I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting story. I found it easier to treat it as a original story, not based off Les Misérables because it felt different, despite many of the same names. Some of the events paralleled Les Misérables but there was lots of veering into new territory. The main character of this is Nina (Eponine) and I like that since the one in Les Misérables was not much in the spotlight. It is fun to learn about her being Black Cat, thief extraordinaire trying to save her sisters sold by their despicable father to Kaplan of the Tiger Guild (an even more despicable man).

This was not a dull book and I enjoyed the thieving parts, especially the necklace and kiss right at the beginning and the breaking into the Chatelet. That reminded me of Inej from Six of Crows. There was so much tenseness as Nina did everything in her power to protect her sisters. She is a very strong character. I like her and Montparnasse. They are well matched.

I am glad that there is not a huge cliffhanger though I can see how there can be more books in the series. This is a good book.

When I first heard that this book was meant to take Les Mis and mix it with Six of Crows, I immediately fell to my knees and begged for a copy. What I loved about this book was the beautiful writing and the setting. The world-building was breath-taking and I loved it--I thought the guilds were so well done and while I felt a bit overwhelmed by the info dump on the first 20 pages or so, everything unfolded nicely for the rest of the book. I did feel like there was rather a lot of snippets of French throughout the book. Don't get me wrong, its a beautiful language, but I did get hung up on it quite a bit. And then for a bit there is a love SQUARE that rather got to me for a hot minute. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all fans of Les Mis and Six of Crows.

“Our mother the City is not a merciful mother…she sends Death the Endless to winnow the frail from the strong.”

When I heard this was Les Mis meets Six of Crows I was so excited because I love both of those things so much. And this book is SO GOOD!! Originally I had it marked as a 4 star, but the more I thought about it the more I loved it so it ultimately got rated a 5 star.

I adore Nina. She is so fierce and willing to do what she needs to. I loved the bond she had with Ettie and the lengths she was willing to go to in order to protect Ettie. Plus we get to see Ettie grow and kind of start to claim her spot in the Court of Miracles. I can’t wait to see more of that in the rest of the series. Their relationship is the main focus of the entire book and Nina’s motivation for most of the book.
Surprisingly I also didn’t mind the fact that she has three potential love interests. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate love triangles with a passion, but her dynamic with each boy is so well written and interesting that I couldn’t help but root a little bit for each (although, I definitely have a favorite and I CAN’T WAIT to see more of him and Nina in later books).

The author does a magnificent job of creating the atmosphere for The Court of Miracles. The details, the interactions- not just between characters, but between the guilds themselves, the laws they keep, and how they combine with Those That Walk By Day- were all so good that I just wanted to keep diving back into this story over and over. So much happens in The Court of Miracles- it’s definitely action packed in a great way. Seeing Nina’s plans come together was *chef’s kiss*

My last note: the dynamic between Javert and Valjean was not one that I expected, but one that I am extremely interested in seeing play out over the course of the series.

Okay, my real last note: THAT ENDING!!

3.5 Stars
"This is how it started;
with a sister weeping in her bed;
a child so terrified she sold herself to a thief;
a girl so lovely, the world went to war to possess her”

I enjoyed this! It was fast paced (maybe to a fault?) and I was immersed in the criminal underbelly of this alternate French world in no time. I guess my theme here for this review is I really enjoyed it; I just wanted a little more (not scope necessarily but depth)

One of my favorite aspects was the gritty alternate Parisian world where twelve guilds rule the criminal underworld. I am a complete sucker for a well developed, imaginative, intricate world and this definitely has the makings and promise for that. We get pretty well acquainted with a few of the guilds, but (and here comes my theme) I wanted more. I want to know more about their history, their sacred beliefs and traditions, which guilds are allies and which guilds clash and why. I want to know ALL the things. Speaking of the world I really hope there is a map in the finished copy and some kind of family tree for each guild would be AH MAZING

There is a well rounded cast of characters and I loved Nina's character and development. From a scared little half pint to the clever, badass, most lethal weapon of the Thieves Guild. I'm definitely intrigued by so many other characters (St. Juste, Grantaire (hilarious!), Monteparnasse to name a few) but I don't feel like I really got to know them. I love it when you have a cast of characters and each of them are developed enough to stand on their own. Where you feel like you know them, their history, what motivates them, their traumas, their quirks. And I think we had the start of that...just needed more.

