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 order to expand their power base, the forces of the Balladairan empire are not averse to subjugating an entire culture. In the country of Qazāl, they have occupied the capital city of El-Wast. Using military oppression, the threat of violent retribution and political manoeuvring, the Balladairans control every aspect of life. The natives of El-Wast are viewed with distrust or outright hostility.
Touraine was stolen away from Qazāl as a small child. She has been raised to fight and, if necessary, die for the Balladairan empire. Returning to where she born lights a fire within Touraine. What follows is her journey of self-discovery against the backdrop of a city ready to implode.
The evolution of Touraine’s character is riveting. Clark’s writing perfectly captures the jumble of conflicting emotions within. There is the sense of duty that has been driven into the conscript for years. The Balladairan Colonial Brigade is the only family Touraine has ever known. There is the guilt of returning to her homeland as part of a conquering army. Touraine’s anger towards her lords and masters, who consider the conscripts little more than an expendable resource to be used as they see fit, is barely controlled. There are positives too, however; that small glimmer of hope that things can be better for those Touraine cares about, and the possibility of reconnecting with everything she has lost. Where the story really excels is exploring the dichotomy that exists within Touraine. There is a steely determination, a resolve to push forward with her chosen course of action but there is also a brittle fragility deep within. Touraine has spent so long living at her physical and emotional limit, it often feels like she is a single breath away from total collapse. The mental strains of her life are claustrophobic and all-consuming at times and she doesn’t always know which way to turn. Touraine has been dropped into the midst of a volatile political situation and is trying to do her best to survive. What sets her above your standard protagonist is the way C L Clark’s characterisation humanises Touraine’s experience. Touraine is flawed, she makes mistakes, and has to live with the consequences of her actions.
In tandem with Touraine’s story, we follow Luca, a member of Balladairan royalty who has been tasked with protecting the interests of the empire within the city. The occupation of El-Wast is a key component of Luca securing her claim to the crown of Balladaire. Groomed for leadership since birth, she is consumed by the idea of proving herself. If she is able to effectively manage the situation in El-Wast, then the throne should be Luca’s by right.
As the taut narrative unfolds there are moments where Touraine and Luca’s goals are in alignment and others where they are in direct opposition. I never doubted for a moment that Touraine and Luca both were doing what they thought was for the best. It makes the scenes between them, where we get the back and forth of their differing counterpoints, absolutely captivating. This is fiction that demands your attention. What is the cost of freedom to an individual? How far would you be prepared to go in order to achieve it? So many are consumed by the fear that different is somehow wrong. Can’t it just be different? These are exactly the sorts of questions we should be asking ourselves and it’s great to see fiction being used to highlight the desperate need for such discussion.
C L Clark’s writing is so confident, so self-assured, I had to keep reminding myself that The Unbroken is a debut. The novel deftly picks apart the need to understand where you come from and how that makes you who you are. Touraine and Luca are both forced to confront the prejudices that have shaped their lives. Both individually reach crossroad moments where the decisions they make change their characters at a fundamental level. It’s only the very best fiction that not only entertains but also challenges and informs. Clark’s powerful storytelling does exactly that. Over the last few years, I’ve spent time trying to better understand other people’s life experiences. Books like The Unbroken have helped to promote this introspective journey and I’m thankful for being given the opportunity to learn.
The Unbroken is published by Orbit and is available from 25th March. Highly recommended. Book two of the Magic of the Lost is set to follow.
My musical recommendation to accompany The Unbroken is the soundtrack to Assassin’s Creed Origins by Sarah Schachner. Clark’s writing has an evocative air, El-Wast comes alive on every page. Listening to this album while following Touraine’s story enhanced every word.
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