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System Divine #3
Suns Will Rise
An heir. A renegade.
A convict. A cyborg.
A défecteur.
Five rebels. One revolution.
It’s been three months since the Patriarche was beheaded, leaving behind no known heir. Now the planet of Laterre is unrecognizable as General Bonnefaçon attempts to restore peace while the next leader is decided upon. At the same time dangerous rifts threaten to shatter the planet from within.
The Red Scar has been killing off anyone with a legitimate claim to the Regime, while the Vangarde are preparing for the return of their infamous leader.
Then it’s revealed that the Patriarche had a daughter who is still alive. A missing Paresse heir….
Alouette has been locked in a secret facility for months, interrogated on the whereabouts of the General’s renegade grandson. Marcellus is desperately searching for Alouette, knowing she’s the key to the Vangarde’s plan to overthrow the corrupt Regime, but unaware that he, himself, is being hunted. Meanwhile Chatine is growing restless, living underground with a rebel group she doesn’t fit into. Until an old friend solicits her help to save the Défecteur community from a mysterious new threat. A threat that will tie them all together.
When the General makes an explosive play for power, allegiances will shift, rebels will become leaders, barricades will rise, and the tinderbox of Laterre will finally ignite, launching a revolution five hundred years in the making.
A convict. A cyborg.
A défecteur.
Five rebels. One revolution.
It’s been three months since the Patriarche was beheaded, leaving behind no known heir. Now the planet of Laterre is unrecognizable as General Bonnefaçon attempts to restore peace while the next leader is decided upon. At the same time dangerous rifts threaten to shatter the planet from within.
The Red Scar has been killing off anyone with a legitimate claim to the Regime, while the Vangarde are preparing for the return of their infamous leader.
Then it’s revealed that the Patriarche had a daughter who is still alive. A missing Paresse heir….
Alouette has been locked in a secret facility for months, interrogated on the whereabouts of the General’s renegade grandson. Marcellus is desperately searching for Alouette, knowing she’s the key to the Vangarde’s plan to overthrow the corrupt Regime, but unaware that he, himself, is being hunted. Meanwhile Chatine is growing restless, living underground with a rebel group she doesn’t fit into. Until an old friend solicits her help to save the Défecteur community from a mysterious new threat. A threat that will tie them all together.
When the General makes an explosive play for power, allegiances will shift, rebels will become leaders, barricades will rise, and the tinderbox of Laterre will finally ignite, launching a revolution five hundred years in the making.
701 pages, Hardcover
First published August 3, 2021
68 people are currently reading
2736 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Brody
60 books2,809 followersJessica Brody is the author of more than 20 novels for teens, tweens, and adults including The Geography of Lost Things, The Chaos of Standing Still, Amelia Gray is Almost Okay, A Week of Mondays, 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, the Unremembered trilogy, and the System Divine trilogy which is a sci-fi reimagining of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, co-written with Joanne Rendell. She’s also the author of the #1 bestselling novel-writing guides, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel and Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel as well as several books based on popular Disney franchises like Descendants and LEGO Disney Princess. Jessica’s books have been translated and published in over 20 languages and several have been optioned for film and television. She’s the founder of the Writing Mastery Academy and lives with her husband and three dogs near Portland, OR.
Visit her online at JessicaBrody.com or WritingMastery.com. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram @JessicaBrody
Visit her online at JessicaBrody.com or WritingMastery.com. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram @JessicaBrody
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 209 reviews
August 26, 2021
as if this conclusion wasnt disappointing enough, etienne deserved better and i will die on this hill.
where to begin? first, this conclusion is wayyyy too long. it got to the point where i honestly started to stop caring because this was just sooo drawn out.
yes, this technically has everything i enjoyed about the first two books. a great sci-fi world, cool technology, the downtrodden vs the those in power rebellion plot, and interesting characters. but the way that everything happening feels like nothing is actually happening really put me into a slump.
so while there are positives about this final installment, the pacing and the length are just too much of a negative for me personally. however, i would still recommend this series to fans of ‘les mis’ and YA science fiction.
↠ 2.5 stars
where to begin? first, this conclusion is wayyyy too long. it got to the point where i honestly started to stop caring because this was just sooo drawn out.
yes, this technically has everything i enjoyed about the first two books. a great sci-fi world, cool technology, the downtrodden vs the those in power rebellion plot, and interesting characters. but the way that everything happening feels like nothing is actually happening really put me into a slump.
so while there are positives about this final installment, the pacing and the length are just too much of a negative for me personally. however, i would still recommend this series to fans of ‘les mis’ and YA science fiction.
↠ 2.5 stars
December 26, 2021
there is a flame that never dies,
even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise
ahahahah i feel so empty. help
even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise
ahahahah i feel so empty. help
September 9, 2021
SHUT YOUR MOUTHS
IS MY ETIENNE COMING BACK?!
OH MY GOSH 😩
EDIT 8/25/2021
….
I am truly devastated. I am truly in love. And I honest to goodness am truly, physically, in pain.
5 stars for ripping my heart out and setting it on fire…if you know you know.
EDIT 9/9/2021
….
I just remembered there’s going to be no more books in this series and that makes me sad:(
IS MY ETIENNE COMING BACK?!
OH MY GOSH 😩
EDIT 8/25/2021
….
I am truly devastated. I am truly in love. And I honest to goodness am truly, physically, in pain.
5 stars for ripping my heart out and setting it on fire…if you know you know.
EDIT 9/9/2021
….
I just remembered there’s going to be no more books in this series and that makes me sad:(
August 11, 2021
I’m torn between 4 and 5 stars because I really do love this series and I think this a triumphant finale but this series is why I hate love triangles/squares, the one time I let myself get invested in one it ends with the stupidest option.
