This was such a fun fantasy story full of adventure and magic! WHile Shielded isn’t the most unique story, it definitely made up for that with the amount of fun I had reading this book.

Things I liked:

- I loved the nature aspect (surviving in the wilderness) because it gave me such dark cottagecore vibes which I have been super into lately! In fact, I based my moodboard around dark cottagecore, so definitely admire that 🙂
- I also loved the betrothed plotline. I’m such a sucker for arranged marriages for whatever reason, and this one definitely didn’t disappoint. I loved how both Enzo and Jenna kept their identity a secret for one another. Their romance was super fluffy and very much a b-plot but I didn’t mind too much. ( I did wish we got more scene where they were alone together cause I love their interaction so much!)
- I also just absolutely adored the main character Jenna a lot. She was super skilled with a sword, but I appreciated the fact that she had never killed a man before, and was still innocent in that aspect. I find that there are so many badass ladies in YA fantasy books, and they are never fazed when they have to commit some horrible and intense act (awesome but it gets old), so seeing that take such a mental toll on the main character made her feel that much more authentic.
- The sisterly bond between Jenna and Enzo’s sisters was also such a pleasure to read. They almost immediately bonded, and their friendship was so fun to read. They got up to a bunch of shenanigans that really lightened the mood to this story at times.

My only compliant is that I was a bit confused when the perspective changed to such an ambiguous and omniscient narrator once in a while. I understood what it was trying to do, but it left me with more questions than I think was necessary, and only served to confuse and distract me from the story. Overall though, this was a strong debut, and I’d highly recommend Shielded to all my fantasy readers out there.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Netgalley, Delacorte Press, and the author in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book! This is definitely one of those books that you can't put down because you need to know what happens next. The world building and magic scenes were amazing. I loved all the secrets and the betrothed triangle of Prince Enzo and Princess Jennesara. I also loved reading about the sibling relationship between Ren and Jenna because it is how most siblings would act today. This book is truly an amazing read and I can't wait to read the second one. If you enjoy action-packed fantasy books with magic, secrets, and romance then this is the book for you!

As soon as I read the synopsis for this book, I knew it was the YA fantasy book I had been craving!I finished this book pretty late last night because I could not put it down! I was sucked in right at the start of the book and instantly felt like I could connect to the main character, Jenna! There were some parts of the book that dragged towards the beginning, which I feel is to be expected a bit in the first book of a series to allow for some world building. However, once I was through the slower part, the book flew by! 
I really enjoyed the characters and their relationships and it made me ache for my family that's spread out across the US. I kept startling my cats because I would get excited or nervous for the characters. I cannot wait to see what happens in the rest of the series! 
Rating: 4.5 stars!
**I was given an eARC in exchange for my honest review**

Shielded was a book I was excited for and it didn't disappoint at all! KayLynn's writing style really sucked me into this story and wouldn't let me go. I was in this world while reading and could feel what the characters were feeling. Those are two things that make me fall in love with books, so Shielded was off to a good start.

Our main character Jennesara was amazing! She's always hide to hide certain aspects of herself, so when her life takes a big turn unexpectedly it's a lot to handle. Jennesara is such a strong character and is focused on helping her family and finding out what's going on. She's brave, strong, creative and just wants justice and peace. I loved that there is definitely magical going on with her that she's slowly learning more about. I really hope we get to see more of that in the sequel!

Enzo is another character I really enjoyed. He's the perfect fit for the bookboyfriend list, but there's still plenty I want to know about him. Just like Jennesara, he has his people he needs to think about and is very protective of his family. Enzo is also one that wants peace and I loved that he trusted Jennesara. When he could've had his doubts, he decided to take her word for many things. I loved that.

On top of these two characters we read a lot about, there is also an amazing cast of side characters: Luc, Ren, Yesilia and definitely Enzo's sister Marietta. Main characters are important in a story, but I love when the side characters keep me equally entertained! They really helped this story be complete and I think they were all really important to the story's development.

