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

Les miserables meets Six of crows..It was impossible not to read this book!

Set in a world where the French Revolution has failed, in Paris cruel nobility and nine Underworld criminal guilds reign, the Court of miracles. Nina is a cat bulglar and she takes care of Ettie, her adoptive sister. When She attracts the eye of the lord of the Guild of flesh, Nina is ready to do anything to protect her.

Robberies, love, family, lotalty, this book has everything and it's brilliant and moving. Nina is an unforgettable main character, smart and stubborn.

The second I realized I had been approved to read this, I snatched it up and didn’t stop till the ends Wow! The storyline was well thought out and executed, and WOW was I super impressss by the world building!!!! It isn’t easy to create a new world without gaps or holes, yet it was fascinating to read about! My only complaint is that the characters weren’t really that fleshed out or relatable. But I did enjoy it :)

I really liked this story! The writing was lovely and so was the story line. I just couldn't connect to the characters as much as I wanted to.

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.**

Title The Court of Miracles

Author Kester Grant

Release Date April 7, 2020

Description from Amazon

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

Initial Thoughts

Tagged as Les Mis meets Six of Crows, I absolutely knew I had to read this book. I love French history and this book sounded AWESOME.

Some Things I Liked

Ocean’s Eleven vibes. I loved the various heists, jobs, and secrets that Nina balanced throughout the story. She was always several steps ahead of everyone and I loved trying to keep up with her.
Les Mis was more than just a reference. All of the main characters from the classic work have their roles here. I really enjoyed seeing them repurposed to fit into this setting.
FRANCE. Ugh, the setting was so amazing. I love French history and the writing here was so well researched and decadent.
Nina and all the boys. Nina was so nonchalant about the fact that all the boys liked her. I loved her attitude about everything. She might be one of my favorite main characters of all time.

Series Value

I can’t wait for the next book. I really enjoyed the way this book wrapped up, but I will be very disappointed if Kester Grant does not write a sequel. These characters have so much more to do and say and I’ll be there when they do.

Final Thoughts

I absolutely loved this book. I highly recommend it. Also, please note, I am writing this in February. I totally put off my March ARCs in favor of reading this June release because it sounded so good!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

An Affair of Poisons by Addie Thorley – if you liked the themes of revolution in France but were looking for something with a dash of magic, try this standalone by Addie Thorley.
Madame Tussaud’s Apprentice by Kathleen Benner Duble – once again, if you liked the themes of French revolution and the war between classes, try this standalone.
Rook by Sharon Cameron – if you liked the setting, French themes, and characters, but, you wanted a more sci-fi / futuristic setting, try this standalone by Sharon Cameron.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

Rating 4.5

I loved this book. It was such an easy read. I adore books with this theme of criminals and gangs or what-have-you. Books like Six of Crows, Ace of Shades, etc. They’re so good and intriguing. I especially loved the various guilds of this one. They seemed more unique than others, but perhaps I say that every time. At first, the little stories at the beginning of each part were average to me. Stuff that’s not super relevant to the current book throws me off. Then I learned they were true stories of the past.!! It made them so much cool. I almost want to go back and read them again. Not to overuse the word, but I loved Nina’s character. She was perfect for me. Sassy, skilled, determined. She definitely enhanced the story. I could do without the Les Mís. I’m honestly not sure that it served a purpose. Bits were just thrown in at points. I don’t know. I didn’t love it. There was also very little romance, which is unusual nowadays. It was refreshing though, and I didn’t find myself craving it. So, overall, this book was great and is worth buying.!

This novel was a great read! Some many plot twists and devious plans kept me enthralled from start to finish. The story is told from first person point of view by Nina Thénardier, aka the Black Cat. The novel takes place over a few years. Nina has lost much and is protective of those she loves, which allows her to have weaknesses. Nina is a thief in a time when the French Revolution has failed and the nobility want revenge on the peasants. Everyone has a plan and betrayals are common. Nina lost one sister and was not about to lose another, even if it means her own life. Nina gathers allies, for there are no friends in the Court of Miracles. But Nina has her own agenda and develops a plan to destroy the one who has ruined her family, the Tiger. Few of the guilds stand up against the Tiger, for most are afraid of him and would rather stay on his "good" side. Nina will stop at nothing to end the Tiger's reign, even if it involves starting a war. Nina is resourceful and uses it to her advantage, so it is time that someone stood up to those who have oppressed them, both the guilds and the nobility. Looking forward to the next novel in the series!

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant is a retelling unlike any other I’ve ever read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alfred A. Knopf Books for the ARC of The Court of Miracles that I received. The Court of Miracles is set to publish June 2nd, 2020.

I should start off this review by saying that I’d never read, watched, or even remotely knew what Les Miserables was about before reading The Court of Miracles.

In fact, I had no interest at all in watching it.

My wife had begged me for years to watch Les Miserables, and for years I put it off.

Why?

Because I’m not a huge musical person, and despite all the big name actors and actresses, there was nothing about Les Miserables that I found intriguing.

Enter The Court of Miracles.

The premise of the book is what gripped me. I am a sucker for a good thief story, and The Court of Miracles promised that.

The forward of the novel was written by VP and Publishing Director of Alfred A. Knopf Books, Melanie Nolan. She said it was a gripping tale that captured her from the very beginning and she hoped I would have as magical a journey as she did.

Oh, how right she was.

There’s not a page of The Court of Miracles that isn’t filled with excitement, adventure, intrigue, or backstabbing.

