Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free e-arc!

I really wasn't sure what I was getting into with this, and although it took me a little while to really get immersed into the story line I'm so glad I read this! The little twists to the story, all the different threads that make up the Court of Miracles, a heroine who is badass without being too overdone, even the annoying time jumps that weren't really clear- they all came together into a satisfying read.

I hope we see more in this realm!

I was thrilled to be approved for this advanced review copy! Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While it took me a little while to get into this story (I’m not as familiar with France or the original plot line of Le Mis) but once I got the gist of what was going on, I was was sucked in. I enjoyed the setting of this story, and how Kester was able to build the Miracle Court within the layout of Paris, France. Another thing I loved was how each part started with an excerpt of the Jungle Book along with one of Orso’s stories. Then the story would be referenced in that part. The flow of this, woven into the plot, was a smooth read.

I adored all of the characters. Nina was a little wish-washy with who she had romantic inklings towards, but because that wasn’t the focal part of the story, it didn’t bother me. If anything, I enjoyed that she wasn’t tied down by a romantic interest. I loved that she was focused on keeping her sister safe. Their bond and relationship really made this book lovable.

This plot made me shout, laugh and gasp out loud as I was reading. I highlighted a TON of parts and quotes that I adored – which I rarely do. So much of this story was endearing. AND so much of it caught me by surprise. I loved that I wasn’t able to predict what was going to happen next. Just an all around excellent read.

I have already pre-ordered this book – I can’t wait for it to come out to read the finished copy!

I had read a variety of conflicting reviews both for and against this Les Miserable/Jungle Book mashup debut by Kester Grant and, to be honest, had been leaning towards believing the negative when an opportunity to review via Netgalley became available. Thank you, thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review, because let me tell you, this book was fantastic! Maybe my dark heart is drawn to the shadowy and dirty street corners of early 1800s Paris, but I was thoroughly engaged by the prose and adventure Grant took us on through the eyes of narrator Nina, aka The Black Cat.

Raised by her selfish and alcoholic father and protected by her older sister, Nina learns too early the cruelties of life when her father sells her sister to flesh trader. Her sister gets Nina out just in time to not be sent with her and Nina joins one of the many underground guilds that make up the larger Court of Miracles. Trained by her father as a their, apparently the only skill of value he endowed upon her, Nina becomes sought after for jobs due to claim to be able to break into anywhere. The story of her survival, adventures, her evolving sense of right and wrong and attempts to free her sister comprise the rest of the fast paced story. I could not put this book down, and sadly finished it in just two and half days. Now the long wait for Book 2!

This book is due the recognition and attention it’s receiving. Waterstones is offering special editions and, according the author’s Goodreads page, Illumicrate is making it their June book box selection. I will be first in line for my copy. Not to be missed. Comparisons to Six of Crows are accurate in the sense of the characters personality. Many thanks to Knopf Childrens and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

While it took me a little while to get into this book, I can’t deny how beautifully written it is. It definitely stands out amongst the YA fantasy books I’ve read lately. I didn’t overly love or connect with any of the characters, but they were well written and well developed. I did run into the issue where I felt the characters acted a bit too old for their age, but it wasn’t unacceptable and was done much better than other books I’ve read. I do however wish there was a bit more romance

*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Holy gods. I knew before I started this that Goldsboro, Waterstones, and Illumicrate are doing special editions of this book, and now I know why. It is freaking amazing!

Let's be real, this book is completely unrealistic. Nina moves through the world like Celaena Sardothien, only without the secret identity to bolster her. Nothing she does really sticks to her and she accomplishes anything she sticks her mind to. In the first part of the book, she breaks into the Palace and steals the crown jewels from the Dauphin's neck! And he remembers her and is always kind to her. She really is untouchable, even when doing things that should have serious consequences. And instead of being put of by a girl who shakes trouble like oil in water, I was entranced. I just adore Nina, with her quick plans and fiery heart, dreams to right terrible wrongs.

The book takes placed in the 1830s, about 40 years after a failed Revolution. Robespierre and the other leaders' heads are still mounted on spikes in front of the palace. The current King, the son of Marie Antoinette, rules the city in a climate that still whispers of a better life. And that's when the other half of the narrative comes in, it is a retelling of Les Miserables. To speak honestly, I wasn't a big fan of Les Mis and I wasn't too sure of this book. It's been a while, and I didn't want to refresh my memory of the musical lest it spoil the plot, but Nina (Eponine), Ettie (Cosette), Javert (who is female), and Le Mair (Jean Valjean) follow only the background of the musical's plot, it is majorly twisted into a story that focuses on Nina trying to protect her sister Ettie at all costs from the man who wants to buy her. If you are a fan of the musical, you are guaranteed enough Easter eggs and name drops to make you smile.

