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khakipantsofsex's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, Racism, and Death
Moderate: Ableism and Rape
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gore, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Blood, Classism, Confinement, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Racism, and War
Moderate: Chronic illness, Torture, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Ableism, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Pandemic/Epidemic, Trafficking, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Kidnapping
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Vomit, Death of parent, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
Execution by hanging. Power imbalance in relationship (representative of colonizing government/colonized subject).cardanrry's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Murder, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Slavery, Classism, Death, and Racism
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
rorikae's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
4.5
“The Unbroken’ by C.L. Clark is a tense fantasy steeped in the political machinations of the heir to the throne and a soldier questioning her loyalty.
Touraine is a soldier sent to quell a rebellion in the homeland that she was stolen from. After arriving, she realizes that there is more going on in the country than she suspected and that there are still some personal connections that exist for her. She also meets Luca, the princess who is secretly trying to steal the throne from her uncle. As the two women connect, they begin to learn more about how they can create peace in this country but it may require them to come close to committing treason.
Clark creates a fascinating story rooted in complex characters that it is easy to care for. This world is filled with political intrigue and a cast of fascinating and sometimes despicable characters. Touraine and Luca are both easy to care for and easy to curse at in the same breath. They feel like living people with all of their flaws painfully obvious. The story took a number of twists and turns and Clark keeps the reader guessing about what will happen next. I'm fascinated to see where the story goes in the second installment.
Touraine is a soldier sent to quell a rebellion in the homeland that she was stolen from. After arriving, she realizes that there is more going on in the country than she suspected and that there are still some personal connections that exist for her. She also meets Luca, the princess who is secretly trying to steal the throne from her uncle. As the two women connect, they begin to learn more about how they can create peace in this country but it may require them to come close to committing treason.
Clark creates a fascinating story rooted in complex characters that it is easy to care for. This world is filled with political intrigue and a cast of fascinating and sometimes despicable characters. Touraine and Luca are both easy to care for and easy to curse at in the same breath. They feel like living people with all of their flaws painfully obvious. The story took a number of twists and turns and Clark keeps the reader guessing about what will happen next. I'm fascinated to see where the story goes in the second installment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Confinement, Violence, War, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Gore, Racism, Torture, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape
Minor: Sexual content
virgilsinferno's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Colonisation, War, and Violence
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Rape and Suicidal thoughts
This novel involves a lot of potentially upsetting content, main themes are about colonialism, war, and xenophobia. But there's plenty of other content warnings to consider, so I would read with caution knowing this.laurajeangrace's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Colonisation, War, Vomit, Violence, Racism, Xenophobia, Death, and Confinement
Moderate: Medical content, Sexual assault, and Rape
alyanna_dm's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I'm sorry, but I was extremely bored and I almost DNF'd. None of the characters were likeable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: War
Minor: Rape
loreofthebooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-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
3.75
Thanks to Hachette for sending me copies of these books! #gifted
Military fantasy can be hit or miss for me. I'm very picky about it most of the time, however, I felt that The Unbroken did it very well. This book showed a complicated look at colonialism, and unlike a lot of other books, I felt it was done very well. It was woven in with the story in a way that made it work. There was a definite depth to this book, and it wasn't one of the typical rebellion books that you read.
First off, there were lots of grey areas, and Touraine (who is the best) was part of that. Her character arc was delightful in this book. Because at first, you know who is in the wrong (or at least you think you do), and then there are more complicated aspects to it as well.
Luca wasn't a pleasant character, but I get why Clark gave her a viewpoint, because it was showing multiple sides to the story -- to what each side was thinking. Essentially, this book was rebellions within rebellions. It was convoluted, and I loved that aspect of it.
Clark also included some political intrigue, which is more of what I love. I liked that I didn't know who to trust, and how the interactions between characters were complicated. All the characters themselves were complicated.
The magic in this book was curious, and I like how we were exposed to it -- and its mystery was doled out in small pieces.
I thought overall the writing was good, however, there were a few things that I struggled with in this book.
The slowness in some parts. I felt that parts were more drawn out than necessary, and that it didn't help the story any. Also, just the pacing overall just didn't quite work for me.
I wasn't totally sold on the relationship between Tour/Luca, and I get what it is supposed to be, but it didn't work as well as I wanted it to. I could see where it was going, and what Clark was aiming for, I just personally didn't think it felt as fleshed out as it could be. I felt there was very little interaction for Tour to switch her affections so quickly, and I just wasn't as in love with that aspect of the book.
Overall, this was a strong military fantasy that I enjoyed.
Military fantasy can be hit or miss for me. I'm very picky about it most of the time, however, I felt that The Unbroken did it very well. This book showed a complicated look at colonialism, and unlike a lot of other books, I felt it was done very well. It was woven in with the story in a way that made it work. There was a definite depth to this book, and it wasn't one of the typical rebellion books that you read.
First off, there were lots of grey areas, and Touraine (who is the best) was part of that. Her character arc was delightful in this book. Because at first, you know who is in the wrong (or at least you think you do), and then there are more complicated aspects to it as well.
