***3.5 stars***

I have mixed feelings about The Court of Miracles. On one hand, it was a super easy read. I flew through the book. However, if I hadn’t had to review it, then it would have been easy to put it down without feeling an immense need to pick it back up to see what happens next.

I will say the last 25% or so of this book was the best part of the book. I didn’t put the book down once. I needed to know what was going to happen and how the book was going to end. That doesn’t mean the other 75% of the book was boring because it wasn’t at all. It’s hard for me to put my feelings about this book into words. Most of the book felt like a 3 star read to me. A 3 star read means I enjoyed the book, but I didn’t love it. Usually, a book gets 3 stars from me when I feel a disconnect with the characters and/or the plot. That’s the case here. Our main character is Nina, also known as the Black Cat. I don’t feel like I know her at all. All we know about her are her skills such as being a successful thief and her cleverness, and that she is very protective of her loved ones. I never felt like I knew her. I just read 464 pages, and I don’t feel like I know any of the characters in this book that well.

I thought the premise of this book was really interesting. Once I heard this was an alternate version of Paris after the failed French Revolution, I was in. The Court of Miracles is about the divide between the royals and the Court of Miracles. The Court of Miracles is an underground criminal enterprise consisting of 9 guilds. We didn’t get to know each guild very well in this book, but we did get to know a few. The guilds we learn the most about are the Guild of Thieves, the Guild of Flesh, the Guild of Beggars, and the Guild of the Assassins. I can’t wait to meet more of the guilds in the next book!

My last complaint about this book is that I had no idea what the plot was supposed to be. I hadn’t read the synopsis in a while, so I forgot the whole book is about Nina protecting Ettie from the Tiger. Honestly, in my opinion, that’s kind of a weak plot. Or at least it felt that way to me. This might be because I never felt invested in the characters.

Despite how it may come across, I did enjoy this book, and I plan on reading the sequel. As always, I recommend everyone to give this book a shot. You may love it or you may feel in the middle about it like me. Let me know what you think once you read it!

"The Miracle Court" can either be considered a retelling story or (well-written slightly AU) fanfiction of Les Miserables. I liked the original Les Miserables... but it took me a couple years to finish. One thing that I liked about "The Miracle Court" is a fast read. There is so much going on in the story that there are very few moments of low-activity. On a less positive note: there are a few time-skips that were a bit strange to read through. It took a bit to realize that a time-skip had happened. Usually a character would mention "Oh hey, it's been two years since I saw you" or Nina (the main character) would bemoan that it's been a few years and not much has changed for the people. The characters didn't see growth after the time-skips. I can see how 2 years would be nothing for an adult, but for a young child- I would think that a two year skip (happening a couple times) would really change the perspective and growth of that character.

Had I been a teenager, I would probably have loved everything about this book. There are so many (handsome) boys swooning for Nina, and although she has a pretty horrible life (it IS set in Les Mis), she really comes out of most things pretty unscathed. If not unscathed, then for the better. As an adult reading this, the adventures are so over-the-top and ridiculous. As someone who is fulfilling the happiness in my still-teenage heart... I loved it.

While the ending is not a cliff-hanger, it does end pretty abruptly. In my ARC copy of this book, the last page wasn't followed by anything except the last words in the book- it threw me off because it felt unfinished. Thankfully, "The Miracle Court" continues in book 2 (and apparently a book 3 according to Goodreads). I am already eagerly awaiting book 2!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would honestly give it a 3.5 stars, but since Goodreads doesn't have half stars, I am still happy to give it 4 stars! :)

**I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for a review.**

This book was "okay" at best. It was nothing to write home about. The time lapses threw me completely off. The book had several jumps in time that you didn't realize until at least halfway through the chapter. The royals were horrible, no good, terrible people - all except the one that was infatuated with the MC. This book isn't something that I would immediately recommend, I would honestly forget about it.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was so psyched to get this ARC. It’s been pretty hyped for months. And it was pretty good....but not everything I was hoping it to be. Nina is a member of the Thieves Guild and is trying to save her sisters, one who protected her and one she swore to protect, from the Flesh Guild. None of the Guild Masters in the Court of Miracles are willing to go against the Tiger, so she wages war against him without their help. She is bad ass, but I don’t know...it was good, but not great for me.

