In an alternative revolutionary-era France, there is a silent war waging between the rulers of the day and those who rue the night. The nobility, after having brutally crushed the revolution and all those who supported it, rule the common people with a clenched iron fist of oppression. However, those on the fringes of society–beggars, thieves, assassins, smugglers, prostitutes, and drug runners, also known as The Wretched–have created their own courts in which to rule the city’s darker dealings and the very night itself, a place that Those Who Walk by Day only hear as passing whispers; a society of legend: The Miracle Court.

After witnessing her father sell her older sister, Azelma, to the man known as The Tiger, enacting Lord of the Court of Flesh, young Nina Thenardier, with vengeance in her heart, takes her cat burglar talents to the Court of Thieves, where she pledges her self to the Lord there in exchange of a home and protection after stealing from the crown prince himself. The Lord knows talent when he sees it and Nina is known henceforth as the Black Cat.

Over the years, Nina continues to plan some what to get her sister, Azelma, out of the clutches of the nefarious Tiger. However, when one of her plans go awry and she finds herself saddled with a new sister, Ettie, whom the Tiger has his sights on, Nina feels she must do all she can to protect this beautiful, young girl from the same fate as Azelma. Her plans and plots take her from the sewers of Paris to the deepest darkest prisons, and to the very palace itself in pursuit of her ends. Throughout her story, she meets handsome princes and revolutionaries, all while dodging danger pursuit of a better life for her sisters.

This is an amazing story against the living backdrop of Mother Paris. Nina is a savvy girl who experiences moments of romantic interlude with various characters but never for one second allows it to distract her from her goals and her higher purpose. On this, she remains fixated.

The story is only further enhanced by the setting and characters, both which were described in a way that made it feel real and alive. Every character of the story was well fleshed out. I could see the dust on the ghosts, the shine of the gold around the thieves’ necks, and could practically feel myself drowning in the overwhelming gilt and brocaded silk of the palace and the honey-sweet venom of the Queen’s words. All in all, it was absolutely fantastic and I cannot wait to get my hands on another Grant offering.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the advanced copy of Court of Miracles in exchange for a fair and honest review. All of the above opinions are my own.

I have never been a huge fan of Les Misérables. True to it's name, it is both lengthy and wildly depressing. I am also not a big fan of musicals so that form of adaptation never interested me. Nevertheless, the synopsis for this book piqued my interest. Eponine? As a cat burglar? Ok! If I had to pick one character I would like to see a retelling for, it would be Eponine, so I requested this ARC with very few expectations. Perhaps this is sometimes the best way to approach books, because when they actually blow you away, it is a very pleasant surprise.

This book was FANTASTIC. I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed it. The plot, the character development, everything about it felt fresh, despite the fact it is an adaptation/retelling of a classic and well-known novel. Eponine was a character you could not help but root for, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. The one bummer about reading ARCs that you love is that you have to wait a very long time for the next one. Even so, I like the way the author ended this book. Some story lines were wrapped up, while others were simultaneously opened. This left me finishing the book feeling both satisfied and chomping at the bit for more. A pleasant combination.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Random House Children’s in exchange for an honest review.

The Court of Miracles is a re-tellling/alternate universe version of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, and the eponymous musical. The story follows Éponine from childhood up until the ill-fated Paris Uprising of 1832. At the age of 11, Éponine’s sister is sold by their father, Thénardier, to the Tiger, a ruthless tyrant who runs the Guild of the Flesh. Before being taken away, Éponine’s sister arranges for a friend to take Éponine and help her to become a member of the Guild of Thieves in the Court of Miracles, with the hopes that this will keep her safe from both Thénardier and the Tiger. As Éponine grows into thief and womanhood she develops a strong bond with her foster sister Cosette. Unable to save her older sister, Éponine is obsessed with keeping Cosette safe and out of the Tiger’s grasp. Throughout the story Éponine encounters all of the characters we’ve come to know, love, and hate from the novel and musical, along with the dauphin of France.

Les Misérables is one of my all time favorite musicals, so this was a real treat for me. Overall, I really enjoyed it! I was engrossed right off the bat, though I wish there had been a bit more development of the actual court itself. I would have loved to have learned more about Nina’s upbringing in the Guild of Thieves, and her relationship with Tomasis. I felt a little frustrated by the time jumps for this reason.

I loved Cosette and Éponine’s relationship! That was something from Les Mis that I have always really wanted to see explored. I loved that the author featured so many people of color, and that she made Javert a woman. I’m super excited to hear more about Javert and Valjean’s relationship/past. I cannot wait for the second book!

France has been a very trendy setting lately (Bone Crier’s Moon, Blood & Serpent. The Gilded Wolves), so it’s interesting to see it go in a direction other than straight fantasy.

A super quick read, I devoured it within a few hours. It wasn’t perfect, but it was fun, and since finishing it I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the characters, especially Enjorlas and Éponine.

Thank you Random House Children’s and NetGalley for the advance readers copy.