I did enjoy the writing and the storytelling. The quotes from the Jungle Book and the added folk tales of the mice and cats added a nice little spin. My main complaint here is that it seemed a little jumpy. There were a lot of place and time transitions that made some of the writing feel kind of clunky. I think that things could have actually slowed down a bit and then maybe I could have had my details...my "more" and the pacing really wouldn't have suffered for it.

This is solid a first installment and I will for sure pick up the next book. I want to see where this goes and I want to meet those other guilds!

I received an advanced copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions of the book in any way. Thank you Knopf Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for the review copy!

Grant’s writing is lush and detailed with a lot of flourishes that added to the text. I do wish that we had gotten some more descriptions of setting and history since it was not clear that the book was based off of a failed French Revolution until about 30% into the book (it was mentioned in the blurb). A lot of exposition is done through dialogue which sometimes did not flow very well. I always think that fantasy novels are best written in the 3rd person perspective since there is more space for world building. The writing is quite atmospheric but I would have loved more information. I do appreciate that the author included graphics explaining the Courts at the start of the book and having the laws of the Miracle Court listed too.

The timeline of this book is extremely confusing. I struggled to picture the main character’s age in my mind whilst reading and the book contained a lot of time jumps that I struggled to keep up with. In the first part of the book, the character is supposed to be 9 years old but she reads like a well-trained professional of 20 which made her accomplishment of stealing the Dauphin’s necklace without real training feel very impossible.

I would have loved more planning. When reading, I kept thinking of Bardugo’s immaculate planning in Six of Crows but I never got that from the book. Nina just automatically knows what to do in the moment and achieves things no other has achieved with little to no preparation beforehand which makes her a very unbelievable character. If Grant had utilised the 1st person perspective more effectively, Nina could have been an exceptionally complex and well thought out character with well laid out plans in her mind. I do still think she is a fairly interesting protagonist and enjoyed reading from her perspective to a certain degree.

This book is extremely fast paced and it piles action on top of action. I sometimes felt like quieter moments or moments of preparation were needed but the action-packed story kept me reading for longer since I wanted to know what would happen next.

I appreciate the fact that Grant wanted to make the Guilds a safe space for people of all ages, races, religions and genders. I loved reading about the different Guilds and their hideouts and rules. I was also a clever idea to turn Javert into a woman as it added an interesting twist to the original tale. This book does touch on a few serious topics such as abuse, prostitution and death, mirroring the themes found in Les Mis. I did not care too much for the romance between Nina and three potential suitors. It felt like any man that laid eyes on her, would gladly die for her and it felt a bit unrealistic. It would have been more successful if she had one romantic connection and the other men in her life were just friends/allies. Then there would have been more room to develop one relationship firmly.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and it did not disappoint! The world-building and writing style was what gripped me. Fans of Les Mis can rekindle their love for the story!

I love the description Les Mis meets Six of Crows. I think that is the perfect way to describe this book. I’ve never actually read the book Les Miserables, but as a huge fan of the musical, this was a really fun retelling. Eponine (Nina) is still my favorite character, but Cosette (Ettie) whom I cannot stand in the musical, is made much more tolerable in this book. One of my favorite things in the book is the relationship between the two girls. She comes to see Ettie as a sister and since she couldn’t save her actual sister, she does everything she can to save Ettie. I really feel like if you are a lover of Les Mis, you will enjoy this book. If you are a lover of heist type books, you’ll also really enjoy it. I was super impressed by this debut novel and appreciate NetGally so much for sending me this ARC. I rated this book 5 stars.

First things first: Trigger warning for sex trafficking, rape, kidnapping, child abuse, murder/death, physical/ verbal abuse.

As someone who’s not very familiar with Les Mis, I can’t speak to any of the parallels between the two, but I can say that I found The Court of Miracles to be an engaging and unique story.

The Court of Miracles itself is a really interesting setting, acting as a criminal ring consisting of 9 guilds. We didn’t get to interact much with all of the guilds, mainly focusing on the Guild of Thieves, the Guild of Beggars, the Guild of Flesh, and the Guild of the Assassins. One of the coolest parts of this book is the world building, and I think the idea of the different criminal guilds was done really well. I’d like to see the introduction and interaction with people of the other guilds, so I’m hopeful that the world building will expand so that we see more of the other guilds in the future installments.

