Sky Without Stars is the first book in the System Divine series by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell.
On the planet Laterre, three young people will have their lives brought together by a revolution in the making:
Chatine Renard, a girl surviving as a thief among the dregs of the Third Estate.
Marcellus Bonnefacon, the grandson of General Cesar Bonnefacon, the most powerful man on Laterre and the son of Julien Bonnefacon, a deceased traitor.
Alouette Taureau, part of a sisterhood dedicated to guarding the last library on Laterre.
The tale is continued in Book Two, Between Burning Worlds, and Book Three, Suns Will Rise.
Tropes for this book include:
- The Alcatraz: Bastille, a moon of Laterre, is where those guilty of any criminal activity are sent to.
- Alien Sky: Three suns (dubbed Sols) shine on the twelve planets of Laterre’s system, but nobody on the Third Estate has seen them.
- Alternative Calendar: ALD - After Last Days
- Crapsack World: The Third Estate is filthy and crimeridden.
- Cyborg: Inspecteur Limier is described as having circuitry on the left side of his face.
- Death of a Child: The Premier Enfant, the daughter of the Patriarche and the Matrone, is poisoned. This murder, and the cancellation of the Ancension, causes riots throughout the Third Estate.
- Disguised in Drag: Chatine disguises herself as a boy named Theo to rob wealthy travelers.
- Domed Hometown: The First Estate where the wealthy dwell.
- Earth That Was: Earth (aka the First World) is all but forgotten by the people of Laterre.
- Expy: Besides the three protagonists (Chatine / Eponine, Marcellus / Marius and Alouette / Cosette), other characters include:
- Hugo Taureau (Jean Valjean)
- Inspecteur Limier (Inspector Javert)
- Monsieur and Madame Renard (M. and Mme. Thenardier)
- Inspector Javert: Like the original Javert, Limier is a ruthless law enforcer.
- La Résistance: Vangarde.
- Miscarriage of Justice: The Governess accused of poisoning the Premier Enfant is actually innocent. She gets executed by beheading.
