Claimed: The Land of Schism Book One

The Land of Schism #1

by Nicole Adamz

"The walls shrunk as I realized the lies I would have to tell..." An epic fantasy. A twisted tale of friendship. Lies, secrets, and magic!

Claimed is a New Adult Epic Fantasy Novel suitable for readers:

✓Looking to explore a dynamic new world of magic and races

✓That desire vibrant characters that fly off the page

✓Who want a non-graphic but gripping and gritty story


This novel is an epic, world-building fantasy adventure involving secrets, faith, friendship, family, romance, and magic. It is a visionary and inspirational novel that stirs the senses on how two friends begin to view each other as enemies, and how their decisions follow them into a brewing, world-altering war. Perfect for New Adult and college readers, and adult fans of fantasy with strong female protagonists!


Betrayal begins with a choice…

Ari

No one in this city looks me in the eye for long; my bi-colored eyes are considered hideous. That’s fine by me. All I want is to prevent Zora from being sold at an auction, so I can purchase her freedom. After a botched magical awakening leaves me with an unknown Talent, I draw more attention than I want. This city hunts people like me. Maewyn is the only friend I have amid high-society prejudice and dangerous foes, but trusting her might be my biggest mistake.

Maewyn

I’m revered for my rare Talent and ability to Weave fog into corporeal stories. Everyone in high-society wants me to entertain at their Revue. I have fame, wealth, and beauty. There’s only one problem: my parents. They hate being Merchant Class. My parent’s solution? Me. Cooperation isn't optional, and I’ve gone along with their plans until now. When my twisted former mentor appears, I learn that my parent’s next assignment for me might include him. So, I’ll do anything to turn the tables and gain my freedom. I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I’m desperate.

In a city full of winged people, Ari and Maewyn have chosen different gods, but only one can reign. They'll have to survive the twisted games being played around them if they want to achieve their goals, but neither is prepared for the fate that awaits them. Lies and secrets have a way of unraveling, and betrayal is just the beginning.

Claim your copy. Find your Talent. Choose your side.

Amazon Reviews:

"Leaves you wanting more!" ★★★★★

"Exciting storyline full of intrigue and great characters." ★★★★★

"Great read...I will eagerly be awaiting book two!"★★★★★

"The world building is masterful."★★★★

"I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next."★★★★

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

359 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 18, 2019

Reviews

[M.H. Elrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like political thrillers, you will like this New Adult Fantasy. This is an action-packed, easy-to-read book with minimal descriptions. The plot moves quickly from one scene to the next, and tension is created throughout the book. Even though most of the action is centered around political events, the danger to the emotional, spiritual and physical health of the characters is evident. The author continues building on some of the secretiveness of the story with its limited point of view from two characters.
Ari and Maewyn are both very interesting in their own way. Ari is an innocent and naive person who desires to both obey the goddess (a goddess whose worship is forbidden) and become a prominent member in the Caelum society. She soon discovers this to be almost impossible, as becoming "someone" among the elite requires compromising your body and exhibiting an amazing Talent. With no desire to sleep around and no apparent Talent in the making, Ari eventually devolves into hopelessness because she can't accomplish her goals. Maewyn, on the other hand, is a lot more earthy than Ari, and her desire to have "freedom" from her family results in trouble. She is willing to use her body and her Talent to meet her own goals, and even though she becomes a "somebody," she quickly realizes that being elite has its own problems. She also has a negative character arc. I enjoyed their initial interactions with each other (Maewyn and Ari).
The setting is well enough described that I immediately understood the social class structure. Some of the city descriptions were sparse, but I was able to picture it for the most part. Nicole definitely builds up a fantasy world which is believable and interesting. The political dynamic was clearly explained and intricately tied with the plot.
Content Notes: As mentioned in the description, this book contains violent material that is not suitable for anyone under 18. There is a mention of rape, attempted rape, abuse, and other sexual content. Some parents may find it unsuitable for the god/goddess ideas as well.

