Hello there, reading buddies. Today, I'm very excited to share with you my thoughts on The Unbroken by C.L. Clark. I received an ARC from the publisher, through Caffeine Book Tours, in exchange of an honest review, but this does not, in any way, affect my thoughts on the book. If you wanna know my thoughts on this book, then keep on reading--
Title: The Unbroken
Author: C.L. Clark
Publication Date: March 23, 2021
Publisher: Orbit Books
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Page Count: 464 pages
On-page Representation:
Protagonists of color
LGBT protagonists
f/f main characters
m/m side characters
Nonbinary side character
Trigger and Content Warnings:
Synopsis:
Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought.
Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet’s edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne.
Through assassinations and massacres, in bedrooms and war rooms, Touraine and Luca will haggle over the price of a nation. But some things aren’t for sale.
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My Thoughts:
The Unbroken is C.L. Clark's debut novel but it doesn't read like a debut because of how good the author's writing style is.
I don't always say this but I tend to avoid books that are more than 350 pages because I always get intimidated by them. But this book is a game-changer. I was hooked from the beginning up until the last page. This says a lot about Cherae's writing. She got me hooked with the plot through her beautiful storytelling. She made me love the two main characters by writing about them in a raw and honest way. Touraine and Luca are not perfect characters. There were times when I would get so frustrated with them. But Cherae gave these two characters justice by developing them slowly, thus, making the character development unexpected and worth the wait. I love how Cherae took the time for Touraine and Luca to grow, instead of hurrying for them to develop into "ideal main characters".
I also love how the synopsis did not give too much information on what's going to happen in this book because it made me really anticipate the adventure that it's about to give. Even though this book is action-packed, I must say that this is a slow-paced story, but since the author's writing style is *chef's kiss*, I didn't mind it at all because I thoroughly enjoyed reading Clark's prose. If you're not convinced yet on how well-written this book is, take note that I devoured this book in less than 24 hours! ;)
On a more serious note, this book also heavily discussed social injustice. Most of the parts that I've annotated and highlighted throughout the book are parts where there's a social injustice being shown and it is so painful to see even if this is just a work of fiction because I know that these injustices also happen today in real life.
Touraine was stolen when she was just a child. This caused Touraine so much trauma and throughout the book, there were scenes where you could really see that she wasn't raised in a way that a child should be raised. She might look strong and indestructible on the outside, but she actually has a lot of pain on the inside. Who wouldn't feel hurt when you're in your place of birth but everyone treats you like you don't belong, right?
On the other hand, Luca might be the "weaker" main character, but I'm glad that she didn't stay that way. She just seemed weak at the beginning because she is trying to figure out how to be a leader of a breaking nation when she is all alone, with no parents to look up to. But one thing I really liked about Luca is how smart she is. I hope to see more of her intelligence in the sequel.
This book is perfect for those who are looking for an action-packed adult fantasy that is full of political intrigues.
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
About the Author:
Cherae has been a personal trainer, an English teacher, and an editor, and is some combination thereof as she travels the world. When she’s not writing or working, she’s learning languages or reading about war and post-colonial history. Her short fiction has appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, FIYAH, PodCastle and Uncanny. The Unbroken is her debut novel.
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Have you already read The Unbroken or is it on your TBR? Which aspect of this book are you most excited to read? Is it giving you a vibe of another book?
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