Sky Without Stars

January 1, 2019
Political and romantic intrigues ignite when three young people's lives intersect in the slums of Laterre, one of the 12 planets humans settled after the First World ended. This first installment in an ambitious epic modeled after Les Misérables depicts a futuristic society with a class system loosely modeled on the estates of pre-Revolutionary France and a thriving criminal underbelly policed by a fearsome cyborg inspecteur. Brown-haired, gray-eyed thief Chatine, the daughter of a dangerous gang leader, is known in public as a boy called Théo, but her real identity is not her only secret. A chance encounter with the handsome, dark-haired grandson of a high-ranking Second Estate general leads to her being hired to spy on Marcellus, whose father was in the Vangarde, a resistance group. The use of an old written language for secret communications by the resistance is a compelling element. Meanwhile, dark-haired Alouette, who never knew her mother, is tech-savvy and kind. Raised by a mysterious order that protects the books and histories of the First World, she is curious about the world outside the Refuge but finds herself in over her head when she sneaks out and meets Marcellus. The authors play with formulaic elements to freshen the story. Skin color is rarely mentioned, and the book seemingly defaults to white despite the presence of black people in early modern France.A fast-paced, immersive, and imaginative romp. (maps) (Science fiction. 12-18)

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February 1, 2019

Gr 8 Up-In this series opener based Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, a thief, an officer, and a guardian come together in a shared destiny. Years before, the Last Days came, the planet of Laterre offered a last hope for survival and a new life for a wealthy French family. However, 500 years later, the elite class remains supreme while others starve. Whispers of rebellion have begun and cataclysmic events set in motion that bring together street savvy thief, Chatine; Marcellus, an officer who is grandson to the most powerful man on the planet but also the son of a traitor; and Alouette, who lives in an underground refuge, protecting the last surviving library on the planet. All three have a role to play and together they will shape the future of Laterre. The novel features detailed world-building as it explores themes of power, romance, and identity. It is a coming-of-age journey for the protagonists who must weigh what they've been told with some startling truths. The characters are complex; however, some readers may struggle with the sheer volume of just this first part of the story. VERDICT Readers who enjoy similar titles such as Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles, the "Empress of a Thousand Skies" duology by Rhoda Belleza, and works of Kristen Simmons will find this first installment an exciting reimagining of Les Miserables.-Linsey Milillo, Lane Public Library, Fairfield, OH

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