Court of Miracles is an intense riveting tale of survival, loyalty, and sisterhood. The story holds to the time it is written where the poor are starving, and the rich are well rich. It centers around Nina, who is desperate to save her sister from the tiger sold to them by her father. It a story layered in desperation and dark family betrayal. The lengths and cons that Liza can pull off indeed show why she is known as the black cat of the thieves guild. The romance was low-key, but they are especially between Liza and the prince. Though at times, I swore she had fallen for Ettie, who is she makes deals with scary characters to save her life. I loved every minute of the story and am desperate to find out what happens in the rest of the series.

I had super high hopes for this one, so that's probably on me. This was not a bad book- I just have a hard time thinking that it will stand out after all the others I've read and plan to read.

I loved this book so much and I have no idea why I took so long to read it! I need the next book now! I really enjoyed the world building, the characters, and the authors writing style. I love a fast paced book and this one definitely checks that box. Definitely recommend picking this up!

Because I was finishing up my last semester at college, my reading got pushed to the side. However, I'm back now and ready to review!

I was so interested in this "fans of six of crows" in the summary, and it was a good read! I liked how the protagonist, Nina, was so willing to do anything for her loved ones and had a pretty impressive skill set. I loved the setting of Paris in the 1800's and thought it was a great story and was not bored at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This one was meh. It started off good, but then went off the rails a bit. There was a LOT going on and some of it was confusing, while other parts were just too formulaic YA fantasy. It read like every other one I’ve picked up lately. It wasn’t as original as I was hoping.

I started this book as a free e-arc from Netgalley. I have since purchased an exclusive edition from Goldsboro. It has a good start, throwing directly into the action and politics of the world. I'm excited to continue it.

I enjoyed this book a lot. Having never read Les Mis I was worried I wouldn't understand or enjoy the plot but that wasn't the case. Is book 2 out yet? I feel like I've been waiting forever.

This was such an extraordinarily complex story-line that brought in many of my favourite fantasy tropes and was reminiscent of so many beloved works of fiction, and yet still maintained it's own sense of unique brilliance. Aspects occurred early on in the novel that had me unable to conceive how the remainder would play out, and scenes of actions were littered throughout to ensure there was never a pause in the pacing or a stall in the tension that dominated all events.

There was so much to explore, both in the forefront and backdrop of the scenes, and I longed to linger in every hidden cranny that this city kept hidden from its upper-class inhabitants. The world below was just as rich and diverse as the streets above and Grant kept me enraptured with her vivid depictions of the two.

DNF - did not finish. I decided not to keep reading this young adult fantasy novel. It was not for me. Thank you, publisher and NetGalley for the early title!

I did not really enjoy this one and could not finish it. I’m really sorry! But I also didn’t rate it on good reads or anywhere cuz I did not think that would be fair to the author just because I did not click with the book. I do not rate books on public platforms that I do not finish.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Children's and Knopf Books for Young Readers for the ARC to review!

This was a fun read and extremely atmospheric. I was easily transported to the setting and experienced everything very easily. I got kind of confused with the time span within this story. It let you know that there was passing of time, but I couldn't be sure of how much time had passed between one occurence and the next which left me feeling pretty jolted at times.

Overall, an incredible adventure. They describe this book as "a mix between Les Miserables and Six of Crows" and I can see elements of that throughout this book, but if you're wanting it to be the EXACT same feel of either of those, I'd say it doesn't quite hit that mark.

The reused names of some characters from Les Miserables was interesting and kind of weird in my opinion! I had a difficult time getting through that classic and kind of felt like it wasn't my thing in this book either!

I'd recommend to anyone looking for a fun, fast paced adventure!

I don't know. I wasn't really that impressed with this one. Nina was kind of annoying to me and I had a hard time caring about her at all. The biggest problem was going into this being marketed as a new Six of Crows and it does not even come close to that. I think that if I hadn't gone into this expected SoC I might have liked it more. But, alas, I didn't really care for this one.

Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables has proven an enduring touchstone, inspiring everything from a stage musical (remember Les Miz?) to numerous movie versions. Court of Miracles puts its own fresh spin on this durable tale by setting it in an alternate Paris where the wretched poor have formed themselves into guilds of thieves, assassins, flesh peddlers and so forth to survive.

