The Broken Tower

The Barrier Lands #2

by Kelly Braffet

  "An exciting fantasy adventure tale.” –Booklist, STARRED Review

Deeply immersive, this penetrating tale of magic, faith and self-determination is the brilliant sequel to Kelly Braffet’s The Unwilling

Judah the Foundling chose freedom over betrayal when she leaped from the top of the castle tower. Now she finds herself wandering an unknown forest, far from everything and everyone she loves. For the first time in her life, she’s beyond the great Wall that surrounds Highfall castle; for the first time, she’s alone. Away from the Seneschal, the power behind the throne; away from Nate Clare, the House Magus who was her teacher, friend, betrayer. Away from her foster brother, Gavin, with whom she has a mysterious bond that has kept them together—and kept her alive.

But Judah isn’t free. Fiercely sought by those who believe she holds the key to unlocking the power trapped in the world, she must learn to navigate the dangers of an unfamiliar place. She knows that somewhere, Gavin is in peril. To save him, she not only must learn to use the new power she discovers inside herself, she must survive.

The Barrier Lands

Book 1: The Unwilling
Book 2: The Broken Tower

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Fiction, High Fantasy, Audiobook, Mira

489 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 25, 2022

About the author

Kelly Braffet writes stories about unhappy people making bad decisions, occasionally with magic. She is the author of The Unwilling (available 2/20 from Mira Books), Save Yourself, and Last Seen Leaving; her first novel, Josie and Jack, has been made into a feature film starring Olivia DeJonge, Alex Neustaedter, and William Fitchner, and directed by Sarah Lancaster. Her writing has been published in the Fairy Tale Review, Post Road, and in several anthologies, as well as on Salon.com. She is a graduate of Columbia University and Sarah Lawrence College.

She is married to the tall and immensely talented writer Owen King. He's dreamy. For more, see www.kellybraffet.com.

Reviews

[Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know this is Judah’s story but I’d walk into fire for Elly.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now listen I HATE, like HATE— like would rather hop off a cliff then drag my mangled body in a saltwater body of water than read multi-perspective books.

This. Was. A. Multi. Perspective. Book.

^^That being said it wasn’t all that bad. The Unwilling series is one that I can’t even explain why I read. The story is good but not life changing, and the writing is good (periodt) But also the books are veryyyy long so you’d hopefully be reading it for more reasons than the story is good and the writing is good 🙂 But after every new release I find myself running not walking to get my hands on it and I’ve never regretted it.

For all romance lovers there is very little to absolutely no romance in this book (but also the series as a whole) yet it’s still endearing it’s kinda like that one thing you’re attached to but can’t explain. Actually it quite literally is that. And while I can’t explain why I read it I still think more people should the world building and the dimensionality of the world is INSANE like I can’t imagine how long it took to devise this at all. And again it’s a good read.

PLUS if you actually like multi-perspectives you’ll probably enjoy this, actually I’d wager you’ll love it. And even if you don’t and fit more in the category of wanting to jump of a cliff rather than read multi-perspectives you’ll either still enjoy it or grudgingly enjoy it, because if Braffet does one thing it is make each chapter, despite it being in a completely different place with a completely different conflict equally engrossing. Which is why I still liked the book.

One critique is this WHOLE book was literally setting up events for the next one which I’m sure will be amazing, but literally almost NONE of the main characters meet up and readers just follow them as they galavant across the continents ._.

OH also I HATED how the MCs didn’t act like main characters. You’re probably like what do you mean Kuda? Well whenever something bad would happen and they as the MC’s obviously had power to get them out of it they’d be like “damnnnnn I wish I could do something…. damn this turn of events really crazy innit 😔” As if they literally aren’t all royalty or extremely powerful. Like wtf do you mean you wish you could do something?!?! If you lazy just say that 🙄.


Anyways 4 stars ✨

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Broken Tower is the second book in The Barrier Lands series. Picking up where we left off in The Unwilling Judah wakes up to find herself helpless and alone in an unknown forest. Meanwhile back at the guildhall, three days journey from Highfall, Gavin and Elly find themselves in a tenuous situation and have their own set of problems to contend with. There are four points of view, each character getting their own spotlight by chapter. I’m not usually a fan of too many points of view but I felt the multiple viewpoints in this book worked well, as we get an insight into the thoughts and feelings of each of the characters on their individual adventure.

