#*❈ ‣ rel: valjean — much better thing than the master‚ the father.

[miserablesme]

The Les Miserables Changelog Part 6: 1987-1997 West End variations

Hello, everyone! This is the latest edition in my attempt to chronicle all of the musical and lyrical changes which the show Les Miserables has undergone over the years. This time, we're going through the production-specific differences between the official 1987-1997 libretto and the West End productions of the era.

Compared to American productions, the West End production was NOT afraid to improvise a little relative to what the books said. It was simultaneously willing to hold on to things the official libretto abandoned, and to add in details not done elsewhere. (Incidentally this reportedly was true with the staging as well as the lyrics, though this blog is focused on the latter.)

It’s worth noting that the show went through many iterations throughout the decade. For the sake of coherence I’m separating this post into each variant.

Oh, and because this entails many different versions of the musical, and most of these lyrical changes can be seen and discussed in other posts of my blog, this post will be significantly less thorough than most of mine regarding my thoughts on the changes. With all that cleared up, let us begin!

Circa 1987-1988 variant

During “On Parole”, the official lyrics of the innkeepers have since 1987 been:

My rooms are full

And I’ve no supper to spare

I’d like to help a stranger

All we want is to be fair

The West End production maintained the original version instead:

My rooms are full

And I’ve no supper to spare

I’d like to help you really

All I want is to be fair

"At the End of the Day" reverses a line. Officially Valjean usually sings:

What is this fighting all about?

Will someone tear these two apart?

Instead, the West End show has him ask:

Will someone tear these two apart?

What is this fighting all about?

The 1987 libretto had these (solo) lyrics to “The Runaway Cart”:

Don’t go near him, Monsieur Mayor

The load is as heavy as hell

The old man is a goner for sure

It will kill you as well

The West End version used the original ensemble sequence instead:

(INDIVIDUAL)

Don’t go near him, Monsieur Mayor

There’s nothing at all you can do

(ENSEMBLE)

The old man is a goner for sure

Leave him alone

“Who Am I?” still used the original “This innocent who bears my face” instead of “who wears my face”. It also still featured Valjean’s “You know where to find me!” declaration officially written out of the libretto.

Prior to "Master of the House", a customer still declares "Hell, what a wine" instead of the revised "God, what a wine".

In the “Waltz of Treachery”, Thenardier still asks “Have we done for your child what is best?” instead of the official post-Broadway line which changes “your child” to “her child”. Additionally, Valjean still sings "a friendlier sky" instead of "some friendlier sky".

Then, at the end of the number, at least some performances use a slightly different line from the norm. Usually Little Cosette asks:

Will there be children

And castles to see?

However, this era of the West End production used a version later borrowed by the Official Symphonic Soundtrack as well as the 1992 UK tour:

Will there be castles

And children to see?

I can’t help but wonder what this edit was supposed to accomplish. Is it supposed to show that Cosette is optimistic and innocent enough to prioritize castles over making friends?

The opening of "Look Down" interestingly used a middle ground between Gavroche's original and rewritten lines. Originally he declares:

This is my school, my high society

From St. Denis to St Michel

We live on crumbs of humble piety

Tough on the teeth, but what the hell?

If you're poor, if you're free

Follow me, follow me!

Officially in the 1987 libretto, he instead proclaims:

This is my school, my high society

Here in the slums of St Michel

We live on crumbs of humble piety

Tough on the teeth, but what the hell?

Think you're poor? Think you're free?

Follow me, follow me!

However, the West End production at the time has him sing:

This is my school, my high society

Here in the slums of St Michel

We live on crumbs of humble piety

Tough on the teeth, but what the hell?

If you're poor, if you're free

Follow me, follow me!

The revised opener combined with the original closing part! A fascinating combination in my book.

As in the original version, the Beggar Woman cries "You give 'em all the pox" instead of just "Give 'em all the pox".

The 1987 libretto featured the following exchange as an ensemble piece:

When's it gonna end?

When're we gonna live?

Something's gotta happen now or

Something's gotta give

However, the West End production used the original solo lines:

When's it gonna end?

When're we gonna live?

