Publisher's Synopsis
It is a world divided into 12 Mines, each of them its own state, and dominated by a rigid social class structure. The ruling class is known as "Habit" and the ruled class as "Spar". A sub-group of the Spar known as the Bonue act as skilled laborers and artisans to the Habit (though the Bonue still live outside of the castle). Another Spar sub-group, the Juju, are little more than playthings to the Habit. On a stormy day in the Mine of Neige, a child is born from a union between a dwarf and a hunchback. The child, who is destined to free all people suffering under the tyrannical government of Habit, is also born cursed with two separate and distinct sexes. While the child is a male figure, he has dark hair, dark skin, and is called Lapis. When Lapis transforms into a female figure, she has blue eyes, blonde hair, and is called Lazuli. Diamond, ruler of the Mine of Neige, meets 15-year-old Lazuli and falls in love with her. After Lazuli disappears, Diamond searches for Lazuli, finds her house. Not understanding that the dwarf and hunchback Diamond finds in Lazuli's home are her parents, Diamond kills them.;When Lazuli returns home as Lapis, Lapis realizes that Diamond cruelly murdered his parents and seeks vengeance. Lapis attacks Diamond, and during the struggle, takes one of Diamond's eyes...and then force-feeds it to Diamond. Without knowing Lapis and Lazuli are the same person, Diamond develops a powerful hatred for Lapis. Lapis then moves to the Mine of Soleil and moves in with his friend Sadd.
