Yes, this, right here! This book is what I crave in fiction: a story full of characters that are neck-deep in troubles, that are wonderfully flawed, that are sometimes absolutely terrible in their actions yet own them, characters that bring down others so that they can get to their ultimate goal and are unapologetic about it.

What an incredible treasure it was to read The Court of Miracles, and what an intriguing world Kester Grant has brought to life in the mirrored like of Les Misérables.

I don't have too many points to nitpick about this novel. Yes, sometimes scenes segue into others a little abruptly, and I do want more background on a handful of characters—Montparnasse being highest on my list of these; I believe I love him. But these are small in the grand scheme of things.

Nina's character has joined the ranks of my favorites. The progression of who she turns into is fascinating, as is the determination that she has to go through with her ultimate goal. She is not shy to use those around her so that she can accomplish what she needs, but there's that grain of guilt in her, regardless, that keeps her human and growing. And at her side, Ettie is a darling. She has such a sweet heart despite the dreariness in which she has grown, despite the fact that she was essentially abandoned and left in the hands of someone who would've sold her for a profit. The two are a driving force in the novel.

The introduction of the Guilds of the Miracle Court is not something that hasn't been done before, but the way that they work is still imaginative enough that they become a great fixture to the plot--

Now these are the of
the Miracle Court,...
the Wretched that keep
them may prosper,
but the Wretched that
break them must die.

They're central as the story moves forward, and their laws and symbolism are one of the biggest causes behind Nina's actions. I can't wait to know the other Guilds in more detail down the line, but those of the Assassins and Beggars hold a dear place in my heart already.

It was a treat to see some favorites of the classic this tale takes inspiration from in Jean Valjean, Thénardier and Enjolras, despite the displeasing nature of at least one of those (looking at you, Thénardier). And I was almost sorry to see the fate that befalls the Tiger, considering how fantastic the caliber of “wicked” an antagonist such as he maintains.

The Court of Miracles is full to bursting with tragedy, it never fails in its dark and dire undertones, and there is no apology to the reality of how down-trodden the lives are of the souls in this story. But despite it all, they still find something to fight for and to live for, and that's what makes it so precious: that hope.

READ IT.

I love ya fantasy.
The characters were flawed and interesting and well writing , the writing was good, and I really looking forward to the sequel!!

This was a wild ride that I enjoyed every minute of it.

4.5/5 ⭐️

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

I want to first preface that I am not a big Le miserables fan.
So the fact that I enjoyed this as much as I did says a lot.
There's absolutely no wasted plot points in this entire book. Every motion has a purpose and a lot of it I didn't even see coming. I'm really impressed.

The Court of Miracles. The wretched of France, with their own guilds and laws.
The Guild of Gamblers, Beggars, Assassins, Mercenaries, Smugglers, Letters, Thieves, Dreamers, Flesh.
Nina, the black cat. Is a clever, whip smart girl. Belongs to The Guild of Thieves.
She will do whatever it takes to save one sister after she has lost the other. Sold into the The Guild of Flesh, by her terrible father, the other may face the same fate if she does not intervene.
Nina does not forgive and she does not forget.

Ettie is a ward of her father. Sweet and naive and of all else, beautiful. Nina cannot bare to see her broken, like Azelma. Her eyes hazed and empty from opium. To be sold and used by the cruelest of men. Like Kaplan, the Tiger. The Lord of Flesh.

The additional cast of characters really are something. Each with their own secrets. Many of who owe a debt to Nina for one thing or another. She's been collecting them.
I'm excited to see what the pay off will be for her, in the next book.
Although she has gotten far, there are many moving parts.
I'm very curious to see what it has gotten her in the end.

I really, really enjoyed this one.
* and someone better hurry up and turn this into a movie or show stat. It's written for it.

Very rarely does a book hook me within the first five pages. This book automatically grabbed my attention and held it for a good majority of the book. The characters were intriguing, the plot, the setting...everything! I loved how unique this book was with such different and strong-willed characters.

