I read this in January 2021 and did not mark it as read or review it for six months, because I did not even know what to say to encapsulate this reading experience.

Court of Miracles is a Les-Miserables retelling following Nina (Eponine), a thief known as the Black Cat at a court in 1850s France. Under the gaze of Tomasis of the Guild of Thieves, she fights to protect first her sister Amelda and later her adopted sister Ettie (Cosette) from Thenardier, her father, and the Tiger, an evil lord.

Overall, I think this book is really pulling out the epic highs and lows of YA fantasy. There’s a lot going on here that I really liked. The vibes perhaps surpass almost anything else; when leaning into atmosphere, Court of Miracles gets it right. At its finer moments, I was reminded of The Gilded Wolves. The bond between Nina and Ettie is sweet and easy to get invested in. I enjoyed the writing of Tomasis, who’s often hard to pin down in a compelling way. Primarily, though, the appeal of this book is in Nina. Nina’s schemes are often really strong and well thought out, and her inner monologue is compelling enough that it’s hard not to root for her. She is genuinely so much fun, the ideal girlboss, and I loved watching her schemes come together.
SPOILER: (view spoiler)

However, some elements left a lot to be desired. The politics of this novel are fairly overcomplicated as compared to what matters and some of them end up being super irrelevant. Here is what I remember from this book which I read a year ago and also my fairly confused notes:
SPOILER: (view spoiler)
…I’m not even going to lie, I was just not invested enough in any of this to really understand it. That’s because the first half of this book is all buildup, with the actual focus of the novel—the main plot goal—coming into play only during part four, at around 45%. While these first three sections are not awful, they completely lack aim, while the fourth and final section has a clear and fulfilling goal. Had this entire book been the same quality as the last fourth, I think I would be genuinely obsessed with this series. I wondered almost whether the last 1-3 parts could be better purposed as an extended flashback, woven in throughout the book. I also wondered if they might be better cut down.

Oh, and The Dauphine and St Juste, aka Enjorlas, both love Nina. And for what? They don’t even know about her girlbossery. I'm not even that much of a love triangle hater, but what is the point of this? It's not interesting and it does nothing for Nina's development.

Let’s discuss the adaptational bent of this novel. I have not actually read Les Mis, first of all, but as a problematic theater kid, I do know the plot. The adaptational take of this novel is a reimagining of Les Mis (A) from Eponine’s perspective and (B) in which Eponine is a girlboss who hates her father and it's also a fantasy world. On a fundamental level, I do think this is a fun take. Other characters also appear, of course; St Juste is sort of a weird combination of Marius and Enjorlas, except it sort of seems like he got the Enjorlas personality and then Marius just got cut which is hilarious. Grantaire is also there. The long and short of it is this is not an exact retelling and you should not read it expecting such.

Adaptationally, however, there is one element of this book that haunts me. And not in a good way. First of all, I want to know who asked for Jean Valjean and Javert genderswap m/f. Who has ever looked at Les Miserables and said you know what I wish? I wish Javert were a woman so that she could kiss Jean Valjean. Who’s asking for them to kiss at all? And if the author is brave and bold enough to raise her hand and admit she, yes, she was asking for them to kiss, why not just leave them as men? I don’t mean this in a why are we putting women in this book way—why are we adding straight people to this book? Weren’t there enough? Didn’t we hit the quota? I don’t know how to explain how little I could take this seriously. I can’t believe I'm expected to take this seriously.

So… overall. Court of Miracles is certainly a book of all time. I will remember it primarily for Nina’s compelling, interesting schemes, and for the sheer secondhand embarrassment I experienced while reading a Jean Valjean/Javert m/f genderswap au. If this sounds like something you’ll find compelling… go for it. If it does not... do not.

I tried reading this book three times and three times I DNFd it. I just couldn't get into the story. It feels scattered and the characters...I really couldn't be bothered with anyone.

I went into this story expecting almost like an extension of the Hunchback of Notre Dame gypsy underground society but I was let down. It started off good but as it progressed I became less and less interested.

Perhaps later I might give this book a fourth shot but it's been a year almost two since I picked up this book so it's looking less likely.

The good thing about hype for a book is that it gets you excited... but the bad thing is it also sets high expectations and I think mine were a bit TOO high for THE COURT OF MIRACLES. While I liked moments in this one, it wasn't quite what I was hoping for.

The comps to Les Mis and Six of Crows were pretty spot on, with the character names and setting drawing on Les Mis and the gritty underworld of the city akin to Six of Crows. I liked the combination of the two in relation to those specific elements, but there's a lot that happens in each respectively and there were times where it felt like the author was trying to mimic that in this book. I couldn't tell you just how much time passes in this book (which isn't super long or anything). The plot and world became a bit unwieldy and I lost the characters (and then the rest of the story soon after) as it progressed. I've seen some say this is a re-telling/re-imagining of Les Mis and I think going in expecting its influence but NOT a loyal story is the best way to approach this one.

