Title: The Court of Miracles
Author: Kester Grant
Release: June 2, 2020
Dates Read: 5.7.2020-5.11.2020

I believe Grant did a great job portraying characters we have seen before in a new light. I love the take of the Court of Miracles, I haven't read many books with the Court of Miracles being portrayed, which i thought was a really neat thing about the book. I love that it follows Nina (Eponine) whom we see very little of in Les Mis, and that she is completely a bada**. I also like that the "i can do everything" heroine trope wasn't a part of her character. This book has great potential and it will be a favorite for anyone who needs historical fiction, YA, and a Les Mis fix.

Okay, so I'll admit it, I haven't read Les Mis. I've seen the movie though! And I enjoyed it well enough, although it's been years since I last saw it. So going into The Court of Miracles, I wasn't really sure how much I'd enjoy it if at all. I knew it sounded good, but definitely went into it with a healthy dose of skepticism because I just didn't know if it would be my kind of book. Well, turns out I needn't have been worried, because it turned out to be one of my favorite reads in a long while.

The thing that grabbed me right away in The Court of Miracles was just how beautifully it was written. The prose is absolutely gorgeous! It hooked me immediately and I couldn't get enough. The storytelling itself was equally beautiful, and together it just made for such an entertaining read.

Speaking of the story... like I said, I don't know Les Mis that well. I know the main story but none of the intricacies well enough to feel like I'm remotely an expert on the subject. That said, I thought The Court of Miracles did a wonderful job of paying tribute to its source material. It's different enough to hold its own as a great book, but with enough of the original thrown in for even someone like me to get excited any time I recognized a character or plot point, which made the reading experience that much better.

The characters were to die for. Mostly Nina *cough* Eponine *cough*. I'll admit a little bias here because Eponine is my faaavorite, so getting a story from her point-of-view is definitely something I wanted. And this story totally delivered. Nina was so dynamic, a blast to read, and really held the story. Plus the romantic interests (yes, plural!) were so swoony. Nina is so fantastic that in my opinion she deserved them all and none of them are good enough for her but I somehow ended up shipping multiple ships and this book put me through the romantic wringer, let me tell you. So yeah, I can't wait to see more of all of these characters in book two, it's going to be so much fun.

The setting here was really well done, with the Miracle Court and all of its guilds presenting as something that has, yes, maybe been done before, but this time felt fresh and new while reading. I just felt like so much time and care went into the world building, giving the story its own voice while paying respect to the source material.

I really loved The Court of Miracles, way more than I ever expected to. I devoured most of the book in a day, and it's really stuck in my mind since then. It's perfect for fans of Six of Crows or The Winner's trilogy, although personally I think it outshines both of those. If you love Les Misérables or alternate histories, then I promise you'll love this one.

Nina is a member of the Thieves Guild, one of the nine guilds in the Court of Miracles, an underground crime syndicate. The Court has its own laws, protects its own, and punishes those who do not respect this. However, when Nina's sister becomes targeted by the Master of the Guild of Flesh, Nina will do anything to protect her, even if it means breaking the Miracle Court's laws. Hard choices must be made to protect those we love.

The Court of Miracles has been marketed as “Six of Crows meets Les Miserables.” These are some big names, some big shoes to fill, and I went into this with pretty low expectations. I had never seen or read Les Miserables before I started this book but about 20% into it I decided I probably should. Overall, I would say that I enjoyed this book but there were quite a few issues that I’ll be addressing. We’ll start with some of the positives.

Pros:
This book is basically a YA Les Miserables alternate universe fan-fiction. I think this is an interesting twist on a retelling. I’m tired of reading recycled versions of Beauty and the Beast and I like the idea of doing a retelling of a classic novel, maybe adjusting some of the characters and story lines, giving a voice to characters that are interesting but maybe don’t get enough screen time, or even flipping the genders all together. I also really liked the short stories and thought they were interesting and added a layer to the history of the Miracle Court. The villain backstory at the end really stands out to me and I feel like he may be the most well developed character in this book.

