"The Unbroken" by C.L. Clark is a remarkable and captivating fantasy novel that introduces readers to a world of political intrigue, colonialism, and complex characters. Clark's world-building is rich, and the story is set in a meticulously crafted, North African-inspired setting.

The book's dual perspective follows two strong and multifaceted protagonists, Touraine and Luca, who are on opposite sides of a conflict fueled by power and ideology. The tension and chemistry between these characters create a compelling narrative that explores themes of loyalty, duty, and morality.

What sets "The Unbroken" apart is its thought-provoking examination of colonialism and rebellion, making it a timely and socially relevant read. The story is filled with action, magic, and intricate political maneuvering, providing a well-rounded and immersive experience for fantasy enthusiasts.

C.L. Clark's debut novel is a masterclass in storytelling, with complex characters and a vividly realized world that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in this promising series. "The Unbroken" is a must-read for those seeking a fresh and thought-provoking take on the fantasy genre

I loved the concept of this story, but I just couldn't get into it - sadly a DNF. I may try again in future, but not for me at the moment, apologies.

I am having a hard time rating this book ... I did like things, but I guess it just wasn’t the right time for me to read this book.

It was very slow at the beginning. For at least 50% nothing really happened. And then stuff happened, but I expected more. More fastpaced as well

"The Unbroken" by C. L. Clark is a stunning debut novel that immediately grabs the reader's attention and doesn't let go. The story follows Touraine, a soldier and former slave, as she is forced to choose between her loyalty to the country that enslaved her and her duty to her fellow colonized people.

Clark's writing is immersive and captivating, with vivid descriptions that bring the world of the novel to life. The characters are complex and multifaceted, with Touraine's struggles and conflicts forming the heart of the story.

The novel also tackles important themes such as colonization, identity, and power, and does so with a nuanced and thoughtful approach. The world-building is expertly crafted, with a rich and detailed history that feels both real and fantastical.

Overall, "The Unbroken" is a must-read for fans of epic fantasy and political intrigue. Clark's writing is engaging and powerful, with a plot that twists and turns in unexpected ways. The novel is both entertaining and thought-provoking, and Touraine's journey is one that will stay with the reader long after they finish the book. I highly recommend "The Unbroken" to anyone looking for a fresh and exciting new voice in the genre.

Con la inminente llegada de la segunda entrega de la serie he hecho al fin hueco a la lectura de ‘The Unbroken’, la novela que C. L. Clark publicó hace un par de años. Autora que forma parte de la llamada trifecta sáfica junto a Tasha Shuri y Shelley Parker-Chan.

Esta es una obra sobre colonialismo y sobre qué significa ser arrancada de joven de una cultura para, décadas después, volver a ella. Touraine y Luca son las dos protagonistas de esta historia. La primera es una teniente del ejército de Balladaire, una región al norte del mapeado que durante décadas ha colonizado gran parte de los territorios a su alrededor. Uno de ellos, alcanzable tras una corta travesía en el mar es Qazāl, de donde Touraine es originaria y del que fue arrancada de niña. Luca es una aspirante a reina de Balladaire que de momento ejerce como princesa. Su llegada a la región de Qazāl puede servir para demostrar a su padre que será una reina válida. Para ello necesita de un espía.

Ambas son personas muy impulsivas lo que las termina por meter en numerosos problemas. En el caso de Touraine, por ejemplo, su impulsividad afectará directamente a la posibilidad de que la región de Qazāl, un lugar que está ganando inestabilidad, logre cierta paz gracias a las negociaciones con los representantes locales.

Es una novela que además de lidiar con el colonialismo y los orígenes tiene un componente romántico entre las dos protagonistas. Algo que termina afectando al devenir diplomático de ambos bandos. Todo ello en un entorno que puede recordar a los clásicos del grimdark, con personajes de dudosa moralidad y que no evita ciertas escenas sangrientas.

‘The Unbroken’ empieza de manera muy similar a una novela como ‘El Trono de Jazmín’, lo que no me resultaba especialmente original. Pasado el primer tercio la parte política y de espionaje se consolida haciendo que la parte intermedia sea lo más interesante de la lectura. El tramo final es un poco idas y venidas algo locas entre bandos que culmina en un final semicerrado a la espera de la segunda entrega, ‘The Faithless’, que está al caer y que continúa una historia que me ha dejado interesado.