Also what was up with that romance... something. Not a triangle. I'm not really sure what to call it to be honest. It made Nina out in the vein of "I'm not like other girls" (not aided by her so-called thieving skills) which is a shame because I didn't mind her character all that much.

It was just... not what I was looking for going in and didn't really offer anything for me to latch onto in lieu of expectations missed. I'm not sure if I'll continue this series. I didn't hate this book and I think if I were to go back and read it again, I might enjoy it a bit more knowing what I'm getting into.

This title a very interesting one, out of my typical reading comfort zone but I found it generally enjoyable.

I found the premise to be very intriguing because it seemed like a gender-bent retelling of Les Miserables. However, the story seemed to drag. The characters were unlikable. Also, there were many disturbing scenes that made it a hard read. This book just wasn’t for me. Still, I recommend this for historical books set in an Aristocratic France!

This was a alright book. It has been compared to Six Crows by many but I honestly didn't see it. Some of the premises seemed forced.

I thought this would kind of have Folk of the Air vibes and I don’t really know why, but it was definitely very different. I can’t say I usually care for politics and this was not an exception. I was kind of bored even though there was clearly a lot of thought put into the worldbuilding; it was just too much for me.

This book sounded so interesting! All the different guilds and the politics involved had me super excited to read this story. The summary had me hooked. Yet, the book failed to pull me in from the start. I pushed through and read the whole book, but I can safely say I have no idea what I just read. I couldn't get myself to pay attention no matter how hard I tried. I wanted to care about the characters, but I just couldn't. I feel like when each guild got introduced to our main character, I wasn't able to get to know them. It constantly felt like I was being dragged along. I was watching the scene play out, but it felt like I was watching a movie in a different language without subtitles. The idea was very enticing, but for me, it just fell flat.

Never steal from a Thief. After Nina's older sister is sold to the ruthless Lord of Flesh, The Tiger, Nina vows to never let the same thing happen to her new adopted sister Ettie. But even Nina's status of the Black Cat, the best of the Thieves Guild, can keep Ettie from catching The Tiger's eye. Desperate to keep her sister safe Nina will take any risk, make any promise and betray anyone to get what she wants. Nina's path will take her deep into the heart of The Court of Miracles, the Royal Court, and a revolution.
The setting is fantastic! In an alternate history where the French Revolution failed, the French court has isolated themselves behind the castle walls, they are full of paranoia and fear of another uprising. The Court of Miracles, a brotherhood of Guild Lords that govern the people of the night keeps the peace among The Wretched. But even though The Court has a strict set of Laws, greed and guilt have created a wedge among the Lords, and tensions are very high. The whole city is on edge of a knife and the actions of one thief unleashes waves of chaos.
Nina is a boss. She is smart, cunning, fearsome, and determined. She will bring the whole city to its knees if it means keeping her sister safe. She can't be distracted by things like boys, consequences, loyalties, pain, or death. Our hero has one giant flaw that all of her enemies are all too willing to use against her: Ettie. Poor Ettie really got the short end of the stick in this book, I would have loved to see some chapters from her POV because she is hopelessly naive and a romantic! While there is HUGE potential for some serious romantic drama, Nina ain't got time for silly boys right now, and I am here for it.
doesn't even have an estimated publication date (at the time of original posting). I will be biding my time and reminiscing about the adventures that I had and having internal debates about who I would like to ship with who.

THE COURT OF MIRACLES is an enagaging and lush YA historical that imagines an alternate France where the revolution has failed and a Court of Miracles was born. The Court of Miracles contains groups of criminals with a code. This includes a Guild of Thieves, a Guild of Beggars, a Guild of Assassins, etc. Nina was very young when her sister pushed her to leave home, and she joined the Guild of Thieves, becoming the Black Cat.

Since then, she has gained some notoriety for her thievery. However, what truly drives her is getting her older sister back/free. Her sister was sold to the Tiger, the man who took over the Guild of the Sisters and made it into Flesh. He is ruthless and many of the Guild leaders are afraid of him. Nina's plot to get her sister back goes awry due to her own emotions, and she ends up running with a young girl, Ettie. In the process of figuring out how to keep Ettie away from the Tiger and how to get her sister out, Nina will encounter a new revolution, dangerous royalty, and much cruelty.

This is not a light story. As warnings, there is domestic abuse, forced prostitution, maimed children (for begging), starving, horrific deaths, and drug abuse.

What I loved: Nina completely captivated me from the start. She has had a really difficult life and maintains her humanity in a world where that is an impossible challenge. The plot is paced perfectly, gripping from the start and making it unputdownable. I also really loved the building of the criminal empires with rules and non-rules and questionable morality. We explore some of the Guilds a bit, and it was entirely fascinating.

