This book blew me away. It was such an interesting world. I was intrigued when I saw it touted as a mix of Jungle Book and Les Mis because in what world do THOSE fit together? But honestly the touch of the Jungle Book is subtly done and it works so well. I love our Eponine (who was always one of my favorite les mis characters) and I love how the story is familiar but yet so different. My only complaint is that there was so much being done that I felt like I wish we could have gotten to know some characters better. But there was so much to cover and so little time to do it. The book could have almost been split into two which would have given more depth to some of the characters but I am hoping that will come in others. Overall it was very enjoyable and I found myself not being able to put it down until it was finished. 4.5/5

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

In an alternate 1828, after the French revolution failed, Paris is divided in two parts, royals and nine underground criminal guilds, known as the Court of miracles. Saved from a awful monster by her sister Azelma, Eponine, known as Nina, Thenardier, is the member of the Thieves Guild and a Cat, a talented cat bulgar. Smart, determined, Nina lives in a world full of criminals and under the same Law every Guild and its member should respect. When her adoptive sister, Ettie, draws the eyes of the Tiger, the cruel, ruthless and lawless Lord of the Guild of Flesh (that deals with slavery and prostitution), Nina is ready to do anything to save Ettie. Even though her choices could bring a war between Guilds

Kester Grant creates a complex and wonderful criminal underground.
Nine Guilds, Gamblers, Beggars. Assassins, Mercenaries, Smugglers, Letters, Thieves, Fleshers and Dreamers that form the Court of Miracles, night world and its members, separated from Those Who Walks By Day by traditions, rules and social and economic differences.
Nina's life and determination brings her to meet royalty, revolutionaries and members of other Guilds in her attempt to save, first Azelma (her biological sister from the Tiger's clutches) and then Ettie, against those ready to war for her beauty and to possess her.
Wit, sarcasm, war, revolution, loyaly, death and tales, The Court of miracles has everything. It's a book about love, hope, desperation, rage, loyalty, trust and truth. In a complex and dark world, Nina moves and befriends the France Dauphin, Lords and assassins.

I really liked this book. As they say, it's s mix between Les Miserables and Six of Crows. I found interesting and intriguing the Guilds, their rules and divisions, their heroes and their achievements. Amazing seeing characters from Les miserables in this books, like a female Inspector Javert and her obsession for Jean Valjean, Thenardier, Eponine and so on. I liked a lot the revolutionaries, above all St. Juste and his ideas and determination. The relationship between Nina and Ettie is beautiful, full of love and hope and trust. I liked the one between Femi and Nina, Nina and Tomasis, Nina and Montparnasse and Nina and St. Juste and between her and the Dauphin. Basically, every relationship in this book! Their interactions are full of wit, sarcasm and trusts. I loved reading about Nina's plans and achievements.
I can't wait to read the next book and see what will happen next!

4 stars

I was sold on this book when I saw it was a cross between Les Miserables and Six of Crows...the latter being one of my all time favorite “heist” stories. And right now I’m feeling a little dumb because I’ve never read Les Miserables, nor have I watched the movie, but I’m also glad I was so unfamiliar because now that I’ve read about the plot it may have spoiled much of the story for me.

The World: Set in France during the revolution, the poor are starving and the nobles are throwing away good food. The criminals have organized into the Miracle Court and its nine guilds live by their own rules. There is no way I can explain the complex hierarchy and laws of the Miracle Court as it’s complexity was one thing I struggled to keep track of in the beginning.

The Retelling: This is Eponine’s story from Les Miserables. The story gets pretty dark at times with all the slavery and prostitution and suffering. Is a “good” retelling? I have no idea...but I definitely enjoyed it.

The Heist(s): Nina (Eponine) is the Black Cat and the best cat burglar of the court. She sets forth impossible plans to steal all kinds of things: from jewels to food to people! Plus, she was a total badass at manipulating everyone around her! (The badass-ness of all the heroines is one of the major reasons I love young adult novels these days.).

The Twists: There were so many twists! Since I’m not at all familiar with Les Miserables, maybe that’s why I never saw the next thing coming? The ending was soooooo good!

The Love Interest(s): Is it the prince? Is it St. Juste? Is it Montparnasse...who might be the only one she hasn’t kissed? #TeamMontparnasse...for now...

The Pace: The pace was the second biggest struggle for me, following the complexity of the court. I understand Nina is playing the long-game for her plan to work, but the time jumps took away a lot of the immediacy of the plot.

A Trilogy: Ugh, and now I have to wait how long until the next book? I’m really not sure why I keep doing this to myself, because it appears this will be a trilogy and I’m not a patient person. What happens to Nina next? What’s the real history between Inspector Javert and Valjean? I can’t wait for the next installment!! But I will have to wait...

