Book Highlight: Claimed by Nicole Adamz

Title: Claimed (The Land of Schism #1)

Author: Nicole Adamz

Publisher: Inkblot Publishing LLC

Publication Date: January 31, 2020

Genre: Fantasy

In a city divided between two gods, everyone has chosen sides.

The City

The Elysian fly around Summit obsessed with beauty, power, and pleasure. However, rising political tensions cause an abrupt shift in power, exposing a darkness simmering beneath the city’s facade. No one expects an underground movement to take advantage of the chaos.

The People

Gifted with Talent, Ari Laurel and Maewyn Ambire are both Claimed, a valued trait. Ari wants to save the only mother she knows from being sold at an auction, a fate that guarantees death. Especially if the Council finds out their secret. Maewyn wants the ability to escape her cruel, social-climbing family and twisted former mentor. Both want to achieve their goals, but they are pawns in an unwitting game of power. The odds are stacked against them, and the only god they trust is their own.

Whose side will you choose?

Why This Book

Claimed is a story of societal intrigue, gods, class, and the things that tie people to each other. It focuses on two women in particular, which is fantastic considering, in this world, women are treated more like tools. But even more remarkable is that the people have functional wings, and those that don’t are, of course, in a much lower class. Maewyn is highly special. A Second Born with an incredible Talent, she’s tied closely to her family, who will exploit her as they see fit. Ari is still in training and has no idea what her talent is, so she’s been sent to serve Maewyn.

These two women are completely different, one frivolous and the other keeping dangerous secrets. Yet, against the odds, they form a fascinating relationship. It’s thorny, but they rely on each other. And then things hit the fan and it just disintegrates at just the right point. Everything about their friendship is both strange and wonderful, but the way they look out for each other, until things go wrong, is just incredible.

Reviews

My review: “Claimed is an exceptional start to the series. It both develops the characters and the world early on to serve as strong supports to the story of two women who were once friends, but whose different life demands and beliefs lead them away from each other. And there’s still more to it as gods are glimpsed and mortal and immortal unrest brews”

Ellie from Bookish Beyond gave this 4 stars, saying “Overall, Claimed was a thoroughly enjoyable book, with wonderful worldbuilding and a plot centred around the themes of social roles and expectations”