This was a fantastic sequel to The Unbroken, we got to explore more of the empire, lots of court politics and so much sapphic pining between Touraine and Luca. I loved there introduction of some of the characters -Sabine is definitely one of my new faves. Cannot wait for book 3, 4.5 stars.

The most awaited book of 2023 turns to be a great sequel with engaging characters, a thrilling prose and a sense of adventure, social class and queerness at it's best. I wish all epic fantasy books had the fire this story has. The plot is awesome and I read all of it in just two days. A masterpiece.

Thank you for the ARC!

Absolutely amazing. This took all of the aspects from the first one that I loved (characters, politics, world building) and amped it up 10 fold whilst adding in so many surprises!
Sabine continues to be iconic and I cannot wait to see where the third volume goes.

I read and really enjoyed the first book of this series (The Unbroken) when it came out in 2021, so I jumped at the chance to read an ARC of this one and it didn't let me down. Middle books of trilogies are sometimes a difficult sell, and while the rating for this one is slightly lower than the first, but generally speaking I was left wanting more - the story moves on, the characters develop and there's enough left hanging that it's not 100% clear where things are going to go.

We start The Faithless pretty much where the previous book left off. Qazāl has shaken loose of Balladaire's control and is now trying to find its way as an independent state - one of our protagonists (Touraine) is finding politics still not much to her liking. She is, however, the natural choice to send as ambassador to Balladaire, not just because of her upbringing but because of hopes that she can use her relationship with Luca, the princess whose uncle is regent and keeping her from the throne, to Qazāl's advantage. Alongside this, where this time Touraine in the Balladairean court is the fish-out-of-water, there's more going on in Qazāl's neighbouring countries when one of Touraine's fellow soldiers is sent to try and build a relationship, only to find herself instigating a coup.

The main story this time around is the politicking within the court, with Luca trying to oust her uncle and claim the throne she sees as hers by right. She promises, after all, a good deal for Qazāl if Touraine supports her but can this be trusted? Can Luca even manage to get what she wants or will the process destroy her and threaten Qazāl's independence as well? I'm looking forward already to seeing how book 3 works this all out, as while some of those threads are tied off in The Faithless, there's still enough left hanging to make a decent storyline going forward.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!*

In this second installment of the Magic of the Lost trilogy we swap the desert setting for the Balladairan palace, the fights for court intrigues and the Qazali rebels for the Balladairan fingers.

<b>The Faithless is more character-driven and centered around the development of the relationships and politics between the characters and the countries</b>. This time Touraine is an ambassador in Balladaire and she needs to make sure Luca keeps her word and helps Qazal with its recently acquired freedom. But first Luca has to win the crown from her uncle.

I have to admit I didn’t enjoy this book as much as <i>The Unbroken</i>. Where in <i>The Unbroken</i> there is a balance between plot and character development, in <i>The Faithless</i>, the latter seems to be a lot more prominent. I did still like and enjoy this book, but it felt slower and it seemed to me that there were less things going on.

If you enjoy books that are heavy on politics and court intrigues, you’ll love this book. But if you expected more military fantasy with fights and action scenes you might be slightly disappointed with this sequel.

The <b>strong points of this book are the characters and their charisma</b>, especially <b>Touraine, Luca and Sabine</b>. Even if they are very unlikable at times, you still feel drawn to them and care for them deeply because they are really captivating.

I also really enjoyed <b>Pruett and Fili’s stories </b>and I would have liked to see more of them. Especially Pruett’s perspective, which unfortunately was so spaced out throughout the book that I often forgot what was happening to her.

<u>All in all it was a good read and I am looking forward to book three in the series!</u>

Could the sequel to such an amazing book as The Unbroken possibly live up to my sky high expectations?

Yes.

Not only did The Faithless utterly knock my socks off, it sent my socks (and my emotions) off into orbit and I think they may never come back down again.

