Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. I greatly enjoyed this book. The idea of the Sun King ruling for 300 years and the world is one of shadows and vampires is fascinating and interesting, and this author does an amazing job immersing the reader in that world. I'm still not a fan of the main character but I'm absolutely intrigued by a new character introduced in this story, Sterling Raindust. I want more of him. Well done author, this is very well written and I can't wait for the next one.

Super fun! I love a good dystopian alternate universe where vampires rule the world, and I tore through the first two books in this series in two days. Think Red Rising or The Will of the Many set in a world that feels like a dark Gothic mirror of Versailles and The Musketeers, starring a badass heroine forced to go undercover in a court and school setting where she must fight to survive among a group of cutthroat elite scions of the ruling class, gain revenge for the murder of her family, and start a revolution. This also has some vibes in common with Empire of the Vampire but a more YA feel; the writing is solidly commercial and there's more than enough enjoyable worldbuilding and action to keep readers entertained. I can't wait to read the English translation of the third one! And hopefully Amazon will also make the English translations of Dixen's other books available for the US market soon as well.

I received the first book as a gift and was surprised to see that the second one had come out. The first had its flaws, but the second one blows the first one out of the water. The pacing issues? No longer an issue! The characters? Better than before. Jeanne has made tremendous progress and is quite rootable from the start. Easily my favorite. It's a very delectable read, but dear friends, remember that it is the second book, which means it's a setup for the next one. Make sure to keep that in mind while delving deep into it.

4.5/5

The plot and character development really hit its stride with this one! I found once I got to around 40% I could not put this book down! I’m really happy with how Diane/Jeanne’s character developed. She became a lot more calculated and careful but still maintained her fierce and clever manipulations when necessary.

The world also got more interesting as we met new characters and enemies AND new powers?!! I can’t wait to see the direction this goes in the next one. Don’t even get me started on Sterling!! Love!! Broody and tortured but hides it with flirtation and ego? Yes and yes!

And lastly, I absolutely love the historical parts of this book. The explanation of the timeline at the end of this was SO interesting.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for the opportunity to read this before release in exchange for an honest review!

Plunging Deeper into Vampyria: A Review of The Court of Miracles

Publication Date: 25 June 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Court of Miracles by Victor Dixen throws us back into the thrilling world of Vampyria, where the line between dream and nightmare blurs under the reign of Louis XIV, the supreme vampire. We see this world through the eyes of Jeanne Froidelac, a rebel disguised as the noblewoman Diane de Gastefriche. Having infiltrated Versailles, her mission is to dismantle the vampire king's empire from within.

The world-building is truly captivating. Dixen crafts a society with a brutal yet fascinating hierarchy, where humans pay a bloody tithe for "protection" while existing in fear of becoming nighttime prey. This tension adds a thrilling layer to Jeanne's already precarious mission.

Jeanne, driven by a thirst for revenge after her family's murder, has skillfully deceived everyone, including the king himself. Her trials pay off when she earns the coveted position of Royal Squire. This position grants her a single sip of the king's blood, bestowing upon her a unique power that proves invaluable when she's tasked with eliminating the Court of Miracles, a new threat rising from the city's underbelly.

Jeanne's journey is bolstered by her loyal friend Naoko. Their unwavering bond is a heartwarming highlight of the story. Naoko, with her sharp wit and secret burden, is a character you can't help but root for.

We're left with burning questions: will the Fronde's rebellion gain traction? Will Louis XIV finally face consequences? And will Jeanne find the solace of revenge? This second installment masterfully expands the Vampyria universe and leaves us eagerly awaiting the next chapter✨️

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of the eArc!🫶🏻

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Slow to begin but by the end very fun to read. The book was well paced and entertaining.

It was interesting setting with the vampires in the middle of French aristocracy, but easy to believe at the same time.

oh. my. goodness. this book was absolutely incredible!!!! i had so much fun reading this book. it was lovely and wonderful and amazing. thank you so much to netgalley for letting me read this book before the publication date!!!

Immerse yourself once again in the world of Vampyria, between archaic vampires and rebellious Fronde.

The lighthearted writing style makes the book a smooth read. You set off with familiar characters and also meet some new friends and enemies along the way. The setting is a little different this time as you join Jeanne in her search for the Court of Miracles in the heart of Paris. Little by little, you manage to unravel riddles with her and get one step closer to the goal each time. Although the first 200 pages are a bit slower in terms of pace. Nevertheless, there are some plottwists in there later on, which pleasantly surprised me. In between, it can be useful to refer back to the portraits at the beginning of the book, these help to keep an overview of who is who again. Especially with the short explanations next to the portrets.

This book mainly revolves around Jeanne, Suraj and Hélénaïs, which made me miss Naoko and Poppy quite a bit. Sometimes I felt that this book is somewhat one-sided in terms of characters. Not only because it mainly revolves around the first three (mostly even just Jeanne), but also because the characters are not given much depth, nor are they fleshed out much. In addition, all the characters in this series have a habit of turning like a weathercock and can act very immature and theatrical, which does provide a comic touch in a way. But perhaps those volatile traits and the quick change of mind are typical of the spirit of the era and life at Court. After all, everyone there feels lord and master over everyone else. The author does succeed well in making the reader hate Alexandre even more, even more than in the first book. He may not be the big bad guy, but I still tolerate his presence remarkably less. There is an art to making the reader feel that way. Some behaviours and events made me question myself, because they seem to come out of nowhere, or are even somewhat absurd. On the other hand, the speeches and arguments are indeed very eloquently written, which fits well with the rest of the story.

