I’d like to preface this book rant by saying that I normally keep my negative reviews to my social reading platforms (i.e. Goodreads and Storygraph) because I want to keep my blog a more positive space. It’s been a minute since I’ve felt so… Frustrated and disappointed by a book that I was so looking forward to, and I just needed to get it out, so here I am with this “rant”. 😅 I tried to tone myself down, but this is definitely still a long read. I was clearly feeling the feels right after finishing this read (which is when I wrote this down). Please excuse errors/redundancies due to being in the thick of my feels, lol! 🤭

Oh no, where do I even begin? I was really looking forward to reading this and it sounded like something I’d enjoy immensely. Unfortunately, I didn’t get on board with it. I read this with Becky and I feel like the majority of our discussions were rants about how we wanted so much more—more depth, emotion, and connection. It constantly felt like we were getting somewhere interesting, only for the author to pull back just when I wanted (and felt like we needed) to dive in deeper. I kept hoping my feelings would change as I continued reading, but I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated instead. 😮‍💨

That said, it definitely wasn’t all bad! I really enjoyed the influences behind the world-building and setting. The story draws heavily on France’s colonial history in North Africa, and you can see those influences in the setting, customs, religion, and characters. The desert setting felt incredibly atmospheric, and the book doesn’t shy away from depicting the brutal and dehumanising treatment of the colonised by the colonisers. It was hard to read at times, but also infuriating in exactly the way I think Clark intended.

There are also some interesting themes, such as colonialism, power structures, identity and belonging, as well as faith, and I thought these were woven into the story well. I don’t know why I was expecting something more high-brow in writing tone, but I was pleasantly surprised by how digestible and approachable the writing is. I think this helped with the pacing, as the plot also moves along fairly quickly (despite a little lull in the middle). I also appreciated that this is a very queer-normative world, and I thought the disability representation was handled with care.

The magic was another aspect I found fascinating, particularly its connection to faith and the idea that how it is wielded—and the intentions behind it—can affect its consequences. I just wish we’d gotten more of it! For a first book in a series about “lost magic”, there was surprisingly little of it, and I was constantly left wanting to know more.

And, honestly, I think that sums up most of my issues with the book: I wanted more.

More history and context for the world outside El-Wast. More exploration of Briga and the Cursed City. More consequences for some of the major events that take place. There are murders, kidnappings, and even “spontaneous executions” that seem to happen with surprisingly little investigation or fallout, and I struggled to understand the rather laissez-faire attitude towards some of them. 😅

I also really struggled to connect with the characters. Touraine and Luca are presented as intelligent, highly capable and complex women in very complicated positions on opposite ends of a spectrum, and I wanted to sink my teeth into that complexity. Unfortunately, there was too much telling over showing their struggles and experiences. Both of them also made decisions that were incredibly rash and inconsistent with what we were being told about them, which made it difficult for me to understand or root for them.

I especially wish we’d gotten more from the relationships around Touraine. There was so much potential for stronger found family dynamics with the Sands and the rebels, but I never quite felt the closeness we were told existed. The same goes for Touraine’s relationship with her mother. I can appreciate that it was a messy (understatement) situation, but the emotional potential fell flat and there was very little exploration of the relationship dynamic and what the past meant for their present and future.

Luca was another struggle for me. I initially liked her intelligence and determination, but as the story progressed, I became increasingly frustrated by how easily influenced she was and how often she made huge decisions without seemingly considering the consequences. I kept thinking, COUNSEL. Luca and Touraine desperately needed someone to sit them down, give them advice, present another perspective, and occasionally urge them to hold their freaking horses before making yet another rash emotionally charged decision! I think this was especially lacking when it came to Luca, who is supposed to assume her role as QUEEN. The complete absence of anyone providing that kind of guidance to her absolutely baffled me.

And then there was the romance… I really wanted to love this pairing, but unfortunately I just didn’t understand the attraction between Touraine and Luca. Given the enormous power imbalance between them, and you know, the fact that one is trying to be queen of the colonizers and the other a colonized product of forced assimilation, it was uncomfortable to say the least. I also never understood why they continued to feel such a strong pull towards each other after everything that happened. Perhaps I would’ve felt differently about their relationship had I felt more connected to the characters or thought the foundation of their romance was more convincing.

Ultimately, I think my biggest frustration is that there are so many things here that should have worked for me. The premise is fantastic, the themes are compelling, the setting is fascinating, and there are so many interesting themes as well. I just never felt like the book went quite as deep as I wanted it to.

I don’t know if I’m being too harsh with this review—I’m writing it hot off finishing the book and I (clearly) have SO MANY FEELINGS. 😂 I’m genuinely sad though that this didn’t work for me because I really wanted to love it. I’m not completely opposed to reading the next book, but I also don’t think I’ll realistically ever prioritise it, so this may end up being a series I DNF.

Have you read The Unbroken or is it on your TBR?

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