Faithless by C. L. Clark

Pros: lots of political intrigue and hard choices

Cons:

A year has passed since the events of The Unbroken, and Touraine has discovered that helping to rule a nation is a difficult as freeing it from colonizers. She and Aranen are sent as Qazali’s ambassadors to Balladaire to maintain Luca’s friendship and support. But the Balladairan capital is not safe from its own rebels, nor is Luca’s uncle, acting regent, ready to give Luca the throne.

This is a great follow-up to The Unbroken. The setting is different, allowing the reader to learn more of the Balladairan empire and its territories. But the tension between Luca and Touraine, and Luca and her power, remains just as complicated.

I loved how Luca’s disability causes challenges for her, but doesn’t define her.

Luca’s quest to learn more about Balladairan magic bears fruit, but the answers she finds aren’t ones she likes. Touraine’s attempts to use Qazali magic show that while the theory of using it is easy, the practice is not.

Touraine really comes into her own, learning new things and slowly gaining confidence outside of her military prowess.

I loved Fili, the apprentice woodcarver, and am curious what will happen with her in the next book.

The book has so much political intrigue. I loved it. Luca and her uncle playing against each other for the crown was alternatively thrilling and horrifying. Though there are a few fight scenes, this book has more duels and smaller scale action than battles.

The Unbroken was a great book, and I enjoyed The Faithless even more. If you’ve not read these, you’re missing out.

Now that is how you write a sequel.

I greatly enjoyed the first book in this series, and this sequel has cemented this series as one of my favourites now. I finished it a week or so ago and I still haven't stopped thinking about it, which is something that doesn't happen very often.

It was fascinating to see the aftermath of the revolution. Many books only focus on the revolution itself, and not the rebuilding that has to happen after it.

I love Touraine and Luca as main characters, and Touraine has my entire heart at this point. I'm so emotionally attached to her. I also enjoyed that the book wasn't entirely limited to them, and we got to see some other characters and what was happening in other parts of the world.

This series is definitely worth a read, and I'm really looking forward to the next book.

I loved this book! In my opinion it's even better than the first book in the series. I love how real all the characters feel. Touraine, Luca, and everyone else aren't cookie cutter at all. They are multifaceted, struggle with right and wrong, and make bad decisions sometimes. We also get much more of the amazing sexual tension between Touraine and Luca. I love that we get POVs from different sides of the conflict and are able to empathize with all of them. Even the bad guys are often good in their own minds! This book and series as a whole is heavily political. I can see how some readers may find it a slower read because there isn't a lot of action throughout. Instead it's more of the feeling of a chess game. That being said, the pace worked really well for me. It steadily built throughout and ended in kind of a shit show. The ending managed to be satisfying and traumatic. I can't wait to see what happens next! Also, as for all fantasy books I read I love learning more about the world and magic system and we definitely get that in this book.

This book was a genuine surprise read for me, after book one, I really didn't know what to expect going into The Faithless. Immediately after book one, this book picked up and I enjoyed the political undertones that I saw in the first book, back again in the second book. There were so many things packed into this books, which made it hard for me to put down. While it was a slow burn, it felt like I was on a constant rollercoaster, waiting to see what would happen next.

The characters were far more likeable, for me personally, in book two over book one. And Clark did a great job keeping the integrity of the characters the same from book one to book two; while simultaneously also having them grow as characters who were easier to read and relate to.

Overall, this book was so so good & I'll be anxiously awaiting the third book!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

***4.0 Stars***

Overall,
This book started off slow the first 30-40% I struggled to get through. It was very heavy on the political intrigue, the moving of pieces on the chessboard with no follow through. Just a lot of set up. Once we got past that 40ish% however it kicked in to high gear. The book starts a few months after the events of the first book with Luca struggling to hold on to power as her uncle seeks to unseat her from her rightful throne. She asks Touraine to come and help solidify the treaty between the newly liberated colony its its former overlord. The majority of the events of the book occur in the capital of Balladair. While I struggled with the slow beginning by the end I was chomping on the bits to see what comes next. This book has a ton of character growth for both Luca and Touraine and I am very interested to see what happens next.

Cover,
Love it. Luca looks like a BA. Huge fan.

Recommendation,
I would recommend this series to anyone who loves fantasy with heavy political aspects. There is is some romance but it is definitely a secondary (if not tertiary) plot point.

***I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Orbit Books in exchange for my free and honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book early #TheFaithless #NetGalley***

4.5 stars

Second book syndrome? We don't know her.

