Riven

The Unchained #0.5

by Everly Claire

In a dystopian 2025, the entire world runs on slave labor.

In the deserts of New North America, we grew up together. I was the banker’s daughter with a future mapped out for me, and he was just the slave boy next door, the one my parents told me not to touch. Told me not to name.

But I did. When the world called him a number, I called him Riven.

Then the monsoons came. One kiss in our childhood treehouse changed everything. We were found out, and Riven was taken away, sold to the mines — meant to toil, meant to be forgotten. Meant to die.

Now I’m in college, miles away from my past, trying to be the girl my parents always expected me to be.

I hope he's forgotten me. If he remembers, it's with a grudge.

He’s back now, not dead, not broken, but burning for revenge.

And I'm his target.

RIVEN is a 20k-word prequel novella to NEVER BROKEN (THE UNCHAINED #1). It can be read as a standalone with no knowledge of the series. It explores what really happened between two secondary characters from the main series — and sets them up for the second chance they deserve. Since it is a prequel, it ends on a hopeful note but does not include a happily ever after.

This book takes place in a dark dystopian world and contains potentially triggering themes. For a complete list of trigger warnings, visit the author's website.

Genres: Dark, Dystopia, Ebooks, Dark Romance

94 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 21, 2025

About the author

Everly Claire is living the dream as a full-time writer with her partner and two cats on a palm-fringed, white-sand beach on a Caribbean island (really, you should try it!) When she’s not writing, she spends her time on a boat or on a beach (always with a fruity cocktail in hand), getting nerdy (and winning big!) at trivia night, and/or dreaming up more hot scenarios and dark twists involving protective, wounded, clever boys with a bad habit of getting chained up — the ones you aren’t allowed to touch but that we all know you will, anyway.

Reviews

[Pearl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thankyou to the author, for the gifted copy.
A very short read I'd suggest you to read this after you finish reading the duet, the childhood friends to enemies to lovers is such a soft warm trope, yet angsty. This is SUCH a unique concept and I can't wait for their novel to come out. I NEED to know what happens. This is supposed to be some short fun read but it's Dystopian nature makes me think about those who are actually sold away and abandoned by their parents who didn't deserve them. I like how the author slips in real world issues like classism, sexism, etc. These two characters have so much potential.
This book ends in a cliff hanger.

[❀ CaritaBella ❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this haunting tale, Bex's memories of a captivating slave boy from her childhood refuse to fade. As their story unfolds, we witness the forbidden friendship that blossomed between them, gradually igniting into a passion that threatened to consume them.

Despite the danger, they found themselves irreparably drawn to each other, unable to resist the pull. But on one fateful night, their deepest fears became a devastating reality.

Two years have passed, and the question remains: has the other survived the ruin of their blooming love? As one holds on to hope, the other nurtures a burning desire for revenge. This gripping narrative will leave you breathless, eager to unravel the secrets that bind Bex and her slave boy.

Tropes:
Dark Dystopian World
Forbidden Love
Touch Her & Die
Morally Gray MMC
Friends to Lovers to Enemies
Revenge Plot
Rich, Naive FMC x Enslaved, Rebellious MMC

[Hannah Spradling · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
I so badly wanted to give this a five but I for sure need more😭😍 I LOVE riven and I need to know everything I can about him. I have an obsession with forbidden romance and I really want him and bex to be together🤣

[Maria Elena | pagesofmaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more about these characters too!

(I read this in January but the book wasn’t up at the time, or at least I didn’t find it.)

[imanereads7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was going for 5 stars if it only were longer. I devoured this book and really really loved The forbidden love vibes 😍✨

[Yasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story serves as a powerful introduction to the Unchained Series. You should read the first book in the series before this one, as book 1 introduces this new world. We meet Rebekah at 18, now a university student, reflecting on a pivotal moment from her childhood—when she was just 9 years old and her neighbor brought home a new slave. The boy had no name, so Rebekah gave him one: Riven.

From there, the story traces the years that followed, as Rebekah, her neighbor Marcus, and Riven grow up side by side. Unlike Marcus, who often teased her, Riven was always kind to Rebekah. Their bond deepened over time, evolving into something tender and forbidden. Love, however, was a dangerous thing—especially between a slave and a free girl.

