The Red Necklace: A Story of the French Revolution -- Sally Gardner

Paris, 1789.  Due to his talent for throwing his voice and his ability to read minds, 14-year-old Yann Margoza is an integral part of Topolain the Magician's magic act.  The third member of the trio is Têtu the dwarf, who is Yann's friend, mentor and adoptive father.

One cold night, they are invited to put on a private showing of their act for Count Kalliovski, one of the wealthiest men in Paris -- and, as it turns out, one of the most dangerous.  By the end of the night, one of the three performers has been murdered, Count Kalliovski wants the other two dead -- and Yann has met a girl who he wouldn't be able to forget even if he wanted to try.

You know that "fencing, fighting, torture" bit from The Princess Bride?  Same goes here, except it'd be more like "magic, Gypsies, blackmail, revenge, murder, secrets, chases, escapes, the guillotine, true love, automatons..."  The Red Necklace is a fantastic adventure with characters who are easy to believe in and impossible not to root for, a lovely little love story, an evil-er than evil baddie (who has a sort-of tragedy in his past, though it was totally his fault and I am not in any way absolving him from blame), all set against the backdrop of the French Revolution*.

Highly recommended for anyone who even remotely likes this sort of thing.  My only complaint was that there were a few rather important plot points that felt a bit rushed -- I would have been completely happy with a couple hundred more pages.

[Possible spoiler ahead:  No actual details, but a general note about the end coming up:  I will say, though, that if you like your endings tied up in a neat bow with a cherry on top**, this might not be the book for you.]

[Moments later:  About the ending -- there is a sequel in the works, so disregard what I just said!  HURRAH!!  !!!  !!!!]

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*Which I am rapidly getting semi-obsessed with...

**A la Breaking Dawn.

Previously:

I, Coriander -- Sally Gardner
Sovay -- Celia Rees (French Revolution)