At the start of the book, you are introduced to the system of the Court of Miracles, a name I assume was mainly taken from Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame (as I can find no historical record of it). There are nine guilds in the Court- Assassins, Thieves, Dead, Flesh, and so on. They mainly stay out of the way of everyone who "walks in the daylight." It is a found family and protection from outsiders. Nina is a member of the Thieves guild, and she is very good at what she does, with the nickname "Black Cat."

There is no magic, but it is spellbinding. No romance, but I am in love. It is definitely one of my top books of the year, and I hope everyone who reads this picks up a copy!

5 stars!

I did enjoy this "Les Mis meets Jungle Book/Six of Crows" styled book though I'd say I am coming to realize I'm not a huge fan of Les Mis retellings (please don't hate me). I enjoyed the journey the character went on, but I felt confused for great swaths of time.

First of all, there are some major time-passes areas between sections and, maybe it's just me, but I never seem to pay attention to the dates on those things because there's usually 50+ pages between sections and I never remember what the previous one was. So something like 2 years will have passed and I'll have no clue which means it takes me twice as long to catch up to where I'm at in the story.

Another thing that bothered me about this book was the lack of...dare I call it "character depth"? I'm not sure if that's accurate, but I felt as if many of the characters were surface level with a few depth points but no actual, real, depth to them. We're kept as outsiders for most of the book and I don't think I ever really connected deeply with the main character.

Lastly, and this could just be me, but there was a love square (or something) and I just was not there for it. I don't even think that's a spoiler because almost nothing happens there (and perhaps it will) but it only sufficed to confuse me and make me not care about any of the guys.

I will say the world was fun and unique. I enjoyed the odd "Miracle Court" and the different variations they had. I kind of got a small "Bone Season" vibes from it. I like the setting and the variations of where the MC went and what she experienced. I just wish it had been more cohesive. Not such a sprawling story but one where I could have truly got invested in a few of the characters.

Thanks to the publisher for an early copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Truly enjoyed this book. Would have loved a little more depth about some main characters. I got to the last page and was disappointment it ended. I hope there will be another book after this one. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3248025573

Once upon a time, not so long ago, I was a secret musical nerd so of course Les Mis was one of those soundtracks I've played on repeat (and still do!) all the time.

Pitched as a cross between the Les Mis and Six of Crows I was SO FORTUNATE to get my grubby little hands on an ARC through Netgalley (thank you).

I loved the relationship between the sisters and the idea that the <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Cour_des_miracles"><i>Cour des Miracles</i></a>, an actual place, being a criminal underground.

And of course it gives one of my favorite characters, Eponine, a much much better deal than the original book and musical did. She becomes Nina, something unsoftened by romantic love and instead softened slightly by sisterly love, but full of agency.

Plus Enjolras is in the story...😍😍😍

I also really appreciate that even though the story takes place within the midsts of another attempt at rebellion against the French monarchy, Nina maintains that her agenda isn't rebellion against the monarch, it's protecting Ettie (and getting tangled up in the laws of the court of miracles and acting as the justice of those).

I didn't like the Ettie's personality so much. She was overly childish and this was passed off as a sort of fairytale kindness and innocence that needed protecting by the other characters. It was hard to suspend belief.

The romance didn't jive with me. It seemed like it was added as an afterthought (after all, the main meat of the story is about one sister fighting to protect the other), and not with just one person, but three. But perhaps those threads will develop more in the next book(s).

Also, the plot takes place over the course of several years and the way it jumped around at some points was a bit disorienting to me.

All in all, this one got me out of a reading slump. It's fast-paced and turns the characters you know and love into something different yet vaguely familiar.

This was one of those books I picked up solely because of the hype. I'd seen other reviewers and arc collectors aggressively trying to obtain a copy of this novel to review, so I put in my NetGalley request, thinking I wouldn't ever get it. I am so glad I did.