At 16, Rebekah and Riven finally confessed their feelings for one another, but their secret was soon discovered by Marcus and his father. As punishment, Riven was sent away to the mines—a place no one returns from. Rebekah was devastated, yet life moved on. Still, she never forgot the boy next door, the one she had named Riven. To her, he would always be Riven, no matter what the world said. Along the way, we’re also introduced to other characters who are to become important as the series continues.

Overall, this short story is an emotional and gripping prelude to the Unchained Series. It sets the stage beautifully, and I truly hope we get to see more of Rebekah (Bex) and Riven in future books. I’m eager to find out what became of him—and whether their story will be a second chance romance.

[Bellas.bookworld · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a prequal to the series !!!!

In a dystopian 2025, the entire world runs on slave labor You meet Bex a girl who happens to be enamored with her next door neighbor Marcus’s slave. The three of them grew up together. So naturally being nine years old she didn’t get why the one boy didn’t have a name and couldn’t touch her hand. Marcus being born into this way of thinking knows that slaves are nothing.
One kiss in their childhood treehouse changed everything. They were found out, and Riven was taken away, sold to the mines — meant to toil, meant to be forgotten. Meant to die.
Now I’m she’s college, miles away from my past, trying to be the girl her parents always expected her to be.

this was my first intro to the series and WOW was I hooked. Specially in the world we are living in right now you are in a constant awe of what the fuck is happening. I was getting so annoyed with BEX and her actions but I get it bc “she’s just a girl” (no doubt voice)
Riven was so delicious I couldn’t stand him either lmao but again I get it.

Spice 🌶️ - tension
Suspense 😱😱

[Akku · Rating 5 out of 5]

❣ 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 4.8✨

❣ 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 -

❣ 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 -
- forbidden romance
- class divide
- enemies to lovers
- second chance
- revenge
- protective male lead
- trauma bonding
- dystopian setting
- secret past

❣ 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 -
Thank you so much Author Everly Claire for the free copy!
I went in thinking, oh cute, a quick prequel, and came out clutching my heart like I just lived a whole tragic, forbidden love story in fast forward. Riven is the kind of boy who speaks in silences, and his pain?? Felt like it was stitched into every line. I felt it, deep.
And the girl?? Her softness, her quiet defiance—I was rooting for her so hard. Their connection was instant but earned, not insta-love, just real in that intense, stolen-glances kind of way. It’s dark, dystopian, and heavy—but wrapped in this haunting kind of beauty. No sugar-coating. Just raw, aching emotion and two people trying to survive a world that’s against them.

[Lariza · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Because it isn’t my apology he wants. It’s my surrender.”

Nine years ago, Bex finds herself captivated by the neighbor’s slave boy. But… It’s forbidden for a free girl to have any relations with a slave boy. In secret, they would meet and their friendship blossomed. He became her companion and protector. As it grew stronger, the more harder it becomes… Until their secret has been uncovered.

Today, Bex loses herself in her thoughts. Does he remember her? Does he blame her for everything and his captivity? Does he hate her? Will they ever get the chance to reunite? Or, just like how this world condemns such disgrace… “This world had buried me, buried him, and buried us, before we ever even had a chance to be us.”

===

Future readers, please be sure to consider the trigger warnings before reading.

This is based on an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Aylisa Mathews · Rating 4 out of 5]

*PREQUEL*

The Unchained Series really doesn’t fail to keep me on the edge of my recliner over here.

This prequel follows Bex and Riven and their forbidden relationship. It’s not allowed to be intimate with a slave, but Bex doesn’t care. She grew up with him, played with him, and was starting to fall for him. However, she ruined his life forever???? This part confused me, why would she tell Marcus about the key? I need more here.

Riven clearly wants revenge for this betrayal and he seems to be letting his emotions go while in the mines. He’s becoming a monster and not in a good way. He’s angry and ready to strike while also ready to die. He’s been there for TWO YEARS. Will he see the sun again? Will him and Bex come face to face? Time will tell. 👀 who knows what Everly has up her sleeve!

[Jess Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riven is the pre-quel to the Unchained Series by Everly Claire. It is a very quick read that’s sets up the back story for the series.