The Court of Miracles held such potential for me. The cover is awesome; the synopsis was intriguing. Unfortunately, the delivery fell short.

There was A LOT going on in this book, and while I normally enjoy that kind of complexity, it didn't work for me this time. Because while there was a lot going on, it also felt like nothing was happening.

So many words and descriptions went into situations that never seemed to go anywhere. I kept waiting for something to happen. I'd read, check how far I'd gone, read some more, keep waiting. It wasn't until around the 80% mark that I was truly interested, and frankly, it shouldn't take that long to build up to the culmination of the story.

I also didn't appreciate the time gaps, which were poorly explained. Most of the time, I found myself trying to determine how much time had passed. Days? Weeks? Years? It was frustrating and confusing and unnecessary.

The characters themselves fell a bit flat as well. They seemed pretty one-dimensional to me, and maybe that's because there were so many. I personally didn't care for Nina or Ettie all that much. I liked all the side characters but I wanted to like them more and didn't get much of a chance to know them like I wanted.

I am kind of curious to see where this series will go, but I'm not really sure it'll be worth it.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

YESSSSSS!!! Now THAT was entertaining! It was full of all sorts of good stuff like loyalty and betrayal, suffering-revenge-retribution (?), a tame love(ish) quadrilateral and most of all Hope. Hope was sprinkled about, a little here, a smidge there. It was an ember in the darkness and the inspiration behind almost every action our MC took.

Another major motivation for our MC was the notion of Family. The word was stretched and tested and redefined multiple times. The concept's metamorphosis was intriguing. It was powerful, pure, gut wrenching and an integral part of the story. The pull of it felt something akin to ogling a devastating car accident... sure, some of its appeal is the taboo act of staring at it... sure, lingering about, almost to the point of obsession is frowned upon but man oh man what an endorphin thrill it can be. Rubbernecking, this compulsive urge to witness the curious, is the #1 cause of accidents on the road (a stat that I 100% did (not) research before stating it here) and appeals to the average Joe and the kinky vouyer alike. BUT I digress... often :-)

Anyway ..


Up next is the world building. The world building was immersive and had me feeling like I was living alongside the characters... a participant rather than a spectator. There was a glaring juxtaposition between the dirty, gritty, (mostly) Street Law abiding Wretched poor versus the aesthetically beautific yet festering and fetid to the core elitist Gentry. The obvious duality between the classes was equal parts stark, palpable, visceral and tangible. Their dastardly interplay played nicely off one another and was showcased brilliantly by the organic and authentic writing.


Then there were the Characters themselves. The characters were all so deliciously ambiguous and angsty (for good reason), and so humanly gray that I couldn't help but love-loathe, adore- abhor each and every one. AND when I say every one, I mean absolutely EVERY character (protagonist and antagonists alike) was dynamic. There were a couple of people I wish we got to know more about BUT isn't the anticipation and craving for more part of the allure?

Allure, allure, you'll get you're fill here. I am always all in for the morally questionable, quasi-heroes. The ones who are atypical but fit the role if you turn your head a little to the side and squint a bit. Our MC Nina (aka the Black Cat of the Thieves) happened to fit that mold to a T. She was strong yet vulnerable (especially when it came to those she loves). She was a badass, no nonsense force of nature that refused to back down from anything or anyone! She scratched and scraped, fought and spit fire (not literally) in order to achieve her lofty goals... no matter the circumstances... consequences be damned. Her amalgamated traits worked. Nina was fierce, street smart and adroit with whom she let in. She didn't flinch in the face of hard decisions and was resolute in her convictions... determined to the point of obsession. When the stage shifted without warning, she adapted... transformed... she shed her Victim mentality and became the Nothing Can Stop Me Thief/Holy Avenger of the Night (in spirit not in name). She was able to get into any place and steal/liberate almost anything/anyone. Her undeniable appeal is a testament to how well Kester Grant's characters are crafted and the entirety of this paragraph is a mere scratch on the surface of just one single character... imagine the indepth cast you'll meet if you give this gem a shot... I'm a betting girl and I'm betting that you won't regret the decision.


Overall:

I absolutely adored this book. When I finally freed up the time to read it, I devoured it! I wish I had taken my time with it more but it had me so wrapped up and dialled in that slowing down and smelling the proverbial roses just seemed like an impossible task. I couldn't seem to slam on the brakes to savoure it the way it deserved and that's unfortunate... Unfortunate because my Trifecta of Awesomeness ( writing + world building + character development = the perfect read) was both met and done so effortlessly. There were some harmless editing faupax but since I was graciously gifted an Advance Reader's Copy, I am confident that they will be remedied before the final publication. All in all I couldn't be happier with my time in this world, with these poignant characters. I definitely think you should give this one a go, I'll wager cold hard (virtual) cash that you'll enjoy your few hours of escape!

~ Enjoy!


*** I was given a copy of this book from
Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ***

A peculiar story filled with mischievous characters and a world of thievery and murder. The Court of Miracles is an interesting story to say the least. It entraps you and allows you to get a glimpse of France during the revolution, however in this version The Wretched fill the streets at night and Those Who Walk By Day stroll through the alleys as the sun ascends. The royalty keeps to their castles as the poor are doomed to famine and thieves.

