4⭐️ read. Thank you to Orbit Books, C.L. Clark and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. Overall, I enjoyed this story very much. The stunning descriptions of Qazal drew me in to the story; the differences between Old Medina and New Medina were so stark. The dehumanizing treatment of the Qazalis by the Balladarians was so heartbreaking; the dismissal of them as “dogs” was unimaginable. I felt for the “Sands” who were conscripted to fight for a people and army who didn’t value them.The character development of Touraine and Luca really made me invested and I truly rooted for both of them to succeed. Both Touraine and Luca were incredibly flawed and made the most frustrating decisions ever, in the name of fighting for their people and the throne, respectively. I also mourned for the deaths of some of the characters and hated that others weren’t appropriately punished, even though a couple were vanquished in the end. I did find that I struggled through the first third of the book; other than the first few pages, the action was quite slow, even though it was heavy on character development. Once I passed that mark, I flew through the rest of the book in a few days. I can’t wait to see what unfolds in Book two.

It’s been a while since I posted anything, life has been crazy busy! I have been reading a lot though, and I am absolutely loving the “sapphic spring” as I’m calling it with a bunch of new releases featuring sapphic characters in these next few months! I was lucky enough to see Cherae L. Clark and Tasha Suri discuss their fantasy novels through the Orbit crowdcast earlier this month. I enjoyed seeing the difference in their writing and thinking process and similarities in vision for how to delve into colonial trauma in their books.

The Unbroken is set in a colonial North Africa-inspired world, where the colonizers are white skinned, blue-eyed, and speak French. There was just this subtle undercurrent throughout the book that the blue-eyed and blond characters were coded as the bad guys, and it was so refreshing because usually the dark-skinned characters are coded as villainous. There was never an outright condemnation of any character based on their race alone, but the little details really set this book up to be anti-colonial even though our protagonist spends a lot of the book in love with a colonizer princess. The magic and various religions of the world were also really interesting, and I wish we had seen more of the lore behind them. Considering most forms of magic have been lost in this world, though, it is understandable why there wasn’t more in-universe mythology about them.

I really enjoyed how morally murky all the characters in this book were. We have Tourraine and the Sands, who were taken from their home countries and cultures and trained to be loyal soldiers to the colonial empire. They will never be as respected or lauded as the white-skinned empire soldiers, but they are also lashed out at and abused by their own people back home who see them as betrayers. Where do they fit in, and who should they be loyal to? This question ends up playing a bigger part in the story than I originally thought it would, and takes us to interesting places.

We also see things from Princess Luca’s perspective, a royal who truly believes she is benevolent. She is willing to give colonized people some rights, unlike her uncle or other noble peers, and thinks this is enough to make her the savior of the empire. Luca believes her limp makes her able to empathize with soldiers who have lost limbs in battle; Tourraine calls her out and says that without a working body, these soldiers have nothing else while Luca still has everything. Clark is clear that Luca is misguided, and I loved that despite having her perspective, you were never meant to root for her.

There were a lot of secondary characters who I adored, but I don’t want to say too much about them for fear of spoilers. If you are looking for a complex fantasy book that tackles colonial trauma, complicated romance dynamics, and the brutality of war, this is the book for you!

A free e-ARC of the book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The sheer thematic gravity of The Unbroken ambushed me.

The novel is quite nakedly about empire and colonialism, and it is utterly unafraid to leap into the immensity of those words, their labyrinths, the dark and deathlike cold of their truth. But while there is no shortage of fantasy novels that wrangle with the definition of empire and the long, precise catalogue of its colonial cruelties, what makes The Unbroken stand out is that it is most interested in the emotional experiences of the people caught in that empire’s teeth. Indeed, at the core of this book is a rich, faceted, and jewel-clear examination of not only empire and colonialism but of what it means to be a cog in that blank-eyed hungry machine and to perpetually scrounge for a way to survive without being utterly subsumed. The novel goes deep into all the terrible minutiae of taking a long, hard look at your own colonization, of unraveling the strands of your own complacency while empire is so hideously entangled in your understanding of yourself—just the sheer, exhausting enormity of inheriting an atrocity, of being at the center of that atrocity, and trying, every single day, to find the strength to not dissolve into the weight of it.

A startlingly sure-footed debut with a quietly furious heart. I still well up just thinking about it.

