Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Summary: The kingdom of Hálendi is in trouble. Jennesara "Jenna" has magic, but has kept it a secret from everyone except her brother. He also has magic, but this is acceptable as he is in line to inherit the throne. Jenna's future is simpler, she is betrothed to a foreign king and must continue to keep her secret. But things are not always what they seem, and as she is on her way to this new land, she is ambushed and her future changed. Can she help stop the war, learn to understand her magic, and rise become what she has always wanted to be?

I DNFed this book shortly into it. I felt that, even for a children's fantasy, it was too simplistic. Nothing was left for us to figure out or learn along the way. On page one, we learn about Jenna's crush and her magic, and very shortly after we learn that she want to be a soldier but her father will not let her. Instead she is to marry a foreign king. At that point I knew this story had nothing special to offer me. Also, a large piece of information is happened upon my random chance in the first chapter, something that bothers me as a plot device.

The book cover and summary drew me into the story, and while the authors writing wasn't bad, the subject matter felt unoriginal and the story read like I was being told the information and not learning it along with the characters.

I think that this might be a good book for young 8-12 year olds first being introduced to fantasy, but after that it does not stand up to other books in the genre.

What an amazing start to a series!

This is a story - at its core - about the bitter-sweetness of leaving your childhood behind as you enter into adulthood. It's about the fear, as well as the beauty, of the unknown. It's a story about family, about responsibilities, and about the journeys we take to become who we were meant to be.

For me, this book's strongest point was the characters. Sometimes, it's easy for characters to feel like dolls, putting on a show they believe the reader wants to see. From the first page, I felt like I was entering into someone's life, watching events unfold. The dynamics between the characters felt natural, organic. Jennesara was such an easy character to root for. She was strong and caring; both a princess and a warrior that never felt the need to sacrifice one for the other.

My one critique is that the story felt a bit rushed. Pacing is one of the most common, and unavoidable criticisms for a book. There's a lot that happens, so it makes sense to feel like things flew by just a bit too fast. There were just some events I wish had been given a bit more time, such as the romance. (It's adorable though, so I'll forgive it the minor case of insta-love.) While this was something I noticed, it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book, so it really is a minor criticism.

Overall, this was a really sweet, enjoyable story and I can't wait to see where the series goes from here.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc. Rating: 4.5

I hate to say it, but I almost stopped this book. I was close to 25/30% in and just not feeling it. It just lacked intrigue and action in the first part. However, once it picked up, I did not let go. It was so unique and different. I loved the magic and artifacts. The Wild was also super cool and interesting. I also fell in love with Jenna’s character. She is so strong and thoughtful; I teared up more than once. I am thrilled to see what happens next, and I cannot wait to own this book myself.

This novel was a great read to start the series, containing action, adventure, magic, romance, and betrayal. It is told from first person point of view, which is Princess Jennesara, who has been keeping a secret for many years and wants to fight in her father’s army. However, instead she gets a betrothal, one she is not happy about but her kingdom needs the troops. Jenna and her brother Ren travel towards Turia, where Ren has his own mission to accomplish but needed a way to l ave without the council knowing, for there is a traitor in their mist. However, Jenna is attacked and escapes in the Wild. There she survives and eventually finds her way to Turia, but keeps her identity a secret. Jenna is leaning more about her abilities and begins deducing the true motives of the evil that wants to destroy the kingdoms. Jenna will have to make sacrifices to save those she loves and those she comes to care for. Surrounded by traitors, there are few Jenna trusts, which could mean all the difference to the evil that wants to destroy them all. Looking forward to the next novel in the series!

The author delivers a rapid-paced, suspenseful, gripping, well-written and perfectly executed fantasy. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time that I ended up staying awake until 2am to finish it!

I can’t highly recommend this book enough!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review: I really wanted to love Shielded, but I felt only one emotion for the majority of the book: confusion. There is so much world building and the system of magic is so unique, which can be hard to come by when YA fantasy is such a saturated genre, but there was so much about the world and the magic that I didn’t understand which made it difficult to follow the story. I loved Jenna as a main character, but I couldn’t bring myself to love any of the side characters because I was too suspicious of them all while wondering who had betrayed Jenna and her family. Overall this was a very unique debut and although it wasn’t for me, I can see it finding a place in the hearts of many lovers of YA fantasy.

Love, Love, Loved this book! For me this was a book where I kept telling myself "okay one more chapter and then I will go to bed". two hours later and I am still reading. I honestly could not put this book down, so without further ado these are the things that I loved about the book and things that will make you fall in love with this book as well:
1)MAGIC, I am a reader that loves me some fantasy and boy does this book have that
2) Jenna, a completely BADASS princess, who is fierce, loyal, and just all around an awesome character
3) Romance, I love some good romance and this book surely has it
4) Enzo, because who doesn't love a completely handsome and dreamboat of a prince that will sweep you off your feet
Now I have only listed four things, but this book has so much more. It is full of adventure, fantasy, heart-filled relationships, and at times heartbreak. I think it is safe to say that there were times where I was stunned, times of sadness, and times where I just could not stop smiling while I was reading. So, to conclude, if you are looking for a book with fantasy, a badass heroine, dreamy princes, and the ability to have you reading for hours, then this is for sure the book for you!