Sky without Stars

 By: Jessica Bordy and Joanne Rendell

Loction: FIC BRO

Genre: Sci Fi- a Re-telling of  Le Mis!!!

"A s a huge, huge Les Misérables fan, this book was such a relief compared to the other retellings I've read. Sky Without Stars takes the plot of Les Mis and hurls it into space."

A thief. An officer. A guardian.
Three strangers, one shared destiny.

When the Last Days came, the planet of Laterre promised hope. A new life for a wealthy French family and their descendants. But five hundred years later, it’s now a place where an extravagant elite class reigns supreme; where the clouds hide the stars and the poor starve in the streets; where a rebel group, long thought dead, is resurfacing.

Whispers of revolution have begun—a revolution that hinges on three unlikely heroes…

Chatine is a street-savvy thief who will do anything to escape the brutal Regime, including spy on Marcellus, the grandson of the most powerful man on the planet.

Marcellus is an officer—and the son of an infamous traitor. In training to take command of the military, Marcellus begins to doubt the government he’s vowed to serve when his father dies and leaves behind a cryptic message that only one person can read: a girl named Alouette.

Alouette is living in an underground refuge, where she guards and protects the last surviving library on the planet. But a shocking murder will bring Alouette to the surface for the first time in twelve years… and plunge Laterre into chaos.

All three have a role to play in a dangerous game of revolution—and together they will shape the future of a planet.

REVIEW BY ANDY:

What a fascinating retelling of Les Miserables!

Sky Without Stars revolves around three different teenagers on the planet of Laterre. The nobility are lavishing in their excess, while the poor are starving for work and from hunger. But revolution is coming and the resistance will not be stopped this time.

Chatine is a thief who dresses as a small and scrawny boy called Tao. She'll do anything it takes to escape from Laterre, even if that means spying on an officer of the law. Marcellus is an officer and the son of a traitor. He is part of the nobility and his grandfather is an esteemed general, feared by many. Alouette has been raised in the secret depths of the library. It's the last library in existence and only she and the Sisters know how to read/write the lost word.

It took me way too long to realize this was a Les Mis retelling, but once I did I was blown away! This is definitely a saga like the original. It was slow moving but sweeping in its beauty. I listened to this while hiking and it made for such an imaginative escape. I was sucked in by the world of Laterre and the intricate political movings. It took me a while to connect with the characters, and I don't know who I'd pick as a favorite. I loved how they all became interconnected and I can't wait to see what will happen with them.

It was really hard for me to root for Chatine at times. While I knew she was only looking out for her own interest, seeing her so willing to sell out the resistance made me grit my teeth at times. I was so here for Marcellus's journey to self-realization. The boy is a bit pig headed, but I loved seeing him realize the lengths his grandfather would go to for power. Alouette was a strange character at first. Her naivete from being kept in the library was annoying, but I loved her curiosity and spark for life.

This wasn't as sci-fi as I was used to. I was expecting tons of space journeys and super advanced technology. That's not really the case for Laterre. While set on another planet, the vast majority of the citizens don't seem to have much technology and they pray for the chance that the lottery will select them to ascend to the nobility. By the end, I really enjoyed the differences and came to love this futuristic French Revolution.