Luca wasn't a pleasant character, but I get why Clark gave her a viewpoint, because it was showing multiple sides to the story -- to what each side was thinking. Essentially, this book was rebellions within rebellions. It was convoluted, and I loved that aspect of it.
Clark also included some political intrigue, which is more of what I love. I liked that I didn't know who to trust, and how the interactions between characters were complicated. All the characters themselves were complicated.
The magic in this book was curious, and I like how we were exposed to it -- and its mystery was doled out in small pieces.
I thought overall the writing was good, however, there were a few things that I struggled with in this book.
The slowness in some parts. I felt that parts were more drawn out than necessary, and that it didn't help the story any. Also, just the pacing overall just didn't quite work for me.
I wasn't totally sold on the relationship between Tour/Luca, and I get what it is supposed to be, but it didn't work as well as I wanted it to. I could see where it was going, and what Clark was aiming for, I just personally didn't think it felt as fleshed out as it could be. I felt there was very little interaction for Tour to switch her affections so quickly, and I just wasn't as in love with that aspect of the book.
Overall, this was a strong military fantasy that I enjoyed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Colonisation
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Rape
bisexualwentworth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-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
This book is utterly brilliant. It's one of the best things I've read so far this year. It reignited my love for high fantasy. And it's the author's DEBUT?! Phenomenal.
The Unbroken is a military fantasy set in a fantasy version of North Africa (the former Shālan Empire) that has been colonized by fantasy France (Balladaire). It follows two point-of-view characters: Touraine, a Qazāli-born conscript of the imperial army, and Luca, the crown princess of Balladaire, and their complicated relationship with each other, both as individuals and as stand-ins and representatives for their nations and cultures.
I haven't read another fantasy novel that explores internalized oppression, empire, and white saviorism in quite the gorgeous and intertwined way that C. L. Clark does in The Unbroken.
When we first meet Luca, she is a princess and a scholar, passionate about doing right by her people—so that she can take the throne that is rightfully hers from her uncle the Duke Regent. As a scholar, she has theoretical knowledge of the horrors of empire. She expresses interest in and respect for Shālan culture in a way that no other Balladairan-born character does. These aspects of Luca endear her to the reader—and draw Touraine to her as the two women grow closer. And then she loses herself to the same colonizing impulses that she thought herself better than earlier in the novel.
When we first meet Touraine, all she cares about is the wellbeing of her fellow conscripts. They are her family, and she will do whatever necessary—even on behalf of the empire that took everything from them—to protect that family and do what she thinks is best for them. Unlike Luca, Touraine is fully grounded in the realities of her situation—and then her world shifts and expands. She makes mistakes. She fucks things up. And she is complex and heartbreaking and BRILLIANT. Touraine's growth over the course of this book stunned me. It made me feel so many things so deeply. Her entire mindset changes, gradually and painfully, over the course of the novel, without changing what makes up her essential self.
The worldbuilding is delicious. C. L. Clark obviously draws all of the aesthetics and language of both Qazāl and Balladaire from the real world, but she also incorporates trade, religion, political theory, and even disease in ways that make the world feel unique and fresh and lived in.
I don't want to talk about the plot too much because I think that readers should discover its twists on their own, but I cannot wait to discuss their book at greater length with more spoilers at some point.
My one real critique of this book is that I didn't feel like I understood the magic well enough for the heavy lifting it does in the climax and resolution of the book to be totally satisfying.
Additionally, if you are looking for romance, this is the wrong book for you. To be clear, it is VERY sapphic. And if you enjoy hot women with swords, you are absolutely going to eat this shit up. But I would not call the extremely fraught entanglement between the two main characters romantic. It is far more complicated than that, and I feel like boiling down Touraine and Luca's dynamic to the sexual or romantic desire of it would be an insult both to Touraine's character and to the overall goals of the novel. There is not a romance between the leads in this book, nor should there be.
There IS a sapphic side couple in this book that will likely break your heart, though.
Oh, and HOLY MOMMY ISSUES OH MY GOD.
Favorite quotes:
The Unbroken is a military fantasy set in a fantasy version of North Africa (the former Shālan Empire) that has been colonized by fantasy France (Balladaire). It follows two point-of-view characters: Touraine, a Qazāli-born conscript of the imperial army, and Luca, the crown princess of Balladaire, and their complicated relationship with each other, both as individuals and as stand-ins and representatives for their nations and cultures.
I haven't read another fantasy novel that explores internalized oppression, empire, and white saviorism in quite the gorgeous and intertwined way that C. L. Clark does in The Unbroken.
When we first meet Luca, she is a princess and a scholar, passionate about doing right by her people—so that she can take the throne that is rightfully hers from her uncle the Duke Regent. As a scholar, she has theoretical knowledge of the horrors of empire. She expresses interest in and respect for Shālan culture in a way that no other Balladairan-born character does. These aspects of Luca endear her to the reader—and draw Touraine to her as the two women grow closer. And then she loses herself to the same colonizing impulses that she thought herself better than earlier in the novel.