Something's gotta happen, dearie

Something's gotta give

Fortunately, the generic students' lines have been replaced with Marius and Enjolras as usual. However, the beggars' lines in between their dialogue is in its original form. Instead of the revised lines:

(BEGGARS)

See our children fed

Help us in our shame

Something for a crust of bread in Holy Jesus' name

(SOLO BEGGAR)

In the Lord's holy name

(BEGGARS)

In His name, in His name, in His name

The original ones are used:

(BEGGARS)

Something for a meal

Something for a doss

Something in the name of Him who died upon the cross

On the cross, come across

On the cross, come across, come across

"The Robbery" has mostly been adapted into its revised Broadway form, with one small difference. Instead of the following revised part of Thenardier's dialogue:

Save a life, spare a sou

God rewards all the good that you do

He instead sings the following:

Save a life, spare a sou

God will see all the good that you do

This is presumably a relic of the number's pre-Broadway form, in which Thenardier's plea includes the line:

How d'you do? Spare a sou

God will see all the good that you do

I kind of like this unique variant actually. It strikes me as a little more authentic regarding what an actual religious person would say. My experience is that the omniscience of God seems to be a higher priority in most devout Christians' minds than the ways he will reward them. Of course, Thenardier is just putting on an act and he himself prioritizes nothing before reward, so perhaps the standard lines make more sense.

For some inexplicable reason, Javert's "Why on earth did he run?" later in "The Robbery" is instead sung as "Why the hell did he run?" This feels extremely out-of-character; Javert is usually not one to use Biblical terms casually.

"Stars" mostly takes on its usual post-Broadway form, with one difference. Instead of singing:

He knows his way in the dark

But mine is the way of the Lord

And those who follow the path of the righteous shall have their reward

He removes the final conjunction, making the lyric:

He knows his way in the dark

But mine is the way of the Lord

Those who follow the path of the righteous shall have their reward

Ironically, I find the original "but" a little awkward while thinking the "and" is better when present! Not a huge deal though.

Enjolras' name continues not to be stated during the instrumentals before "Red and Black".

During "Red and Black", Grantaire still sings "We talk of battles to be won" instead of the slightly revised "You talk of battles to be won".

"The Attack on Rue Plumet" uses the slightly different original "to watch a cat and his father" line instead of the official "to see a cat and his father".

Then, at the climax of the number, instead of the revised sequence of lines:

You wait my girl, you'll rue this night

I'll make you scream, you'll scream alright!

Leave her to me, don't wait around

Make for the sewers, go underground

The original sequence was used:

Make for the sewers, don't wait around

Leave her to me, go underground

You wait my girl, you'll rue this night

I'll make you scream, you'll scream alright!

During "One Day More", Javert sings the original "One day more to revolution" instead of "One more day to revolution" as is standard.

In the opener to Act Two, Grantaire sings the pre-Broadway "Some will bark, some will bite" from the pre-Broadway show instead of the revised "Dogs will bark, fleas will bite".

After "Little People", Grantaire similarly keeps his original "Better far to die a schoolboy than a p'liceman and a spy instead of the post-Broadway "What's the difference? Die a schoolboy, die a p'liceman, die a spy".

The Second Attack retains a lot of pre-Broadway lines. Instead of this post-Broadway opening:

(ENJOLRAS)

How do we stand? Feuilly make your report

(FEUILLY)

We've guns enough but ammunition short

(MARIUS)

I will go into the street

There are bodies all around

Ammunition to be had

Lots of bullets to be found

The original one is used:

(ENJOLRAS)

How do we stand? Feuilly make your report

(FEUILLY)

We've guns enough but bullets running short

(MARIUS)

Let me go into the street

There are bodies all around

Ammunition to be had

Lots of bullets to be found

Then, instead of this post-Broadway sequence:

(ENJOLRAS)

I can't let you go, it's too much of a chance

(MARIUS)

And the same is true for any man here

(VALJEAN)

Let me go, he's no more than a boy

I am old, I have nothing to fear

The pre-Broadway one is used:

(ENJOLRAS)

I can't let you go, it's too much of a chance

(MARIUS)

And the same can be said for any man here

(VALJEAN)

Let me go in his place, he's no more than a boy

I am old and alone and have nothing to fear

The remainder of the scene is performed in its usual post-Broadway form.

