A review by kentanapages
The Faithless by C.L. Clark

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

The Faithless is the second book in C.L. Clark’s Magic of the Lost Trilogy and IT DELIVERS. Clark’s brilliance continues to blow me away–in the portrayal of the intricate web of colonialism and the complex politics of empire; in the ability to depict resist oversimplifying opposing forces into binary good and bad and instead immerse us in all the messy, sticky grayness of it all, but still hold the reader, the characters and oppressive systems accountable; and of course, in the masterful creation of new curse words. 

Reasons to read (AFTER you have read The Unbroken) 

• hot disaster lesbians part 2 (with some real character development and growth for our MCs)
• brilliant depiction of the complexity of colonial politics and a deeper look at the seeds of discontent within the lower classes of an empire’s own capital
• demonstrates: you don’t get a reward or exoneration for embarking on a belated journey of recognizing your own privilege and finally truly listening and doing the work to be better, but doing so by choice and without expecting something back does make you someone maybe finally ready to earn trust (and perhaps more…)
• did I mention the fun swear words
• we get to know SABINE and her foppish, seducteur ways
• we get chapters on PRUETT and I just want more
• THE ENDING

The Faithless picks up months after the conclusion of The Unbroken. Qazāl has provisional sovereignty and the empire is withdrawing, but they’ve yet to sign the treaty solidifying terms. Luca’s uncle Nicolas still sits on the throne and everything points to him challenging to hold it; Luca will need allies. Touraine returns to Balladaire as an ambassador of Qazāli, and we see a new and shifting dynamic between her and Luca. We still get gritty military action on the ground with Pruett, but we are also fully immersed in the intrigue and court politics of Balladaire, and we witness the sparks of another type of rebellion within the overlooked, unsatisfied working classes in the heart of the empire.

There are some elements I wanted more of, such as a deeper look at and more clarity around the magical system and gods. I think we’ll get some of that resolution in book 3, and perhaps stuffing too much into this middle volume may have added some drag; as written, I didn’t feel that it suffered any of the “middle book syndrome” you sometimes find in second books, especially in Fantasy Trilogies. 

These characters still have my whole heart.