The world building is amazing. Set in 1800s France you can see the period and lifestyle of that age clearly through the description of clothing, the royalty, problems lie famine and plague. What makes this book stick out from any period fiction, is The Court of Miracles itself. Thieves, assassins, ghosts...each aspects of the courts is so well thought out. This book truly is one of a kind. I felt immersed into the world being able to visual what I was reading.

I loved the characters and found myself relating to them, loving them, and feeling empathic. Nina “Black Cat” is our main character desperate to save her sister the Lion, lord from the Fleshers Guild. We end up seeing Nina throughout the years, the book starting when she is nine and ending with her as an adult. Her goal stays the same throughout the book but her character development is what keeps you intrigued. Her love for Ettie (her adopted sister) is admirable. She’s also an interest character because of the three long interests. Who will you pick? I’m #TeamMontparnasse Montparnasse is an assassins and I adored his character—I just wish we got more of him.

This book definitely lived up to the hype. It was thrilling, action-packed, adventurous, unique, shocking, heartfelt and heart wrenching. You won’t want to miss out on The thrilling Court of Miracles! Five stars without a doubt!

Thanks NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! Full review to come on my blogs two week prior to its release date.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Opening Sentence: "All Wretched are equal before the Miracle Court; neither blood, race, religion, rank, or name is recognized."

The Good: The worldbuilding is rich and lush. I could smell the pain au chocolate and it made my mouth water. I coughed on the dust as they ran through the city of the death under the streets of Paris. I winched and ached as Nina was whipped with the cat of nine tails. The imagery was spectacular and it left me wanting more. Just another glimpse. I love the Court of Miracles. The different guilds and their laws and the darkness of it. I wish we could have gotten to see more of them, their people, their ethos.

The Bad: The failed revolution left a bad taste in my mouth. The whole sale slaughter of men, women and children never sits well with me and I honestly hate it. I hate how everyone just brushes it aside like St Juste should be glad he wasn't caught up in the death of hundreds of people. I hate how damn spineless the Crown Prince was. It was a part of the plot that added nothing to the tale and wouldn't have taken away anything if it had been left out.

The Ugly: You know how you can spot a Mary Sue in a book? The main character is a girl, woman, old lady, female presenting characters and the rest of the cast of characters are boys, men, male presenting characters. you have Nina as the main character, and then her sister Azelma (who gets a whole chapter before she is swallowed up) and then her adopted sister Ettie. The rest of the cast are non-femme characters.

Nina is a complete Mary Sue. She is good at everything without the effort of learning or being taught. Everyone is in total love with her at first glance and willing to risk life, limb and liberty at her every whim. She listens to no one and always knows just what to do. She manages to walk into the French Palace and steal one of the crown jewels from the neck of the Dauphine without so much as a plan. She breaks into the most feared prison in Paris and manages to break out not one but two prisoners. She gets the Crow Prince of France to give her carriages full of bread, grain and other foodstuffs to fead all the guilds for months.

Basically everything she touches turns to gold and loves her with a shining devotion and loyalty that is not earned nor returned.

Nina is selfish and hides behind her tender heart to use and abuse people to their own peril. When she lost her sister, she put Ettie in the path of the Tiger to use her has a sacrificial lamb and then when she comes to her senses its too late to save Ettie, and then sparks off everything else in the book.

Thenardier, her father is just fodder for the chance for Nina to show how awesome is she. Here is a man that is a Master in the Thieves Guild. He has attained his greatness, he has a way to keep gold in his pocket, he has power, he has animals to do his bidding. And yet he sells his daughter to the Lord of Flesh?

Why? The price he got could have been stolen and in his hands in a single night of burgling. And then he just, 'always backs the winning side'. But why!! Where is his motivation to be this way? What is there to be gained by being this way? You can't just have a man sell his own flesh and blood to a slaver that he knows is going to use ad abuse his daughter for a few pieces of gold that he doesn't need. It doesn't make any sense.

