#Review - Shielded by KayLynn Flanders #YA #Fantasy

Series: Shielded (#1)
Format: Hardcover, 432 pages
Release Date: July 21, 2020
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

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.

Story Locale: Fantasy world—Kingdoms of Halendi, Turia 

Shielded is the first installment in debut author KayLynn Flanders' Shielded series. Shielded tells the story of Hálendi Princess Jennesara who was born with magic that she should not have. Magic of old was supposed to have been banished ages ago after a bloody war with Mages who were defeated and sent to the Ice Deserts by Jenna's ancestor Gero. The heir of the Kingdom, her brother Ren, is supposed to have magic. But Jenna has a powerful connection to her brother and father King Shaeus. She knows that if anyone were to discover she had magic, she would be considered a threat to Ren as heir.  

Those who have magic, possess the ability to manipulate the energies around them. Jenna can sense emotions of her father and her brother. For 7 months, attacks on the border have caused their father intense problems especially with the Kingdom of Riija demanding an alliance from Turia. Halendi's entire purpose is to protect the Turian's from the plague of Magic Gero banished to the Ice Desert.  Gero also banished all knowledge of magic across the sea and exiled all artifacts, as well as manuscripts of magic.

The only resolution in sight is to send Jenna to Turia to marry Prince Enzo, the Turian heir, so that Turia can provide much needed military support. So, on Jenna's 17th birthday, she is given priceless artifacts (Sword and a ring) that allegedly were used by Kais in the great war against the Mages. But there is also the problem of an apparent traitor amongst the Kings advisers. As Jenna's caravan gets closer to dangerous territory, her caravan is ambushed. Her friend and lady in waiting Aleinn sacrifices herself to give Jenna a chance at escaping and surviving.

In order to keep under the radar, Jenna becomes Aleinn and is constantly fighting off shadow creatures and a dangerous mage named Graymere who wants to kill her. Jenna discovers that the threat of war is worse than everyone originally thought once she reaches Turiana and finds out that her own country has declared war believing that Jenna and her brother Ren were assassinated by King Marko. Something is amiss here and Jenna must decide if revealing her magic and her identity to would be enemies and a man who is supposed to be her betrothed, is worth the risk to stop the threat or to keep quiet and undercover the mystery behind the identity of her father betrayer.

Overall, this isn't a bad story. There is plenty of action with Jenna front and center. My only real issue is that Jenna gets hurt a whole lot. No, I'm not kidding. When she's fighting for her life, she's beyond reproach in her fighting abilities thanks to years of training. She ends up protecting Enzo's sisters who are constantly under attack. She digs deep into the libraries of Turiana looking for answers to not only her own magic, but the identity of the mages who seem to have her in their sights. She finds a connection to her alleged betrothed and discovers that he's not a bad person. I think the addition of Mari and Chiara give this story much needed brevity and humility. I would say that the ending is a bit on the twisted side, but that just means that I will aim to read the sequel whenever it is released.

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