The "Final Battle" number uses the more hectic original pace as opposed to the less wordy post-Broadway lyrics. Instead of these current lyrics:

(ENJOLRAS)

Let us die facing our foes

Make them bleed while they can

(COMBEFERRE)

Make them pay through the nose

(COURFEYRAC)

Make them pay for every man

A slight variation on the original lyrics is used:

(ENJOLRAS)

Come on my friends, though we stand here alone

Let us go to our deaths with our face to the foes

(COMBEFERRE)

Let 'em pay for each death with a death of their own

(COURFEYRAC)

If they get me, by God, they will pay through the nose

Notice how the line now uses "the foes" instead of the original "our foes". Everything else is consistent with the original sequence, though.

"Dog Eats Dog" is mostly the same as its post-Broadway revision. However, Thenardier still sings "Here's a little toy" instead of the revised "Here's another toy".

Additionally, after the number Thenardier still doesn't shout Valjean's name.

From this point onwards, the musical takes its standard post-Broadway form.

Circa 1988-1989 variant

This version is almost identical to the last, with a couple exceptions. During "Who Am I?" Valjean now sings the official "wears my face" line as opposed to the original "bears my face" lyric.

The post-"Waltz of Treachery" scene is now performed in its standard "children and castles" format instead of the "castles and children" variant.

"Stars" now borrows a line from its Australian version. Instead of "And so it has been, and so it is written", Javert now sings "And so it must be, for so it is written". Interestingly, though, the rest of the number is the same as it was in the 1987-1988 version of the West End show.

In "One Day More", Javert finally sings the post-Broadway "One more day to revolution" instead of "One day more to revolution".

Thenardier now shouts Valjean's name following "Dog Eats Dog", as was already the case in other productions.

Circa 1989-1991 variant

This version of the show is mostly a mix of the 1987-1989 variants as well as the official post-Broadway libretto, with a few unique variations added in. The innkeeper scene retains its pre-Broadway form, and "At the End of the Day" retains its swapped-lines variants.

"The Runaway Cart" now uses its standard post-Broadway lyrics. However, the lines "The load is as heavy as hell" and "It will kill you as well" are performed as ensemble pieces instead of the scripted solo lines.

"Who Am I?" retains Valjean's "You know where to find me" line... usually. I also have one 1989 recording where Peter Karrie uses the Australian "You will find me at the hospital St. John" line... yet Karrie himself can also be heard stating the usual line in other performances. Very odd...

The "Hell, what a line" original lyric is still sing during the preamble to "Master of the House".

Thenardier still sings "your child" instead of "her child" during the "Waltz of Treachery".

Gavroche's opening to "Look Down", the Beggar Woman's "Give 'em all the pox", and the beggars' "See our children fed" lyrics have all finally been adapted into their official post-Broadway selves. However, the "When's it gonna end" sequence retains its pre-Broadway form.

"The Robbery" maintains the unique "God will see all the good that you do" variation. However, Javert's "Why the hell did he run?" has fortunately been reverted to "Why on earth did he run?"

"Stars" has now fully adapted into its Australian format. Instead of the original "Fallen from grace, fallen from grace" Javert now sings "Fallen from God, fallen from grace". The "but" has also been removed from "Mine is the way of the Lord".

"Red and Black" now uses the official "you talk of battles" line. However, Enjolras' name still isn't declared during its opening instrumentals.

"The Attack on Rue Plumet" retains all of its pre-Broadway variations.

In "One Day More", Javert now sings "I will join these little schoolboys" instead of "We'll be ready for these schoolboys".

The opening barricade scene in Act Two has now switched to the official post-Broadway "Dogs will bark, fleas will bite" lyrics.

Grantaire's post-"Little People" line now takes its post-Broadway "What's the difference?" format.

The "Second Attack", the "Final Battle", and "Dog Eats Dog" are all performed identically to the 1987-1989 West End versions.

Circa 1991-1992 variant

This is very close to the 1989-1991 version, with a few differences. The "Waltz of Treachery" finally has Thenardier say "her child" instead of "your child".

