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camilleareads's review against another edition
dark
reflective
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? Yes
I RECEIVED AN E-COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM THE PUBLISHER AND CAFFEINE BOOK TOURS AS PART OF MY PARTICIPATION IN THEIR TOUR.
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The Unbroken by C.L. Clark is heavily influenced by the French colonization in Northern Africa. Firstly, I love how fantasy writers are exploring these historical atrocities in detail. From the Qazal slums to Balladaire’s rich district, Balladaire has destroyed the Qazal way of life not only by the land they stole but also the children who were stolen and the erasure of religion.
Touraine returns to Qazal as a Lieutenant and despite being a native of Qazal, all Touraine can feel is disgust. To her, the natives are uncivilized and her “education” as a soldier sets her apart. This internalised racism and Touraine’s development is one of the core themes of The Unbroken. Touraine was stolen as a child and fed propaganda against her own country, so her return is not
I found Luca’s narrative especially compelling. Her own racism and privilege is so clearly read but tied up in these beliefs that she is doing good. But let’s be clear here: Luca wants to do good by her people and this does not include the Qazal.
The Unbroken explores how the effects of colonization cannot be outdone by a few good intentions. Luca can choose to raise the pay of the Sands or reach out to the rebels but like, Touraine said, at the end of the day, Luca and the Balladairans occupied land that was not theirs. They took and took from the natives and thought that by employing them or building a school would be a good enough bargain. Truly though, what is a good enough reparation for the lives they took, the land they desecrated and the religions they banned?
I love how complicated the characters were from Touraine’s own internalized racism to her confusion about being her identity. As a biracial, I could relate to some of Touraine’s emotions. I understood what it was like to feel unwelcomed, to feel othered, but not the experience of someone who had been stolen away and used against their people. You could tell with the way Touraine felt about wanting to learn Shalan and how it resonated with her. There is something so heart wrenching of hearing your native language and even when you don’t understand it at times, it fills the blood. It caresses your memories and pulls you in.
The worldbuilding in The Unbroken was so fascinating. I love how the author integrated language, architecture and the history of the land. The world of The Unbroken was so full of life. IT wasn’t just a description of Qazal’s architecture but the author actually showed readers how things like a building or clothing are changed when a country is colonized. Personally, I also liked that through Luca we find out some of the policies like food rations, the Sands and how public approval swayed political decisions.
You can find me at
Camillea Reads: camilleareads.wordpress.com
Twitter & Instagram: @camilleareads
Listen to bookish discussions and stay updated on the upcoming author interviews on my podcast Totes and Tales: https://anchor.fm/totesandtails
I have a booktube channel now! Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_2HOrfaOEyrLQRk8iYZjaw
The Unbroken by C.L. Clark is heavily influenced by the French colonization in Northern Africa. Firstly, I love how fantasy writers are exploring these historical atrocities in detail. From the Qazal slums to Balladaire’s rich district, Balladaire has destroyed the Qazal way of life not only by the land they stole but also the children who were stolen and the erasure of religion.
Touraine returns to Qazal as a Lieutenant and despite being a native of Qazal, all Touraine can feel is disgust. To her, the natives are uncivilized and her “education” as a soldier sets her apart. This internalised racism and Touraine’s development is one of the core themes of The Unbroken. Touraine was stolen as a child and fed propaganda against her own country, so her return is not
I found Luca’s narrative especially compelling. Her own racism and privilege is so clearly read but tied up in these beliefs that she is doing good. But let’s be clear here: Luca wants to do good by her people and this does not include the Qazal.
The Unbroken explores how the effects of colonization cannot be outdone by a few good intentions. Luca can choose to raise the pay of the Sands or reach out to the rebels but like, Touraine said, at the end of the day, Luca and the Balladairans occupied land that was not theirs. They took and took from the natives and thought that by employing them or building a school would be a good enough bargain. Truly though, what is a good enough reparation for the lives they took, the land they desecrated and the religions they banned?
I love how complicated the characters were from Touraine’s own internalized racism to her confusion about being her identity. As a biracial, I could relate to some of Touraine’s emotions. I understood what it was like to feel unwelcomed, to feel othered, but not the experience of someone who had been stolen away and used against their people. You could tell with the way Touraine felt about wanting to learn Shalan and how it resonated with her. There is something so heart wrenching of hearing your native language and even when you don’t understand it at times, it fills the blood. It caresses your memories and pulls you in.
The worldbuilding in The Unbroken was so fascinating. I love how the author integrated language, architecture and the history of the land. The world of The Unbroken was so full of life. IT wasn’t just a description of Qazal’s architecture but the author actually showed readers how things like a building or clothing are changed when a country is colonized. Personally, I also liked that through Luca we find out some of the policies like food rations, the Sands and how public approval swayed political decisions.
You can find me at
Camillea Reads: camilleareads.wordpress.com
Twitter & Instagram: @camilleareads
Listen to bookish discussions and stay updated on the upcoming author interviews on my podcast Totes and Tales: https://anchor.fm/totesandtails
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, and Slavery
Moderate: Torture
tw: COLONIAL VIOLENCEachingallover's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Excrement, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Vomit, and Xenophobia
dedonohoe's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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: Forced institutionalization, Violence, Religious bigotry, Racism, Racial slurs, Blood, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Genocide, Kidnapping, Grief, Slavery, Torture, and Child abuse
Minor: Sexual violence
sahibooknerd's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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
4.0
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Violence and Gore
Minor: Rape
montereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Slavery, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Vomit
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
utopiastateofmind's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Unbroken features complicated characters and examinations of rebellion, identity, and colonization. It's full of a past that needs to be uncovered. Prejudice and discrimination. Touraine is embroiled in a political and colonial situation, a battle of 'civilized' insults and a group of soldiers forced to fight. The Unbroken feels like a mix of inevitability and the journey to becoming something no on expects. To realize that when deeply entrenched in colonization, there isn't a situation that doesn't involve sacrifice or bloodshed. That, despite our best efforts, we would always end up like this.