It took me forever to read this, but I'd argue the wait was worth it - C. L. Clark's masterful debut opened wounds I didn't even know I had. Empire, war, colonialism; none of these topics are easy, and The Unbroken doesn't pretend they are, either. I can't even sit here and go "big muscled sapphics!!" because the relationship is so complex, so entrenched within power dynamics that aren't particularly healthy for either party, so... oddly personal? This book is North African based, but it (and Touraine) still struck a chord with me, who lives in the oldest colony - especially when so many of our youth go into our colonizer's military because they have no other choice - reading this was such a raw, personal experience.

This book is a nuanced fantasy deep dive into uncomfortable and oftentimes unrepresented themes. Incredible character work, impressive worldbuilding (queernorm world!), prose that grips you, masterful action sequences. That said, maybe stay away if military fantasy isn't your thing or if you're looking for a sweet, unproblematic romance.

Finally, I NEED THE NEXT ONE.

The Unbroken took some time to get into and it wasn't until I borrowed the audio from my library that I was able to really sink in. The premise is that a young solider, taken from her family and country as a child and raised by an imperial monarchy's army, is tasked with "restoring order" in the land of her birth. She's among many accompanying the young queen-to-be, who is determined to prove herself worthy of the throne by improving relations between the empire and its colonies. There are essentially three factions at war: the colonizers, the "Sands" (soldiers from around the empire stolen as children), and a group of rebels fighting for freedom. It's a layered exploration of the impacts of colonization on both colonizer and colonized, and especially on those trapped between. Where does Touraine fit and how can she fight for what's right but protect both the soldiers she loves and the people from whom she was taken? It's all complicated by her growing relationship with the queen-to-be, which is one I'm not sure I am comfortable with--an issue I think is intentional. What kind of relationship can exist with such an imbalance of power?

The Unbroken roughly maps to imperial France and northern Africa, but like 100x queerer than the stories we're told. I was wondering for the last 50% or so how things would be resolved and well, they weren't. Empire isn't dismantled in a day, after all. And Touraine and Luca make so many mistakes, hurting each other over and over... oof. I'm interested to see where Clark takes us next.

The Unbroken by C. L. Clark

A colonial power kidnaps children of their subject colony and returns 20 years later with the kidnapped children as part of the occupying force. The Queen, to be crowned, needs to handle her conquered natives well to be successfully crowned. Her Uncle, the regent, would love an excuse to keep on ruling.
Luca, the queen, meets a soldier who was one of the kidnapped kids, who is expected to subdue her unknown family. The relationship between the queen-to-be and the conflicted soldier, Touraine, adds a level of complexity to the story.
The Sands, the derogatory term, used for the troops who were kidnapped and raised to subject their heritage, are also conflicted. Add to that mix some religion, magic, and disease and you have a well-crafted relationship-centric fantasy.
I enjoyed the book and recommend it.

I received a free eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This sapphic fantasy is full of twists, turns and heartbreak. While slow to start, this book suddenly kicks off in a whirlwind of action and revolution.

When the book began, Touraine is loyal to a fault to the empire she was forced to serve as a child. In her mind, she could climb the ladder and make life better for her fellow conscripts, her found family. However, everything quickly changes for her, forcing her to contemplate what it really means to be free.

Luca is focused on proving she is the heir apparent. While her ideas for rule are different than her uncle’s, she walks the line of court life and her authentic self with, what she thought, expert precision. With new perspectives and growing desire to help her people, Luca must ask herself a very important question, what does she truly want for her empire and for herself?

The characters and setting in this novel are fantastically created. Fantasy novels often walk the line of slow to start or so fast the reader does not fully understand everything involved. This story takes the former approach and goes into depth as to what is going on, while still leaving twists for the reader to experience later. Even though it takes some time to get into the novel, it is well worth the time to get to know the characters and their motivations before the story truly kicks off. Like a powder keg, the story lurches forward and loyalties are questioned on all sides. You won’t want to put the book down as pasts are revealed and the line between allies and enemies’ blur.

This is a great start to a series which leaves you wanting more.