The tale unfolds from Eponine’s (Nina’s) point of view. A daughter of the corrupt innkeeper Thenardier, Nina is shocked when their father sells his oldest daughter, Azelma, to Lord Kaplan the Tiger, who rules the Guild of Flesh. To save Nina from the same fate, Azelma sends her off to join the Guild of Thieves. But it’s not as easy as just filling out a membership card. First, 10-year-old Nina must steal a crown jewel from around the neck of the royal Dauphin.

After succeeding in her quest and joining the guild, Nina is frustrated in her attempts to free her sister from a life of prostitution. Years pass, but she never gives up on her sister. When Thenardier becomes ward to the lovely young Cosette (nicknamed Ettie), Nina tries to use her to trade for Azelma, but at the last minute can’t go against her conscience. She must find Ettie protection from the powerful Tiger, but the Ghost Lord, the only guild lord who would stand against him, has been thrown into the Chatelet prison.

Nina must rescue the Ghost Lord in a daring prison break, and along the way she also frees a master of the Guild of Letters, one Valjean. (Sound familiar?) Guild machinations and Nina’s desperate attempts to save those she holds dear play out against the doomed student revolt from the original story. Along the way, we meet Inspector Javert (here, a woman spurned by Valjean), the Dauphin, and the heartless nobility of Paris.

Paris itself is a character in the story, from the gilded rooms of the Tuileries to the catacombs of bones and the foul cesspit of the Chatelet. “I don’t need to look up at the street signs to know where we are,” says Nina at one point. “I can tell by taste, by touch. I wear this city on the soles of my feet.”

Nina proves an engaging protagonist, gritty, resourceful, and full of heart. And her sharp humor provides welcome relief to the misery. When she and Cosette end up in the palace, all cleaned up and fed as part of a “help the poor” gesture by royalty, Ettie says, “Isn’t it delightful to be so clean?” Nina thinks, “I frown. Since I smell like I’ve been attacked by a lavender rosebush, I refuse to agree.”

Readers will follow every twist and turn of this engaging spin on Les Miserables to the very end — and enjoy many surprises along the way. Recommended.

I think this book just wasn't for my preference. It took me a long time to get through, and I just couldn't get submerged into the world or like the characters the way I'd hoped. The writing and premise was interesting but it didn't keep me tethered for the duration of the novel. I can see why other people will like this and it has lots of potential especially for a series.

This book was so incredibly fast-paced and moving. I'm a huge fan of Les Miserables which the book was inspired by. I didn't really feel the JUNGLE BOOK vibes that the book was also inspired by but I still loved it. The prose in TCOM is stunning with an intense, almost breathless feel to it which went perfectly well with the aforementioned rapid-paced plot. I look forward to reading the author's next book!

I absolutely loved the concept of this novel. It became quickly one of my most anticipated reads of the year, especially as I read "for fans of Six of Crows" in the marketing description. Heists, thieves, female characters rising up. Reminiscent of Les Mis, this book will solidify Kester Grant's work on TBR lists to come for any reader.

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant intrigued me with its premise of Les Miserables elements. The main character Eponine (Nina) Thénardier was my favorite character. I liked the world building, the different guilds, and that it was fast-paced. Though I was a little sad that besides the names of the characters and the setting, there wasn't much similar elements to Les Miserables as I originally thought there would be. But that's okay. The book still was interested and a good read.

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

How is this book not more popular!?! It was FANTASTIC.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

The Court of Miracles was a dark and magical read, and really took me by surprise! There was a fair amount of hype around the book, but I didn’t know too much going in, and ended up really enjoying it! I’ve never read or watched Le Mis, nor have I read too much on the French Revolution—I don’t know if my lack of expectations or background knowledge that I went into the book with better allowed me to enjoy it than other readers, but I really thought that historical backdrop that sets up a larger plot line of revolution was super intriguing and it made for a cool blend between the fantasy elements and historical plotlines. I thought the main character was really compelling, and I loved all the action scenes and twists that were present in the story. I thought the character relationships that drove a lot of the main character’s motives were a great aspect of the story, too. All in all I thought it was a great fantasy read and I’m really looking forward to seeing where the next book goes!

An easy and fun read but it does not feel original. Many aspects of the plot seem to be borrowed from other series. I did not find it very original or exciting.