Cons:
If you haven't seen or read Les Miserables, you will probably not enjoy this book. There is very little in the way of character development and only upon watching the movie did I feel any sort of connection to the characters. I feel like it should be made more clear that this book is more a retelling of Les Mis, as opposed to being influenced by it. There were also a lot of things being told to the reader instead of allowing us to feel and experience it. The only reason I know that Eponine is a talented thief is because the book says she is. The few times she uses her skills, it is on a whim with very little planning. The time jumps (Most of which are 3+ years) are jarring and easy to miss as they are only illustrated on chapter headings. By jumping around, we miss out on a lot of relationship development, especially between Eponine, Tomasis, and the entire cast of characters from the Court of Miracles.



Overall, this book has a very dark, gritty vibe that I enjoyed and I think that the ambiance of Les Miserables was captured as much as it could have been in a book of this size, geared toward a younger audience. A stronger focus on the themes and more character development would have made this book really stand out to me. As is, I think it is still unique but an average read.

For a more in depth review (and spoilers, too), keep an eye out on my channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3w8bxEK0SW_MpCBZphXDPA?view_as=subscriber

Grant has written a complex story re-imagining what would happen if The Jungle Book met Les Miserables. As two very recognizable stories, Grant was able to mesh the two together seamlessly.

Eponine (Nina) has found herself at the center of fight between keeping the peace within the guilds and doing what is right. Nina lost her sister to one of the guilds at a young age and since has taken another young girl (Cosette aka Ettie) under her wings. Now the same people who took her sister want Ettie, and Nina is determined to keep her out of their hands. What she finds goes deeper than she believed to be true. With new friends, strange alliances, and a determination to follow her head and heart, Nina is determined to right the wrongs of the guilds and bring upon a new type of order.

The one thing I really loved about this book were the characters. There were so many characters, it got a little confusing about who was who and just trying to remember everyone and their part. However, a few characters stood out. St. Juste was an extremely likable character. Passionate, funny, and the perfect balance to Nina, he held his own and even managed to stand out. Ettie was another character I adored. Her character growth from the beginning to the end of the book was so satisfying to watch as she grew from a timid girl to a child worthy of the guilds. Finally, while I did have my issues with Nina, I thought she was a very easy protagonist to follow along. She was sassy and brave and I loved her persistence even when everyone told her to quit. Other notable mentions are the guild masters, and I appreciated how each personality fit with their guild.

The other things I really enjoyed about this book were the pacing and the story. The pacing of the story was quite fast which made for a quick read. The story was also interesting enough for me to want to continue on. There were points were I was confused about the intentions of the book (as it sometimes felt like three stories in one book), but once I realized where the book was going, it was easy to follow along.

I did have some problems with this book, which made it a little hard to enjoy. The timeline of the story got very confusing. There would be huge time jumps in the story with no indication that had happened. It was jarring to be thrown forward in time and not know what happened. Because of this, I was never fully able to grasp how old Nina and Ettie were. I think a simple chapter subtitle letting the reader know how many years had passed would have been helpful and made the reading experience that much smoother. It also felt like many of the main events were not fleshed out well. I say this because we would build up to this big moment, and then it would feel like it was rushed, thus never giving us the full experience. These events would be wrapped up so quickly, it was hard to imagine the characters were in any real danger at all. And many times, I felt like I had whiplash because it would be over so quickly, and it would take me a little while to process what just happened.

I also wished Grant had spent a little more time fleshing out the guilds. I found the guilds to be the most fascinating part of the story, and I really wanted to know more about them. I hope in future books we're going to get to spend more time with the guilds and get to know them more. We got a really good insight to one particular guild with the dead lord, but I wanted that to happen with all the guilds.

Also, as a heads up, this is definitely a book where every male character falls in love with Nina. At one point she has three men who are deeply devoted to her and helping her. While it was unclear whether or not it was friendship or something more, I tended to lean towards them all being romantically interested in her. Whether or not this was the intention, this was how I read it.

I think this is a book where readers will either love it or hate it. This book has such a deep and complex story line with interesting characters that I think will appeal to many people. However, with the confusing timeline and rushed plot points, it feels like there is still room for improvement. I am looking forward to seeing where Grant takes this story moving forward, and I anticipate it will only get better from here.

