#alouette taureau

[marinafanning]

aaa i'm going to forget someone and then feel really bad umm

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[beccas-books]

Currently Reading

Suns Will Rise by Jessica Brody & Joanne Rendell 

[strawbcrrywine]

ALOUETTE TAUREAU (SKY WITHOUT STARS)

when the lark flies home,

the regime will fall.

[lawisnotmocked]

I Read Sky Without Stars! Here’s A Review!

I’ve mentioned it a few times before on this blog, but Sky Without Stars is a YA sci-fi retelling of Les Mis that I’ve been (very slowly ^^’) reading since it came out earlier this year. Anyway I finally finished it the other day so it’s once again Time For Sirius’ Opinions!

In short, SWS is basically the authors’ les mis space au fanfic, and I’ve read better les mis fanfic, but it’s pretty good uwu

The story follows three main characters, Chatine/Theo (space Eponine), Marcellus (space Marius) and Alouette (you guessed it, space Cosette). It’s a revolution love triangle book, and the beginning of the first book is mostly world building, but the story starts to pick up the further along you go. 

There’s lots of les mis references in the story (brick and musical) which were fun to pick up on and Myriel, Valjean, Javert, Azelma, Gavroche, Thenardier, Mme. Thenardier, Gillenormand, Claquesous and Gueulemer all have their space au counterparts. 

All in all, I enjoyed it and it was good enough, and like I said I’ve read better fanfic and if it sounds like something you might be interested it I’d definitely give it a try! That said, the second book in the series Between Burning Worlds comes out next year and I’m absolutely buying it and also singlehandedly running the SWS fandom because oops I’m attached to these dumbass characters now!

Anyway, I’m going to do a longer review under the cut with spoilers so join me for more screaming if you wish uwu

Alright so here are some thoughts in some kind of order!

- The first thing I noticed about the writing was that there’s random French words scattered throughout dialogue and it kind of threw me off and interrupted the flow of the story before I got used to it happening. I was listening to the audiobook for most of it instead of physically reading it because I’m illiterate which may have impacted this but it still felt kind of weird. All the characters also have French names but it’s also cannon that the Vangarde write in English and Alouette’s nickname is literally ‘Lark’ in English so???? I’m choosing to headcanon this as a weird French/English hybrid language that’s evolved on Laterre but also it was weird!

- Chatine/Theo is transmasc because I said so fuck you 

- I find heteronormative love triangles an annoying trope and I wish the authors had taken the opportunities that were there at multiple points in the story to add queer elements but they didn’t so f I guess!

- That said Alouette and Marcellus are really cute when they first meet and Chatine/Theo realising she was in love with Marcellus was cute too ;w;

- ‘Alouette you’re so fucking stupid’ I say, loving and treasuring her 

- Like I said before, the story does start out kind of slow but really picks up as you go on and gets more engaging once the major worldbuilding is out of the way

- Apparently the events of the book take place over the course of only one week? That threw me off at the end because I thought it was more like a month ^^’

- There’s ANIMAL SYMBOLISM which is EXCELLENT because we all know that’s my hyperfixation ;,3 To quote some of my favourites, the Thenardier family name is Renard, a reference to Thenardier’s brick fox symbolism, lots of lark symbolism for Alouette (I mean, her name is literally lark in French so :,3), the upper classes refer to the lower classes as ‘fret rats’ (the frets being the place they live), and Hugo’s wolf = criminality metaphor is also referred to. Valjean and Javert also have their own animal symbolism but I’ll talk about that in a minute uwu

- For the amis fans who might be interested, there’s currently no space au amis characters, but there is a chance there will be in the sequel since the synopsis talks about a new militant revolutionary group emerging 

- For the valvert fans who make up most of my follower count, this next part is for you uwu