I really loved the politics and magic side of Shielded. My only remark about this story is that the pacing was a little too fast at times. There were certain things that take place in the story that we barely see any of. It didn't take away my enjoyment, but I think the story would've felt just a bit more complete for me if I had seen some things take place. I still enjoyed all the twists and turns, even if some were a little predictable.

Last but not least, I have to talk about the romance. An arranged marriage is something we read a lot in fantasy stories, but I really enjoyed how this one played out. Also, yes, our main characters definitely felt a connection from the start, but it wasn't really instalove. I loved how they got to know each other and it slowly developed. This doesn't always happen and I enjoyed every minute of it!

All in all, Shielded will definitely be a book I remember. I can't wait to see what KayLynn Flanders writes for us next.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from Shielded, but this book exceeded all of my expectations. This is an epic introduction to an enthralling new fantasy series. Shielded by KayLynn Flanders left me wanting me more and highly anticipating the next book. There was a bit of a slow start for me, but once I got into the world, I was completely hooked. I found myself reading along at some points and just stopping and saying, "This is so good"!

Our heroine is Jennesara, princess of Hálendi. Her country is in trouble and instead of fighting on the battlefield like she has been training for her entire life, her father decides to give her hand in marriage to the prince of neighboring Turia without consulting her. She is upset by this, but understands that this is the way she can help her country by procuring Turia's resources to help Hálendi in the war. Jenna leaves the only home she has ever known and sets out to her betrothed's lands. But on the way her caravan is attacked and she soon realizes that the trouble her country faces is much more dire than anyone could have known. Jenna is faced with the decision to reveal a dangerous secret that could possibly save herself and her kingdom.

Jenna is a fantastic heroine. She is likeable, strong, and honest. I wanted her to be protected at all costs. The romance in this book could be categorized as insta-lovey, but it didn't feel that way. I loved these portions of the book and only felt warm all over and they are just so sweet. Also, I am very much into supporting characters and they were just amazing in this book. I loved them all so much! I wanted to be in the castle right there with them. There is so much packed into this book, but it was all handled so well! Overall, Shielded is the epic, magical fantasy book that my heart craves. I cannot wait until the next book comes out!

This was probably one of my hardest reviews to write. I blew through this book in two days and loved Jenna along with her brother Ren and the love interest Enzo. I was enraptured by Jenna’s journey from sullen, lonely princess to fierce warrior willing to do anything to save her kingdom. She really held this book together for me while the rest of it fell flat.

The world building was pretty good. We got to know a lot of the histories between kingdoms, but were missing information about the war of the mages. I felt like how the mages lost the war was important information. The pacing was spot on with never a truly drawn out or boring moment. We also never really got a firm grasp on the magic system, which was understandable since no one really understood how magic worked or where it came from. I feel like this will be explored more in the next book.

My favorite part of this book was obviously Jennesara. I loved how strong she was and that she was this bada** warrior princess who could actually kick butt. Girl had skills. The secondary characters didn’t fare very well though. While I loved them as well they just weren’t as fleshed out as Jenna and fell flat once I took a step back from the book and really started to think about them.

Enzo was such a cinnamon roll who couldn’t hide that softness from the beginning. The love was extremely insta-lovey though which is not my favorite. I also couldn’t get past the fact that I knew nothing about Enzo and neither did Jenna. He was handsome and kind but his list of attributes stopped there. I needed more from him. Insta-love can be turned around if we see just why they love each other or even know the love interest I feel like. A love that grows.