3.5 Stars

I was really excited to read a Les Mis retelling and this did not dissapoint! I have always loved Eponine. She is my favorite character, so when I heard this book was also about her, I jumped at the chance to review it!

Eponine is a spit fire. She is on a mission to save her sister (then sisters), from an evil man. I loved her personality. She is fiercely protective but she also knows her own limits. I really liked that she wasn't a can-do-it-all girl. I loved her story and am nervous it still might end up like in the real Les Mis! Dear Grant, please don't! Please give Eponine the ending she deserves!

I really enjoyed the world building as well. I loved there were 9 different guilds all with their own purpose. There are definitely some gray areas. I did however want to see a bit more of the thieves guild where Nina (Eponine) is from. She was mostly on the streets or staying with another guild.

I liked the side characters. Montparnasse of the Guild of Assassins was my favorite. He was soooo mysterious and I totally ship him and Nina. In fact, I would love more on his story!

What I didn't like; this would have been a 4 star read for me, HOWEVER, I struggled with the flow of the book. It was choppy. It would be something like this: I did this. Then I did this. *Time Skip*. I am doing this now. And I couldn't figure out the love quad going on. Nina had 3 boys after her? And she seemed like she couldn't make up her mind. Like I said, I am hoping for Montparnasse!

This book was still very entertaining and I can't wait for book 2!

*Review will be up on my blog and Instagram when it is my date to post for Fantastic Flying Book Club.*

3.5 stars. I wish GR would get half stars!

I was just a little disappointed by this book. It's advertised as Les Miserables meets Six of Crows. Listen, if you put Six of Crows in your description, I will read your book. I don't care what it's about Six of Crows is one of my all time favorite books. The problem with this is that my expectations are high and this book just didn't live up to them. It wasn't a bad book by any means. I just didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to.

I did really love Nina. She was very unapologetic in using the people and things she needed to. She had a purpose and she would stop at nothing to reach it. I loved this about her. You could see her growth through out the book. She didn't miraculously turn into a good human but you could see her humanity growing. She was a very complex character. I think the author did an amazing job with her. She was real and had many flaws but you still love her.

This book is dark and gritty. There is no apology in how truly awful this world is and how awful the people who live there are. There seems to be no hope and yet our characters find something to fight for!

Thank you so much for an early copy of this book.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Court of Miracles is Kester Grant’s debut novel and the first installment in her YA fantasy “A Court of Miracles” series. It’s an ambitious novel, advertised as a reimagining/retelling of Les Miserables with some Six of Crows vibes thrown in. Those are two of my favorite books so I was excited to give this new series a try.

As with the original Les Mis, The Court of Miracles is set in Paris at the time of the French Revolution. In The Court of Miracles, however, the revolution has failed. The ruthless royals still rule the city, and there is now an underground society called the Court of Miracles, which is comprised of various criminal guilds, including a Guild of Assassins, a Guild of Thieves, and a Guild of Flesh, among others. It was a little confusing at first, but the worldbuilding for this underground society ended up being one of my favorite parts of the book. It’s a dark and fascinating world that sometimes appears lawless, but in reality, has its own set of laws that they loosely abide by.

The protagonist Nina, Eponine in the original Les Mis, lands in the Court of Miracles after her father betrays both her and her sister. Quick, quiet, and resourceful, Nina can break in and out of anywhere and can steal anything and therefore finds that she fits right in with the Guild of Thieves. Nina is a great character, very complex and well-drawn – she’s smart, passionate, and she can also be impulsive and headstrong, often throwing herself directly into harm’s way to protect those she loves. Her bond with little Ettie, Cosette from the original Les Mis, is wonderful too. Even though Nina is originally ready to betray Ettie because she thinks it will help save her own sister, she quickly grows to think of Ettie as her sister as well and is willing to lay down her life to keep Ettie safe. The leader of the Guild of Flesh becomes obsessed with getting his hands on Ettie, and it’s Nina’s determination to protect Ettie that actually drives much of the action of this first book. It’s an exciting and dangerous mission and it kept me on the edge of my seat!

If you’re a fan of Les Miserables and especially of the character Eponine, I think you’re going to enjoy this one. A very solid start to what I think is going to be an exciting series!

I was excited to read this book, not only was it Les Mis inspired, but there was also going to hints of Six of Crows and apparently the Jungle Book. The first chapter did a really strong job of pulling me in and I wanted to know more and I felt for Nina's plight and wanted to see her succeed in whatever she did. And that feeling basically carried me throughout the entirety of this novel.

