What a joy it was to read this book. It transports you to revolutionary France, dips you into the criminal underworld, and engages you in struggles that transcend any one part of this society by giving you insights into everyone from the beggars to the dauphin. The characters, for the most part, are engaging and fleshed out, and even our first-person narrator can surprise you. I don't regularly use the 5-star rating, but this one was addicting and I am eagerly waiting for the next.

Nina, i.e. Eponine Thenardier, is a thief in the night striving for justice and safety for her sisters. She participates in an underground network of criminals called the Court of Miracles, featuring guilds of different skills such as accounting fraud and assassins. Nina is willing to do almost anything to topple the current head of the Guild of Flesh, the group that manages prostitution throughout Paris, as her sister was sold into prostitution and captured by addition to opium. This book follows her battle to prove herself as a thief, earn her place in the Court, and complete her vengeance.

Nina is a very well-fleshed out character, and I appreciated her drive. She is willing to do what it takes, even if that means she has to keep her allies at arms length and even occasionally play them against each other. She is likable without being a pushover, and I was surprised several times by her actions which is one of my favorite things - unpredictable narrators are so fun because I am enticed to see what happens next. She is not swayed by the appearance of several pretty boys, although it does seem unlikely that everyone with whom she interacts would fall in love with her, a pretty common outcome for this book as presented.

Other favorite Les Mis characters appear, such as Enjolras, Val Jean, Javert, Gavroche, and Cosette, although none of them are presented without further development than in the musical. If you do not love musicals or you have never even seen Les Mis, do NOT let that stand in your way. This book is enjoyable even if the Easter eggs go unnoticed - I will say they are fun for those of us in the know, though.

The Court of Miracles is a quick read, very engaging and well-written. I am eager for the next to see if Nina and the crew continue along the path outlined for them in the musical, or if Ms. Grant is more creative with their outcomes. Highly recommend!

My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest and fair review.

The Courts of Miracles is the first installment in debut author Kester Grant's Young Adult Historical Fantasy trilogy. In an alternate Paris in the wake of a failed revolution, one girl will rise through the ranks of a dangerous underground society to protect those she loves—and right a system of ruthless control that holds the City of Lights in its grasp. This story focuses the progression of Eponine (Nina) Thénardier from 1823 until around 1829.

This is about the Court of Miracles which has 9 separate arms: Guild(s) of Gamblers, Assassins, Beggars, Mercenaries, Smugglers, Letters, Thieves, Flesh, and Dreamers. Wretched is the name given to all children of the Court. Nina's father is a thief who trained his daughter to follow in his footsteps. However, after he sells his oldest daughter Azelma to the swarmy Guild of Flesh master, Nina takes a serious challenge.

She's to enter a near impossible place to break into in order to steal something valuable from someone who is supposed to be untouchable. Nina soon becomes The Black Cat and a full member of the Guild of Thieves with skills that may exceed her sperm donor and her new father. After trying and failing to save her sister, several years go by before she meets Cosette (Ettie) who she takes under her wing. Unfortunately, the dreaded Master of Flesh has set his eyes on Ettie, and Nina will have to figure out a plan to keep her safe or lose yet another sister to the man who cares not one bit for women.

He keeps all his prize possessions drugged out of their minds. Nina's personal war on Lord Kaplan plays out in a 4 part story. She meets a variety of curious characters like Tomasis, the Dauphin of France, Grantaine & St. Juste, as well as Montparnasse. One reviewer noted that it seems as though Nina found (3) different men to fall for her while not encouraging their affections. There are references to the original players like Robespierre, Marat, Danton, Mirabeau, DeMoulis, and St. Juste who were involved in the French Revolution.

In a nutshell, the story is more of a loose borrowing of the Les Misérables characters supporting the main player, original character like Jean Valjean, & Inspector Javert who in this book is the only female Inspector. Les Misérables literally means The Wretched, The Miserable Ones, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, The Victims and The Dispossessed. The Court of Miracles actually focuses more on Nina's attempts at revenge and saving her sisters, than the original novel focused on Cosette whereas Éponine and Azelma were almost villainous in nature in comparison to this book.