Shielded followed the typical fantasy warrior princess format and was utterly predictable at ever turn of the page. I knew who the villains were and just how it would play out within the first few chapters. I love classic tropes when done well and for me this just wasn’t done well. Maybe I’ve been reading too much fantasy lately though. I stuck around for the character development of Jenna though and was not disappointed there.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book. Shielded is a great first entry into the world of Halendi. It introduces you to all the major players (characters, countries, mythology) that make up the world and the epic adventure that follows. Jenna is not supposed to have magic, but she does. She keeps it a secret her whole life so as not to cause problems in her country, and then when her family is under attack she is forced to learn how to use that magic to discover the traitors, their goals, and how to potentially save the world. The book moves along at a fairly decent pace, and while it does include a lot of information- it is distributed organically throughout the book rather than an info dump all at the beginning. I think readers will enjoy Jenna's journey to discover her magic and her sense of self, and look forward to the next installment of the story.

I gave this book a solid 3.5 almost 4 stars out of 5. The only reason it's not a 4, is because the first half of the book dragged a bit for me. It may have been my mood while I was reading or that although I was invested, it was a bit too drawn out. Whereas I felt the ending was a bit rushed... That's my only real negative. This story follows our heroine Jenna and the mysterious aggressors who are in the process of hatching their plot. I felt like these different styled chapters really invoked their inner Remnant Chronicles by leaving a bit of the unknown as to who the mages are. I really enjoy it when authors leave a lot of hints but you're really just not sure who you can trust. This book was a lot of fun with a swoon-worthy romance, be still my beating heart, and I really enjoyed the experience... (I may or for sure... have a special edition of this book coming in the mail). I don't really want to give too much away or say too much but I've edited a fun playlist for you guys to listen to as you read this book and I've left the synopsis and author info, etc.. down below as well!

I really enjoyed this one! I read it in 2 days and I feel like it really helped to get me out of a month long reading slump!

Using the CAWPILE system developed by BookRoast, I gave Shielded:
Characters- 7
Atmosphere- 6
Writing Style- 8
Plot- 7
Intrigue- 9
Logic- 6
Enjoyment- 10

Altogether that comes out to a 7.655, which is a 4 star rating!

Overall I felt like this was a fairly easy read that was a good mix of familiar YA Fantasy tropes and themes and a few unique twists and tones that made it really enjoyable. I felt like the characters were well developed for a debut novel, and appreciated the female cast that were more than just damsels in distress.

Easily my favorite part of the book was the part that took place in The Wild. It was the most unique part of the book and had some of the most interesting and atmospheric moments of the book. I'm definitely hoping to see more of The Wild in the next book(s) in this series. I also really enjoyed the sibling relationships.

The lowest category I gave this book was logic. While nothing was irredeemable, there were definitely a number of plot points that felt a bit shoehorned in, and there was one twist in particular that got a full eye-roll because it was not at all explained how it was even plausible.

I definitely recommend this to fans of YA Fantasy, and in particular would recommend it to fans of A Curse So Dark and Lonely, The Shadows Between Us, and The Storm Crow.

This book was amazing. It caught my attention in chapter one and kept my attention for every chapter that followed. I honestly cannot think of a single critique for this book! The writing was amazing, the characters were perfect. I loved Jenna. She’s a badass but she also has her struggles. I laughed, I teared up, I gasped.

Perfection. I cannot wait to see what comes next from Kaylynn!

I was hooked within the first few pages. I absolutely loved the characters, story, world-building, and writing style. I thought that the story was fast-paced but still gave me plenty of time to catch my breath and spend some time with the characters. I only wish I got to see a little more of the world, but I can tell that it will be expanded upon in the next book (which I will definitely read).

Honestly, this felt like a run of the mill debut. However, I had such a good time reading it. Strong female lead, war, a magical forest. What more could you want? Highly recommend.

My Review: When I read the synopsis for this book I was really excited, I was looking forward to being sucked into a dangerous and magical world. I ended up struggling to stay focused on the story. I enjoyed the characters but wasn't super invested in them. It took quite a while to get the story moving along and the pacing was a bit all over the place, sometimes rushed and other times very slow moving. The world was interesting but it took quite a while to develop. Based on the writing, I would recommend this for younger YA reader just getting out of the Middle Grad books. I did love the sibling relationships throughout the story, the close family bonds were great to see. This is also clearly a first book in a series with a lot of open story lines.