My biggest problems, and what overall had me deciding on a rating of a 2 were the time skips. I felt like there were so many that happened at pivotal points of the book and it felt jerky and I really had no idea how far the jump had taken me until several pages later and it left me disoriented and anticipating another jump without much explanation. I also feel like the time skips took out of some important world building and I really struggled with the whole Courts situation and what that meant.

I also didn't understand the number of love interests. I understood a love triangle, to an extent. But then a potential third love interest, I felt, was too much in terms of this specific novel, maybe if it later expanded to three in the later books, but there was so much going on that it didn't feel necessary. Especially with the backdrop of the French Revolutionary War, the actual Court of Miracles, the sex trafficking, the love story/ies shouldn't have gotten as much of focus as it did.

Overall, I feel like this book tried to be and to do too many things at once. From the plot twists that had me trying to put things together, to the many elements that this book tried to incorporate. I spent the majority of the novel confused and trying to see when it would come together -- especially since we saw none of Nina actually plan anything. Hopefully the sequel will bring together these threads.

3 stars
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It's supposed to be Les Mis meets The Jungle Book meets Six of Crows in an 'alt-universe' where the French Revolution failed
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I didn't love it. I didn't hate. I find that pretty much sums up my thoughts, and maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had the opportunity to read it in a better climate/head space. But unfortunately, it is what it is.
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My struggle is that outside of the revelation of beloved characters from Les Mis (it greatly helps to have been introduced to this classic to enjoy this read) is that our MC, Nina (Eponine) may be tough and smart but I just never found myself connecting to her drive and motivations. It felt to me as though she just bounced from one cause to the next when things don't turn out the way she'd hoped without any real care for why she was walking away. I couldn't connect to what made Ettie (Cossette) important enough to justify any of the actions that were driving the plot forward.
..
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for review.

3.5 stars. This is a hard book to rate. On one hand it is beautiful. It’s a retelling of Les Mis, and for that alone, I adore it. Getting to know Gavroche and Cosette and Eponine again was amazing. Seeing them in a different light was incredible. I loved the similarities that I could find and see how it was lining up with the original story.

But it wasn’t all good. The writing is hard. It’s beautiful at times but difficult at others and it took almost half the book before I fully understood what was going on. The ages of the main characters were very difficult to discern and I found it jumping months or years when I wasn’t aware, which just added to the confusion. There were many, many characters. The ones I could connect with the original story I felt I could keep track of better, but some I had a hard time remembering and what group they stood with.

I wanted to love this book. There were definitely parts I did love but for the most part, it was just difficult to read and follow.

Thank you to Random House Children’s, Knopf Children’s and NetGalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book comes out June 2, 2020.

I wanted so much to love this book. I just didn’t. It didn’t hold my attention and I simply didn’t enjoy it. It’s my dislike for historical books. The characters were well thought out, and I tried to like them. I loved the concept just couldn’t get into it.

I'm not sure how I really feel with this one. I think it had the potential to be a great book but it just fell flat. There was a lot of jumping around in timelines that got confusing and there was sooooo much going on it was hard to keep up at times. I think had there been more background on why things were the way they were and how things really worked in this world this would have been a much better book.

I do have to say this author's words are wonderful, they just need to be put together better. I'm not sure if I will read the next book in this series or not.

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant is a book I had on my to read shelf the moment I read the summary. It is described as Les Miserable meets Six of Crows and I have to say, I think it is pretty accurate…and this is from someone who LOVES Six of Crows.

Nina is our main character and having grown up somewhat protected by her older sister from the underworld criminal guilds (known as the Court of Miracles) she is suddenly thrust into a world she has to quickly learn the rules to if she wants to survive when her father sells her older sister to the flesh guild. Nina ultimately ends up with the Thieves Guild and becomes known for her daring and ability to steal anything which helps her out greatly in the long run. As Nina gets older, she becomes protective of Ettie, an adopted sister who has caught the eye of the Tiger, the Lord of the Flesh Guild (the same one her sister ended up at) and Nina realizes she will do anything to stop him and protect Ettie.

I thought the world building was done well by Grant. Of course, having Paris as a backdrop helped as Nina finds herself mingling with royals and criminals over time but having the development of such varying scenes from ballrooms, to alleys, to jail cells helped to add to Nina’s story and growth. The rules crafted around the guilds helped create structure and provided more context around what Nina could do to save those around her.

