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A review by stubbornlybookish
The Unbroken by C.L. Clark
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