By Kester Grant
This book is about social injustice, revenge, and hierarchy a la Les Miserables. If you liked the book by Alexandre Dumas or the musical by Boubil and Schonberg, this book will be extra dear to you. The classic tale is layered under The Court of Miracles, an organization of the underworld bringing laws to the lawless. Thieves, assassins, ghosts, and purveyors of flesh among others give the tale new facets and life. And one, character, Eponine, is finally given the clarity, intelligence, and main stage that she deserves!
Fans that are familiar with the tale will enjoy the new personifications of classical characters. An especial favorite is the glass-ceiling-crushing Javert: a fiery redhead rising to the top of the gendarme ranks during her relentless pursuit of Valjean for…markedly different reasons.
Eponine, or Nina, for the large part of this story is known as the Black Cat of the Guild of Thieves. There is no place she can not enter, and no prize she cannot steal. In a time when women are not valued for much more than ornamentation, her skill and intelligence seem to garner multiple admirers. After boldly stealing from the Dauphin of France, she becomes one of his few friends, and tries to protect him while also educating him about the true social injustice occurring outside of the palace. Nina forms allies with the Lord of Thieves, le Main – the greatest of all spies, the Master of Knives, the Lady of Assassins, and a bold, idealistic young student whose family was all put to the guillotine in the last failed revolution.
Moving pieces with more cunning than a chessboard, Nina attempts to save her family, her caste, the poor of France, and maybe even all of France. The reader will be surprised by how clever Nina is, how intricate each player’s plan unfolds, and how much they missed the last time they enjoyed Les Mis.
Soundtrack
- Children of the Revolution by Bono, Gavin Friday, and Maurice Seezer
- Just a Girl by No Doubt
- Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2
- Beds are Burning by Midnight Oil
- Get Up Stand Up by Bob Marley
- Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd
Pros & Cons & Potential Spoilers
Pros
- Main, female character is able to unite the oppressed and is praised for quick thinking, cleverness and intellect, along with sheer bravery and skill – very much David vs. Goliath
- Lots of familiar characters in unfamiliar roles
- There is a Robin Hood theme that makes me root for the underdog – when the ruling class is so wrong, everyone who is not wealthy must turn to the outlaws for justice
Cons
- There are a few “oh, he likes me!” moments, but they read as authentic rather than forced
- Anytime you try and see humanity and all its frailty in the “bad guys”, probing their motivations and how these monsters were created, they then perform actions so despicable it is impossible to feel bad for them for very long
- Money, privilege and connections still ultimately win the day