The Court of Miracles gets 3 Stars despite its main character who doesn't deserve the love and loyalty of the rest of the characters.

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

My Rating: 2.5 Stars

Alright, so I would like to begin this review by discussing the things that I liked about this book. For a debut novel, the prose was impressive. I really enjoyed the overall flow of Kester Grant’s writing, and the way that she was able to set a scene in my mind without over-describing things. The main character, Nina, was stunningly fierce and I loved her relationship with Ettie. The world the story was set in is wonderfully dark and I was beyond intrigued by the Court of Miracles and all of the different guilds. This novel has a badass heroine, and an incredibly gothic feel that I got sucked into immediately.

Unfortunately, there were a few things that kept this from being entirely enjoyable for me. I personally don’t need romance in all of my books. I enjoy a book with little or no romance, and have grown to only enjoy a love story that actually adds to the plot. Somehow, this book both lacked real romance, and had enough romantic interests that the plot sort of hinged on them. Let me explain, there are apparently three men in love with Nina – an assassin, a prince and a revolutionary. Without the feelings these three men had for Nina, with little to no prompting or reciprocity on her end, (with one exception) the entire plot would have fallen apart. Hell, even with these “romantic entanglements” I was surprised by the lengths some of these men went to for Nina. I just wish that the author had selected one romantic interest and developed Nina’s bonds with the other characters in a different manner.

The other struggle I had with this book was the lack of world building. We are introduced to this amazing world of thieves, murderers and criminals, but are given little real insight into their world. There are occasionally glimpses into the seedy underbelly of Paris, but given how enmeshed in it Nina is, I was honestly surprised by how little of it we saw. This book seemed to race along to the climax of the book, never slowing down to focus on world building and I feel that the plot suffered a bit as a result. Speaking of rushing the plot, there were time hops that threw me completely off balance. At one point, we skipped ahead two years and it took me way too long to figure out how far in the future we were and what the hell had happened in the meantime. I could do the math, I’m sure, but at this point I’m not even sure how old our MC is because I’m pretty sure I just straight up missed the lengths of a few time jumps.

Additionally, as a result of these time hops, I feel that Nina’s character development suffers. She goes from being a dependent and emotional young girl, to a ruthless thief in the blink of an eye and I felt deprived of her growth.

I think that I will give the second book in this series a chance when it comes out because I enjoyed Nina as a character and despite the difficulties I had, I did read the entirety of The Court of Miracles in one sitting. That being said, I don’t think that I’ll rush out to buy it on release day, sadly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Children’s for an e-arc of this review in exchange for an honest opinion.

I hemmed and hawed about what I was going to rate this book, because I wasn’t sure at all what I thought it should be, but in the end I settled on three stars. There were several reasons why, and I think it needs to be broken down into pieces to explain why I struggled so much with this book. This is not to say I didn’t enjoy the book, I did overall. I liked Nina a whole lot, and I was cheering her on the whole while, and yet…
First off, I don’t know what Les Mis is outside of memes and other references. I have never read or seen it. I essentially had no basis for this, and I think that partly played into my issue with this. Such as I recognized names, but they meant nothing outside of the book to me, and that in and of itself made the book hard to understand. Without the context, I felt some of the characters were left dangling, because to know and/or understand them, you had to know the original characters. And I didn’t.

The Writing
I really liked Kester’s writing. I thought it was lovely, and I liked reading it. I didn’t think that it was overly jarring one way or the other. I think the prose worked really well for me overall, and I enjoyed the dialogue.

The Pacing
The pacing I didn’t love. Skipping time, scenes…it just wasn’t working for me. I think it had so much potential but we would get really fast parts and then really slow parts…and it felt messy to me somewhat. Overall, I was left a bit dizzy.