Big question first, do you need to do a reread before picking up book two? I would say it is well worth doing just because of the emotional arc feeling even more rich (or painful depending on how you look at it) and also for keeping a handle on the various characters and their allegiances.
But once you've made that decision and you're jumping into The Faithless what can you expect? I would say there is a deepening and breadthening of the themes of book one, stretching the already messy situation in which Tourraine and Luca find themselves at the end of book one into something EVEN messier.
CL Clark is, in my opinion, the master of taking these difficult ideas that often online spaces can turn into a cut and dry case and instead embracing the complexity of the themes while not compromising on the overall message. The same can be said for all manner of other elements of the story, in particularly the romance. If you love a complicated messy romance this is a book for you.
I also appreciated the broadening of the world in this book, it was really fascinating to see Luca on her 'home turf' and likewise to explore the facets of Tourraine's character in this different setting. I'm really interested to see where we end up in the next installment.
I was blown away by the emotional journey this book took me on. It has been a very long time since I've been so impressed by a sequel and I'll be recommending this to pretty much everyone I know until they've all read it too.
My rating: 5/5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

3.75 stars
The Faithless is an engaging sequel to The Unbroken. We follow very morally grey characters who are so complicated they could be villains. The story is filled with colonialism, revolution, politics and of course romance. I would have liked a 'story so far' section at the start as I struggled to recall the first book. I would have also liked more magic (I know that's a big part of the plot) as I feel it was barely touched on. About 75% through the book I was hoping this series was a duology as it felt like it could be finished however, there is another book to come in the series. I'm not sure if it would have been more powerful as a duology. I will definitely be reading the next book to see what else happens, but I really hope it's battles and magic - all the bits I wanted more of!

I struggled throughout a lot of this book to understand how it was all going to be wrapped up by the end - and then I discovered that there will be a third book, which made me understand this book is suffering from second book syndrome, with not that much plot movement going on up until the last 100 pages.

I did enjoy getting to know the characters more, however, particularly Luca, who was far more likeable, and Touraine, who was not nearly so frustrating as she had been in the first book. The romance was also way better than it had been in the previous book, with more chemistry being shown.

Again, an issue with this book is that hardly anything happens until 80% of the way through, and it leaves you feeling pretty bored for a lot of the story. I am looking forward to seeing how the story ends, but I just wish that there could be a more even distribution of plot events throughout the book, rather than all at the end.

A solid follow up to The Unbroken (book 1) with added adventure, intrigue and romance. I can't wait to see what this author does in the future.

5 STARS!

Synopsis: The rebels have won and Qazal is free, but the country is suffering from the repercussions of the rebellion and the Empire’s oppression. Touraine needs the treaty with Luca, but Luca’s position as future Queen is being threatened by her Uncle. If Luca’s uncle stays on the throne, then the Empire might just take back Qazal.

CW/TW: Death/Poisoning/Mentions of sacrifice/colonisation/Racism/Abuse/War/Death of a child/PTSD/Blood/ Others may be present.

Rep: Lesbian/Sapphic MC’s/Bi/Disabled MC/Sapphic side characters/Queer side characters/Black MC

To see my thoughts on Book 1- Book Review: The Unbroken (Magic Of The Lost #1), by C.L. Clark

THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1 (THE UNBROKEN)

The Faithless by CL Clark is an absolutely amazing sequel to The Unbroken that perfectly manages to capture the political, personal and emotional tensions that rise from rebellion and freedom from oppression.

I have to say, Clark is absolutely phenomenal at creating tension, angst and intrigue, and in this book those skills blossom beautifully.

Much like with book 1, Clark’s writing is brilliant, it is descriptive, rich and emotive. Even in the most simple scenes, you just can’t stop reading, there is something so raw and compelling about her characters, their thoughts, and their narrative. We get Touraine and Luca’s perspectives throughout the book and it works wonderfully. The dual POV continues to aid the pacing of the book, the development of the characters and serves to keep us invested in both characters. Overall, the pacing was very well done, from the action to the political conversations, I was fully invested.

In this book the rebellion is over, but the fight for freedom is not. Touraine is now on the council helping rule Qazal after they freed themselves from the empire. Meanwhile, Luca is trying to claim her throne and thwart her uncle’s attempts to stay in power. However, the two eventually combine forces when they realise that they need each others help. This was a fascinating dynamic to see play out. While Qazal is now free, it is still suffering from the long term effects of oppression and the price of rebellion, while Luca’s Empire is not exactly please with losing Qazal, and they blame Luca for the loss. The two however need this treaty between them if Qazal wants to remain free, and Luca needs help to claim her throne.

now, the two need each others aid but the repercussions of book 1, of the betrayals and the pain are not so easily forgiven and this means that we get my favourite thing! Tension! Angst! Pain! Now I wont spoilt the plot of the book because it is truly a fantastic read but I will say that I absolutely loved watching the two characters try to navigate their emotions in such a politically tense situation.