Claire sets up a dark dystopian version of modern times. In this book, Bex is a young woman thinking back on the story of how she got where she is and of Riven, or 283696A7.

The story that Claire writes is short in length but extremely intense. The world she develops is one in which injustice runs rampant.

I highly suggest reading this before starting the series so you start with background, but it can be read at anytime. If you like dark dystopian reads, you will enjoy the beginnings of this series.

Make sure you read the warnings prior to reading as there are many potential triggers present.

[Kelsea Ezzell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I’m so glad I paused book one, Never Broken, to go back and read this novella first. Wow…if the rest of this series is any where near as intoxicating as this, consider me already addicted. 😍😩 Ugh I just want more of Bex and Riven soooo bad. The tension between these two….unmatched. “…as a boy who had never owned anything turned into a man with a possession….mine, mine, mine.”🫠😮‍💨

Also, it’s going to be hard to not dislike Louisa after reading about her little stunt, too. I’ll try not to judge her too harshly just yet…okay, off to finish her and Mr. 773496S6’s story to see if she can redeem herself and to experience more of her new slave’s feisty attitude.😏

[Nikolett Berkiné Varga · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a short read set in a dark dystopian world that instantly hooked me. The setting is harsh and unsettling—a society built on slave labor—but it's also incredibly unique and gripping. At the heart of it is a forbidden love story between our FMC Bex, and a neighbor’s slave boy she names Riven.

Bex is relentless in her curiosity and determination to connect with him, and that slow unraveling of their connection is what makes this story so captivating. I don’t want to spoil anything, but let’s just say I immediately dove into the next book from the author the moment I finished.

Their story pulled me in hard, and now I’m desperate to know more about this world.

[Tiffany Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this novella after reading Never Broken. This is a prequel if you want, and follows along some two characters Bex & Riven) that are mentioned in Never Broken. Nobody knows what happened to Bex, and its mentioned a couple times in passing.
This story was soo good. It was nice to see a little backstory into these characters and what happened. In this time a slave male is not allowed to touch a free woman. This story gives you more background into what can happen when they do touch. It will squeeze your heart even though it is only 80 pages.

[Paige Ridler · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌱Riven by Everly Claire🌱

“Because up there, I’d kill her”

Everly introduced us into this world beautifully, we get a back story on Bex and Riven, it leaves you wanting more. Personally I don’t have much to say as this was such a small story but I am super keen to read book 1 to find out more of this world.

This is a dark dystopian world where there are still slaves sold and used, young naive Bex who attempts to befriend one only to make a dire mistake that leads to terrible consequences for Riven.

Tropes:
Dark dystopian world
Forbidden love
Friends to lovers to enemies
Revenge plot
Rich Naive FMC/Enslaved rebellious MMC

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️/out of 5
🌶️/out of 5

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my introduction to “The Unchained” series, and this alone got me hooked. A short, quick, read, “Riven” provides backstory to the continuing series and its characters. For me, it provided an introduction and an immediate connection. I rooted for the characters and was a bit devastated when the novella ended.

I was riveted by the premise of the novel - the modern-day slavery- and couldn’t help but make uncomfortable connections to our current world, where, in fact, it doesn’t seem too far fetched for folks to own slaves.

A special thank you to Everly Claire for the ARC!

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a standalone novella in the unchained verse. It follows the story of Bex and Riven. Bex is mentioned briefly in Never Broken, and this the atory of her down fall in society, and her love for the slave boy next door.

It is a great glimps into this world the Everly Claire has created, where alavery in the norm. It's a sweet story of two children growing up together but not together. And how their feelings grew and the ending they both knew and feared would come.

It was a great novella and a lovely insight into these two stories. It was a great short read.

[xmanicpixiebookgirlx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a taste. It took just a taste of The Unchained Series and I’m hooked. This novella gives you just enough to fall into this dystopian world where we learn about the rampant abuse and poor treatment of certain people (slaves). We follow a tragic forbidden love story between a naive young girl and a slave boy next door. I am so excited to continue reading this series and discover more of Everly Claire’s writing.

[Sarah Allemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. Goodness. I started this book and read maybe a chapter at first and thought “Eh, not bad, I’ll read it eventually.”
Well today was eventually and I’m mad I didn’t read it sooner🤣
I finished the entire novella in the pick up line waiting to get my kids from school and I’m ANXIOUS to get home and read more. I’m a sucker for dystopian style books so this was right up my alley anyway. Good writing, likable characters. I definitely look forward to reading more by this author.