ANYWAY this series really is very good despite the odd overly cheesy Les Mis reference. I listened to all of them on audiobook and have to applaud the cast who all portrayed their characters excellently. If you like Les Mis, Star Wars, The Hunger Games - give these books a go.
ANYWAY this series really is very good despite the odd overly cheesy Les Mis reference. I listened to all of them on audiobook and have to applaud the cast who all portrayed their characters excellently. If you like Les Mis, Star Wars, The Hunger Games - give these books a go.
March 20, 2023
Overall Rating : B+
"The people rose up. Like a gathering storm. Like a building wave. Like the ascending notes of a song. It was time to protect what was theirs. To barricade their livelihoods. To guard what their hands had crafted and sewn and spun. And as their brave hearts beat out across the planet, they steeled themselves for the fight. For the fury. For the forces of hate.
But most of all, they hoped and they dreamed.
That with just one more day, a new Laterre might be one."
"The people rose up. Like a gathering storm. Like a building wave. Like the ascending notes of a song. It was time to protect what was theirs. To barricade their livelihoods. To guard what their hands had crafted and sewn and spun. And as their brave hearts beat out across the planet, they steeled themselves for the fight. For the fury. For the forces of hate.
But most of all, they hoped and they dreamed.
That with just one more day, a new Laterre might be one."
September 1, 2021
TW: death, suicide, violence.
I'm currently too exhausted to write a coherent review but just know that this was an extremely satisfying conclusion. It wasn't a perfect book, oftentimes giving over to melodrama and overly theatric dialogue, but I didn't mind. I love these characters and this story, and I'm genuinely sorry to see it go.
That epilogue... perfection.
I'm currently too exhausted to write a coherent review but just know that this was an extremely satisfying conclusion. It wasn't a perfect book, oftentimes giving over to melodrama and overly theatric dialogue, but I didn't mind. I love these characters and this story, and I'm genuinely sorry to see it go.
That epilogue... perfection.
February 9, 2023
rating: 5/5. stunning.
characters ;
> i think, overall, ALL of the characters had their own developing factor. like i don't think there's one huge character flaw in any of them. the way the authors wrote these characters are just so addicting and i can't even decide whom my favourite character is.
chatine ; ahh our mc! i was thinking about this and i really think the authors changed her personality from this fiesty thief and survivor from book 1 to this absolute badass character for book 3. the way that she was telling marcellous that she wasn't needed in the vanguarde was just something that old chatine would never say, and she's just grown so much. i love her personality and it's just perfect
marcellous ; ah we gotta love him. idk what else to say. he def got better from book 2 (less alouette obsessed aHEM) and he's so much more raw with chatine <3 and like that library scene??? he got me sobbing.
alouette ; our little lark. look, i don't love her. i never did. she's always been the background main character or something? but i think she matured a lot and when she went on the stage during coronation day and like commanded everyone my respect went UP by a lot. she's not perfect, and i will never ever adore her, but she's good.
and to the show-stealing "side" character:
etienne ; i love him. he's like thorne from lunar chronicles or leo from percy jackson. like he's the goofy lovesick pilot and fiodsjfidosjf every single book needs a version of that. there should be a trope for that. he deserved SO. MUCH. BETTER. than *that*. i hope he's coming back ahhh my hEART CANT DEAL WITH THIS. i actually kinda wished he and chatine was endgame but obv that wouldn't happen D:
cerise ; she's the best introverted queen ever. she's a sexy hacker hands down. during the scene where she like watched the video of herself before coronation day my heart. like this whole book just got me going crazy. cerise is so overpowered and i loveee her.
max ; okay red scar people are kinda crazy and so is max but i like her cool bitch personality,, obviously i shouldnt be praising her or anything but she's nadettes sister. she's a really layered character.
roche ; he's chatine's sibling, ofc he's a slay.
citizen rousseau ; she gives me motherly vibes and ik she's like really quiet a lot but when she talks she's such an influential person!
plot ;
this book is better than the first. i have nothing else to say? in the conclusion everything's picking up so fast, i love how the authors pick up the plot quickly then bam big plot twist and its crazy. it's so well written. and the pacing is amazing; it's so well written that i keep thinking im in laterre. this book literally breathes and COVER LOVE <3
spoilers lmfao ;
just if you wanna:
tl;dr: it's really good.
characters ;
> i think, overall, ALL of the characters had their own developing factor. like i don't think there's one huge character flaw in any of them. the way the authors wrote these characters are just so addicting and i can't even decide whom my favourite character is.
chatine ; ahh our mc! i was thinking about this and i really think the authors changed her personality from this fiesty thief and survivor from book 1 to this absolute badass character for book 3. the way that she was telling marcellous that she wasn't needed in the vanguarde was just something that old chatine would never say, and she's just grown so much. i love her personality and it's just perfect
marcellous ; ah we gotta love him. idk what else to say. he def got better from book 2 (less alouette obsessed aHEM) and he's so much more raw with chatine <3 and like that library scene??? he got me sobbing.
alouette ; our little lark. look, i don't love her. i never did. she's always been the background main character or something? but i think she matured a lot and when she went on the stage during coronation day and like commanded everyone my respect went UP by a lot. she's not perfect, and i will never ever adore her, but she's good.
