The Faithless

By: C. L. Clark

Narrated by: Rasha Zamamiri

In the second installment of C.L. Clark's Magic of the Lost trilogy, soldier Touraine and princess Luca must return to Balladaire to reclaim Luca's throne and to face the consequences of dismantling an empire.

The rebels have won, and the empire is withdrawing from Qazal. But undoing the tangled web that binds the two nations will not be easy, and Touraine and Luca will face their greatest challenge yet.

Luca needs to oust her uncle from the Balladairan throne once and for all and take her rightful place as Queen. But he won't let go of power so easily. When he calls for a "Trial of Competence" and Luca's allies start disappearing from her side, she will need to find a way to prove her might. And she knows someone who can help...

Touraine has found a home in the newly free country of Qazal. But she soon realizes that leading a country and leading a revolution are two very different tasks. And, even more importantly, if Luca's uncle doesn't ratify the treaty, the Qazali could end up right back where they started.

Together, the two women will have to come overcome their enemies, their history, and their heartbreak in order to find a way to secure Luca's power and Touraine's freedom.

Critic reviews

Praise for The Unbroken:

“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.” ―Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter

"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.” ―K.A. Doore, author of The Perfect Assassin

"The Unbroken grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. A perfect military fantasy: brutal, complex, human, and impossible to put down." ―Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne

"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." ―Alix E. Harrow, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January

"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!" ―Shelley Parker-Chan, author of She Who Became the Sun

"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." ―Library Journal

"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." ―Publishers Weekly

The Accents Got Me

I loved this book. I thought it was well written but it was also performed well. I was listening to it and my mouth literally dropped at certain moments.

I always loved how some audiobooks had narrators who gave a performance instead of just reading. The accents were one of my favorite as it clearly distinguished which country someone was from.

Highly recommend and can’t wait for the next book.

Holy S***

I’m struggling to find the words to explain how much I loved this story. I was completely enthralled the entire time; I found myself laughing, crying, and gasping at every turn. C.L Clark has an amazing talent for writing such complex characters in situations where they’re faced with impossible decisions. And Rasha’s performance was phenomenal. What a pairing, what a book. Thank you for this.

Incredible

This sequel took everything i loved and enjoyed about book 1 and made it even better. The political intrigue is top notch. The characters are complex. The magic is mysterious and has me clambering for more info.

I did find The Faithless had less action than The Unbroken, but even that didn't bother me as I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out who would win in this game of échecs

an excellent follow up to an already great story

the author succeeds in bringing even more life and color to a fleshed out cast of characters. the struggles, while frustrating by necessity, are structured in a way that you can actually expect there is a chance the characters will fail (and they certainly don't always win, at least not in the ways they would want) something most novels struggle at.
every moment in this book felt earned and the way the characters learn and grow while still essentially remaining true to their core, was truly satisfying

i cannot wait to begin the next chapter in this series

Outstanding

This was a great adventure with great world building. It felt different from any book I’ve read in a while. The spice was great too