The Juggler, Written by John Morressy
Perhaps I should have touched on this in our devil podcast, but it hadn't sprung to mind at the time. Focusing on one of my favorite tropes, Faustian deals, 'The Juggler' is the story of a young boy who becomes enchanted when he sees a man juggling. Deciding he wants to become the greatest juggler in the world, he eventually meets the devil and makes a deal. What's more, he has nothing to lose besides his soul, because in the very beginning everyone he knew or loved was murdered in a horrible raid on his village.
The Juggler is unique in one major aspect. You didn't want the protagonist to lose. I actually found myself genuinely liking him as a person, and in a way this book reminded me of 'Little Big Man'. He meets all manner of characters, many of them are men who perhaps made their own deals with the devil and meet pretty miserable fates before their relationship with The Juggler comes to an end. It's a pretty scary little read, and beyond that, a beautiful story of redemption. A very loose interpretation of what the life of 'Le Jongleur de Notre Dame' with a grim twist. I would even go so far as to say this is probably one of the best Faustian stories I've ever read, and a very easy read cover to cover.
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