean, it has influences from history and legends and has excellent writing. I also recommend it because it has plenty of twists, but isn't so convoluted that new readers to fantasy will be overwhelmed. If a book doesn't have great characters I quickly lose interest. Wheeler does such a great job with his characters I always want to read more.

In keeping with his style, there is a big pow at the end. I can hardly wait for the next book, thankfully it will be out in just a few months!

(I'm always torn, is this a 5 out of 5 stars because I love it so much?  Or is it still a 4 out of 5 stars by my original rating system. I'm leaning to changing the entire series to 5 out of 5 stars because the characters are so amazing!)

I truly enjoyed this series it is a great adventure and there's always new things coming up. The characters I dynamic and the storylines always seem to be going one way and then change at the last minute which is exciting when reading a book you never know what comes next I hope he continues this series and I love that it connects to the other series as well because since I read the other series I understand a lot of the connections and I get excited about how they will feed into this storyline.

For me this book was more of a 3.5 than a 4 but I have really enjoyed all of the books in the series so much that I bumped it up to 4 stars.

I did enjoy this book, for some reason I just had a hard time getting past part one of the book but after I did I felt like the book picked up quite a lot. Overall, this was a strong addition to the series and I am excited for the upcoming last book in the series.

I would recommend this book, however, I would recommend reading this series in order because I don't think you will enjoy it as much without knowing the entire backstory.

Once again Jeff Wheeler has melded Arthurian legend with fantasy to create another instalment in his enjoyable Kingfountain series. This episode follows Trynne Kiskaddon as she attempts to protect the kingdom from invasion by the enigmatic Gahalatine. I find this series good fun and incredibly easy to read. The prose is straightforward and although the dialogue can be a little bit clunky at times, the narrative moves well and is exciting. There are a few things that happen that I felt were a little bit too convenient in order to further the plot, which was a little frustrating. However, overall, I enjoyed this book and will look forward to the series conclusion.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have been enjoying this series very much and I am so glad someone had recommended the first book to me a while back.

The Silent Shield is book number 5 in the Kingfountain series and it is a young adult fantasy series. The Silent Sheild got me hooked from the very beginning and I just couldn't (and didn't want to) stop reading it until the end.

This book and the series is easy to read so I recommend it if you are new to the fantasy genre.

The Silent Shield is the fifth book in the Kingfountain series and is as excellent as the last four, if not even better. The book continues almost a year after the battle with Gahalatine's forces and centres around the life of Trynne Kiskaddon. The book is fast paced and Trynne, Fallon and Elwis have grown up and are ready to face all that is thrown at them. As usual, Jeff isn't afraid to push his characters to the limit with the twists, turns and grief he inflicts on them. This often has you in tears as you are so absorbed in the story and feel very connected with the characters, especially Trynne. I personally think the Silent Shield is excellently written and will take a lot of beating. That said, cannot wait for The Forsaken Throne.
I have been given a free copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review. Thank you.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I can sing multiple praises for the Kingfountain series in general, I have many more for The Silent Shield itself. Thank the ever-loving heavens I was able to read this back-to-back with The Hollow Crown. Seriously.

The Silent Shield picks up almost a year after the initial battle with Gahalatine's forces - the brief respite granted by the foreign King when he suspected treachery at play. During that time, Treynne has grown into a strong young woman in her role as both Oath Maiden and the Lady of Averanche. Both Fallon and Elwis have grown into a strong and competent men, lords of their own respective holds.

Wheeler wastes no time in getting things moving. Owen Kiskaddon is still missing. By 20%, King Drew has another major player removed from his arsenal, further crippling his council. By 30%, Trynne's entire family has been upended. By 40%, Galahatine has launched the first major battle against four of King Drew's major fortresses (at once) and all but one is lost.

The rest of the book is a whirlwind of cat and mouse between King Drew's people and King Gahalatine's...all leading up to the final battle at Dundrennan. The threads of fate all start weaving together to show the final stage where we are left breathless and awestruck.

I can't wait for The Forsaken Throne but I really don't know how it will top this. I honestly believe The Silent Shield is Wheeler's best work yet.

Recommended for absolutely everyone...especially those that love a well-developed read full of magic, suspense, and intrigue. Two thumbs way, way up!