Warning: Be ready to root for the criminals!

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own**

If you love Les Misérables or Sox of Crows (or both), then you will love Court of Miracles! I happen to love both so this story grabbed my attention from the very beginning. What makes this such a captivating story is the the magnificent world building paired with a constant sense of danger. The descriptions of the worlds, the guilds, and the mannerisms of different people Nina encounters is done in such a way that you can truly visualize them. I didn't want to stop reading because I had to know what will happen to Azelma and Ettie, how will the Black Cat accomplish such difficult feats, and what will happen next. The story almost took on a V for Vendetta tone where you're wanting everyone to overcome their fear to stop all of their oppressors.

I like the cover. In my opinion a great story doesn't need a complex cover. This one is has enough detail to make you curious about the book without spoiling the story. The pacing was good and had minimal moments where the story lulled, which is expected with world or scenery building.

The only issue I encountered was that there were some basic typos such as duplicated words or phrases in a couple of places.

Overall, I give this story 5 stars because it was unique and captivating. It kept me intrigued and I never wanted to put it down, which is always a huge plus for me. I'll definitely be adding this author to my list so I can stay updated on other titles.

This is my first book by the author and wow.
I absolutely loved everything about this book and I cannot wait to have a physical copy in hands. I highly recommend this one.

Oo! I really loved this. I like the easy to follow world-building. Descriptively beautiful with a very strong message. I loved the historical twists. Part 4 was by far my favorite.

My only problem was how much time passes from one part the the next. It was explained well, but left me feeling disjointed. It took away from relationship building between the sisters. It did come around in the end, though.

Definitely worth reading!

4.5 stars

Arc received from NetGalley!

******SPOILERS*******

This book I have seen in blurbs and reviews as a mash-up of Les Miserables + The Jungle Book and here is what I have to say about that. Between every section, there is a Jungle Book quote, the female protagonist goes by her street name the black cat, and the villain referred to as the tiger so there is an allusion to the jungle book but plot set up I do not get any retelling feelings of. Les Miserables comparison is because of the French setting, words, and aesthetic used in the book. Which I live for by the way. There is also rebellion of the common people rising up against people in power both royalty and underground (the Tiger). Personally I see more connection to Les Miserables.

This book also has that complex group classification system that is fantastical and complex yet based on the abilities of the members for the most part. This book's court classification was thieves, beggars, assassins, gamblers, mercenaries, smugglers, prostitutes, opium eaters, and men of letters.

I cannot recommend this book enough. It was so atmospheric but it was not just that. The characters were unique and notable. Side characters I see the great potential and foreshadowing to being more important in the future. Please give me more Montparnasse I love him. Also, there were quite a few lines that were really humorous. It is by no means a comedy but any book that can make funny scenarios and humor in dialogue is an added bonus.

The next thing is the death of one of the Lords of the court I was not expecting. I am curious where that will go in the next book.

The only aspect that created me to be confused was after a character is abducted there is a two-year jump. I would have liked it if it was stated before the chapter started two years later. Instead of a natural progression and then we are getting these descriptive words of how time has changed the characters etc. The passing in my subjective opinion got slightly weaker for a short point but still an amazing book.

I love Les Miserables and I love anything involving French history, however, this book was a miss for me. It was entirely slow moving and the plot wasn't that interesting. Not to mention that it's part of a series for if book one is so slow I can't see how it's going to move faster by book two. This sadly, is a pass for me.

Thank you Netgalley, Kester Grant and Random House Children's Publishing for the ARC of The Court of Miracles. I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by the publisher, author or Netgalley.

I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars.
When I first read the summary of this book and saw that it was catered to fans of Six of Crows, I had to immediate reactions: OMG yes, and lord please no. Fortunately, this book was a total yes. The Court of Miracles follows Eponine (Nina) Thenardier, otherwise known as the Black Cat, in the underground of Paris. The Court of Miracles is what they call themselves and they are divided into guilds. Nina is a cat of the Thieves Guild. Her sister is bought by the tiger and as she attempts to get her back, she accidentally puts her other sister, Ettie, in danger. The book follows Nina as she attempts to keep Ettie safe and get Azelma back.


The world-building is phenomenal and the main character is not a mary-sue (at least in my opinion.) People might find that she is constantly doing the impossible, but that is because of her determination, and her determination is both a good and a bad thing. Nina is self-less in a selfish way. I love how the romance was written and that it wasn't the main focus of the story. I hope in later books it is established and we get a good ship.

I'm not going to say much more about the book because it's amazing and I don't want to spoil it for everyone else.
I recommend this book for fans of: Six of Crows, Throne of Glass, Graceling and Les Miserables.