The Faithless returns us to Qazal and Balladaire. Qazal, recently freed from Balladaire rule, is finding its footing as a sovereign nation. Touraine is finding her place on the council leading the nation when she receives an invitation to come to Balladaire as the Qazali ambassador. Because of her cough connection cough with the princess, the other members of the council urge her to go and negotiate for Qazal and the treaty that needs to be signed. Luca, meanwhile, is readying to take her throne, but she needs to find a way to gracefully oust her uncle who has been ruling in her stead. Her uncle is not as eager for this to happen, claiming Luca is not competent enough to be queen. As those close to Luca start disappearing, will she be able to become the queen she's fought tooth and nail for?

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but The Faithless was incredible. You've got court politics, murder mystery, underlying rebellion, and the entire time you're just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I loved the new setting of the Balladairan court and reading as Touraine navigated the court politics in her newly appointed ambassador role. And also the TENSION between Touraine and Luca!! I can't wait to read the next book in this series and can't believe I have to wait after spending so much time in this world over the last month.

Also - this cover??? It's incredible. Luca!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is OUT NOW and you should definitely read this series!!

If you thought The Unbroken was an emotional and breathless read, you aren’t ready for The Faithless. C.L. Clark takes everything that made the first installation great and ratchets it up, so everything is more intense and heartbreaking than you can imagine. I won’t offer many specifics about the plot to avoid major spoilers, but know The Faithless has as many shocking twists as The Unbroken.

At the heart of the series lie our two protagonists, Touraine and Luca. Touraine is instantly more likable. She’s a fish out of water with a tragic past, just trying her best to be a good person. She begins the series as a high-ranking soldier and a great tactician, but she has no idea what to do when thrown into the world of diplomacy. After everything she’s been through, she’s much less naive. Touraine is learning how to play the game, even as it breaks her heart. Her growth in The Faithless is fascinating to watch, especially as she tries to keep hold of herself and those she cares about.

On the other hand, Luca starts off the series almost as a villain. As the heir to Balladaire, she’s the face of colonization. She’s ruthless, cold and willing to do nearly anything to get to the throne. It’s that almost, however, that humanizes her. Moreso than in book one, Clark reveals Luca’s heart and emotions. She lets her guard down at home and among those she cares about. This isn’t always to her advantage, but to me, it made her more compelling than she was in The Unbroken.

While some advertise it as a sapphic fantasy romance, this book isn’t light and fluffy. Clark isn’t afraid to dive deep into some dark themes; The Faithless deals with colonization, trauma, grief and more. The romance, while present, is the definition of a slow burn, and as a reader, I wasn’t always sure if these characters were right for each other in the long run.

If you’ve been anxiously waiting for a return to Magic of the Lost, run out and get The Faithless. You won’t be disappointed in this story of messy, complex characters, political intrigue and intense action.

While I could basically care less about Luca and her people, it says something that I still loved this book even though Luca was the main focus of it. I found Luca fairly insufferable in the first book, but in this one, it was worse [is that the point, I'm unsure ?], but as I said this fact doesn't take away from the amazing story, the skillful writing, and all of the other characters that I am so invested in.

I don't think that this book had the same impact as the first, but I still think it was phenomenal and I can't wait for the next one to come out.

The middle book in a trilogy is always tricky. It has to live up to - or improve upon - the first book, and it has to set up the final instalment in a satisfying way. The Faithless largely succeeds at both of these aims.

I write this from the perspective of someone who did not love the first book in the series, The Unbroken. I gave that book three stars because, while well-written, I didn’t find the characters enjoyable to read about. I found Touraine in particular frustrating and in my review I wrote that she “never met a bad decision she didn’t like.”

This time around, while Touraine does still make plenty of bad decisions, the narrative seems to know that she is politically naive and impulsive, something that was missing from the first book in my opinion. Her relationship with Luca made more sense to me this time and developed in a way that was fairly satisfying. Again, this is in contrast to the first book, where I felt that the assumption of their attraction was unearned.

The setting moves in this book to the capital of Balladaire and into the intrigues of the Imperial court. Luca is desperate for allies in her attempts to rediscover Balladairian magic and to ensure her succession to the throne. This is where Touraine comes in, functioning as an ambassador for the newly independent Qazali nation.

What follows is a chess game of move and countermove (the book is structured like a chess match and chapter titles make frequent reference to chess pieces and strategies.) I found the first quarter of the book somewhat slow moving, but after that the plot started to move along at a decent rate, and I enjoyed the addition of each new layer of complication.