The Court of Miracles is a retelling of Les Miserables and The Jungle Book, but that's where the similarities end. If you ever thought the Eponine deserved better, this book is for you. This book is entirely unique, while still keeping to Les Miserables's roots of gritty realism. I found myself holding my breath through the entire book because I knew what happened to Eponine in the traditional story, and I was waiting for the same to happen here.

The Court of Miracles is comprised of different Thieves Guilds. Each guild has a guild Lord or Lady who heads the entire guild, and Masters who remain as second in command. Eponine (Nina) joins the Guild of Thieves after her father, Thenardier, sells her sister to the Guild of Flesh. She survives by stealing, and soon becomes the best at it, becoming known by her nomenclature "the Black Cat." Everything is fine until Cosette (Ettie) catches Lord of Flesh's eye. Nina takes on an impossible task to try to save Ettie, but there are more moving parts at play than could be expected.

I adored the way Grant utilized characters in this book. Main characters from Les Miserables have become background characters, and the side characters have their own story. All of the characters are multi-faceted. Nina is no longer just a lovesick girl. Ettie is more than simply pretty. This is a story of strength, of family, and of revenge.

The plot spans several years throughout the book. It's important to watch the dates at the top, as they tell you how much time has passed. Normally I'm not one for time jumps, but Grant still managed to flawlessly continue the storyline through the different moments in time. However, the plot is certainly complex. As soon as you think you've figured out what the big moment of the story will be, Grant changes directions and the players in the story change in surprising ways. This book will keep you guessing, no matter how well you know the classic stories.

The writing itself is beautiful but raw. Grant is not afraid to mix descriptions of opulence and finery with that of poverty, muck, and grime. The Court of Miracles is not a happy feel good read, but it is an adventure and a journey that brings you into a new world. It's not the new Six of Crows, nothing ever will be. Instead, The Court of Miracles is an incredible narrative of hope, strength, cleverness, and grit that will entrance you from the first page.

First thing’s first: thank you NetGalley for giving me this ARC to enjoy and review!

I.... had trouble with this book.

I haven’t read Les Mis (only seen the musical) so I was wondering how it would turn out in a book that was said to meet the pace and overall style of Six of Crows, which I loved.
It was not my cup of tea. First, let me tell you a short summary:

In Paris, you have the upper class, the revolutionary students, and the Wretched, who live on the streets, steal, kill, and basically live as the forgotten edges of society. They call their social and political hierarchy “The Court of Miracles” and it is divided into guilds. Each has a “father” who’s the head honcho, and a “master” who’s top at what the guild does (kill, steal, etc.) The whole court lives by a simple set of rules called The Law.
In this environment we are introduced to Nina, who’s a scrappy little thief who makes a name for herself in the guild of thieves. She has a protege named Ettie, who’s the prettiest thing ever, and she spends the book trying to protect her from the Flesh Guild’s lord, Kaplan, who wants to turn her into a whore. She also wants to bring Kaplan down since he has her older sister in one of his whorehouses.
Somewhere in the middle of this, we are introduced to a parallel plot of the revolutionary students who want to throw over the corrupt regime, that lets the people starve and die while they live lavishly in the palace. There are other characters of course, especially three very different boys who all seem to take a romantic interest in Nina (and a very missed opportunity in my opinion since not much happens with either of them), as well as guild lords. There’s not a whole lot in terms of character development except for Nina and maybe Ettie. If these characters were in a painting, it was done in very diluted watercolors.
Somehow through cunning and daring and whatnot, Nina sort of saves the day on multiple counts, and that’s all I’ll say so as not to spoil.

Honestly, it’s an ok story. I don’t know why I didn’t connect with it much. In the first half of the book Nina sounded so detached to me, like she’s telling a long ago tale in the first person. And when she’s detached, I find myself caring less about the characters. When the student plot line appeared, I wondered what it has to do with anything. I think it could have been more strongly anchored to certain events that light the fuse of rebellion. So that was a tad forced in my opinion. But then around the second half or so of the book things that were half-heartedly put in motion finally started to flow more smoothly and the creaky wheel got some oil. Is it the best of stories? Not at all. Is it horrible? Nope.
It’s decent. And that’s the best I can give it. It seems like it’s going to be the opener of a series. While I’m not itching to read another one of these, and I feel like all of the questions were answered and all of the loose ends were tied, I’d be curious to see how this author takes the experience and the criticism and grows the story even more. There’s definitely potential, but I wouldn’t bother staying in this world. I’d write a new one.

