The Claiming: A Review by Guest Blogger, Elliott Kurta

Review

It’s a typical love story: girl meets boy, boy accidentally enslaves girl, girl and boy must avert interspecies war. In The Claiming, everything that could go wrong in a love story does. High fantasy, mystery, and romance collide in J.A. Nielsen’s first upper-grade novel, a story that promises to beguile readers young and old alike.

            Spense, the quintessential underdog living in the shadow of his older step-brother, Dirk, is called upon to protect his kingdom. His task? To use a Claiming spell to secure a footbridge, preventing enemy soldiers from crossing into his kingdom. But when Spense goes to perform the spell, something goes horrible wrong. Instead of Claiming the bridge, he Claims a faerie girl, Dew Drop. To do so is paramount to a declaration of war, and Spense may have just cost his kingdom their faerie allies, and along with them a final, desperate hope of surviving the wave of incoming attacks. In a desperate bid to save himself, his accidental captive, and his kingdom, Spense must face the dangers of the forest while trying to wrangle his own magic under control.

            With a rich panoply of characters and refreshingly original prose, The Claiming is a novel in a league of its own. The brief chapters, no more than three or four pages each, leave the reader anxious for each new revelation. Although several subplots weave in and out of the story, the book remains relatively straightforward and accessible. The book shifts through several different perspective: Spense, Dewy, Dirk, King Ferrous, and Lady Radiant all have a turn at telling their side of the story. Unfortunately, the chapters neglect to label the speaker beforehand, leaving the reader stumbling into the start of each chapter. With its rich narration and conscience yet captivating chapters, The Claiming is perfect for emerged and established readers alike.

            Although for the most part The Claiming maintains a lighthearted, friendly voice, prospective parents may want to delay handing the book over to younger readers. Even for a book aimed at young adults, an uncomfortable degree of sexual tension pervades almost every interaction between Spense and Dewy. Their relationship—and the accompanying vernacular—seems better suited for an adult romance novel, even though Spense and Dewy only ever go so far as to share a single kiss at the novel’s climax. One example can be seen when in an incident where a soldier comments on that fact that Spense, having claimed Dewy, can command her to do his bidding: “‘You mean she’ll obey any command you give her? That’s convenient.’ Wink. Nudge.” Additionally, the book is a prime example of high fantasy: mentions of magic, fae, goblins, and castles abound. Although J.A. Nielsen’s novel is much, much more accessible than most high fantasy books, any reader easily bored by mentions of warlocks or Lords and Ladies might want to find a different book. 

Recommendation

            While not suitable for everyone, The Claiming is sure to be a hit among its target audience. Readers will love the drama and dragoons of this epic fantasy novel and will quickly find themselves unable to stop from reading just one more chapter. A genre-smashing blend of romance, epic, and high fantasy rolled into a single novel, Nelson has sealed an unforgettable story between the pages of The Claiming. The only downside? You’re going to have to buy a crowbar if you want to get your kids to look up from the book. All good things must come to an end, but don’t worry! J. A. Nelson plans to release a sequel in the near future, rounding out her Fractured Kingdoms series.

Guest Blogger

Elliott Kurta is a writer, student, and book reviewer. Currently a junior in high school, he enjoys reading and cross-country running in his spare time. He lives in Charlotte, NC with his family and dog. He has won multiple awards for his writing, including a silver key in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards