I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

Second books are notoriously difficult. Usually they're just filler used to set up the third book, which can make them a bit boring. C. L. Clark broke the second book curse. I LOVED The Faithless, probably more than I loved The Unbroken. Literally the only other author to do this to me is Tamsyn Muir, which is some very good (and gay!) company to have.

The world building & character development continues to be impeccable. Seeing Balladaire & meeting Luca's uncle, gives us more insight into what Luca has been dealing with and makes her *a bit* more sympathetic. I also really enjoyed getting views into the day to day life of the (non royal) people of Balladaire. It helps humanize the country which in turn makes the whole "who is good & who is bad" arc even more difficult to distinguish. I love the way that Clark handles the politics aspect of this book. They don't shy away from difficult topics, and they don't paint everything as black & white issues. There are a lot of grey areas/characters which makes this feel even more poignant to true to life.

The magic (from all ends) was handled superbly in this book - once again painting everything in shades of grey. showing that magic isn't purely good or evil. I especially enjoyed getting to see Pruett come into her own while on her mission. Of course I'm excited for the Touraine & Luca story to continue, but possibly even more excited to see where Book 3 takes Pru.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. More swords. More political intrigue. More spice. More strong, hot ladies. WHAT ELSE COULD YOU ASK FOR?! 2023 is just starting, but this is definitely going to be one of my favorite books of the year. The Faithless was perfection. My only complaint is that I NEED more Pruett and Kiras!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Orbit books for giving me the opportunity to read this early! I didn’t realize how much I missed Touraine and Luca until I saw them on the page again! This amazing sequel starts off a year after the revolution and Qazal is struggling to meet the demands of a new country, balancing politics and citizen welfare against too few resources. Few books, especially in the fantasy genre, address the aftermath of revolution (and colonisation) and how a newly sovereign nation must fight to survive even after independence, but this depicts it, and all its complexities, perfectly. Touraine, feeling adrift as a politician and would-be healer, is sent to Balladaire as an ambassador, but also to seduce Luca into giving Qazal a favorable treaty. Meanwhile, Luca is facing a coup of her own as she fights for support to back her claim to the throne against her uncle. She is also looking into Balladaire’s magic and reconciling her involvement in the violence against the colonies and Qazal. I appreciated that it was made clear that while Luca cannot absolve herself of her crimes, or complicity, she recognizes that she must understand her wrongdoings in order to make them right.
When Touraine and Luca come together again, the tension between them remains just as strong but now they also have so much pain between them as well. As they become allies once more to assure Luca’s succession, they uncover the sinister history of Balladaire’s magic and another plot for revolution within Balladaire that closely resembles Qazal’s own. Touraine only starts to grapple with the idea that while she needs Luca in power to keep to Qazal’s treaty, she understands the Balladairan people’s desire to be free. I can’t wait to see how this plays out in the third installment!
The tension and romance in this book was phenomenal and kept me reading well into the night, but this book was also an excellent depiction of the complicated aftermath of revolution and nation building.
More people need to read this series!

I read an eARC of The Faithless by C. L. Clark. Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit Books.

All these characters need therapy.

This book is a sequel to The Unbroken, and is a third-person book from primarily three people’s point of view. That of Touraine, the former soldier turned politician/priestess and healer. The last book she was a huge character in getting her people back their own land, but since she was brought up by the enemy, many people don’t trust her, and honestly, she’s a horrible politician. The book starts with her, her mother the Jackal, and a bunch of other politicians of people from nearby lands trying to come up with plans on how to survive and create their own plans on create trade deals now that they have their own sovereignty, but they’re also starving and hurting because of occupation that had happened and what they had to do in order to drive the enemy out. One of the ideas is to go on the offensive and attack the people who had occupied and thus stolen from them, but Touraine hopes to stop that as she still likes the Princess, even though their history is very rocky after the last book.

The other point of view is from the Princess Luca. She’s been forced back to own land and her Uncle who currently holds the throne until “she comes of age”. Everyone sees her giving back Touraine back their land and leaving as her losing and showing she’s not worth ruling. She sees it that way. Still, she wants to sit on the throne and rule the people as “it’s her rightful place since her father was on the throne”. Still, her uncle obviously won’t give up the throne, she finds herself balancing maintaining her hold on court power and also welcoming Touraine to her court when it’s decided that Touraine will try to meet the Princess to try and manipulate her into a good deal for their people before they try to go for a more deadly option.

Later in the book, we also start getting a look into the movements and thoughts of Pruett, a soldier in the army leading a significant part as she was taught by the enemy and thus while not always liked, has the training needed to lead and the skills to fight. She is one of the most toxic people in this book that we follow, and since these characters are already extraordinarily flawed, that is saying something.

The book is dense. The politics are interesting, and the adventure fun, but honestly, the characters were a drag to read. I needed all of them to actually go through a character arc that made them a better person. The thing about the last book is that while the book ended with what should have happened, it felt like it came at the expense of the characters. Like as people they had mostly been dragged through hell and come out the otherside not as better people, but as more broken and this book is following characters that are trying to grow from people who have learned a lot, but are also broken and learned a lot of new bad things.
It's not that I disliked the book, but it was hard to get into when the characters are frustrating me this much.

Overall, I want to read the next book, but this one makes me wish I waited until I had the next book to read before reading this.

After The Unbroken I was a little nervous to start this, but my fears were completely tossed away. This was a brilliant sequel. I really enjoyed the pacing for this along with the balance between politics, plot and romance. While The Unbroken focused more on The Qazāli and Touraine’s journey, The Faithless follows Luca’s journey in Balladaire. C L Clark does a phenomenal job of writing about colonialism and politics. It is such a complicated thing to read about, but in this case it was done so well. Luca and Touraine each have what they think is the correct way to go about things but their environment and their resources are always making them question everything including each other. I also loved the new characters that were brought in and the different povs included in the chapters. The characters were messy and and made not so great decisions, but that is what makes them so real. There are consequences for their actions and their decisions hurt others in ways that were unexpected. There was a lot of character growth in between everything. This book was filled with so many surprises. I cannot wait for the final book in this trilogy.

Sequels! Everyone wants ‘em, but they’re tricky to pull off. A bad sequel can ruin a great first book for me, so I was bit nervous for The Faithless after how much I enjoyed The Unbroken. Thankfully, this is a sequel worthy of its predecessor.

Everything you loved about The Unbroken is back, but the focus of the story has shifted. The political becomes personal as we scale down to a drama (mostly) contained within one castle. It’s just enough change to hook you all over again. I read this over a holiday weekend, which meant I could could stay up late reading into the night. There’s no better feeling than finding a book that makes you wanna stay up past your bedtime, and The Faithless definitely wrecked my sleep schedule.

Luca and Touraine remain the messiest of all messes, some minor characters from the first novel get to shine a bit more, and we finally get to meet the duke. (That last one’s not fun!!!) I enjoy how Clarke tackles characterization—sometimes I feel frustrated because I don’t understand someone’s motivations, and it’s fun to realize that’s because the characters don’t know their own motivations themselves.

The set-up we’re left with leading into book three is super exciting and I can’t wait to see where Clarke takes the story and the characters. Something tells me they aren’t gonna have a good time… but I bet I will.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I always find it hard to review sequels. There’s the people who didn’t read the first book, who don’t know what you’re talking about and the people who did read the first book who generally already have their minds made up about whether they want to continue on. If you read Unbroken and loved it, you probably don’t need me to sell you on this book—you’re in and I can almost certainly promise that you’re not going to be disappointed. It’s everything that I loved about Unbroken but more. The stakes are higher, the intrigue is twistier, the disaster lesbians are even more of a disaster. There are new characters to love and hate and the empire gets bigger. If you read unbroken and it wasn’t for you—you’d probably feel the same way about the sequel, so don’t feel the need to press on just to prove something to yourself or others. Life is too short for that. If you haven’t heard about unbroken, let me try to sell you on the series. It’s epic fantasy on a grand scale - the world is dark and gritty. There is blood and gore and bad things happen to the people you love. If you like the political intrigue in game of thrones but want it full of queer characters and more non-white characters, and if you wished it maybe grappled a little more with the impact of colonialism—this series is for you. If you loved Jasmine Throne, Oleander Sword and are eagerly awaiting He Who Drowned the World — this book is for you. It gave me gray hairs and stressed me out because it knows how to go right for the emotions. I can’t wait for everyone to read it so we can scream about it together.

I was provided an advance reader copy in exchange for this honest review.

#bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendations #thefaithless #disasterlesbians #epicfantasy

4.5 stars
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Faithless is a fabulous sequel. While The Unbroken had some of the typical growing pains of a fantasy debut, CL Clark develops further on an already-fantastic concept, expanding the world and the characters this time around.
The politics and world building remains the most intriguing part of the story, especially as Clark continues to draw on themes of colonialism and oppression as inspiration. There are some great twists and turns, and I love the complex web of political machinations and the ins and outs of rebellions and uprisings.
Like its predecessor, the book is a tome, clocking in at just under 500 pages, but not a word is wasted here. The pacing is pretty even throughout, matching with the near-constant intrigue and action.
The characters remain intriguing, and I like how they’ve grown over the course of this installment. Touraine and Luca remain complex, yet fairly easy to root for. I also liked the further centering of some of the secondary characters, including some interludes from an additional perspective.
This is a brilliant middle book in a solid debut series, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for politically driven sapphic fantasy.