[Steve Pillinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, though it's more character-focused than I'm normally comfortable with. Adamz's world-building is superb, creating a very different kind of universe where winged beings live in safe seclusion on the heights while the unwinged 'Dwellers' live below. It is a highly structured society, with different ranks and groups and a complex process of social advancement. There are two central characters, Ari and Maewyn (both winged), and the story alternates between them. Adamz' descriptions of the joys of flight—and the extreme inconvenience of not having it!—are excellent.

The central narrative is about the relationship between our two heroines: how this develops and gradually changes from a friendship that rises above their differences in rank, to one of mistrust and even hatred as both discover weaknesses in the other which the other perceives as strengths. The slowly-growing rift between them is very well portrayed. The slight downside of this is that for a plot-oriented reader like me there are comparatively few actual 'events' in the story—it's much more about who the characters are and what they feel about one another, than what they do. (But I'm sure this is a strong recommendation for those who prefer character-driven fiction!)

The Christian element of the book revolves around Ari's adherence to the now-marginalised worship of the True One, as opposed to the majority, like Maewyn, who follow the state religion of Aeolus—clearly the evil one. This dimension of the story is not greatly developed, however: it's just there, in the background. Maybe it will assume greater importance in the sequels.

The task for which Ari is 'claimed'—basically her purpose in life—remains a mystery throughout the book; but there are tantalising hints, especially at the beginning and end, of what this might be. These provide a strong hook to the sequels: there is a greater story yet to be discovered!

As I've been writing this review, however, I've realised afresh what I felt all the way through was its greatest drawback: and that is the lack of clear exposition about the structure of this world and its different communities, and of the actual meaning of many of the unknown ranks, titles and concepts that are casually thrown in. I found it hard in the earlier paragraphs of this review to actually define and describe her world, though I've just read the book! I've come away with a vague, rather jumbled impression of many different strata in society, of different places and people, but a very incomplete idea of how they all fit together.

This may seem to contradict my earlier statement about her superb world-building: but there's a difference between constructing a whole new multifaceted world, and explaining it. In many ways what Adamz does is reminiscent of Tolkien: she throws out unfamiliar terms without immediate explanation, which is a subtle way of reinforcing the reality of her alternate world: these things are just taken for granted—everyone knows them. And that works: one does get an impression of a very real and highly complex world; which testifies to the quality of her world-building.

But whereas Tolkien finds ways later on of getting across the meaning of his unfamiliar terms, Adamz often doesn't do that—leaving the reader with vague impressions rather than a clear understanding. Often, too, especially in the earlier chapters, the new terms and concepts came thick and fast, and I found myself suffering from definite information overload! This might be a problem for her intended YA and new adult readers.

I'm not suggesting she should indulge in a whole lot of 'telling' rather than 'showing': but I believe there are ways of making things clear that do not involve overt 'telling'. And I would love to understand her fascinating world better! It was mainly this lack—plus, to a lesser extent, the predominant character-focus—that prevented me from giving her story 5 stars.

Having said that, I would definitely like to read the sequel. (And maybe to re-read this book in the hope of plugging some of the gaps in my understanding of the world.) So the book succeeded in pulling me in, and I can strongly recommend it to fantasy-lovers, especially those who tend more to the 'character' side of the character/plot-driven divide.

[C.S. Wachter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This character driven story is told from two first person POVs: Ari’s and Maewyn’s. Though I am not a fan of first person POV, especially when more than one is used within a story, Adamz’s characters are realistic, distinct, and each chapter is labeled according to which girl is speaking. Though Ari and Maewyn are opposites in many ways, both are trapped in a society where deceit and the use of sexual favors prevails as families and individuals use any available means to climb the social ladder to gain power and prestige. Maewyn’s power-hungry parents see her as nothing more than a commodity to be used and the poor choices she makes in attempting to avoid the pain they inflict and satisfy them lead to deeper and deeper problems for both her and Ari.

