Claimed: The land of Schism (Book One)

Claimed: The Land of Schism, Book One, by Nicole Adamz

Hey guys, I hope you’re doing well this holiday season.
Thankfully, Christmas here in the UK wasn’t too bad, despite the heavy restrictions due to the pandemic.

Today, I’m excited to get back to sharing some new bookish reviews.

Today’s featured book?
Claimed (The Land of schism, Book One), a gripping fantasy novel by Nicole Adamz.

About

The story is told through two distinctly different points of view, that of Ari and Maewyn.

Ari Laurel longs to buy her family anomaly’s (Zora) freedom before she is sold at auction. Ari is the only Totality claimed Caelum without a talent and has only a matter of time to discover it.

Maewyn’s family wants her to gain power and status, pushing her to climb the social ladder, to elevate the family name. Their word is final, pushing Maewyn into making decisions that go against what she wants for herself.

Characters

Ari Laurel is a Tyro, attending to the needs of her Caelum, Maewyn. Nobody knows what Ari’s Caelum talent is and so she is simply dismissed as unimportant in most people’s eyes.

I found Ari to be a highly likable character. She had a preference for structure, was loyal and modest, and took risks when required. One thing that especially warmed me to her was her fondness for food, an odd quirk that really helped to solidify her in my mind’s eye.

Maewyn, daughter to a wealthy family and the Second-Born Story-weaving Caelum, came across as self-obsessed, with a high value put on status.

Although I was initially disgusted by some of her decisions and actions, particularly in relation to Ari, my compassion for her increased when scenes involving her family were introduced. Her behaviour suddenly made much more sense and while I still didn’t condone it, I could understand her warped reasoning for such choices.

Likes

Claimed was a highly enjoyable read, with much going for it.

The first person, past tense narration switches back and forth between Ari and Maewyn, exploring two very different sides of the society they reside in.

The culture of the world was well developed, as was the setting and the symbolism it evoked.
In addition, the character’s inner and outer lives were conflicted, realistic, and richly-explored.

However, my one dislike was the sheer amount of adverbs used in nearly every sentence, frequently interrupting the flow of the story.

Memorable Quotes

One quote stood out to me in particular with this story.

‘Angry words are unfiltered thoughts.’

I remember reading this and pausing, allowing the words to sink in. My thoughts turned to the idea of impulsivity and how someone might say something before having fully processed their own reaction to an event.

Overview

Overall, Claimed was a thoroughly enjoyable book, with wonderful worldbuilding and a plot centred around the themes of social roles and expectations.

My Rating: 4 stars.
Recommended: to lovers of unique fantasy tales that explore social expectations.

Want more information?

Learn more about Claimed by visiting its Goodreads page, HERE.
Or, find out more about Nicole Adamz by visiting her Goodreads page, HERE.

As always, thank you for joining me for today’s review.
If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it over social media, or leave a comment below.

Wishing you a wonderful week,
Ellie. xoxo