and to the show-stealing "side" character:
etienne ; i love him. he's like thorne from lunar chronicles or leo from percy jackson. like he's the goofy lovesick pilot and fiodsjfidosjf every single book needs a version of that. there should be a trope for that. he deserved SO. MUCH. BETTER. than *that*. i hope he's coming back ahhh my hEART CANT DEAL WITH THIS. i actually kinda wished he and chatine was endgame but obv that wouldn't happen D:
cerise ; she's the best introverted queen ever. she's a sexy hacker hands down. during the scene where she like watched the video of herself before coronation day my heart. like this whole book just got me going crazy. cerise is so overpowered and i loveee her.
max ; okay red scar people are kinda crazy and so is max but i like her cool bitch personality,, obviously i shouldnt be praising her or anything but she's nadettes sister. she's a really layered character.
roche ; he's chatine's sibling, ofc he's a slay.
citizen rousseau ; she gives me motherly vibes and ik she's like really quiet a lot but when she talks she's such an influential person!
plot ;
this book is better than the first. i have nothing else to say? in the conclusion everything's picking up so fast, i love how the authors pick up the plot quickly then bam big plot twist and its crazy. it's so well written. and the pacing is amazing; it's so well written that i keep thinking im in laterre. this book literally breathes and COVER LOVE <3
spoilers lmfao ;
just if you wanna:
tl;dr: it's really good.
May 4, 2023
OMGGG THIS BOOK HURT ME BUT IT WAS THE BEST
I have no words to describe how much I loved this trilogy.
but yet I have so many words so…. ANHHHHHHHSJHDHDHJSHXHDHJD I WAS READING THE END OF THIS IN CLASS AND HAD TO TRY WITH ALL MY POWER NOT TO START SOBBING AT SOME MOMENTS IN THIS BOOK. ITS FOR SURE THE BEST IN THE TRILOGY AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH
ALSO WHY IS THERE NO FANDOM??? PEOPLE WE MUST CHANGE THAT!!! WE MUST BECOME THE FANDOM
I need to get out some spoiler filled things so if u don’t want that pls don’t read ahead
OK FOR MOST OF THIS SERIES I SHIPPED CHATINE WITH MARCELLUS BUT THEN A CERTAIN SOMEONE CAME ALONG AND I SLOWLY STARTED QUESTIONING MY SHIP… AND BY THE TIME THAT CERTAIN SOMEONE HAD TO GO AND GET HIMSELF SHOT, I TOTALLY SHIPPED THEM AND WAS DEVASTATED WHEN HE DIED BUT HEY I WASNT MAD ABOUT HER ENDING UP WITH MARCELLUS, BECAUSE THEM TOGETHER IS STILL SO MUCH BETTER THAN IF HE WOULD HAVE BEEN WITH ALOUETTE THO
I have no words to describe how much I loved this trilogy.
but yet I have so many words so…. ANHHHHHHHSJHDHDHJSHXHDHJD I WAS READING THE END OF THIS IN CLASS AND HAD TO TRY WITH ALL MY POWER NOT TO START SOBBING AT SOME MOMENTS IN THIS BOOK. ITS FOR SURE THE BEST IN THE TRILOGY AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH
ALSO WHY IS THERE NO FANDOM??? PEOPLE WE MUST CHANGE THAT!!! WE MUST BECOME THE FANDOM
I need to get out some spoiler filled things so if u don’t want that pls don’t read ahead
OK FOR MOST OF THIS SERIES I SHIPPED CHATINE WITH MARCELLUS BUT THEN A CERTAIN SOMEONE CAME ALONG AND I SLOWLY STARTED QUESTIONING MY SHIP… AND BY THE TIME THAT CERTAIN SOMEONE HAD TO GO AND GET HIMSELF SHOT, I TOTALLY SHIPPED THEM AND WAS DEVASTATED WHEN HE DIED BUT HEY I WASNT MAD ABOUT HER ENDING UP WITH MARCELLUS, BECAUSE THEM TOGETHER IS STILL SO MUCH BETTER THAN IF HE WOULD HAVE BEEN WITH ALOUETTE THO
August 27, 2021
here’s the thing: there’s no way that i can rate this book without a bias. because this series mean the absolute world to me.
it’s so so SO rare for me to find a book where i just fall completely and whole heartedly i love with it, and when i read Sky Without Stars last year, that’s what happened. the world and the characters absolutely stole my heart in a way that hasn’t happened since i read Percy Jackson when I was twelve years old. reading is truly an escape for me, and the time i feel most like myself is when i read a book. but often, i can only see the things i don’t like in books. i have a hard time loving a book because there are things that i could just not get past. sometimes it’s hard bc i want to LOVE what i read and that often doesn’t happen. even some of my five star reads aren’t perfect in my eyes. but these books truly are
yes, there were some problems i had with this book. i didn’t care for the way the romance went, and i times i did think the book dragged. but honestly, i don’t CARE. because these books brought me such joy and honestly it wouldn’t be fair for me to give this book anything under five stars. i sobbed for TWENTY minutes during one part of the book, and never have i done that. yes, every once in a while, i will shed some tears over a book. but this one? this one hurt me so profoundly.
i guess the bigger thing i’m trying to say here is, if you love a book, LOVE IT. don’t get so caught up in nitpicking it apart for things you don’t like (like i do) as a kid i would read everything and just love it all because of all the different things i got to experience. it makes me sad, that, as i’ve gotten older, i don’t love every single book i’ve read, or love it like i did when i was younger. so when i find a book that just makes the world completely disappear, i don’t care if there is things that i don’t like, because for a few pages i’m a kid again living in my own imagination, in a world where my problems disappear.
thank you so much to the authors for writing these books. i don’t they will ever realize how much they truly mean to me.
sobbed for twenty minutes and when i finally convinced myself to pick the book back up i sobbed again for another twenty.
so yeah good times.
