Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
Categories
Fantasy

THE UNBROKEN

C.L. Clark

Debut author C. L. Clark spins an epic tale of rebellion, espionage, and military might on the far outreaches of a crumbling desert empire in this North-African inspired fantasy.

Turaine 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.

C.L. Clark graduated from Indiana University's creative writing MFA. She's been a personal trainer, an English teacher, and an editor, and is some combination thereof as she travels the world. When she's not writing or working, she's learning languages, doing P90something, or reading about war and [post-]colonial history. Her short fiction has appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, FIYAH, PodCastle and Uncanny.

Available products
Book Published 2021-03-23 by Orbit

Comments

C L Clark's epic fantasy debut reveals all the ugly, painful, deeply personal complexities of revolution against empire, captured in shimmering pointillist detail. I'm in awe!

UK: Orbit UK ; Italian: Mondadori

C. L. Clark's explosive debut is a fantasy for fans of real historical problems... Clark's vivid writing admirably captures the complex loyalties of war. There's murder, intrigue, politics, and power struggles in store for these wonderfully real characters as they make some questionable decisions in pursuit of peace. THE UNBROKEN is a fascinating reminder that there can be a big difference between love and loyalty. Read more...

Fantasy fans get excited because this one is next-level. It features two formidable women fighting for justice, against colonial powers and contending with the complexities that accompany resistance, identity, love and humanity Read more...

It doesn't take long to realize THE UNBROKEN is something special. I'm going to need the second book ASAP.

C.L. Clark gives us an unflinching story of colonialism and revolution and the people caught between. THE UNBROKEN grabs you by the collar, breaks your heart over its knee and mends it. An astonishing debut.

A bold and exciting work that helps steer the evolution of the genre into the next decade.

Clark's depiction of anticolonial violence and war narratives was remarkably precise... Clark masterfully engages all actors and viewpoints within this complex web of power.

THE UNBROKEN is a military fantasy that is tense, brutal, and unabashedly frank about the complexities of love, loyalty, and imperialism/colonization...an epic journey from start to finish. It's brutal, it's suspenseful, but most of all, it punches you right in the feels.

The Most Anticipated Debuts Of 2021: In this sapphic tale of political intrigue and war, a child soldier and a revolutionary heir work together to stop a rebellion and start a coup. Kidnapped as a child and turned into a weapon, Touraine's just been ordered back to her homeland, where the people are on the verge of a revolt. Meanwhile, Luca, the heir to the empire that destroyed Touraine's childhood, needs to unseat her uncle, no matter the cost. Read more...

Combined with Clark's undeniable skill as both a writer and a world builder, this plunge into plot renders THE UNBROKEN a remarkably active read. It requires attention from the reader in ways few speculative works do... THE UNBROKEN is not a dark fantasy. There is a current of optimism that flows throughout... It's a hope that all these people and places will somehow remain, in spite of the destruction that flawed, selfish, well-meaning people wreak on each other, unbroken. Read more...

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. I loved this sky-falling book.

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. Read more...

New sci-fi & fantasy authors who will wow us in 2021: Divided loyalties, high-stakes political games, and a desert empire on the brink of civil war form the backdrop of this fascinating new fantasy novel. A battered army soldier and the niece of the emperor don't have a lot in common on the surface, but these two strong women find themselves unlikely allies and sometime enemies in this action-packed series-starter. Read more...

Get ready to fall in love with Touraine and Luca in one of the best fantasy debuts I have ever read!

Despite this being her first book, Clark writes with the nuance of a seasoned veteran. THE UNBROKEN is one part story of revolution, one part complicated queer romance, and one part political fantasy that will leave any fan of Game of Thrones happy.

With its incisive look at the irreconcilable conflicts that colonialism wedges between desire, duty, individuality, and community, C.L. Clark's THE UNBROKEN is a compelling and persuasive reimagining of both heroism and heroics as something inseparable from identity, perspective, and history. It's a deeply needed look at the myths we make, the stories we tell, and the bitterly binding ties of both blood and bondage.

C.L. Clark's THE UNBROKEN has been nominated for a Nebula Award for Best Novel! Winners will be announced in a virtual ceremony during the 2022 Nebula Conference on May 21. Read more...

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.

48 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases To Look Out For In 2021: ...This complex and emotional North Africaninspired epic fantasy has both LGBTQ+ representation and a main character with disabilities. Read more...

I've become a broken record about this book, repeating over and over how much I like it. But this action-packed fantasy novel set in a desert city that's boiling over with rebellions against the empire is absolutely riveting... This nuanced tale explores the repercussions of colonialism through Touraine's eyes and the eyes of the woman who wants to be the next ruler of the empire - and who is also working hard to overcome prejudice. That thoughtfulness, plus gritty fighting and a dose of magic, has made The Unbroken one of my favorite reads of the year so far.

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... 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. Read more...

THE UNBROKEN grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. A perfect military fantasy: brutal, complex, human, and impossible to put down.

A queernorm world dealing with racism, magic, and head-versus-heart decisions creates rich settings and characters... This strong debut is filled with exciting action and worldbulding, intriguing characters dealing with themes of colonization, military conscription and indoctrination, and an explosion of feelings. Readers will be clamoring for more of Touraine and Luca before they finish. Read more...

THE UNBROKEN is a thrilling examination of love and loyalty under the crushing weight of empire. It's high adventure on a human scale--don't miss it.

I've become a broken record about this book, repeating over and over how much I like it. But this action-packed fantasy novel set in a desert city that's boiling over with rebellions against the empire is absolutely riveting ... This nuanced tale explores the repercussions of colonialism through Touraine's eyes and the eyes of the woman who wants to be the next ruler of the empireand who is also working hard to overcome prejudice. That thoughtfulness, plus gritty fighting and a dose of magic, has made The Unbroken one of my favorite reads of the year so far. Read more...

Rife with political, familial, and romantic tension, THE UNBROKEN is a riveting epic fantasy about a city on the knife's edge of rebellion, a tangle of alliances, and a desperate search for magic and hope.

THE UNBROKEN is one of Mary Sue's "15 of the Most Anticipated Diverse Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novels of 2021" one of Bustle's "The Most Anticipated Books Of March 2021, From Machinehood To Eternal"

I mean, damn look at this cover! That, and knowing there's #OwnVoices queer Black content, is about enough for me, but here are more details: this is the first book in a new fantasy series, Magic of the Lost. Touraine and Luca are two women, each with their own mission. Touraine is a soldier raised from childhood to be loyal to the empire. But now that she's been sent back to the homeland from which she was stolen, she's not so sure. Luca, imperial princess, is determined to get her uncle off the throne at all cost. Assassinations, rebellions, and more bring the two women's stories together. Read more...

The Most Anticipated 2021 Book Releases: In an epic political fantasy unlike any other, two women clash in a world full of rebellion, espionage, and military might on the far outreaches of a crumbling desert empire. Read more...