C. L. ClarkRezensionen

Utterly Phenomenal!

This was an absolute revelation to read and the performance was superb!

Knowing that this was a debut novel left me open-mouthed and learning it is a series made me overjoyed.

Fantasy is a genre filled with cishet white guys who are largely oblivious to the amount of politics and colonialism they include in their works without thinking about it. It's the entire foundation of much of the genre and TTRPG offshoots like D&D. But this takes the existing tropes and analogues to history and includes them purposely to great effect, weaving a beautiful, heartbreaking, and exciting tale filled with realised complex and flawed characters and concepts and tensions so often ignorantly and clumsily included and/ or offensively handwaved that are handled deftly with care and understanding. The book isn't just politics either, I'm just saying it handles them well.

Genuinely one of the best books I've ever read.

This sophomore installment of Magic of the Lost absolutely blew my mind. It's rare for the middle book to outshine the debut, but this one does, in spades. Clark flushed out all those juicy bits of character depth I was waiting for in book one, and upped the stakes AND the spice level considerable... which makes my queer little heart downright giddy.

One of the things I've always felt makes a successful fantasy series is the ability to span and flesh out the geography of world, to keep the characters relevant and the plot from becoming stagnant. With its roots in the complicated history and theology surrounding colonialism, this book does that in ways that do the HARD work double and triple time. The prose is wonderful and the struggle to understand the lines between colonizer/colonized are vivid and thought provoking.

And did I mention we finally got some of that queer SPICE I've been hankerin' for? Yum!

Definitely read it!

This one started out a bit slow but picked up pace quickly and kept me entertained and invested throughout. Loving the gender queer themes throughout, which are seamless in that they just exist and aren't exclaimed upon by every character in the novel. Aside from the pacing problem, I'd like to see more character depth, but the end of the book satisfied me in that dept and I look forward to seeing how the "relationship" between Luka and Touraine grows in the next installment.

Awesome world-building in a non-typical fantasy setting. Definitely give it a read!

Pretty cool book, had some hiccups in the plot -- why does Touraine make the WRONG CHOICE EVERY TIME -- but has some potential for the rest of the series. Would I read other stuff by the author again? Sure.

An impressive fantasy debut, ambitious and heavy but so important and raw. Unapologetically direct with its strong themes of colonialism, racism, inequality and prejudice. Impressively tackling serious and sensitive topics throughout, whilst maintaining the feeling of relatability, sympathy and longing.

Honestly this book was not perfect, I was not instantly gripped, nor did I quickly understand the world or characters. But once I did get into this book, once I got past the rocky introduction, past figuring out the ambiguous parts of the world and started to know and sink into the world and characters, this was a stunning book.
Important and heart wrenching, and I couldn’t see a single thing coming, every page was filled with twists and turns, old wounds and righteous anger.

Heart wrenching and incredibly impactful, this was painful, completely hopeless and unfair. Full of longing and hope for a better future, no matter how many times that hope is thrown back in your face, to stay resilient and proud.

“You will never have to sell yourself to live”

A rich, genuine world and culture but the world building, explanations and logic are left very much to the reader to work out or fill in with their own imagination.
So much pain, loss and betrayal, it’s hard to know who to love, who’s right or wrong and who to root for. This book had my emotions all over the place and my heart in my mouth more than once. Once I reached about 30% I could not put this book down.
Philosophical and so, so honest and real.

It is very lengthy, occasionally also overly wordy and feels like an entire series crammed into one book, yet this kept the pace fast and messy. Giving more of a sense of the chaos and unpredictability of reality in war and rebellion.

A story with the undertone of true loyalty, the importance of a family you found for yourself and of making your own choices. Of freedom.

"We pray for rain," Touraine said.
"No. " Jaghotai squeezed Touraine's arm tightly.
"Be the rain."

This book was a RIDE. While I felt like I couldn't put it down, I often felt confused as to how I was still reading it, until I remembered it was about twice as long as most of the books I read. I struggled with how to rat this for a while, as reading this book was not always an enjoyable process. The blurbs promise that this book will break your heart, and while it certainly achieves that, I also wasn't sure how I felt about the fact that I spend large portions of the book INCANDESCENTLY FURIOUS WITH BOTH of the main characters. Several times I stopped and asked myself if I actually liked either of these women AT ALL. Finally I realized these were the wrong questions, because what I WAS was invested. I wanted so desperately for both of them to DO better and BE better and HAVE better. I also loved how incredibly sapphic this book was. There were only two heterosexual relationships in the whole book that I can remember, and they were only "onscreen" for about a minute. In contrast, nearly every interesting character in this book is a woman, and nearly all of them were wlw, or bi, or unattached, in a way that was completely normalized.

There is a lot of evil in this book -- of colonialism, of classism, of racism, etc. Reading this at the same time as reading a history of women in the U.S. Civil War almost certainly increased the screaming inside my heart. There is a lot of depth and trauma and conflict that can make this challenging to engage with, but also makes it so resonant and gripping.