This is a long book but it never felt as if it dragged, there was plenty content to hold my interest. It is well written, I enjoyed the writing style and I found myself captivated by the storyline and all the characters contained within. This book is very much character driven and there is a large and varied cast as well as some interesting new side characters. I liked the uncertain alliance Judah forged with the two thieves, Cleric and Lukash, as they travel through the countryside together. The character growth is excellent and the main characters in particular have grown in strength, courage and determination.

The world itself is harsh, unforgiving and unjust but beautifully and vividly drawn by the author. Of the two books, I preferred The Broken Tower. There is more excitement and adventure and explanation into the magic system as Judah comes to realise the extent of her abilities. It has certainly set the scene for a third book as it cannot possibly end where it did!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted advanced copy.

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[Pie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was tricked! Bamboozled! Misled! When I first heard about The Unwilling, I thought it was a standalone, and was shocked when I got to the end to find a very unresolved cliffhanger. Okay, I thought, this is clearly a duology, two books and it's over. So I read this, the sequel, in order to see how things wrapped up, only to be treated to yet ANOTHER unresolved ending, meaning I guess this is a trilogy? Possibly I should have seen this coming from the beginning since this book introduces a bunch of new POV characters and separates all the old ones, but oh well. I do still think this is a good and underrated series, very dark but with interesting magic system (which actually gets talked about this book unlike the first one!) and well-done explorations of power and injustice. The claustrophobic setting of Highfall worked well for the first book but I also really liked getting to see new cultures and places in this book. There are quitea few plot lines left unresolved in this I am invested in seeing how things turn out for everyone, especially Elly and Judah, so I hope there's eventually a third book.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty bummed about this book. It’s one of those typical “shifting of chess pieces” book 2 types, where things happen, but no major plot progress. I still want to know how things turn out!

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Braffet has created a world that you get lost in - detailed, beautiful, and frightening. Pure magic!

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

Once again, we visit this harsh, brutal world where pain is meted out indiscriminately and self-preservation is the only way to survive. Trust no one and watch your back. Remain armed at all times.

As with the previous book, this is not a warm and fuzzy fantasy. If you are sensitive to cruelty, child abuse, and down right horrible people doing horrible things, you don't want to read this book, or this series.

The story is told from four main characters' points of view. The first is Judah. When Judah flung herself off the castle tower, instead of certain death she awoke in an unknown forest across the country. Although she is finally out from under the thumb of all who would control her, she is injured, helpless and alone. She is found by a duo of thieves that rescue and treat her injuries for their own selfish reasons. Dependent on the two men until she recovers, the trio form a delicate, temporary alliance as they travel through the countryside. Danger lurks on all sides and they encounter one untrustworthy person after another, placing them in precarious situations.

The second and third POVs are Gavin and Elly. Judah can slightly feel her bond with her foster brother Gavin, but dares not reach out to him for fear of putting him in further danger. All she knows is that he and his fiancé Elly are still alive and Gavin is being mercilessly tortured, but she doesn't know where they are. Gavin and Elly are shuffled from one set of kidnappers to another, and if they thought their living circumstances were bad before, now they are almost intolerable. There is no short amount of cruelty, as Elly in particular must be disciplined to play the long game in order to rescue her and Gavin.

New character Bindy is a young girl who worked as Magus Nate's apprentice until the former Lord was killed and Nate was thrown in prison. She is contacted by a man alleging to be Nate's friend who helps secure his escape from prison. But not all is as it seems, and Nate lands in an even more treacherous situation. Bindy is determined to remain loyal to Nate, despite his unwillingness and disinterest in protecting his own life. Bindy doesn't understand everything that is going on, but she feels it's her duty to protect Nate.

This book is 480 pages, and for much of the book nothing seems to happen. It is definitely more character based than plot based, as the main characters grow, develop and start to understand their place in the world. Judah learns more about her powers and Gavin and Elly discover untapped strength of character they didn't know they had. We learn more about the power that Judah holds called the "work", about the Slonimi, the people who lay claim to it and why they want to bring about the unbinding to set the power free. While we learn more about the world outside of Highfall, there is still a lot left unexplained. While I can understand the purpose of some of this, I won't lie and say it wasn't frustrating at times.

