Utterly enchanginting. This book is emersive in all senses of the word; the world building is top notch and I am just so into the idea of french revolution and Les Miserables with gangs (more gangs?). This book is poetic in such a chillingly beautiful way. Worth a read for any fantasy YA fans.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Book for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

“This is how it started;
with a sister weeping in her bed;
a child so terrified she sold herself to a thief;
a girl so lovely, the world went to war to possess her”

I was sold on this book when I saw Les Miserables retelling and for fans of Six of Crows.
The Court of Miracles is a beautiful, fast-paced, betrayal-packed, plot twisted tale where I honestly couldn't choose which character I loved more. Imagine if the French Revolution hadn't occurred and the royal family still stood in 19th century France. Now imagine a network of guilds ranging from thieves to beggars that all have a purpose in the underground Court of Miracles.

The Court of Miracles consists of thieves, assassins, and beggars, and even a guild of letters that serves as basically the accountants of the Court of Miracles. But there's also a darker guild, the Court of Dreamers, led by a man called the Tiger who drugs young girls and runs a greedy brothel. The development of these 5 guilds was incredible. Though the guild of thieves takes primary place, we get a small sight into the locations of the guilds' and how their people within the guild act. These guilds are more complex, complete with a leader, their second-in-command, and sub levels within their guild. All guilds recognize their own turf, and a well-known rule that you don't trespass on each other's territory, let alone speak against another guild. It so happens that our main character, Nina, manages to break both of these rules. All to save a sister.

Nina's sister was sold by their father to the Court of Dreams when Nina was very young. Nina, helped by Femi, the messenger of the Court of Thieves, finds sanctuary in the Court of Thieves and the cats of the guild. Here, she finds a new family. But she also vows to herself to take down the Tiger, lord of the Court of Dreams, and get her sister back. But saving her sister from the horrors of the Court of Dreams proves much harder than she thought. Over the course of several years, Nina works amongst the cats of the thieves guild, toeing the rules of entering other guilds' homes and speaking to their lords, forging a bond with an assassin, a prince, and Ettie-the rare light that has caught the eye of the Tiger too. But a new revolution is brewing, and Nina has not only involved herself with the leader of the revolution, but also several guilds.

"You must make your enemies your allies.
And if you can't do that, then destroy them.
Them, and all who follow them,
so that fear doesn't come for you when you sleep."

This book is thick with deception, intriguing characters, plot twists, and 19th century French revolutions. I absolutely fell in love with Nina and how her mind works. Reminiscent of a certain leader of the Dregs ;) I loved the tiny bit of romance that was added without taking the spotlight. It was about friendships, familiar bonds that stretch farther than blood, and really weighted the ideas of laws (or lack thereof) and checks on guild leaders that work to their own agenda. I could not put this book down! Just when I thought the book would end one way, Kester Grant proves me wrong! I cannot wait for the sequel!

My hopes for this one were dashed. I was disappointed in the character development and kept getting confused with the side characters, like who was who and where did they fit the story. Maybe it was on me, but this one just didn’t do it for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for sharing a copy with me.

First of all, I am probably one of the last ones left who has never seen Les Mis. I can recognize most character names and that it's about revolution and some memes and that's pretty much it. So I can't speak to how much of a retelling this actually is. But I quite liked how the Court was set up and I'm pretty sure that's unique to the book. The guilds were interesting and the politics between them added a nice layer.

Secondly, I think comparing it to Six of Crows does it a disservice. I went in with high expectations for an intense heist, and that just didn't happen. There was no tight crew, Nina was very much doing her own thing while occasionally calling in favors. And there wasn't really one big heist, instead there were several smaller thefts/break-outs that culminated in a final revenge mission.