If you want a quick read, this definitely for you. This book moves FAST. The pacing is breakneck and jam-packed throughout the novel, which in this case works for and against this story. In some places it was just engaging and exciting, and in others it felt like an overwhelming info dump and I couldn’t tell where people were or what they were doing. The disorientation, along with the really abrupt time jumps, made it hard to keep track of the plot and jarred me out of the story.

I admit that I didn't do much research beforehand and jumped right into this story, so I missed a lot of the trigger warnings. There were moments that I had to step away from reading, so while it is an interesting story, be aware that there are definitely some heavy aspects and moments. All that being said, if this does turn into a series (so I’ve heard), I’d be curious to see where this story goes in future installments.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-copy of this book!

<b>“Nous sommes d'un sang.”
“...We are of one blood.”
~THE COURT OF MIRACLES</b>


Today's post has been hard for me to compile because THE COURT OF MIRACLES by Kester Grant has been one of my 2020 Most Anticipated Releases, and I did enjoy reading the book spent money to pre-order a couple of fancy collector's editions from the UK. I've been trying to get to my read of this book all year, and was very grateful to be accepted onto the Fantastic Flying Book Club Blog Tour to promote this title, especially because it gave me a reason to bump my reading up my list.

This year has been hard. Reading has been harder for me. I have started so many books, but it has been hard to pick them up again and finish them, because I get so distracted, or feel like what I am doing is so trivial. So I put off reading THE COURT OF MIRACLES until right before I was supposed to review it and started over the weekend. While I finished the book last night and would, in fact, recommend this new release, I think it is very hard to read right now and might be triggering to people in unanticipated ways.


If you know the story of Victor Hugo's <i>Les Misérables</i>, you know that the 1832 cholera epidemic led to a massive economic crisis and that insurgency was on the rise. We always say that history repeats itself, and this is one such instance. To read a book that features a plague, that features the suppressed being beaten down by the government and the justice system, of revolutions and street protests and baricadse to swell up in protest and demand human rights....these are all things happening right now, today, this minute. If I wasn't on tour today, I wouldn't have been able to finish reading this book right now because it was jarring and overlapping with reality in a non-intended way, pulling me from that timeframe and into my own, rather than into the story. But at the same time, the fact that many of the statements about social justice and the rights that elude so many resonate in today's world is a testament to the unalienable rights of all people and the way humans have been oppressed over time, and the struggle to rise up and be supported. The book's message is still so important, even applied in this alternate setting, but it is very hard to read in this exact minute, and should perhaps be saved for a later date.


Those of you who have followed me for a long time, be it here or on social media, know that one of my favorite genres to read is when a fairy tale, myth, or classic novel is retold. Many of you also know that one of my obsessions is Broadway. Growing up, before I was ever into musicals, I knew <i>Les Misérables</i>. I may not have appreciated it until I was older, but it a fundamental stepping stone in my musical theatre history, and is, in fact, one of my favorite musicals. For all that, however, I have never read Victor Hugo's novel, though I own it and have begun reading it several times. So I can't speak to how true it is to the book. And I've never read <i>The Jungle Book </i>by Rudyard Kipling (or even seen the Disney movie, actually. We weren't allowed to watch it as children, and I haven't yet as an adult, though I'm sure it's on Disney+ and I can rectify this soon!) I can't speak to how like or dislike THE COURT OF MIRACLES is from either novel it took inspiration from. I can only go by the musical that I know so well. I loved seeing a lot of familiar characters leap to the page in new ways, from our main character, Éponine "Nina" Thénardier to Cosette ("Ettie") to tender moments with the tragic Gavroche, and even to appearances from Jean Valjean and a gender-swapped Inspector Javert. Yet the book is also a twist on the tale, more of an inspiration than a straight-on retelling, full of original world-building that keeps you reading, whether you're a fan of the original and it feels like familiar characters in a new world, or whether this is the first time you've ever experienced the horrors of 1832 France and the lives of the Wretched.