I feel like this book is the calm before the storm that will be unleashed in the next book. Some storylines were wrapped up, but a lot more were left open. The book ended on a satisfying cliffhanger with a promise of more action and intrigue to come.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Mira. All opinions are my own.

[Marble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a beautiful struggle. For some reason I couldn't seem to get through it, but I also loved the book. Never experienced that before tho.

I liked how in the second book the chapters were a bit shorter and therefor more comfortable to read. I also very much enjoyed the different storylines, it was a lot stronger that way, then book 1.

I did feel the amount of whining the female presenting characters were doing, was very annoying at times. I also very much disliked the way men were treating women in general.
I also disliked the author explaining some stuff in the book; recaping things from book 1 in a too sterile way. This could ve been done better.

I loved the Cetric-Alec tragedy; what a beautiful painful tragic side-storyline Kelly cooked up. If she ever wrote a seperate story, as in a prequel, about them, I'd def would want to read that ♡. I love the thirtheen-fourteen characters, and I cannot wait to see where the next book takes them.

The books ends mid-story, it doesn't feel like "just" part 2 of a series, it feels like the first half of part 2. I will def read the next book, but it ll probs be awhile before it's released (or even written).

[Edit: it's a day later and I am actually a lil frustrated that the book simply ended mid-story, I would've liked a bit more closure then we got now. Waiting for book III is all I can do, I guess.]

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went through a bit of a reading slump around a third of the way through, I just felt that it was really going anywhere.
But, after that, the story took off and I felt like I was experiencing all of the different POV's in such detail. The latter part of the book really kicked off with adventure, tension, emotions and there is definitely a third book needed to answer all of the questions.
Considering I had never heard of Kelly Braffet before and picked up The Unwilling in a book warehouse, I have pleasantly enjoyed these books.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accidentally read this without reading the first one but it was sooo good. Now I want to read what happens next and don't really care what happened before.

[Meredith R · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I'm still not quite sure what to make of this tbh

Pros:
-I really like her writing style. Matter-of-fact and often just states how characters are feeling and thinking, but in a way that allows for some imagining on the part of the reader. No heavy-handed descriptions, just simple statements of fact, which is refreshing. Kind of evokes a "fairy-tale narrator" sort of feeling - a distinct narrator who is a layer removed from the action of the POV characters
-I love the way dialogue and interactions are scripted - the characters interact in a way that feels organic and natural and never contrived or silly. It's because of that that I continued to read - I liked being a part of these interactions and liked the way they felt.
-I like that the characters are not created to be "likable" - this is something I encounter a lot in fantasy where there are characters created to be liked and characters created to be disliked. There was none of that here, which is refreshing

Cons:
-nothing really happened. While this installment builds on the breadth of the world, it almost felt like filler or setting up for future events. The book, despite being almost 500 pages, feels like a prequel or maybe half of a book.
-this could be fine if the main construction of the story was more heavily propelled by real growth on the part of the characters. Apart from one character who stands out as an exception (miss elly) I can't say that the characters really grew or changed very much over the course of the book. Because of this, a lot of parts dragged or were just uninteresting because they felt unnecessary.

Idk if you really like worldbuilding while continually reiterating the main themes of the series, you might like this. Wasn't for me though

[Addison Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful addition to the series. I did not think that the world could get much more complex or beautifully developed, and yet it did. Judah's powers only grew more intense, and that was wonderful to witness. I love that this book has commentary on the government and how societies should be run--if we really look into it, it is very much so a critique of a awfully set-up socialist/communist system. It also has a lot to say about gender politics and the role of women (with a couple of nods to queer folk) within a society, which I particularly appreciated and feld they added a ton to the complexity of the story. My only qualm--we cut off right before the *big ending.* I know we are probably building to a third book but I was left so unsatisfied and wondering, like what the heck. Very intrigued to see where a third book will go.

[Alacyia · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎧 I give this boom a solid 4.
*Please note that I listened to the audiobook so I'm taking a stab at spelling of some of the names/words of the book*

I was pleasantly surprised by this second book. Judah is a much more likeable character but Ellie, ELLIE...THE GOAT!

