This book was exactly what I needed to break my latest pandemic slump. I'm a die-hard Les Mis fan, and this one hit all the right notes of the questions of revolution and what it means to die for something, while at the same time giving Eponine (Nina) agency and power against the backdrop of an intricate underworld. (And replacing the rivalry between the lead girls with the sister bond that should have been!) I absolutely inhaled it. I loved every new glimpse into how something from the original had been reworked, and I adored the new setting and context the characters had been dropped into. I would have loved some more depth in Nina's relationships to the students and Montparnasse - there was so much implication, and I wanted to really dig my claws in - but even without that, the story shines. I cannot wait to read more from Kester Grant!

What a fun story! In general i really enjoyed the book. It's fast pace kept me engaged the whole time. I liked the characters and i always love politics done well in books. This one does deliver on that front. But i do think some of the world building could have been done better. I'm glad this didn't fall flat for me considering how hyped this book is.

Thank you, NetGalley, for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

First things first, up until last year, I had no clue that I would love retellings as much as I do right now. I have read a whole bunch of retellings last year and this year and have found some really amazing books in that genre. This book was supposedly a retelling of Les Miserables. While I did see some similarities, it wasn't enough to make me feel that it deserved to be classified as a retelling. Overall, this was a good book, your typical YA fantasy novel with all the characteristics of those, i.e., some magic, romance, action, paranormal elements. This was not as unique as I had hoped. Still an entertaining and good book, but not one I would reread over and over again.

**3.5-stars**

Set in the tumultuous time of 1828 Paris, after the Revolution has failed, the city is divided into the royal court, and nine criminal guilds. Our protagonist, Nina Thénardier, is a young member of the Thieves Guild. Nina is a skilled thief, who has spent her life flying under everyone's radar.

After her abusive father sells her older sister to the Master of Flesh, the Tiger, Nina desperately wants to save her, but never gets the opportunity. While living on the streets, Nina gains a new sister, a sister of choice, little and beautiful, Ettie. Unfortunately, Ettie is such a pretty girl, that she becomes dangerous to be around, for the Tiger has set his sights on her as well.

Nina then dedicates the majority of her time to keeping Ettie out of the monster's hands. She has to get creative and make some unsavory allies, but she is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the young girl safe.

The Court of Miracles is a fast-paced romp through a fantastical and historical Paris. The backdrop was dirt, grim, danger and intrigue. Nina's world is definitely a dangerous one, but she throws herself full force into the game of the underground. Although Nina seems extremely bold, I think it was more that she had nothing to lose. Ettie was literally her only connection in the entire world. While many aspects of this were interesting, there was something about the flow that was off for me.

I felt like the structure was: set scene, problem, resolution, next scene, problem, resolution, next scene. It just had a choppy quality to it, in my opinion. I'm probably not explaining this correctly, but to me, it lacked a smooth narrative flow.

In addition to that, I didn't have a good hold over time in this story. When it started, Nina was very, very young, but at the end, she's not.

There was one point where I think a couple of years had passed, but it wasn't entirely clear. I felt like time was progressing along rapidly, but I had no idea how much time between different sections.

I think it is important to point out that I have never read Les Miserables, or watched any movie or television adaptations. Therefore, I cannot comment on this story as a reimagining of that tale. There were moments where I felt like I had no idea what was going on. I wonder if I would have gotten a lot more out of it if I had read the original source material?

Overall, I did think this was a fun story. I enjoyed very much the different criminal guilds and the dynamics between them. I found that extremely interesting. I would absolutely consider picking up the next book in the series. I'm not sure where this story can go from here, but Kester Grant is clearly very imaginative, so I trust they'll figure it out.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Knopf Young Readers, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I had a lot of fun with it!

I loved reading The Court of Miracles, it was exactly the book I needed nowadays, I had just finished SOC and I after reading this, I now know why the publisher has included, "Les Misérables meets Six of Crows in this page-turning adventure" in the blurb, it was grea read.

This was a fun, easy read that overall I enjoyed. That being said, there was nothing truly original about this book. There were a lot of similarities to Le Mis, which is fine, but again, not original.

The Court of Miracles was an enjoyable story. Perhaps a little more so, for me, since I've not read Six of Crows or Les Miserables. While I liked seeing The Jungle Book quotes, at the start of each chapter, I wasn't quite sure how they figured into the story.