The world building is masterful even if the society the reader is plunged into is a culture I wouldn’t want to live in. Also, being dropped into this complex world with alien terms and little explanation, left me confused from time to time. But this world is in flux and well-placed foreshadowing sets the stage for a coming upheaval. While the self-absorbed, winged Elysian who inhabit Summit are preening their feathers and busily hatching self-promoting plans, cosmic changes are on the horizon. Possible threats include the Dwellers who inhabit the land below, and the Anomalies, second-class citizens who are reduced to a kind of slave status because their wings are not fully formed.

By the end of the book, I was deeply involved in the well-constructed characters. I hope, now that the main characters have been developed, Ms. Adamz will focus on moving the plot forward in the next book. I am most curious to see where this coming clash between gods and people groups will lead, and how Ari and Maewyn will figure into these changes.

Since I read this book as part of a Christian Speculative Fiction group, I feel it is important to include a few notes of caution for Christian readers: There is a fair amount of gratuitous sex, though nothing is explicit. Several of the characters are downright evil. And the True One (the obviously ‘good’ god) is a female figure while the false god (behind all the reprehensible behavior of the Elysian) is male.

But as this is not listed as Christian fantasy on Amazon, I suspect those cautions will not bother most readers. I can say this was a well-written, engaging book that sets the stage for what should be an exciting next book. I recommend Claimed for those who like character-driven fantasy that includes mystery and intrigue, with believable and thought-provoking female leads.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/15/2021)! 🎁

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Sentence Summary: Ari and Maewyn share a tentative friendship, but they serve different gods, which will inevitably turn them away from each other as war brews on the outskirts.

I'm not sure, exactly, what drew me to Claimed when Nicole Adamz contacted me, but something about it told me I couldn't miss out on it. I loved the idea of winged people, gods, and Talents all swirling together to ends I couldn't even imagine. Something pulled at me to read this one, and I'm so glad I did! I've learned I'm in the minority, but one of the two main characters is my clear favorite and I adored her so much.

The Plot: In a Word: Incredible

Caelum have special Talents that add to the aesthetic of the city. They're widely sought, and the rarer the better. Not everyone is Talented, and not all of the Talented are fully claimed by a god and bestowed as many privileges as possible for Caelum.

Maewyn is a Second Born, meaning her Talent is so rare it only happens once in a generation. She, however, is the second in her generation to have it, and her ambitious family will do everything in its power to utilize and exploit it without taking her into consideration. She's on a short leash and beholden to them at any time they choose, and they expect her to do as they will. One misstep will spell disaster for her, no matter how much she longs to escape their thumb.

Ari is a hideous bi-colored woman with an unknown Talent after a botched awakening of her powers. As a Tyro, she is in training and is unable to speak. Since no one knows what her Talent is, she's been placed as Maewyn's Tyro to help the Caelum prepare for her performances and generally care for her. But Ari has a secret: she serves the True One instead of the usurper Aeolus and, if word gets out, it spells certain death. She's desperate to figure out what her Talent is so she can become a Caelum and be able to better protect herself and other True One believers.

The two women share a friendship, but their different goals and beliefs threaten to tear them apart.

Claimed is an amazing and fascinating fantasy full of manipulation and societal intrigue that I can't stop thinking about. I love court intrigue, but casting a wider net and turning it into a larger societal one is incredibly fascinating and I'll not be looking for more of it instead of just court intrigue. I loved reading about all the machinations the lower families were doing in order to move up. All the scheming was a ton of fun to read about, all the manipulation had me twisting in knots. This novel speaks so much to class differences and just how difficult it is to move up in a world where people have wings. There's a very clear class system that works well enough and religious suppression that just makes things more complicated. It could have become overly complicated and just too much, but Adamz wielded a deft hand and made it very enjoyable and not at all overwhelming.

It annoyed me a little, though, that women were treated more like tools and a means to an end. It's reminiscent of rigid gender roles, but tied up in the hunger for power. But I loved how Maewyn and Ari, in their own ways, struggled and fought against it. Though set on different paths, both, as women, are perceived a certain way by men and find their own ways to fight. I loved watching them fight the constraints around them, almost like captured birds furiously, uselessly, flapping their wings.