The Plot
I was confused. I’m going to be honest, as I’m writing this review, this book was clearly out of my wheelhouse. The concept seemed so interesting, but I felt like you needed a degree in Les Mis to understand it. I didn’t know that at the time, and I wished I had. I feel that so much of the plot was related to the original work…and I didn’t understand it. I got the concepts overall, and what was going on. I liked bits and pieces overall, but I struggled through parts of the plot.

The Characters
Nina, Ettie, and like two other characters are the only ones that stuck with me. So many characters, and slightly hard to tell them apart. Not only that, some of the characters as I mentioned earlier were clearly related to Les Mis and I knew the names…but not what purpose they served. I don’t know, I liked Nina best. She was one of my favorites, and I liked her strength, but overall, I just didn’t love any of them. Most of them fell rather flat, but this was an enormous cast.

The World building
As an alternate Paris, I think it was really creative. Taking history and mixing it with Les Mis and other portions could have turned out really well. And I think it was atmospheric, and well described.

Overall
I enjoyed the book, but I think this one just wasn’t totally for me. I think if you like French history, Les Mis or anything like that, you’ll like this.
HOWEVER, advertised like Six of Crows? It sort of is, but not really.

This is another book that didn’t do it for me. I liked the main premise but it didn’t come together as I had hoped. I liked the French influence a lot because that’s one of my favorite things!

It has been quite awhile since a book kept me reading like this one did. I didn't want to stop reading. I was so invested in the characters and the plot.

This is a retelling/alternate history of Les Miserables and 1828 France. There are whispers of revolution, underground criminal guilds, and strong sisterly bonds.

I so enjoyed picking out names and events and hints at lines from Les Mis. I loved, loved, loved the relationship between Nina and Ettie. I am finding that more and more books are emphasizing loving relationships between sisters lately, and I absolutely love it!

The only part that fell a little flat for me was the romance. It obviously wasn't supposed to be the main plot, and that is more than okay. But I could also tell that the author was trying to include some kind of romantic subplot. The problem was that there were three different romantic interests and it was never very clear who Nina preferred, if any of them. There were a handful of events that could have moved all three relationships forward, but instead they just happened and the story moved on and I was left feeling confused at who the main love interest was supposed to be. Or have we moved on from love triangles to love squares?

Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed The Court of Miracles and will be eagerly awaiting the publication of book two!

This was such a fun read as a Les Mis fan. It's epic without being so grand as Les Mis, and I loved that because it was it's own story. Love, revenge, survival and sacrifice. It's such a web of stories within one grand tale, and i love that it would veer a certain way for a while because it added to the journey of the Black Cat. Nina is such a great heroine and she's absolutely fire and spirit. She's a fun character to follow with the soul of a survivor. I loved the addition of Les Mis characters and how those stories play into Nina's tale. It's a job well done in this book.

When it comes to this book, I seem to be in the minority. I'm not giving five or four stars but three. I wanted to love it but sadly, the middle of the book just wasn't for me. I loved the beginning and ending but in between, I was just not enjoying myself. Now, I've never read Les Misérables (even though it's a french classic) or Six of Crows so I can't comment on the comparisons made here but the settings are interesting. There are multiple guilds and our main character belongs to the Thieves.

Her father, however, isn't a good man and for a few coins of gold, he didn't hesitate to sell her older sister to the Flesh Lord, a cruel man who buys women to be prostitutes against their will. In this world, they are supposed to obey by the Laws made by these Guilds. However, the Lord Flesh seem to scare everyone and he does as he pleases. Nina, with her wit and nimble fingers, will try to rescue her sister from him but it's not an easy task.

Overall, this book was okay. I didn't hate it, didn't love it. Between each part of the book, a few years pass but the time jumps aren't really well explained so that's probably why I was confused sometimes as to what was going on and why things seemed different all of a sudden. I don't think I'll be continuing with the series but I'm hoping you'll love this story more than I did <3.