- I’m just gonna do a whole analysis of space au Javert’s character now so skip this bullet point if you’re not interested in this ^^’ Javert’s character is called Inspector Limier and he’s the cyborg head of the Laterre police force who has circuits in his face that flash when he feels things and I love him. His name is probably my favourite part of animal symbolism in this book because ‘Limier’ translates to both a bloodhound or a police detective did I mention I have a hyperfixation? He rightfully has lots of dog symbolism but my favourite is going to have to be when he was described as the patriarche’s hunting dog and the funniest was when he sniffed Marcellus like a scenthound :,3 Initially I was worried about him being a cyborg because we have Many Issues With Javert Characters Being Mischaracterised but his characterisation was actually pretty good throughout most of the story. He was a sassy bastard yet respectful of authority, driven, dedicated, and absolutely fucking feral. There was a part near the end of the book that I didn’t like where the authors clearly tried to make a musical reference by having him literally say ‘I am the law’, but in the context of him being above the law and the whole piece of dialogue was contradictory and like,,,, anti-javert. They didn’t go so far that they can’t bring him back to a Javerty character again if he’s in the sequel, but it was still frustrating after I’d liked his character the whole way through.

- Valjean time! The first name we’re introduced to him as is Hugo Taureau which is dumb and I adore it :,3 Hugo is clearly a Vicky H reference and Taureau is his animal symbolism (bulls!) and basically animal symbolism names Good. Also his real name is Jean LeGrand :,3 He’s an escaped convict who ran off with his adoptive daughter and now lives in a space au convent. His characterisation is good and solid and Valjeany for the majority of the time and the authors even did me a solid by describing how thick his thighs are uwu We also get Some Goddamn Communication Between Him And Alouette Thank You Bless You Authors at the end of the book! Which was good and nice! Thank you for my space au fix it fic! 

- Yes there are a few homoerotic moments between Jean and Limier where Limier is described as a hunting dog yes there should have been more

- At the end of the book Jean runs away to Reichenstat (a nearby planet) and Limier,,,, runs off in the woods I think? :,3 Anyway it’s kind of left open as to whether they’re going to be in the sequel or not, which I hope they are because they’re the characters I cared about most dsdsdds

I could probably say more about this but I think that covers everything important uwu 

Please feel free to share your own opinions if you’ve read or are reading sws I’d love to hear them!!

[cuisinedegrandpere]

« Une recette orientale nous apprend à placer une olive dans une caille, la caille dans le corps d'une pintade, la pintade dans un dindon, le dindon dans un porc, le porc dans un veau, le veau dans un bœuf ; puis à faire cuire le tout à la broche et surtout à sucer négligemment le noyau de l'olive, débarrassé de ses chairs inopportunes.

C'est brave, mais c'est léger de conception et monotone d'exécution. Un grand chef de Vevey, M. Morand, ayant tâté les éléments et connu le secret des essences, agit plus noblement. Il prend une baleine, de celles qui ne dépassent pas 22m de longueur. Il les juge plus fines. Il les pêche au large de la Terre de Feu. Tout le long de la traversée, il demande qu'on l'oigne d'excellent cognac. La maison Delamain en fournit. Le monstre entré dans sa cuisine, il le truffe hardiment d'un millier d'écrevisses et d'un cent de sarcelles. Il y place, au centre, un éléphant du Siam qu'il a désossé (conservant cependant les os du pied). L'éléphant s'appelait Charlemagne, il ne parlait qu'allemand. Il a couru dans les bois qui entourent Kambaengbejra. Il est bourré de truffes du Piémont, la sauge embaume sa cervelle, des diamants de la plus belle eau sont cachés çà et là. Comme le dit sagement M. Morand, s'ils ne peuvent donner du goût, ils ne sauraient non plus en retirer.

L'éléphant est également farci d'une douzaine d'antilopes. Un taureau, un Pedro Domecq, vient faire nombre. Deux ou trois de ces antilopes ont par le corps un beau mouton de Castres. Chaque mouton est empli d'alouettes. Chaque alouette a son olive.