Nina is ruthless at times, and I'm here to say that I was absolutely Ok with most of her choices. She knows what she wants, and she takes the steps to make it happen. She may be a thief, but she has a code, she recognizes what is wrong in the Court, and seeks to rectify it. That is what makes her formidable, the lengths at which she goes to save the people she loves, but also to bring down the Tiger and his ring of sex slavery. Ettie is such a curious character who apparently the entire underground of Paris wants to own her because of her beauty. She relies wholly and fully on Nina to save her life and provide the necessary guidance to keep her alive. She even makes alliances that are supposed to knee Ettie safe that will cost her numerous favors in return.

Marketed as a retelling of Les Misérables, this novel has limited references to it. Instead, it uses the classic tale by Victor Hugo and some of his characters to broach the similarity and plot devices. It’s a nice inside look at the workings of the Court and their counterparts. It’s a story of revenge and redemption, using the tried and proven formula of good vs. evil, the haves vs. the have nots. A plus for the entire world building throughout this story. It was absolutely phenomenal. You actually could feel yourself in this dark and dreary place. You could feel the pain and suffering of the children at the expense of the rich and those in charge of the individual Guilds. I am looking forward to the next books to see how the author progresses Nina and whether she will have time for any romance or not.

<i>Thank you to the publisher for the arc!</i>

This book is a retelling of Les Miserables, through the eyes of Eponine, as she makes her way through the underground of Paris in the wake of the failed Revolution. The aristocracy is paranoid after all of this and the class divide between the aristocracy and everyone else is prominent. As a result, the Court of Miracles forms, made up of nine guilds that rule the underworld. When their father sells her sister to a pleasure house, Nina finds herself in the Thieves Guild, where she’s known as the Black Cat.

I am really glad I got to read this. On the surface, yes, this is a.story that everyone knows by now. But with just one little change—the Revolution didn’t happen—the characters all become new and the whole addition of the guilds and the Court of Miracles made this a page turner even if it did have a very familiar undertone.

Nina was a compelling heroine, not one that I loved every minute of every page, but one that I could root for even though she had plenty of flaws. Unlike some young adult heroines, she actually seemed to think and act her age. She was realistic. She was human. She never wanted to end up where she was—she only wanted to find Azelma and then later, protect Ettie. The relationships with her sisters really made this whole story worth reading to me, and I found it refreshing that the focus wasn’t on a romantic relationship but one of family and friendship instead. Even when her potential love interests were introduced, they were Nina’s friends first. I really appreciated that.

I don’t necessarily feel like you have to know Les Mis to enjoy this book, but it added a layer of richness to the story to see the reimagining, know who the source character was, and then notice their differences. I don’t feel like the author relied on a knowledge of the original characters as an excuse to avoid describing anyone in this novel, and I appreciate that.

Victor Hugo’s novel Les Misérables has inspired all sorts of adaptations since its publication in 1862, including the beloved musical of the same name. In Alain Boubil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s musical, the dynamic second half features tangled love stories, revolution, and Inspector Javert’s endless pursuit of Jean Valjean. One of the most beloved characters in the musical is Eponine, a young woman who has been taught to be a criminal by her father, and who is in love with a student revolutionary, Marius, who sees her as more of a little sister than a possible love interest and who realizes the depth of Eponine’s feelings only when it’s too late.

In British-Mauritian author Kester Grant’s debut, The Court of Miracles, Eponine (or Nina) takes center stage. In post-Revolutionary, post-Napoleonic era France, the royal family is back on the throne, and crueler than ever. Desperate to retain their power and prevent another revolution, the Queen goes to extreme lengths to ensure her family’s safety. What she doesn’t realize, however, is that below her feet is another Court that holds as much power as the royal family– the legendary Court of Miracles, an organization of thieves, smugglers, beggars, assassins, and other criminals who rule over Paris’s poorest people, the Wretched. These guilds rule the night and live by a law the prevents war among the people of the underworld.