I actually read this ages ago and did not realise I hadn't left feedback here, apologies for that!

This was a densely written story of colonisation and empire. It was full of complicated characters and the true depth of the issues at hand.

Our main character Tour fights for the empire and has been conditioned not to question her place within their fighting forces despite the fact that she was stolen away from her mother and homeland.

Ultimately, the story tells of her growth and we end with a satisfying conclusion to this particular story arc and the promise of much more to come.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story and especially the discussions around colonisation. The main characters were really well written and I loved that it is a north african inspired fantasy book. It is quite a complex book so i did feel it was confusing at times but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book.

The Unbroken is the first book in the Magic of the Lost series. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get invested in this book. I think the main reason is that I didn't particularly care about the main character. The writing is good though and the world is an interesting one. This one just wasn't for me.

A wonderful debut exploring colonialism and racism through two women who are affected by it, are handling it, and are being messy while doing so. This low-magic military fantasy unravels in an occupied territory where rebellion is brewing and follows a soldier, stolen as a child and raised to fight for the colonisers of her people, as she returns to her homeland and struggles with her identity (especially when steeped in internalised racism) and motivations while attempting to be loyal, dutiful, and merely a soldier. It also follows Luca, a nobility with a privileged background, a princess of this empire who is now supposed to be queen, supposed to prove herself, and supposed to control the clashes between the crown and the native people. Excellent world building, great exploration of complex emotions, perfect portrayal of intriguing themes wrapped in politics, military tactics, and imperialism, and a sapphic romance drenched in yearning make this a must-read.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy of this book! I've since bought myself a copy of this novel which I'm sure I'm going to love, but during 2021 I wasn't quite in the right mental health space to read and review it fairly, so I'll be giving it 3 stars here for now and will post a review on my blog once I'm able to read my paperback copy.

I thought I was going to absolutely love this book but I found it difficult to get into or to be excited about reading. At the moment I'm considering this a DNF which makes me really sad but I just can't make myself care enough to finish this right now. Hopefully in the future I will pick this up again because I do still have high expectations and I've seen many others who enjoyed it.

Absolutely incredible. Confronting depiction of the brutal trauma inflicted on those living in colonised nations. Stunning portrayal of the insidious way imperialist powers manipulate their subjects to gain their support. Brilliant weaving of religion and magic into the story, I am so excited to see where this goes next. Characters you want to throttle and scream at because you just feel SO MANY EMOTIONS. Worldbuilding that is so brilliant and detailed and made this book so immersive. Everything about this is incredible and eye-opening and brutal and brilliant and this is a debut?! Holy shit, I cannot wait to see what C.L Clark writes in the future.

-DNF @62% -

Touraine was one of many children taken from their homeland and trained as soldiers for the empire. Now a lieutenant, Touraine and her company are being sent back home to quell the rising rebellion.
Luca needs to convince her uncle that she is ready to take her rightful place as queen. She is determined to make peace with the rebels and needs someone to act as an intermediary.
Luca's intentions may be good, but can she bring peace when tensions are rising?
Will being back in her homeland make Touraine question where her loyalty should lie?

This is one of the fantasy novels that I have seen around a lot this year, and as a fantasy fan I was excited to read it. However, it ended up being not for me.
Touraine and Luca were protagonists that I felt sorry for, but I didn't feel that I really connected with them properly, which meant that I wasn't invested in what happened to them.
The setting was interesting, as was one of the main themes of colonialism, which we got to see from both points of view.
The plot was enjoyable to begin with, but rather slow, which after a while, led to me becoming bored. It got to the point where I didn't want to pick the book back up and I decided to DNF.
I'm really disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more as the diversity appealed to me.

Overall, this unfortunately wasn't for me.

Touraine is one of my favourite fantasy characters from recent years, and I love Luca too!

This is C L Clark's fantasy novel debut, and it is a wonderful and unique fantasy novel with an original setting. For anyone who likes political intrigue alongside their fantasy, along with morally grey characters, sapphic yearning and epic main characters, this will be right up your alley. I can't wait to read the next in the series.