Claimed presents a linear, excellently paced story that really packs it in. There are a lot of elements going on at the same time, each impacting another, but it never feels overwhelming. From the societal intrigue to the clash of religion to family secrets to brewing war with the Dwellers who live far down on the land, this story is bursting with a world that threatens to spill out into normal life, but only just manages to keep itself contained. While it does have it's slower, quieter moments, my favorite part was the end when the story just exploded. Overall, this is an incredible first book in the series that promises even more.

The Characters: From Friends to Enemies

Claimed presents the story of two women who have been thrown together, yet manage to develop a friendship and professional relationship that works. I was delighted by how well they played off each other, and how well their relationship disintegrated at just the right pace.

Maewyn has, undeniably, the most fascinating arc. She seems frivolous and almost vapid, constantly preening herself. But she carries a wealth of secrets and becomes more and more complex as the story unfolds and the reader is introduced to her family. She has a secret, quiet strength, but still manages to somehow feel helpless.

Ari's story isn't quite as interesting, but her character was the most interesting to me. As a Tyro she can't speak, so she's learned to be incredibly expressive. I loved everything about her and just how well she managed to communicate with everyone. Even though she didn't speak, she still spoke volumes. She was so strong in my mind that, whenever I stopped reading I thought I couldn't speak as well and was always confused about whether to answer someone or not. But Ari also has her secrets, ones that could condemn her to death, so she constantly walks a fine line.

The Setting: A World of Wings

There's a fascinating world to be explored in Claimed. Since people have wings, it's set high up, above where the Dwellers live on the ground, with whom they have a tenuous trade agreement. At first, it was a little difficult to envision what it looks like as the layout seemed a little odd, but, as the characters moved around, the city became clearer, and I loved how it added another layer to how the society is structured. Overall, it's an incredibly well-thought out world.

There are people with perfectly functional wings, and there are people called Anomalies who typically don't have functional wings, and other deformities, and comprise the lowest class. It was fascinating to read about the clear class differences in how the city was structured to either include or exclude the Anomalies. Without functional wings, it's impossible to fly.

I was also fascinated by the magic. It felt like the city and the people value artistic ability, and the Talents go in that direction. They seem to be primarily entertainers, but, other than being Talented and being possibly sought out for their abilities, they seem little different than anyone else. Still, I was fascinated by their abilities and reading about how the Tyros developed their Talents. They provide a lovely aesthetic to what feels like an already incredible and beautiful city.

Overall, this world is incredible and different. There are so many layers to it and how it operates and is structured. Every part of it works well together like a cog in a well-oiled wheel. I adored every aspect of it and can't wait to explore more of it in the rest of the series.

Overall: The Start to an Incredible Series

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. Claimed beautifully sets up the overarching story and never gets lost in the little details than can so easily overtake a story of the magnitude it hints at being. A war between friends, gods, and sky and land dwellers, The Land of Schism promises to be an incredible epic fantasy.

Thank you to the author, Nicole Adamz, for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

[NoNo JoJo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating: 1.75 stars

First thing - the blurb says the book is non-graphic, but this is not the case. Although there are no on-page sex scenes, there are still a lot off mentions of sexual assault, torture, abuse, etc. Characters often use sexual favors as bargaining tools, and several characters are sexual sadists. There is an instance of rape via deception (character consents but they aren't having sex with the person they thought they were).

All of the above was one big reason I didn't enjoy this book - a lot of it was just grimy and really bleak.

The other big issue, however, is that nothing happens for the vast majority of this book. It's all groundwork. By the end of this novel, we are literally no closer to understanding Ari's powers than we were in the beginning. We have no idea what they are or what they do. She hasn't gotten any closer to freeing her slave at home. She hasn't done /anything,/ and unfortunately our other main character is the same way. So much of this book feels like it's building towards something - the characters have defined goals, things they badly want or need, but they never /do/ anything to achieve them. Ari spends every single chapter whining about how much she wants to use her powers or save her family's servant, but literally never does she take the initiative to do anything herself. She's forced into trying to access her powers at school, and continually fails. She never does any extra work or tries literally any plan to make extra money to buy her servant's freedom. I feel like she could literally just ask Mae at any time for the money and agree to work it off in return, but she just...doesn't. Ari ends up just being pulled along by the "plot" without any agency.