Nina has been a member of the Guild of Thieves since she was a child, ever since her sister Azelma sent her to them to keep their father from selling them both to the dreaded Tiger, the Lord of the Guild of Flesh. For years, Nina has harbored a hatred of the Tiger and has made it her life’s goal to rescue her sister. But when her first plans to rescue go awry, Nina must enact a desperate and dangerous plan to keep her adopted sister, Cosette (or Ettie) safe from the Tiger. It is a plan that entangles her in a long-planned student revolt led by a descendant of the first revolutionaries, the dreaded Assassin’s Guild, and sends her to the royal palace where she comes face to face with the Queen of France herself.

“Sometimes Grantaire notices me in my corner and coaxes me into telling a story. Even St. Juste listens then. I never betray the secrets of the court, but I can keep them mesmerized for hours recounting the tales of my people. They hang onevery word like thirsty men; I can keep them entertained until the sun rises. On those nights, I’ve gone to bed runk on the feeling that I’ve been seen for the very first time.”

For those who think Eponine deserved better than the fate she was given in both the original book and the musical, The Court of Miracles is a dark delight. Kester Grant takes elements and characters from the original novel and the real history of France and weaves them into an intense and engaging story about a young, mixed-race cat burglar who has no illusions about the darkness and danger of the world around her, and learns to thrive in spite of it. But while Nina is a dangerous figure in her own right, she is not without her humanity. She cares deeply about the few people she lets in– perhaps too much, especially when it comes to dreamy, beautiful Ettie. It’s this care and concern for Ettie and for the Wretched as a whole that drives her to the extraordinary lengths she goes to. The Tiger is cruel beyond measure, and fear of him and his forces prevents the other Guild leaders from moving against him, but Nina knows that as long as he is in power, the Wretched will never be free from fear, no matter what unwritten laws bind the Court of Miracles.

While there are some issues with the pacing– a few events happen too quickly, without the lead-up that would give them their deserved weight– the overall effect of The Court of Miracles is a driving narrative that doesn’t give in entirely to darkness any more than it makes perfect saints out of sinners.

Grant’s plot is deceptively straightforward and like any heist story, even the primary point of view character isn’t about to tell the reader everything that is going on. Rather than feeling like a move to hoodwink the reader into falling for an improbable twist, Grant does it to bring in even more elements from her source material, and it makes Nina’s plan all the more believable. And while including a smattering of lyrics from the musical’s songs might feel like fan service, Grant is careful not to overdo it, making their inclusion more of a delight than an opportunity for eye-rolling.

Though The Court of Miracles is a debut, it reads like a novel written by an experienced writer, with a finale that will leave readers anxiously awaiting the next installment.



Thank you to NetGaley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing me a free eBook in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Court of Miracles
Author: Kester Grant
Pub. Date: June 2, 2020
Rating: 3.5 .

This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I hit the end of this book and kept clicking the next page button because there was no way that, that was how it was going to end. Then I groaned because I actually realized that I had hit 100% and had finished the book.
I’m a Les Mis fan, so I figured I was going to like this book. Though, when I started it I wasn’t immediately hooked. Despite the draw of Les Mis, it kind of felt like Diamond City and I wasn’t a fan of that book. I kind of felt like I’d read the story before.
Which also makes sense because I’ve watched Les Mis about a million times. Thankfully, that feeling passed pretty quickly, and I was ultimately sucked in. I read this book in 4 hours because I couldn’t put it down. I really liked the pacing of this book, it flowed really nicely and made it a quick enjoyable read. While I liked the pacing, it did seem a tad rushed, but I’m basing that feeling on a 2-3 musical/movie where a lot happens. I also think that the feeling stems from, this is book 1 in a series, and there is still a lot of story left to tell. So, I’m not counting the pacing against it, and I still really liked it. I’m really interested in seeing what happens in the next book…especially with how it ended. I’m so curious!
I really liked the little twists that the author took with some of the characters. Now, I’m assuming they’re twists because I’ve never actually read Les Mis, but they differed from the musical. I liked that we followed Eponine (Nina) and I liked how the world of Les Mis unfolded around her.
I will say that the time jumps were a tad confusing. They always took me by surprise, and I had to go back and reread and put the timeline together. I mean, so much time passes in this book, and even just a year designation would have helped.
I loved the Guilds and the dynamics, the rules, the laws…and I love how Nina just basically said f*ck it. She looks at the rules of the Guilds, and finds loopholes. I really won’t be surprised if by the end of this series, she’s a Lord. She commands respect and is foolishly brave and doesn’t give up. I’m also really curious as to who holds her heart outside Ettie and Azelma – which guy…I’m torn, and I don’t even know if there is going to be a romance. I hope so. I really hope so.
I enjoyed the way this book ended, even though it’s left me really wanting the next one.

