Many of the Sands chafe at the restrictions put upon them by their Balladairan commanders. As you can imagine, the Sands’ assignment in Qazāl ends up one being fraught with conflict. The demonization of our language, literature, and cultural practices as uncivilized? The elevation of the foreign language as a mark of sophistication? Doesn’t this all sound familiar? Let’s talk about the SandsĪn interesting aspect about the portrayal of colonization in The Unbroken is the Sands, a Balladairan military unit composed entirely of Qazāli conscripts who were taken from their families as children. I’m sure other readers from colonized global south countries can relate. Like I mentioned earlier, Clark draws from the colonization of North Africa by France, but I recognized a lot of elements present in the Spanish and subsequent American colonization of the Philippines as well. This reflects real world colonization playbooks implemented by European nations and the United States. Naturally, both groups are pitted against each other by the Balladairan colonial powers precisely because it benefits them for their colonies to not be united.

There are those who are able to assimilate into Balladairan norms and standards, and those who resist. This creates a massive divide amongst the Qazāli themselves.

Not to mention deriding the local language as “barbaric”. We’re shown the swift and ruthless suppression of the Qazāli identity, such as banning poetry and songs. For Princess Luca, heir to the throne of Balladaire, the trip is a chance to prove herself to her uncle. For Tourine, leader of the military unit called the Sands, the assignment is a nightmare – but also a chance to prove her unit worthy of Balladaire. Inspired by the colonization of North Africa by the French, Clark takes us on a journey to Qazāl, a southern colony of the great Balladaire empire. The effects of colonization at the macro levelĪt its heart, The Unbroken is a story about colonization. Content Warnings: Imperialism, colonization, execution by hanging, torture, sexual assault, violence

The unbroken by cl clark