FULL REVIEW: https://readwithmiki.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-court-of-miracles-kester-grant-arc-5.html

I received this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book is amazing!!! I absolutely devoured this in one day because I just couldn't put it down! Definitely a must read!

I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this novel, and the growth of the characters throughout. They all have their own individual hardships, but being the Court of Miracles reflects that they still have a family. I loved this book, and I know as soon as it is released, everyone will too.

Huge thank you to Random House Children’s a division of Penguin Random House Publishing for this advanced readers copy of THE COURT OF MIRACLES by Kester Grant. I was provided this book in exchange for my honest review. This story will release July 2nd, 2020.

THE COURT OF MIRACLES is an epic tale that wrecked me to the core. First, as an avid Les Miserables fan, and second as a conscious human being well aware of the human trafficking problem. Kester Grant breaks onto the scene with this spellbinding narrative that draws you in and doesn’t let go until the very end.

Nina is born into a life wrought with misfortune and hardship. Raised by her thief of a father, she is no stranger to beatings or starvation. It is only on the eve of her sister’s sale to the most feared man within their circle, that her life takes an unexpected turn. Shoved into the crime syndicate deep in the underbelly of her country, she proves her worth as a thief and seeks to free her sister from slavery. In her older sister’s absence, her father decides to take on a ward named Ettie. Nina is pushed to the limit when her father offers the young girl up to the same devil that bought her older sister Azelma. Unable to stand by, Nina makes the decision for them to flee. Together they travel to the guild of ghosts seeking protection. Through her uncanny ability to read people, situations, and desires she moves throughout the guilds like no one before. She is singularly focused on one thing, protecting Ettie. It is here we join Nina as she weaves in and out of the war between royals and revolutionaries, the lifelong battle of Jean Valjean and Prisoner 24601, and the selling and stealing of girls for profit. Rage with her against the injustice. Be brave with her in your fight for what is right. Always mindful that you balance your soul against the anger so you don’t become what you hate.

I was captivated by the prose of this book. Often I would get swept up into the words and lose myself. It was almost as if I could hear one of the famous songs from Les Miserables. I have a favorite page in this manuscript yes, the entire page. I could lose myself reading and re-reading it.

Here is an excerpt from it:

“The broken boy beneath the lash.
It ends where it begins.
It ends with him.
He is the nightmare, the monster. The thing that stalks in the dark. He is the fear ensnaring each one of us, gripping us in his claws.
And despite my weakness, as he tears the strength from my bones, I see my path. I hear the City whisper to me with silken words. I know what I will do.
With the last blow, my thoughts uncoil into endless shapes before me. I see Azelma sleeping. I see Ettie reaching out for me. My heart hammers, drowning my ears with its beat.
My sisters.
I couldn’t save the one who protected me. I couldn’t save the one I was supposed to protect. I can’t save the hundreds who sleep in the grasp of his claws. No one escapes him. And so there is only one thing left.
I make this oath in iron; I make it in bone.
I will destroy him, and then they will all be free.”

This was a five star read for me. I highly recommend. Put this book on your radar, you will not be sorry!

The beginning of this was very good, however once I hit the middle of the book it really started to fall flat. I love that this is Les Miserable meets Six of Crows with some heists. Yet, it seemed like Nina, our main character, had it easy. There was never any real struggle during her heists. Then, I feel like the world building and character development could have been done a lot better. I want to know more about the world and see more aspects to the characters. The pacing was well done as well as the writing. I loved the friendship between Ettie and Nina.

I feel like this was written for anyone who truly love Les Misérables but for those of us with limited knowledge of the source material it doesn’t quite hit the notes I think it is supposed to making this a bit of a struggle.

“The Court of Miracles” follows Nina, known as the black Cat, a thief hiding in the shadows of Paris as she fights to protect a young girl from the clutches of a man hellbent in making her his newest victim of sex slavery just as he did her sister years ago and with the brewing tensions between the nobles and common folk Nina works to unite the Guilds and free Paris from its monster once and for all.

The plotting of this book is a little clunky as it races through years of development at the turn of a single page making some of the early moments not really work for me as we have this big set up for the main arc of the book and the characters entire backstory shuffled through a few paragraphs to the point that on one page she’s a young girl ripped from her sister and the only home she knows clumsily trying to secure herself a sense of safety and the next she’s a fully formed force to be reckoned with with nothing in between. Did I want a training montage? No but would it have been nice to see how she came to grips with this new world order and worked to find her place? Absolutely.