I think this might've been stronger if it had been pitched on its own merits. Nina was driven and capable and I enjoyed reading about her. Other characters were a bit one-dimensional with one major defining trait, but Nina basically made up for it. I do wish Ette was a bit brighter towards the start, I had to keep reminding myself she was only 12. Even then, she was a very naive and trusting 12 year old given the environment she was in. I also wondered why Nina and her sister didn't just...leave Paris in the beginning. I feel like they could've made it but maybe there were historical details I don't know about.

There are several time jumps that are basically only indicated by dates under the chapter heading and a line or two. It felt jarring, and I wanted to know what happened during that time, especially when there's a two year jump right after someone gets kidnapped.

Overall, I enjoyed it and look forward to the next one. There was a satisfying ending for a Book One, with enough left undone that there's easily enough material for more. I read this pretty quickly, which was a relief after a long reading slump. I think if you like stories of revenge and rebellion with a smart lead, you'd enjoy this one. There also wasn't really any romance in this one for those who want to keep that out of the plot, but there are like three separate interests that will probably play a role in the future.

This book has been on my TBR for years and then to finally read it was great. I am always in search of an enthralling YA Fantasy and to have this story inspired by Les Misérables was everything that I could want. I always loved this play and always felt that Eponine got a bad deal. So to find a book in which Eponine is taking center stage and thriving does my heart good. This book is perfect for fans of historical fiction, retellings mixed in with Les Miz then this book is perfect for you.

I had so many mixed feelings about this book. I felt like I just kept going back and forth trying to decide if I actually liked it or not. I took some time to reflect on it, and I think overall I think this book is interesting, but not great. I just found it very mediocre. The writing wasn't bad, but it also wasn't enticing. The language did make it quick to read which was good. The characters were also just okay. I liked some aspects of Nina and Ettie, but there were other times that their personality didn't make sense to me, especially when it came to the flitting romances scattered across the book (which I didn't find super necessary). The plot of the book was for me all over the place. After 1 task was administered, Nina would complete it within 40 to 50 pages, and then there would just be this down time until another task was at hand. About 40 percent into the book, I thought the whole purpose was this one task (I don't want to spoil it). However, once it was solved, there was just another problem, and it happened over and over. On top of that, the time line of this book is so sporadic. We jump 3 months forward then 2 years forward, then actions take place over the course of a day. For me personally, it just didn't make a lot of sense. What I really enjoyed about this book is the concept. I love the setting of France and the idea of the Guilds (I wish this was explained a bit more as well). I found the touch of Les Mis in here to be quirky and enjoyable. It also gave me a hint of Cats (the musical) vibes in the beginning which was kind of strange, but after the first 30 pages that wasn't the case. Basically my thoughts about this book are as all over the place as the book itself. I recommend giving it a shot because I feel like some of you might enjoy it, I think I just expected a little more from the description. Maybe going in blind is a better idea. 




Writing: 6/10
Characters: 6/10
Plot: 5/10
Ending: 6/10
Originality: 6/10
Overall: 29/50
Cover: 6/10

I knew I had to read this when I saw the Six Of Crows mention. Also, the setting is in alternative France, Double win.

The story is about a girl, Nina who lives in the slums of France. When famine hits France, her dad arranges to sell his own daughters to a slave trader,
Tiger, who also deals in prostitution. To escape her fate, Nina's sister arranges for her to be taken into another Guild where she will be safe from Tiger, as there are laws protecting the children of each guild. To break them, is to declare war.

As Nina learns to navigate this new world, she's also bent on saving her sister and taking revenge on Tiger. She breaks into places where noone else can, to pay her dues, earn favors and feed herself and her allies.

The story spans over several years, as we start with Nina only being a child, and ending with her close to adulthood. The time jumps felt a bit jerky and uneven. However they were necessary to push the story along.

We also don't see her learn her actual trade. We only know that the thieving is in her blood, and she becomes somehow the best at it. It was a bit unbelievable, aka too convenient.

The romance wasn't there (big surprise to me). There were three love interests hinted at, but that was not the focus of this story. Nina's focus was on her sisters and how to save them. She worked on saving her family over everything else, not thinking of consequences her actions might have.

