*inhales* *exhales* AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Okay, this book ended my soul. Hah. I have laughed out loud, I have cried, I have stared at the pages in open-mouthed shock - it is now one of my absolute favorite books of all time, and I could write endless paragraphs filled with all the things I LOVED about it!!
*endeavors to calm down since this is meant to be a review, not a rant* Right. If you know me you know that I am obsessed with Les Misérables. Which is why I was both excitedly anticipating this read AND dreading it. Because the premise, "Les mis in space" sounded like a DREAM, but what if it wasn't up to my expectations? What if it was untrue to the spirit of the original book, what if it was poorly written, what if the characters were weird - I nearly drove myself crazy worrying about it! But, as you have probably guessed at this point, those fears were unfounded. Sky Without Stars was all that I could dream of, and more. Here's why!
1. The characters. Ohmygosh, the CHARACTERS. I love them all. They are..perfect. just what I expected, just what I wanted. Marcellus is perfect. Chatine is perfect. Alouette is perfect. *screams and hugs them all* and I can't wait to be introduced to Space!Les Amis. I sense that I will die of incurable fangirling.
Though...if there is something I disliked about Sky Without Stars, it is that Hugo Taureau (Space!Valjean) and Inspecteur Limier (Space!Javert) weren't /nearly/ as developed as I wanted. Hugo was more of a background character, and Limier hardly had any personality at all (I was excited for a cyborg Javert, but what I got instead was a /robot/ Javert). Hopefully these two will be more developed in the sequel!! Now...all I've got to do is wait till next year. *pouts*
2. The worldbuilding is mind-blowing!! I felt thrust straight into the dirty, dangerous "wretched hive of scum and villainy" that is Laterre straight from the FIRST chapter. It's...it's just epic. You learn about Laterre history, slang, customs, day-to-day life, it's such an immersive reading experience that it's pure delight to escape into these pages.
3. The nods and references to the original source material just filled me with joy!! Sky Without Stars stands as a novel in its own right, but it IS also a retelling, and any fans of the original will certainly enjoy the inside jokes and references as much as I did. They even reference the freakin' anime version. And I am HERE for it.
4. The pacing is just right. The action never grinds to a halt, but it doesn't race ahead at breakneck speed, either. It moves along, unfolding naturally, and allowing for plenty of banter and character development along the way. Which brings me to-
5. Have I mentioned that the characters' interactions are just,,, a joy to read? They're so real, and human, I feel like the characters are all my friends now! There were so many instances in which I just had to stop and grin at how believably their thoughts, emotions and dialogues are portrayed. I just...*fumbles for words* aaaaghh.
6. Marcellus' relationship with his grandfather shot me in the face 26 times, thank you very much. That's all I can say without being spoilery.
I can't wait for Between Burning Worlds. Thank you, Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendelle, for one of the most enjoyable reading experiences I've had all year! I...uh...*breaks down sobbing and clutches book*