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elwirax's review against another edition
- 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
"You’ll have to fight for one side or the other. Why not fight for the side that gives you freedom?”
“Because I can fight for the side that’s winning.”
“We pray for rain,” Touraine said. “No.” Jaghotai squeezed Touraine’s arm tightly. “Be the rain.”
The unbroken was a rather slow paced book of which I had to start the first 100 pages 3 times before I finally got into it. Despite this, it was a wonderful tale of political intrigue with prime focus on racism and colonialism interwoven into a culturally rich world influenced by French, Algerian and Moroccan relations.
I want to start off by commenting on the main characters. Touraine was an interesting character to follow- not the most likeable but her way of thinking as a colonised person was disturbing to read about to say the least. By the end she developed and grew yet, I really wanted to like her more.Touraine was a messy character and although I can't complain too much as this showed her complexity and struggles, she couldn't make up her mind and never seemed to make the right decisions which caused unnecessary turmoil and death. I had much of the same issues with Luca but found her the most unlikeable as she never showed an ounce of growth and progressively got worse. It's important to allow character to make mistakes even if they'll ultimately have terrible consequences and let them have morally grey intents especially in a setting with so much conflict. Yet, to some extent it made me feel distant from these characters as at points I couldn't grasp why they would act in the ways they did as they'd suddenly change their core beliefs. I appreciated Touraine's complex relationship with her mother and liked many of the side characters, unfortunately, they didn't recieve nearly as much development as Touraine and Luca which made their motives fall flat at times.
One of the main reasons I decided to pick up The Unbroken was because of the sapphic romance. Unfortunately, I was dissapointed by the romance between Touraine and Luca partly because there wasn't any development and mostly because it was a coloniser- colonised romance which I wasn't aware of when starting the book. This wasn't too detrimental to my enjoyment as it wasn't meant to be the main plot point nor something to really be romanticised.
The feeling of being distant from the characters and the world building world is partially attributed to the writing style. There was a lot of telling rather than showing particularly at the start and some of the dialogue seemed rather juvenile. However, this seemed to gradually get better throughout the course of the book and for a debut I can't fault it too much.
Additionally, there were times in the second half where it would say or suggest that a character is dead but then they weren't which I just found a bit confusing. I couldn't keep up with who was actually dead and who wasn't because it seemed to contradict itself. I also thought that there were scenes (particularly in the last 10%) that were a bit too convenient so the ending seemed contrived and rushed.
Lastly, I would like to comment on the religious aspects of this book. I wasn't a fan of the whole "atheists are the bad ones and believers are the good ones" narrative. It left a bad taste in my mouth especially as I was anticipating an atheistic fantasy world for a change which evidently wasn't the case. However, for some other readers this may not be an issue.
Overall, The Unbroken had a very ambitious concept that didn't fully meet my expectations. However, it was particularly strong thematically which I believe is its greatest merit. The conversation about colonialism and rebellion was brutal and honest and is definitely one that is a must to discuss. I must admit that the political intrigue was my favourite part of this book as it was so complex and interesting. The characters were developed well and all incited a range of (often warring) emotions such as sympathy or dislike and added to the complexity of the overarching theme (bonus points for all the LGBTQ+ rep ).While my review and rating may seem negative, I am highly anticipating Clark's continuation and other future works.
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Death, Confinement, Torture, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: War and Sexual harassment
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
hairymclary28's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: War, Death, Colonisation, and Confinement
foreverinastory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Touraine was stolen as a child and raised in the Balladairan empire. The only loyalty she has is to her fellow Sands, the other stolen Qazali child soldiers. Now that Touraine has been sent back to her homeland she has reckon with the ties she thought were gone and what rebellion means. Princess Luca needs to get her uncle off the throne. If she can stop the rebellion in Qazal, it will prove she's ready to ascend the throne. But negotiating peace comes at a higher price than she expects.
I am really glad I took my time with this book. I loved getting to know Touraine, the Sands, the Qazali and the whole world. It was immersive and I constantly wanted to know more about this world and the magic. Touraine makes a lot of mistakes and difficult decisions throughout this book. It was quite messy, but seeing the way her loyalties kept her torn between the Balladairan Empire and the Qazali felt realistic and truly illustrates how insidious colonisation is.
