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J.A. Nielsen is the award-winning author of the YA Fantasy series, Fractured Kingdoms (The Claiming, Book 1 and The Winter Heir, Book 2). She has spent most of her professional life in education—as a therapist, teacher, librarian, and administrator.
When not writing, she is most likely playing with her family in the forest, on the water, or in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest.
Reviewed by Priya Mathew for Readers' Favorite
The Claiming by J. A. Nielsen is a fantasy with elements of a coming-of-age theme. Spense, a gifted alchemist and the illegitimate son of Lord Ferrous of Telridge, is asked to perform a Claiming spell on a bridge across River Selden to improve its defense as Telridge faces potential threats from neighboring realms and dark faeries from the Winter Court. Dewy, a spirited faerie and heir apparent of the Summer Court, is caught in the spell, binding her to Spense. Regretful of his action, Spense wants to undo the spell but will need help from the faeries. In the meantime, Dewy feels connected with Spense but is unsure if it’s something more or just the Claiming affecting her senses. How will this affect the war the Winter Court brings to Telridge’s Court? Will they be able to find a solution before it’s too late?
J. A. Nielsen has created a world of faeries, goblins, magic, and adventure in The Claiming with vivid imagery of the imaginary world, its inhabitants, and their surroundings. While reading the battle scenes, I almost felt like I was in Telridge Castle looking at the chaos firsthand. The characters are well-developed and dynamic. There are definite transformation arcs for most of the main characters in the story. Although the focus is on Spense and his actions causing him to claim Dewy, there are also interesting subplots around his brother Dirk and the farm girl Flora, the summer Queen Radiant, and the Winter King, Lumine. I loved the poetic tones used by Nielsen, especially in the descriptions of nature and faerie characters. Using multiple perspectives helped me understand the dynamics between the characters, building focus on the thoughts and feelings of the different characters, and creating a sense of empathy with them. The Claiming has set a captivating tone for the series, exploring themes of love, sacrifice, and taking responsibility for one’s actions and their impact on others. I look forward to seeing where Dewy and Spense’s journey takes them in the next book.