The one thing I thought was less clear was the jump in time from one section to the next. It did not come across as smooth and it tended to take me a minute to gather my thoughts on the timing so I could correlate it to the story going forward.

There are a number of secondary characters that help drive the story forward…some good and some not so good (in character). I’ve mentioned the Tiger and he is definitely a villain, but I would also throw Nina’s father right up there. He is only interested in money and position and deserves everything he gets. There’s St. Juste, the Guild Lords and Ladies, Montparnasse, and the Dauphin…all great additions to the story and in most cases, interesting too!

Nina’s objective, other than protecting Ettie, did not become fully clear to me until the end of the story when everything suddenly came together. All of a sudden, the dots were connecting, and I could see the bigger picture whereas in the moments I did not necessarily put it all together. Kudos to Grant for being able to break the story out and get me to focus on the moments until it was completely critical to understand Nina’s endgame. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I will definitely pick up the next book in the series. I will be curious to see where Grant takes the story in the next book. Make sure you grab this one when you can as it has interesting characters and an engaging story…my favorite things in a book!

The premise of this book was very interesting. I really enjoyed it, but I felt like a lot got lost. By the time I finished I still wasn't sure about all the courts, and just having a list in the front of the book is not enough. I wanted some more world-building.
The other item that confused me was the use of characters from Les Misérables. Now, I will admit I have not read the book. I have only seen the musical, but I can't imagine it is that different. Every time a character was introduced with a name I recognized, I was a little confused when they didn't quite fit in the story I knew.
I did enjoy the characters in this book, and the story was good, but especially knowing this is not a standalone book, I would have preferred less story and more world-building.
I will read the next book in this series because I did enjoy the story so much, but I hope there is a little more.

I started reading this and I got 33% into the book. I will be reviewing this as a DNF, Did Not Finish. This book didn't work out for me, for a few reasons. I felt like there was a lot going on and the storyline was not fully clear to me. I found myself getting really confused, I might of had a different story or idea in my head on what I thought this book would be about. Sadly, this book was not grabbing my attention like I thought it would. I found myself not being able to comprehend the story that well and often skipping to see if it would get any better, but it did not.

I will not be posting a review or even stating that I didn't finish this on my social media accounts, in respect for the author, the publishing team and netgalley.

Personally, I'm not overly familiar with Les Misérables (or even with the French Revolution), but I still really enjoyed this book. The story itself holds up even if you have absolutely no background on the topics. To be fair, I did look up, and subsequently read the entire synopsis and character backgrounds for Les Misérables. I wanted to make sure that I was able to appreciate the book with its full background recognized. This story was fast paced, and there was something happening at every corner. Don't go into this expecting a simple retelling of Les Misérables, because Grant masterfully turned the original story on its' head in an exciting way. If you like books that are full of action, manipulation, history (both real and imagined), public outcry, and a strong-female protagonist, then this one is perfect.

The way that Grant sets scenes and personifies the city is enchanting. It was very easy to appreciate the way that life was breathed into the city. The setting was described with very simple, yet raw words. It wasn't depicted as this ideal place, Grant stripped it bare and laid it out for the reader to judge. There are many characters that are shared with the original Les Misérables tale, and many new ones. The way that some of the old characters were woven into the story, but as members of the Wretched was fascinating. Particularly Montparnasse, I liked him. I liked the way that his character fit perfectly into the fabric of the Assassins Guild. On that note, it is also refreshing that the characters who were originally side characters, got the spotlight in this book. Jean Valjean, Javert, Cosette, etc.. take a backseat to characters who crowded the background previously. Yet, when the old main characters do appear, they do still possess personalities much like that in the original Les Misérables. Which was a very nice touch. The focus on the less-known characters really allowed for room to play with their personalities. Some of the main characters didn't even make it in, though I'm hoping this is a series, and they may make an appearance. Though, this is not their story. This is the story of those previously brushed off as minor.

The fact that the focus of this book was on familial love, rather than romantic love, was refreshing. More often than not, young adult books seem to heavily focus on romantic love between the characters. That is not the case here. Romantic intentions are really only mentioned in passing or even in jest. The focus here, is on the strong bond between family. A bond that can be formed with biological family, but especially the bond between chosen family. Ettie was not related to Nina by bond, yet Nina was willing to move the heavens if it meant she could protect her. The family that came with joining a guild, and the ability of humans to adapt and overcome circumstances and create their own families.