When we first meet Touraine, all she cares about is the wellbeing of her fellow conscripts. They are her family, and she will do whatever necessary—even on behalf of the empire that took everything from them—to protect that family and do what she thinks is best for them. Unlike Luca, Touraine is fully grounded in the realities of her situation—and then her world shifts and expands. She makes mistakes. She fucks things up. And she is complex and heartbreaking and BRILLIANT. Touraine's growth over the course of this book stunned me. It made me feel so many things so deeply. Her entire mindset changes, gradually and painfully, over the course of the novel, without changing what makes up her essential self.
The worldbuilding is delicious. C. L. Clark obviously draws all of the aesthetics and language of both Qazāl and Balladaire from the real world, but she also incorporates trade, religion, political theory, and even disease in ways that make the world feel unique and fresh and lived in.
I don't want to talk about the plot too much because I think that readers should discover its twists on their own, but I cannot wait to discuss their book at greater length with more spoilers at some point.
My one real critique of this book is that I didn't feel like I understood the magic well enough for the heavy lifting it does in the climax and resolution of the book to be totally satisfying.
Additionally, if you are looking for romance, this is the wrong book for you. To be clear, it is VERY sapphic. And if you enjoy hot women with swords, you are absolutely going to eat this shit up. But I would not call the extremely fraught entanglement between the two main characters romantic. It is far more complicated than that, and I feel like boiling down Touraine and Luca's dynamic to the sexual or romantic desire of it would be an insult both to Touraine's character and to the overall goals of the novel. There is not a romance between the leads in this book, nor should there be.
There IS a sapphic side couple in this book that will likely break your heart, though.
Oh, and HOLY MOMMY ISSUES OH MY GOD.
Favorite quotes:
- "Maybe she had been a dog all this time, but she was ready to fight back."
- "It was easy to be a villain when she felt like on inside."
- "A smattering of applause. Less than she'd hoped for, more than she had any right to expect."
It likely goes without saying that this book handles its diversity brilliantly. The world is queernormative and seemingly lacking in any sort of gender roles, but it has all of the other violences and bigotries and evils of our own world. Luca is physically disabled, and the book handles her disability beautifully.
C. L. Clark is the sort of writer I want to be. I can't wait to read The Faithless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Death, Violence, Colonisation, War, Slavery, Murder, Racism, Blood, Gore, and Torture
Moderate: Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Rape, Grief, and Terminal illness
This is a very heavy book overall. One of the very first scenes is a hanging. Be prepared for that sort of thing throughout, and if that sounds like too much, it is likely not the book for you.el393way's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Huge commendations to the author on their ability to world build. The magic system in this book was enticing and the overall setup of ruling parties, court politics, and power shifts was well executed. The writing of that side is excellent.
The author also manages to write an extremely diverse cast. Diverse across so many levels. Both good diverse for representation and bad diverse in terms of realistic antagonists. There are a lot of well-done female characters which is not as common to see in fantasy.
The writing of the two main characters is where the convincing nature of the writing fell apart for me. Luca is really not likable and grows almost not at all. I can’t tell if we’re supposed to like her or not. It felt like we were supposed to because of how much of her perspective we got and she wasn’t made into an outright villain. However, she’s just very blah as a semi-main character.
Touraine was also a bit blah for me but much more convincing and appealing than Luca. It felt like she was more along for the ride in a lot of scenes rather than every in control. That would be fine here and there but it makes it harder to root for or be invested in a MC like that.
Their romance also felt very strange. We as readers are told they are starting to care for each other and their pairing follows routine. But we’re told these things. Nothing about their interactions, other than MAYBE one conversation where they open up a bit, comes across as love interests. I definitely don’t need spark and fire in every romance but if you aren’t going to have that, the emotional connection needs to be there. If there’s neither lust nor love, then their relationship should read as platonic but it doesn’t do that either. These people are making big decisions in response to how they’re impacted by one another but I don’t get the feeling they care much at all.
The author also manages to write an extremely diverse cast. Diverse across so many levels. Both good diverse for representation and bad diverse in terms of realistic antagonists. There are a lot of well-done female characters which is not as common to see in fantasy.
The writing of the two main characters is where the convincing nature of the writing fell apart for me. Luca is really not likable and grows almost not at all. I can’t tell if we’re supposed to like her or not. It felt like we were supposed to because of how much of her perspective we got and she wasn’t made into an outright villain. However, she’s just very blah as a semi-main character.
Touraine was also a bit blah for me but much more convincing and appealing than Luca. It felt like she was more along for the ride in a lot of scenes rather than every in control. That would be fine here and there but it makes it harder to root for or be invested in a MC like that.
Their romance also felt very strange. We as readers are told they are starting to care for each other and their pairing follows routine. But we’re told these things. Nothing about their interactions, other than MAYBE one conversation where they open up a bit, comes across as love interests. I definitely don’t need spark and fire in every romance but if you aren’t going to have that, the emotional connection needs to be there. If there’s neither lust nor love, then their relationship should read as platonic but it doesn’t do that either. These people are making big decisions in response to how they’re impacted by one another but I don’t get the feeling they care much at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and War
Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, and Death