As indicated, The Court of Miracles is set within a reimagined Paris. The failed Revolution led way for criminal guilds to become a stronghold. I enjoyed The Court and how each faction worked. They were all essential, for their own reasons. Side note, my favorites were the Ghosts and the Assassins. Third being the Thieves Guild, which the story focused on most, due to our main character becoming a member of said guild.

On to the cast of characters...
there were a few only mentioned, briefly, but they played a role in the story.
I felt we had a good understanding of others, whether they were good or bad. We learned how they came to be in their guild and why. Even with that being said, I would have enjoyed seeing some fleshed out a little more versus a familiar name on a page.

I felt for Nina, our heroine, as she fought for what she believed in. The girl was darn lucky though! Most situations worked out in her favor. She was resourceful and likable... but, three possible love interests was pushing it!

Nearing the end of the book, there was an odd time jump. I wasn't sure what happened during said time lapse or how long it was. Not a big deal, but it's good to be aware of.


For me, The Court of Miracles was a good escape from reality and I would recommend giving it a read.


Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.
A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts.

I must say, I was it super easy reading, and the last 150 pages or so were a delight. It felt we were finally getting to more of what I expected from the story. Before that, everything is super easy for Nina and it was lacking a bit of depth in my opinion. There are these flash-forwards in time rather than some character development, and a lot of fleeting glimpses of characters with some really juicy tidbits that aren't really explored.

Whether the fact I haven't read or watched Les Miserables, which I believe this book leans on for the setting from the promotional material I've seen, is a factor in my believing there is a lack of something - I'm not sure. With it also being called akin to Six of Crows, I expected a lot more plotting and scheming - and although we get some similar situations, the scheming is rather thin on the ground.

This book was pitched as The Jungle Book meets Les Miserables - which is why I needed to have it immediately! How intriguing does that mash up sound?! I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I think that made the ride more fun. All the characters and the plot are heavily influenced by Les Mis, while the world-building of the thieves court is heavily influenced by The Jungle Book. The action is nonstop and I was sucked in immediately. I think fans of YA fantasy will enjoy!

Side note: I'm really curious to see where the sequels will take us, and I want them to post the description for the second book! Aside from the slight cliffhanger, it works well as a standalone, so it'll be interesting to see where the plot goes.

*I got this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw this book being marketed as Les Mis meets Six of Crows I got excited! Les Miserables is my favorite musical and I was intrigued to see how the author would use the characters to create her retelling and how the plot would unfold.

When I first began reading I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but I kept going and eventually it picked up the pace and by the halfway mark I was truly into the story. What's funny is I feel like this is true for the original novel by Victor Hugo. Slow in some parts and fast in others.

Our main character Nina (Eponine) shows strength and determination to save those she cares about no matter the cost. I loved seeing her in the light and I look forward to seeing how her character evolves over the remainder of the trilogy.

Overall, I'm glad I fought against the idea of putting this book down because in the end I really enjoyed it. With this first book covering the events of Les Mis, I'm interested to see if the other novels will carry tales of other classics or will be a completely original story!

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

4.5 Stars!

It was dark and mysterious and captivating and I thoroughly enjoyed every page of it. I felt for Nina so much through all that she had to endure. And even though at times some of the names and guilds seemed to blend together, and there were several little sayings in French that I did not always understand, I found I couldn't stop reading. I needed to know what happened. I always wanted to know more.

I read this ARC after the publish date of the book but I am happy tonsay that I actually went and bought my own copy before even finishing it. It was an amzing start to what I feel will be an amazing trilogy and I highly recommend!

I really enjoyed this book. The set up of the world was very interesting to me. I loved seeing all the different guilds. I felt like this was a pretty good les mis retelling also which is what I was most concerned about since I love les mis. This story was dark, gritty, and very compelling. Highly recommend!

Les Mis is one of my all-time favorite musicals. So when I found out about a book that was based off that story, I knew I had to read it! And this book did not disappoint. It was full of strong characters, a unique and interesting world, and lots of delightful banter.

The characters really drove this story. Everyone had their own goals and personalities. And they all worked so well together. I loved getting to know these characters. It threw me off a little that many of the characters shared a name with their Les Mis counterparts, since part of me expected them to share the same fate. But, once I got passed that little struggle, I was able to really get to know and connect with them!

Not only were the characters well-developed, but Grant also created a truly unique and fascinating world. I loved the different groups and how everyone was connected. It was our world, specifically France, but with some different twists. It was truly impressive!