Éponine has always been my favorite character (Perhaps, in part, because I was a fan of the song "On My Own" thanks to my extreme love of the show <i>Dawson's Creek </i>growing up and its star-crossed implications, again long before I would become a fan of the show or musical theatre). I have often thought of writing a retelling and centering it around Éponine. She deserved so much better than what she got. I know a lot of <i>Les Mis</i> fans feel this way. When I heard that there was going to be a new novel and Éponine would be the central character and finally get the "better" she deserved, I was hooked and needed this book. IMMEDIATELY.

Éponine, or Nina, since she goes by her nickname in the novel, has been through so much in her short lifespan. When her father sells her sister Azelma to the Tiger, Azelma risks everything to get Nina away to the Court of Miracles, where she is accepted into the Guild of Thieves as their Black Cat. Now protected from being sold herself, Nina becomes one of the top thieves in her Guild, but also is obsessed with freeing Azelma. She comes up with a plan to throw a new hire, the beautiful Cosette, into the Tiger's path so that he covets her, then offer to trade her for Azelma. Only, she realizes that she'd be condeming sweet, innocent Ettie to the same lifestyle and can't go through with it. But the damage is done, and the Tiger will stop at nothing to own Ettie, setting off a chain of events that shape and evolve Nina over the years, fueling the person she will become as she grows up and sets plans of revenge into motion that will change the landscape of not just France, but The Court of Miracles itself...

I really enjoyed the focus being on Éponine, and was surprised but pleased when she formed such a fierce bond with Ettie. Being a huge Éponine fan, I was never a huge fan of Cosette, who led to Éponine's fall, and didn't think I'd like her here, either, but the author developed her fully and gave her a personality and backbone of her own. As much as I love Éponine, I was surprised to see her with not one, not two, but <i>three</i> potential love interests, which will create all sorts of love triangles and romantic complications as the trilogy continues. (At one point, her heart lurches / pulses races / etc for two different paramours within pages of one another.) I'm not a huge fan of love triangles, and usually prefer them when they tilt moreso in one direction than the other. I hope that in the middle book, we'll start to see a tilt and that Éponine will discover more about herself and what she wants in life.

I also was a fan of the way the struggle between Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert played out in the novel. It is the central component of the musical, and a side story here, but one that I think will become more important as the series continues. I don't want to spoil the surprise of it here, but it was interesting to see Javert cast as a woman and to see that Nina is the one who breaks Jean Valjean out of jail by chance, creating a bone debt that she will later come to heavily rely on. It was interesting to see the different Guilds that made up The Court of Miracles and how they interacted with one another; their internal political intrigue fueled much of the novel. I also enjoyed the French scattered throughout the novel, and the way it wasn't always translated for readers. It added an air of authenticity. Plus, if you have ever learned another language, you know that sometimes, the same sentiments don't exist the same way in both languages, and that one is better for a phrase than another, such as one of the core phrases used repeatedly throughout the novel, <i>"Nous sommes d'un sang,"</i> which means "We are of one blood," but runs so much deeper and means so much more as you read than its English counterpart could ever hope to reveal in so few words.

Ultimately, I enjoyed THE COURT OF MIRACLES and would absolutely recommend it to readers, especially fans of<i> Les Misérables</i> -- or, heck, people who hated <i>Les Mis</i>, in part because, again, <i>Éponine deserved so much more</i>. At the same time, I don't know that this is the right time to read the book because it may pour salt onto open wounds and makes them hurt even more.

I really thoroughly enjoyed The Court of Miracles. It was an easy and enjoyable read. This story can be read on its own with no prior knowledge of Les Mis, however if you are familiar with Les Mis I would say you would definitely enjoy a lot of the little easter eggs woven throughout the story.

One thing I particularly enjoyed from this story was the emphasis on friendship and family. Most of the story actually focused on platonic relationships such as those rather than romantic ones. So, if you're looking for the rare YA novel where romance is hardly involved, this is for you. Romantic possibilities for the FMC are explored, but just barely.

This falls short of a five star read for me because of the conflict resolution. With the build-up and history given, I was left feeling unsatisfied by the ending. Hell, I felt like the villain was cheated out of a better ending. We all were. I also have heard rumors that this is the first in a series, which I would be willing to explore further, however I would not say this ends on any sort of cliffhanger.