This book is told from multiple character POVs. Typically, books like this have at least one storyline that is kinda boring and you just get through. All of the storylines were quite interesting.
The POVs:
Judah
Ellie and Gavin
Bendi and Nate
The Chieftain

Judah's story picks up right after she jumps. Her journey leads her far away from High Fall, trying to stay under the radar from the work. She wakes up in 'the white' and Judah finds powers in the white she didn't know existed.
Ellie and Gavin are still in the House at the beginning of the book but their live take an unexpected turn. Ellie already was keeping everyone alive but she finds strength that I don't know if she even knew she had. I love Ellie.
Nate lives. 😐 The sennicial(sp?) needs to know what happened to Judah and he needs Nate for that. Bendi is dead set on helping Nate. Bendi is so young. Too young to take that much responsibility for a grown man and honestly, Nate doesn't deserve it.
The Chieftain that was captured during Elbin's crusade is still imprisoned in the House by the sennicial. Since he's lost Judah, he seeks to find another way to forge a connection between people for his use. He's given an ultimatum to duplicate how his people, the Nalli, created their bonding, Kagir.
These stories appear to be all over the place but as this book concludes they all begin to connect in a way that I wasn't expecting. I hope that the 3rd book comes out soon. So many people need to get what's coming to them.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this work in exchange for an honest review!

I throughly enjoyed this book! The Broken Tower picks up right where The Unwilling left off. After jumping from the tower in the first book, Judah has been saved by said tower that magically transports her to a land far away from Highfall and consequentially also far away from Gavin and Eleanor. The rest of the story follows each of the individual characters as they struggle through hardships in a life that sees them increasingly and unknowingly connected.

I loved the first book in the series ,The Unwilling, and was incredibly excited to continue the story. This book did not disappoint! It's well-written with a fascinating storyline. The experiences of some of the characters can feel harsh, brutal, and unjust. And yet I feel that the characters will find retribution for what they've had to go through in the next book. Or at least that's what I'm hoping for.

Each chapter in this book follows a different character which I found slightly annoying as whenever I got really into one character's perspective the chapter ended and came back to another character. But part of me also really enjoyed all the different perspectives as I could see what was going on in different parts of the story and how these seemingly different characters are really all connected.

I enjoyed the growth of the characters. Though I feel like there's more growth that we haven't seen from Gavin yet - hopefully we will see that in the next book.

Overall, just a really good read!

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

[Katelyn Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book to Kelly Braffet's debut novel The Unwilling. As I said in my review of the first book, this series definitely isn't for everyone. It touches on the rawness of humanity in dark ways. If you're easily offended or grossed out, maybe skip this series.

Honestly, I liked it better in some ways than the first, purely because Gavin wasn't as whiny, and Judah met some interesting travelers that I loved getting to know. I will admit that this is definitely a filler book, as in nothing really happens to move the story forward, but considering it's a series I'm not going to judge it too harshly. Also, I just love the way Kelly Braffet writes. It's simple, yet descriptive, but not over the top. There's some really good lines and she writes really well rounded characters. I realized when there was about 80 pages left that nothing was really going to happen, but I like her writing and reading about the characters enough that it won't deter me from reading the next book.

Side note, as much as I hated Gavin in the first book, I missed his attitude in this one...

[chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

{3.5 out of 5 stars}

after grappling with an appropriate rating for this book, i think i've landed somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. like many middle installments in many fantasy series, this book was largely about character development, which is not to say there's a lack of action. we get to see shifting loyalties, we are afforded a glimpse into the backstories of some of the most mysterious characters, and we're introduced to quite a few new faces, to boot.

but perhaps most importantly, we watch judah come to understand the extent of her abilities. she has no fewer than three "what have i done?" moments (and yes, she quite literally says that each time her use of power leads to catastrophe).

solid. enjoyed it marginally less than the first book, but i'm still looking forward to the next chapter in judah's story.

which can alternatively be called elly's story, because #eleanoroftiernansupremacy.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Broken Tower continues where The Unwilling left off. There are so many characters with their own story lines to follow, which can be a bad idea in so many books, but Braffet does an excellent job of keeping your interest in them all. I loved the growth and personal development of some characters, contrasting with the unpleasant characters of some others. I so enjoyed this second book, the complexity of all the story lines and rich characters, that I lost track of how close to the end I was. When the book ended and I realized there was no book 3 on the horizon, I felt so disappointed.