I would definitely recommend this book! It was such a fun, engaging read. I’m excited to see where the story goes next!

I did like this book but I feel that it focused too much on the main character and the side ones were left out and I think they have great potential. I hope that author will develop them better in the next books of the trilogy. On the other hand, I liked the construction of the world and the court system. Also, I'll read the next book anyway.

This book just never quite got there for me...I struggled with the storyline, the characters, and the odd references to Les Mis. Overall, this book just missed the mark for me. I didn't like the stilted writing style and was never able to connect with the story.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. I was provided a gifted copy of this book.

The Court of Miracles is partially a YA reimagining of Les Misérables, and partially an original story about a girl in the criminal underworld in an alternate history of France. Nina is Eponine, and the story follows her from her childhood living and working at an inn with a terrible father, through her joining the Thieves Guild of the Miracle Court, and in the process meeting revolutionaries, coming across Jean Valjean, and trying to save her fathers ward, Ettie (Cosette).

What I really liked in this book was the Court of Miracles, a criminal underworld with different Guilds and strict Laws governing its members, to protect them from The People who Walk by Day and also from each other. Montparnasse is a Master in the Assassin’s guild and I really hope in the next book we’ll get to see more of the Miracle Court and of Nina’s friendships with other members.

In this book, those aspects are more of a backdrop as we hop forward in time through her childhood and teenage years and she gets more involved with a planned revolution and the focus is more in reimagining Les Miz with Eponine as the hero. This part of the story was okay, but did not really catch me.

I liked the characters, but I wish we had gotten to see more of Nina’s actual friendships with them, rather than jumping forward and being told that that is what has happened. I did appreciate that the story is complete but also leaves room for book two without any major cliffhangers, just possibilities and some loose ends. Hopefully the sequel will develop the side characters more. I enjoyed the book well enough and will most likely read book 2.

I was super excited to start reading this book! I mean, a Les Mis retelling staring Eponine (Nina) and mixing in all sorts of underground crime? Count me in! I really liked Grant’s writing style; she mixes in a good blend of scene description with action and character thought so that nothing gets boring or monotonous.

Of course, no book is perfect! I think that one of my issues with the novel was that as soon as I learned that it was a Les Mis retelling, I constantly wanted to match characters and scenes up with what I knew from the musical/movie versions (I haven’t read the daunting original book.) However, The Court of Miracles seemed to be more loosely based on it. I mean, for one thing we have Nina (Eponine) protecting Ettie (Cosette) as opposed to Valjean (who’s also a character here, along with people like Javert and Enjolras and more.) Everyone’s roles have been shuffled about, and while it’s always fun to recognize a Les Mis characters, I sort of had to put my preconceived notions aside. I think that this book still would be interesting if the Les Mis character names were dropped, and would ease that mental disconnect that I felt.

My other main issue was pacing. I wanted to see more of Nina’s skills as a thief, like lockpicking, but a lot of things were glazed over. Additionally, I felt like some events in the book, like breaking into a high security prison, were way too easy and happened way too fast. This led to confusion in my case. It constantly felt like things were happening, which is great, but it was like, “Break this character out of here, and now find this person, and now steal this…” and so on. While there’s the overarching arc of protecting Ettie, there’s just a lot going on that made the book a bit disorientating and at times a bit dull to read. At just the 50% mark I felt like we had already traversed enough story to be toward the end!

All-in-all, I did enjoy The Court of Miracles, but I felt like a lot was crammed into it. I wish that things had been paced a little better and that maybe the Les Mis references were dropped, but I still think that it was a fun read, and I’ll definitely read the sequel. I’d give it 3.5 stars!

What an amazing book! I devoured this title in two days and I loved every moment of it. Les Mis is one of my favorite musicals, and hearing that a retelling was coming out that was marketed as the play meeting Six of Crows, I was absolutely sold.

Grant didn't disappoint. With Eponine taking center stage, Grant shows that she's not just some love sick girl following the man she loves to death's door. She is a fierce and cunning Black Cat who will do anything to take down her enemy.

At its best, it's a weird retelling. At its worst... it's not great. I'm unfamiliar with the entire Les Mis story, but this one made it even weirder.

I love books set during the French Revolution so I was beyond excited to read this book. I love the cover art! I found this to be an interesting and fast paced story. I think comparing this book to past stories such as Les Misérables and Six of Crows gave people such high hopes that this book was maybe judged pretty harshly. I enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Children's for the copy in exchange for my honest review.