The "Final Battle" now uses the official post-Broadway lyrics.

"Dog Eats Dog" finally uses the official "Here's another toy" line instead of "Here's a little toy".

Moreover, the Epilogue now uses the Australian "I'll lead you to salvation" lines instead of the original (and still official at that point) "And lead me to salvation".

Circa 1992-1993 variant

This variant is similarly very close to the 1991-1992 one, with the following exceptions. "At the End of the Day" finally uses its official lyrics.

Valjean no longer declares "You know where to find me!" after "Who Am I?"

Then, "A Little Fall of Rain" takes a cue from the 1992 UK tour. It now opens with the same annoying interlude as opposed to the usual opening music.

Later, in another acknowledgement of the UK tour, after "Night of Anguish" instrumentals of "A Little Fall of Rain" as opposed to "Drink with Me" play.

Gavroche's death scene now uses the "ammunition short" and "I will go into the street" lines instead of the original ones. However, the rest of the number is still in its pre-Broadway state.

Circa 1993-1994 variant

This version borrows elements from the 1992 UK tour while still keeping a lot of features of previous West End versions.

The innkeeper scene still takes its pre-Broadway form.

"Fantine's Arrest" has put in Fantine's slightly awkward "I won't have you" line from the UK tour in place of her usual "No, not at all". Some performances also switch Bamatabois' original lyrics:

You've got some nerve, you little whore

You've got some gall!

It's the same with a tart as it is with a grocer

The customer sees what he gets in advance

It's not for the whore to say "yes sir" or "no sir"

It's not for the harlot to pick or to choose

Or to lead me a dance

Into his UK tour lines:

You've got some sauce, you ugly slut

You've got some gall!

What's become of the world when a whore from the gutter

Can suddenly get such ideas in her head?

Your job is to lie on your back for your betters

This hideous harlot believes she can choose

Who she takes to her bed

However, this didn't seem to be the standard at this point. Many performances still used the original lyrics.

"The Runaway Cart" has been entirely redone so that it takes its UK tour format. Instead of these original opening remarks:

Look at that

Look at that

It's Monsieur Fauchelevent

Don't approach

Don't go near

At the risk of your life

He is caught by the wheel

Oh the pitiful man

Stay away

Turn away

There is nothing to do

There is nothing to do

The UK tour ones are used:

Look at that

Stay away

You'll be crushed by the cart

Don't approach

Don't go near

It'll fall on you too

Oh my god, who is that?

It's Monsieur Fauchelevent

He is caught by the wheel

Oh the pitiful man

There is nothing to do

As in the past in the West End, the solo lines in the "Don't go near him..." sequence become ensemble ones.

Finally, Fauchelevent's original "You come from God, you are a saint" takes its UK tour "You saved my life, you come from God" form.

"Look Down" still uses the pre-Broadway "When's it gonna end..." sequence.

In "The Robbery", Thenardier also still claims "God will see..." instead of "God rewards...".

As with past variations in the West End, "Stars" takes its Australian/UK tour form.

Interestingly, despite all the UK tour adaptations which were being added to the West End show, the opening sting prior to "Red and Black" is not heard (despite the fact that during this era, it was being added to more or less every other replica production worldwide!)

Additionally, Enjolras' name still doesn't appear during the number's opening instrumentals.

However, Enjolras' line:

To rally the people

To call them to arms

To bring them in line

Is replaced with the UK tour version:

To rally the people

To fire their blood

And the bring them in line

Also, the rewritten lyrics to "Lamarque is Dead" do appear.

The pre-Broadway lyrics in "The Attack on Rue Plumet" are still present.

Javert continues to sing "I will join these little schoolboys" in "One Day More".

As was the case in the last edit, "A Little Fall of Rain" and "Night of Anguish" use the musical variants introduced in the UK tour.

Gavroche's death scene is finally in its official post-Broadway form 100% of the way through. After this point in the show, everything is identical to the 1991-1993 show.

Circa 1994-1995 variant

This is almost identical to the 1993-1994 version of the show. The one difference I'm aware of: Thenardier finally sings "God rewards..." instead of "God will see..." in "The Robbery".