An excellent read.

Pros: lots of political intrigue and hard choices

Cons:

A year has passed since the events of The Unbroken, and Touraine has discovered that helping to rule a nation is a difficult as freeing it from colonizers. She and Aranen are sent as Qazali’s ambassadors to Balladaire to maintain Luca’s friendship and support. But the Balladairan capital is not safe from its own rebels, nor is Luca’s uncle, acting regent, ready to give Luca the throne.

This is a great follow-up to The Unbroken. The setting is different, allowing the reader to learn more of the Balladairan empire and its territories. But the tension between Luca and Touraine, and Luca and her power, remains just as complicated.

I loved how Luca’s disability causes challenges for her, but doesn’t define her.

Luca’s quest to learn more about Balladairan magic bears fruit, but the answers she finds aren’t ones she likes. Touraine’s attempts to use Qazali magic show that while the theory of using it is easy, the practice is not.

Touraine really comes into her own, learning new things and slowly gaining confidence outside of her military prowess.

I loved Fili, the apprentice woodcarver, and am curious what will happen with her in the next book.

The book has so much political intrigue. I loved it. Luca and her uncle playing against each other for the crown was alternatively thrilling and horrifying. Though there are a few fight scenes, this book has more duels and smaller scale action than battles.

The Unbroken was a great book, and I enjoyed The Faithless even more. If you’ve not read these, you’re missing out.

Pros: great characters, excellent world-building, thought-provoking

Cons: several near-death encounters

The day they arrive in the country she was kidnapped from as a child, Touraine, lieutenant of the Balladairan Colonial Brigade, saves the life of Princess Luca. The princess is there to quell rebellion and prove her fitness for the throne. She’d also like to learn more about the healing magic the locals used to wield. Touraine just wants her fellow conscripts to survive the coming unrest. As they work together, their feelings for each other, as well as their private goals, clash in unexpected ways.

The world-building is top notch. The level of second guessing motivations was perfect given how the colonial troops were raised. Seeing Touraine torn between wanting to help the princess, the rebels and her conscripts was heart-wrenching, especially when she kept making bad decisions. I also liked seeing how torn Luca was about wanting to do well by her people even when she had to chose what was best for the crown.

Touraine manages to recover from extreme injuries - via healing - quite a few times. It seemed unfair by the end how often she survived when other characters die. Especially given how much of the damage done in the colony was due to her own poor choices.

I loved how easy - and hard - using magic is.

It’s a good, thought-provoking read about colonization and loyalty.

I don't know what I had expected of this story... but it definitely didn't turn out anything like I thought it might... 2/3s of the book was alright. The political moves were slow and unsteady... they were immature ideas but thats understandable as we got to know the characters... but I personally feel like there was a lot of talk and no follow through.

Supposedly the princess is book smart and brilliant in her stragies on the game board... but in real life shes a damn fool and so is Turaine. Turaine is looking to save her Sands... but she leaves them behind. She doesn't protect them or get them away, or to the rebel side. She leaves them to die and she herself waffles back and forth between the rebels and princess. Its frustrating. I can't enjoy her as a character at all. She only allows herself to be a pawn. Evil is done in the army and she bends and obeys... evil is done in the rebel camp and she bends and obeys. She does not stand firm in her beliefs, because she doesn't get to develope her own opinions, shes just a people pleaser and just drifts between powerful "people".

The princess is shelfish and she claims to have strategies but she allows herself to be used as a pawn, and not to anyone but those who use and abuse. She reads theologies and methods to lead, but she doesn't look into anything herself, she just swallows what shes told and then is shocked later to find what she was told was a lie. Supposedly she loves Touraine... but she doesn't even know her. Its all about possession and its disgusting.

I wanted to drop this story 6 hours from the ending... but powered through. At that 6 hour mark I had an idea on how the story would go.... 4 hours later the characters discover that same idea... but kind of, a half hour of that there was another discovery that fully finished the theory and brought it to life. I had when the story drags this much.... and really... why couldn't captain rogan be eviscerated sooner? A knife in the dark could have been arranged at any time... and yet everyone lets him live too long. -_-

Don't even get me started on the ending... acting as if the Duke regent or any other nation wouldn't just trying to swoop in and take them either.

Simply said... this is all about revenge and thats it. Revenge at any means and any costs.

Disclaimer: I recieved a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Review originally published on thefantasyreviews.com.

*There are light spoilers for The Unbroken in this review of The Fathless.

The Unbroken broke out in the fantasy scene in early 2021 as the first member of what became known as the “fantasy sapphic trinity” (along with The Jasmine Throne and She Who Became the Sun). However, while those books went on to great critical acclaim and awards attention (Throne won the World Fantasy Award and Sun was nominated for the Hugo), The Unbroken always felt like the underdog. It always felt like it did not receive the respect that it deserved, especially since Clark delivered a solid debut with a stunning and nuanced look at the various social forces of colonialism at both the individual and structural levels.