Nina was a great protagonist. She was smart, strong, and very cunning. You were able to watch her grow and adapt. Gone was the frightened child who just wanted the comfort of her older sister. In her place, was the Black Cat of the thieves guild. The Black Cat would do as she wished to protect those she loved. She learned to play the games of the guilds. She learned how to laugh and how to joke a bit as well. I loved how everytime Nina and St. Juste were together, it ended with him being in trouble. Half the time he was arrested! However, I have a specific qualm with Nina. Sometimes, she seemed to make very split second decisions that would undermine something she had been working for. The part I have in mind, was her quick decision regarding Ettie and the Tiger.

This goes into my first real complaint regarding the book. Many of the side characters seemed emotionally shallow. I'm of course referring to main side characters. For example, the same split-second change happened near the end with St. Juste. I won't go into it here, because I don't want to spoil it. But just know, that his reaction felt like it was lacking. It felt like he was missing some emotion that he should've had. It felt like his reaction should have gone on for longer.

It also felt like the book wasn't following its' own rules at some point. There were set rules in the beginning that governed guild behavior. But it felt like many people were disobeying the rules and only some were being punished. None of the guild lords seemed as though they wanted to apply the laws unless it was to their benefit. Yet, if it was to work, would they not have to apply the laws evenly. Of course, this is taking the Tiger out of it. They were all being weenies when it came to him. I believe he could've been handled with no problem if they had all just acted together from the beginning.

On the positive side, as I mentioned, there were set rules for the guilds at the very beginning of the book. There was also a couple of pages that had all of the guilds and their respective leadership laid out. I really thought that was a nice touch. If I had had a physical copy of the book, I would have heavily utilized it. I love when things like that are included in a book. There were also little folk tales from the people at the beginning of each of the parts. The stories would set the tone for the following chapters, plus it was downright fun. I loved that you were getting a history of the place through the mouths of those who live there.

Overall, my final thoughts are that this book was certainly worth the read. This was a solid work with a great story woven throughout. The fact mixed with fiction, mixed with the presence of an older work, was just captivating. Whenever I would pick this book up I would lose myself reading it. I always felt as though I needed to know what was going to happen next. The characters' emotions/reactions may have felt a bit off, or perhaps dull at times, but it's not the end of the world. It doesn't really detract from the story. The story is the important part here, and this was a very good one. Goodreads has this book listed as the first in a series; if that is truly the case, then I can't wait to read the next one! The writing is only going to improve over time, if this one was great, then the next one will likely be even better. I may just have to buy the physical copy just so I can add it to my collection.

Thank you to the publisher through Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Les Misérables meets Six of Crows…that is what intrigued me the most. I am a huge fan of Les Mis, from the Victor Hugo book to the theatrical plays, I just love everything about it. Six of Crows, on the other hand, have not read that book yet (but I plan to!). So, going into this AU timeline – I hoped it would have enough familiarity to keep me hooked. The Miracle Court and the nine different guilds make this telling captivating and is what kept me invested.

The characters are familiar; Eponine, Cosette, Montparnasse, Javert, Valjean, etc…but there is a whole new twist to them. This story is told from the viewpoint of Eponine or Nina as she is nicknamed, and she is not your lovestruck or heartbroken female lead either. She is a Cat Thief and is trying to save her adopted younger sister Ette (Cosette) from the Tiger, after her older sister is sold to him years before, and couldn’t save her. Nina is sometimes ruthless and determined to get what she wants, and I don’t fault her for it. Ette is so pure and naïve when it comes to this world, a ray of sunshine in the otherwise bleak backdrop that is France during the Revolutionary War.

The writing style was so good, the only thing I did not like was that the time points in each part of the book were not clearly defined. It would have made the flow of the story better to have what year or how much time had passed; to see how long it took Nina to get her plans in motion. Because of this, I don’t think there was much tension or on-the-edge-of-your-seat intrigue that grabs ahold of you and doesn’t let go.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and all the nods to the original story were well-placed and thought out. I cannot wait to see where the story takes Nina in the next book. Here’s hoping for a little romance (looking at you, Montparnasse!) also. I would highly encourage you to read this telling, it hits all the right notes, but also makes it a marvelous new story all-together.