Circa 1995-1996 variant

A few differences are present here relative to the 1994-1995 version. First off, "Lovely Ladies" takes a cue from the UK tour. Instead of this group scene:

(SAILORS - simultaneously with prostitutes' lines)

Lovely lady, fastest on the street

Wasn't there three minutes

She was back up on her feet

Lovely lady, what you waiting for

Doesn't take a lot of savvy just to be a whore

Come on lady, what's a lady for?

(PROSTITUTES - simultaneously with sailors' lines)

Lovely ladies, lovely little girls

Lovely ladies, lovely little ladies

Lovely girlies, lovely little girls

We are lovely, lovely girls

Lovely ladies, what's a lady for?

There's this exchange between a prostitute and a pimp:

(PROSTITUTE)

God I'm weary, sick enough to drop

Belly burns like fire

Will the bleeding ever stop?

(PIMP)

Cheer up dearie, show a happy face

Plenty more like you here

If you can't keep up the pace

(PROSTITUTE)

Only joking, dearie knows her place

Note that this is NOT identical to the UK tour version. The prostitute sings "will the bleeding ever stop" instead of "never stop", and the pimp refers to "you here" instead of "you, dear".

"Fantine's Arrest" now has solidified the UK tour lyrics as the default ones; the original lyrics seem to no longer be used in the UK.

In the "Waltz of Treachery", Thenardier no longer just sings "Let's not haggle for darling Cosette". No he refers to "darling Colette", with Mme. Thenardier quickly saying (not singing) her actual name and Thenardier singing it in response. I'm not the biggest fan of this joke myself. It makes Thenardier look like nothing more than a big idiot, when I think there should be a degree of cunning to his character.

The student finally shouts Enjolras' name during the opening instrumentals to "Red and Black" now.

Fortunately, the little opening overture before “A Little Fall of Rain” has once again been removed. Everything else is the same as the last version (and yes, that includes the original pre-Broadway lines that haven't yet been converted to their rewritten forms!)

Circa 1997 variant

This version is almost identical to the last one. However, Javert is back to singing "We'll be ready for these schoolboys" instead of "I will join these little schoolboys" in "One Day More".

An interesting change also occurs during the "Final Battle". Though the lines are the same, Enjolras now sings the final word, "free", instead of shouting it.

And that just about sums this part up! If I missed anything feel free to let me know, as my goal is to create a changelog as thorough and complete as possible. I plan on making more parts in the near future covering all the changes that have been made in the show up until this day (discounting concerts). Any feedback and constructive criticism is very much appreciated.

As a side note, both for this project and my own enjoyment, I want as complete a collection of Les Miserables audios as possible. I already have most of what’s commonly circulated, but if you have any audios or videos you know are rare, I’d love it if you DMed me!

Until the turntable puts me at the forefront again, good-bye…

[tokiro07]

One of the other qualifications for the pretender class is that the person is an enemy not to man or beasts but to the world itself (their hatred is directed at the land/world), so maybe that narrows down the list?

Anonymous asked: It seems that the main qualification of pretender class is being against the world hence the class art being demonic looking: This class is for those that want to destroy the world for whatever reason they have

So the difference is that the Pretender class are servants that seem to be standard heroic spirits but are actually pretending to be regular servants to hide how they want the world flat out gone for whatever reason while Faker Class are servants that fake being another servant from more benevolent reasons

Pretender also seems to be the class for servants that are completely malevolent from the start but hides that they’re malevolent under guise of being a regular servant while Avenger class seems to be “evil” class, most avengers were wronged and became filled with hate since if they didn’t got wronged then they’d qualify as potential heroic servants

So basically Pretender class is like backstabbing con artist and Faker are like spies in disguise

That all definitely sounds plausible, I just think it's strange for there to be a class that's definitively "evil"

Even Foreigner, which is the class for Outer Gods and those who come into contact with them, lost the necessity for its more sinister implications with Voyager qualifying for Foreigner as something "alien," even though it's alien to everyone but the people of Earth

I think that "being an enemy of the world" is the kind of thing that will get distilled out relatively quickly, or at least will be applied to characters who don't already have that as a part of their story in much the same way that characters with no connection to the Outer Gods were made Foreigners with whatever loose justification they wanted to use