With the arrival of The Faithless, I think we can honestly say that this trilogy deserves the attention of its compatriots, and it might be the best examination of colonialism that I have ever read in the fantasy genre.

The Faithless picks up where The Unbroken left off (and attention readers, Clark gives little additional context to catch you back up, so a refresher might be in order if it’s been a while since you’ve read The Unbroken!). The nation of Qazal is acting as an independent state now that it has overthrown the yoke of Belladaire, with Tourraine (the one with the sexy arms) acting as a member of its leading council and Ambassador to Belladaire. Luca is back in Belladaire in her own power game – her uncle currently occupies the throne and isn’t willing to give it up. What results is a book of political alliances, tense relationships, and characters thrust into difficult choices as they try to balance their political roles, personal feelings, and entangled social positions.

The Faithless is a very different book than its predecessor because while The Unbroken was all about Tourraine and Qazal, The Faithless is all about Luca and Belladaire (as exemplified by the amazing cover art – Orbit once again pulled out a banger!). Most of our characters very quickly wind up in Belladaire, and we get to explore the complexities of Belladairan politics. Therefore, while The Unbroken was largely a war story, this is book is much more interested in court politics. This shift in focus personally really worked for me, although readers expecting the same level of action as The Unbroken might wind up a bit dissapointed. I really enjoyed getting to see Luca squarely in her element, while Tourraine was the one trying to learn how to fit into the upper crusts of society in her new role as Ambassador.

I cannot emphasize enough that Clark’s true brilliance shines in her exploration of colonial relations. Too often in fantasy there is a good/bad binary in which there is the “evil empire” versus the “good rebels”. While Clark deftly avoids “all sides mattering” the issue, she also ensures that her characters and readers both understand that colonial relations do not exist as a simple binary. The colonizers and colonized mix and mingle in unique ways so that there are all shades of gray represented in people’s beliefs, allegiances, and actions. For example, Tourraine was born in Qazal, but raised in Balladaire, while Luca has sympathies for the Qazal people but is still an important member of the colonizing elite. Clark also takes time to explore some of Qazal’s sister countries, and how some of them are even willing to be complicit in Balladaire’s colonial and expansionist goals in the region. All of the messy relations Clark explores in the book beautifully reflect the real world we live in. Some fantasy readers may be a tad critical or disappointed in how closely Clark’s world is a direct reflection of our own (all of the Balladairan names, styles, and fashion are French inspired, for example), but like the great works of Guy Gavriel Kay she uses small yet significant changes to make important observations about our own global history.

Another interesting element to The Faithless is Clark’s exploration of class dynamics. There is an entire subplot (that eventually intersects with the main plot) about the unhappy Balladairan underclass, and how they blame both the Belladairan nobility and Qazali immigrants for their low and oppressed position in society. This allowed Clark to broaden the world a bit while also exploring the complex intersection of class and xenophobia.

No matter what else is going on, the true center of this trilogy is the complicated relationship between Tourraine and Luca….and they go through it in this book. There are several very high highs and very low lows for their relationship in The Faithless, and Tourraine and Luca continually fall in and out of each other’s orbits. Normally this kind of relationship would be really frustrating to me as the reader; often authors just throw complications at a relationship in order to build plot and delay the happily ever after. Clark expertly weaves her way through this thorny situation. Instead of feeling frustrating, the ups and downs of Luca and Tourraine’s relationship feels organic to the characters and the world they live in. On one hand they love each; they are soulmates. On the other hand, they live on opposite sides of a brutal conflict and a legacy of racist relations between their nations. In the next book Clark could literally write about aliens invading from Mars and I would still be on board just for Tourraine and Luca.

And this is all because Clark isn’t afraid to push her characters into ethical corners and then let them figure out how to escape. Luca, Tourraine, and the rest of the diverse cast don’t always make the choices that we hoped they would make, but they always make the choice that makes sense for their character in the moment. While there were times when I was screaming at a character not to do something, I never felt like someone acted out of character. Clark develops each of her characters, even the more minor ones like Sabine, with such depth and nuance that their choices are comprehensible, if at times reprehensible.

If I had a criticism of The Faithless it would be that the larger plot arc could have been more tightly delivered in this book. Clark obviously has big plans for the god and blood based magic systems, and the failing crops in Balladaire. There are a lot of hints to larger magical forces underlining a lot of the plot in The Faithless. I understand that perhaps Clark didn’t want to overstuff this middle volume as she spent time developing Luca’s fight for control of the Balladairan court, but at times the larger overarching story took too much of a backseat. By the end of The Faithless I was still a little confused about where the plot was going (and not in a “ooh, the author surprised me kind of way; more of a “the larger plot has little momentum” kind of way). I think this could frustrate some readers who were anticipating an acceleration of the larger mythos rather than a relatively self-contained royal succession power struggle.