What a magnificent feast of a novel. I can say with certainty that this is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.
There is an extreme chance I'm biased by my great love of Les Mis but that really just enhanced the experience for me, it’s still a solid and captivating book in its own right. Court of Miracles was wonderfully multifaceted and beautifully rendered in exquisite detail with delectable and delicious writing. It was an utter joy to read this ARC. I kept finding my heart swelling with love as I read.
Grant did something incredible with the Court of Miracles. She took parts of a story written over 150 years ago, and one I am well familiar with, mind you, and made it feel fresh and new to me. I was frequently on the edge of my seat with no idea how things would go. Characters I have known and loved for a long time came to life in unique ways. It was so much fun seeing the different ways the characters from Les Mis would manifest in this new take on the old story. It was a wonderful experience as this take on them gave me new reasons to love them while other characters I’ve maybe not known as well took on a new shine and captivated me in new ways. There were also a lot of great uses of tropes as well as the subversion of those at the same time.
One of the things Grant really succeeded in this book was the atmosphere and I think all of the Guilds were a big part of that. I really enjoyed her descriptions of them and how they all interacted and related to each other. It gave the book this rich sense of community and all of these unspoken rules and how the Wretched survived in this world apart from Those Who Walk By Day. It was fascinating seeing Nina navigate GUild politics as she interacted with the different Lords to execute her plans and I look forward to learning more about the Guilds as the story continues.
Okay, full disclosure time: I have long loved and shipped Enjolras and Eponine together but I’m also very aware they have very little interaction In the original version. I made my peace with that a long time ago but the fact that the potential for this ship was given any screen time in Court of Miracles brought me so much happiness. Their attraction and connection while not a full-blown relationship in this book is canon here and that is a gift. I loved all of their scenes and moments. Like I ate that up with a spoon. It was extremely validating after years of lots of folks dismissing even the potential for more between them and I’d sort of resigned myself to that in any and all les mis retellings that weren’t Enjonine fanfiction. And, of course, of Nina's 3 sort of love interests, he was definitely my favorite. Though I am not ashamed to admit that the version of Montparnasse in this was a close second and I feel he is perhaps better suited for Nina. I absolutely loved what we got between Nina and Enjolras but I have to admit that Montparnasse seemed to get her in this quiet understated way that I was very taken with. Like he saw who she was and supported her. Being a Master of Assassins, Montparnasse operates in the shadows and doesn’t make a spectacle of himself or have the same kind of drama that Nina and Enjolras did but his care for Nina was really well-played.
That being said, the romances were definitely secondary interest if not tertiary for Nina. That may be surprising after spending a whole paragraph analyzing the romance side of the book but it’s true! The real starring relationship in this book was between Nina and Ettie. Ettie and Azelma were what Nina fought and strove for. They were her focus and her real and deep love. As a sister myself, I loved how much prominence that bond was given. Nina's love for them was the star of an already shining book and it did my heart good.
Nina was so brilliant and driven and vibrant that it was easy to see why the young men of the novel were taken with her and while she cared and regarded each of them in different ways (whether she was willing to acknowledge that or not) and yet they were always ranked beneath Ettie and the schemes Nina needed to protect her. That was a really good distinction of priorities. I enjoyed how Ettie was always teasing and convinced that Enjolras, Montparnasse and the prince were in love with Nina and yet, I’m not sure if Ettie knew that Nina would never feel able to fully pursue any romance until she was sure that Ettie was safe but we’ll see how that unfolds in the next book.
I think Grant made a lot of really smart and interesting choices in interpreting the reimagining of the plot of Les Miserables to suit and fit this new story she was telling and there were a great number of times I'd just stop and go “Oh!! She’s doing that part now!” or “ooooh, that’s a great way to use that bit!” . Obviously, This is only book one and this story isn’t over but I was really pleased with how Grant subverted my fears and expectations and I have no idea what is going to happen next but I just know it’ll be brilliant.
Overall, this was a magnificent book and already has taken up a place in my heart. While nervous about the fate of these wonderful characters I love so well, I cannot wait for the next book to see how Grant will weave the next chapter. I’m extremely invested in this. I’m so grateful to have been able to read an early copy of this gem of a book but I also did definitely order 3 different copies of this book. It was just that good and I cannot recommend it more!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I want to start this review by saying how much I love the cover! It gives me very Phantom of the Opera mixed with old graveyard vibes. It's a weird combination, but it totally worked for this book. Unfortunately, the blurb's comparisons were a bit misleading. Originally, the book was promoted as being a mixture of Les Misérables and The Jungle Book. Other than the quotes, this book didn't resemble The Jungle Book at all. Additionally, the names were the only similarities to Les Misérables, and I think this story would have benefitted from not comparing itself to other books.

