Shielded

May 15, 2020
A princess fights to save her kingdom while trying to conceal her magic. On the eve of her 17th birthday, Princess Jennesara learns of her betrothal to the prince of Turia, an alliance made by her father to secure the neighboring kingdom's military support in quelling the fighting at his borders. Before she is sent away to safety in Turia, she learns of other worrying developments brewing at home: A burned letter references a search for the mages' library, illicit magic is being used in skirmishes at the borders, and there is a potential betrayal within her father's circle of trust. She frets, too, about her own secret magic being discovered, for only her older brother, Ren, is supposed to possess magic. On their way to Turia, Jenna's party is ambushed and she narrowly escapes. She is forced to fend for herself and find her own way to Turia to discover who betrayed her family and what secrets lie in the rumored mages' library. Jenna conceals her identity and ingratiates herself with her betrothed's family as she eludes the threat of a shadowy, sinister foe. Though overflowing with common fantasy tropes and featuring lengthy expository passages, this series opener nevertheless features affable characters and moves at a solid clip that will keep readers entertained. Jenna's people are fair-haired while Turians are olive-skinned with dark hair. May well beguile readers with its mix of magic and political intrigue. (Fantasy. 12-16)

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May 15, 2020
Grades 9-12 Princess Jennasara of H�lendi belongs to the feistier class of princesses, preferring swords to soire�s and trousers to trousseaus. When conflict breaks out at the borders, however, she is packed off to Turia in the south and a betrothal for which she did not ask. On the way, the real threat appears: one of several ancient mages who have returned from exile. Thinking her father and older brother dead, Jenna escapes the attack and begins a long journey on foot to Turia through enchanted and dangerous woodland. The connections she makes there help her reach her previous destination, the palace of her intended. She makes certain her identity is not known so the mage won't be drawn to her and endanger the royal family. Intrigue, betrayal, and magical battles follow as Jenna pieces together the mystery. Flanders injects humor and a touch of romance into this suspenseful debut novel packed with twists, turns, joy, and sorrow, and the first-person narrative runs the gamut of human emotion. The ending promises a sequel to an excellent start.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

July 27, 2020
When 17-year-old Princess Jennesara of Hálendi learns she’s been betrothed to Prince Enzo of Turia to secure an alliance for her beleaguered land, which is under attack by outside forces and dark magic, she reluctantly agrees. However, on the way to Turia, a mage attacks her entourage, and she alone escapes; simultaneously, her father and brother are slain. After surviving a harrowing ordeal in the sorcerous Wild, Jennesara takes refuge under an assumed identity in the court of Turia, where she befriends Prince Enzo and his family. Even as she researches how to defeat her enemies and avenge her loved ones, Jennesara strives to master the magic she’s been forced to hide. But with traitors in court, she’s not sure who to trust. In this ambitious but complicated debut, Flanders pits her resourceful heroine against myriad threats, weaving action, intrigue, and romance into a fast-paced tale. With so many elements at play, some aspects feel underdeveloped—Jennesara careens from one crisis to the next with little recovery time, and her foes are more ciphers than fully fleshed characters. Nevertheless, there’s plenty to enjoy in this series opener. Ages 12–up. Agent: Laura Crockett, Triada US Literary.

July 24, 2020

Gr 7 Up-Jennesara was second born, meaning she was not supposed to have magic. She has light hair and eyes, and the tell-tale sign of a white streak of hair was apparent on her brother, the firstborn. But she has a secret she has been keeping, braiding her hair her whole life to hide the white streak of her own. Jennesara finds out that she has been betrothed to the prince of Turia and is expected to leave in two days, just after her birthday. She must wed the prince, who has dark hair and eyes, and save her kingdom from the mages who threaten to destroy her home and her family. Jennesara is like many strong-willed, confident female characters. She is stubborn and learns quickly through trial and error. The story starts by world and character building and is somewhat slow, but quickly picks up the pace as soon as the action starts. While there are many stories about magic, Flanders has made magic a little different, and Flanders avoids the love triangle trope. VERDICT Fantasy lovers will be glad they chose to keep reading.-Rena Gibson, Ralph Ellison Lib., Oklahoma City

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