My Rating: I think this might be a great book for those just getting into YA books, it has a little more simple story structure than most of the YA fantasy books I have read, and the writing style is a little more simple as well, but the story is still interesting. I give it a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.

Shielded by KayLynn Flanders is a fun if somewhat familiar-feeling YA fantasy adventure. The novel is told mostly from Princess Jennesara (Jenna for short) of Hálendi's POV. There is an unwanted betrothal to a prince she has never met, murder and betrayal, travel through a nefarious and magical forest, and hidden identities.

Some Notes
The names all felt quite similar and perhaps a bit too simplified for my liking. Ren and Irena. The Gray Mage is called Graymere, the Brown Mage is called Brownlok, the Red Mage is called Redalia. I know a lot of intention goes into naming characters, and the author's choices just didn't work for me.

I did not feel like there was enough world-building to properly translate the high stakes Jenna faces in her own kingdom if it were discovered she had magical abilities. Her anxious need to hide the streak in her hair (indicative of her magic) felt almost baseless. A princess using her magic to try to take the throne from her brother centuries ago was not enough for me to believe that Jenna would have been in danger.

A large chunk of the book consists of Jenna traveling. This lagged a bit for me. While traveling/going on adventures can be really interesting, I think it is much harder to write successfully when there is just a single character.

I thoroughly enjoyed Jenna's levelheadedness in the face of danger. If KayLynn Flanders writes more battle/fight scenes in which Jenna has to utilize her training, I'll definitely pick up the sequel.

TL;DR
Shielded is worth picking up if you enjoy high fantasy worlds filled with magic, betrayal and a cool-headed, strong female MC. It may not feel original, but sometimes getting lost in a story that reads familiar can be a good way to distract yourself for a few days.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I admit that I was completely drawn in by the cover and went in fairly blind with this book. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly enjoyed reading this.

The heroine, Jennesara, was portrayed as a fiercely strong individual. Despite being a member of the royal family, she’s used to hiding her magic and skills from her family and kingdom. Without her magical prowess, she’s also a ferociously skilled fighter and definitely not your stereotypical princess. She isn’t afraid to stand up for herself and she always puts her family first.

The pages just seemed to fly by whilst I was reading this. There seemed to be so much happening and I was far too eager to find out what was going to happen next. I love a fast-paced fantasy and this certainly fit the bill.

The only minor bugbear I have was that the romance aspect of the story seemed too quick. It was more of an instant attraction than love, but it all seemed to happen a bit too quickly for my liking.

The world-building was fantastic and I loved how realistic all of the characters were. I definitely will be continuing to read the series and cannot wait for the sequel to be released!

A huge thank you to Delacorte Press for providing me with an eARC to review. I loved reading this!

This was said to be like Furyborn meets Sorcery of Thorns and while I haven't read Furyborn, I did quite enjoy Sorcery of Thorns. This book felt more to me like The Kiss of Deception, which I loved. However, this book was just ok for me and not quite what I was hoping for.

The story itself was quite slow at the beginning and I found myself not wanting to pick it back up, frequently. It was a bit of a struggle to keep reading while not much at all was happening in almost the first half of the book. The second half picked up a lot more but there were so many stop and go parts happening that it contnued to pull me from ejoying the story.

The characters were just meh, I didn't love them or hate them which took the fun out of reading the book. There were a few scenes with Janessara and Enzo that were enjoyable but all together, I just couldn't feel that pull that I like to from characters.

I did like the bits of world building and magic, but again it was not enough to make me love to story as a whole. There were parts I felt could have been left out completely while others could have used more embelisment. You win some, you lose some.

I do think that there are people that will really enjoy this story but it was all but a bit too simplistic for my taste.

