Reviews

The Unbroken by C.L. Clark

elizabethlovecows's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

this book gave me whiplash

lesleymac18's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Engaging story set in a world that doesn’t care if gay people exist but a powerful empire still colonizes other countries and is very racist! Honestly in many ways we’re getting closer to this being the new normal in some places. “We love gay people AND we want to steal oil from countries we don’t belong in!!! Love is love!” 

The allegory that is using this fantasy world to critique the real world is clear but not heavy handed. The character development and the ability to show the perspectives of both the colonizer and the colonized is not new but this is less “white saviour deciding to change her mind and be kinda nice” and more “yah we’re glad you admitted your mistakes but we’re not gonna give you a prize for admitting it”. Adding a  love story into the mix makes having both their perspectives even more wild and stressful to witness. 

Primary and only real critique of this series so far is the pacing is both slow/medium and also somehow stressful. Almost no good things happen. Which in many ways is not surprising when dealing with a story that focuses on colonization and rebellion. But I could have used a little reprieve between some of the awful stuff somehow? Not a skill-based critique just a personal preference though. The writing is fantastic. 

hasegawataizo's review against another edition

dark inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

tessad96's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

dragonwriter's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

After being taken from her home as a child and forced to join the army, Tourraine is finally returning with her troop of Sands, other soldiers who had been conscripted as children. But Qazal is no longer home. Tourraine’s home is Balladair, and she’s determined to prove herself to the Balladairan General who raised her so that she could earn the rank as Captain and lead the troop of Sands herself. All Tourraine wants is to prove that Qazali can prove their worth to Balladair and earn their respect, so she could be just like her hero, General Cantic. 

Princess Luca is trying to prove that she can be a good ruler, despite having a mangled leg that requires a cane to walk. With her uncle sitting as regent on her throne, Luca sees the Qazali colonies as her chance to prove herself. She is determined to put down the Qazali rebels peacefully, and show that Balladair and Qazal can work together. 

An attempted assassination brings these two women together and forces them both to confront the problems of the empire they both love. 

 

This book was really SO good! It takes the loyal Tourraine and drags her down to the rebellion where she can see and internalize the damage Balladair’s colonization has wrought on her people. While she, at first, thinks that Luca’s peace talks can work, Tourraine knows how badly the Qazali have been hurt and mistreated, and knows that they’ll take any excuse to fight back. Meanwhile, Luca is making great strides to improve the Qazali’s lives, but she is so desperate for her throne that she makes compromises that she shouldn’t. It’s a delicate powerplay with her, though there is a genuine desire to do good and serve her people well. I thought Luca and Tourraine had excellent chemistry together, though I can’t really pinpoint a “moment” where I could see that they fell in love. Luca definitely makes more concessions for Tourraine than Tourraine does for Luca, but considering the power imbalance at play, I think it’s a good thing. And the book has a good ending! Solid sequel bait without ending on a cliff hanger. (We’ll see if we can say the same for book 2.) Highly recommend! 

emma123's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

rynnikins's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

goblingirlreads's review against another edition

I'm a character reader and I hate everyone so I really can't continue

sara_isabel's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Love this book. It blends political intrigue, colonialism and deep personal conflics. It's set in a North African-inspired world (I'm so sick of fantasy only taking inspiration from medieval europe) and follows Touraind,  a conscripted soldier who returns to her homeland as part of the colonizing army, and Luca, a princess striving to secure her throne. 
The narrative is driven by its complex characters; Touraine’s internal struggle between loyalty to the empire that raised her and the rebellion that seeks freedom is poignantly portrayed, while Luca's ambition and vulnerability add layers to her character.
The book examinats colonialism, identity, and power. Clark doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of occupation and the moral ambiguities of rebellion. The dynamic between Touraine and Luca is fraught with tension and mistrust, making their evolving relationship compelling and unpredictable.
Overall, "The Unbroken" is a powerful and thought-provoking start to the Magic of the Lost trilogy, combining intense action with profound emotional depth.    

ellie_gard_1998's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Free Palestine

Please read this article from C.L. Clark, the author of this compelling, topical novel:
https://open.substack.com/pub/clclark/p/revolution-is-not-a-game?utm_source=post-banner&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=posts-open-in-app&publication_id=23032&post_id=138255420