It's a deadly combination when prejudice outweigh logic and they have the power over life and death. How should Touraine feel? How do you choose your own future when you were ripped from your home and molded into a weapon? Do you choose destruction on your own terms? Are we heroes if we steal weapons to save ourselves? The only family Touraine has ever known is stuck in a conflict between their allegiances and their masters. Unable to win either way, in a society that will always look down on them and hated by their own people, the Sands made my heart ache.
The Unbroken features complicated characters and examinations of rebellion, identity, and colonization. It's full of a past that needs to be uncovered. Prejudice and discrimination. Touraine is embroiled in a political and colonial situation, a battle of 'civilized' insults and a group of soldiers forced to fight. The Unbroken feels like a mix of inevitability and the journey to becoming something no on expects. To realize that when deeply entrenched in colonization, there isn't a situation that doesn't involve sacrifice or bloodshed. That, despite our best efforts, we would always end up like this.
It's a deadly combination when prejudice outweigh logic and they have the power over life and death. How should Touraine feel? How do you choose your own future when you were ripped from your home and molded into a weapon? Do you choose destruction on your own terms? Are we heroes if we steal weapons to save ourselves? The only family Touraine has ever known is stuck in a conflict between their allegiances and their masters. Unable to win either way, in a society that will always look down on them and hated by their own people, the Sands made my heart ache.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Rape
stubbornlybookish's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
*4.5 stars*
<i>E-ARC provided through the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.</i>
Content Warnings include: colonizing, sexual assault, torture, influenza/pandemic, death
The Unbroken is a standout debut novel that is North African inspired adult fantasy, set to come out March 23rd . Tourraine was abducted from her home as a child and forced to become a soldier to her colonizers. Now, she has to return to a people she hardly remembers and face a past she would rather stay buried. Luca is a princess and rightful heir to the throne. Desperate and denied her birthright, Luca turns to an unlikely alliance to finally broker peace. Both will grapple with the destruction of colonialism in this searingly sharp, brutal and biting novel from C.L. Clark.
There is so much to unpack from this story and I am thoroughly impressed. Clark's mastery of their characters is a thing of beauty. Tourraine and Luca were so incredibly dynamic. They naturally drove the plot forward. While they may be deeply attracted to one another, both are individually motivated and find themselves more and more at odds with each other and I just ate that shit up. Tourraine's arc especially, was phenomenal. If the next two books are just Tourraine and Luca staring at each other, I'm down.
I absolutely loved C.L. Clarks themes and writing. Her characters, plot, and prose make the consequences abundantly clear, without having to spell it out to the reader. However, they also make the reader directly face the inherent violence and utter brutality of colonialism. Which I personally think it is incredibly valuable and relevant, especially to see this in sff.
I deeply enjoyed the setting and the world building. The world was excellently established. I was able to picture the various areas quite well. The added element of magic and religion was a great touch (they also tied into the themes phenomenally well btw). I also can't wait to see the future of this world. Clark sets up some interesting things in this book and I'm excited for the payoff in the sequels.
I have a bit of a nitpick regarding the writing. I occasionally got lost with some action scenes and didn't think Clark was always successful in communicating exactly what was happening when big climatic things were going down.
I think this book has a chance to increase in my feelings upon reread. I can't wait to see where the story take us and I am DYING for book two.
<i>E-ARC provided through the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.</i>
Content Warnings include: colonizing, sexual assault, torture, influenza/pandemic, death
The Unbroken is a standout debut novel that is North African inspired adult fantasy, set to come out March 23rd . Tourraine was abducted from her home as a child and forced to become a soldier to her colonizers. Now, she has to return to a people she hardly remembers and face a past she would rather stay buried. Luca is a princess and rightful heir to the throne. Desperate and denied her birthright, Luca turns to an unlikely alliance to finally broker peace. Both will grapple with the destruction of colonialism in this searingly sharp, brutal and biting novel from C.L. Clark.
There is so much to unpack from this story and I am thoroughly impressed. Clark's mastery of their characters is a thing of beauty. Tourraine and Luca were so incredibly dynamic. They naturally drove the plot forward. While they may be deeply attracted to one another, both are individually motivated and find themselves more and more at odds with each other and I just ate that shit up. Tourraine's arc especially, was phenomenal. If the next two books are just Tourraine and Luca staring at each other, I'm down.
I absolutely loved C.L. Clarks themes and writing. Her characters, plot, and prose make the consequences abundantly clear, without having to spell it out to the reader. However, they also make the reader directly face the inherent violence and utter brutality of colonialism. Which I personally think it is incredibly valuable and relevant, especially to see this in sff.
I deeply enjoyed the setting and the world building. The world was excellently established. I was able to picture the various areas quite well. The added element of magic and religion was a great touch (they also tied into the themes phenomenally well btw). I also can't wait to see the future of this world. Clark sets up some interesting things in this book and I'm excited for the payoff in the sequels.
I have a bit of a nitpick regarding the writing. I occasionally got lost with some action scenes and didn't think Clark was always successful in communicating exactly what was happening when big climatic things were going down.
I think this book has a chance to increase in my feelings upon reread. I can't wait to see where the story take us and I am DYING for book two.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, and Torture
joceraptor's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Racism, Gore, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Chronic illness, and Torture
jamesflint's review against another edition
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gore
Moderate: Rape, Racial slurs, and Torture
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