The Unbroken is the first book in a new series.

Sadly, this book was too epic for me. I am sure other readers will enjoy the story of a young female soldier turned spy very interesting, but I just couldn't get into it.

I was excited to read this novel. As a fantasy lover I was ready for another own voices fantasy with a fantastic cast of black characters. I wanted to love everything about this, but I could only give this a four star rating. I think for the first in a series () this is a solid start. I went into it thinking it was going to be filled with romance especially from how the synopsis says: "Through assassinations and massacres, in bedrooms and war rooms, Touraine and Luca will haggle over the price of a nation." But there was hardly any romance, just inklings. This was a military fantasy that felt more coming-of-age to me than anything else. The writing was great, the cast of characters well rounded and the action was there.

Touraine is a solider who was taken from her home at a very young age so she has no remembrance of her culture, people or her family. She was taken and raised by the people of Balladaire, they treat her like a chained dog. It's not until she returns to her land that life begins to change for the better.

I think Touraine aka Tour was an interesting character. She was raised by the enemy of her people and has no ties until she steps foot on her land. I enjoyed seeing her struggle between who she really is and who she tried to be.

She frustrated me at times as she began to make impulsive and stupid decisions too often, but being stuck between two worlds can mess up a person thought processing and idea of good and evil. I think she was well written.

I enjoyed Princess Luca. A 28 year old crippled princess seeking to get what's rightfully hers -- the crown. I think Luca was just as impulsive as Tour. She frustrated me with how naïve she acted. I loved her ideals of peace, but they were just that. I enjoyed seeing her learn how her people truly treated the Sands and the Qazali people.

Beau-Sang was absolutely annoying to me. He was a low-down dog. Rogan as well was a disgusting man. Cantic just seemed to be a lost soul to me. I adored the Jackal and finding out who she was. Jaghotai was a straight savage! I think both Djasha and Aranen made my heart swoon. Tibeau and Pru seemed like great people as well for Tour.

The cast of characters was amazing honestly. I cried for many and wanted to slap a few of them.

The magic of the world is somewhat lost and we get to see a bit of it towards the end. I am looking forward to really seeing it in action in the coming novels. As well as more of the world.

I look forward to the sequel and all it will bring.

The Unbroken was on my list of most anticipated books for 2021, and unlike some of the others on that list, it did not let me down. I loved this book. It’s a political fantasy, which is a category of books I love. But this isn’t just about kingdoms outmanoeuvring each other, medieval white men killing each other with swords and crossbows: this is about colonialism, and what happens when one people seeks to take from another. It’s about race, and the ways certain ethnicities are seen as somehow less than others. And it’s about women. There are very few men in sight in this novel, and that felt like breathing fresh air.

Touraine is the main character in this book. As we see most of the story through her eyes, and it just feels like her story. Clark tells the story in third person point of view. So the sections told from Luca’s perspective don’t feel out of place or awkward. By including Luca’s point of view, we get to see the rationale for the empire’s behaviour, and her steady change of opinions through her contact with Touraine.

Luca’s primary aim is to prove herself worthy of her throne, which her uncle currently occupies, waiting until she is ‘ready’ for power. Because of this, Luca only sees her own aims and wants. She doesn’t truly see what her and her people are doing to the colony they are occupying. By challenging Luca’s views, the book also challenges the wider system of colonialism, and the systemic power and privilege afforded to those of white western heritage.

I loved this aspect of The Unbroken – this is really what made it a five star read for me. I’ve read quite a bit of postcolonial literature in the last couple of years (thanks to my degree), and this is the first time I’ve read a fantasy novel that addresses these themes. And addresses them this well. Touraine, as a soldier conscripted as a child from her home, and trained to defend the empire, finds herself torn between the two sides.

Touraine and the other conscripts, the ‘Sands’, are almost like a third side in the battle. They don’t truly belong to either culture, and so they belong to each other. For different reasons, I related to this feeling of being in the middle, never quite sure who you are or where you belong. I felt for Touraine every step of the way. I felt her agonies, her pain, her divided loyalties and confusion as her thoughts and feelings changed.