If the author had simply changed the character's names, I believe this book would have told a very different story with an incredibly unique perspective. I think comparing it to other well-known stories actually diminished its effectiveness. I was too caught up on comparing the characters in this "retelling" to those in Les Misérables, and it detracted from my overall enjoyment. Yes, the setting takes place at the same time, but I think telling the story from a different angle would have been enough to make this one worth reading on its own.

The imagery was vivid, although I wish the author had given us more details about the other courts. They're all very fascinating, and I would have loved to spend more time within their walls learning how they functioned in a city that didn't care about them. The history surrounding the separate guilds was also very interesting, and I would have liked for that to have been expanded on as well.

The Court of Miracles speeds along from one thing to the next, so you barely have time to take in information before being hurtled into something else. This book kept me turning the pages, because I always felt like I was on the verge of learning something important. I needed to know how the story unfolded, despite feeling like I couldn't keep up with the main character and what she was trying to do. The writing was also lovely and engaging, which contributed to keeping me invested.

I do think the author tried to cram a lot of information into this one, and think a slower pace would have benefitted the world-building and character development. There are so many characters in this book, it was often hard to keep track of who was doing what, especially with the unexplained time jumps (which I think were there simply to age the main character). I'm also not a fan of the direction the author chose at the end, since it seemed to go against everything Nina stood for, but it was something that was somewhat eluded to from the start. I feel very conflicted about it.

The love square was also incredibly obnoxious, and not at all believable. The prince is infatuated with her because she doesn't respect him? He thinks her honestly and disdain are refreshing, so obviously they're going to be friends that fall in love (his thoughts, not hers). She says he's annoying, but she's also fond of him for reasons even she can't explain. Then there's Montparnasse, an Assassin that respects her and her abilities, but also feels the need to kill people if she's hurt. He supposedly doesn't show or express his feelings (so how did anyone know what they were?), and his attraction to her really didn't make sense. Her relationship with St. Juste was also weird and unnecessary. They would've been better off as friends, especially since they were always doubting the sincerity of the other. It was a lot.

I think The Court of Miracles tried too hard to emulate other popular books, despite having the potential to be a solid story on its own. (★★★⋆☆) This book also contains content regarding sex trafficking, rape, kidnapping, child abuse, genocide, murder, death, physical and verbal abuse.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher and netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: A Court of Miracles

Author: Kester Grant

Book Series: A Court of Miracles book 1

Diversity: French! Nothing more than that.

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For...: Les Mis Retelling, books set in France, revolution books

Publication Date: June 2, 2020

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Pages: 464

Recommended Age: 17+ drug abuse, domestic violence, violence, gore, child abuse, TW rape mention and possibly child molestation (honestly I'm unsure of Ettie's age, she acts 10 but could be 16).

Synopsis: In the violent urban jungle of an alternate 1828 Paris, the French Revolution has failed and the city is divided between merciless royalty and nine underworld criminal guilds, known as the Court of Miracles. Eponine (Nina) Thénardier is a talented cat burglar and member of the Thieves Guild. Nina's life is midnight robberies, avoiding her father's fists, and watching over her naïve adopted sister, Cosette (Ettie). When Ettie attracts the eye of the Tiger--the ruthless lord of the Guild of Flesh--Nina is caught in a desperate race to keep the younger girl safe. Her vow takes her from the city's dark underbelly to the glittering court of Louis XVII. And it also forces Nina to make a terrible choice--protect Ettie and set off a brutal war between the guilds, or forever lose her sister to the Tiger.

Review: For the most part this was an interesting book. The world building was great and the pacing was well done. The book also had an interesting plot and that plot kept me intrigued in the book until the end.

