Review : Claimed by Sarah Fine

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Claimed (Servants of Fate #2)
Author : Sarah Fine
Publication Date : March 24th 2015
Publisher : 47North
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Galena Margolis, a brilliant scientist with a tragic past, is determined to fulfill her destiny and develop the vaccine that could save millions. Yet when Galena’s test subjects meet with foul play, it’s clear that someone is still determined to stop her, and that Galena herself is a target. As the Ferry empire forges a plan to keep her safe, Declan Ferry, the politics-hating black sheep of the family, steps forward to protect her—but the emotional cost may be more than either of them is willing to pay.

As unknown enemies close in, it becomes terrifyingly clear that they threaten to destroy not only Galena’s lifesaving work but also the very fabric of fate. As Galena and Declan race to uncover the traitor, they also forge a special bond that could save both Galena and those she’s sworn to help. Torn apart by the past and hunted by those she trusted, can Galena find room amidst her fears for a passion that could make her stronger than ever? And even if she and Declan can find their way together, will it be enough to keep the future from coming apart at the seams?

Personal Thoughts

By now, all of you know that I'm a die-hard Sarah Fine fangirl. Pretty much all of her books have managed to impress me and after having loved Marked, I was excited to get my hands on this companion novel. Claimed was so much more than I expected it to be and once again, Sarah Fine managed to make me fall in love with her characters and her writing.

While Marked focused on Eli and Cacy's story, in Claimed we have Galena, Eli's sister and Declan, Cacy's brother's story. As much as I loved Eli and Cacy, I think I formed a much deeper emotional connection with Galena. I just loved this girl so much and I had nothing but a tremendous amount of love and respect for her. She honestly blew me away with how emotionally strong she was after the horrific event that she had had to encounter in the past. I just wanted to take her in my arms and protect her from anything evil, but Galena knew how to show a brave face throughout everything. I think, for me, what made Galena a character easy to connect with was that layer vulnerability she had to her. It made her seem so much more human and realistic to me. As a future scientist (hopefully!), I also connected with her passion for wanting to work hard and to make a world a better place. Galena was a truly remarkable character and I wanted nothing more than to see her be happy. Thankfully, Sarah Fine crafted a wonderful character just for Galena. Declan was a sweetheart and I have loved him from the previous book. In this book, I grew to respect him even more. I loved how supportive he was of Galena and I admired him. Plus, he was just so self-less and gentle when it came to his family, but more importantly Galena. I was also happy to see that Eli and Cacy played pivotal roles in the book, in addition to Aislynn and Moros. Sarah Fine always does a fabulous job at molding her secondary characters, so that you also get to know them along with the secondary characters.

The world building in Claimed was even better than in Marked. Thing finally start to come together into a coherent world and I loved how Sarah doesn't info-dump on the reader, but instead slowly opens up the worlds in her books. Additionally, this time around, the plot was much more intense. It definitely gave me an adrenaline-rush and also terrified me because I was so worried about the fate of these characters. Every single time they would brush with danger, I'd be overcome with fear. Sarah Fine also managed to surprise me more than a few time with the multiple revelations in this book. One specific story line, involving Eli, was shocking and had me flipping through the pages. And the final revelation was pretty epic and I can't wait to see how everything plays out in the series. As expected, Claimed also had a wonderful, butterfly-inducing romance that made my heart flutter. Galena and Declan were a complementary couple and I loved how well they fit together. They had an unconventional start, but their romance developed very nicely. I loved how much they cared for each other and how they made each other stronger. That's what romance should really be about.

 Sarah Fine is such a phenomenal writer. She never fails to impress me with her books and obviously love that about her. If you haven't read a book by her, you are seriously missing out. With Claimed, she has written a solid sequel that improves upon the first novel. I, for one, can't wait to read Aislynn and Moros' story  in Fated! I need the next book NOW!

Rating

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 5/5
Writing : 5/5

**Overall Rating : 4.5/5**

Thank you to 47North for the e-ARC of Claimed.