it’s so so SO rare for me to find a book where i just fall completely and whole heartedly i love with it, and when i read Sky Without Stars last year, that’s what happened. the world and the characters absolutely stole my heart in a way that hasn’t happened since i read Percy Jackson when I was twelve years old. reading is truly an escape for me, and the time i feel most like myself is when i read a book. but often, i can only see the things i don’t like in books. i have a hard time loving a book because there are things that i could just not get past. sometimes it’s hard bc i want to LOVE what i read and that often doesn’t happen. even some of my five star reads aren’t perfect in my eyes. but these books truly are
yes, there were some problems i had with this book. i didn’t care for the way the romance went, and i times i did think the book dragged. but honestly, i don’t CARE. because these books brought me such joy and honestly it wouldn’t be fair for me to give this book anything under five stars. i sobbed for TWENTY minutes during one part of the book, and never have i done that. yes, every once in a while, i will shed some tears over a book. but this one? this one hurt me so profoundly.
i guess the bigger thing i’m trying to say here is, if you love a book, LOVE IT. don’t get so caught up in nitpicking it apart for things you don’t like (like i do) as a kid i would read everything and just love it all because of all the different things i got to experience. it makes me sad, that, as i’ve gotten older, i don’t love every single book i’ve read, or love it like i did when i was younger. so when i find a book that just makes the world completely disappear, i don’t care if there is things that i don’t like, because for a few pages i’m a kid again living in my own imagination, in a world where my problems disappear.
thank you so much to the authors for writing these books. i don’t they will ever realize how much they truly mean to me.
sobbed for twenty minutes and when i finally convinced myself to pick the book back up i sobbed again for another twenty.
so yeah good times.
August 9, 2021
JESUS CHRIST.
OKAY
IM IN PAIN
HOW DARE YOU, MS. BRODY. YOU KILLED ETIENNE.
Why you didn't kill Marcelus instead, I don't know, considering all the screwing around he did between Alouette and Chatine. Also considering he ended up with Chatine instead. Alouette wasn't even an endgame for him. Ridiculous. I'm so mad. Etienne was 100 times better than Marcellus. Gosh I hate him. But hey, Alouette got badass. I respect that.
I mean... I understand why Marcellus lived and Etienne died. Closure and all that dumb shit. I loved it regardless.
But ow. ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow.
And Hugo? Him too?
Double ow.
No one is going to miss that rat-bastard-crap-faced-ass-clown-bitch (sorry mom) though. No one. Absolutely no one. Because Cesar Bonnefacon sucks. In plain English. He sucks. Thank you, Ms. Brody, for ending his miserably pathetic life.
I'm glad Roche lived. That kid is adorable. And Cerise. She got even more badass. I totally agree and share Gabriel's thoughts on our sparkle. I love her.
Overall, I liked it. Awesome ending to a series.
OKAY
IM IN PAIN
HOW DARE YOU, MS. BRODY. YOU KILLED ETIENNE.
Why you didn't kill Marcelus instead, I don't know, considering all the screwing around he did between Alouette and Chatine. Also considering he ended up with Chatine instead. Alouette wasn't even an endgame for him. Ridiculous. I'm so mad. Etienne was 100 times better than Marcellus. Gosh I hate him. But hey, Alouette got badass. I respect that.
I mean... I understand why Marcellus lived and Etienne died. Closure and all that dumb shit. I loved it regardless.
But ow. ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow.
And Hugo? Him too?
Double ow.
No one is going to miss that rat-bastard-crap-faced-ass-clown-bitch (sorry mom) though. No one. Absolutely no one. Because Cesar Bonnefacon sucks. In plain English. He sucks. Thank you, Ms. Brody, for ending his miserably pathetic life.
I'm glad Roche lived. That kid is adorable. And Cerise. She got even more badass. I totally agree and share Gabriel's thoughts on our sparkle. I love her.
Overall, I liked it. Awesome ending to a series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2021
Best book series I have read this year! I don’t even know where to begin with writing a review!
I was very satisfied with the ending I think because I was anticipating so much miserable-ness, expecting the ending to be just the same as the original story, so I valued that the authors were brave enough to do something different. And I think it makes sense for these characters in this universe.
I thought I knew exactly what would happen at the end, so the fact that is was differently gave me and overwhelming feeling of relief haha
Also, there are so many beautiful sentiments and lines in this series. The writing is not only masterful, but beautiful, genuine, and inspiring with truthful heart. It’s just amazing.
I can’t wait to read this series again in the future! If you love brilliant world building, beautiful writing, and authentic realistic characters, strap in! It’s a long ride but it is so worth it!
I was very satisfied with the ending I think because I was anticipating so much miserable-ness, expecting the ending to be just the same as the original story, so I valued that the authors were brave enough to do something different. And I think it makes sense for these characters in this universe.
I thought I knew exactly what would happen at the end, so the fact that is was differently gave me and overwhelming feeling of relief haha
Also, there are so many beautiful sentiments and lines in this series. The writing is not only masterful, but beautiful, genuine, and inspiring with truthful heart. It’s just amazing.
I can’t wait to read this series again in the future! If you love brilliant world building, beautiful writing, and authentic realistic characters, strap in! It’s a long ride but it is so worth it!
August 9, 2021
4.5
Holy shit. What an epic conclusion to this book series. I fell in love with the series and this one especially with all of the small clues and nuances to Les Miserables and the casual mentioning of different track titles, it was just so good. I had a few issues with the way the romances were done and the importance that it was played and I know that that's a big part of the musical / the book but it's through things off for me in this particular retelling. Also even though I am so familiar with Les mis and I know that people die, I was still unprepared for the deaths in this book. My poor heart.