Hopefully we won't have to wait too long for book 3, the final part of this Vampyria trilogy.
3,5/5 stars

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

I couldn't be bothered to finish this book. The premise was interesting, the writing was not. I didn't find the characters compelling and, even though I went into this book really wanting to like it, the idea of opening it again filled me with dread.

This had a great alternate history element to it. And I never really thought of vampires with king Louis XIV. It had that extravagant feel that I was looking for in parisian society and loved the idea of vampires In that setting. The characters felt like they belonged in the time period and with the supernatural elements. It was a strong sequel to the vampyria saga, and I'm excited to read more in the series.

It is rare that a second novel in a series truly usurps the first, but Victor Dixen managed to pull me deeper into the shadows of the Magna Vampyria. In this sequel to The Court of Shadows, Diane de Gastefriche finds unlikely allies first in her fellow squires then in her found family, as she navigates the underbelly of Paris to rid France of ghouls. This book deftly examines societal roles, mental health, and how vengenace can become all-consuming, I was pleasantly surprised by Diane's character development in this book as she matures. While some of the dialogue feels heavy handed at times, Victor Dixen's prose flows through his descriptions of places and events. If you enjoy the found family trope and vampiric fantasy, you are sure to enjoy the second book in this captivating series. I cannot wait to see where the story will take us next!

Thank you to Amazon Crossing and NetGalley for providing me this ARC!

4.5 stars for The Court of Miracles! This is the sequel to The Court of Shadows. This author has a way of not only telling this unique story with beautiful writing, but I genuinely was so enthralled by the characters. In this book The vampire King Louis XIV rules over a terrorized France, determined to protect his empire from a mysterious renegade vampire named the Lady of Miracles. He’s fighting back with his newest secret weapon, Diane de Gastefriche, who we got to know in the first installment. She’s everything you want in a gripping story, she’s smart, sassy, vengeful, headstrong, and a little (or a lot) reckless. He sends Diane to destroy The Lady of Miracles, but he doesn’t know she may just be his actual undoing. Struggling here to not give anything away, but please, please take the time to read this, it’s got a little bit for everyone, it’s like fantasy, mystery, thriller, horror, light romance all wrapped into one.

Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I was fortunate enough to receive the translated version of this book. I absolutely loved the concept of this book.

I love that Louis XIV became a vampire, it’s such a unique story line. This book had my interest from the first chapter. I can’t wait for the next book!

"n this gripping alternate history, the author immerses readers in a Parisian underworld teeming with conspiring vampires and political intrigue. I like how the fearless young heroine, Jeanne Froidelac, navigates a dangerous game of deception and betrayal as she infiltrates the vampire court to dismantle King Louis XIV's reign. The intricate world-building and atmospheric setting bring 17th-century France to life, adding depth and authenticity to the story. As Jeanne grapples with her loyalty to her mission and her growing conscience, readers are drawn into a thrilling tale of power, sacrifice, and redemption. With its blend of historical detail and supernatural elements, this book offers a captivating twist on traditional vampire lore that will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

This fantasy is the second enstallment of Victor Dixen's story of the Vampyria. Although I didn't read book one, the author is able to easily thread together what happened throughout book two so that it is easy to follow along. Taking time to read through the list of characters provided at the front of the novel also help conceptualize the main characters at play.

This novel is fantasy, but not an epic fantasy in my opinion. There is enough world building to get a sense of this world, taking place in the Parisian underworld court of the vampire King Louis XIV. The plot and adventures of Jeanne is what really drives this story of a young girl caught between staying within the good graces of the vampire King while at the same time leading an underground movement to destroy him and his court.

Told exclusively from Jeanne's perspective, the reader is truly along for the ride as Jeanne wrestles with who to trust as everyone has their own motives. While I enjoyed the breadth of characters and creatures, I found the vampire King lacking. For being the villain he is supposed to be terrifying, yet his mannerisms and how he's described make him feel cartoonish in nature and I would love to see more depth to his character development.

Overall I would rate this as a 4 star read. It's plot driven, quick, and takes some unexpected turns. As the French court as a backdrop I also loved the historical, gothic vibe.

Book 2 was even greater than the first one and I honestly can’t wait to see where the third instalment will take us !
Shoutout to Sterling Raindust for being the most iconic character ever

The prose was awkward and stilted to the point of being uncomfortable, and I don’t know if it’s the writing itself or the translation, but it wasn’t working for me. I stopped at 5%. Likely three stars for the target, four for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for the ARC.

Cool artwork! This book jumps into action right away and I liked that. I have to confess, I don’t normally enjoy vampire books because they all feel like so much of the same, but this one was so unique and well done, I truly enjoyed it! I love a good rebel/insider story and this one was so fun!

This was incredible!!

Victor Dixen manages to weave a fancinating take combining historical fiction with vampirism.

The characters are simply so fancinating and meaningful, the world so richly detailed it makes reading this such a fullfiling experience. It's clear that Dixen knows how to combine the elements of a detailed character/world with a fancinating plot. The reveal of the queen's identify at the ending was simply so well executed.

I will most definitely be turning up for the third book!

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the premiss and the setting, but even more I loved how many side characters they were and how each was complex and interesting. The world building was very well-done and I definitely want to keep reading. The only thing I did not like as much was the main character. I struggled to connect with her.