Touraine is a soldier, returning to the land she was stolen from as a child. Luca is an unproven princess, sent to a deal with rebels that are ready to overthrow the empire that has long ruled them. If Luca is successful in quelling the uprising, will she be able to take the throne back from her scheming uncle? Will Touraine find her biological family and will it be at the cost of her found family? The Unbroken follows both Luca and Touraine when they are forced to collaborate. As a web of familial ties and convoluted loyalties pull taunt, Touraine must decide who and what she will fight for. 

The Unbroken by C.L. Clark is a gritty and action-packed adventure. Clark has serious writing talent and slowly builds tension and conflicting motivations for all the characters. The writing style is detailed and descriptive; you’ll feel like you’re standing next to Touraine in the sweltering heat of the desert. The world-building is incredibly good and Clark creates a fully-developed world. Initially, I found myself struggling to understand all the intricacies and history of the world, but once that clicked I was swept up in a thrilling and heartbreaking story. 

With excellent foreshadowing and complex sapphic romance, at a certain point it becomes very difficult to put this book down! I absolutely loved the LGBTQ rep and queernorm world-building. Clark effortlessly handles topics of racism and colonialism, weaving them into a vibrant fantasy world. It’s clear that C.L. Clark will be an author to watch and I can’t wait for book two to see what happens next! I would highly recommend you pick up a copy! The Unbroken releases on March 23, 2021. Thank you so much to C.L. Clark, Orbit Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.