I finished my review of the first book by saying that I probably wouldn’t continue the series. If I hadn’t received an arc of this (thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this) I probably wouldn’t have done so. However, this book has changed my mind. I am looking forward to seeing how the series will conclude.

I was an early arc reader of The Unbroken, so I am grateful to have also received The Faithless.

This book certainly has elements of 'middle book syndrome,' focusing on mundane details and the fallout of the epic events of the previous book. Sometimes, this can be grating, but honestly its a really interesting and less explored premise of a fantasy series- what happens after the revolution? i appreciate the effort to display the reality of a post-political restructuring in all of its mess. Touraine's storyline was a little duller to me, but the topics covered are genuinely cool and the POV is unique. Luca had the much more exciting and interesting pov, covering the 'white savor' perspective. I enjoy her character because she is deeply flawed in realistic ways and i an excellent representation of someone trying to 'get it' while falling pretty short.

"Since when did you become so invested in my relationships?"
"At this rate, my dear, all of the colonies should be invested in your relationships."

The Unbroken was one of my favorite books of 2021, so I'm incredibly grateful to Orbit for allowing me to read an advance copy of the next installment of Touraine's story, The Faithless! It took me a while to collect my thoughts because most of them were just gay screaming and while that's a wonderful way to experience a book it's less of a helpful review. There will still be gay screaming though.

C.L. Clark has managed two rare feats in The Faithless: a sequel I like better than the first book, and a Luca I don't completely hate. (I still don't like her, but I am also Pruett Fanclub Founder so I don't think liking Luca was ever really on the table).

We get to see more of the world in this installment, meet new people, and learn new secrets. Even so, old wounds still hurt, and the series title (Magic of the Lost) becomes more pointed with each death. Luca's coronation is drawing near, and she needs to convince her uncle that she can be a respected queen without compromising her ideals, Touraine, sent to Balladaire, wants to show that she can actually help the Qazāli as a diplomat. Pruett stays behind in Qazāl and begins her own journey forward as an ex-conscript, with some of the most powerful scenes of the whole book. There are new (old?) magics rising, and new (old?) rebellions brewing everywhere the narrative lands as it moves smoothly between character perspectives.

I'm not going to pretend I'm not here for the romance, and The Faithless absolutely did not disappoint in that regard. Pruett had some page-time to shine in her own new dynamics, as did Sabine and Luca. As did Sabine and Touraine. As did Sabine and Luca and Touraine. I can't really say much about Sabine because it's all just [GAY SCREAMING] but I loved the levity her presence brought to the deadly serious dynamics set up in The Unbroken. I was completely charmed by her roguish court dandy persona, but as the story unfolded I mostly just wanted to give her a hug. She kind of makes me understand why people call characters a "poor little meow meow." Is this a better review than the gay screaming?

And then, of course, the center of the storm: the relationship between Luca and Touraine. Their attraction is no secret to those who know them, and there are some difficult conversations about the way that affects the political landscape. Is Luca doing things she thinks are right, or just doing things she thinks Touraine would want her to do? If she wasn't attracted to Touraine, or if Touraine didn't reciprocate, would she still do the right thing? What does that mean for Touraine, and what she wants? Can she even want what she wants without knowing what it might do to her home? It's a tangled web of vines, but behind the thorns, there are flowers growing too.

I would love to ramble on about Aranen and Fili and all the other things about The Faithless I loved, but at a certain length of review I think you should probably just read the book instead. Highly recommend.

*Thank you to NetGalley & Orbit for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review*

C.L. Clark has done it again. The Unbroken was one of my favorite reads so I was excited to dive back into this world. I love how the story is rooted in history while creating its own distinct magical story. I enjoyed everything about this novel: the pacing, the plot progression, the character interactions, the mysteries of the magic, the political intrigue..the list is so long! I really like C.L. Clark's prose. It changes subtlety with each character to match their personalities & actions. I appreciate that immensely.

& everyone is so...hot!? jeez. it's like each new character has something appealing about them!

The only thing that has me upset is I now have to wait for the third one!

This one does kind of struggled with the second book syndrome, but still has concepts and amazing character work as the first. SO much representation in these books that are done well and thoroughly interesting and good to read. I cannot wait to see what else is in store for this series. The pacing may not be to everyones liking and there could be a complaint about abrupt fixes to all of the issues at the end of the book that feel kind of unearned or a bit like whiplash, similarly to The Priory of The Orange Tree. It was a struggle for me as well, but everything else was phenomenal.

A truly stunning second book that somehow beats the usual second book slog. Overall I think that it was a truly brilliant a truly amazing follow up.