I think the idea of Pretenders being con artists isn't too far off the mark, but I don't think it's an absolute necessity either

Now that I've had about 24 hours to mull it over, here's how I reconciled the difference in my head:

Consider Metal Gear. Through the majority of Metal Gear, you play as Solid Snake, a clone of Big Boss created to replace Big Boss if he left the Patriots. For all intents and purposes, Solid Snake is a counterfeit, an imitation of Big Boss. He is not playing the role of Big Boss, he is not deceiving anyone into thinking that he is Big Boss, he's just a counterfeit Big Boss. This qualifies him for Faker on the basis that he could be summoned as a Heroic Spirit of Imitation

In Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, however, you play as Venom Snake, the name that Big Boss supposedly took after a failed mission. In reality, Venom Snake is a different man who was forced to undergo plastic surgery and hypnosis after said mission, being manipulated by others into believing that he is in fact the real Big Boss. While he believes he is Big Boss, he is a Faker, a counterfeit made by the real Big Boss, Ocelot, and Kaz. Once he learns the truth though, he chooses to continue carrying on the name so as to continue operating with Big Boss' influence while the real Big Boss also carries out his own plans. At this point, he still qualifies as Faker because he is a body double of Big Boss (like Hephaestion), but now he is also a Pretender as he is playing the role of the ultimate soldier, leader of the Diamond Dogs, etc. Even if you consider the "enemy of the world" angle, he still fits as Big Boss' goal was to create his own military nation that would always be at war

Or let's look at One Piece. Bon Clay's Clone-Clone Fruit lets him shapeshift into other people; this would make him a counterfeit, a Faker, while also allowing him to take on the roles of others to manipulate people, such as when he took on Cobra's form in order to frame the real Cobra during the Alabasta civil war. Pudding, on the other hand, is simply an actress who deceives and manipulates people for her own and Big Mom's ends, making her a Pretender but not a Faker as she isn't copying anyone or anything else

So now the question is: of the Heroic Spirits I assigned to Faker a few years ago, who still fits Faker and who would actually be a Pretender, or both?

Mulan took on the guise of being a man in order to join the army. One could argue that she was a "counterfeit man," so maybe she'd still be a Faker, but Pretender seems somewhat of a better fit as she was being deceptive in order to achieve her own goals. Not evil goals or any that opposed the world by any stretch, but goals that required deception nonetheless

The Fiend with Twenty Faces, by my understanding, is a master of disguise with twenty identities. Assuming they aren't based on existing characters in-story, I would say that those identities which he uses in order to pull of his thefts are more in line with Pretender than Faker

Babo pretends to still be a slave while setting up Benito Cereno as the captain; Babo himself is more a Pretender, manipulating others into thinking the ship he overthrew is operating as it should, but Benito Cereno is a counterfeit captain put in place by Babo, technically qualifying him for Faker, but just barely

Jean Valjean, simply pretending not to be Valjean, is not imitating anyone, thus likely disqualifying him for Faker

Bampfylde Moore Carew, the way I conceptualized him as a Faker, works the way that Pretender seems to, taking on the abilities of other Classes. Since he was known as an impostor, I think he qualifies as Faker, but he is a dead ringer for Pretender as it's been established thus far (aside from being an enemy of the world I suppose)

Pope Joan is like Mulan, and thus more Pretender than Faker

Ferdinand Waldo Demara, the Great Impostor, would actually take the names of other people, so he most definitely qualifies as Faker. He was playing the roles of other professions, which would work for Pretender and its ability to take on other class abilities, but he's a Faker for sure

George C. Parker, selling fake deeds, is a counterfeiter and Faker, but being a con-man is a Pretender

Hervor, again like Mulan, is more of a Pretender than a Faker, at least until she takes on her father's identity

So four of my nine Fakers are either definitely or arguably Fakers, while some others are debatable, but all of them can be argued to fit for Pretender

So...I'm not sure if I'm going to bother making a specific post for fan Pretenders, since I've basically already done it? Maybe I'll just repurpose my Faker post for Pretender and then just find new Fakers that are more accurate with our new understanding

Again, though, I think we need to wait to know what Pretender is the Heroic Spirit of to really get a good idea of who should actually qualify, but I think this interpretation is satisfying enough for me for the moment

[brightbeautifulthings]

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant

"'Our mother the City is not a merciful mother,' she says as she gathers my hair in one hand. 'To be a girl in this city is to be weak. It is to call evil things down upon you. And the City is not kind to weak things. She sends Death the Endless to winnow the frail from the strong. You know this.'"