I loved how Nina wasn't just the good girl in this story. We see her veer towards gray areas, and I'm here for it. She was also a strong human being. Being pushed towards the end of the line over and over, especially by the person who is supposed to protect her from everything, she still managed to not loose focus.

Even though there were a couple of hitches in this story, I can't wait to see how The Court survives the end of this book. I can't wait to read about the chaos that Nina made happen in the next installment.

What if "Vive la révolution!" had gone nowhere, and the revolt of the common people against the French monarchy had failed? Nina lives in such a world, one where the crushed common folk have banded together in guilds to find some mutual protection from each other and the monarchy in the fallout. Each guild is organized according to its own rules, and rule breakers are capable of causing great disruption. When Nina's sister Ettie becomes a target of Tiger, leader of the Guild of Flesh, she soon finds she may have to tear the underworld's order apart to save her sister. Is saving her sister worth igniting another civil war?⁣
⁣
The element I think worked most for this story is Nina's unflagging love for her sister Ettie. In the face of bad odds and bad outcomes, and even a few attractive suitors, all that matters is saving her sister, and I loved that. Some of the pacing and time jumps as the story progressed could have been smoother, but I still found the interactions between guilds and their rules intriguing and the alternate historical world engaging. Tiger makes for an excellent villain, which makes Nina's struggle all the more captivating. With inspiration drawn from Les Misérables and Six of Crows, this is a daring tale of sisterly love in the harsh, downtrodden heart of Paris.⁣
⁣⁣⁣
⭐⭐⭐.75/5

I was so excited when I first learned about The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant, I know I say this a lot but it’s true. I love Les Misérables and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book and see the story of my favourite character Éponine.

I have to say that this was a weird one for me. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed The Court of Miracles but it took me a little while to understand where the story was going. I am not sure if it was my mood though. I think part of it was that the backstory and the history of the guilds were very dense. There is a lot of information and I felt it took quite some time to set up. It pulled me a bit away from the story. I do enjoy it when there is a lot of information that makes the worldbuilding very rich but felt that in this case, it was a bit too much description and not enough action in some spots.

That being said The Court of Miracles was a very creative play on the Les Mis story. I wouldn’t call it a retelling per sei but more a reimagining of it. It pulled a lot of elements from the classic like names and some events while adding a lot of layers to it too. And as mentioned it centers around my favourite character Éponine or in this case Nina. She was such a strong and intelligent character. Fully developed and very relatable. Nina can seem to be a lamb in a pack of wolves but don’t underestimate her. She always stays one step ahead of everyone.

It is not the first time that we see gangs or in this case guilds in YA fantasy. Think of books like Six of Crows, Ace of Shades and Gilded Wolves. I do feel that though it is not the most uncommon thing in YA, the way it was portrayed here was original and very true to Les Misérables. For me the different guilds felt as though they could’ve been in Victor Hugo’s masterpiece and felt fitting to 1828 Paris.

I must say that Kester Grant is such a skilled writer. I really loved the pictures she painted even if at times I could’ve done with a little less description. Though I will say that I really like her incorporation of the city of Paris that felt close to being a character rather than just where it takes place.

If you enjoy books like Ace of Shade or Six of Crows or if you just like kickass lady bosses chances are you will enjoy The Court of Miracles. I can’t wait to see where this story goes next.

“Be useful, be smart, and stay one step ahead of everyone. Be brave even when you’re afraid. Remember that everyone is afraid.”

I want to say a huge ‘Thank you’ to Netgalley, Knopf Children’s, and the author for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Time for another segment of “Let’s Learn About Kerri!” Something you may not know about me is that I am a HUGE musical theater nerd. I have so many soundtracks on my iTunes, I will sing Broadway tunes at the drop of a hat, and I’ve been lucky enough to see several shows before… ya know… *waves at everything* One of my favorite musicals of all time is Les Misérables. I can sing that sucker all the way through from start to finish. One Day More makes my heart thrill every. single. time I listen to it. I cried when I saw the show and the film adaptation (the sing-y one with Hugh Jackman).