This book was all non-stop action! Our fierce and fearless MC little Cat Nina claws her way to the top of the underworld food chain and I was all about rooting her on!

She is motivated exclusively and blindly by love for her sisters, both biological and chosen, and that is where I have my biggest issues. I didn't see any real growth from Nina, she is single-minded in her quest for rescue and revenge, ruthless in her methods, and that is all she is. And her chosen sister Ettie is an absolute moron who actually causes a lot of issues just because she's so clueless. I hurt my eyes rolling them so hard.

There are A LOT of characters and their respective crime guilds to keep straight, and I was constantly forgetting who was who. The first part of the book had a huge info dump, with the author telling vs. showing how the Court of Miracles works. And there was a lame, half-baked love quadrangle which added nothing to the plot.

If you want lots of action and against-all-odds heists, this book will deliver. I really wish that the characters were people I could relate to and care about, but unfortunately I didn't connect with any of them.

I looked forward to this read considering it has been related to Six Of Crows however I had a little hard time staying focus on the story. Maybe because I never read or seen the movie Les Miserables?

Our main character is Nina who is a black cat of the Thieves Guild. There are nine criminal guilds known as The Court Of Miracles. Nina is trying to rescue her sister from a pimp name Tiger.

I couldn't really get into the book and found myself rather bored reading the story. There is a good cast of characters and was a fast flow of the story, it just wasn't my type of story.

Les Miserable meets The Jungle Book meets Six of Crows meets Throne of Glass- that is just too many mash-ups to make a credible selling point for a book. Good thing I hadn't read any of the hype before I picked it up!

Below the surface of the polished streets of France lies a seething underbelly of crooks, thieves, beggars, and murderers. Despite the anarchic pastimes of those who reside there, guilds organize and lord rules, and harsh punishments enacted on those who break their codes of lawless honor. These are inconsequential to Eponine, a burglar and one of the most renowned weapons in the Thieves' Guild's arsenal. Her lifelong goal has been to save her long-lost sister from a life of enforced prostitution, and now, to save a new sister who may soon succumb to the very same fate. And poor Cosette seems to be the perpetual damsel in distress.

Intriguing, complicated, and a political maze.

The Court of Miracles is pitched as Les Miserables meets Six of Crows and is a fitting description. A retelling of Les Mis with Nina (Eponine) as our thief/heroine, it's different enough plot-wise to feel like more than a basic retelling where you instantly know where everything is going, but with all the familiar characters you expect as well as new elements that add to the story. I loved the guilds of criminals and Nina's Kaz Brekker-esqe scheming. This is definitely a series I will be continuing eagerly.

When I saw the synopsis of this book I did not hesitate to read it, my favorite musical are les miserable and wow, when I saw that it is a combination with six of crows, that gave it a plus.
The story begins in Paris of the 19th century, which is divided into nine guilds. The protagonist Nina (in this case is Eponin) joins the Thieves Guild, that I did not expect, she joins that guild because she has to escape Tiger, a leader of the Flesh Guild, and also has to save her sister who is kidnapped by it. But he also wants to take her away from her foster sister Ettie. (Cosette)
I really liked how the author embodied this world, and how it is the classification of guilds.
I had so many memories when he went to see the staging of Les Miserables, the description of Paris, and how the French Revolution lost on this occasion
Nina liked me quite, as she does not lose faith at any time, and since everything was to her perspective, but there is a lot of intrigue about the other characters, it would not be bad to know also what they think.

Fans like me will enjoy the story a lot, if you loved the musical and the movie, but if you do not like the story of Victor Hugo may not like it, and you will get a little slow, there is no romance in this story, but I did not expect it, but I saw that many readers expected romance and magic, but in this case there is no.
I can't wait to read the second part, I got too intrigued about the story, it's a very fascinating story. And this author had a great start with this novel.

