Hello and welcome to my segment on Kriti’s blog– Ariel’s Arcs! Adventure, a princess in disguise, magical abilities, and a dark evil brooding on the horizon? For those who enjoy light medieval fantasy adventures, you may want to check out Shielded when it releases on July 21st!
Welcome to the Kingdom of Hálendi, where our seventeen-year-old heroine, Jenna is a princess who would much rather be learning to wield a sword than wield the political schemes of the royal court. For the most part, she spends her time sparring and running around the castle much to her maids’ dismay since her older brother Ren usually handles the court politics for her. However, she has to hold onto a secret: she has been born with magic in a kingdom where only the heir to the throne should have access to such power. If anyone were to get word of her abilities, a potential civil war could break out over who has the rights to the crown. There’s also more issues at hand– bordering kingdoms have mounting tension, and Jenna’s father is busily doing what he can to avoid a war. Desperate for solidifying allies, Jenna’s father sends her off to be married to a neighboring kingdom’s prince, in spite of her protestations and fears of being betrothed to someone she has never met. However, before she can reach her new home, something terribly goes wrong and it’s up to Jenna to solve the mystery and save her kingdom.
This young adult fantasy debut was overall, tons of fun. It was easy to read and had plenty of cute moments. This adventure story entails a lot of traveling from one place to another, so make sure you’re in the mood to read a book that details a travel adventure. I really enjoyed myself while reading this book, and at times the characters and plot twists were a wee bit predictable, but ultimately it was a fun read. With the theme of family connection, coming of age, and growing in self-confidence, this is a good YA medieval fantasy for anyone who enjoys this genre. It’s the first in a series, but I did not feel as though I did not get a full story out of this installment. Many of my questions were answered, and only a couple threads of suspense remained for me to be interested when the second book comes along.
Final Rating:
** Be sure to preorder or check out Shielded by KayLynn Flanders when it is published on July 21st, 2020! **
Amazon Print
Amazon Kindle
Cover image: Photo by Ricardo Cruz on Unsplash
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