The Unbroken
Magic of the Lost, Book 1
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
***Nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award and a Nebula Award***
EVERY EMPIRE DEMANDS REVOLUTION.
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.
In a political fantasy unlike any other, debut author C. L. Clark spins an epic tale of rebellion, espionage, and military might on the far outreaches of a crumbling desert empire.
'Clark's debut introduces a remarkable LGBTQ+ culture amid a story of colonial conquest, exploitation, prejudice, and brewing revolt in a land with a lost history of mystical powers . . . Fans of epic military fantasy will eagerly await more from Clark' Booklist
'High adventure on a human scale - don't miss it' Alix E. Harrow
'This strong debut is filled with exciting action and worldbulding, intriguing characters . . . and an explosion of feelings. Readers will be clamoring for more of Touraine and Luca before they finish' Library Journal: Starred Review
'The Unbroken is something special. I'm going to need book two asap' David Dalglish
'A compelling and persuasive reimagining of both heroism and heroics' Evan Winter
'A perfect military fantasy: brutal, complex, human and impossible to put down' Tasha Suri
'This book feels like one of those deep conversations you have with someone you respect at 3am on a Saturday night. It's wonderful, you know you're going to miss it before it's even over and you'll think about it for a long time to come' FIYAH Literary Magazine
'C. L. Clark's epic fantasy debut reveals all the ugly, painful, deeply personal complexities of revolution against empire. I'm in awe!' Shelley Parker-Chan
'A bold and exciting work that helps steer the evolution of the genre into the next decade' Marshall Ryan Maresca
'Get ready to fall in love with Touraine and Luca in one of the best fantasy debuts I have ever read!' Matt Wallace
'THE UNBROKEN is a utterly remarkable fantasy debut. A heart-rending, unflinching tale of love, loyalty, and making the right choices despite the repercussions. Clark had me completely engrossed in her prose, her world, and her characters from beginning to end' FanFiAddict
'A riveting epic fantasy about a city on the knife's edge of rebellion' K. A. Doore
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Clark conjures an elaborate fantasy world inspired by Northern Africa and delves into an international political conflict that draws on real histories of colonialism and conquest in their excellent debut, the first in the Magic of the Lost series. Touraine was kidnapped from Qaz l as a child and trained as a soldier for neighboring nation, Balladaire. Over the years, she rises through the ranks of the Balladairan army, eventually becoming lieutenant. But when her brigade is sent to quash a rising rebellion in Qaz l, now a colony of the Balladairan empire, Touraine must return to the homeland she only hazily remembers. Straddling the line between colonizer and colonized, she struggles with both her identity and her allegiance as she faces hard realities about who she is and the world she lives in. Clark's precise, thorough worldbuilding allows this remarkable novel to dive deep into the intricate workings of colonialism, exposing how power structures are maintained through social conditioning and exploring the emotional toll of political conflict. The result is a captivating story that works both as high fantasy and skillful cultural commentary.