While the political plots, schemes, and searches for magic are still at the core of this book, what truly made it shine is the characters. And oh did I feel for Touraine throughout this book. Touraine is suffering from “battle shock” (PTSD) thanks to her painful experiences at the end of book 1, and her return to the Empire, even in the position of Ambassador, is difficult at best for her. Not to mention the tension between her and Luca after all they had been through. Given the power dynamics their relationship was always a little rocky and problematic – but I really enjoyed watching Touraine come into herself a bit more here, take a bit more control – and I hope to see this continue in book 3. It is a slow development, which is what makes it so realistic and emotional, but nonetheless you can see it happening. I love Touraine, and despite everything, she is still the hotheaded, stubborn but passionate rebel from book 1.

I also really loved Touraine’s relationships with Sabine and our wonderful High Priestess! Firstly, Sabine is hilarious, she is practically 90% flirt – her interactions with Touraine are amusing, and her charming but also quite brutally honest personality makes for an interesting mix. As for the High Priestess, I love! The sharp wit, the caution, and yet the kindness – brilliant and then mix in Touraine and Ghaland – it was just fantastic.

As for Luca, she is another fantastic character. Luca is interesting because she is the Empire. Luca wants to help Qazal, but there is a tension between her and Touraine because despite wanting to help Luca is still reluctant to do things that will challenge her position, meaning she will let some problematic behaviour go. However, we get some interesting character developments from Luca. As the book progresses, Luca takes on a more offensive position, where she begins making more drastic decisions. I’m looking forward to seeing how this plays out in book 3.

Also THE ENDING – Oh my god I cannot wait for book 3 there IS SO MUCH that can happen and I am so so looking forward to where all these threads lead because this book truly blew me away. I so so badly want to go on and on about why I loved this book and what I loved but it would spoil it and this is a book to savour! But I can tell you that I am so so excited for book 3 and want it NOW! Aha!

Overall, The Faithless by CL Clark is an absolute success. A phenomenal second instalment which had me absolutely enraptured from start to finish and I am buzzing with excitement for book 3.

*I received an eARC and physical ARC from @Orbitbooks/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review – thank you!

The Faithless was a solid follow up to The Unbroken. As with the first book, the sequel is a slowburning affair, something to sink your teeth into. It’s the ending where things become very interesting and, I’ll admit, they took a turn in a direction I didn’t expect (although perhaps should have).

The book opens a few months on from the successful rebellion that ended book one. Things are now in kind of dire straits in Qazal, being as they decimated their own food supply in order to oust Balladaire. It’s just as bad for Luca back home in Balladaire, too, since her uncle appears to have only consolidated his hold on the throne. So, Luca sends a letter pleading for Touraine to come as Qazal’s ambassador.

There’s been something about sequels to my favourite sapphic fantasy reads of 2021 — as I found with The Oleander Sword, there was the slightest case of second book syndrome. Likely as not, that’s probably just the fact that I found the first book(s) so good, and had built that up somewhat in my mind, that anything that’s not that becomes a little disappointing. That’s not to say I didn’t really enjoy this book by the end — I gave it 4 stars after all — but it didn’t quite reach the heights of the first book. However, I’m sure book three will come roaring back, given how this one ends, with certain characters now interestingly pitted against each other.

As with the first book, the focus is a lot on the political side of things, Touraine navigating her way through a hostile court, alongside Luca fighting her uncle at every turn. The action primarily happens towards the final third of the story, which is why I would call this one slowburning. It’s hard to say why it didn’t manage to capture my attention quite so effectively as the first book — I was more interested in Pruett’s story to be perfectly honest (although that didn’t mean I was uninterested in Touraine) — although perhaps I could attribute it to not rooting for Touraine and Luca as a relationship. I can’t put it down to much more than that: I didn’t want to see them in love, I wanted them to be antagonistic and reluctantly horny for one another. (This, by the way, is what I meant by the turn I should have seen coming.) That being said, there’s plenty of time left for it all to go wrong!

However, this was still a book that I enjoyed a whole lot and it’s a series where I’m eagerly awaiting to see what happens next.

4.25/5

Thank you netgalley and orbit for the e-arc in exchange of an honest review.