I enjoyed this book, and highschool!Me would have absolutely eaten it up with a spoon. This is an alternate-universe retelling of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables focusing on Eponine—but instead of pining over Marius, she’s a badass thief who is a member of a “court” of Paris’s underground elements, and her mission in life is to free women from human trafficking.
Let’s break that down:
1) Alternate universe: in this world, the French Revolution failed. The monarchy is still in force, and Marie Antoinette’s son is the King.
2) Les Miserables: primary characters include Eponine (Nina), Cosette (Ettie), Enjolras (St. Just), Gavroche, Javert (who’s a woman now), and Thernadier.
3) “court”: The Court of Miracles seems to be a pretty clear homage to the world building from Locke Lamore, and it’s cool. The structure (e.g., cat burglers are called cats, smugglers are called rats, the beggars’ guild is run by two people whose nicknames are the Bear and the Wolf) is very obviously meant to draw from Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book.
I have conflicted feelings about points two and three. I think you can read this book and enjoy it without having read Les Mis, and I wonder if I would have enjoyed it more if it had used that book as inspiration but more clearly spun off into its own thing from there. Same with the Jungle Book aspect—it ends up feeling a bit overdone just to get to a place of “hey, this character is really that character from the Jungle Book and this one is that one! Neat!” These references stick out more than the Les Mis ones.

Overall, very enjoyable and definitely worth checking out! I kind of just wish Grant had taken one step further into making the world her own, rather than retellings.

This book was so good! I don't stay up till 5 AM to read a book that often, but when I do, I know it's good. This is easily going on my favorites for the year. After reading the mixed reviews for this book, I was so worried that I was not going to like this book but I love it!

A retelling of Les Misérables is exactly what I needed it and I didn't even realize. I had read another retelling of Les Misérables last year and unfortunately, it was another story with a love triangle where the Éponine character fell for the Marius character and he fell for the Cosette character even though Éponine was the stronger character. I wanted a book that showed Éponine as the strong woman she is and showed her overcoming her battles without getting destroyed by love for a man who didn't deserve her (even though that is a huge point in the original Éponine's character arc). This book is it! Nina protects Ettie, herself, and the people around her not because she is trying to protect a man but because she is a strong woman who unconditionally loves her sister who at one point she was going to wrong. I learned early on that this book is only loosely based on Les Mis and the author beautifully took the best parts, turned them on their heads, and made them better in a whole new way. Regardless, I have not read Les Mis in a while and don't remember much but I was still able to understand what was going on in the book. So people who are not familiar with Les Mis can easily still follow along and enjoy this book.

The main character, Nina, was such an amazing character to read. She was badass and she used her flaws to her advantage. She went through so much but she used her experience and her scars and made herself smarter and stronger. Even though she threw herself into a lot of situations, she clearly knew what she was doing, even if she wasn't sure how the situation was going to turn out. My heart reached out for this character as things didn't work out for her and the people she loved were taken from her. I loved seeing Nina's brilliant brain and plan span out as the last couple of chapters happened and I realized how all the information she was hiding from the reader came into play. I just hope in the future books her unbecoming is not brought on by her love for a man who doesn't love her back, this book series and this character have too much potential.

The worldbuilding was so so fascinating. While I didn't understand the initial comparison of this book to the Jungle Book or the various references to the book, I didn't mind it. The story oddly gave be jungle vibes at times even though I knew this was all happening in a city if that makes sense? The whole concept of the different Guilds in the Court of Miracles, the laws that bound them, the way they interacted with each other, the way they interacted with the story, the way they were formed after the failed French Revolution, etc. was done so well. While it was definitely confusing at times what some Guilds did, what differentiated them from another (in terms of their responsibilities), or what importance/positions of power different people within the Guild held, I still knew what was going on.

The acts of the Guild of Flesh were horrifying to read, especially after getting to see some of the indentured/prostituted women and Nina's sister through her eyes. I sat in anticipation for when Nina would figure out a way to free her sister or take down the Tiger.

The atmosphere the author built was so dark and so creepy, I was constantly on edge. The author did not shy away from going into the dark, gruesome, gory, etc. elements of the times of the French Revolution. I would have been very disappointed if the author had done anything else, it is the French Revolution after all. I felt like I was in the story and found myself always on guard thinking something was going to pop out and kill Nina or take Ettie.