Nina is the Black Cat of the Thieves Guild--there's nowhere that she can't break into. When the notorious Tiger sets his eyes on her father's ward, Ettie, Nina will do whatever it takes to save her from him. In revolutionary France, this Les Miserables retelling brings Eponine into the spotlight.

I'll be honest, I'm not super familiar with the original plot of Les Mis. I saw the movie when it came out, so I know very vaguely what's going on, but I didn't know enough to recognize what all is changed in this book. I think it may have been a more enjoyable read if I did know a little more? But maybe it would have been the same. It felt like maybe there were some times when I was supposed to be able to anticipate what might happen next, but I couldn't do that.

I liked Nina as a main character. Her motivations were very clear and I felt like she was pretty consistent. I did think it was a little overkill to have three guys falling over themselves for her though? Just one would be enough, thanks. I liked Ettie as well and almost wish we'd gotten some more from her. She had really great development as a character and the Ettie at the end of the book is miles away from the Ettie at the beginning (in a really good way).

The plot itself was confusing to me at times. Obviously the driving plot is that Nina is trying to save Ettie from the Tiger, but the way certain things happened wasn't always super clear. I missed one of the time jumps too I think because all of the sudden Nina was talking about how she'd been a cat for a few years when I thought it had only been a few days. I really liked the concept of the guilds and Lords, though. I wish I had been reading a physical copy instead of an eARC so I could keep referring back to the pages at the beginning that listed all the guilds and key players.

Overall, I thought this book was good and I did feel like it helped fill the Six of Crows shaped hole in my heart. I can't say if Les Mis fans will especially like this one, but I thought it was good and I haven't seen any other Les Mis retellings out there. I'm definitely looking forward to where this series goes.

Overall Rating: 3.5
Language: Mild
Violence: Moderate
Smoking/Drinking: Moderate
Sexual Content: Mild

Note: I received a copy of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Let me introduce you to my favorite book of 2020. It's early, I know. There are many months yet to come. Yet this book is still so vivid in my mind I find I am constantly rhetorically comparing it to the world we live in today. How spectacular! Kester Grant. Who are you? Within these pages of The Court of Miracles the reader will jumps into a 'violent urban jungle', unsettling political divide, a sinuous underworld empire and a treacherous glittering court with sharp teeth and beautiful gowns. There is order and rules to be followed in this gritty world, with a guarantee that not abiding may cost greatly. Nina Thenardier the main character is ferocious, smart, a natural protector and born leader. The depth of each character, from the insignificant street urchin to King Louis XVII cannot be underestimated. The creative ideals and moral system led by a heavy organized criminal element breathes life into this alternate city, mixed with a rich diversity of its population and sacred traditions is what elevates this in so many ways for me. I am now introduced to an author who displays a keen grasp of the wonderfully diverse nature of humans and what makes them tick, what breeds hierarchy, loyalty, greed and treachery. I could not get enough and am thrilled there is more to come.

Story
I really wanted to like this book. There’s a lot of hype surrounding it and it’s being marketed as “Six of Crows” meets “Les Mis”. I will be the first to admit that I’m not a huge Le Mis fan, but I am a massive Six of Crows fan. I honestly wish that books were not being compared to Six of Crows. It creates expectations that books rarely live up to.

Court of Miracles disappointed me. The story was so disjointed, with a lot of awkward time jumps (from weeks to months to years) that made it incredibly difficult to follow along with the story.

With each new time jump also came a new story, and that also made the book feel disjointed. Somehow The Jungle Book also crept in, and it was just this weird mash up of story that did not work. This book needs some more editing, and a serious look at the story arc. It just felt like the writer was trying to get out too many stories at once, leaving us with no clear line across the book.

Writing
I found the writing to be very pretentious. I can’t remember anything from Les Mis (I studied it in High School and honestly can’t remember much) so I don’t know if the writer was trying to imitate the historical style. It just didn’t resonate with me at all.

