I’ve been diligently reading in between the busiest few months I can remember in my entire life, so apologies for the somewhat (okay… more than somewhat) long pauses in between posts. I’m getting there soon!
Having loved The Unbroken, I immediately requested this one when it was available. I jumped right in as soon as I could.
The Unbroken was ‘Touraine’s Arms’ so is this one ‘Luca’s Smirk?’ because damn.
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 won’t 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 have to prove her might. And she knows someone who can help…
Touraine has found a home in the newly free country of Qazal. However, she soon realizes that leading a country and leading a revolution are two very different tasks. And, even more importantly, if Luca won’t keep her promises, the Qazali could end up right back where they started.
Together, the two women must overcome their enemies, their history, and their heartbreak in order to secure Luca’s power and Touraine’s freedom.
The Faithless takes place shortly after the events of The Unbroken. Touraine is being sent to Balladaire as the new Quazali ambassador, as the new council of leaders in Quazal hope to use her prior relationship to take advantage of Luca. She reluctantly goes, and when she gets there, she finds that Luca’s uncle has made a bid for the throne. It’s up to Luca and Touraine to oust him from the throne so she can take her rightful place, all while political shenanigans are going on all around them.
I liked this one quite a lot. Touraine is still a really easy character for me to cheer for, because she tries her best to do what she feels is right, even if the consequences are sometimes not very great. Luca is still…. Luca. On the one hand, I did enjoy reading about the relationship between Luca and Touraine, but on the other hand, fuck Luca.
With some very nice prose, and a story that kept me reading into the wee hours, I liked this one probably about the same as I liked The Unbroken, which is always a good thing! I didn’t feel that this one suffered from second book or middle book syndrome. I’m excited to see where the story goes!~
All told, if you liked The Unbroken, you should have no trouble enjoying The Faithless. Can’t wait for more! 4/5 stars!~
superstardrifter 
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