Thank you Orbit and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

An incredible sequel to the Unbroken! The faithless gives us more perspectives and a deeper look into the politics of Clark’s world. I loved getting more insight into Luca and Pruett’s POV. The deeper dive into different religions, gods, and cultures was deftly handled as well. I really enjoyed this work and can confidently say it did not suffer from middle book syndrome. I can’t wait for the final book.

The Faithless follows C.L. Clark’s debut with bloody politics you can cut your teeth on, queer women with sharp swords, intense action, and tense relationships reminiscent of harsh realities. It all starts off where The Unbroken left off. Qazal is now being led by a council. Touraine, an Ambassador to Balladaire, is begrudgingly traveling to Balladaire. Luca, per usual, is once again conniving for her throne. This, of course, is more difficult than she expected with her uncle pushing chess pieces in the precise positions, so every courtier worth their salt is seduced against her, and he can continue sitting on the throne in all the arrogant majesty Balladaire has to offer its hopeful king.

Set mostly in Balladaire, The Faithless has got all the glitz and bloody glamour of court fashion, extremely gay drunk aristocrats, and duels at parties readers could ever want. Sabine, a “spoiled marquise,” remains a shining light throughout the whole thing. I am enamored of her witticisms, especially when elegantly holding a sword or a drink. Beneath all that refinery is the rotting corruption making the Balladairan empire’s colonizer mess look like decrepit Viserys Targaryen later in House of the Dragon.

Touraine is still trying to unclench her jaw that she’s been tasked with forming an alliance with Luca, who she justifiably wants to stomp into the ground most of the time. She’s willing to assist in Luca’s political games to win the court’s favor if it means ensuring Qazal gets their due. The intimate way C.L. Clark writes about Touraine’s relationship with colonialism remains deeply uncomfortable and also very brilliant. Touraine’s attraction to Luca is a big part of that complicated relationship with politics and personal relationships. Balladaire trained her in their culture and education. This place is a part of her identity, including her tragic origin on its shores. But Luca’s ancestors are also the reason Touraine’s people are treated with inferior rights to Balladaire. That chilling exploration between what readers want to see and what people feel gives Clark’s writing such a brutal edge. While characters are surely neither purely good nor bad, The Faithless intentionally shows with great intensity the actions of colonizers in a narrative that neither forgives, softens, or redeems. The characters are looked at with unflinching detail, reflecting a mirror to onlookers.

I did find my interest wandering a bit toward the seventy percent mark. Clark’s subplots tended to meander too much. I am also not convinced that we needed Fili’s chapters. There could have been more tightening up during edits to prevent a loss in that engagement. The Faithless is a great follow up, but I can’t say this is as good as The Unbroken, which I feel is the stronger of the two. I hope to see a strong ending to the Magic of the Lost trilogy.

It will be no surprise to fantasy readers that Clark pulls no punches. The Faithless is more of a murderous political court intrigue novel than the war-torn debut, but it goes into the deadliest, coldest corners of the mind. Readers should expect to go in with open scars. Even though I knew the end was soon in sight, I wanted to know more about what would happen next. What horrible, insightful thing will happen in this harrowing world that readers have yet to be surprised by? The Faithless is the antithesis of enchantment, spinning grim and grit, which is exact perfection for readers that love their pain with a bit of heart.

I posted my review on goodreads. I will also be posting it on Storygraph.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5327924286

The Faithless was a stunning sequel to an already stellar first book. Clark doesn't know second book syndrome. If you want a book with lesbian romance, unflinching critiques and exploration of colonization, intricate characters that will make your heart break? C.L. Clark is the writer for you.

Had to include a cactus in this picture for my prickly girls — man, they frustrate me, but for reasons that are understandable, so I can’t really be mad! They’re so strong, but still so unsure of themselves and tender on the inside. This is such a different book than the first, and it was really cool to see how Clark moved more towards the political side of things without losing any of the momentum from The Unbroken, which features more outright battles. Pru’s perspective helped tie all of that in, and as much as I love Luca and Touraine, the side characters really help make the story so compelling. Absolutely can’t wait for the next book!!! This one is out tomorrow, and I highly recommend.

I didn’t love this one quite as much as book one, so it’s really more of a 3.5 than a four star book for me. I like the character of Touraine more than Luca so I didn’t feel for Luca quite so much in this book as I felt for Touraine in book one. It’s definitely a solid series though and one I’d recommend to a fantasy reader without hesitation. If the plot description sounds good to you you’ll like the series.