I loved quite a few things about this book. The era, the similarities to Les Mis, the concept of the Guilds hidden away in secrecy. I loved the way it was written. But for some reason, I couldn't quite connect with this story. I didn't feel as connected to the characters, especially Nina, as much as I wanted to. I felt that it moved too quickly at times, and too slow in others. I wish there would have been true romance, instead of Nina kissing a few boys throughout the story. At the end of the book, it just sort of ended abruptly and I felt a bit unsatisfied. Yes, the mission was accomplished but it felt like it ended immediately after the climax. I wished there could have been more falling action and a resolution. Overall, I loved the concept of this book and thought it was well-written. I just wish I had felt more emotionally invested in it.

Review to be posted on Goodreads May 19th.

The Court of Miracles is a book about thieves and assassins and ghosts, and I didn't realize until I was almost done that there was no magic at all in this book. That's how intricate and enchanting the world building was.

Nina is a thief, and throughout the book we see her trying to protect her sister, Ettie, from the Tiger of the Guild of Flesh. It's a heist like novel with twists and turns that will surprise you, and characters you'll grow to care about.

I had one or two issues with the book. It started out as a story about Nina trying to save her blood sister Azelma, but that was abandoned pretty quickly. With reason, certainly. It just felt a little like the book was set up for this and then it was swept aside. Also, every 'handsome' boy that Nina comes into contact with is instantly in love with her while she denies having any sort of feeling while blushing prettily in their presence. We don't even have a love triangle here, it's a love square (that said, I totally have a favorite so who's the real clown here?).

Things I loved about this book: the entire structure of the Miracle Court. I loved reading about each different guild and the characters that led them were all interesting to see on page. This is historical fiction, but it really does feel like fantasy despite there being no magical elements or the like. It's really just a group of very well organized and trained individuals running the underground of France. The world building was rich and I enjoyed reading it (the only issue I had with it was that everyone has at least three names and that gets confusing at times).

Overall, I enjoyed the read and I'll definitely pick up the next one!

Ever since I read the word “Les Miserables” in the synopsis of this book, I knew I had to read it. As a major fan of musical theatre, I’ll read anything that has to do with them, so I went into it with pretty high expectations, and I have to say I ended up pretty disappointed with The Court of Miracles.

The thing is, the premise of this book was so interesting and unique in a way. I honestly thought I was going to absolutely adore this book, because it had a lot of elements that I really love in YA fantasy, but it ended up being such a lackluster story.

It started out great, and I feel the first chapter really set the tone for how the story was going to be, but as I kept reading I became less and less engaged with the book. I think it had a lot to do with how confusing the story ended up being, but I’ll explain myself.

My main issue with this book was that The Miracle Court was barely explained throughout the story. It was one of the most important part of the plot, and I think one of the most interesting parts the story had, but we hardly got to know it. There was no information whatsoever about what the court did and how it worked and was integrated in the society, and I honestly felt I was reading two different books: one that took place at the court and the other which was more a thriller.

The main character was so underdeveloped. She didn’t have an evolution throughout the story, and most of her arc was connected to another character’s arc, so she didn’t have a lot of time to evolved or grow as a protagonist.

Another problem that I had with this book was that I didn’t relate or connect with any of the characters. We were supposed to believe that the main protagonist would risk everything for this little girl that she was trying to save, but we didn’t see a lot of their relationship for us to understand the reasons why she did that. I think if that relationship had been more explored, I would have understood those dynamics a bit better.

Also, there was this weird romance going on that just didn’t make sense. Sometimes it felt like it was going to be a love triangle, and other times it appeared there was going to be a romance, but at no point the author explored neither of those things. Those characters had very few interactions with each other, and I just didn’t believe that a romance could happen between them.

Overall, I was pretty disappointed with The Court of Miracles. It had such an interesting premise, but everything was so underdeveloped and bland that it didn’t make a cohesive story.

Thanks for another ARC Netgalley!