**A side note about character names**

I try not to be the wet rag of the bunch, I really do. But when you have a shot at remaking something, and you still name your most horrible villain Kaplan, which is a clear Jewish name, I can’t help but feel disappointed. As a Jew, we have enough antisemitism to deal with on the reg. Could you not invent a random name that didn’t suggest so clearly that the bad guy is Jewish? It made me wince all through the book. Shame.

Thank you, NetGalley and publisher, for giving me the chance to review this book!

Positives: Rich story building with vivid descriptions. It truly feels like you are in the story - glancing around at all the dirt and muck, right along with the other characters.

My gut reaction: I sincerely apologize to the author, because this really isn't a reflection on the quality of the story -- it's only how it sits with me personally. For months I've tried to get into this title and just ... cannot. There is something stylistically that doesn't work for me. I think it has to do with the story being significantly different from Les Mis in some aspects while holding fast to other elements such as the character names. I would have warmed up more to the story if it was entirely "inspired by" Les Misérables, but avoided exact replication in any area. I found myself constantly getting pulled out of the story when something familiar popped up, resulting in a "wait, who? what?" moment.

So ... I am sure there are many people who will love this story for what it is, and I applaud the author for its creation! ... I just won't be one of them, and that's okay. Thanks for the chance to preview it, and I wish you all the best.

As someone who is too much of a pleb to properly enjoy Les Miserables, I'm surprised how much I love a good reimagining. The Court of Miracles is definitely among their number. This is a version of Paris that doesn't sparkle but that swarms with shadows. The day is for the nobility, and the night is for the criminal guilds that co-exist uneasily under the Miracle Court's laws. The Court oversees all "the Wretched," or guild members, made up of those spurned by daylight-- the poor, immigrants, the sick and wounded.

Enter Eponine (Nina), cat burglar of the Thieves' Guild. Nina's on a mission to save her older sister after their father sells her into prostitution in the Flesh Guild. This all-consuming love for her sister takes her down some morally questionable paths, including a plan to groom Cosette (Ettie) to take her sister's place in a cruel trade. It's a tale of twists and turns. Nina's clever tricks must distract everyone for her to succeed, and she may even pull one over on the reader (speaking from experience).

This was a strong debut. Overall, I thought the world-building flowed seamlessly through the plot. I was especially enthralled with the idea of two governing bodies cohabiting in the same city but occupying different hours. The rules and politics of the guilds were a fascinating component of the story. Another aspect of the book I loved was the diverse cast-- Parisians aren't all pasty white baguettes, you know.

I really enjoyed this! I haven't read Les Miserables and only know the story as told in the musical, so it was interesting to spot the names and plotlines that I did know. The author creates a rich underground world and I wouldn't have minded if the book were longer.

First and foremost: this is not a book for everyone. As much as "Les Miserables meets Six of Crows" is, technically, an accurate summation, it's a description that masks the weirdness of the plot. Truly, I don't think I could find a description that captured the complexity and strangeness of this book - a strangeness so surreal that I felt, especially during the first half of the book, like I wasn't reading English. Part of the surreal atmosphere was the sudden and abrupt time jumps from chapter to chapter, which certainly didn't help as I was trying to ground myself in the world.

The story of magical guilds, warring factions, and an underground crime world felt so divorced from the story of Les Miserables that the revolution subplot (if it can even be called a subplot) felt almost tacked-on in an attempt to develop the "retelling" element that had thus far been neglected. Even the characters who are borrowed from Les Miserables - Eponine, Cosette, Valjean, Javert, Enjolras, Grantaire, Azelma, Gavroche, among others - are often renamed or distorted. Eponine becomes 'Nina'; Cosette 'Ettie'; Enjolras 'St. Juste'; etc. Some of the relationships from the original are neglected (Valjean and Cosette are pitiful in this adaptation) and, at a certain point, I wondered why the Les Miserables aspect had even been included when it seemed to weigh so little on the plot and only served as a distraction.

Ultimately, this novel shone where it deviated from Les Miserables - the story of warring guilds, echoes of the former revolutionary spirit that had been crushed by the ruling powers, and the vaguely magical underbelly of the city were engaging enough that I felt disappointed whenever the Les Miserables elements returned to the plot - which was strange, considering how much I love Les Miserables normally. Truly, I don't know how to rate this one, all things considered. I'd recommend reading the first section of the book and making a decision for yourself.