Le chef Morand fait rôtir sa baleine dans le cratère d'un volcan. Il le prend en fin de carrière, mais toujours après un accès de mauvaise humeur. Le feu de la terre a son parfum. Le manquer serait tout perdre. Ce souci le conduit parfois au Pérou. Tout ce temps, il arrose inlassablement au cognac.

La cuisson terminée, il dépèce et recherche celles des olives qui ont le mieux profité de la préparation. Il en garde jusqu'à cinq ou six. Il a pour cela le goût le plus exquis. Elles sont brûlantes, devant lui. Il les emballe dans le dernier numéro du Financial Times, les place dans le coffre de sa voiture rouge, entre un bidon d'essence et un chiffon d'huile. Il parcourt ainsi quatorze mille kilomètres.

D'ailleurs, rentré à Paris, ces olives, il les perd. Il en achète quelques-unes, un peu plus tard, au Prisunic de Vevey. Elles nagent dans l'eau. Je suis là, je l'observe. Il les gobe. Il sait tout de celles qu'il avait préparées avec tant de soin. Il sourit. Les vivantes, il les déclare très bonnes.

C'est sa façon à lui de jeter les choses de ce monde. »

Roger Nimier - L’élève d’Aristote p. 270-272 (Gallimard, 1981)

Peinture : portrait de Paul Morand par Jacques-Emile Blanche

Recette : les ramereaux aux olives, par Toulouse-Lautrec.

Ingrédients :

4 pigeons ramiers ou poules de Cornouailles

3 tranches de bacon fumé, hachées

3 échalotes

1 oignon

1 bouquet garni

1,8 litre de bouillon de volaille

250 g d’olives vertes dénoyautées

¼ cuillère d’armagnac ou cognac

1 tasse de mélasse

Farce

225 g de bœuf haché (légèrement sauté)

225 g de saucisse à l’ail française ou une saucisse douce de porc ou de veau (légèrement sautée, si elle n’est pas précuite)

15 g de truffes (facultatif — à défaut utilisez du beurre ou de l’huile de truffe)

2 tasses de beurre de truffe ou de beurre ordinaire

1 tasse de marjolaine fraîche et de thym (facultatif)

muscade râpée

poivre, sel

Préparation :

Prenez quatre pigeons et mettez à l’intérieur de la petite cavité une farce de saucisses, de viandes et de truffes, assaisonnée d’herbes, de noix de muscade râpée, de poivre et sel. Glissez le beurre de truffe sous la peau, avec soin, car elle est très fragile. Salez et poivrez les volailles.

Attachez-les et faites dorer dans une cocotte en fonte peu profonde. Retirez-les et faites revenir le bacon, les échalotes et l’oignon.

Ajoutez le bouquet garni, salez, poivrez. Remettez les pigeons dans la cocotte et laissez-les mijoter doucement pendant une demi-heure sans couvrir. Ajoutez des olives vertes dénoyautées qui ont été bien dessalées, ajoutez l’armagnac et laissez cuire encore 10 minutes.

Chauffez le gril.

Laissez les oiseaux cuire bien dans la sauce, puis retirez-les pour faire réduire la sauce. Délayez la mélasse avec quelques cuillères à soupe de sauce pour en badigeonner les pigeons. Mettez sous le gril quelques instants pour qu’ils brunissent.

Servez les pigeons sur un plat entouré d’olives et de la sauce filtrée qui doit être riche et épaisse. Accompagnez de riz sauvage au beurre de truffe.

                                                           *

La meilleure façon de déguster ces pigeons farcis est de séparer la poitrine de la carcasse pour manger poliment (et ronger les petits os après). Ils ne doivent pas être trop cuits : la poitrine doit rester rose et tendre. Vous pouvez saumurer les pigeons dans l’eau salée pendant une nuit pour les attendrir.

Ce plat succulent était le chef-d’œuvre du peintre, qui lui faisait s’exclamer devant les béotiens de la peinture : « Ils n’auront jamais droit aux ramereaux aux olives, ils n’en sont pas dignes ! ».