This was a fun read, fast paced and the storyline really never seemed to stop moving, with all the twists and turns you really couldn’t see a lot of it coming. Nina was an interesting character, and I loved her title of the Black Cat since she was able to get away with anything. But part of that is why I found her unbelievable, even as a child she was able to steal from the prince that easily? Aspects of the book definitely seemed unrealistic, such as the fact she seems have three guys pining over her. The Prince, The Assassin and the Rebel, it’s all very fun but unrealistic.

I did enjoy Ettie and her development from being sheltered and scared to no longer being afraid. But other than constantly being sought after she didn’t have much of a personality, I’m hoping that will change down the line.

The main thing that kept confusing me during this whole book was the timeline, I had difficulty imagining what Nina looked like a lot because they were time jumps that lost me and I was scrambling to figure out how much time had passed.

My favorite character though, wasn’t Nina or Ettie. It was Montparnasse, the assassin who seems to have thing for Nina, who just shows up to kill people. And I sincerely hope we see more of him.

I’m excited for the final copy as I have preordered!

Kester Grant's version of France in the 1820's may look similar to 1820's France that we know, but her France shows the criminal underbelly fighting against the grueling reality of a distant monarchy who do not care for their people's lives. As young Eponine watches her own father sell her sister to the fiercest Guild in The Court of Miracles, she adopts one of the last things her sister says to her as her life motto: "Sometimes we must pay a terrible price to protect the things we love." For those she loves, Nina becomes one of the most renowned thief to enter The Court to bring vengeance upon the men who took her sister from her. Grant creates an intriguing world of deception, love, and revenge that will keep readers on their toes the whole time.

Grant expertly takes the world of Les Miserables and increases the character development of the beloved characters within the novel in this beautiful retelling. While fans of the original novel/musical agree that the lovely Eponine deserved better, Grant allows her to shine as the narrative follows her surviving on the dark streets of France. While adding original characters and changing the fates of the characters already known to readers, she explores what could have happened if at least one character infiltrated the French officials to find out their plans to rid the country of the revolutionaries.

Grant's writing style will immerse readers into the underground as the intrigue of the various courts overtakes them completely. This novel kept me wanting more and more as I read, and I was devastated when it ended. I greatly look forward to any additional pieces of the story that Grant may give to readers and will eagerly recommend it to anyone!

I received this arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated above are mine. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me this Advanced Reader's Copy, I enjoyed every minute of it.

The Court of Miracles has interesting ideas but does not develop them enough to thoroughly distinguish itself from other YA fiction novels. The story focuses on Nina, who joins the Guild of Thieves after her older sister is sold to the Guild of Flesh and her attempts to try and save her adopted younger sister. One of the more interesting parts of the story is the idea of the criminal underworld being organized into guilds with specific rules. In addition, there are interludes throughout the book to a story that is the alluded to throughout the book, which was something I personally liked and was another aspect that makes the book unique.

The rest of the story however, is rather unexciting. The plot is relatively simple, with the most exciting parts being when the story backtracks to reveals how a certain event was all part of Nina’s plan. As a character Nina lacks the complexity to feel fully fleshed out. She is characterized primarily as a strong, morally grey female protagonist, with all of the tropes that fit such a character including an abusive father, dead mother, and career as a criminal. The villain in the book is given a strong motivation, but again it is not a new idea, and his arc concludes in a ‘we are not so different’ villain speech. The supporting characters are given nothing to do besides support (or oppose and then ultimately support) Nina’s plans, with Ettie being perhaps the most compelling character and the only one with a true arc. Strangest of all is the love square this book seems to be setting up.

This review is based on receiving an Arc provided by Random House Children's and NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity. All opinions are mine.

So I absolutely fell for the idea of the Miracle Court and the nine guilds. The idea that the Paris underground is rife with thrives and mercenaries, murderers and the like is and will also be a draw in concept for me. That being said the story was just not pulling me in as much as I would have liked. I gave a solid three stars because while I didn't hate it at all I also didn't fall in love with it either.

The plot revolves around Nina and her quest to retrieve her lost sister from the vicious Tiger Lord. A cruel man at the head of the Court who is performing some shady unlawful business. All the while Paris is on the brink of war.