I had a little more trouble with this book, not because of the syndrome of the second book (I didn't find it suffered from it, on the contrary I found it quite dynamic) but rather because the story focuses on Luca and Balladaire and frankly... I don't really care about Luca. In volume 1 already my feelings towards her were quite conflicted especially from the 50% mark and unfortunately volume 2 didn't reverse the trend. However I preferred the pace of The Faithless to that of The Unbroken, it was much more engaging and I really wanted to know what happened next quickly.

As far as the story/plot goes, it's a bit of a mixed bag it feels like so much is happening with the twists and turns but at the same time... Not much happens so definitely a character driven book which is also great since I learned to appreciate the characters all the more. I was also very pleasantly surprised by Pruett's points of view, a character I appreciate more and more. She's so funny.

Another thing I really liked in these first two volumes is the way the author brings the bad decisions made by the characters and shows us that not only do they have consequences but that these consequences don't only affect them and can have a much greater impact. This is an aspect that is missing in many books and it's pretty cool to see it here.

I can't wait to read volume 3, and to see what C. L. Clark has in store for us in the conclusion of this great series!

3.5/5

Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I adored The Unbroken, it was a five star read for me. Unfortunately, The Faithless suffers a little from second book syndrome.
Some of my main criticisms are fairly personal—I don't care much for Luca as a character and this sequel focuses more on her and the setting of Balladaire. Within these dislikes that are entirely subjective, there are also others that hold up to sturdier reasonings—the court politics seemed clunky and disorganised, and the stakes felt fabricated. What I mean by this is that our main character's decisions and motivations changed too often with minimal repercussions, their decisions did not hold the weight I thought that they should hold, and it overall made for quite a confusing (and, at times, seemingly redundant) narrative.

Where The Faithless picks up again and retains the same themes I loved in The Unbroken is in the other perspectives. I did not anticipate loving Pruett's perspective, however (even though it was a much smaller part of the story) I thought it held the most weight. It carries over from the first book its sense of rebellion, of an ex-conscript's twisted and complex relationship with empire and colonialism and sense of belonging.

There were also other amazing characters, I grew to love Aranen even more and Ghadin was brilliant, but most of this book hinges on political machinations and not much happening. We grasp at tendrils of this world's magic, but there isn't much actual movement in the majority of this story. This is a problem that many second books in trilogies fall into, hence second book syndrome.

I still think you should absolutely read this trilogy, the first book is incredible, and I will be anxiously anticipating the third book! I truly wish I had loved this, I really wanted to, but it sadly fell a bit flat for me. It was in no shape or form bad, however it didn't live up to my high expectations put in place by my love for The Unbroken.

I love this book even more than the first! Usually the second book in a trilogy is the worst as known by middle book syndrome. But that is not the case for the Faithless. CL Clark writes in a way where the characters feel so real. The world building is so fleshed out. The sapphic epic story that's been needed. If you enjoyed the first you will love the sequel!

Thanks to Little Brown Books for ARC.
This is the second book in The Lost Magic series, and it left off where the Unbroken finished. There were some interesting new characters, good representation of disabilities, more romance.
I felt there this book suffered from middle book syndrome, there were pages where nothing seemed to happen and it dragged.
Will definitely be picking up the last book in the trilogy.

3.75 stars

Everyone knows how hard second books in trilogies can be. To impress, to live up to the original, and especially to top the original. The Faithless is one of those second books that I actually liked more than the first. The pacing isn't much faster than in The Unbroken, it seems like this is simply the style Clark prefers in her books. This is fine, as what made this book better was that Touraine wasn't as much of a naive dumbass as she was in book 1, and Luca was so much more likeable. I couldn't stand Luca in the first book. I felt like throwing something every time her chapters came around, but Clark's characters definitely grew from the first book and that is always nice to see. I absolutely despise static characters, even more so when it comes to series. Another thing I liked was that all three of the leading characters have a very distinct voice for a book with multiple POVs in 3rd person. Oftentimes, my complaint with multi-POV books is that the character voices blend together, that isn't the case in The Faithless and is another reason why it is a strong contender after The Unbroken.

Plot-wise, there is a lot happening, but at the same time, nothing happens. This was definitely more of a character-based book, and for once I didn't mind it because I found the characters so lacking in book 1, and it was good to actually understand them, and sympathise with them somewhat. The romance was also a lot better, and it just goes to show that slow-burn romances are the way to go. I might not have shipped Luca and Touraine in book 1 (mainly because of my distaste for Luca), but I admit to getting butterflies during the more intimate scenes here.