So when I saw that this was basically a Les Misérables retelling, I didn’t need to know anything else to immediately request it on Netgalley. I honestly wasn’t sure if I was going to get it, but ya girl got lucky on this one! Then everything started happening, I forgot about this gem waiting for me on my Kindle, and didn’t get around to picking this up until the very end of May. I was getting back into the swing of things and was hoping that this one would help keep that happy reading mood going.

I didn’t expect The Court of Miracles to deliver as hard as it did, but y’all! This book was INCREDIBLE!! We’re following a young girl named Eponine (!) Thénardier. ‘Nina’ to her acquaintances and ‘The Black Cat’ to everyone else, she is the best cat burglar that the Miracle Court has seen in ages, able to sneak into places that most wouldn’t dare to go near. She is thrown into the Guild of Thieves at a very young age, but she is a fighter who doesn’t acknowledge the word ‘defeat’. But the Black Cat has a soft spot that will cause her to push the Court to the brink of war: her adopted sister, Cosette (!!).

As much of a stan as I am for the Les Misérables musical, I was a tad unsure if I could truly enjoy a retelling. But this retelling should be a musical of it’s own! It was just so enthralling! As I began reading, I soon found myself lost in the streets of 1828 Paris and I didn’t want to leave. You become so wrapped up in the fast-paced story that you forget that you have real things to do! Like… ya know… eat. I needed to know what Nina was up to and what she was going to do next.

Speaking of Nina, this book managed to do something that the musical never could: make me like Eponine. Hear me out! I fell in love with the Original Broadway Cast recording of Les Misérables when I was but a young girl and did not care for the voice of the woman cast as Eponine. I found her whiny and obnoxious and, sadly, I let that color my feelings towards the character. Because I was, like, ten and kids are freakin’ harsh, y’all! So I’ve lived with this dislike of Eponine for years and didn’t think anything could possibly change it. The Court of Miracles has done the impossible. Nina is just so fierce! I loved her fight, her focus, and her brain. I couldn’t look away from the book because of how much (and how quickly) I was attached to Nina. I just want her to be happy, damnit!

With such a strong main character, it can be easy for all the other players in a book to become kind of washed out. This is, thankfully, not the case for this one! Cosette (aka Ettie) is a well fleshed-out character whom I came to adore, as well. Nina’s various potential suitors (we’ll talk about this later…) each have such unique personalities. And the other members of the Miracle Court are fascinating and colorful, which makes them stand out and on their own in the narrative.

And can we talk about the Miracle Court!! I LOVE IT! I love the Laws! I love the honor! I love everything, little thing about this strange mashup of nine underground criminal guilds. I was actually kind of shocked that I was able to keep them separated in my head, as well. I mean, with nine guilds with nine very specific purposes, it could have gotten jumbly and confusing, but thankfully that was not the case. The descriptions were just… *chef’s kiss* and even though I would 100% die, I want to visit the Court myself!

Let’s get back to those suitors, though. There was a love… square? going on, from what I could tell, and I wasn’t all that into it. Was it terribly done? Absolutely not! I thought the author did a fantastic job of weaving them and their separate attractions to Nina into the story. I’m just not a fan of romance subplots when there could be more stabbing going on. Especially when I went into the book not really expecting it. I expected some kind of romance because, well, Les Misérables. But it was just a bit much for me. Montparnasse is the clear winner, though, like… duh.

Final thoughts: This is an absolute thrill of a book that will leave you breathless and aching for more. The plot keeps you on your toes from page one and doesn’t let go until you’ve read the last sentence. Though I felt like there were two too many potential love interests, the romance is well-weaved into the story and adds another layer that makes the story that much more pleasing. I think even if you aren’t a Les Mis stan, you’ll love this dark, twisty tale about a girl willing to do anything to save the people she loves. But if you do love Les Misérables, it takes this book to an entirely new level!