Clark has left a lot to explore as she (presumably) wraps up the story in the next volume of the series, but no matter what happens I am willing to follow Tourraine and Luca anywhere.

Concluding Thoughts

Fans of The Unbroken will be excited to continue Tourraine’s and Luca’s journey as the plot shifts from Qazal to Balladaire. Clark expertly weaves her characters into thorny and complex political situations that allows her explore issues related to colonialism, imperialism, racism, and loyalty. Tourraine and Luca’s relationship remains as captivating as ever, and they propel the reader through the book’s 500+ pages. This book loses a little of its bite by keeping the larger, trilogy spanning plot a bit close to the vest, but it remains an exciting and thought-provoking read.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 38%.
I could not get behind the main protagonists because they're both awful. Overall, not a fan of what basically boils downs to a master-slave relationship dynamic that this book was plodding towards.

One Sentence Summary: Though Qazāli, Touraine was taken as a child to be raised and trained to be a soldier in Balladaire and is now being sent back to Qazāl with others like her, right into the heart of a brewing rebellion that will have all of them torn between loyalties to blood and crown.

I've seen The Unbroken on many anticipated reads lists (I'd been looking forward to reading it as well) for good reason. This book features an incredible North African-inspired world, a clash been worship of gods and worship of no gods, the effects of colonialism, a rebellion, a main character with torn loyalties, and more. This book really packs in it and manages to explore all of it. The Unbroken is, in many ways, an astounding book, though I also found myself wanting a bit more.

The Plot: A Complex Story That's Also Easy to Read

As a young child, Touraine was taken from her home in Qazāl to be raised and trained to be a soldier in Balladaire, the country that invaded and colonized Qazāl. All she knew was Balladaire and all she wanted was to rise to the rank of General. She worshiped General Cantic, who trained her all her life. But, when she arrives in Qazāl and manages to save the Balladairan princess's life, she attracts notice, and is identified by a rebel, tearing her loyalties between blood and crown.

Princess Luca is the rightful ruler of Balladaire, but, after her parents died from the Withering plague, her uncle pushed her over and took the crown. In order for her to prove her worthiness, she must quell the rebellion in Qazāl and bring the colonies to heel. Luca, though, wants to do things her own way and make both parties happy. To do that, she needs someone she can trust and someone the rebels can trust.

With their stories inextricably twined together, Touraine and Luca discover there's far more at play in the colonies, far more unrest, and threatens to tear them apart just as they're starting to care for each other.

Whew! The Unbroken is quite a book. But it's so incredibly easy to read, so easy to just fly through the pages. It's like sand falling through an hourglass. The story just flows and drags the reader along with it. There were so many times I was sucked in and so many times I couldn't believe just how much I had read. For a story that really packs it in, it goes by in the blink of an eye.

The story is complex. There are about a million things going on, but it's also really easy to keep track of it all. Touraine and Luca were the perfect characters to carry it all off, to expose all the secrets and machinations for the reader. Still, there were some unknowns, but that just heightened the mystery of what, exactly, was going on and what was going to come next. There were so many times I was wrong, so many times I was surprised. The one thing I didn't like was that Touraine always seemed to be thrown out, cast aside, and set upon her own path. It did feel the plot was being a little heavy handed with her as she could have just walked right off the pages at so many different times, but the story always turned her back.

The other thing that bothered me was that I felt like I was missing out on something. I felt that a lot of really interesting things were happening off the pages. I don't know if it was because other characters were handling those things or because it was left of intentionally, but I felt a lot of fascinating events and machinations were off page. There were leaps between chapters where things started to get really interesting and then the next chapter would jump to something else. Still, there's enough of what is on the pages to keep readers interested. While more of a political intrigue novel, there's still a lot of action.

Overall, The Unbroken is an incredible, wide ranging story that touches on so many things. It showcased how colonization affects the colonized country and its people, creating the perfect kind of tension for this story. There are clear social classes, as well as interesting crosses between the boundaries. I loved the magic system that drew an even greater divide between Qazāl and Balladaire, and how it played out before Touraine's eyes. This story is intricate and is definitely balancing a lot of things, but not a single thing falls over, not a single thing is extraneous. It all came together beautifully for an incredible story that is both the start of a series (of which I have no clue where it's headed) and a standalone fantasy.

The Characters: A Story of Two Women

While there are a number of characters, ranging from Touraine's fellow conscripts to Luca's guards to the rebels, The Unbroken is told by Touraine and Luca. I really enjoyed getting the story from a woman who had been stolen from her homeland and a woman who wanted her crown more than anything.