I will say that the world-building was the best part of this book. Set in France in an alternative timeline where the revolution failed, this backdrop is so cool. The different Guilds also reminded me a lot of the Bone Season for some reason, which is a favourite of mine. The world-building was done really well.

Characters
The characters fell completely flat for me. Especially Nina. She comes across as a Mary Sue. The book never shows her to receive any training (we must assume it happens with the time jumps) but even in the third chapter, where she’s only NINE years old, she breaks into a palace without breaking a sweat. On multiple occasions she just walks into places that are supposed to be impenetrable without a crew and a plan. Everything always goes right for her.

It’s also mentioned on multiple occasions that she’s not pretty, yet she has 3 dudes falling all over themselves for her. I know that looks are not necessarily a deciding factor for attraction, but the book makes a point of mentioning she’s not pretty, and at times wild. If we had been shown more interaction between the love interests and Nina, maybe I would have believed it better.

The rest of the characters are nothing to write home about, I couldn’t remember half of them or keep them straight.

Overall I just found it to be very disappointing for the hype that it’s getting. And as I have said before, these are only my opinions. I will never tell someone to not read a book, because you might love this book. Even though it was bad for me, I still encourage you to give this a shot. Especially if you like Les Mis.

Thank you to Netgalley, Knopf, and Kester for an advance copy of The Court of Miracles.

Where do I even start with this one? I’m always amazed when someone can take a well-known/well-loved story and completely transform and re-imagine it, while also keeping the heart of the story the same.

The Court of Miracles is re-imagining of Les Miserables.

I’ll start with my only major criticism and that was the janky time-hops. I read multiple books at a time so I’ll take partial blame for my brain being too convoluted, but I get a little frustrated if we jump up or back in time and there’s no header letting me know.

The story is centered around Nina who is in the Guild of Thieves as she navigates the French underworld to rescue her sister from the Tiger, a pimp who rules the Guild of Flesh. Along the way she gets caught up in the French Revolution.

There’s an extensive cast. Everyone is relevant and everyone is well-developed. I enjoyed all of the characters, even the villains. The multiple storylines weave pretty seamlessly within each other.

This is the first in a series and I’m very excited to learn more about the different Guilds. We did get a taste of a few in this one, but I feel like there’s still so much to be explored on the gritty side of France.

The Court of Miracles has so many elements I loved - a fascinating world, memorable and well developed characters, and a plot filled with danger that moved along quickly.

I was intrigued by The Court of Miracles and all of the different guilds. It was an interesting underworld filled with assassins, thieves and other criminals but was based on a sense of honor and laws. I found myself wanting to learn more about all of the guilds and their histories. Nina is a talented cat burglar who was a great character that was flawed, loyal, fierce and intelligent. She does everything possible to protect those she loves in a harsh world where most people are only looking out for themselves and she doesn’t apologize when she has to manipulate a situation to attain her goals. The only part of the story I didn’t enjoy was the romantic storyline. There were several potential love interests but Nina’s feelings seemed to fluctuate a lot which just left me feeling less engaged in that aspect of the book. Regardless, I still really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the sequel.

Thank you so much Random House for granting me access to a NetGalley ARC.

WOW. What a whirlwind! This book was a dazzling display of courage, family (both by blood and by bond), darkness, vengeance, and justice. We follow the story of Nina, a young girl in revolution-torn France. When her sister is sold off to a horrible monster of a man by her father, Nina joins the Court of Miracles, a collection of 9 guilds that make up the criminal underworld of France. With a new family at her back, Nina, the Black Cat of the Thieves Guild, uses her wits, her thieving skills and her fiery tongue to lash out at the injustice festering within the court. Nina is everything a reader can possibly want in a strong female lead. She is daring and determined, loyal, strong of body and mind, and above all else, wickedly clever. I cannot stress enough how riveting Grant's writing is in this "Les Misérables"-inspired tale! From edge of your seat action sequences, to smart banter that will make you laugh aloud, and even tender moments between sisters, Grant's words weave a deliciously dark and alluring tale that you will not want to put down!

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is exactly what I pictured when I heard the phrase "Les Miserable meets Six of Crows". The MC Nina is literally Kaz Brekker + Inej Ghafa and no one can change my mind!