I will say that this genre is out of my main reading material, and while I have read Six of Crows and the main selling point is that it is a mixture of this and Les Mis I couldn't see it. I understood Nina's plight in getting her sister back at all cost and infiltrating the Tiger's guild to retrieve her along with the other captives but it just seemed to fall a little short for me.

I do recommend picking this up if historical espionage is the thing for you. I have no major complaints about the writing or how the story was executed.

*thank you netgalley for my ARC!*

OOOOOOOKAY....what did I just fall into??
I am honestly surprised at how much I liked this book. It takes places in post revolution France described as a mix between Les Mis and Six of Crows. Obviously the Six of Crows comparison got me...I'm a sucker for SOC.

Anyways, this book was great at building a world (and underground world) that I honestly wasn't that excited about to begin with. The main character Nina has a lot of depth, heart, and passion for justice which I just loved. I also loved the adventures and drama that ensued in this book. It kept me holding my breath the whole time.

I did knock off a star for a few things that did annoy me during the story. First, the half fleshed out love triangle (or square??). It seemed rushed, I needed more time building the romance to seem truly believable. Second, the time jumps that happened a couple times in here. It just wasn't well described and it took me a bit to catch on that it was now two years later. And finally, just a couple plot things that I didn't feel were well explained and that I frankly still feel confused on (specifically Javert? I'm confused and who she is?).

But I loved the adventure and atmosphere. It really did bring me SOC vibes but also something entirely unique too!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars!

I read this book within a days time because I couldnt put it down. I loved Nina and loved all of the character building that allowed me to get to know her more and more as the story went on. That being said I would love more backstory on some of the other characters so I could be able to connect with them on that same level! The story is original and brilliant and very unpredictable. It kept me turning the pages and when it ended I was disappointed because I wanted more. The only thing that confused me a little were the time jumps but all in all this has become one of my favorite new books!! Thankyou for allowing me to read and review it!!

Book: The Court of Miracles
Author: Kester Grant
Rating: 1 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Knopf Children’s, for providing me with an ARC.

I don’t understand why publishers try to compare books to other books when they are nothing alike. Yes, it’s a great marketing tool for books that are actually alike, but when they aren’t, it’s just not going to work. This book was compared to Six of Crows and Les Misérables; I for one did not get these vibes. Other than the book taking place during the same time as Les Misérables and featuring some of the characters, it just didn’t happen. I think it has also been compared to The Jungle Book, which I can see more so that the other options. If you are going to sell to me as a heist book, then the heist had best pay off.

I really couldn’t connect to the characters, which is a big problem for me. I really did want to like them, but I just couldn’t. Nina was kind of a Mary Sue, who just went along with everything. If I was in her situation, then I would had been questioning some things. I mean a heist is a very dangerous situation and she just kind of went along with everything that was happening. I get that she didn’t know a lot, but we could have had Nina’s inner thoughts on what she actually thought about it. Instead, she just goes along with it and seems okay with it. I have never read a heist book where the main character was a calm as her. It just didn’t feel right.

Alright, let’s get into the Mary Sue aspect of Nina’s character. She is able to do things that should not be as easy as what they are made out to be. At nine, she is able to scale walls and get around the guard without any trouble. It just wasn’t believable at all. We are just supposed to be okay with this and not question it. If we had gotten to see some of the struggle that Nina went through to achieve this goal, then, maybe, it would have been more believable. I, for one, just am not convinced it.

While I did like the time jump and getting to see the characters as they aged, I just wish that it had been clearer. I wasn’t even aware of the time jump for a little while. If that had been clearer, I think it would have worked a little bit better. The descriptions and the way the world was is pretty strong. However, I just wish that things had been a bit clearer and maybe a little bit more thought out.

The writing has a lot of potential. It fit the realm of fantasy very nicely, but, again, the lack of clarification just kind of made everything get lost. I think that if we take some time to expend on what was done here, then, we will have a pretty strong series. A lot of my issues with the book are just clean up work and if that is done, then, I think we have the potential to have a pretty strong series.

Anyway, this book comes out on June 2, 2020.