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Shielded held such promise with its beautiful cover and the idea of a princess forced into an arranged marriage to protect her kingdom, but in its execution it failed to keep my attention or provide much depth for me to sink my teeth into. The slow pace made it incredibly hard to continue picking up the story, but that could've been overlooked if the there had been any real depth to the characters or the plot. Overall it felt bland when I wanted it to set itself apart from other young adult stories with similar plots. I so wanted to like this one, but after 20+ days of pushing through, I'm just happy I can move on.

I’ll be adding Shielded to my list of YA fantasies that will appeal to readers and not to me (a list that seems to be growing at an increasing pace). While every author will put their own spin on the same idea, I’ve grown tired of the generic warrior princess forced into marriage to save her country, and the interesting magic in Shielded wasn’t enough to save it from that.

I found I couldn’t muster much of an interest in Jennesara. Her narrative style is fairly basic (not a criticism, just a fact), and she followed the template for YA heroine warrior princess. Something I’ve read a lot of but also not bad either. Really, I think my biggest struggle was what she chose to talk about. We’re told what she’s feeling before we have the chance to pull from her actions, and rather than a strong character voice we receive info dumps at random. In third person, I can almost accept those but in first person they often come off as clunky and awkward to read.

The rest of the cast wasn’t really memorable. I appreciated the fact that the prince didn’t follow the dark and mysterious route and was someone I could actually root for (even though the romance that popped up felt rushed and insta-lovey in the bad way, I definitely wanted to see that developed more to make it believable). The villains were very much one note and never contributed to the tension which flatlined this book even further.

The plot itself was nothing terribly exciting or new, and moved quickly to make this a quick read. Though I questioned a number of the plot points because the way they played out seemed more than convenient for Jenna’s story rather than challenging her or at least making me, as the reader, fear for her. The stakes were there but I wasn’t feeling the tension which, like I mentioned, was in part due to the villains holding no weight for me in the story but also just the way the story was told.

But Shielded is easy to get through and the sort of book you might pick up as a comfort read if you love YA fantasy. It hits those key elements I’ve come to know and (usually) love in the genre. Warrior princess, arranged marriage, a bit of romance, magic (that I wanted explained further because that was the interesting part!! but it wasn’t explained enough for me to get a good sense of the boundaries and rules), adventure time across the land, it’s all there. It just lacked that extra oompf, the thing that makes it stand out in the crowd. Which the magic system might have done if it was developed on the page further.

I definitely think this was a strong case of “it’s not you, it’s me.” For readers just getting into YA fantasy or those who love those recognizable elements, I would bet you’ll absolutely love Shielded. I was just looking for this book to take it up a notch and it didn’t.

If you're looking for a fun and fast paced fantasy with a kick ass heroine, brilliant world building and LOTS of action then Shielded might just be the book for you!

Jenna wants nothing more than to prove herself, she knows she is more than just a Princess, that her skills on the battlefield are almost unparalleled. Unfortunately, with no magic she is not in line for the throne and instead of putting her to use in battle her father decides she can do more for her country through marriage, marriage to someone she has never met. When her caravan is ambushed on the way to meet her betrothed Jenna realises that the rumours of magic on the battlefield weren't exaggerated, in fact they may be in more trouble than they originally thought. As the only survivor she takes it upon herself to travel to Turia, to find the truth about the attack and hopefully find the information she needs in their library. It will take Jenna aligning herself with her supposed enemy and revealing something about herself she has kept hidden for years to save the kingdom from a danger no one imagined.

I enjoyed this book as a whole and a large part of that was Jenna. She is unbelievably strong, not just physically but mentally. She loves her family without question and when she fears for their safety throws herself into unknown danger to try and save them. She knows she will never be Queen, but wants to prove herself by becoming a warrior like no other and desperately wants her father to acknowledge her prowess. Unfortunately, he see's her as a girl first and what better way for a girl to help her kingdom than through marriage. Even though she resigned herself to the fact that she would be married, she never stopped her training and I admired her resilience.