The Court of Miracles is everything I could have asked for, the Les Mis retelling of my dreams. Overall this book is an epic undertaking, blending the history of the French Revolution with a seedy yet honorable underworld of murder, thievery, crime, and resistance. I’m not going to do this book justice by attempting to regurgitate the plot, but what I will do is ramble for a bit about how much I loved this book.

The world is a massive undertaking, from the French royal court to the rat-infested sewers, to the dark halls and corridors of the nine Guilds of the Court of Miracles. Nina is the daughter of a scoundrel who sells of her older sister to the Guild of Flesh, and Nina has sworn to get her back from its slaver “Lord,” the Tiger. This intense desire to avenge herself for her sister bleeds into everything she does, including joining the Guild of Thieves and pulling off some daring heists (aka getting into loads of messy trouble). And then her scoundrel of a father tries to do the same to his ward, Ettie, and Nina won’t have it. She’ll do *anything* to protect Ettie from her sister’s fate.

Cue schemes and capers and dastardly plans, some blood, gore, and a lot of betrayal. Alliances are made, broken, made again, sealed with a kiss, then punched in the face. And although Nina’s fierce loyalty to her found family seems legit, nothing is straightforward on the angry streets of Paris. The shadows are dark, and motives darker still.

Reader: I loved it.

I can't wait to feature this in my Instagram and shout about this book!

Les Miserables has a special place in my heart. I mean, I named my blog after my favorite song from the musical. So, when I saw The Court of Miracles and read that it was inspired by Les Mis and included some of the characters from my beloved book, I jumped at the chance to read it. Happily, though the story is nothing like Les Mis, it is an interesting young adult novel.

The Court of Miracles takes characters and situations from Les Mis, changes and enhances some of their strongest traits, and puts them into a post-revolutionary France that is much different from the country we know. I loved how the author put a unique spin on well-known characters like Cosette, Eponine, Gavroche, Javert, Enjolras, Thernardier, and, of course, Jean Valjean and incorporated them into a fantastical plot that still pays homage to the original story.

The world is fascinating and detailed, offering an alternate society that is split between the aristocracy and The Miracle Court, which is broken up into numerous unsavory guilds. The politics and harsh laws of these gritty, menacing, and often feuding guilds are intricately detailed and juxtapose the luxurious frivolity of the wealthy. Nina (Eponine), the protagonist, is part of the Guild of Thieves and is desperately searching for a guild to protect her young step-sister Ettie (Cosette) before The Tiger gets his claws into her like he did Nina’s older sister.

I liked Nina’s character arc and growth throughout the story. She is complex, with strengths and faults that make her a realistic and interesting protagonist, even though she spends much of her time trying to undo her own mistakes. Under the tutelage of her abusive father, she learned how to be a thief at an early age, and her stealth, intellect, and cunning help her when she is most in need. Though I didn’t connect with her character as much as I’d hoped, she remains dynamic, complex, and unpredictable.

Though I loved the universal themes presented throughout the book, especially themes of family loyalty, independence, and doing whatever it takes to protect those you love, the plot felt a bit jumpy and jarring at times with jolting time-jumps and transitions. However, the story is interesting enough that I could overlook the sometimes awkward pacing.

This is a unique novel with a ton of action and immense world-building. I think it is difficult to take a favorite and well-known story and create a unique and intriguing twist, but Kester Grant does it well in The Court of Miracles. Readers who enjoy young adult fiction with a strong female protagonist will enjoy this story. I think readers who know the Les Miserables story will enjoy the many references in this book.

Thanks so much to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

THE COURT OF MIRACLES

Kester Grant’s fabulous Ya Historical Fantasy, that is set alternate 1828 Paris France after a failed revolution, born is The Court of Miracles.
The Court of Miracles is a criminal guild of nine.
As the greater widening of the class system from the greedy, self-serving nobility and the underworld of criminals. These a dark times where poverty and famine is widespread. Trying to survive Nina, has become a notable and talented cat burglar, the Black Cat, belonging to the Guild of Thieves. In a series of events causing her adoptive sister Ettie to catch the eye of a notorious Tiger. Lord over the Guild of Flesh, Tiger, is terrifying and ruthless. Nina tries to keep Ettie, out of the vile Tiger, a path that leads her to braking into the royal palace of Louis XVII, and stealing.
She seeks to align herself with those who can help her and Ettie, she goes deeper into the black, treacherous underbelly of Paris. Risking all might set off a a climactic war between the Guilds.
This a fast paced gripping tale, with incredible world building. The criminal empire is detailed and cleverly depicted.
The Court of Miracles, has fascinating criminal guilds..A Guild of Thieves, An Guild Assassin’s.. etc
To me there is at lot of nods of Kipling's original Jungle Book stories.
I am excited to see more from this talented author.