The characters were all amazing and came to life to me. I could feel Luca's desperation, Touraine's crisis of identity, the rebels' desperation, and the bloodthirstiness of General Cantic. No matter how little or how much a character was seen, they each had unique personalities that easily set them apart. That isn't to say I didn't mix up some of the more minor characters, but, by the end, I knew who was who.

I really liked Touraine, but I also really wanted to like her more. She was something of a lost soul. I liked that she thought she had found her place, found her career path, but that the veil keeping her naive and loyal was ripped away. She was faced early on with coming to terms with who she was and who she wanted to be. Much of the story was devoted to her development and changes as the story unraveled around her. At the same time, I felt like she was kind of all over the map. Her loyalties kept shifting, her ideas kept changing. Though I did love that, once she had decided, she was committed.

I had similar feelings about Luca, though she felt a little more stable than Touraine. She had her goal in sight the whole time and was willing to try as many avenues as possible to get what she wanted. Despite her disability, she's sharp and smart. She was caught just as Touraine was between Balladaire and the rebels, but she always maintained an eye on her goal. I liked how she was often unsettled by the things she had to do, the things she had no power over, but, though it all, she proved herself a princess, if not a future queen.

The Setting: North African-Inspired

The setting is what really drew me to The Unbroken. Set in Northern Africa, I didn't really know much beyond that. I suppose I was thinking Egypt and Morocco as I'm embarrassingly not familiar with African geography. But then the bits of French thrown into the story kind of threw me, until I was watching Jeopardy! and there was a clue about the French colonizing Algeria. Then I was thinking Algeria, but kept thinking Tunisia fit better (not that I know anything of either country, but I just kept thinking Tunisia while reading).

The entire story is set in Qazāl, though both Touraine and Luca had flashbacks to what life had been like in Balladaire for them. It was fascinating to see how different it was, drawing a sharp difference between the green and tree-filled Balladaire with the deserts of Qazāl.

I loved everything about Qazāl. It felt dusty and brown, very apt for a desert. But there were also various kinds of dress and references to particular animals that helped bring the African feel to life. Yet, it's stark and has an unwelcoming streak. There's a culture clash between the Qazāli and the Balladairians so it also has a very militaristic feel to it. The magic was also quite unique, and the ideas around it created a further divide between the two countries, as well as fear in Touraine. But my favorite part was that it was explored by two people who shed new eyes on it, one of whom who had never been there and the other who had been taken from it while very young. They came to Qazāl with very different ideas and were affected by it in different ways, so it was interesting to see the world for what it was and then get a veil drawn down as the reader sees it through either Touraine's or Luca's eyes.

Overall: An Incredible Start to a New Fantasy Series

Seriously, The Unbroken has so many elements in it that it's impossible to explore all of them without writing endlessly. All of it is deftly handled and woven in absolutely perfectly. I loved the characters, I adored the world, and I was intrigued by the story. I do wish more of the most interesting events had happened on the pages as I felt a little left out sometimes, but, what was on the pages, was really interesting and served to further developed the characters and the story. Overall, reading The Unbroken was a delightful experience and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

Thank you to Orbit for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This novel was gut wrenching. The story is inspired by Europe’s brutal colonization of North Africa, and North African’s struggle for freedom and sovereignty. The author doesn’t shy away from presenting the gruesome, harsh reality of what it means to colonize and be colonized. This book is a really slow-paced military/political fantasy novel. It doesn’t have the glitz and glad of magic and adventure that you’d expect in a fantasy novel. Instead, the slow action helps accentuate the complicated, dangerous, volatile nature inherent in colonization. What struck me the most was seeing the main character struggle to unravel her identity as she opened her eyes to her own colonization; the lies the empire fed her; and her complacency and complicity with the empire’s atrocities—all while trying to survive. It struck home. I also really loved the queernorm world

I loved The Unbroken. It could have been just another fantasy rebellion, another clusterfuck redeemed by a couple’s love for one another against all odds. Instead, it’s a full-throated fuck you to colonial empires and systemic racism; a drama of characters as compromised as they are uncompromising, whose every option is a betrayal. Everyone is as flawed as they are deeply committed, willing to countenance horrific deeds in service to their cause. The result is often bleak, but always satisfying. A strong debut from a fierce new voice.

4.5 stars

Full review

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.½

2/5 - FINE

C. L. Clark cannot be faulted for lacking lofty ambitions, particularly with a debut novel. Clark combines:
• political drama set against the backdrop of colonialism;
• explorations of faith and culture against the power of an imperial superiority complex; AND
• ties it all together with a bold romance between two deeply flawed characters.

Sadly, each heady theme pulls away from the other leading to none standing out. The deepest disappointment is that the weakest element - the romance - receives the most (unearned) attention.

Fortunately, The Unbroken has some wonderful elements. First, it's setting. Clark has an ability to seamlessly weave environments into the language of the novel. The French inspired character names and locations defining the occupying forces contrasts itself well against the Moroccan inspired pseudo-Arabic language and place names of the indigenous occupants. Even through their clear distinctions, they compliment each other in the context of the overall style of the book. This is particularly highlighted in the audio version.

