From the publisher,

“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 a renowned 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.

Power, romance, and destiny collide in this sweeping reimagining of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece, Les Misérables.”

I feel I have read so many books featuring a scrappy girl having to fend for herself.  I am glad that Chatine is written in shades of gray, sometimes doing the right thing, sometimes not.  I often wanted to yell at Marcellus to wake up and see society as it really is but then I am reminded that he has been brainwashed by his grandfather for so many years.  The authors clearly state this is a retelling of Les Misérables, so the plot and characters are not original.  The story is well written at just the right pace.  The target audience should enjoy the book and perhaps it can be used as an introduction to Les Misérables.

eGalley review                                                 Publication date 3.26.19