(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

I have many feelings about this book, but every single thing I have feelings about become a soapbox for me to stand upon, so I’ll try to refrain.

I didn’t hate this book. But I didn’t enjoy it. Looking at the cover and reading the comp titles of Six of Crows x Les Mis with the Jungle Book has me twitterpated, however when I actually got into it, there was little that interested me.

Loved: Kester Grant’s action scenes made those parts unputdownable, the initial world of the Guilds was fascinating, and I liked how in the end, Ettie wasn’t completely useless.

Meh: So many important things happened off the pages, and we were told things instead of shown.

Wasn’t a fan of: the time jumps. Maybe I didn’t read as thoroughly as I should have, but it was honestly impossible to tell how old Nina was throughout, and how much time had passed.

There was very little romance, which isn’t a bad thing, just something to keep in mind, but a lot was hinted at without actually showing us that Nina might have been attracted to her possible suitors.

Also, major film production level of queer characters where you can just take out the scene (yes, just one where it’s barely hinted at) and have it affect nothing to sell in different markets.

I wish books would stop claiming to be comped you Six of Crows. This has the underground network of Ketterdam with none of the charm, none of the fun, and none of the Jesper.

3.5 Stars

Concise, quick, and engaging. Court of Miracles manages to work within the world of Les Miserables while restructuring the story (and characters) into something refreshing and new.

Nina is a fabulous protagonist/;anti-hero to follow through the twists and turns of the Court of Miracles, tough-as-nails and determined to the point where one sometimes cannot tell whether this is her strength or her downfall. While the sotry is her own, Grant does such fine work in utilizing the cast we know and love, sliding them into sometimes comfortable yet often not shoes, letting the reader's predisposition and understanding of the likes of Valjean, Javert and Cosette flesh out their personal stories. With a deft hand, Grant hints and teases at the narrative known to so many, weaving the threads in and among what stands, in the end, as a wholly original work.

Sigh. Another super-anticipated book that just left me disappointed. This book severely suffers from debut-novel syndrome.

The idea and effort is there, but the author has a lot of room to grow.

I did not enjoy this story for a number of aspects. Although everything about it is intriguing, and I was very excited to dive in, it was not well written. I do wonder whether it went through a beta-reader stage; it feels like a first-draft story. What I mean by a first-draft story is not that the grammar was bad, it was fine, is that it reads as if the author said: "Hey, imagine Guilds of criminals in old France, now that would be a cool story." There isn't much more to it than that.

This suffers from some of the worst white-room scenes I have ever read. Not a single room, house, area, building, was ever adequately described. The castle was the only place that the author spared a few sentences to describe what it was like. And, I'll emphasize, that was only just a couple sentences about a confectioner's box. I feel the author said, "It's taking place in old France, you can imagine it yourself." There was absolutely no immersion into this world. None of the 5 senses were ever engaged. Old France, and PARIS most of all, could have been a beautiful setting, the author could have used so much to engage us. She wasted that opportunity.

We'll move to where I think the story is most lacking. I am a strong believer that characters are everything. You can have a complex plot and a beautiful setting, but if characters are lackluster, the book will never exceed 3-stars. Because at the end of the day, if I don't believe in the characters, there is nothing at stake. The characters in this book weren't written badly, they were just boring. They had no depth.

The main character, Nina, is such a special snowflake that gets away with everything. Everybody loves her; she somehow always succeeds in everything that she tries. She was ten-years-old and she broke into Versailles (this is me assuming, the author just describes it as a palace), and and steals a jewel of France right off the prince's neck while he was sleeping in his bedroom. A ten year old, guys. A ten year old did this. Do you really find that believable in any aspect? But allow Nina to defy all that is possible.