Year Read: 2020

Rating: 5/5

About: Il était une fois, there was a girl whose sister traded her own life so that she might live. Their Mother was the city of Paris, and their father, Thénardier, was the Master of Beasts and a beast himself. Lacking allies, the girl joined the Guild of Thieves, and she vowed to someday save her sister, even if it meant dismantling The Court of Miracles from the inside. But when the Tiger, Lord of the Guild of Flesh, sets his sights on her second sister, Ettie, Nina will have to unite the other guilds against him to save them both. The Court of Miracles is a Les Misérables retelling set in an alternate Paris, where The Miracle Court rules over the Wretched and to break the Law may ignite a war among the nine guilds. Trigger warnings: Everything. It's a seriously dark book. Death, child death, slavery, prostitution, cannibalism, poisoning, fires, severe injury, severe illness, guns, violence, drugging, abduction, starvation, and unreserved gushing from the reviewer. I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Random House Children's.

Thoughts: The description had me at "Les Misérables retelling", but The Court of Miracles is so much more than that. While I loved revisiting favorite characters like Éponine, Valjean, and Enjolras cast in new roles, the real magic of this book is the Miracle Court of Grant's creation. It's every bit as dark and twisted as guilds of thieves, assassins, and smugglers suggest, and then some. I loved getting to know the various guilds and their hierarchies, where familiar characters like Montparnasse is Master of Knives and little Gavroche is a Ghost in the Guild of Beggars. There are some incredible new characters like Orso, the frightening but oddly kind Dead Lord, and a truly heinous villain in the Tiger, Lord Kaplan. A lover of all things grim and creepy, I can't imagine a Les Mis retelling that's better suited to me, but it's certainly not going to work for everyone. If you're easily triggered, tread carefully, because I can't imagine an issue this book doesn't hit against in some way.

Éponine is one of my favorite characters of all time, and I love her incarnation as the lead character, Nina. The blurb for The Court of Miracles likens it to Six of Crows (not a bad comparison, actually), and never is this more apparent than in her character. She's sort of a mash-up of Inej Ghafa and Nina Zenik, with the Wraith's skills at sneaking and thieving and all of the Heartrender's sass and occasional recklessness. She's fearless but flawed, always playing every side to protect her sisters, even when she's the one who puts them in danger in the first place. Cosette (Ettie) is almost as annoying as the original, but she gets a reasonable coming of age arc over the course of the book. I originally thought Femi Vano, the Messenger, was going to play a larger role, but he's somewhat overshadowed by Montparnasse, the stoic assassin who's always lurking in the shadows, and I'm cool with that. Add him to my already long list of favorite assassin characters. I'll leave Valjean's character a surprise, but let's just say I love it, and while Les Amis are truncated (likely to cut down on the character count), Enjolras and Grantaire play important roles. (The only sad thing: Enjoltaire does not seem to be a ship in this series, but I have hope.)

The book is relatively fast-paced given the time span it covers. I would have been interested to see more of Nina's training as she becomes the Black Cat in the Guild of Thieves, but we time-jump a couple years from her initiation to the current plot. It keeps things moving though, and her plan to save Azelma is intricate and long-running, with no shortage of smaller heists or missions to gain allies in the other guilds. There are excerpts of "fairytales" told by the Dead Lord that flesh out the history of The Miracle Court and its rulers. There's plenty of action, world-building, and character development, and I was never bored a moment. I'm ecstatic this is the beginning of a trilogy because I wasn't ready to leave Nina's world behind, and there's so much more of it to uncover.

[thelockpick]

II.V.V Something Gas Lighting Would Make Impossible

I just need to start this entry by commenting on the absurdity of Javert's obsession with Valjean.