The plot is paced perfectly, gripping from the start and making it unputdownable. I also really loved the building of the criminal empires with rules and non-rules and questionable morality. We explore some of the Guilds a bit, and it was entirely fascinating.

Review:
So I have no idea how to rate this books because I wanted to love this book so bad! It has so much potential, but the execution was just lackluster. I guess I’m leaning towards 2 or 2.5 stars.

Things I didn’t like:
- This book is split into 4 parts, and each time there is a time jump. The thing is though, it never stated how much time had passed, so I didn’t even know that time had passed until it was casually mentioned in the story three chapters later. It was really confusing and hard to keep track of. I just wished at every divider, it was say how much time had passed like “two month later.”
- I was very confused if there was a romance. The main character has three guys in love with her, and she liked them all, but romance was such a small amount of the book that none of the guys had any real character development. I felt no attachment to any of them, and the main character was kind of horrible to them all.
- My biggest complain was that the plot was all over the place. It felt like there was no overarching plot, so it was just a bunch of little things that would get solved one by one. There was nothing to keep me invested. All the characters were one dimensional and felt like they were only there to forward the plot. The main character had no real flaws, and she had a very sanctimonious attitude that got old fast.

Things I liked:
- I loved the atmosphere of the Court of Miracles! It was very dark and sinister, and all the different guilds were super fun to learn about. I loved all the intricacies of the treaties and law of code. Learning and reading about their politics was super interesting
- In addition to all the Guilds, I loved the setting of Paris, after the revolution failed. During the reign of Louis XVII It really added to the desperation Nina had to save all those she cared about.
- I loved the heist aspects of the main character. She’s a cat burglar and much of the book is her scheming and pulling off exciting heists! She broke into the royal palace, prisons, and many more places!

So if you love heist stories and love squares, check out The Court of Miracles!

I will post my review on my blog on June 6th, for the blog tour

LES MIS x SIX OF CROWS? This story concept = everything I never knew I needed in my life! I've loved musicals since I was little, and Les Mis is one of my favorites! I kept hearing the soundtrack play in my mind at various points in the book. And Six of Crows is another fave.

All of that actually made me both excited and nervous to read The Court of Miracles. The weight of expectations was heavy. So keep all of that in mind when reading my review.

First of all, I think it's really important to acknowledge that this book is incredibly ambitious in scope. It is a tough, tough task to take on, boiling down Les Mis (an epic story if there ever was one) into a YA-length book, twisting it into a retelling with a unique spin but that stays true to the original, keeping the power of the story and the backdrop of the French Revolution, AND adding fantastical elements while staying true to the story. Not many authors would be able to pull this off and I commend Kester Grant for her ambition!

Now, breaking the story down to its parts.

The world-building in this book is absolutely FANTASTIC! I love love LOVED the way the court of miracles was set up, the way the magic was split into factions, the law, the everything about it. When new factions were introduced, my heart leapt and I literally started grinning like a goof. It was just plain FUN! And it doesn't hurt that the story and magic system are so, so stabby. DEFINITELY my style. So. Well. Done!

The twists and scope were also really, really impressive. I found myself gasping so many times after reading a new twist (sometimes a plot twist, other times a clever twist on the original). Anyone who's watched (or I assume, read -- admittedly I haven't read the book yet) Les Mis can probably attest to that feeling you get from it. It's just so POWERFUL. So EPIC. So... all-encompassing. And that's how this book felt.

And our scrappy MC? Eponine is one of the most interesting characters from Les Mis IMO, so having a book centered around her story was a dream come true. I loved her as a protagonist, and I love the way many aspects of her story were kept, while she herself was given a lot more agency. I did find it a bit hard to follow exactly how she accomplished some of her great feats, but more on that below.