[Skyler Buckner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella sucked me in. Such a good read.

It was a gut punch though. The sadness I feel for Riven.
I have so much hope for Riven and Bex though.
Shes a very naive FMC. Like she doesn’t understand the severity of his punishments, but I feel like that’s a very typical situation for a privileged child. His love for her though knows what will come but doesn’t care to an extent.

Now it’s 2 years later. Will the revenge of being thrown into the mines be worth it? I sure hope so.

A dystopian story based in 2025. Slavery. Forbidden love.

Friends to lovers to enemies, this will be a story worth reading..

[Kim Hull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entrancing

This novella is beautifully written and leaves you on the edge. Bed and Riven with their forbidden romance and the slavery that pulls them apart. I greatly enjoyed this one and cannot wait to read more about Bex and Riven in the future.

Like what happens to them among so many other questions.

I will be continuing the Unchained series as I need all that Everly Claire has to offer in her writing.

[Shelby Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riven was such a gut wrenching and heartbreaking story about two lovers that could never be. Two kids grow up in two different worlds, one free and one a slave, but Brex didn’t care. She still loved Riven anyways even if in secret or if it was unspoken. Even though this is a short story and a quick read it kept me on my toes the entire time. I can’t wait to continue reading about Riven and Brex to see where their lives take them.

[Breanne Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in a dystopian world of New North America, slavery is back. Only this time, slaves are either born into slavery or a family sells one of their own to slavery to make ends meet. It is forbidden for a slave to have any relations with a master. In this quick read, a slave and his master's neighbor start to fall in love.
I loved the majority of the characters. The feelings were relatable and the story is intriguing. I definitely recommend.
Note: This is a prequel to a series.

[My_Books_In_Nooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest ARC Review.
This was a delicious good short prequal to the Never Broken and Never Bound books.
It was amazing to read how it all started.

I cannot imagine a dystopian world where the class differences will be so felt like in these books.
I read Never Broken and am going to start the 2nd installment.
I hope that the characters from Riven will actually come up in the 2nd book.
I actually loved their story, enough to be made into a full book!

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so disappointed with the end, it just didn't finish the story like I wanted. I know it's a prologue but the next book goes on to another couple. I did discover that this couple is a secondary couple in the next books, so I feel a little better. I would have liked for them to either have another book to conclude with the focus on them or have made this book longer. Overall the story is heartbreaking, and I am looking forward to the next books.

[Isabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that takes your heart, scrunches it, and makes you cry for what could be. A dystopian alternative that is not unlike one some people would love to see in our current society. It made me cry because I cannot stop comparing this story to stories of real people who were treated as objects at some time in our history. This is a very short novella that introduces the societal norms found on the first book of The Unchained series.

[Layna Leighann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I walked in blindly to this series, so I needed to start at the beginning.

From what I can tell, we got slaves and slave owners, a mine where the discarded slaves are punished, and a woman with many regrets about her past and inactions.

Moving into the next book of this series to find out what is happening in this crazy world! 😉😊

[Casey Aungst · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a novella, this story really packed a punch. 😍

i absolutely devoured Rebekah & Riven’s forbidden relationship, but it was also completely gut wrenching for me. This book definitely had me in my feels and I can’t wait to see how the story unfolds!

I hope that Rebekah & Riven are reunited & if so, i hope it’s enemies to lovers 😈

[BigAzzReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okaaayyyyy you had me going there, Everly!

Horribly sad. I thought for a hot minute Riven had actually died in the mines. I was about to shed a tear. But then you saved me by saving him.

A slave rebellion?!?! SIGN ME UP! I’m excited that I’ll be hearing more from these characters.

And Riven wants revenge on Bex? Oooo fuck yeah. I’m into it

[Lili · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an interesting and devastating read, but a bit boring? Like some parts caught my attention, but it was hard to really get into. Also, I don’t know if I missed something. I will go back to reread, but I don’t really understand why the MMC thinks she lied to him. I don’t like the misunderstanding trope, so that just confused and annoyed me a bit. Just wasn't my cup of tea.