How can the author abandon this wonderful tale, leaving all the people I have grown so fond of with everything unresolved? I want to know what happens to them all. Please Kelly Braffet. Your readers want the end of the story.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggle with multiple POV and the first book had done it so well as each character was in the same area, so I felt like the moment kept going. Now, all our characters are split up and when a POV was changed I felt myself losing my momentum. There were some characters that I did not care to read and I found myself easily putting the book down. What’s nice about the author is you know there is not much predictability and you know the story is very purposeful. So most of the story we have everyone divided and it wasn’t until the end where you see it is setting for them to meet up in the third book. This book was mostly a three star read due to reading some characters POV that I felt dragged the story, but the ending helped get me excited. I’m eagerly awaiting for the release of the third book to know what happens to our Children.

[MKatie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of anything this author writes, and very happy with her jumping into the fantasy realm. Her characters are amazingly fleshed out, her descriptions are perfectly executed and it’s very intellectually multilayered plot wise. I just don’t get why they are referring to this series as YA? The character “Darid” himself says “they are not children” when another character refers to them that way. Aren’t they all early 20’s? I could have sworn Judah was 22 in the first book? The violence itself is common because it’s a harsh and cruel world that they all inhabit but I can’t see this appealing to younger YA’s like 13 year olds. Maybe the publisher thought it would make more money if it was classified in this genre?

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Considering how depressing this fantasy world treats the main protagonists, there was enough hope not to bog down into too much darkness.

All the characters have been split apart, but their courage, intelligence, and love for each other will help them reunite. Eventually.

This was an exciting read that opened up the world and magic system. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

This review was based on an advanced reader's copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the first book, but really disappointed in this sequel. The story felt like it didn't move forward in any meaningful way and the return to people being constantly beaten felt uninspired. I mistakenly thought it was a two-part series but now I'm worried it's going to be like Game of Thrones--never to be finished, just constant pain and strife. I would have loved if the momentum of the first book had continued and carried us to a hopeful ending. She's an excellent writer but this was a shaggy dog tale of a book

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

When our POV character survives but in a place she's never been...and then she comes to have near god like power. She still feels like she is not in control of her self or her life or her choices.
On the whole, the book is depressing, continuing the theme. I, unfortunately, expected something good to happen in this book. I am not sure if I will read the next one. Surely there will be a next one because the ending cannot be the end.

We get a bigger look at the world. We get a closer, deeper look at some characters. The author does well at making us care about the characters.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

book two made book one unnecessary unfortunately.
unless there was a large gap between books in a series, its really annoying to have redundant
information. with that said, the work (magically element) finally makes since. it has been explained so much better and even thought there is no spicy or detailed violence ( in the battle scenes) it plot still has me in a grip hold. i need to know what happens next after the cliffhanger.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this in a giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I'm mad. I didn't realize it was #2 in a series, so I had to get the first one, and I liked it. Now I gotta wait for the next one to see what happens?!!!! Totally worth it. I quite enjoyed the book. I love how imperfect all the characters are. I can't wait to see how it all turns out.

[Marcia Lupinetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Broken Tower is a vivid sequel to The Unwilling. It continues the story of Judah the Founding and her battle for freedom and control of her powers. Kelly Braffet takes the reader through forests and desserts, new friendships, and an array of powerful characters. This book is a well-written and hard to put down. I rate it at four stars.

[Ann Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one keeps you wanting to find out what’s next, though the last 50 pages or so of her 2 books I’ve read are where the story really gets moving. I hope she publishes the next one soon. Her writing is smooth and descriptive and I can get solid pictures in my head of what is happening. I look forward to reading more of Kelly’s books.

[Annarella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book as I liked the previous in this series and the blurb sounded interesting.
Unfortunately I was a bit confused as nothing seems to happen.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[SEWMqt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book and I might have given it 5 stars if I had read the first one in the series, this is the second book. Books in a series should always say "book 2" or similar on their covers, ha ha.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular

Where the first book featured nearly interminable abuse but ended on a triumphant note, this book was more balanced in the dark and light, with rich character development and world-building. Best book I’ve read since the Kingkiller Chronicles.

[W.B. Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

complicated but so well written

That I couldn’t stop reading. I’ll miss the characters more than their world, which I barely understood, but I would read more about them. Well done.