The System Divine series is a trilogy by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell which has been described as Les Misérables in SPACE!
Set on the planet Laterre, one of twelve planets orbiting three suns, where the people are divided between the wealthy of the First Estate, ruled by the Patriarche and his wife the Matrone, the Second Estate, the middle class, and the Third Estate, who are, of course poor.The series focuses on three young people:
Chatine Renard, a girl from the frets (slums) of the Third Estate making a living as a thief.
Marcellus Bonnefacon, a young officer whose grandfather is the most powerful man on Laterre.
Alouette Taureau, a sheltered girl who is part of a sisterhood dedicated to preserving knowledge and the written word on Laterre.
These three will end up being involved in a violent revolution with the fate of Laterre hanging in the balance.
The books are:
Tropes for this series include:
- After the End: Roughly 500 years ago, the ancestors of the people of Laterre and the other 11 planets had to leave a dying Earth.
- Big Bad: Marcellus' grandfather General Cesar Bonnefacon becomes the main antagonist throughout the series.
- Crapsack World: The Third Estate is dirty and crimeridden.
- Expy: Chatine is Eponine, Marcellus is Marius and Alouette is Cosette.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Laterre is France, Albion is England, Usonia is the United States and Reichenstat is Germany.
- Gratuitous French: Throughout the series, plenty of French words are used.
- La Résistance: An organization dubbed Vangarde who has long been thought defunct is preparing to rise again.
- Recycled with a Gimmick: Les Misérables on a distant planet.
- The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: The group known as the Red Scar is this in Book Two because they use more extremely violent tactics than Vangarde.
- The Revolution Will Not Be Vilified: The group known as Vangarde is this.
- Whole-Plot Reference: See Recycled with a Gimmick above.