While I hadn’t watched Les Miserables before beginning this book, I certainly had by the time I was done.

I read the first 70% of The Court of Miracles in under 24 hours.

And probably would have completed the whole book in the same time frame is not for the brief pause I took to actually watch Les Miserables.

I was curious to see just how much of the original story was in this book.

Usually when a book touts that it’s a retelling, I think of something like Throne of Glass. That book claimed to be a Cinderella retelling if only Cinderella were an assassin.

Throne of Glass resembles nothing of Cinderella except the vaguest of possible overlaps.

How is Court of Miracles similar?

The Court of Miracles is not so much a retelling as it is a rewriting of the original story by Victor Hugo, but from a different perspective (and a different outcome).

You’ll recognize many familiar names such as Jean Valjean (who takes a major backseat in The Court of Miracles), Inspector Jalvert (who is a woman now), Cosette, Thenardier, and of course Eponine–or Nina for our story.

The French Revolution is still the backdrop, Jean Valjean is still an escaped prisoner, Jalvert is still hunting him, Eponine is still the daughter of Thenardier.

But that’s probably about where the similarities end.

How is it different?

At the beginning of The Court of Miracles, Melanie Nolan said she felt that Eponine got the short end of the stick in the original novel by Victor Hugo.

After watching Les Miserables, I would agree.

But this is Eponine’s tale, rewritten to make her the hero, her the center of attention, her the amazingly strong woman she could have been.

The Court of Miracles is written in first person and we never leave Nina’s POV. She is driven by love, but not her love for Marius. Marius isn’t even in this book.

No, Nina is driven by first her love for her sister, and secondly her love for Ettie (Cosette).

The Court of Miracles is not about Jean Valjean’s life or really about the city itself, but more about Cour des miracles. Otherwise known as the slum districts of Paris.

What is the Court of Miracles?

The Court of Miracles is a secret society of nine guilds. I don’t really remember them all, but the main ones of note are the Thieves Guild, the Assassin’s Guild, the Beggar’s Guild, and the Flesh Guild.

Nina quickly becomes a part of the Thieves guild, like her father Thenardier.

Thenardier is not the silly buffoon he is in Les Miserables. No, he’s a conniving, heartless despot that’s willing to sell one of his daughters for some extra coin. He would willfully bring harm to either one of them if it were beneficial for him to do so.

Nina leaves him behind to make the Thieves Guild her home, and what a good thief she is.

There’s nowhere Nina can’t go, and no locked door she can’t get out of.

After her sister is sold to the ruthless Lord of the Flesh Guild, The Tiger, she spends the rest of the book trying to save her sister. And put an end to his iron grip that he has on the whole Court of Miracles.

Along the way, we bump into Jean Valjean, who happens to be a member of one of the guilds in this story. He helps at different points in the story, and some major events from Les Miserables still occur in The Court of Miracles.

Fans of the original tale will squeal with glee at these Easter eggs tucked into the story.

My Thoughts

Make no mistake, The Court of Miracles is it’s own tale that really has nothing to do with Les Miserables.

It shares some characters, it shares some overarching events, but the tale is new, and just because you know what happens in Les Miserables does not mean it will happen in The Court of Miracles the same way.

I found the story to be enchanting with only a few minor bumps along the way.

At times, Nina finds herself in the palace of the King and Queen of France. And while she’s there, just about every policeman, servant, and even the Royals themselves gullibly believe everything Nina has to say.

Nina should have been arrested many times over and met with suspicion far more often than she is. And that everyone else around Nina could be so stupid rubbed me the wrong way at times, but did little to diminish the unfolding story.

Whether you’re a fan of Les Miserables or not, The Court of Miracles is sure to be a gem you won’t want to miss.

4.5/5 stars

I was hoping I'd like this book … I wasn't expecting to be completely spellbound by it. Rich, mesmerizing, unique and yet similar to so many stories we love, this was amazing.

… But seriously, how many men does the protagonist need swooning over her to greater or lesser degrees … and why do they all have to be likable in their own bizarre ways …

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was first intrigued when this book was said to be similar to Six of Crows and Les Miserables as those are two of my favorite things. However, I had also been concerned that this would just be a poor remake of Les Miserables. When I saw that the names Epinone and Cosette had been shortened to Nina and Ettie, respectively, my concerns only grew. The first few chapters had started off kind of slow, and I found myself having a hard time getting into it.

Suddenly, that all changed. This book is wonderfully dark, terribly captivating, and full of adventure and thrills. Nina is such a hardcore person, and she is such a fighter. I loved watching her lash out and seeing her get the recognition she deserves. For as dark as this book was, I often found myself laughing at the characters and their conversations. The characters were very enjoyable and I fell in love with them just like I did with the actual characters in Les Miserables. The author did a great job of blending French into the book, as well as describing the settings in all of their gruesome and dark glory. I was never able to figure out how exactly this book was going to end; I enjoyed the thrill of the book up until the very end. I would completely recommend this book--please do not skip it because of your initial perception of it. It is definitely worth the read!

I enjoyed this book. Nina was determined to keep Ettie safe after she could no longer save Azelma. Pure love, guilt and need to protect forced her to use her brain and learn to outwit everyone else. I liked so many of the characters and I'm looking forward to continuing with book 2!

I absolutely love books that have to do with thieves and action! This book had it all and it was in Paris! I really enjoyed this book and it was easy to read. The plot was fast moving without spending a ton of time on details. I will be purchasing it for our libraries YA collection.