Thank you to Orbit Books, C.L. Clark, and NetGalley for the ARC. Light spoilers in this review.

I loved this book. It is the second book in the Magic of the Lost Trilogy. I have a love-hate with second books. They are usually excellent or don’t hold my attention. This book was amazing. We deep-dived into the political aspect of Balladaire. Luca is still looking for magic but is not the center of her story in this book.

This trilogy explores colonization and how it affects the civilization before and after. Balladaire believes anyone that has religion is uncivilized. This has happened throughout our history. Just beliefs that have many gods are viewed this way. I studied history in college. C.L. Clark does a fantastic job of showing how colonization affects a society.

Luca and Touraine have some tension in this book, like in the last book. Touraine does have PTSD from the first book, which is understandable. She is conflicted and trying to find her place. Luca is focused on taking her rightful throne.

There are twists and turns in this book. I can’t wait till the next one comes out. This trilogy is worth reading.

4.25/5

Holy heck was this an improvement over The Unbroken! I loved the expansion of POVs (Touraine and Luca still get the bulk of it) and the additional players in this political hellscape. I think the balance between character development and plot is smoother; we finally get more information/development on magic; and the political mine field, while already amazingly done in The Unbroken, is even more tense in The Faithless.

Touraine and Luca are just.. beautiful messes. Touraine a little less so and I found I enjoyed her character so much more now that she isn't bouncing from side to side randomly causing people to die. I am drawn and feel for them so much more than I did in The Unbroken. Luca's path mirrors Touraine's so well. Pruett is like everything I wished Touraine was initially, though some of her later developments seem kind of random. I absolutely loved Aranen and mourn for her. Throw in that ending and I am absolutely on the edge of my seat waiting for book 3.

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit for the ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was utterly entranced by CL Clark's first book in this series, "The Unbroken". Tourraine's struggle to understand her conflicting connections to a country she barely knew and a colonizing army that had used her were sizzling once Luca, bad girl princess hungry for her throne came into play. Was Luca irredeemable? Would Tourraine be able to choose from a plate of poisoned options with regard to her loyalties? "The Faithless" took a moment to draw me back in to its story; it's the second book of a series, and we all know how those can flounder. I needn't have worried. "The Faithless" is a slower, more thoughtful tale, but one just as vicious as the first. Tourraine is struggling as an Ambassador to her newly freed home country, and has been instructed to use Luca's fondness for her as weakness in negotiations. It's a court tale of politics and backstabbing. And of course, with Luca in the mix, a metric ton of unresolved sexual tension.

I loved it! It was a great step forward and the character arcs were thrilling and believable. Luca's in particular was really well-done, and I look forward to seeing what becomes of Tourraine and the princess in the final book of the series. I'd comp this one to The Councillor, if you've read that one - it primarily takes place in court gatherings and fancy masquerades, but the fury of the underclass is simmering all around our principal players. Wonderful!

C.L. Clark cannot write a bad book. Second book syndrome? Haven't heard of them.

This was so, so good! Even better than I had hoped it would be. The character development was great, and the plot was fabulous (just like the first book). I enjoyed seeing the main characters once again, and overall had a great time reading this! The political aspect was great, the plot moved at a decently quick pace, and I couldn't put the book down. Can't wait for the next one!!

I didn't think I could love the second book more than the first, but I do! Even more so than in the first, C.L. Clark explores themes of colonialism, agency, trauma and PTSD, and what it means to have-- or not have-- faith. Different from the first book, which told the story of Qazal's battle for independence, The Faithless looked at what happens *after*you win a war... and all the complicated, nuanced choices that come with that.

The world is complex, and the characters are just as messy as they are beautiful. The "will they, won't they" of Touraine and Luca is fraught with tension -- good, bad, sexual, all of it. Their dynamic doesn't fit into a neat little box. The secondary characters get more screen time in the second book, too. Pruett's voice is hysterically blunt and funny; I would read an entire book from her POV. I loved the addition of Sabine, too, and some of my favorite scenes were of her with Touraine and Luca.

5 stars and I'm foaming at the mouth for the third! Big thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

This was better than the first one; the first one.I seriously grappled with because it was whiplash trying to keep up with Touraine and Lucas terrible decision making. It was infuriating to be honest.

But this book gave them more to do, more depth and more growth and the pacing was much better. The new POVs were an interesting touch that added more dimension to the sprawling saga. The pieces are all in place. so I'm intrigued to where the next installment takes us.

My thanks to Orbit books, C.L. Clark and Netgalley.
Just in case anyone is wondering how this book stands up to the first? No worries!
Matter of fact, I liked this second book better than the first! That just about never happens.
There is no middle book slagging off here.
My sole complaint? Yep! That would be none.
I love these characters.. Touraine has my heart, though I guess I'm finally warming up to Luca.
I hate that I'll have to wait another year to finally read how this story ends.