However, this book is a mess. Maybe it's because I got an early access copy and it's been smoothed out since then but man this was a rough read. The second part of the book is where the blurb takes place. This was incredibly confusing to me because, if I hadn't read the blurb, I would have been fine. But because I did I was just constantly confused throughout the first part. The first part is more of a backstory but that could have been told in another fashion, perhaps through flashback sequences. There was too much telling and the MC didn't have any character development or flaws. No one else in the book really had character development either. The book really had that feeling of "I'm watching a show for the first time and it's the midseason finale and I don't have a clue what's going on". The book also felt like it just had Les Mis characters thrown in for the audience benefit. I think it could have had new characters that would have been better developed than the Les Mis ones, but that's a loaded opinion because I generally think Les Mis has zero character development and is a fairly bad play.

Verdict: It was a mess but it's interesting and I'm hoping book 2 is much better.

First - I think this book is poorly served by comparisons to Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom. Though there are heist elements, the cast of characters is never as closely interwoven as the crew in Bardugo's duology. Instead, the selling points are really the setting - French revolution - and the use of elements from Les Miserables.

The book is fun and intensely readable, and never takes itself too seriously. There are some really bananas situations that the lead character gets herself into, and you have to suspend any belief in reality to read them with a straight face. Also Nina (main character, aka Eponine) does an awful lot of winking.

I'm not sure I'll continue the series, simply because I'm not that interested in the time period, but I do think there's plenty of appeal here for any buffs of the French Revolution.

In a world where the French Revolution failed, 1828 Paris is ruled by the royalty and the Court of Miracles, heads of nine underworld guilds. Nina is part of the Thieves Guild, and is adept at stealing and avoiding her father. She has to protect her adopted younger sister Ettie, especially after Ettie attracts the attention of the Tiger, the leader of the Flesh Guild. Saving Ettie might set off a war between all of the guilds, but the alternative is to lose her to the Tiger.

The Court of Miracles is a mix of Les Miserables and Six of Crows, with sumptuous descriptions of the locations. Nina is introduced to the Thieves Guild after her father sells off her sister to slavery, and we get an introduction to the history of guild life in this alternate Paris. We also see how much she loves her sister, and why at first she would think about offering up Ettie to the Tiger in exchange for her sister. Ettie isn't a good thief, is emotional, and impossible to disguise as a boy. She's innocent despite the way Paris is, and relies on Nina for everything. Therein lies the conflict.

The Tiger is a fearsome man to all the courts, not just in how he wrested power from the former Lady, but in how he controls and recruits those under his control. Much of Nina's life revolves around escaping his notice, then trying to thwart him, then try to kill him. She makes alliances with important members of other Courts, and even wins the favor of the Dauphin. Nina is relentless in trying to take care of her adoptive sister and help those without protection, an admirable trait. I was drawn into her story and the struggles she had, as well as the casual opulence of the royal court not far from the Wretched who starved beyond their gates.

The novel has amazing details, and shows exactly how far ambition, sacrifice, and love can go, even in corrupt and fearful courts. It's only reckless and relentless strength of will that can get things accomplished, though it doesn't always look the way you expect. The ending is hopeful and complete, with a few dangling threads that could be wonderful hooks for a sequel.

The Court of Miracles is the first book in the A Court of Miracles series by Kester Grant. A magical young adult fantasy that pulls you into a world of mystery and intrigue. Grant's writing style is captivating yet mysterious keeping you on the edge of your seat. The Court of Miracles is well-written, original, and has great world-building. A lovely read that I did not want to put down!

All wretched are equal and free if slavery . Attacking someone can start a war. There is famine going on. Azelma has been deadly sick for days.Azelma calls for Femi,the messenger. Femis ancestors are from northern Africa.Femi and Azelma have a weakness for each other.Nina is told to hunger and not be desirable.To use her looks and clothes as a mask. Nina's father is overheard to be selling one of his children. Nina has been on bulgaries with her father before and joins guild of thieves.She breaks into the palace for a rumored item.I liked Nina and the world building.Nina is far from a girly girl.Nina will steal anything or break any law to protect her sister and save her.Ettie is very close to Nina. The book was a little slow at first then quickly picked up pace.