Anyway, maybe I can write a more coherent review at some point, but for now if you are a fan of Les Miserables and sci-fi books you 100% need to pick this up. These books are massive but oh so worth it.
Holy shit. What an epic conclusion to this book series. I fell in love with the series and this one especially with all of the small clues and nuances to Les Miserables and the casual mentioning of different track titles, it was just so good. I had a few issues with the way the romances were done and the importance that it was played and I know that that's a big part of the musical / the book but it's through things off for me in this particular retelling. Also even though I am so familiar with Les mis and I know that people die, I was still unprepared for the deaths in this book. My poor heart.
Anyway, maybe I can write a more coherent review at some point, but for now if you are a fan of Les Miserables and sci-fi books you 100% need to pick this up. These books are massive but oh so worth it.
December 31, 2021
4.5/5 stars.
I, like most others, think Etienne deserved better. Hugo also deserved better.
But what an ending to this trilogy that I have loved since it's beginning all those years ago. The rollercoaster ride of emotions, the action, the intrigue.
I never wanted it to end.
I cannot recommend this series enough. For all lovers of sci-fi, those who love Les Miserables, for those who love dystopian action packed stories filled with despair, hope, betrayal and of course love. This series is for you.
I, like most others, think Etienne deserved better. Hugo also deserved better.
But what an ending to this trilogy that I have loved since it's beginning all those years ago. The rollercoaster ride of emotions, the action, the intrigue.
I never wanted it to end.
I cannot recommend this series enough. For all lovers of sci-fi, those who love Les Miserables, for those who love dystopian action packed stories filled with despair, hope, betrayal and of course love. This series is for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2025
I am TAKING AWAY A STAR BECAUSE HOW DARE YOU TAKE AWAY MY FAVORITE CHARACTER I AM SO MAD.
And also for being a Les Mis retelling...um...that ending...did someone get mad at the original and decide nope I'm making these characters be together in the end instead because I'm also kind of mad at that. Not to spoil for anyone but like it's a MAJOR shift in Les Mis.
Aside from that. The writing in this is great and I love the worldbuilding making this much more a biopunk Les Mis. The whole trilogy is really great but I will say this is my least favorite of them for the aforementioned killing off the one character who did not deserve it and then completely deviating from the source material in what feels almost like a fanfic "nananana boo boo I want them together now so suck it and also I'm not killing off anyone who dies in Les Mis just the one character that wasn't even in Les Mis so you all have to feel pain and anguish now"
I'm not bitter.. I swear.
And also for being a Les Mis retelling...um...that ending...did someone get mad at the original and decide nope I'm making these characters be together in the end instead because I'm also kind of mad at that. Not to spoil for anyone but like it's a MAJOR shift in Les Mis.
Aside from that. The writing in this is great and I love the worldbuilding making this much more a biopunk Les Mis. The whole trilogy is really great but I will say this is my least favorite of them for the aforementioned killing off the one character who did not deserve it and then completely deviating from the source material in what feels almost like a fanfic "nananana boo boo I want them together now so suck it and also I'm not killing off anyone who dies in Les Mis just the one character that wasn't even in Les Mis so you all have to feel pain and anguish now"
I'm not bitter.. I swear.
January 7, 2024
3.5 - it could have been done in 300 pages less than this. Otherwise an epic ending to an outstanding trilogy about abolishing patriarchy & monarchy, different kinds of love and friendship.
September 1, 2023
4.25 stars
March 28, 2022
Oh, wow. It has been a ~minute~ since I read a 700-page book, and it shows. The swift pace and recap at the beginning were lifesavers, but this is still a giant book. The chapters are brief and roll smoothly into one another, keeping things moving and avoiding awkward periods of introspection. However, I think it is a universal law of book-reading that a tome this ginormous will drag at some points out of sheer spite.
This trilogy finale has some nuanced messaging, which I appreciated. It examines the different approaches of peaceful vs violent rebellion vs isolationism, ultimately painting the path forward in greyscale rather than zeroing in on a definitive answer. The stance against oppression stands firm, but the method of revolt takes thought and negotiation, the combining of malcontents under a single, forceful banner with a powerful voice and the will to persevere, to protect one another against an overwhelming force.
On the micro-scale of character arcs and the relationships built throughout the series, I was less satisfied. As I neared the conclusive page 700, I was surprised how little was resolved in that department even at the very end. In terms of POVs, it's true of the entire series that Chatine is what kept me going. That held true here. I love her tenacity, her wit, and her prickly way of protecting people she cares about. I loved the new Cerise POV, as well, shedding light on the cyborg problem that we heard about in the first two books on a more personal level. Marcellus is a controlling, moody white boy aka a major bummer. His obsessive behaivors (a word used often to describe his fixations) are addressed at the very end, but not in a way that brought me satisfying closure for my long-term investment. And Alouette is just ok. He unassailable morality and devout followers make her hard to connect to but difficult to dislike within reasonable, non-petty parameters.
The love quadrangle, a shape I hate even more than the dreaded love triangle, came with so much emotional confusion and dramatic kissing before big moments. And the readers don't know where the characters stand with each other because there's next to zero communication, and I'm not sure the characters know their feelings or intentions much better than we do. It follows one character to their deathbed speech (wtf lame), and is only resolved in a vague one paragraph epilogue about the future. It left me very detached from the emotional journey, only connected to the more palpable elements of confusion and strife.
This series is easy to read despite the length of the books, packs in a lot of thoughtful political commentary, and includes approachable science fiction content. I was disappointed in the resolution for the characters and their relationships, but I admired the broader messaging.