I found myself shocked by how on board I was with the romance. While I thought it was a little annoying that the only three men introduced that are her age automatically become her love interest, I am pretty picky with romances in YA fantasy that I like, and I hate when several men fall in love with the main character for no reason, I oddly found myself routing for all of the boys at some point. The guys falling for her was not annoying in any way. None of them were throwing themselves at her and professing their undying love for her (but one character does do something like that, but only out of loneliness and because of how overwhelmed he was with what he just had to do). The relationships she was developing with them were very natural and began with friendship before they began to like her. Additionally, she was not interested in romance at all; so while she was not ignorant towards their feelings for her in an annoyingly naive, "why pick me? I am so plain." kind of way, she didn't give the boys' feelings the time of day. That is what made the three love interests easier to swallow.

Finally, I adored the relationship between Nina and Ettie. At first, I was horrified upon realizes Nina had intended to give Ettie to the Tiger in exchange for her sister but was quickly calmed down when Nina realized what she was doing was wrong. Their relationship is unconditional and so natural. They both learned from each other and would lay their life for the other. They work so well together. Around the end of the book, they knew each other so well, before Nina could even think it, Ettie was already doing what Nina would want her to do. I loved seeing Ettie develop and grow as a woman as she learned from Nina and begin to break away from the 'beautiful, naive damsel in distress' type character that Cosette originally is.

The only things I would have to say against the book is the choppy time jumps and how convenient Nina's heists were. I am not against time jumps as long as they are explained well. So many times it would happen in the book that a year or two would span and I wouldn't be able to figure it out until a good way into the chapter and I wouldn't really understand what has changed in that time span. Also, all of the dangerous situations that Nina through herself into mostly ended very easily and conveniently for her which was a little hard to believe.

Overall, I loved this book thoroughly and I cannot wait for the next book.

Thank you, NetGalley for a free copy of the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.5 stars (Rounding up in the scale because of how much I enjoyed this book)

4⭐️

Take Court of Miracles is what happens when the characters of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables get plopped into seedy criminal world of Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows.

Nina is the Black Cat of the Guild of Thieves. As a thief, there is nothing that she can’t steal or break into. Except for one thing: her sister. At a young age she lost her beloved sister to the Guild of Flesh, and she won’t rest until she can save her sister. However, Paris might have other plans for her as there are whispers of another revolution on the horizon. Nina becomes entwined with the nobility, the revolutionaries, and the Guilds from The Court of Miracles, but can she protect the people she loves most?

I’ll start with the thing that is most well done in this book, and that is the world building. The elements from 1800s Paris with the gritty and intricate crime world work so well together. It felt fresh and interesting, it successfully carves out its own niche. I loved the uniqueness of the Guilds system. Grant takes the time to explain the workings of these groups and their political systems, and it really elevated the story.

It is an easy book to get swept up into. There is a lot of action and intrigue. However, this also seems to be one of its pitfalls. It’s a series of Impossible Tasks™️, one right after the other. It lacked the rising action that makes the big moments feel big and important. At a point the stakes no longer felt real because the plot was rushed for the sake of another Impossible Task™️. There are also a couple spots where the author decides to fast forward and do a time jump, which unfortunately made the plot fall a bit flat because it skipped over important character growth and development.

While I was enjoying the journey, while reading I could help but feel like there was something missing, and that was compelling and complex characters. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Nina. She’s ruthless, cunning, and willing to do whatever it takes to take care of the people she loves, and that’s about it. I never really connected with her, and that’s because we never get to see her struggle. She breezes through every Impossible Task™️ and easily gets out of every conflict. Her motives and reasonings for doing things are either glossed over or nonexistent. Because of this resolution at the end of the book just didn’t feel earned based on how easy everything was for Nina. It lacked the continuity and struggle needed to make it thrilling.

It’s the same thing with the secondary characters and her relationships with them, nothing is flushed out or developed. No one is ever really brought to life on the page. I’m really hoping this is something that will be improved upon in the sequel.

Now, I’m not against a romance, however this author was like “screw a love triangle, how about a love square?!”. Nina has got 3 men chasing after her and it is a bit much. I’d rather have a romance add to the plot rather than convolute it.

Despite some flaws, I really enjoyed this book. It was an exciting and fast-paced book that kept me hooked from beginning to end. I’m looking forward to seeing where this series could go because there is so much potential for it to be great!