[beccas-books]

Sky Without Stars

Overall:

-      I had such a fun time reading this book!  It was a great mix of sci-fi/dystopian, which I haven't read in a long time.  The last series that kind of fit this category was The Lunar Chronicles or The Red Queen.  I rad Shatter Me last year, but that had more a fantasy dystopian feel to it.  I also liked that fact that it was a retelling of Les Mis.  I read A Court of Miracles earlier this year, and that was also a retelling of Les Mis.  But this book felt way more like it than the other one.  I think I’ve figured out who each of our three main characters represent from Les Mis.  Chatine and Èponine, Marcellus is Marius and Alouette is Cosette.  I have seen Les Mis but it was years ago at this point, so my memory of the movie is a but fuzzy.  But if I got the character connections correct then I kind of know what is going to happen among the three of them.  I’m hoping that Chatine doesn't actually end up like Èponine.  I think her Marcellus would be better together than him and Alouette.  So I have my fingers crossed that Brody will divert from the source material in that way! 

- Rating: 4.5/5

[beccas-books]

Suns Will Rise

Overall:

-      This was such a great ending to this series.  And I got what I wanted! Chatine and Marcellus got their acts together.  Plus there's an epilogue that gave me even more mazing stuff about them.  They got to live happily ever after together, and have babies!  I loved the little detail of both the kids being named after one of their loved ones.  The daughter was named after Chatine’s sister, and the son after Marcellus’s dad.  They did kill off Etienne at the end of the story.  Which kind of didn't make sense to me.  It was like the author decided that they all weren't allowed to live happily ever after.  And they just figured Etienne was the easiest to get rid of.  But like half the Sisters of the Refuge died too.  So poor Etienne just seemed like a throw away.  And they killed of Citizen Roussesu!  Who was the main person behind the initial resistance.  Etienne didn't need to die.  I feel like it would have been better if he stayed with Alouette.  She was the only one who didn't end up happy with someone.  Like half of her pseudo moms died, and her adoptive father died!  The poor girl couldn't catch a break.  I do have to say that all three main books in this series have the same problem.  That problem is that all of them start off VERY slowly.  Which is so funny because the endings are just so action packed.  But I mean, those three things are the only things that caught my attention as being annoying. The rest of the story was pretty great, and I definitely recommend picking it up.  

- Rating: 4.5/5

[beccas-books]

Between Burning Worlds

Overall:

-      I am officially obsessed with this series! I think my favorite part is how it diverges from Les Mis enough to be its own story.  Like you can feel the influence of Les Mis on the story, but its not word for word the same thing.  I also loved being able to figure out what country each planet is supposed to represent.  So far we know of Albion, Laterre and Usonia.  Albion represents the UK, Laterre is France, and Usonia is the US.  It was like one of those light bulb moments when I put the pieces together as to which plant is which.  I thought it was really cool that I could read the story and be like “hey, I remember this from history class.”  In the first book the author mentioned that Laterre helped Usonia break free from Albion, but it wasn't until this book that I realized this was supposed to be the American Revolution.  It went right over my head the first time.  I am also holding out hope that Marcellus and Chatine get their acts together eventually.  The fact that they both could only think of each other while they were separated was very promising.  The scene where Chatine gave Marcellus his moms ring back was the best. And then him giving her the dolls arm!  You can't tell me that they aren't meant to be together.  The twist that Alouette is the daughter of the Patriarche came out of no where! I had a feeling when they mentioned the bio-lock on the kill switch that one of them was going to be related to him.  But I thought for sure it was going to be Marcellus.  Alouette was a twist that I didn't see coming.  Definitely very excited to read the last book in the series! 

- Rating: 4.5/5

[beccas-books]

Currently Reading

Between Burning Worlds by Jessica Brody & Joanne Rendell 

[beccas-books]

Currently Reading

Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody & Joanne Rendell