Now again I have never seen or read Les Mis (however I can sing you some of the songs) so some of the big scenes between characters whose names I recognize went a little over my head as it seemed a bit out of place at times to have these underground societies dealing with their own mess while switching back to that of the French nobility and while there were bridges to fill some of those gaps I didn’t find all to be that successful and some of the structuring was too heavy handed to be believable but we had to connect the two somehow.

I feel like if you’re a big fan of the source material this is going to be a slam dunk for you and I’m not able to rule out watching the film and then trying this book again at a later date.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

OH. MY. GOSH. I have a new favorite thing, and I’m squealing with delight.

First things first:
1) If you can look at that cover and not want to read this book, well, you’re wrong.
2) I adore Les Miserables. Not the Victor Hugo novel. I’m sure it’s great, but who has the time to read that tome of all tomes? No, I love the movies and the musical. I’ve always been drawn to the character of Eponine. If you can watch her sing “On My Own” in the 2012 film without bawling, you have no soul. Imagine my excitement when I read that she’s the star of Court of Miracles!!!

With this novel, Grant gives us a unique spin on the Les Miserables story, plus a bit of an alternative history tale, and it is EVERYTHING!! Basically, there are nine guilds that were formed to give protection and a sense of identity to the outcasts, those deemed unworthy by the brutally powerful. Eponine is a member of The Guild of Thieves, and she must summon up the will and the wit to save those she loves from The Tiger, the leader of The Guild of Flesh. And yes, Cosette is one of those in need of saving. Insert squeal here!!

From the opening pages, Grant sets the atmosphere of her world: “It is before dawn, dark and silent. The corpses of the starving have been laid out on the cobblestones overnight, waiting for the carts to bear them away. The dead are wide-eyed, unhearing, uncaring, unafraid.” WOW, right? Well, you ain’t seen nothing yet!

This book is a beautifully-woven patchwork of misery and determination, exploitation and defiance, desperation and perseverance. It takes the grittiness of a city’s criminal underbelly and blends it with the flamboyance of the romanticized 19th century French court of yore and lore.

I didn’t read this book—I ate it! I didn’t even chew—I just swallowed entire pages whole. Now as with most extravagant feasts, this satiated feeling will pass, and I will again hunger—hunger for the sequel. I want it! I WANT IT NOW!!

I absolutely loved this book!! While some of the names and titles are a smidge difficult to follow the story sucks you in and grabs hold until it’s 3am and you’ve read the whole book in one sitting and you are wondering what the heck have I done???? Ok I know that was a lot, but seriously I could not put this story down. Here’s for hoping there will be a sequel?!?!

The comp titles are spot on, particularly the comparison to Six of Crows. Though I am only familiar with Les Mis and The Jungle Book through movies, I did not feel like I was missing any important piece of the story and could still see the traces of each. Nina was a great protagonist and I am curious to see where her relationship goes with the dauphin. But I was disappointed by the abrupt ending. Is it possible to find a standalone book in YA Fantasy anymore?

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I really, really enjoyed this one. Nina is sort of a bad ass and the story line was very gripping. I can't name a part where I was bored. The whole thing had my attention the entire time!

The Guilds were very interesting to learn about. The events that happened keep you interested and the twists and turns are very unexpected. Nina is very likable and at times she had me laughing out loud. I can't wait to find out what happens if there is a second!

I cannot believe what I just read. That was such a roller coaster. From the moment I started this I have been carrying it everywhere trying to finish it as fast as possible. I could not put it down for the life of me.
I am always worried when new books are compared to some of my favorites. In this case, Six of Crows . It's usually never as good and has me lusting for a reread. I cannot believe I can say that I actually love this more than Six of Crows .
I am sitting here, having just sat the book down and I am still crying and angry. The ending thoroughly destroyed me and I will never forgive the emptiness I feel in this moment.
The Court of Miracles was beautiful, violent, unique, and insane. I cannot wait for its release so I can count down the days until the next novel. That is literally all I am going to be able think about for the rest of my night.

I thought this book was a good retelling of Les Mis. It's set in an alternate reality, in which the French Revolution failed and there is still a king on the throne. The main character, Nina, works for a thieves' guild, which has essentially become her family, since her father is abusive and her older sister is addicted to opium.
The book mainly centers around Nina trying to keep her adopted sister Ettie safe from a rival guild. Nina is extremely clever and sarcastic, and I really liked reading from her point of view. She's a great character with a lot of admirable and relatable qualities.
I also think the world was very interesting, especially all of the different guilds and how they work together and maintain an unsteady peace. I think that it would've been even better if the world was a bit more developed.
Other than that, the book was slow at times, and very plot-driven, rather than character-driven. Because of this, while I did like Nina as a character, I didn't feel as if I knew her very well. I also thought that the way the author handled the (very little) romance in the book was strange and didn't really let me know how Nina was feeling.