I think the first thing I can say about this book is I would have enjoyed it a lot more, if it had used original character names. There didn’t seem to be a reason why this had to be an AU Les Mis set world. The characters didn’t really reflect who they were in Les Mis.

Other than that I honestly enjoyed the book. The world was very well crafted (I love me a complex societal hierarchy). Some of the things the characters go through are heartbreaking and it’s just an overall really nice YA not quite historical fantasy book. The thing that would have elevated the book more for me would have been more well drawn side characters, this is where I think the author leaned in too much on your previous knowledge of Les Mis instead of creating those characters.

This book pulled me out of a reading slump. Everyone saying that it's like Les Mis but better? Yes. I got so excited about it that my initial review was just a list on Twitter of things I loved:

- steal everything from the rich & never give up
- les mis but Eponine gets to stab the bad guy!
- Javert is a woman!
- Secret underworld in alt-history Paris, diverse cast and immersive world-building
 - Eat the rich!

This is first in a series in which the French Revolution failed. The current monarchs are determined to maintain power at any cost and Nina (Eponine) is determined to save her sister, her pseudo-sister (Ettie/Cosette) and the entirety of her underground world from both the nobility and a horrible man called The Tiger. It's dark and dangerous and Nina breaks into things... It's so good. The ending will leave you wanting more.


Content Warnings: forced prostitution, forced drug use, slavery, murder, attempted assault, beatings and alleyway attacks, poisoned water (death of many children)

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

Merging subtle influences from Hugo’s LES MISÉRABLES and Rudyard Kipling’s THE JUNGLE BOOK with some SIX OF CROWS thrown in for good measure, THE COURT OF MIRACLES was an interesting tale of an urban jungle of criminal guilds hidden in plain sight from the high societé of France. With a failed revolution in their not-so-distant past, France is once again on the brink of yet another revolution, with both sides hoping for a different outcome. Nina Thénardier is at the heart of the potential revolution this time around, working with several different factions who all have a pony in the race. But her ultimate goal has never changed — trying to save her sister from one of the Guild Lords.

THE COURT OF MIRACLES was super high on my most-anticipated list and while I liked it well enough, there were a number of things that unfortunately prevented me from fully loving it. The world building was really interesting and I loved the Guilds and the various roles they play both inside and outside the Court. I also loved the criminal underworld of Grant’s France and how the infamous catacombs were incorporated into the story. And plus, I can’t forget about Nina’s loyalty to those she cares for — both her sister by blood, and her sister by choice.

Unfortunately, there were several things that took me out of the story and kept me from being fully immersed in the tale. Weird time jumps really prevent the reader from seeing the characters grow. I have no idea how much time has passed from the beginning of the tale until the end. Nina could be 50 now for all I know and while it’s not necessary to know characters’ ages, it is necessary to have a strong grasp on the timeline.

Not only did I have a hard time keeping up with how much time had passed, but we as readers aren’t privy to seeing relationships develop. We’re told that several characters may have the eyes for dear Nina, but again it’s not shown, it’s only referenced in passing several times. Plus the characters who have the eyes for her have barely spent any time together within the story. It’s almost like the reader is kept at arm’s length from the characters and that impacted how I felt about all of them. I don’t like feeling ambivalent about characters, but there’s not one in this book that I felt particularly attached to.

All in all, THE COURT OF MIRACLES was just ok for me. I enjoyed it well enough, but I can’t say I’m clamoring for a sequel. 2.5 stars.



*eARC received via NetGalley.

THE COURT OF MIRACLES • Kester Grant • DNF • ⭐️💫{rounded up}

Thank you to NetGallery and Random House Children's Knopf Books for Young Readers for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. First, let me start out by complimenting the cover art. It is GORGEOUS. Not only is it eye-catching, but it fits the story well. Next, I have to make it clear that I did not finish this book. I read 25% before ultimately deciding not to continue on with the story. More on that in a moment though.