We get introduced to a whole host of other characters in this book, but we see them all through their relationships with Jenna. Relationships play a big part in the book, whether they are familial or romantic and with Jenna being an easy person to like and trust she had no trouble in making friends. We have Prince Ren, Jenna's older brother, I adored the relationship between these two. He see's her for what she truly is and they have a bond that is near impossible to break. Prince Enzo, Jenna's betrothed is another favourite of mine, another character that completely accepted Jenna for who she was, he wasn't broody or simpering, he knew what he wanted and what was right and made sure to fight for it. Two of my favourite, but probably smaller relationships were Yesilia and Master Hafa, both push Jenna to become the best she can be and even though they might come across as slightly standoffish you can feel the bonds that tie them together and know they would do almost anything to protect her.

The world building in this book was brilliant. Through Jenna we get to travel through Halendi and Turia as well as The Wild, a forest that separates both kingdoms. Jenna spends a good portion of the book in the Wild and while I got some serious fey vibes from it, I felt in places it wasn't described as well as it could be and I found bits slightly hard to follow. I enjoyed seeing the differences between the two kingdoms, especially through Jenna's perspective. She has grown up in a Kingdom of Ice and Wind and in Turia struggles with the heat and wonders at the amount of life that lives there.

I've seen some people say the romance in this book was insta love, and while it was fast, I would say it was more insta like. You could definitely tell there was an attraction there, but their lack of trust with each other stopped anything from happening until much later on in the book. Because of this I found it a little more realistic.

This was a fast paced book, we fly from plot point to plot point and there is really no good place to put it down. That being said, I do feel that the author lacked a little in her descriptive writing. I don't want four pages to describe a tree, but I felt it was a little simplistic and that she traded descriptions for the action scenes, because there were a lot of action scenes. The battle scenes easily came to life, I only struggled a little with the scenes that included the mages as I had a tough time imagining what was happening and felt a little lost in some parts.

I enjoyed this book overall and liked that it was a standalone. If you like a lot of action, fast paced plot and a likeable and kick ass female lead then this is the one for you.

For fans of YA Fantasy, I would compare reading Shielded to eating your favorite meal at a chain restaurant. The flavors you expect are there so it’s fairly enjoyable, and there are even a few intriguing touches throughout the story; however, it ultimately doesn’t really offer anything new. That being said, if you’re looking to lose yourself in a typical YA Fantasy, you will likely enjoy this book .

Our 1st person POV protagonist, Princess Jennesara of Hálendi, or “Jenna”, is a refreshing YA heroine compared to the fiery, rash narrators you’ll often find in other YA novels. She is level-headed and thoughtful, calculates risks before taking action, and proves herself a kind person and a good friend. I didn’t believe that she is a skilled warrior like both the book’s blurb and first few chapters imply because, until this story, she has never seen combat before. As the character in whose head we live throughout the story, Jenna is definitely a likable narrator.

Like Jenna, Crown Prince Enzo of Turia has some similarly refreshing qualities for a YA prince. He isn’t broody or cold, nor is he always rambling about his duty or honor or something else YA princes usually sulk about. He’s kind, brave, and protective of his family. His romance with Jenna is sweet, and we get the fun hidden identities trope; however, their love story lacked enough chemistry to make my heart swell or inspire me to pause mid-paragraph so I could press the book (or in this case, my Kindle) to my chest and smile with glee. There are elements of insta-love, and the romance seems like it’s handed to the characters instead of something they worked for. On the bright side, there is not a love triangle in this story!

Of our cast of side characters, my favorite is Jenna’s elder brother, Prince Ren. He is the Hálendian crown prince who uses his magic not for power or for war, but as a healer. He and Jenna have a close bond, literally and figuratively, which KayLynn Flanders develops very quickly but very efficiently early on in the book. This makes it easy to root for their sibling relationship, and although Ren isn’t in the story very much, when he does make an appearance he shines off the page.

