Hey friends! I am super pumped to be on the blog tour for Shielded by KayLynn Flanders! Keep reading to learn more about the book, read my thoughts, get a feel for the aesthetic with a moodboard I created and enter a giveaway to win your own copy!
About the Book:
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 Hรกlendi 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 Hรกlendi 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.
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About the Author:
KayLynn Flanders has a degree in English Language and editing, and has been a freelance editor and book designer for over twelve years. Her debut novel, a YA fantasy, will be published by Delacorte Press (Penguin Random House) July 21, 2020. KayLynn and her family live in Utah between some mountains and a lake, and she is directionally challenged without them. She loves reading, writing, traveling, and volleyball, and thinks thereโs nothing better than a spur-of-the-moment road trip
Moodboard:
Here’s my rendition of a moodboard to give you a feel of this book! It’s very medieval feeling:
Review:
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 ๐
- 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.
Giveaway:
- Prize: One Finished Copy of Shielded by KayLynn Flanders (US only)
- Start date: August 3rd, 2020
- End date: August 9th, 2020
Click the link here or the image to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway!
emelie's books 
Ooh, I love your moodboard! Thanks for being part of the tour!
Felicia
TBR and Beyond Tours
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Thanks so much!! I loved being apart of it ๐
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