This trilogy finale has some nuanced messaging, which I appreciated. It examines the different approaches of peaceful vs violent rebellion vs isolationism, ultimately painting the path forward in greyscale rather than zeroing in on a definitive answer. The stance against oppression stands firm, but the method of revolt takes thought and negotiation, the combining of malcontents under a single, forceful banner with a powerful voice and the will to persevere, to protect one another against an overwhelming force.
On the micro-scale of character arcs and the relationships built throughout the series, I was less satisfied. As I neared the conclusive page 700, I was surprised how little was resolved in that department even at the very end. In terms of POVs, it's true of the entire series that Chatine is what kept me going. That held true here. I love her tenacity, her wit, and her prickly way of protecting people she cares about. I loved the new Cerise POV, as well, shedding light on the cyborg problem that we heard about in the first two books on a more personal level. Marcellus is a controlling, moody white boy aka a major bummer. His obsessive behaivors (a word used often to describe his fixations) are addressed at the very end, but not in a way that brought me satisfying closure for my long-term investment. And Alouette is just ok. He unassailable morality and devout followers make her hard to connect to but difficult to dislike within reasonable, non-petty parameters.
The love quadrangle, a shape I hate even more than the dreaded love triangle, came with so much emotional confusion and dramatic kissing before big moments. And the readers don't know where the characters stand with each other because there's next to zero communication, and I'm not sure the characters know their feelings or intentions much better than we do. It follows one character to their deathbed speech (wtf lame), and is only resolved in a vague one paragraph epilogue about the future. It left me very detached from the emotional journey, only connected to the more palpable elements of confusion and strife.
This series is easy to read despite the length of the books, packs in a lot of thoughtful political commentary, and includes approachable science fiction content. I was disappointed in the resolution for the characters and their relationships, but I admired the broader messaging.
Want to read
May 2, 2021Me screaming in a corner, behind a curtain and under a pile of blankets and pillows:
"3RD AUGUST CANNOT COME SOONER!!!!!!!!"
"3RD AUGUST CANNOT COME SOONER!!!!!!!!"
September 26, 2021
There was a lot of shouting at the end.
December 11, 2022
4.5⭐
"Suns Will Rise" è il terzo volume della trilogia sci-fi "System Divine" di Jessica Brody e Joanne Rendell.
Essendo l'ultimo volume di una saga purtroppo non posso dirvi molto a riguardo, ma mi è piaciuto davvero tantissimo. La storia riprende qualche mese dopo gli accadimenti del secondo volume, i personaggi sono chiaramente cresciuti molto, e io li ho davvero apprezzati tutti. Quelli che mi sono rimasti nel cuore sono in particolare Etienne e Gabriel, ma in generale sono tutti ben caratterizzati e costruiti.
La trama è stata davvero avvincente, ci sono stati grandi colpi di scena, e mi è piaciuto come si è sviluppata, ci sono solo un paio di cose che proprio non mi sono andate giù, e credo di aver scelto la ship sbagliata per la prima volta nella mia vita.
Il world building di questa saga è davvero molto vasto e secondo me c'è ancora tanto da scoprire, motivo per cui spero che le autrici decideranno di scrivere altro insieme.
Continuo a pensare che questa saga sia troppo sottovalutata e la consiglio a tutt*.
"Suns Will Rise" è il terzo volume della trilogia sci-fi "System Divine" di Jessica Brody e Joanne Rendell.
Essendo l'ultimo volume di una saga purtroppo non posso dirvi molto a riguardo, ma mi è piaciuto davvero tantissimo. La storia riprende qualche mese dopo gli accadimenti del secondo volume, i personaggi sono chiaramente cresciuti molto, e io li ho davvero apprezzati tutti. Quelli che mi sono rimasti nel cuore sono in particolare Etienne e Gabriel, ma in generale sono tutti ben caratterizzati e costruiti.
La trama è stata davvero avvincente, ci sono stati grandi colpi di scena, e mi è piaciuto come si è sviluppata, ci sono solo un paio di cose che proprio non mi sono andate giù, e credo di aver scelto la ship sbagliata per la prima volta nella mia vita.
Il world building di questa saga è davvero molto vasto e secondo me c'è ancora tanto da scoprire, motivo per cui spero che le autrici decideranno di scrivere altro insieme.
Continuo a pensare che questa saga sia troppo sottovalutata e la consiglio a tutt*.
February 25, 2024
Where do I even begin? This was amazing. So many twists and turns to the point where I was so genuinely scared about what would happen next. It is so interesting to think that this whole series takes place in the span of like four months in their world. I would love to see more from this world and maybe explore some of the other planets in the System Divine. I think it would be so interesting to see the stories of the Usonian revolution or even see more of the other planets pull away from Albion as an empirical force. All of the tidbits of Les Miserables pulled at my heart strings in every way imaginable. The only thing I wish we could have seen is more of an ending for our side characters. I would have loved to see Cerise and Gabriel being together. Or to see how Jolras handles things. Even a progress point for Roche and Chatine as siblings. But I completely understand why it was concentrated to our main trio. The only thing I hate about this book is the fact that it means the series is over and that truly breaks my heart.
January 23, 2023
Definitely my favorite of the trilogy! This was such a stunning conclusion to a wonderful series, and I’m so glad to have picked it up! I don’t even normally like dystopian, but you say “Les Mis retelling” and I’m there. It was so enjoyable getting to see how things ended, and I thought the epilogue was so beautiful! If you like dystopian, if you like Lis Mis, if you like retellings, please read this!