The pacing was extremely fast. The story is written really efficiently in that it doesn't linger on transitions or tell you everything that led from one event to the next. Instead, it asks for a little bit of work on the reader's part, making the connections in your head or finding out in the next chapter what must have been going on for the past few months (or years). I actually really loved this in many ways, because it assumes reader intelligence and lets the reader feel like they're in on the storytelling. No hand-holding here. No boring training sequence (I know it can be done in a way that's interesting, but I've read a million training sequences and it's hard for them to be satisfying to me anymore.) At other times, though, the pace could be a bit jarring, because nearly every chapter was like this.

As for the Les Mis aspects? I'm really torn on this. I absolutely LOVED the references in the first half of the book. I loved seeing how different Les Mis characters were genderbent or given more diverse identities. I loved each Les Mis easter egg -- a quote would be incorporated or a character would appear or an event would be retold and I loved that little flutter of recognition. That hah! I'm in on it! I know the reference! But then... in the second half, those feelings started to morph a bit. Some of the biggest parts of Les Mis were background noise in the book, which, from an authorial perspective, is totally understandable. There's so much happening, and after all -- this was Eponine's story, and to her a lot of what was forefront in Les Mis WAS background noise in her life. So... I know that? But I still wanted a little more? Some really key moments in Les Mis were removed completely, while others felt like they were there just to be a Les Mis reference but weren't paid their full dues or didn't make sense in the context of this story (conflicted with character motivations, etc.). That made it harder to enjoy.

I think what it comes down to is that I loved the way the characters from Les Mis were incorporated into this story, but some of the events didn't feel right to me. And I think, probably because the author (understandably) wanted to stick to important retelling points, some of the characters' motivations were a bit illogical, because they needed to be pushed into certain events that had to happen.

I should probably mention the second comp, Six of Crows. Granted, some of you may also have noticed the other comp used to be The Jungle Book? And both are interesting choices. There are a few nods to SoC elements (thieves, heists, etc.) but others aren't there (no crew story, for example). So I'd recommend not going in expecting too much from the SoC comp.

All of that being said, I did truly enjoy this book and I'm in complete awe of Kester Grant! Like I said, this is a wonderfully ambitious story. And if THIS magnificent story is her debut, then her career looks incredibly promising from where I'm standing! I do recommend this one and am looking forward to the second book!

Free advanced copy received from Knopf Childrens via Netgalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

I got a free copy of this from Netgalley. I think it was a very clever retelling of Les Miserables with a little bit of Hunchback of Notre Dame. I like the idea of the Courts, and each of their areas of expertise. I loved the way the author incorporated characters from Les Mis into the story, but with twists. I have never read Les Mis, but I've seen the film, and I always felt Eponine was underused, so it was nice to see a version of her that was pretty developed, had more of a personality, and had a better relationship with Cosette. I loved Nina's desire protect Ettie above all us, and I loved Ettie's desirability because it reminds of me of quickly Marius is obsessed with her. Grant makes Ettie's beauty more a burden, which I thought was really interesting. While she can easily win people over, Ettie also attracts a villain. Once we get the Tiger's story, how he manipulated the sisters and built his Guild, he becomes incredibly interesting. When he tells Nina that he made her, he's not wrong; everything he did led to everything she became. She could have become a villain like him, but Nina overcomes that. It shows what a strong hearted character she is, especially when she realizes that using Ettie for a bargain is something she cannot do. I like her will to do what's right for not only her guild and Ettie, but for France. The mice story is incredibly power, and it reminds of the graphic novel, Maus. There is a great look at how the nobility treat the poor, not just with poisoned water, but when Nina says "they announce our presence while ignoring our existence."
The romance in this confused me. The prince, St. Juste, and Montparnasse all like Nina, and she seems to flirt with all three, so I don't know what's going on there. The idea of Nina "not being like other girls." I get there is more at stake than pretty food and dresses, but I find it hard to believe that she wouldn't be the least bit excited being all dressed up; maybe she would feel guilty about it, like she does when she eats in the palace while other people are starving. It ties in well with her character.
I had a big problem with Javert, though. When I found out Javert was a woman, I thought it was really cool. Then, Grant pulls the most cliche thing: Javert only hunts Valjean because he broke her heart and she's scorned. Because a woman police officer can't be obsessed with hunting down a criminal because of her views on the law, like Javert is in the original story and musical? She has to be angry because of love? I just felt that was sexist, and could've been done better.
Overall, I found the story to be quite interesting, a good way of tying in Les Mis with an original story with memorable characters and memorable story about duty, love, friendship, and struggle.