Clark accomplishes the characterisation, description, and worldbuilding in The Unbroken in a masterful way. I almost felt as if I were standing in the deserts, feeling the heat, the sand between my toes, the heavy feeling as tensions grew in the city. Both Touraine and Luca felt like they could have been real people. The side characters were really well fleshed out as well. I definitely felt like Clark only showed us the tip of the iceberg with this world. I think there’s a lot more to come in the second book, especially with the magic system. Magic in The Unbroken builds up slowly. We learn about it in bits and pieces, and I think when Clarke reveals more later in the series, it’s going to be a really interesting magic system.

I found Luca to be a frustrating character. But I think that was the point. She does have a disability, which makes her unusual in a fantasy novel, and I think adds to the realism of the book. No one is perfect in The Unbroken. Characters continually make mistakes and poor choices. I really got the sense that they are just people muddling through, the same as the rest of us, with their biases and prejudices existing as a result of the culture they were born into and brought up in. Luca is the perfect example of this.

Whilst Luca doesn’t hold some of the more derogatory opinions of the other nobles, she doesn’t see the empire as doing anything wrong by colonising Touraine’s people. She simply sees it from the point of view of her own culture. It’s frustrating to read from the perspective of a character who you disagree with, and you ‘know’ is wrong. However, I think it’s also integral to the story to have her behave and think this way. She gives Touraine someone to get angry at, and through that anger, makes the point the story exists to serve: colonialism is wrong, it can never be justified.

The Unbroken also has a lot of queer representation. Both Luca and Touraine experience attractions/relationships with other women, and I think it’s implied that they are both bisexual. But it’s accepted in this world. It’s just normal. Even for Luca, the heir to the throne. I found this really refreshing. Whilst the ‘queer struggle’ story still has it’s place, as the world unfortunately still does not accept queer identities as normal, it’s nice that not every story has to be about that. In The Unbroken, the characters’ attractions are just part of them. They are not an ‘identity’ that the story centres around. Clark also writes a character with the ‘they’ pronoun later in the story, though Clark doesn’t give much information about them in this book. I assume Clark will explore the character more in the next book.

I have two little niggles with The Unbroken. Firstly, about two thirds of the way in I started to lose touch with Touraine’s motivations. I think when Clark picked the action up for the climax, the characterisation got lost a little bit lost. Touraine seemed to be making decisions without the explanations that Clark had given earlier in the book. I suspect this is linked to my other niggle, which is that towards the end I think the pacing picked up a bit too much: it felt too fast. So I wish it had slowed down a little at points to let us catch up with what Touraine was thinking and feeling.

I loved reading The Unbroken. It was a long read, but it held my attention. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Unfortunately I could not get into this one and I never continued beyond the first few chapters but I have to review this for my ratio.

This was a difficult book to review, because it left me feeling mixed. There is a lot to love about the Unbroken, the writing for one is absolutely fantastic - and I will check out future books by Clark on the strength of that alone, and that cover is just stunning. The Unbroken also deals magnificently with deep and complex narratives, diversity, and the threads that followed those were some of my favourite in the book, as was the complexity of the intrigue. In fact, if I'm honest I'm not quite sure why this book didn't click more for me. Part of it is pacing, as it felt like the book trailed off a little in the latter half, and as gripping as the start was, it wasn't enough to hold my attention. The same with the characters, they're well-written, but I didn't connect with the main ones as much as I wanted to, and found myself more interested in what the secondary characters were doing. I think this was very much the case of personal preference, or maybe just the wrong time - it's certainly a book I would like to return to at some point, and a series and author I will be watching, it just didn't quite land as much as I wanted it to.

I really enjoyed this book. I like that even though it's the start of a series it can kind of be read as its own standalone as there is an overarching plot in just this first book. I really enjoyed the colonial and political aspect of this story, even though it is a fantasy. I think what made it really good is that the main character is really caught between the country she was born in and the country that raised her (forcefully). It gave the story a really interesting perspective and allowed for some really good exploration in terms of colonialism and a post-colonial world. I loved the world-building, which is always one of the best things in epic fantasy books and series like this one. The plot was quite slow in some parts with sections of the story feeling unnecessary, but overall I really enjoyed this book.