I wouldn't really categorize this as a romance, though there are some romantic relationships in this. I don't really know how to feel about the possibility of Luca and Touraine, especially after the end. There is definitely a power imbalance here and while Luca is a nice person, there's lived experiences she'll never understand. Plus throughout this we see Touraine constantly have to sacrifice those close to her, but Luca is constantly insulated from this choice. I guess the jury is still out on this ship for me, but I'm very invested in these characters future journeys, especially Touraine.
Rep: Sapphic BIPOC female solider MC, sapphic disabled female MC who uses a cane periodically, BIPOC supporting cast, wlw side characters, nonbinary side character, queer normative world.
CWs: Animal death, blood, colonisation/imperialism, confinement to prison cell, cursing, death, genocide, grief, gun violence, injury/injury detail, murder, racial slurs, racism, torture, violence, war. Moderate: fire, kidnapping, medical content, attempted/threatened rape, sexual harassment, slavery (forced enlistment of conquered people). Past mentions of child abuse/death by the military.
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, and War
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Medical content, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Slavery
Minor: Child abuse and Child death
candidceillie's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Xenophobia, Vomit, Violence, Torture, Terminal illness, Slavery, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Racism, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Murder, Medical trauma, Medical content, Kidnapping, Genocide, and Forced institutionalization
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- 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
The tension between Luca and Touraine is very well handled, as throughout the story their dynamic as a pair constantly shifts, but they're never quite on the same page about the nature of their relationship. It showed over and over how no matter how attracted they might be to each other, the gulf of power between Luca's position and Touraine's means that it's impossible to trust any "Yes" from Touraine when Luca can have her tortured or killed for a "No". This affects everything from their mutual attraction to the treatment of the Sands to the handling of the rebels.
I love the portrayal of the Qazāli rebels, I can't discuss much there without spoilers but they were dynamic as a group and as individuals, each with their own reactions to Touraine and Luca's various intrusions on their lives, as well as the reality of life under Balladaire's oppressive colonial rule.
I'm looking forward to the sequel, I'm a little worried that it'll only get worse for the characters from here but I want to know what happens next.
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Medical content, Murder, Torture, Violence, and Colonisation
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Grief, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, and Terminal illness
Minor: Child death, Rape, and Suicide
CW for major character death (graphic).cerilouisereads's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death, Gore, Medical trauma, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Confinement, Gun violence, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Torture
callmekt's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Excrement, Grief, Hate crime, and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault
One of the main characters was taken as a child and educated in the "civilized" manner of her captors. She, and the rest of her brethren, are slaves. The sexual assault is an attempt and referenced multiple times, mostly in the first half of the book.fruitea's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Grief, Medical content, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Blood, and Cursing
Moderate: Rape, Excrement, and Confinement
harrownova's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Police brutality, Murder, Genocide, and Confinement
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
deedireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Unbroken manages to flip tropes on their heads and make big statements while giving fantasy lovers all the things they love: an underdog, a mystery, magic, and a world worth fighting for.
For you if: You’re looking for sapphic, BIPOC epic fantasy.
FULL REVIEW:
Here are the things you need to know to get excited for The Unbroken: It’s a sapphic epic fantasy novel set in a place based on Northern Africa about the brutality of colonialism. With disability rep. You in yet??
There are two main characters: Touraine, who is a conscript (read: slave) in the empire’s army, and Luca, the empire’s princess whose throne is threatened by her uncle. Touraine’s company and the princess arrive in Qazāl, the empire’s colony where Touraine was born before she was taken by the empire, to try to settle the local rebellion. Soon, Touraine finds herself in Luca’s employ as a negotiator, caught between two worlds (one she doesn’t know, and one who will never accept her), trying to find a way to protect her friends who are sure to be caught in any crossfire.
Let me tell you, this plot is a roller coaster. Soooo much happens. I actually did think that the book felt a little too long, but at the same time, I’m not sure what I would have cut. It’s filled with big, full characters faced with no good choices doing the best they can to achieve their own goals. It was full of action and twists and shocking moments and had a big, exciting ending.
The depiction of colonialism here is one place where it really shines — because it shows clearly that ultimately, there are no winners, just bloodshed. No good choices, only bloody ones. The impossible dichotomy between greater good and personal safety; the prospect of dying for a cause versus preserving a life that will be, but never quite how you want.
I also always love the power of fantasy to create worlds in which society’s view of gender and sexuality need not be bound by the norms and biases we face in real life. And this book does it very, very well.
A winner, for sure. I can’t wait to read the next one.
Graphic: Slavery, Racism, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Sexual violence