Synopsis (according to NetGalley): In 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. 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 adopted sister, Ettie. When Ettie attracts the eye of the Tiger, the ruthless lord of the Guild of Flesh, Nina is forced to make a terrible choice: protect Ettie and set off a brutal war between the guilds, or forever lose her sister to the Tiger.

This sounds wildly interesting, right? A fun mix of fantasy and thrill. Not to mention the concept of an underworld of criminal guilds! I was immediately interested. The problem was the story's execution. There was absolutely no world-building. Instead, the reader is just tossed right in to some idea of a world that never feels fully-fleshed out. I may have stuck around to see if details eventually materialized, but the plot was MESSY. I felt like I was getting whiplash. There was no opportunity to connect to any of the characters, and the focus of who/what the reader was supposed to care about was constantly changing (and that's just within the first quarter of the book). For instance, you would never know it from the Synopsis, but Nina has already lost one sister to the Tiger. Are we just supposed to forget about her once Ettie comes along? Nina sure seemed to...

Ultimately I gave this book a star and a half because it left me with no desire to continue on with the story due to its erratic nature and the disappointment I felt from the lack of world building. I did tack on the half star though because the ideas that this story is based on are full of potential. Maybe the book does improve later on, or maybe the author's next book continuing on this story will be even better. I likely will not ever find out.

It took me forever to read this. I think this is due to how excited I was, only to have the book not quite meet my expectations. Now, this isn’t to say the book is bad and I know many will enjoy it but it wasn’t amazing. The beginning was especially slow and dragged on, despite a few (disorienting) time jumps. The book starts off with Nina’s sister having been sold to the Lord of Flesh (aka slave/prostitute trader from the criminal underground of France). In order to be saved from a similar fate, Nina joins the criminal court under a different guild (so being part of the “family” of a different “lord”). Years later, when Cosette (Ettie) catches the same Lord of Flesh’s eye, Nina is now familiar with the danger that comes with and does everything to save not one, but if she can, two sisters, no matter the cost. This is essentially a Les Miserables retelling (ish) in young adult form if the French Revolution had failed. The story is told from Nina (Eponine)’s perspective which I thought was brilliant, and I especially like how they took her almost hopeless devotion from Les Mis and translated that over to her devotion to her sisters. The idea was super cool but the execution was a bit … lackluster.

I can’t quite explain it beyond the fact that I felt almost as if I was reading this book with a thin gauze of film covering my eyes. Or the book. Or both. Like, the idea is great. The setting is a favorite of mine (I was so hyped!). They had me at Six of Crows but then they literally had me begging for the arc when they said it was a combination of SoC and Les Miserables. Like? It sounded like too good to be true. And I fear it was. Maybe because of these mentions, I started off the book with very high expectations and was let down. Whatever it was, I never quite connected with the book or the characters. I felt like I was so close to wanting to but that thin gauze I mentioned earlier was just making it impossible. Like the characters were too hazy, not quite solid. The whole time I was reading this book, I basically felt like I was somehow doing so at a distance. It didn’t help that there was so little explained and just all action (which made the action also feel unearned almost). Nor did the awkward time jumps help either. Those really threw me off. It was like skipping over some really good parts that I would have really liked to have read and seen more of! Instead, we’re thrown around down a timeline that leaves you feeling like you’re still back there but need to now be here, without any explanation. The tone also felt a little off to me. I wanted more darkness, more depth and while the book nailed it sometimes, it fell flat others (especially when it tried to throw in some humor. Sometimes the humor worked, but not always). I think reading it all from Nina’s perspective confused me — sometimes she was an absolute badass who was actually quite terrifying while other times she just sounded like such a girl, and a really young one at that (this was especially evident when a relatively attractive guy stood anywhere near her).

“The only reason I’m speaking to you now is that I recognize that you are a young woman of considerable enterprise and skill.”