Representation and diversity is handled masterfully. By having the matriarchically society introduced matter-of-factly and gradually with each subsequent character, and having genders and sexual orientations serving as flavour-text for the each character's broader motivations, roles, ond personalities. The execution was refreshing and the epitome of normalising representation.

I would also posit that the overall tone of the book remains relatively well balanced between optimistic and bleak. While definitely trying the corner the grimdark sub-genre early on, the general hopeful line Clark walks allows for aspects of levity - even humour. Maybe a moniker closer to "skimdark" is more appropriate for this style of world.

The final positive sits with Part 1: Soldiers. Clark establishes a wonderful set of storylines, mysteries, and tensions as intriguing tidbits to entice the reader to explore, not just this new fantasy story, but this new fantasy world.

However, as the rating gives away: despite the skill on display, The Unbroken ironically crumbles under the weight of its own ambition. And with a book as sprawling and messy as Clark's, it is difficult to deliver a review that is concise and clean. To begin, there are elements that need to be pointed out without any need to extrapolate upon. Those are:
• Severe plot contrivances occur in Part 1 of the text that initiate the rest of the story. These are tactless and point to the opening being both rushed and not the core interest for the author. This becomes ever more apparent as you progress with the book.
• On a technical level, the author painted themselves into a corner when limiting the point-of-view to two characters that are arguably the least engaged in the world around them. This is then compounded when Clark fixates on the character with the worse of the two possible perspectives regarding the action taking place. There are many examples where Touraine's fish-out-of-water thoughts and feelings could have help the audience connect with the world, but Clark instead chooses to focus on Luca who treats the situation as normal, thereby foregoing any deeper insights.
• Numerous tertiary characters are one-note: (i) a disciplinary matriarchal figure; (ii) a rapist (that is the full extent of his characterisation); (iii & iv) a friendly book nerd (and their sister); and (v) a duplicitous political mover-and-shaker. No nuance, each of these characters are simply introduced that way and remain in those roles for the duration of the story.
• There is a lot of exposition of this book, and not in the forgivable fantasy format of "lore-dumps". Instead, the author exposits key relationships and stakes and reassures the reader that friendships are strong, relationships are vital, and that this world is a dangerous place. All of these engagements would have been nice to witness first hand.
• Ironically, this "tell, don't show" approach (as well as other writing choices) require the reader to do the heavy lifting in filling in the blanks. This includes filling out histories, filling out relationships, filling out conversations, filling out the world in general.

This leads into my biggest criticism for the story: the world around the main characters seemingly ceases to exist when they are not there, which seems like a major oversight for a political military fantasy epic. This happens countless times: neither the Qāzali rebels, nor the Balladairan occupation, seemingly conduct any missions, reconnaissance, or espionage unless the main characters are present; entire characters disappear for countless chapters until there is a gap in the story they need to fill (I would point to Princess Luca's adviser Gil when Touraine becomes her primary confidant); a murder of a high-profile official that allows for a major portion of the story to progress is never spoken of, or investigated, until the final few chapters of the novel. Each of these plot elements could have added life and action to the world that is otherwise a static sandpit for the protagonists to manipulate without consequence. Furthermore, it is difficult to image the actions of this book being condoned by forces within the corridors of power, or being taken advantage of by external players.

Finally, the two main characters themselves were of huge frustration. Touraine's characterisation was, for the most part, good (I will leave out her decision making as it could be argued to be part of her flawed character). Unfortunately she has little agency in pushing the narrative forward beyond the three major decisions she makes. Touraine's ongoing existence comes by the grace of other characters: when she is court-martialled, she is at the mercy of Luca to save her; despite her actions in hanging a rebel, the rebels welcome her to the centre of their decision making - go so far as being the first to invite her to negotiate; and, despite betraying all three major groups in the novel, all allow her to continue either walking free or openly interacting with them without consequence. None of this behaviour relies on Touraine using charm, wit, or her skills to accomplish it.

And then we have Luca, who suffers from the dreaded "no romance, all pining" syndrome. Beyond her general characterising being the driving force of hope and optimism, that is all derailed when a 3-month flirtation ends and she throws away her entire ambition in the hopes of getting it on with Touraine… The less said the better.

This book fell hard, and fast, and sadly can be skipped.

It was alright. I couldn’t help but compare it to Priory of the Orange Tree which I had read recently. A similar-ish setting and a bunch of very similar character relations. Priory did every single thing better though. It doesn’t help that I did not enjoy the setting for The Unbroken. Clark basically took the Mediterranean Sea and plopped her story onto it. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that I just prefer my fantasy to be a little more divorced from reality (and crocodiles).

