lironore's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
miasweeney00's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ellerosy's review against another edition
3.0
Happy publication day ✨
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing for me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“We try this my way first. If it doesn’t work, there will be plenty time to go murdering my innocent subjects at your leisure.”
The Unbroken is a brutal and intense epic fantasy. It explores the painful topics of colonialism, rebellion and racism.
Touraine is a conscript returning to her home, Qazāl, from where she was stolen as a child and trained as a soldier by her captors. She has to chose where her loyalties lie, whether she remains soldier or joins those rebelling against them.
Luca is a princess and the heir apparent to Balladaire, trying to quell the rebellion in Qazāl to prove her readiness for the throne. With Touraine in place as an assistant how will she fare.
This book is beautifully ugly, and written in such an evocative manner that I was immediately invested in the story and immersed in Touraine’s dangerous world. It’s fast paced and full of action. The book really comes alive for the last 100 pages or so and that ending was phenomenal.
I’m eagerly awaiting the second book, and will definitely be picking this one up on release, my shelves need that beautiful cover!
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing for me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“We try this my way first. If it doesn’t work, there will be plenty time to go murdering my innocent subjects at your leisure.”
The Unbroken is a brutal and intense epic fantasy. It explores the painful topics of colonialism, rebellion and racism.
Touraine is a conscript returning to her home, Qazāl, from where she was stolen as a child and trained as a soldier by her captors. She has to chose where her loyalties lie, whether she remains soldier or joins those rebelling against them.
Luca is a princess and the heir apparent to Balladaire, trying to quell the rebellion in Qazāl to prove her readiness for the throne. With Touraine in place as an assistant how will she fare.
This book is beautifully ugly, and written in such an evocative manner that I was immediately invested in the story and immersed in Touraine’s dangerous world. It’s fast paced and full of action. The book really comes alive for the last 100 pages or so and that ending was phenomenal.
I’m eagerly awaiting the second book, and will definitely be picking this one up on release, my shelves need that beautiful cover!
stefanisloma's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
fclancy93's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
A revolution
Of friends and of faith
Or of watching it all fall
Of friends and of faith
Or of watching it all fall
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation and Death
Moderate: War, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Blood, Animal death, Racism, Injury/injury detail, Slavery, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Vomit
jessleigh98's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
kayeleen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
enbyenglish's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
katpeaspanen's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bookswithclementine's review against another edition
4.0
High fantasy debut novel set in a North African inspired colony that has been oppressed by the northern empire of Balladaire for years.
It follows Touraine, a woman conscripted from the colony as a child to become a soldier, and was forced to abandon everything: her family, name, religion and traditions, and even her language as they have all been deemed uncivilized by the empire.
She is returning for the first time in two decades back to the colony as rebellion is brewing and the army is tasked with crushing it. The only family she has are the Sands, her fellow soldiers who are like her and the only ones who really understand her, as the empire doesn’t consider her as equal, and the colony sees her as a traitor.
However, when by matters of circumstances she ends up being a secretary to the Princess of the empire herself, Luca, she gets a more intimate view of both empire and rebels than she ever did and the new relationships she forms will change her world and beliefs forever.
This novel was really interesting, I especially loved the setting, and the attention to details such as medinas and descriptions of the town in this colony, the French-sounding words that made it very reminiscent of our own history with France and the North African colonies. The discussions about Touraine and her conscription as a soldier and all the things she had to forget are a direct parallel to the terrible assimilation that was happening in colonies.
I also loved Touraine’s character development, you cannot be behind all of her decisions but you can really understand why she makes them, and how what she experiences in the novel progressively changes her.
People pitched this book as a sapphic relationship, and while there is a lot of LGBTQ+ rep with lesbian, bisexual, and non-binary characters, don’t pick up this book expecting a sapphic romance. It is at its heart a political fantasy, the story of an empire oppressing its colony and the rebellion that ensues.
I was really impressed by the ending of this book and am excited to see what the author has in store next!
It follows Touraine, a woman conscripted from the colony as a child to become a soldier, and was forced to abandon everything: her family, name, religion and traditions, and even her language as they have all been deemed uncivilized by the empire.
She is returning for the first time in two decades back to the colony as rebellion is brewing and the army is tasked with crushing it. The only family she has are the Sands, her fellow soldiers who are like her and the only ones who really understand her, as the empire doesn’t consider her as equal, and the colony sees her as a traitor.
However, when by matters of circumstances she ends up being a secretary to the Princess of the empire herself, Luca, she gets a more intimate view of both empire and rebels than she ever did and the new relationships she forms will change her world and beliefs forever.
This novel was really interesting, I especially loved the setting, and the attention to details such as medinas and descriptions of the town in this colony, the French-sounding words that made it very reminiscent of our own history with France and the North African colonies. The discussions about Touraine and her conscription as a soldier and all the things she had to forget are a direct parallel to the terrible assimilation that was happening in colonies.
I also loved Touraine’s character development, you cannot be behind all of her decisions but you can really understand why she makes them, and how what she experiences in the novel progressively changes her.
People pitched this book as a sapphic relationship, and while there is a lot of LGBTQ+ rep with lesbian, bisexual, and non-binary characters, don’t pick up this book expecting a sapphic romance. It is at its heart a political fantasy, the story of an empire oppressing its colony and the rebellion that ensues.
I was really impressed by the ending of this book and am excited to see what the author has in store next!