Similar to my complaint with the deus ex machina ending for The Unbroken, I am not a fan of how there is always so much conflict going on, but ends up being solved abruptly and so easily once the 80% mark comes around. It doesn't feel as satisfying and makes the aforementioned high stakes seem not so high because we know they will be somehow solved by the end of the book. Clark does not shy away from killing off her characters though, which was demonstrated in how she killed off 3-4 major supporting characters in one chapter.

I will read the finale of the trilogy because I am pretty invested in this series by now. I hope it's better in terms of plot progression, conflict resolution and pacing as compared to the first two books. Clark's improvement in writing is pretty noticeable in The Faithless, so I trust we are in good hands for the ending. So far the sapphic trifecta has not disappointed me, and I am excited for the resolution for all three of the book later this year or hopefully next year.

Thank you to Netgalley, Little Brown Book Group UK, and Orbit UK for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The Faithless comes out March 7th 2023.

first of all, I’d like to thank netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc. I have loved The Unbroken and was eagerly waiting for the sequel, and I’m so glad I was able to snatch this advanced copy. this review is spoiler-free for the 2nd book, but I discuss spoilers for the 1st book.
if you know me, you know I love myself a good fantasy and a story about fights against colonialism and tyranny. The Unbroken was perfect in that regard, one can really tell that Clark is a real master in writing about colonial exploitations and the dilemmas that come with it. I will be continuously mentioning The Unbroken here because I believe that what Clark gets it right in the first volume of this series goes on to The Faithless. the worldbuilding is amazing, and we get to see a little bit more of the Taargens and begin to understand how does this world’s magic works in more depth.
I was so happy to find out that this book does not suffer from Second Book Syndrome at all. I really enjoyed the pacing and the focus on politics and politicking. I prefer battle of wits over battle of swords, and we see much more of diplomacy and arguments than of physical battle scenes. it makes sense, given the fact that the rebellion was won in the first instalment of the series, and now the conflict that moves the plot forward in centred on ensuring that Qazal remains sovereign and free.
Clark portrays the Qazali struggles really well, positioning Touraine and Luca as allies and really the only ones who can understand what they both went through during the revolution. I was always worried about Luca – she’s the princess of a colonizing nation and the love interest of one of the rebel leaders; how would Clark be able to possibly make this all work? but it does work, beautifully and with lots of arguments and complex compromises. it is by no means easy, but that’s what makes it enjoyable. Touraine never lets Luca forget about what Balladaire has done to her country and her people, and Luca is deeply aware of everything she owes to the Shalan nations. it doesn’t feel forced, neither does it feel like the narrative is giving Luca a pass for being a princess.
this book is mainly set in Balladaire, and I found this setting to be very well done. Qazal felt deeply lived in, with Touraine getting to know the city streets as well as the back of her hand; in Balladaire, we don’t spend as much time getting familiar with the physical spaces, but there is a clear feeling that this place is real, that the locations were thought out and make sense in the greater scheme of things.
as for the characters, I loved the new additions to the cast, such as Ghadin, Sabine and Perrot. I loved Pruett’s POVs, she’s such a feisty character, with a very distinctive voice, it was always extremely amusing to experience the world through her eyes and seeing what she was up to. Pruett was one of my favourite characters in The Unbroken, so I was extremely excited to know more about her, and she brought some much-needed levity to a shit situation. Luca is a delight as always, mainly because it is great to see a royal and a White character having to actual deal with the horrible things her ancestors have done and to take actual steps to fix their mistakes. Touraine is such a complex and interesting character, it was both painful and interesting to see her back in Balladaire. she is in so much pain throughout this book, I felt deeply for her but also I can see how it was necessary to her growth.
all in all, The Faithless set up the echecs board with lots of complicated plays in the horizon. I loved the book from start to finish, and it is a fantastic sequel. I just wish we got more answers about the Many Legged history, and got to spend more time with the Qazali council. I can only thank Clark for writing the anti-colonialist book of fiction I have always wanted to read. both The Unbroken and The Faithless have ingrained themselves deep in my heart.