I really enjoyed this book set in a fantasy desert world, where there are factions vying for ultimate power. Enter Touraine, a "sander", a hero/villain (depending on who you talk to), and a soldier. She saves the princess' life, and then she is captured by rebels and tortured, then brought before her peers and humiliated. I really felt a part of her world and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

I received an e-ARC of this book by the author and publishing via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

The great empire of Balladaire is having issues with rebels in their Qazal region. It's the perfect chance for the young princess Luca to prove herself worthy of the throne, currently occupied by her uncle even though Luca is the legitimate heir. Luca is confident she can work with the rebels and not only solve their problems and thus dazzle Balladaire with her leadership, but discover the secret magics that definitely don't exist unless they do. She takes with her a portion of her army, of course, to deal with the rebels, including a legendary general who may not be so welcome here, and our main character, Touraine.
Touraine is a Lieutenant, the only 'Sand' to be promoted to an officer position. What is a 'Sand'? They are Qazal people, but in this case, they are soldiers who were taken from Qazal as children and raised to be loyal soldiers. They aren't treated very well to inspire that loyalty, but they are conditioned. Touraine is a loyal soldier and feels no attachment to her homeland she can't even remember—her goal is to prove herself to the general and other higher-ups, to prove that Sands CAN be officers, and deserve to be treated like regular soldiers. And then she's kidnapped by the rebels and starts getting drawn into this strange world.

What I really, really liked about this book was the unique plot. I thought for sure Touraine would cave immediately and be like 'oh, my people, I will turn against the evil empire and fight for them!' but she doesn't. Some of the other soldiers (Sands) DO feel that way, they hate being controlled by the Balladairans and being treated like dirt, they would rather fight for the rebels if they thought they had a chance. But not Touraine. She is ACTUALLY loyal. Part of this is because she was young when she was taken, so she has grown up with these people. They ARE her people. ...Kind of. Because they still treat her stupidly badly. But also because it heavily hints (by telling you plainly like 5 times) that the children were conditioned, probably with beatings and a punishment/reward system, to BE LOYAL.
That doesn't stop Touraine from getting drawn into the problems she sees, and realizing that unless things change in Qazal, her fellow Sands will never be treated well, because Balladaire has taught everyone to consider them as 'lesser' people. This transition happens rather abruptly and it kind of lost me there, but I still liked this aspect.

Also, Luca is kind of stupid. I liked her despite that. She really wants to help people, but her ultimate goal IS to get the throne. That is why she is doing all of this. She bullheadedly thinks the way to do this is to get magic, because that would be cool and then who could question her coolness? So she gives in to, like, ALL the demands by the rebels without getting anything in return. Stupid! And yet, I found that actually made her character more believable, where she really doesn't understand what she needs to do to obtain her objectives or solve the real problems. She's simply NOT experienced enough. If the world were right, she'd need another 10 years to really prove herself as a leader.
And when she ignores everyone telling her 'don't do that one thing! really!' and does it anyway? Priceless.

I read a lot of reviews who disliked the portrayal of colonialism where the oppressors are presented with actual facets of character. For one, Luca is not 'an oppressor'. She is OF that culture but she did not herself conquer these nations and doesn't actually have any power to UN-conquer them (yet). For two, the world is not black and white (i.e. good and evil), and I thought the Unbroken did a REALLY good job making that realistic.
You have the Qazal loyal to the conquerors (like Touraine at first), and you have the Balladairans who have lived all their lives in Qazal and really have little loyalty to their home country. This was interesting to read about, and kept me reading even after I had been frustrated several times.

So, what frustrated me? How come, although I gush about the plot and setup, I did not finish the book? (This is going to seem nitpicky but they are examples.)
- Luca has an injury that makes her hip painful and it's hard to walk. Yet, she wants to portray strength. She never wants to look weak. ...And then once she 'steps wrong' and 'gasps in pain'. OUT LOUD!?? IN PUBLIC? What on earth happened to her self control? I am recovering from foot surgery at the moment, I even have a cane, so I could sympathize with some of her pain, and yet when this happened I lost all respect for her.
- The first time Touraine successfully meets up with the rebels, it's like a 10-page passage that looks like it takes about 15 minutes. (no more than 5 minutes of 'discussion'). Not sure about travel time, but... nothing indicates it takes long. However, when we switch back to Luca's view, she's like 'Touraine has been gone ALL DAY'. And I'm like... what? Did Touraine dwaddle on her way back? But no, Touraine rushes in to tell Luca what she learned. So... how did that take 'all day'? Sloppy time procession like this always throws me out of the story.
- Luca is bisexual (I think) and it mentions how she has had lovers in the past. And yet, she simply goes gaga over Touraine. (Kind of.) I was not clear why. It is setting up a romance between the two but seemed to me they should have gotten over each other fairly quickly. (Plus, Touraine has a girlfriend(?), and I'm not sure what she sees in the princess either, other than the explicit time she decides it might help her career to have a relationship with her.)
- They swear an awful lot. Touraine is a soldier so I guess that's fair, but it felt excessive.
- Touraine has absolutely no self-control. One could argue that Luca doesn't either, although in different ways: in the moment, Luca has some control, but she has no control when it comes to planning (like, giving the rebels everything). Touraine has NO control in the moment, but when thinking about her future she seems to be smarter (at the beginning, anyway; then it all goes away). This was ok... except it just made me really confused as to what type of character Touraine was. She was volatile. One moment she seems calm and then she's getting so angry she might cut someone's head off. Does she have an anger management problem? How did she succeed as a soldier this way? Or is she simply incapable of seeing anyone outside of the army hierarchy as people she needs to control her emotions/behavior around?