I am a sucker for a good Les Mis retelling, and this was one that knocked it out of the park for me. After her sister is sold to a slaver, Nina joins the Thief Guild, one of nine guilds that rules the underground criminal world beneath Paris: The Court of Miracles. As tensions between the Crown and the people increase, Nina is determined to rescue her sister and bring down the Tiger, the powerful Lord of the Flesh guild. Her life becomes a series of clever thefts, intrigues, and protecting her adopted sister, Cosette. Her vow takes her through the intrigues in the Court of Versailles and the Court of Miracles, as well as the revolutionary sentiment that dominates the city in 1832. Soon, Nina must decide how far she will go to protect the people she loves, and whether she's willing to risk her soul to get what she wants.
I love everything about this book. The characters were compelling and their plots were incredibly well executed. The world-building here is nothing short of vivid and astonishing. Grant created a fascinating world that I loved experiencing, blending true events of history, events in the original book, and original events and intrigues of the Miracle Court into something truly seemless. The plot was well-paced and twisty, the writing style keeping me enraptured the entire time I read this book. The Court of Miracles is an exciting adventure through an alternative history of the failed French Revolution in 1832, one that is full of deadly girls, betrayal and heartache. It asks the question of how far we are willing to go to protect the ones we love, and addresses elements of class inequality, freedom, and power. I loved it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC of this book! Release date - June 2, 2020

This book was such an awesome mixture of so many things I like. It was an incredible retelling of Les Miserables with Eponine as the main character. It was also an alternate history where the rebels lost the French Revolution. And it was it's own YA universe with diverse Guilds made up of thieves and outcasts and criminals.

I do feel like the EXACT audience for this book is so specific, because there are so many nods to Les Miserables that it was obviously written for fans of that book. One of my favorite moments:

"'Rain will make the flowers grow...,' he murmurs in a singsong voice.
'Are you singing?' I say in horror. I slap him hard across the face."

Totally cracked me up. There are lots of song lyrics sprinkled throughout, and of course many favorite characters make an appearance, like Cosette, Javert, Valjean, Enjolras, Gavroche, Thenardier, and more. Although this is a retelling, a lot of the plot is similar and some major events happen exactly like in Les Miserables. So I definitely feel like to pick up on all these Easter eggs, you'd have to be a fan.

Add to the fact that there is some alternate history happening here where Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI don't die in the revolution and their son Louis XVII becomes king and HIS son is the dauphin and a main character, there are a lot of subtleties that many readers won't pick up on.

So yea, I feel like a lot of people who are fans of Les Miserables don't read YA, and a lot of people who read YA aren't fans of Les Miserables. I do think you can be one or the other and very much enjoy aspects of this book, but the target audience is definitely someone who appreciates both. Luckily, that is definitely me, and I really really liked this book.

The storyline was really interesting. I did find that it felt very YA, which is why I won't necessarily recommend this to some fans of Les Miserables. The Guilds were really interesting and well-written and I thought it made a cool storyline, but it made the world feel less like real Paris and more like a unique YA universe. But the adventure always kept my attention and I was rooting for Nina and Ettie the whole time.

So yea, the Les Miserables retelling aspect of this book was my favorite part, and I feel like it's not going to get noticed by most of the readers of this book. In fact, I'm afraid this book may get lost in a sea of YA adventures, even though it is very VERY clever and unique, because without knowing the subtle references and retelling aspects it would feel like a typical YA. Unfortunately it is a book written for a VERY specific target audience, and I hope more people like me find it because it is SO clever in what it set out to be.

I did see that it's supposed to be the first in a trilogy. Although the ending was satisfying if it were a standalone, I'm excited to see where it goes from here. I'm hoping that it may take a page from series like The Madman's Daughter, which was a continuous story but every book was a retelling of a different classic. Since this book basically covers the entire timeline of Les Miserables I think that might be likely and it makes me SO excited. If the next books are as good as this one I can see it becoming a favorite.

I was really excited for this book but this book was definitely not for me. I felt like there was so much going at one time yet nothing really happened. I couldn't find the plot. I felt like the story jumped around a lot, and the time jumps were confusing.. it just felt really clunky to me. I love books that are fast paced but this one felt too fast paced and didn't give me time to connect to the characters or understand the world this was set in. The characters felt very one dimensional and half the time I didn't know who was who.
Sadly, this book was just so all over the place that I probably won't remember anything about it tomorrow. This just wasn't for me...