I also really liked how Nina does not have a romance here. Her love for her sisters is paramount. There are a few potential romantic interests who seem to be interested in her, but Nina is focused on her goals and does not seem to get caught up in these (no matter how much Ettie wishes her to have romances). It made the story and Nina's drive that much stronger.

What left me wanting more: A small thing, but there were time jumps that I needed a bit more information to fully orient myself to. Each section leaps ahead by an amount of time, which varies. This may be corrected in the final version of the novel.

Final verdict: Lush, captivating, and filled with compelling characters, THE COURT OF MIRACLES is a beautifully crafted YA historical series. Highly recommend for fans of THE GILDED WOLVES, SIX OF CROWS, and/or SOMETHING DARK AND HOLY.

I really thought I would enjoy this but I am disappointed once again. It wasn't BAD but it wasn't GREAT either so that's why I am giving it 3 stars. The time-skips that just made me confused at times and kinda had me lost so I would end up rereading stuff to try and keep up. It was just so chaotic and there didn't seem to be any character development whatsoever.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of ‘The Court of Miracles’ by Kester Grant. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

All the concepts of this story really appealed to me. The Jungle Book is a childhood favorite and I’ve seen several Les Mis adaptations. While this was a fast read, it felt like too many concepts that didn’t come together. I also don’t think the Six of Crows comp worked and that comp is really over-saturating what feels like every other YA book.

The story did hold my interest and I would reread it before I picked up a sequel. I thought the tiger character was especially well-done and a fitting nod to The Jungle Book. I would have liked more elements from The Jungle Book. I’m less familiar with Les Mis but I did recognize a lot of elements. There was a part where the author seemed to be pulling their punches. I remember the Les Mis character being shot and killed and it being a very powerful part of the story but the character isn’t shot as someone else takes the bullet and also doesn’t die. I didn’t really understand this decision. It felt like the story jumped around and started in the wrong place. Nina’s sister makes this big sacrifice for Nina right at the beginning and then is forgotten about. Then time jumps to Nina caring for Ettie and it felt like the story was missing that meeting of the two and more conflict on Nina’s part. It felt obvious that Nina wasn’t going to sacrifice Ettie even though the story blurb suggested otherwise.

I wish this story had come together more cohesively. It also seems like this was advertised as fantasy but it was more historical. I didn’t mind it not being fantasy but in reading other reviews it seems a lot of people were also confused by the genre like I was.

3/5 stars

This book was very quick and the writing flowed really well. I was hoping for a bit more out of it but it was good.

Had some issues for me, but I ENJOYED the ride.

I had pretty low expectations going into this, mostly because I have looked at/read too many Les Mis vague "retellings" lately. This was the best of the bunch.

One thing that super bugged me though was Nina's decision to sell Ettie off to the Tiger in place of her sister, and then changes her mind. It bugged me because it was SO BAD to decide to sell her in the first place, and was totally just a device to move the story along. Nina's decision to sell Ettie is so contrary to Nina's character, it felt totally off and wrong to even be in there at all.

This has been compared to a cross between Les Mis and Six of Crows. I actually get that and was REALLY excited about reading this one. If I'm honest, it fell a little short. In all fairness, I'm a huge Les Mis fan, so it had big shoes to fill. Most of the character names are based on Les Mis. Eponine (Nina) Thenardier is the main character who is part of the Thieves Guild. She is trying to avenge and rescue her elder sister who was taken by the Tiger, the lord of the Guild of Flesh. She is also trying to keep her adopter sister, Cosette (Ettie) from falling into his grasp as well so has to start playing the different guilds against each other in the underground Court of Miracles. All of this is set during the French revolution and the court of Louis XVII.

I did like the inventiveness of the story and how it used pieces from historical events as well as pulling from the Les Mis story. However, it really felt like the Les Mis pieces were just that the names of the characters were used. There weren't a whole lot of similarities past that point. I do know this is supposed to be a series and do intend on reading at least one more. It was enjoyable, but just not the GREAT read I wanted it to be. Three out of five stars for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

THE COURT OF MIRACLES is the new series I am obsessed with. Grant delivers a brilliant first novel in what I can only hope will be multibook series. This book opens the reader to the criminal world in a way that is vivid and rich. I cannot wait for the next book!

The Court of Miracles is a fantastic addition to Young Adult fantasy collections and the historical component is well researched.

Fun story and easy to get through, but it didn't stick in my head for more then a day. For fans of Les Mis, this is set in an alternate 1828 Paris where the French Revolution has failed/

This was most definitely a cover buy for me - it's simply stunning! I went into it with basically no expectations and almost no idea of what it was about. Sometimes that's the best way to start... and it worked out quite well. I loved this one and wish I had gotten to it sooner!

Loved this! Drama, romance, and a plot twist to kill for! This would be a great read for young adults and those fans of fantasy.