In conclusion,I liked the world and plot. I couldn't understand the characters or their choices, and this confusion ultimately made me close my Kindle in frustration three times declaring I was going to stop. (Obviously, I didn't stop until that third time.)

I got this book as part of a bookbag for a convention, delivered through NetGalley. I'm happy I got to try reading this book, and I don't regret what I did read!

Thank you to Orbit books and Netgalley for providing me with The Unbroken in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is available for purchase now.

This is going to be a tough one for me to talk about. While I really appreciated certain aspects of The Unbroken, I ultimately didn’t love it as much as I was hoping. The hype for this book was high, which probably unfairly raised my expectations.

Touraine is a soldier in the army of Balladaire (The “Sands” army). She didn’t sign up for the job; rather, she was forced in as a child. These child armies are raised with the teachings that their fight is a noble one and all violence will ultimately be justified. It’s really hard to think about because there are really situations of this happening in the real world. This added an extra weight to the situation that both intrigued and saddened me.

Luca is a princess of Balladaire. She ends up going to try to stop a rebellion and prove to her uncle, the regent, that she is worthy of ruling Balladaire. Like many power grubbers, her uncle is reluctant to relinquish any control. Touraine and Luca become intertwined when an assassination attempt on Luca’s life is stopped by Touraine, leaving Luca in her debt, so to speak. There’s more to the “how it got there”, but Touraine ends up being Luca’s spy/representative.

The Unbroken is a political fantasy, a slower-burn that shows the ramifications of decisions on every side. This sort of book requires commitment from the reader, simply because there is so much to pay attention to. The setup was a fascinating one, exploring themes of colonialism and how it affects everyone involved. It is not the sort of story I’ve really ever seen in fantasy before.

I struggled to pay attention during the first bit of The Unbroken, to be honest. I disliked both the main characters, which made it tough. I mean, I really disliked them. I think that was intended by the author. If so, consider the mission accomplished. I don’t mind disliking characters at all. I don’t need to “connect” to a character to enjoy reading them. My problem was that the characters often made decisions that seemed very much the opposite of what they would do based on what the author has told the reader about them. It made it very difficult to understand who these characters are on a fundamental level.

The pacing seemed a little off from time to time. However, while I had a hard time becoming invested at the beginning of the book, the second part picked up and became much more interesting. The Unbroken made me think. It kept me guessing. It showed me the ugliness that often shows up if a person so much as scrapes the surface of a situation. This wasn’t what I would call a “comfortable” book, but I definitely think it is absorbing.

I see a lot of people are going to fall in love with this harsh, queernorm, absolutely wonderfully built world.

I just, it can be hard to get into. It could drag at times. There is so much tragedy and unfairness and sadness... and I have plenty of that in the real world. I wanted escapism, but I got grounded real quick. But that is on me--this book explores colonialism in multiple facets, giving us a very deep and detailed view of the unfairness of the world, the damage colonialism has through the generations, and how hard it is to break the chains that bind. Set in a rich setting, with multiple queer characters (in fact, sexuality and identity is a non issue and very fluid I would say with the entire cast), there is a lot to love.

As I read it I thought The Unbroken reminded me of The Winner's Curse, only for adults. It has some romance, but not a lot. The romance is full of tension, and it is uncomfortable to read at times because of the power difference between the characters (it feels intentional though, it fits well within the narrative). The Unbroken tackled colonialism and what it does to everybody involved, internalized racism as well as just racism in general, cultural appropriation, the melding of two cultures, religion and the lack of... I really think it does so in a wonderful way. Just be in the correct state of mind before you throw yourself head deep.