Otherwise, I can’t say much more about the other side characters. We have the older mentor figure who trains Jenna to use her magic, the creepy and mysterious foreign ambassador, the cantankerous grandmother, and a couple “surprise” betrayals. Jenna’s friendship with Princess Chiara is endearing but not too memorable, and Princess Marietta is supposed to be eight years old but reads much younger, like she’s four or five. The Turian king and queen are very quick to trust Jenna and welcome her into their home, despite the fact that war was just declared between their kingdoms.

Lastly, regarding characters, we have our big baddie Graymere and his posse of evil mages. Unfortunately, these villains were the weakest of the bunch. Not only are they one-dimensional, but their names are extremely contrived to the point of being comical (Graymere, Redalia, Brownlok…). Their magical abilities, as well as their backstories and motivations as followers of the original Black Mage, are underdeveloped and actually become quite muddled over the course of the book. There's nothing unique or particularly frightening about them, even with some spooky shadow magic sprinkled in.

Additionally, throughout the book the author includes small cutaway scenes in 3rd person POV to show what the villains are up to. Flanders’ intention, I believe, is to create tension with dramatic irony while taking the opportunity to explore the villains’ motives and provide worldbuilding on the history and magic system. I’m generally not a fan of authors’ inserting cutaways between chapters like this, as it’s incredibly jarring and pulls the reader out of the story. This was definitely the case with this book, especially since the POV changed from 1st to 3rd. In my opinion, the book would be stronger without these scenes.

As for pacing, some parts this book were a bit slow for me, while others had so much going on that I became lost. Except for the most intense and emotional scene of the entire story that takes place about a quarter of the way through the book, the beginning of this story mostly consists of Jenna traveling, with some magical worldbuilding and a medley of characters mixed in. By the time Jenna reached her destination, I was so ready for something new to happen. Then, the rest of the book rapid-fire includes relationship building, flirtatious moments, political intrigue, an assassination attempt, combat training, researching in the library, a ball, a siege, a game of cat-and-mouse, an escape, a final battle, negotiations, and more. Also, a lot of the book entails Jenna getting injured, laying in bed and healing, then getting hurt and doing it all over again.

The magic system in this world is pretty loose and also a bit confusing. Some mages like Jenna or Graymere seem to have many different abilities, while others like Ren appear only to have a single power. Jenna’s magical artifacts are cool, but combined with all of her other half-baked abilities they lose their luster. I guess the book is called “Shielded” because one of her powers includes being able to shield herself and those near her from sight, like an invisibility spell? Did I miss something? There are just so many elements to Jenna’s powers that, as she begins to understand one aspect of them, something new comes up. Maybe this was Flanders’ intention, so we could feel the confusion Jenna was experiencing, but overall it detracted from the belief that she was becoming a more powerful mage. Also, I didn’t really understand why she wasn’t allowed to use magic or even reveal that she had powers at any point throughout the story? I know there’s a brief explanation at the beginning, but for me it didn’t heighten the stakes enough to make Jenna’s constant worry over concealing the streak in her hair believable.

Magic system aside, the worldbuilding in this book is just okay. Halendi is a cold, icy northern kingdom that I think is supposed to be based on Scandinavia, but I’m not really sure. There is a magical forest through which Jenna has to travel to reach Turia. Turia is clearly Italy-inspired, from its geography, place and character names, and clothing, to the blatant use of Italian words in dialogue (“maledetto“, “bosco“, “cavolo“, etc.). I also have no idea what country Riiga is supposed to be based on – maybe Latvia?

Please correct me if I’m wrong, but this book also lacks PoC characters and LGBTQ+ characters, so if that’s something you’re looking for you might not enjoy this read. Perhaps Flanders will introduce these characters in book #2, but I don’t believe there are any in this book. I’m pretty positive Enzo, his family, and the other Turian characters are not written to be PoC. Their skin tones are described as “olive” with dark hair, and this paired with the fact that Turia is clearly based on Italy, in my opinion, means it would be a stretch to label them as characters of color.

Overall I enjoyed this book, as I finished it in two days, and it’s a perfect read for anyone looking for an easy YA Fantasy story.

Thank you to Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press via Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.