September 23, 2021
A+ rating. Wow. I just finished reading with tears in my eyes. This series has been everything. Wow. Such a gorgeously written tale that I savored. These 3 books are long, but I took my time with them because they were so good...I savored them. That's not the way that I normally read, but something about these books demanded that kind of respect and appreciation. It's a gorgeous series and the finale was impeccable.
SO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS SERIES! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!!
SOOOO GOOD!
SO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS SERIES! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!!
SOOOO GOOD!
October 1, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed the System Divine series, and the rebellion I witnessed grow into a revolution. My only complaint was the love triangle. I don’t mind love triangles too much as long as it doesn’t get to the point where the center is stuck between the two love interests (they can’t decide because they love them both). It immediately dampers any love I had for the center character; especially, if their actions causes the two love interests to be led on. Despite the love triangle, I loved the plot and adored the majority of the characters; Alouette, Etienne, Cerise, and Gabriel in particular. Oh, and Denise, Jacqui, and Hugo.
September 17, 2021
This book draggggeddd. It took forever to read. And marcellus was the most annoying dumbass through the entire thing. Literally i started rolling my eyes every time his POV came up. And etienne died? For what? Why did gabriel and marcellus get to live and he didnt? He was far better to chatine than marcellus ever was, and yet chatine continued to be doe eyed and in love with him! Etienne deserved better and chatine shouldve been with him and i will die on this hill. At least cerise made it out with gabriel. I really thought theyd go alouette/marcellus instead of marcellus/chatine, i mean, thats how it was in the real les mis. I feel like the authors may have forgotten their own characters during the hiatus between book 2 and 3. Very disappointed w the conclusion of this series :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2023
4.75 Highly recommend this series! These are huge books but they are action pact and you just get sucked into the characters and their story that the time flies by. You don't need to be a Le Mis fan to read these, but it does help to know the story even though this is a retelling there are some similarities especially at the end so I wasn't too surprised. Great series overall!
August 17, 2021
At least Gabriel is alive... I will forever be upset that Etienne died. It should have been Marcellus idgaf. Chatine and Etienne should have been together. But after everything... the ending was as it should be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2024
This f*cking series. The idea of a YA dystopian/sci-fi re-telling of Les Misérables is really cool and the first book is fine and will make you want to read the second, which expands the world really well and is quite good. I couldn't stop reading it and was so excited for the third & last book.
And then you start the 3rd book and the whole thing comes to a crashing halt.
You get Alouette who brings any forward motion the book to a dead halt. She has no traits outside of "the sisters lied to me, my feelings got hurt. But I can save the world, honest." Also, if you can figure out why the hell anyone would follow this whiny girl with no peraonality to 7-11 much less into a revolution, you are better person than me. I run from the 7-11 she wanted me to go to.
And Marcellus. He showed so much promise in Book 1 and 2. So much chemistry with Chatine and a story I was interested in - figuring out who he is and how he can defeat his evil grandfather. But in Book 3, he basically follows Alouette around like a lost little puppy and complains about his granddad without really doing anything about it. And maybe loved Chatine or maybe loves Alouette, who the hell knows. He doesn't. The authors don't. And when he says he loves Chatine and why, all I could think was "WHAT?? WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME FROM??" I don't know who to slap up the head more - him for the lamest of lame ass declaration of love, Chatine for falling for it when she has the other guy (who does and I wish had taken me with him to end the suffering) or the authors for thinking his reason were obvious all along when they weren't at all. Slap them all upside the head. In a non violent don't really way.
Then we have Chatine who IS a great character and has done lots of cool stuff. Only when she on the page am I interested in the story. But in Book 3 all she does is try to control her brother and prevent him from having any agency. If he was a woman, people would be up in arms about the way she basically tries to lock him in his room. And she falls for Marcellus dumbass line abiut why he loves her when she has Etienne right there and he loves her for all the great reasons.
And the finale show down - makes no sense. I know they are going for a "to the barricades!!" idea and I really appreciate it but this isnt that. The person who makes the big sacrifice isn't the one who should and it is disappointing. Etienne, Roche and a bunch of the sisters continue to be cool.
I get what the authors were going for and they dis LOTS of good stuff but this book is a disaster with too much going on. They are fighting the evil grandfather/emperor but also the entire system?? It isn't clear. Be more clear on your plot and characters!!!
I really wanted to love this book and series as there are lots of great ideas but in the end the execution is badly done. Which is unfortunate. All of these characters deserve better.
And then you start the 3rd book and the whole thing comes to a crashing halt.
You get Alouette who brings any forward motion the book to a dead halt. She has no traits outside of "the sisters lied to me, my feelings got hurt. But I can save the world, honest." Also, if you can figure out why the hell anyone would follow this whiny girl with no peraonality to 7-11 much less into a revolution, you are better person than me. I run from the 7-11 she wanted me to go to.
And Marcellus. He showed so much promise in Book 1 and 2. So much chemistry with Chatine and a story I was interested in - figuring out who he is and how he can defeat his evil grandfather. But in Book 3, he basically follows Alouette around like a lost little puppy and complains about his granddad without really doing anything about it. And maybe loved Chatine or maybe loves Alouette, who the hell knows. He doesn't. The authors don't. And when he says he loves Chatine and why, all I could think was "WHAT?? WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME FROM??" I don't know who to slap up the head more - him for the lamest of lame ass declaration of love, Chatine for falling for it when she has the other guy (who does and I wish had taken me with him to end the suffering) or the authors for thinking his reason were obvious all along when they weren't at all. Slap them all upside the head. In a non violent don't really way.