Javert, probably. (Actually: Arresting Deserters, 1896, from The Art and Picture Collection, The New York Public Library.)

Consider:

Seven or eight soldiers in a body had just entered Rue Polonceau. He saw the gleam of their bayonets. They were coming towards him.

These soldiers, led by a tall figure he identified as Javert, advanced slowly and cautiously ... This was -- and it was impossible to be mistaken in this conjecture -- some patrol Javert had encountered and requisitioned. Javert's two henchmen were marching in their ranks.

Yeah. Javert has not only convinced the police precinct that it would be a valuable use of resources for four of their officers to pursue a shaky lead on a dude who stole a loaf of bread decades ago, but he has requisitioned a small army to join the search crew.

Also, he has henchmen.

Fortunately, JVJ has mad wall-climbing skills. Hugo predictably describes this and gets caught up in thinking about JVJ's sexy muscles/strength:

He was ... a past master in the art of climbing the inside corner of a wall, as much as six storeys high if necessary, without a ladder, without irons, by sheer muscular force, using neck, shoulders, hips and knees for support, scarcely relying at all on on the odd irregularity in the stones' surface ...

Yeah, we get it, Valjean is strong.

(Victor also references a criminal named Battemolle escaping in this way from the Conciergerie, but the only references I can find to this online are from Les Mis, so it must either be fictional or very obscure. I'm disappointed that I can't read about a badass wall-climbing French criminal's escape.)

A 19th century public urinal in Paris made a nice alternative to the corners of peoples’ homes. (Public domain image from the State Library of Victoria.)

So JVJ sizes up this wall and it's 18 feet high, but he notices that the building's gable end meets the ground at a corner filled with a pile of rubble some five feet high "probably intended to save this too suitable corner from being used as a public convenience by passers-by. This filling-up of corners is commonplace in Paris."

Stay classy, Paris.

Anyway, JVJ can climb this wall with his awesome skills, but he can't figure out what to do about Cosette. He can get her over the wall, too, but he'll need a rope.

As much as I hate on Hugo's asides and excessive scene-setting, his writing can be quite profound at times. He describes Valjean's desperation and soon-to-be epiphany in this way:

All dire situations are electrifying, sometimes blindingly so, sometimes to illuminating effect.

Very true. Also a bit of wordplay, because JVJ's "illuminating" gaze then falls on a lamp post.

Hugo explains that this scene was taking place prior to gas lights being introduce, so Paris was instead lit by lanterns that were raised and lowered by a rope. On this particular night, the lanterns hadn't been lit because of the full moon. Valjean is able to pick the lock of one of the boxes containing the rope normally used to hoist the lantern, and he instead ties the rope around little Cosette, climbs the wall, and then pulls her up with him.

So far, Cosette has been incredibly well-behaved. This strange man has ripped her from her relatively brief comfort and made her stay silent during a mysterious nighttime walk during which they are being tailed by police, and she's been totally cool with it. But that can only last for so long.

"Father," she whispered, "I'm scared. Who is it that's coming this way?"

"Hush!" replied the poor man. "It's Madame Thénardier."

Cosette shuddered.

He added, "Keep quiet. Leave it to me. If you call out, if you cry, that Thénardier woman's ready to pounce. She's come to take you back."

I have such mixed feelings about this. My immediate reaction was: WTF, Valjean?!? You're re-traumatizing poor Cosette!

But this is also kind of brilliant. How better to communicate the importance of staying quiet in this situation other than relying on the main source of authority and terror in poor Cosette's life? Madame T is to Cosette as the police are to Valjean.

Just as Valjean pulls a silent, cooperative Cosette ("Either through terror or bravery Cosette had not uttered a sound. Her hands were a little grazed.") over the wall, Javert reaches the alley with his little army.

Summary

Locks picked: 1.

Javert henchmen: 2 - 10, depending on whether you count the soldiers.

Descriptions of JVJ's sexy muscles: 1.

Note: Obviously my "I'm going to blog daily!" thing took a nosedive very quickly. I had this entry mostly written but set aside for a long time -- there was camping, the the holidays ....

At any rate, here's to a better record in the new year!