The Unbroken’s story often leaned on my least favorite kdrama trope of miscommunication to spark story progression. Just talk to the people around you! Especially when the choice you end up making is the one they wanted to make but you had to travel an insanely far distance to arrive at that decision.

I loved that we got see multiple sides to Luca. Her characterization was wonderful. Seeing what she wanted made it hurt a lot more when her pain, loneliness, and desire brought her down a path she was originally against. Touraine was also pretty good. The attempt to balance her need to protect the sands, her desire for Luca, and her search for a place to truly belong was interesting and not too difficult to get invested in. I’ve never seen someone make so many bad decisions though. There were also characters like Beau Sang and Rogan who were entirely one-note, filled with hatred and greed and nothing else. In fact the entire non-conscripted army is portrayed that way.

As for the actual writing/storytelling there are moments of brilliance. A great bit of foreshadowing or some absolutely terrific timing. But those are never connected to major plot points. Strange enough for you to be like “That was great… but why?”. I believe C.L. Clark has a ton of potential and with more experience as an author will give us a great book sooner or later.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 stars Right now this has my vote as the goodreads best fantasy book of 2021, but I still have a few more on the list to read before the voting ends.

I love the characters especially Touraine, as she faces one impossible choice after another but Luca is just as complex as Touraine. Luca wants power but she wants to get it in the right way, but she has to make as many impossible choices as Touraine.

There is hardly any magic in this book, but it's still there and there is promise for more in the forthcoming books as magic is not confined to Qazal

“Loyalty is part of the social contract we commit to when we decide to be civilized. As humans gathered into societies—tribes and villages, cities and nations—we committed to each other. We promised to protect our fellows, to honor the promises we give and the exchanges we make.”

I love this quote, it seems that as "civilized" as we are today, that our democracy has made us forget the social contract and just grab whatever we can for ourselves, do whatever we please. The pandemic sheds a bright light on that just take a look at the no mask, no vax stance even though we promised to protect one another.

The Unbroken took some time to get into and it wasn't until I borrowed the audio from my library that I was able to really sink in. The premise is that a young solider, taken from her family and country as a child and raised by an imperial monarchy's army, is tasked with "restoring order" in the land of her birth. She's among many accompanying the young queen-to-be, who is determined to prove herself worthy of the throne by improving relations between the empire and its colonies. There are essentially three factions at war: the colonizers, the "Sands" (soldiers from around the empire stolen as children), and a group of rebels fighting for freedom. It's a layered exploration of the impacts of colonization on both colonizer and colonized, and especially on those trapped between. Where does Touraine fit and how can she fight for what's right but protect both the soldiers she loves and the people from whom she was taken? It's all complicated by her growing relationship with the queen-to-be, which is one I'm not sure I am comfortable with--an issue I think is intentional. What kind of relationship can exist with such an imbalance of power?

The Unbroken roughly maps to imperial France and northern Africa, but like 100x queerer than the stories we're told. I was wondering for the last 50% or so how things would be resolved and well, they weren't. Empire isn't dismantled in a day, after all. And Touraine and Luca make so many mistakes, hurting each other over and over... oof. I'm interested to see where Clark takes us next.

CW: mentions of past rape(or attempted), violence and gore, torture

I’ve been so excited to read this book since the first time I saw the stunning cover and realized it was sapphic fantasy. And I truly never expected Orbit to approve my request for the advance copy, so I’m definitely thankful to them for being able to read this wonderful book sooner.

The writing in this book is stunning... that’s it. I don’t even wanna extrapolate more about it because the author’s words speak for themselves. The vivid descriptions of the desert city make you feel the heat and dust, the characters’ inner monologues makes you feel so connected to them, and the unfairness of the world makes you feel despair. The pacing is also perfect (though not everyone might agree with me) - it starts off slow and takes time to get interesting, but the buildup the author creates makes for excellent payoff towards the end where everything happens at breakneck speed and we are left catching our breath. But the book is also pretty grim throughout with hardly any levity nor much hope, which can make for a depressing reading experience but the excellent writing, exciting plot and complicated characters more than make up for the bleakness.

I mentioned in another review of mine recently that I seem to gravitating a lot towards fantasies these days which explore the themes of colonialism and prejudice and racism, and this was no different. The author shows through her world how centuries of colonization entrenches prejudices, which become so ingrained that people don’t wanna look past them even for the sake of their own prosperity. It just becomes easy to oppress and punish and subjugate the colonial subjects, rather than treat them like an equal part of the empire; even if it foments rebellion leading to destruction for both sides.

The author’s exploration of identity, through the eyes of the soldiers who were long taken away from their homes and trained to fight for the empire, now being turned on their own birthplace, was pretty emotional. It was heartbreaking to see these soldiers unable to forget their years of training and hope for some equality and respect, while also being conflicted about oppressing the people who are their own. Not feeling like they belonged anywhere was quite distressing and the author perfectly captured this anguish.