I can't even describe Nina's personality. She's not fiery, she's not kind, she has no quirks, she has.... nothing. She is only the "sharp Black cat". That's it. Yet everybody falls in love with her. I mean, the Prince of France doesn't execute her after she (a peasant, might I remind you) SLAPS him in his own home, because he likes her so much even though he met her ten minutes ago. Do you really think that's believable? Readers are given nothing but her talent as a thief (a talent which she doesn't need to hone or practice or grow at all, because a ten-year-old on her FIRST heist broke into the most secure place in France).

Ettie was the secondary character. She fares a little better personality-wise then Nina. She's a little meek, a little nervous and quiet, and loves stories and romance. She's really the damsel in distress for Nina to save.

All the other characters, I mean honestly, I can't even name them. I just finished this yesterday, and I've already forgotten most of anything about them. Because they are unremarkable. There is not a single personality, or back story, or manner that stands out.

I'm giving 2 stars instead of 1 (even I would never recommend this book) because I can see the effort is there. The Guilds of criminals are intriguing. An over-used concept that I've read about before, sure, but you can tell the author fleshed out laws and hierarchies in it. I appreciate her for that. This isn't a lazy-story, this is just an ill-written one. So, I'll give it 2 stars. Because writing is hard, and the only novels that deserve 1-star are the lazy ones.

I don't believe I'll be reading the sequel. I can't see this series saving itself as long as Nina is the star in it. She's just not someone I root for.

Brutal. Full of flawed, fascinating characters. A wild, eventful ride from start to finish.

"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."

The dark, gothic criminal underground of Paris was such an amazing backdrop for this retelling.

(Yes, this is a Les Mis retelling.
From Eponine's perspective.

I know, I know. Feel free to make dinosaur noises, and squawk like the adorable, awkward, nerdy pigeons we all are.)

It felt...Cozy...If that makes sense? I often find myself describing a world "cozy" when the author has made the setting feel something akin to a home for my imagination. The criminals are cutthroat, and the city is alive with mystery, and mischief, and smog; it breathes life into the narrative with every turn of a page.

"Now these are the laws of the Miracle Court, as old and as true as the sky; the Wretched that keep them may prosper, but the Wretched that break them must die."

Ah, *chef's kiss*
Pure poetry.

I will say: You do not necessarily have to know the story to enjoy this interpretation of it. This retelling is so richly imagined and somewhat faraway from the original (in a good way!), that if anything, knowing the story will only make you smile at the some of the ways in which the author has flipped things.

Now, make no mistake: Nina is not the heartbroken, lovesick Eponine we know from the classic tale and the beloved broadway musical ( 🎶do you hear the people sing 🎶). She is cutthroat, clever, and menacing. She does not shy away from saying the honest thing, or doing what is painfully right (or wrong). I found myself wanting to shake her for the lengths she was willing to go to get what she wanted, and protect the people she loved. The closest thing she ever comes to being heartbroken and lovesick is in regards to her sister(s). I won't say more (because spoilers) but - the girl loves fiercely. FIERCELY.

Also, just one of the many things I loved about this story: Nina.has.somany.love.interests. This was one of the many changes from the classic tale that I loved. She's not just pining over one guy. She's not pining over anybody, tbh. She's pining for her family. I think in so many narratives (especially in fantasy novels), we see mainly men who get to have several flirtations with so many female characters, and it's rarely ever the other way around.

Let me just list each fine specimen:
1. St. Juste
2. The Dauphin
3. Montparnasse

It is a love RHOMBUS.

All of them, with amazing qualities. All of them - exceedingly attractive in their own ways. St. Juste with his fiery sense of justice, the Dauphin with his kindness and tenderness, and Montparnasse WHO WOULD DIE FOR NINA. WITH HIS SILENT, FEROCIOUS, FOREVER ENDURING LOVE. YOU ADORABLE LITTLE ASSASSIN, YOU!

I don't want to pick sides (I love you all, bebes) but I'm clearly leaning some-type-of-way.

My only complaint: I wish there hadn't been so many time jumps. Obviously, it's an element of the original tale, but time jumps have a tendency to make me feel disconnected from characters. I want to suffer with the characters. But that's just me. They were artfully done, though.