The Faithless continue to showcase truly exceptional postcolonial fantasy. There is an intellectual rigor and utter empathy with which these massive issues of oppression and competing interests are explored; this does not allow for easy answers and genuinely challenges the reader. And all of this high level political philosophy is tethered so tightly to the emotional arcs of our main characters: Touraine and Luca get to explore so much within themselves and particularly in relation to each other - if you have ever found yourself questioning power dynamics in romantic pairings, this is the book to read to pursue those thoughts. I deeply cared for them, and for supporting characters (including the fun addition of Sabine) at all points. I cannot really ask anything more of a fantasy novel, let alone the middle book in a trilogy - an absolute success.

"The Unbroken" (book 1) was magnificent. "The Faithless" is everything it needs to be, and a little bit more, to stand beside its "big sister" in this series. I can't get the words together to tell you how much I enjoyed reading this. The plot, the characters, the setting - there is nothing to find fault with. The writing? Sublime.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

The Faithless is the second book in the Magic of the Lost series. We left Luca and Touraine, and their countries, in a bit of a precarious position and with a whole lot of trauma alongside. Luca is back in her home and continuing her fight to become Queen. She’s playing the game and dealing with dire consequences from an Uncle who will do pretty much anything to stop her ascension. Plus a city that learnt from the rebellion in Qazal and may come for her next. Touraine is chosen to become an ambassador, to travel to Balladaire and work with those in power to get what Qazal needs. Food, water and healers are scarce, considering everything… and aid is needed, but not at any cost. Will Touraine weaponise Luca’s feelings for her like her mother wants her to, will Luca lose everything and everyone around her along her fight to the throne. Will we learn of magic in Balladaire, whether it does or does not possess it, will Touraine be able to access that magic of her own once more, and what will be the price for it all?

I’m not sure if anything counts as spoilers under here, but be cautious just in case!

I feel like CL Clark is going to become someone I read everything from, and happily so, I hope there’s many more books from them to read. The way they write characters, their thoughts, struggles and longings is just perfect to me; it’s nuanced and powerful and can make you understand each choice they make even if you so desperately don’t want to. They’re messy and human and lovable and infuriating and it's great.

The Faithless feels very different to The Unbroken, but not in a bad way at all - kind of just in the way it should - these characters have grown, we’ve gone through what we’ve gone through and here’s the aftermath of that. I do feel some people may find it slower because there’s less ‘action’ - in terms of violence and war - but it makes sense, and I am a character-first kind of person who could and would read many a book of Touraine and Luca and everyone else just having conversations. It’s also a book that could have maybe felt claustrophobic, it’s set almost solely in the Palace with small sections set in other places or outside its gates. But I actually found the city of Qazal more confining and somewhat more comforting now in comparison, and this had a more wide and insecure feeling - like there were less places to hide, we were out in the open vulnerable. I think maybe because of the contrast between Luca’s small living space in Qazal, and Touraine's barracks and tents and jail cells, being thrown into a palace made us feel a fish-out-of-water and overwhelming feeling, maybe similarly to Touraine, and that’s great. (A sidenote to say I loved how Clark wrote Touraine’s panic and PTSD in the first book and the way it was expanded on in this one was also brilliantly done - I mean, I don’t want to see Touraine struggling but I do so appreciate the way it was written.)

As the book built it felt like a tense coil, that at any moment someone could turn, anyone could be killed and no one could be trusted. If the first book taught us anything it’s that we’re never going to know the character’s or Clark’s next move. It made me on edge and intrigued the entire time. It felt like we had a pace we had to keep up with and if we stumbled everything would fall, and I think that’s how Luca felt too.

I loved seeing Luca in this space and exploring what and who made her who she is. The further insight into her mind and the delicate balance she walks even inside that was so welcome, and those moments of anger, of protectiveness we saw were even more so. I loved seeing her fight to contain herself and choose when she didn’t, and the same with Touraine too. Sabine is a favourite forever, please give me more of her and more of her and Touraine and Luca together. Touraine’s growth and her grappling with what was important to her and to her country and how to balance that made for a beautiful journey and I cannot wait, seriously, I am so excited, to see where their journey goes next. Her and Luca and Pruett (who we saw a little more of in this book and I am feeling a lot of trepidation about where she’ll go next) and the rest of the council in Qazal, and new characters who we met through Pruett and Touraine alike. I think I’m going to be even more impatient this time around.

I previously gave The Unbroken 5 stars, and though it deserved it, I kind of wish I’d given it less, solely because I can’t give this one 6…