The Court of Miracles was so damn good. I loved this thieving adventure-retelling. The main thing that confused me was the exact time points between each part. Nina is growing older between them, but there's no obviously labeled timeline and that would've helped with the flow.

The main focus of the story is Nina's relationships with her sisters: Azelma, her older sister who was taken by the Tiger; and Ettie, her adopted younger sister who the Tiger wants for himself. Nina is determined to save Azelma, and protect Ettie no matter the cost. And she will make sure the Tiger answers for what he's done.

Nina is ruthless at times, and I am freaking here for it. She knows what she wants, and she takes the steps to make it happen. True Slytherin and I love her for it. Ettie is a genuine cinnamon roll and needs all of the protecting. I loved how their relationship as sisters developed and was tested throughout this book.

ALSO MONTPARNASSE. MASTER OF ASSASSINS AND CAPTAIN OF MY SHIP. I will go down with this ship!!! I need Montparnasse and Nina to be A THING. Like ugh. I already love them. It better happen in book 2.

All the nods to Les Mis were so well done. It made me want to watch the remake with Hugh Jackman because he is the best Jean Valjean obviously. This book surprised me in so many ways and it was AMAZING. Highly recommend.

I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. I was drawn in by the story and felt the characters. I’d love to find out what happens next if the author chooses to write more. Thank you

"'Our mother the City is not a merciful mother,' she says as she gathers my hair in one hand. 'To be a girl in this city is to be weak. It is to call evil things down upon you. And the City is not kind to weak things. She sends Death the Endless to winnow the frail from the strong. You know this.'"

Il était une fois, there was a girl whose sister traded her own life so that she might live. Their Mother was the city of Paris, and their father, Thénardier, was the Master of Beasts and a beast himself. Lacking allies, the girl joined the Guild of Thieves, and she vowed to someday save her sister, even if it meant dismantling The Court of Miracles from the inside. But when the Tiger, Lord of the Guild of Flesh, sets his sights on her second sister, Ettie, Nina will have to unite the other guilds against him to save them both. The Court of Miracles is a Les Misérables retelling set in an alternate Paris, where The Miracle Court rules over the Wretched and to break the Law may ignite a war among the nine guilds. Trigger warnings: Everything. It’s a seriously dark book. Death, child death, slavery, prostitution, cannibalism, poisoning, fires, severe injury, severe illness, guns, violence, drugging, abduction, starvation, and unreserved gushing from the reviewer. I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Random House Children’s.

The description had me at "Les Misérables retelling", but The Court of Miracles is so much more than that. While I loved revisiting favorite characters like Éponine, Valjean, and Enjolras cast in new roles, the real magic of this book is the Miracle Court of Grant’s creation. It’s every bit as dark and twisted as guilds of thieves, assassins, and smugglers suggest, and then some. I loved getting to know the various guilds and their hierarchies, where familiar characters like Montparnasse is Master of Knives and little Gavroche is a Ghost in the Guild of Beggars. There are some incredible new characters like Orso, the frightening but oddly kind Dead Lord, and a truly heinous villain in the Tiger, Lord Kaplan. A lover of all things grim and creepy, I can’t imagine a Les Mis retelling that’s better suited to me, but it’s certainly not going to work for everyone. If you’re easily triggered, tread carefully, because I can’t imagine an issue this book doesn’t hit against in some way.

Éponine is one of my favorite characters of all time, and I love her incarnation as the lead character, Nina. The blurb for The Court of Miracles likens it to Six of Crows (not a bad comparison, actually), and never is this more apparent than in her character. She’s sort of a mash-up of Inej Ghafa and Nina Zenik, with the Wraith’s skills at sneaking and thieving and all of the Heartrender’s sass and occasional recklessness. She’s fearless but flawed, always playing every side to protect her sisters, even when she’s the one who puts them in danger in the first place. Cosette (Ettie) is almost as annoying as the original, but she gets a reasonable coming of age arc over the course of the book. I originally thought Femi Vano, the Messenger, was going to play a larger role, but he’s somewhat overshadowed by Montparnasse, the stoic assassin who’s always lurking in the shadows, and I’m cool with that. Add him to my already long list of favorite assassin characters. I’ll leave Valjean’s character a surprise, but let’s just say I love it, and while Les Amis are truncated (likely to cut down on the character count), Enjolras and Grantaire play important roles. (The only sad thing: Enjoltaire does not seem to be a ship in this series, but I have hope.)