Just as good-- if not better-- than The Unbroken. The Faithless was a fast-paced and highly engaging book two in a trilogy that I have grown to care so much about. The character development and choices were equally balanced by larger-worldbuilding events. There are twists and turns, sometimes consequences to characters' actions, others chances of fate, but both were spaced out evenly in a believable way. C. L Clark does a wonderful job writing complex and messy characters, full of trauma and bad decisions, while balancing savvy political maneuvers and palace intrigue. Never once was I bored, and I flew right through each chapter. I loved the themes of a newly won independent country seeking to find agency within the international sphere and squaring up against the military superpower, and the themes of anti imperialist rebellion throughout the land and the choices people make to decide who their allies are. Already a favorite read of the year, I cannot wait until book three is released. A huge thank you to Orbit for providing me a free eArc in exchange for an honest review!

To say I devoured this book is an understatement. C.L. Clark does it again with the way she builds her characters through so many intricacies and keeps court intrigue and politicking at the frontlines of the storytelling.

I also love that nothing felt over saturated in this book. We got just enough tension (romantic), just enough magic, and just enough access to other perspectives that didn’t make it seem like “too much” (which I often find happens with fantasy). I am beyond excited to see where Touraine’s character builds from here, and loved the evolution of Pruett and Sabine’s characters. I am still not Luca’s biggest fan, but did appreciate her small moments of growth into someone worthy of Touraine.

Biggest gripe for me is Pruett’s storyline. I absolutely loved where it was going, but I had too many unanswered questions about the development and access to her magic. Clark sacrificed a lot of storytelling centering around Qazāl in order to focus on everything happening in Balladaire, and expanding a little more on Pruett’s experiences abroad would have made this book more rounded out. But that’s just me!

Massive thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Faithless by C.L. Clark in exchange for an honest review.

This book was absolutely amazing. Clark takes the characters we already know and love and truly puts them through their paces, plus adds new ones to really sweeten the dynamics. I didn't think I liked politics/intrigue books until this one, if I'm honest! While there was blood and battle like in the first book, this second book stressed me out in the best way as Touraine and Luca try to navigate a country gunning for their demise. The politicking? Perfect. The relationships? Immaculate. The spice? Superb (would love more pls and thank you but also I understand). This book really seals the deal for me - CL Clark is gonna be an auto buy author for me. I can't WAIT to see how they finish the series after that banger of a cliff hanger!

My only gripe is that I'm literally begging them to pick another letter besides G for their side character names please I'm kind of a dummy, I can't tell them apart.

I really liked The Unbroken but I loved this sequel. The Faithless includes all the elements I loved from the first book — a world where sexual diversity is accepted and not itself a plot point, a cast of complex and powerful women, a fast moving plot that held my attention, and shifting political alliances and unpredictable maneuvering — but I also think in several respects, this book is stronger than its predecessor. The power dynamics of colonialism, rebellion, and class struggle feel more thoroughly and thoughtfully explored here, and the balance of focus between main and supporting characters felt more satisfying to me. While the focus remains on the main characters, quite a few side characters are very well developed here, and everyone’s motivations feel more nuanced. Absolutely excellent — I cannot wait to see where this series goes next. Highly recommend.

*Content warnings:* violence, war, murder, gore, xenophobia, religious discrimination, colonization, racism, forcible confinement / imprisonment, injury detail, fire, blood, medical content, torture (implied / not on the page), death, child death, death of a parent (in past / not on the page), grief

*Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for providing an ARC in exchange for this review*.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for allowing me to read <s>Touraine's Legs</s> The Faithless!

As CL Clark said best. . . "FUCK Luca, but also... fuck Luca?" Which, as the cover reveal showed, was very much the truth, with a lot of sapphics suddenly understanding Touraine's Luca-related-choices more. The struggle to break conditioning? Of course. The prioritization of her soldiers, when it seemed no one else cared? Absolutely. Luca?. . . .

I loved Luca's character. I wasn't sure if I loved Luca-- or why Touraine was drawn to her. But I understand, absolutely. Definitely.

The Faithless spun us deeper and further into Touraine and Luca's struggles-- but this time, Touraine had a significant advantage she did not the previous times. Incredible it was too, that Luca continued to grow, see Balladaire for closer to what it was than how she wanted it to be, did not close her eyes to all. Sabine too, was a breath of fresh air in a hurricane, and Pruett's voyage and voice incredible. If Pruett's fans ever make a club, I will absolutely join, right after Rosefinchie. Through Luca, we see more of how broken Balladaire is, the kingdom Luca is fighting to rule and own, above the suffering of others.

I don't know the Unbroken *left* unbroken, because we sure as fuck didn't feel like it! This trend continues-- if not perhaps made faithless, you will feel faithless, and see how faithless turn. You will not be left unbroken.