Not my favorite writing style but a good plot. Perfect for fans of Six of Crows...definitely had that element about it. I had a difficult time because it felt like something bad was happening constantly.

Good character development

I loved the pitch of this book and the cover is gorgeous. I was hoping to really love it, and I did! After being saved by her sister and taken in by a gang, Nina must decide how far she will go for a second chance at protecting what she loves. Nina grows so much throughout this book, her development was fantastic. She had to be smart, brave, and ruthless to keep herself alive and help her friends. The writing was wonderful and kept me up late a few nights because I just couldn't stop reading. I felt like I could hear footsteps on cobblestones and the whistles of the Wretched as I was submerged in this story. If you like smart, badass main characters, gangs and violence, and found family feels, you should definitely pick this one up.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley.
I really loved Kester Grant's take on such a classic as Les Mis. She kept the core of the story while also making it her own and I really loved and appreciated it. The timelines for me were a bit confusing, you sort of just had to figure it out as you go along, but other than that, I think this was such an amazing historical fantasy.
I totally see why fans of Six of Crows would love this, I adored the entire concept of the Court of Miracles, an underground network of the dregs of society. Nina was such a dynamic character, I love how much she cared for and protected Ettie and their whole relationship warmed my heart! I really can't wait to see what Grant has in store for the next installment because I can tell this story is far from over!

This was an extraordinarily complex story-line that brought in many of my favourite fantasy tropes. It also was was reminiscent of so many favorite works of fiction, and yet still maintained it's own sense of unique brilliance. Aspects occurred early on in the novel that had me unable to conceive how the remainder would play out, and scenes of actions were littered throughout ensuring there was never a pause in the pacing or the tension that dominated any events.

This was an amazing and tantalizing work of fiction that kept me wanting more as I turned every page and I was love the entire time.

Thank you to Net Galley for letting me review this book all opinions are my own.

In the violent urban jungle of 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. Eponine (Nina) T years ohénardier 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 naïve adopted sister, Cosette (Ettie).

When Ettie attracts the eye of the Tiger--the ruthless lord of the Guild of Flesh--Nina is caught in a desperate race to keep the younger girl safe. Her vow takes her from the city's dark underbelly to the glittering court of Louis XVII. And it also forces Nina to make a terrible choice--protect Ettie and set off a brutal war between the guilds, or forever lose her sister to the Tiger.- Goodreads

I dnf this book at 53%. I tried. I really did but this book is all over the place and I am surprised (I shouldn't be) that an editor allowed the book to go to the presses in its current state.

Nina (Black Cat) joins the Thieves Guild after her father sells her sister.  But before she joins she is set to steal an item that no one. . . I mean no one has been able to steal. From that moment one she is considered the best thief there is. Here is the first red flag. How? All the author mentions is that her father took her out of assignments. She is nine. She is accepted into the guild with no information no story-line of any form of training. This is crazy because the author makes mention to Nina's nine year old self on more than one occasion.  The author completely skips any form of build up with Nina's career as a thief. 

The second red flag is that she is able to pull off another big heist to save her adopted sister. At this point in the book, she has pretty much forgotten how to save her biological sister. She did attempt once to save her and almost got her behind handed to her but shockingly enough in the hard streets of Paris a random stranger takes pity on her and saves her from getting beat down. 

The third red flag is the pace of the novel and the transitions. One moment Nina is 9 years old next she is 16 (I think. The author doesn't exactly specify). I almost thought I was reading a different pov. The transition into older Nina aren't good. The book moved too fast and due to that there was a lot of key details missing in the first half of the book.

I wanted to like this book, which is why I read to 53% because I was going to stop at 20%. There is good foundation but there are too many questions the author chooses not to answer. And also that whole troupe of a character just being amazing without any work is a lot of crap. 

1 Pickle

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc! The Court of Miracles is dark, twisty, and keeps you guessing, even when you think you’ve got it figured out! The writing is blunt at times but to me, it really accomplished a tone and enhances the story. I really enjoyed the characters, and was not expecting the way the story unfolded or characters developed. I really hope there’s a sequel in the works because the author definitely leaves you wanting more!