People seem to naturally fall for or appreciate Nina, our main character (also yeah, that’s an actual line spoken aloud. I don’t know why it feels so weird to read, maybe it’s just me?). While I don’t mind a badass main character (and I think she is one), I do wish we got to know how she became one. Like, she was thrown into this life, this wasn’t something she’d been doing all her life. So to see her fall into place so naturally is disorienting and feels kind of … cheap.

“A cat knows how to taste the air and feel the perfect moment to act.”


Further proof. I think it’s cool that there is a Guild of Thieves. I think that dynamic would have been incredibly interesting to better understand and flesh out. I would love to have a clearer understanding of the politics, how it’s all set up, etc. It just seems so cool, yet the fact that it’s so casually mentioned almost as if we should already know makes me sad. So yes, amongst the guild of thieves there is a black cat, which our main protagonist is. But I just … I don’t fully grasp the significance of these roles. I think the author was trying to do that thing I love where they show rather than feed us information, but it fell flat. I am trying not to do too many comparisons here (but hey, they started it!) but I just … really appreciated the dynamic and the almost found-family ties that Six of Crows showed us. We see how each person came to be who they are and why. We don’t get this information right off the bat, but we get breadcrumbs and we find our way to it. We grow to love characters for who they are now, but also what they’ve endured and how they got there. I don’t feel that as much here. Half the time, I nearly forgot the main character’s name.

Just some character shoutouts and ... whatever the opposite of a shoutout is: I really disliked Ettie. I felt no love for her because she was just so ridiculously naive it was painful. She got better over time but still drove me mad. I'd also like to say that the Dauphin could have been such an interesting character but instead, was almost silly. I wanted and hoped for so much more. Shoutout to my angry men though, especially Enjolras St. Juste. He was all fire, righteousness, and sort of won me over (I might be biased because of Les Mis). Another shoutout to my man Montparnasse. He was a badass, lowkey a little scary, but also really really lowkey a bit soft and I loved it. Though his appearances were brief, they were some of my favorites. While I was annoyed at basically every man who met Nina being basically into her, I did like that the romance wasn't in your face like most YA tends to be nowadays. That's my kind of romance.

I will say, the book definitely started to pick up from part four. If all of the book was written the same way part four was, this would likely have received a higher rating and I would definitely have enjoyed it a lot more. The storyline picked up, I felt there was an actual plan and direction the book was taking, and interesting characters were thrown in. There was action, but it wasn’t as straightforward as everything we’d seen up till then. Now there was this overarching plan and story we were following and I was all for it. I wish that during all that time before part four, these characters (and the other guilds especially) were better fleshed out. The scene in part four where nearly all the guilds meet, I was sort of guessing who was who and too many names felt unfamiliar. Either way, from part four, it started getting really good. As much as it took me forever to get to part four, once there, I had a hard time putting the book down. Sadly, it dragged on for what feels like forever before it got there.

Overall, the writing isn’t bad at all. The book isn’t either. I’ll admit that the fangirl in me jumped at all the Les Mis character mentions (although again, because they’re from Les Mis, I feel like they weren’t as fleshed out. Maybe that’s just me? I wonder how people unfamiliar with the characters will feel coming across them in this book). Everything from part four onwards was pretty great and definitely enjoyable to read. The storyline isn’t either. I just … didn’t love it, and I so wanted to which made it worse for me than if this was a dud all along.