The book is relatively fast-paced given the time span it covers. I would have been interested to see more of Nina’s training as she becomes the Black Cat in the Guild of Thieves, but we time-jump a couple years from her initiation to the current plot. It keeps things moving though, and her plan to save Azelma is intricate and long-running, with no shortage of smaller heists or missions to gain allies in the other guilds. There are excerpts of “fairytales” told by the Dead Lord that flesh out the history of The Miracle Court and its rulers. There’s plenty of action, world-building, and character development, and I was never bored a moment. I’m ecstatic this is the beginning of a trilogy because I wasn’t ready to leave Nina’s world behind, and there’s so much more of it to uncover.

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I received an ARC of The Court of Miracles from Knopf via NetGalley. What follows is my fair and honest review.

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant was one of my most anticipated releases for 2020, partly because every edition I’ve seen is prettier than the last. (Yes, sometimes I’m a total cover buyer.) I’ll admit, I was a little surprised when I realized this novel is not actually fantasy, but I think this Les Misérables retelling still delivers in world-building and action. Here’s my quick summary:

Set in a 19th century Paris that is similar to, but not quite, our own, The Court of Miracles imagines a Parisian underworld divided into nine guilds. Nina (Eponin), joins the Thieves Guild to escape the Tiger, the terrible leader of the Guild of the Flesh. But Nina is not content to escape into the safety of her own guild, especially since the Tiger took her sister Azelma and now wants her adopted sister Ettie (Cosette), too.

Like I said earlier, I really liked the world-building in this story. I thought the concept of the nine guilds and the Court of Miracles was really interesting, though it was frustrating how the Court failed to follow-through on its own rules, even if this is one of the driving points of the story. Still, despite the novel’s length and Grant’s ability to craft a Paris on the brink of riot and revolution, I felt that there was something missing from the story. After reflection, I think it’s that Grant includes so many interesting characters, but fails to explore most of them. I enjoyed seeing the story from Nina’s perspective, but I wish I could’ve learned more about the world as Montparnasse sees it. Or Le Maire (Jean Valjean)--especially since Grant offers glimpses of such an intriguing Jean Valjean and (Lady!) Inspector Javert. In some ways, I think the world Grant created was underutilized in the novel.

The novel doesn’t really have any explicitly romantic storylines, though there are three men who are all interested in or intrigued by Nina. Readers frustrated by protagonists who are unaware of their appeal or attractiveness might be annoyed by these elements of the novel, though I would say it’s more that Nina has more important things to worry about than that she doesn’t know her own worth. This also leads me to another frustrating aspect of the novel, which is that Nina’s characterization is a little underdeveloped. I like her perspective, but her actual characterization doesn’t ever move beyond her desire to avenge her sister(s). For such a complex story, the protagonist is a little one-dimensional.

If you’re wondering how The Court of Miracles works as a retelling, my answer is limited by my own experience with Les Mis. I’ve seen the musical and movie, and I enjoyed them, but I’ve never read the original novel. I think The Court of Miracles offers enough of the basic storyline and characters that fans of the original text (or at least the musical) will enjoy the story, but the novel is also unique enough that readers who don’t have any experience with the original novel or musical can still find their own way into The Court of Miracles. There’s at least one obvious “Easter egg” musical reference (that I caught) that might be fun for readers or might pull them out of the story. I, personally, thought it was fun (and a little funny).

Still, overall, I enjoyed my reading of The Court of Miracles. I was intrigued by the story and ended up reading the novel all in one day. I think fans of the musical or movie will enjoy this novel, but I can’t speak for fans of Victor Hugo’s novel. Readers looking for stories with an emphasis on worldbuilding, politics, or criminal elements should also enjoy The Court of Miracles.

3.5 Stars