Mae is, sadly, the same way. Initially she seems like a more active character, because she has her gifts and knows how to use them, but she falls into the same trap. There is one big thing she doesn't want to do: get together with her former teacher/mentor. However, every single time this issue comes up, she wilts and does nothing. Mae goes so far as to learn a completely different sort of magical ability, and it seems like she's going to come up with some plan to put that power into action to save herself, but when the time comes, she does absolutely nothing with it and just goes along with her family's plans against her own will.

The story has other issues besides its limp characters (lettuce leaves have more of a spine). There is hardly any plot, and what exists is very messy. Characters come and leave the story with no preparation or build-up. No questions are answered, more are just raised. We end the story without any clear idea of where the rest of the series could be going or what it's building up to. Again, there are /no/ reveals about the goddess, Ari's powers - nothing that would actually be interesting. We just wallow in these characters' misery for hundreds of pages, and then a bunch of random events happen at the end, and it's over.

I would not recommend this series to any readers. It's just too messy, too unfocused, and too full of graphic content for a story that claims to be clean.

[Ellie Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

~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.

Claimed, book review, book quote, bookish beyond


~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.

[Kayla E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claimed: The Land of Schism Book One is an epic fantasy tale that follows the first-person perspectives of two characters, Ari and Maewyn. The story is full of deception, betrayal, twists, and darkness that will captivate the reader. 

The fantasy world of Claimed is quite complex. For example, Maewyn is the Second-Born Story Weaver and as such is a talented Caelum. However, Ari, Maewyn's Tyro (assistant), has yet to have her talent manifest. Both Elysians have secrets, in addition to the challenges their standing brings. Ari is a believer of the True One and is trying to save enough dosh (money) to rescue the Anomaly that helped raise her. Due to her religion (which she must keep secret), Ari is very modest and conservative. Maewyn, on the other hand, is very fashionable and highly social. Maewyn's first secret is that she must do the bidding of her cruel family -- a family that doesn't care who gets hurt as long as their social standing increases. Despite their secrets and their differences, the two Elysians are friends. Or are they? "Betrayal begins with a choice." 

I enjoyed the detailed fantasy world that Adamz creates, though it did take some time to understand the dynamics of the world. I was initially wary of seeing there were two first-person characters, but Adamz does an eloquent job of character and plot development through her style of writing. I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next with both Ari and Maewyn. I'm excited to read book 2 to see how the story continues to unfold.

[Ariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first, when I started reading this book, I was a bit confused. The first few chapters, I had thought that the main character and the friend character were the same. Furthermore, I really enjoyed reading this novel. Even though the main character couldn't speak, people still understood what she was saying based on her expression and body language. I absolutely loved that! In the novel, you could see the changes that each character endured, and where it's coming from. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book totally captured me within the first few sentences! As pages turned into chapters, my heart raced along with the characters, and I was unable to put the book down! I finished the book within a day, bound to a new world interwoven with wonderfully new concepts and beautifully descriptive characters. An instant favorite!

[Kathryn Tamburri]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Intriguing from start to finish. Excellent world building and superbly 3-dimensional characters. Intricate and suspenseful. Nicole Adamz is definitely an author to watch for new releases!
For a very detailed review please feel free to visit https://kathryntamburri.com/reviews/c...

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read love this authors take on the angel pnr genre. I will eagerly be awaiting book two. Hopefully soon

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michelle VanDaley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting into this story but I am glad I stuck with it. The world building was really good and although I enjoyed the story I did not really connect with the characters. Overall it is a unique and interesting story.

[Kendall Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

An epic fantasy that explores betrayal, twisted friendships, lies, secrets, mystery and magic. Excellent characterization and an engaging plot make for a totally engrossing story! Well written, I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!