Please note that I received an advance review copy for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

*eARC granted by the publisher through netgalley, all thoughts are my own*

this was a big fat YIKES.

first off, I did not jive with the writing style at all. it's written in first person present which is not a favorite. but also??? the plot??? WHAT. this is one of those books were it's hard to put into words why it is so messy but if you've read even ONE chapter from this book you know exactly what I mean. it was so scatter-brained and once i thought i knew where we were going the story would take 50 detours that left me at square one again.

but let's talk about the main character. ALL i know about this b is that she is "the black cat of the thieves guild" because she NEVER LET YOU FORGET IT!! if i took a shot every time she said it i would be hospitalized rn. and to top it off, it literally meant nothing because the world building is done so poorly. which is disappointing because the concept of this alternative france with nine underground guilds is SO interesting!! but it was all hidden by this convoluted story.

anyways, back to the character. she was SO DAMN OVERPOWERED. it was never adequately explained how she was able to scale buildings, steal crown jewels of france, break into prisons, etc etc. there were 0 stakes in this book because our mc just walked in the front door every time she needed something. like WHAT??? I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!

also the romance??? okay moving on

finally i will say that this book has heavy trigger warnings for drug abuse and physical abuse that i was not prepared for so be cautious

this was really disappointing because the concept and the potential was there but it did not live up to my expectations in the slightest. sad face.

I've tried to get into this book, but I can't get past the first chunk of the story. While the concept is everything I could ask for (I love Les Miserables, Six of Crows, and heist stories with shifty MCs), but I just couldn't connect with the characters or their story.

This just wasn't for me. I hope I can try to get back into it someday, but at this point, I don't think I would enjoy this story.

I absolutely love this book and didn't expect to find myself loving it as much as I actually did.
The characters, the guilds and all the description/details of places, clothing, smells and events happening were so well explained it was like actually being there and experiencing the things going on yourself.

I found myself stunned at certain events because wow, I didn't even see it coming quite like it did. I found myself really disliking at least 2 of the characters (at least you know Kester Grant did a great job in writing the character).

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC of The Court of Miracles, I enjoyed it immensely. All of these opinions are mine and mine alone

I have never seen nor read Les Misérables maybe that is why I really wasn't connecting to any of the characters. I didn't mind the writing but the time jumps were a little confusing at times. Maybe later down the road I will give this book anything chance.

This was one of my most anticipated 2020 releases and I really enjoyed it.

The story is a Les Mis/The Jungle Book retelling and it’s being compared to Six of Crows. You can definitely tell what are the Les Mis and The Jungle Book moments and similarities. As for the Six of Crows resemblance, it’s not that much alike unless you consider Nina a less obnoxious version of Kaz. There are a lot of heists but it is to be expected as Nina is an experienced thief.

I loved the world-building and how complex it gets with all the politics of the Guilds, hierarchy, rules and the alliances between them. I’m hoping the history of the Guild will be explored further in the sequels as I really love the idea of it. The mash-up of history and fiction is what I really love about these kinds of non-magical fantasy books. These alternate realities where you can find the similarities but also what makes it fiction.

The writing is solid. There’s the potential for some great world-building to be explored in the sequels and an interesting and complex set of characters that you grow to care and root for. The characters are very diverse too. Nina is of Algerian descent, Montparnasse and two of the Guild Lords are Moroccan, another is Indian and Jean Valjean is black. I love this about the cast and hope we get introduced to new characters in the next books as well as find out how Femi will take the news of Tomasis.

My favourite character is definitely St. Juste aka Enjolras. He’s so fiercely loyal and idealistic that I just want him to succeed.

The plot was good and it has a strong side-plot that concludes neatly yet leaves the possibility of a lot of conflict to happen in the sequel.

One of my biggest issues is the lack of active and important female characters. The cast of characters is mainly men. Even tho Nina and Ettie are the main characters it seems unrealistic that there wouldn’t be more girls her age that would be involved or would be relevant and part of other guilds.

I also took issue with the love-quadrangle going on. Somehow every boy in the book had feelings for Nina. Maybe it’s because there weren’t any other female character her age but it felt very unrealistic and it’s one of those annoying YA tropes I don’t like. I was waiting for Marius to show up so I could ship him with Ettie but no such luck. Also, you trying to tell me Enjolras and Grantaire will not be a thing (joking but not really? XD).

I really recommend this book if you enjoy retellings and historical fantasy. It was such an easy read after you get through the onslaught of names thrown at you at the start and all the scheming was super exciting to follow.