Then we have Chatine who IS a great character and has done lots of cool stuff. Only when she on the page am I interested in the story. But in Book 3 all she does is try to control her brother and prevent him from having any agency. If he was a woman, people would be up in arms about the way she basically tries to lock him in his room. And she falls for Marcellus dumbass line abiut why he loves her when she has Etienne right there and he loves her for all the great reasons.
And the finale show down - makes no sense. I know they are going for a "to the barricades!!" idea and I really appreciate it but this isnt that. The person who makes the big sacrifice isn't the one who should and it is disappointing. Etienne, Roche and a bunch of the sisters continue to be cool.
I get what the authors were going for and they dis LOTS of good stuff but this book is a disaster with too much going on. They are fighting the evil grandfather/emperor but also the entire system?? It isn't clear. Be more clear on your plot and characters!!!
I really wanted to love this book and series as there are lots of great ideas but in the end the execution is badly done. Which is unfortunate. All of these characters deserve better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2022
4/5 🌟
OH MY LORD i have been with this series since day 1 and i am so so glad. Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell (hopefully i’m spelling those right) make a great writing duo. I loved how in this book, there were more than just the main 3 POVs. I loved Cerise so much more in this book than the last one. But I loved the main three, Chatine, Marcellus, and Alouette. Although Chatine will forever have my heart, I love how much Alouette grew in this book. I also loved how marcellus finally learned to make a decision 😂 I also adored Etienne. He was probably one of my favorite POVs and characters in this book. His character arc grew beautifully. Gabriel is always a joy to read about too.
The reason it’s not a 5 is a major spoiler but a major issue so I’ll give you a warning now.
SPOILERS AHEAD
STOP READING IF YOU HAVENT READ THIS BOOK
I NEED TO GET IT OFF MY CHEST OKAY?!
YOUVE BEEN WARNED
okay anyways back to the topic at hand, why did I rate this a 4 and not a 5 🌟? don’t get me wrong i absolutely loved this book with a passion but i can’t get over this.
this series is based off of Les Mis, so like the book/musical, i was expecting tragedy. i was prepared and wanted my heart ripped out from the amount of deaths at the end battle. but there was only one!!! of a supporting character!!! i was so ready for chatine’s death, i was ready to ball my eyes out for when marcellus found out, but that never happened, and honestly it was kind of disappointing. when a book is based off of something else, you expect it to follow the main story, which this didn’t. i was ready for the sorrow, but it wasn’t even that bad!!
also i feel like the buildup to marcellus and chatine was soo good, it kept getting better and better, higher and higher, and then it crashed and burned. there should have been more time when marcellus found out chatine had “died” so we could have felt his grief and made their reunion more special, especially knowing they ended up together in the end. if the authors gave more time to alouette’s “death” and marcellus had the time to be depressed and mourn her, they should have made chatines just as special, if not more!!! maybe they needed to make this into two books instead of 1? anyways i still recommend and love this book but these are my thoughts that i feel could have been executed better.
OH MY LORD i have been with this series since day 1 and i am so so glad. Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell (hopefully i’m spelling those right) make a great writing duo. I loved how in this book, there were more than just the main 3 POVs. I loved Cerise so much more in this book than the last one. But I loved the main three, Chatine, Marcellus, and Alouette. Although Chatine will forever have my heart, I love how much Alouette grew in this book. I also loved how marcellus finally learned to make a decision 😂 I also adored Etienne. He was probably one of my favorite POVs and characters in this book. His character arc grew beautifully. Gabriel is always a joy to read about too.
The reason it’s not a 5 is a major spoiler but a major issue so I’ll give you a warning now.
SPOILERS AHEAD
STOP READING IF YOU HAVENT READ THIS BOOK
I NEED TO GET IT OFF MY CHEST OKAY?!
YOUVE BEEN WARNED
okay anyways back to the topic at hand, why did I rate this a 4 and not a 5 🌟? don’t get me wrong i absolutely loved this book with a passion but i can’t get over this.
this series is based off of Les Mis, so like the book/musical, i was expecting tragedy. i was prepared and wanted my heart ripped out from the amount of deaths at the end battle. but there was only one!!! of a supporting character!!! i was so ready for chatine’s death, i was ready to ball my eyes out for when marcellus found out, but that never happened, and honestly it was kind of disappointing. when a book is based off of something else, you expect it to follow the main story, which this didn’t. i was ready for the sorrow, but it wasn’t even that bad!!
also i feel like the buildup to marcellus and chatine was soo good, it kept getting better and better, higher and higher, and then it crashed and burned. there should have been more time when marcellus found out chatine had “died” so we could have felt his grief and made their reunion more special, especially knowing they ended up together in the end. if the authors gave more time to alouette’s “death” and marcellus had the time to be depressed and mourn her, they should have made chatines just as special, if not more!!! maybe they needed to make this into two books instead of 1? anyways i still recommend and love this book but these are my thoughts that i feel could have been executed better.
September 28, 2021
This book is so hard to rate honestly. Because the first solid 60% of it dragged, the pacing was so slow, it didn't feel like the last book in a high-stakes trilogy. It felt like it was setting up a series. Even when things happened, it didn't FEEL like things were happening, if that makes sense. The last maybe quarter or so of the book definitely took off and the action happened so quickly, one after the other, that I was at the edge of my seat, reading as fast as I could. But that doesn't really take away from the slowness of the majority of the book. Ettienne definitely deserved better. I'm a little frustrated at the end of the book (the epilogue) because while Between Burning Worlds introduced new, important characters, and Suns Will Rise made them into major characters (with their own POVs), the epilogue shoved them away in favor of the original characters which was annoying. eye dee kay, I have complex feelings. I did enjoy the series, and it was exciting, I just expected a little more out of this last book.
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