Untethered

Gr 7 Up–This sequel to Shielded, focuses on Jennesara’s brother, now the king of Hálendi. Ren must watch his back in everything he does. There are council members who want to see him dethroned and, ultimately, killed. When he has the chance to seek help from the neighboring country of Turia, he leaves in the middle of the night without a second thought. When he reaches Turia, he finds that the king is missing. The Turian princess Chiara feels like no one sees her or her usefulness. She decides to leave the kingdom in search of her missing father and show everyone her worth. Two days after Chiara leaves in search of her father, her family realizes she is missing, and they send Ren after her. Readers get more adventure and more history about the Plateau, who the mages are, and what they are after. Although the author does not specify the exact races of the characters, there are mentions of different skin and hair colors. While there is some romance, this novel places an emphasis on the adventurous journey instead.