The cast of characters are splendid. Touraine, the conscripted soldier and Luca, the rightful queen make for an excellent source for conflict and yearning and the author does it to perfection. They are also immensely flawed, making many decisions without thinking through the consequences, leading to most of the unexpected twists and turns throughout the book. This makes them not likable at all times - there were moments I hated them and then wanted to hug them right after - but they both are immensely sympathetic characters and you hope that things go in their favor. My only gripe is that the amount of yearning and the number of loving interactions they had with each other didn’t feel proportional, and I wish their relationship was developed more.

The side characters were also equally well written and memorable, I kept wanting to know more about them. Particularly Aranen, Djasha, Bastien, Gil - I wanted to know more of their backstories coz they were so interesting. There were also quite a few who I truly despised but they were not the kind of mindless villains we sometimes encounter, so I enjoyed their portrayals too.

Truly, this is an excellent debut and I’m glad that I got to experience another new author this year. If you want rebellion and intrigue and magic interspersed with complicated characters you don’t know what to feel about, then this is perfect for you. If you can wait out the slightly slow buildup and don’t mind your fantasy worlds bleak, then you’ll be blown away by the time you reach the end. I definitely was and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

According to her author bio, Clark has a keen interest in post-colonial history, and this really shows in her writing. She has conceived engaging characters whose unique experiences serve to explore the complex fallout of colonialism from contrasting–but not necessarily polarised–points of view. This alone makes The Unbroken a worthy edition to fantasy shelves already packed with tales of invasion.

Cleverly crafted characters and complex relationships really lifted this story for me. Unlike many of the southern soldiers who secretly pray to forbidden gods and hold on to the hope that they will one day return home, Touraine plans to use her time back in Qazāl to earn a promotion and prove to Balladairan society that the Sands are ‘civilised’. Even when a Qazāli rebel recognises her face as similar to her lost mother’s, she judges the rebels harshly and discourages any sympathy for their cause. Her reality is certainly challenged throughout the book as circumstances and relationships change, but it is not an easy journey for her.

Then there’s Luca who claims she has the people’s best interest at heart, yet believes in her father’s legacy which was to break the Shālan Empire and subjugate its people. Luca is not always likeable, but she’s a fantastic POV character. I enjoyed the insight into her strategies and motivations, which made it easier to understand her. Fantasy books sometimes portray royals as distant and cold, perhaps cracking a window into their inner moral struggle and vulnerability, but I liked this more intimate take.

‘Flawed characters’ is a favourite phrase used by us bloggers to describe books with emotional depth, but in The Unbroken I would simply describe them as angry. And justifiably so. There is not one relationship in this book that isn’t fraught with tension, often stemming from differing schools of thought. Yet almost all of the characters are relatable, and their decisions–good or bad–are usually understandable.

The Unbroken reflects its stunningly illustrated Tommy Arnold cover as a story about gritty characters determined to make their mark on the world.

This was somewhat of a hard read, but more in an emotional sense than the writing style which was really good.
C.L.Clark was very good in developing her characters and you felt with them through the whole book. Especially the two main characters who both just want the best for themselves, and trying to do good to other as well and both kind of failing in this task over and over again, by unintentionally sabotaging their goals. Like the helplessness of Touraine was at points really raw, her need to belong but not fitting in anywhere or Luca trying to be different than her ancestors but not being able to shed this role.
Even the side characters had a good amount of depth, paired with a nice world building in general, one was able to dive right into the story, while having the feeling to be walking through the streets oneself.

Will be interesting to see where the story of next book will take us.

C. L. Clark's The Unbroken is the first in the new series, Magic of the Lost. In it, we follow the perspectives of two characters - Touraine, a soldier, raised in Belladaire and returning to her homeland with a contingent of soldiers; and Luca, a princess vying for her rightful throne - who make decisions to stop a rebellion and build a nation.

I really liked the author's world-building for this North African-inspired fantasy. I really liked the setting, and the descriptions of the architecture (especially of the Grand Temple) and culture was very well done. The only thing I would have liked more of was the magic system, though I have a feeling this will be described further in future books.

I was also a big fan of the characters, even if they didn't always do what I wanted them to do... There was a great amount of representation - a plethora of f/f relationships (including the main and secondary characters), a minor non binary character, a trans character, equality of men and women in roles of authority, disability (Luca's leg), etc. The characters themselves were complex and, at times, morally gray with questionable motives; even then, their actions were done for what they considered to be the "right" reasons (it reminded me a little of Rin in R. F. Kuang's The Poppy War trilogy, though Rin was more ruthless). There was a lot of betrayal and calculated moves and plotting, and I was there for it.

I can't wait to read more about these characters (and their political machinations) in the rest of this trilogy!

Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought.

Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet's edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne.

Through assassinations and massacres, in bedrooms and war rooms, Touraine and Luca will haggle over the price of a nation. But some things aren't for sale.