There are so many other things/elements/characters that I could go on and on about, but that would turn this review into a book report...Hehe.

Anyway, if you loved Eponine, or Les mis, or 'Six of Crows', or anything to do with kickbutt heroines, sisterhood, and brutal criminal undergrounds systems - this is the one for you.

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an ARC of this book!

A really clever and interesting retelling of a story I feel like I’ve known since childhood. I really loved the characters and the idea of the guilds, I thought that it was a creative and interesting setup, and I personally enjoyed the brilliant personality written in to the guilds and the characters themselves.

Such a great story. I would love to see more books as amazing as this one. It's an amazing story with great characters!

Ooh this was great! I love the Court and the different guilds, their leaders and the comparisons to different animals was so interesting. Our lead character Nina is so smart and cunning and always has something up her sleeve. She's so much fun to read, I love seeing her stand up for herself and those she cares about.
The twist on Les Miserables was cool, although I only know a little bit about that story, but I like the roles Inspector Javert and Jean Valjean played and their complicated relationship. Also the revolution and St. Juste were great plot points and the way everything played out was well done.
I loved the sisterly bonds throughout the book. It's great to see women stick together and be there for each other and I liked that we just got a tiny bit of romance and the main focus was on Nina and Ettie.

I really enjoyed this, it was a fun read and moved really quickly. I'm excited for everyone to get a chance to check out this amazing book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I expected good things from this book, and Kester Grant delivered. The moment I saw a comparison to Six of Crows in the description, I was all in. This book had all of my favorite character archetypes, especially the badass female thief. This book overall was really good. The Court of Miracles as a group and not a book was such an interesting place, and while the villains seemed very one-dimensional, they were definitely entertaining. My one complaint with this book would be the vast time-jumps. One of these went six years at a time, and while it served the plot, it was very confusing. The smallest jump was two months. However, it’s easy to get past these and the intricate plot is well-suited to readers. There is also a lot of heavy world-building, but in my opinion, that makes it all the more interesting.

I would recommend this book mainly to people who liked Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows or Roshani Chokshi’s The Gilded Wolves, both of which I loved. However, anybody who likes fantasy and bits of historical fiction along the way could enjoy this book. I loved this book and I would definitely recommend it to a friend.

**Thank you to Knopf Children’s and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

“Sometimes we must pay a terrible price to protect the things we love.”

When I saw that this book was Six of Crows-esque, I knew I had to check it out! Now, let’s break it down piece by piece.

THE WORLD: I LOVE the world Grant created for this novel! A criminal underworld that consists of nine different guilds? It was hella cool. My only complaint with the world is that I would have liked to see more of it. We saw a decent amount of two of the guilds, and sort of an overview of two others, but the other 5 didn’t have much of a roll in the story. I wish we could have seen more of the guilds, but maybe that’s to come in the sequels!

THE CHARACTERS: I really loved Nina, the main character. She has major Inej/Arya Stark vibes. She is super feisty and WILL punch your in the face. I loved Ettie’s character development throughout the novel. She started out as a sweet, naïve girl, but was a force to be reckoned with by the end of the book. My other favorite was Montparnasse. I knew I would love him the moment he graced the page. I mean, tall, dark, and moody? Sign me tf up!! The one character related thing that REALLY got under my skin were the overt Les Mis character reference. Eponine, Cosette, Jean Valjean, and Javert? Could we not be a *little* more creative? There are other French names besides the ones Victor Hugo used.

THE WRITING: The prose was beautiful and flowed really well. The book started off with a bang, and it did slow down a bit, but it wasn’t a boring slowdown. There were still exciting and twisty moments. The last 40 percent-ish of the book was a WILD ride. It took off and did not stop until the last page!

I’m super hyped about idea of sequels. I can’t wait to see how Grant develops the world from here! Plus, I can’t wait for more of my homeboy, Montparnasse 😉