Disclaimer: I received an e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Shielded

Author: KayLynn Flanders

Book Series: Shielded Book 1

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For...: fantasy, ya, magic

Publication Date: July 21, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 16+ (slight romance, violence, slight gore, secrets)

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 432

Synopsis: 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.

Review: Overall this book was pretty good. I thought the character development was well done and the book is evenly paced. I liked the author’s interpretation on fantasy set reads and I liked the character descriptions.

However, I did feel like that book is weirdly wrote. Not only did it take me a long time to get into the book, the book has some very weird moments, like when a murderer is on the loose so the royal family leaves… but also leaves two of their family alone. It was very weird! The book also lacked in world building.

Verdict: It was good, just weird.