I did find some of the side character's behavior (mainly Pruett's) to be questionable and off putting (overall I hated Pruett's character--she was not a very good friend). I felt the MC had a lot of responsibilities on her shoulders, and nobody really got her struggles. Not her friends, not the person she is supposedly falling for her. Touraine makes a ton of mistakes throughout the novel, ones she is able to come back from, others not so much... Her relationship with her mother is also one full of struggles and heartache. Her relationship with Luca is very slow burning, and I felt like we needed a few more scenes with them giving into their emotions in order for us to really be shipping them. Then again, this is just the first book in the series so there is room to grow.

Touraine has to fall again and again in order to learn--she was taken by her colonizers from a young age, and indoctrinated into their way of life. She struggles with coming to terms that maybe her way of looking at the world is just flawed and puts her people down. It makes me ache for her, as she feels like she doesn't really belong in either group.

On the other hand sympathizing with Luca is hard, even though inherently she is not a bad character--she is the future queen of the country that colonized Touraine's home land. Luca both wants to have her cake and eat it too--she wants to rule this foreign land, while at the same time have them thank her for it. She does work towards helping the citizens by addressing worker's laws, compensation, and overall trying to give them better circumstances, but she also wants to take that last part of them they hold close to their hearts and identities, their magic. Luca's home land is often hit with plagues and she thinks the only way to help her people is to learn magic. Luca is complicated--she is also a character that deals with chronic pain, as when she was a young girl she suffered a very bad fall and her legs were compromised. She can still walk, but always with a cane. C. L. Clark does a fantastic job of building the character in a realistic way, not once using rose tinted glasses while portraying the greed that drives the conquerors, even if Luca's intentions at the base are mostly to protect her people.

The Unbroken is complicated, and harsh. You need to be in the right state of mind to dive deep into it, but at the end of the day it is a rewarding experience. I am looking forward to the sequel.

I was hoping for an exciting military fantasy but this ain't one. Started to lose interest around 25%. The plot meandered, the characters made weird choices and not engaging enough, the romance boring. Your miles may vary.

This was bloody and violent and truly epic. Every chapter got more intense and the stakes got higher. The author created a very interesting and vibrant fantasy world while also creating an accessible commentary on colonialism, heritage/family, and loyalty. I enjoyed that we got to see the effects of war on soldiers from soldiers perspectives, and that the horrors weren't covered up in the story. Sold first instalment, and I'm looking forward to book two!

> Diversity Representation: Lesbian, bi rep, BIPOC, disability rep, African inspired setting, BIPOC author
Content Warnings: Violence, death, gore, racism, torture, blood, murder, slavery, genocide, gun violence, institutionalization, confinement, hate crime, abuse, rape, police brutality, kidnapping, grief, religious bigotry, body horror, emotional abuse, medical content, ableism, child abuse, suicidal thoughts, animal death, bullying, chronic illness, infidelity, trafficking,

**Compelling, challenging, political, complex, heart wrenching.**

The Unbroken is a book about colonization. It's a political fantasy that explores the small and large effects that colonization has on the very real, and very human people that are involved. It has a bunch of politics and intrigue to keep you interested, and it highlights the complex relationships of lost children.

The Unbroken follows Touraine, a lieutenant who was stolen from her homeland as a child to fight in an army that wasn't hers. She was raised to serve the empire that stole her, Until she is sent back to her homeland to help suppress a rebellion, and Touraine must confront where her loyalties lie.

I feel like this book was one of the most anticipated of the year for so many people. Rightfully so. The topics are incredible. The complex look into colonialism and how that affects literally everyone involved was unmatched. The way that lost children look for a place of belonging, and not finding it anywhere. The way that it is written for us to really understand just how complex that relationship is was amazing. I found myself questioning with Touraine at every turn, and sympathizing with the confusing identity and loyalty. Absolutely fantastic.

Unfortunately, this book didn't grip me in the way I was hoping. The worst part is that I couldn't even tell you exactly why. I thought the relationship that Touraine had with Luca vs Cantic vs the Sands was absolutely wonderful. I thought the topics were so important and I was very interested in learning about them and hearing them be explored. But I just kept spacing out. I only have good things to say about this book, but I was still not drawn in as much as I could have been. I wouldn't let that could you out at all, though! It is probably just me. I think that the world is a little heavy to be reading a book with themes so heavily tied into colonialism for me right now. As I'm sure it might be for a lot of other people too. I am left wishing I read it at a different time.

# Summing it all up

The Unbroken tackles colonialism in a way that I have never read in a book before. It explores the small and large effects that it has on all the people involved. It dives into deep relationships and loyalty questions that has us grappling with questions of loyalty along with Touraine.

