VIC'S VIEWPOINTS (Private)

VICTIM#1 - The Claimed: A Clash of Copper and Gold

Victor strolled into the shared bedroom, his bare feet silent on the carpeted floor. Turning, he poked his head out the door and shouted, "Jason! Rosetta! I'm making a recording, so please don't come barging in and muck it up!" 

Not bothering to listen to their indignant replies, he closed the door. Sitting at his desk, the green-eyed boy logging into his Wattpad account, muttering dire threats as the site refused to accept his password.

He grumbled before giving a resounding cheer as the site logged him on. Reaching in a drawer, he pulled out a digital voice recorder. Victor cleared his throat, turned on the device and began to dictate.

"Today marks the first Victor's Viewpoints, done by me, Victor Grant, in honor of the first person to post comments to our Sugar Babes Adventure account. It's our way of saying thank you. I don't know what my mates are up to, I'm sure Noah's wrapped up in the muscular arms of 'Sir Buffness', and Jasper..." Victor snickered. "If you smell trouble, Jasper's got to be near, throwing a spanner in the works!"

"Back in a jiffy. Time to dive in!"

The recording stopped.

*****

An hour later, the recorder switched on. 

"The first review will be for three chapters of The Claimed: A Clash of Copper and Gold. I'll touch on seven elements I think are essential to a story."

"First is ORIGINALITY, which pertains to how original was the story. I'd rate this as extraordinarily original as it has many ideas that I, an advent reader, have never seen or even imagined! The story starts with a vivid description of the title; The Claimed. We learn about the Claimed by experiencing one and seeing what it entails. A bloody heinous system, but beg pardon, I digress. The author shows the experience, not tells, in an explicit manner. Through the first three chapters, the author executes her creativity most impressively. I was all agog! It revels in its uniqueness."

"Next, let us mosey along to the SETTING. I loved the map at the beginning of this book. The writer right away weaves the reader into the geographical location of the land of Rakim and all its trappings. I was gobsmacked! For example, we visit a lagoon fit for the gods and a palace laced with steps of gold. The descriptions, written at times subtle and other times obvious, entwine the reader further into the story in a gentle but firm manner."

Victor stopped recording to take a sip of tea and one savory bite of cinnamon roll. He added another dash of milk to the steaming liquid before continuing. 

"CHARACTERIZATION is next, as it's the spice of the story. Good characters should convince readers they're a part of the world or the setting. They should display conflicts, attitudes involving various aspects of life, have history or family, and engage us to know them. The Claimed accomplished this from the start. The likable Toom, the narrator and protagonist, is easiest to identify with and attach to as the story is told from his perspective. 

Other characters include his father, guards, and the tribal family of Rakim, whom the reader may identify as the antagonists of the story. It is innocence versus excessiveness—which would be cut-and-dry except for the character, Niako. This bloke isn't easily identifiable or definable as one or the other and throws in a proverbial monkey wrench. Even as a child, he wraps himself in mystery and turns into a fantastic addition to a story already chock full of intrigue."

Victor stopped the recorder for a tea break. Rosetta opened the door and poked her head in.

"Vic, in the bathroom, Jason wasn't a sweetie, 'cause he didn't wipe the seatie."

Victor sighed. "Poppet, I'm busy."

The child didn't move.

Victor gave in. "I'll threaten him later."

The little girl grinned. And shut the door.

"Next are CONFLICTS AND PLOTS. It's a given that characters lead the plot with their motives, skills, and abilities to maneuver through the plot's twists and turns. Although I'm only three chapters in, there's trouble in paradise. The reader can infer behind the polite mouthings that all isn't well politically in the realm of Najila. The author weaves it in, subtly at first, through the mouth of babes before confirming our suspicions full throttle. The flow is absolutely smashing."

"Then we have the EMOTIONAL PAYOUT, or how well did this story arouse powerful emotions? In my opinion, this story does the trick. The emotional responses I experienced while reading seemed proper for the intended audience. You know a book is top notch if you even feel some type of emotions. Such as, when the boys had a bit of a tiff, it was age-appropriate emotions and responses, just what you'd expect from a couple ankle biters having a go at each other. Nor did the author repeatedly beat us over the bloody head with the same emotional beats as I felt outrage, amusement and anger!"

"Second to last, we have the story's THEME. A good theme isn't stated but mainly inferred by the reader. It isn't the plot, mind you, but more a central idea. After three chapters, it's hard to determine the theme for the entire story, but even in these beginning chapters, the author has succeeded in teaching us the morality of the lovable child, Toom, and expertly kept the mystery of Niako as a mystery. I'll let you readers make your own inferences on the theme. So far, I see a theme of courage and perseverance. And I like it."

"Last is the TREATMENT, or how well the tale was written. I'm wiping away a tear. Typos and grammatical errors don't mar or even exist in this masterpiece. The language is concise and beautifully written at an effortless pace. I found myself enraptured by the tale from the beginning. It takes good writing to capture a reader from the beginning. I call wordsmith!"

"Well, that's the end of the first of Victor's Viewpoints. I hope you've enjoyed it and maybe do another for one of our wonderful supporters."

Victor stopped again to sip his tea. Finding the liquid lukewarm, he guzzled the rest, and demolished the remaining cinnamon rolls.

"To end my rather wordy review, kudos to the author, @spelunkadunk. You've written a masterful tale, love, one that rates brilliance in its execution. The Claimed: A Clash of Copper and Gold, is positively blinding!"

Have a good one, loves,

Vic