The children of a colonized people are stolen across the sea and raised as soldiers by their conquerers to uphold the empire. But when they are sent back to their homeland to help put down a rebellion, who will they be loyal to? This is a fascinating military fantasy in a complex world.

I had a really excellent time reading this book. The world will instantly draw you in as you learn more about Touraine and her journey to get to where she was and what she had to live through. This is a fresh voice in the genre and I highly recommend everyone pick up a copy. The Unbroken asks you to consider, what does it mean to come back to a home that doesn't trust you. I liked the way the story involved Touraine and her fellow soldiers exploring what it means to find a community and when to fight back against those who have wronged you. Touraine has to discover who her real allies are and what freedom means to someone who has never imagined they could have it. I cannot wait to read the rest of this series and any other work by the author.

This was a solid book, but there was something missing for me. Set in a world where an empire continues to expand their borders, the princess, Luca, is sent to quell a potential rebellion in a desert region. She has to succeed in order to get her uncle off of her throne. Along with her, conscripts that were taken by the empire as children and raised to be a part of the army, are sent along, including Touraine. She and the other conscripts are “returning home” even though for many it doesn’t feel like it. Treated as “other” by both sides, where will their loyalty, specifically Touraine, go? The story centers around Luca and Touraine. Their interactions and decisions will decide the fate of a nation and empire. I think for me it was the magic that just didn’t work in this one. It seemed a bit of an add on and while important, the importance wasn’t really explained, besides IT’S MAGIC. The pacing was a little off too for me. At times it was really slow and then it was almost frenetic, not in a good way.

Wow, what a debut. C.L. Clark's The Unbroken was one of my most anticipated debut novels of 2021 and I wasn't disappointed. This is the best book I've read so far this year and it's not even a close thing. Knowing that an author's debut is only rarely my favourite of their works, I very much look forward to seeing what else Clark comes out with--be in in the Magic of the Lost universe or not.

Clark's prose is lovely and easy to read, which is worth even more when the subject matter in The Unbroken often is not. I enjoyed this book a lot, but I would never say I had fun with it. I appreciate Clark's willingness to engage with the uncomfortable and the challenging and I also appreciate her unwillingness to offer an easy way out, even if I was begging for a little catharsis by the end of it all.

Clark writes challenging characters and is willing to risk them being unlikable in favour of letting their decisions (and mistakes) have weight and their flaws have meaningful consequences that cost them something. And you know what? I'm not sure I actually did like either of the main characters by the end of it, even if I found them interesting or sympathized with them or wanted them to succeed in certain endeavours at various points throughout the novel. And that's okay by me. It's far more interesting to me that Touraine is allowed to mess up (and mess up a lot!) because the novel wants to engage with all the ways in which her upbringing in Balladaire shaped her more than it wants me to root for the decisions she's making. It's far more interesting to me that the novel wants to challenge Luca's assumptions and convictions (and the ways in which she betrays the convictions that she wants to believe she has) more than it wants me to want her to get the throne. That's not to say that I didn't like any of the characters in this novel. My love for Jaghotai was particularly unshakeable by the end (even if I didn't see that coming at the beginning).

I also want to praise Clark's willingness to engage with a full tapestry of complexity and associated ugliness when it comes to human relationships. In seeing a book promoted as F/F fantasy with a soldier and a princess as the main characters, my immediate assumption was that they were going to be the central romance. And then I started reading the book, saw the particular social dynamics at play, met Touraine and Luca, and assumed that my previous assumptions were wrong. They were not. And the novel found a really great balance in actively engaging with all the implications of this particular dynamic while not belabouring the point in problematizing it. And this was far, far from the only messy relationship at play during the story, be they romantic, platonic, or familial (as I said, I love Jaghotai, so you know I love some messy relationship dynamics).

This is a book left me feeling kind of worn out and I know I'm going to be thinking about it for a long time after reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an advanced copy for review.

I loved everything about The Unbroken. The characters were multilayered and truly felt like real people. The plot was engaging and left me feeling like I was right there living in the world right alongside the characters. I had a blast reading this book and would recommend it to fans of fantasy, those who love strong world building, and people who love to be swept away by a fantastic story. I cannot wait for the sequel!

All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.

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.



CONTENT WARNINGS:
Ableism; Slavery and racism; Torture and confinement; Rape threats; Panic attacks; Executions; Violence