The Court of Miracles follows a central character called Nina, or small cat as we get to know her. She is part of the Guild of Thieves. The setting behind the story is very unique, although the complexity of it as well as the diversity and addition of characters made it a little confusing. Specially to sort out who's good and who's bad. I feel that due to this as I read about a character I found myself distracted trying to rack my brain to see who this person was and what importance they had to the story.

The intricacy of the world is neat and it is builded nicely. The Wretched are basically the "bad" people of France who have allowed themselves to become poisoners, assassins and thieves in order to survive. Those Who Walk By Day are the normal students that are thus middle class and of course the royalty which makes our high class. Nina, our main character, finds herself trapped in all of those worlds. Being filled with wit and bravery she embarks in an adventure trying to find her sister. However, this sister is caged by a Lord we call the Tiger. There are a lot of scenes where we can depict the Tiger as being someone who drugs their women and uses them in ways that are imaginable but never explained.

The story deals with a lot of heavy themes yet those so lightly that we are aware of what is going on by reading between the lines. The connections between the people and the betrayals are astounding. It really does fill you with a lot of dread and anxiety as most of these tasks Nina has to do are bigger than her own life and can affect the whole world she lives in.

Another not important plot detail, yet something that I adored was the additions of "stories" or legends told by the Guild Lords between them. They're children stories that actually tell so much truth about the royalty and the way the poor lived that left me speechless.

The small doses of romance here and there, as well as some characters that allow for the mood to lighten a bit like Ettie really allow the story to come alive.

*I received this ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

-- 3.5 stars --

The Court of Miracles is marketed as a Six of Crows/Les Mis mash-up, which sounds pretty awesome and intriguing. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me in basic terms: the background was both overwrought and under explained and the character development left very few sparkling personalities to emerge from the mix.

Basically, our main character, Nina, is a talented thief who enters a thieving guild, and basically gets a new family (even though her regular old jerky dad is still a part of said family). There are a number of guilds that give off a criminal underworld vibe. Nina spends most of her time trying to protect her sisters from the "master of the flesh", a ruthless guild master who enjoys throwing some muscle around and enslaving girls for fun (and profit!). Nina does a lot of scheming in order to take down the flesh master, involving a band of misfits to help her pull off the carefully constructed maneuver.

Courtly intrigue, band of misfits, eliminating toxic men from the world. What's not to like?

Unfortunately, quite a bit. I think that my lack of engagement in this story began right from the start. This world takes some getting used to, and I wasn't feeling the worth of investing my time. I was hoping for way more from said band of misfits, but there weren't many stand out characters to be found. While a lot did happen, I just expected to feel more of an impact than I did. Overall, I had high hopes for this one but it didn't quite connect. Not a bad read for a young adult fantasy, but it didn't quite hit the mark that it was aiming for. There are clearly going to be subsequent books in this series, and I do think there's potential for growth here.

Huge thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

“Les Misérables meets Six of Crows in this page-turning adventure as a young thief finds herself going head to head with leaders of Paris's criminal underground in the wake of the French Revolution.”

When I saw this tagline and then the GORGEOUS cover of The Court of Miracles I knew I absolutely had to read it. France + Les Misérables + secret underground societies + history + Six of Crows!? Sign me up! I was thrilled to be approved for an eARC of The Court of Miracles.
Overall, I liked The Court of Miracles. Was it amazing? No, but it was a fun story with beautifully descriptive scenes and an intriguing criminal underworld.

My favorite parts of The Court of Miracles were the author’s descriptions and then the actual Court of Miracles. This is Kester Grant’s debut novel and I have to say I am very impressed with her writing. The way she described each scene . . . whether it be the gaudy palace or the creepy Halls of the Dead . . . everything was vivid and excellently crafted. I could truly see the scenes playing out in my head.
My other favorite part was the Court of Miracles itself. This criminal underground made up of nine guilds was totally captivating. Each guild is overseen by a Lord or Lady who leads their “Wretched Children” in whatever their guild specializes in. It is a fascinating system of politics and court intrigue. I could have spent so much time just exploring each guild!

The Court of Miracles started off with a bang! I was immediately pulled in by the first chapter. It was super intense because we are immediately thrown into this life and death situation in which our main character, Nina, is forced to run for her life. The whole first sequence of Nina joining the Guild of Thieves was so exciting! The plot kept me interested, but I will say that the timeline was somewhat confusing at first. There are several time jumps throughout the book.

Part four of The Court of Miracles is by far the best part. The plot is non-stop and so exciting. I flew through the end of this book!!

I think the main thing that caused me not to love The Court of Miracles was the choppiness of the plot. This was due to two reasons. First, the time jumps. I don’t mind time jumps, but these felt very stop start. That probably doesn’t make sense, but the time jumps felt abrupt and made me feel very disconnected. The second reason why I didn’t love The Court of Miracles was the structure of the plot. Everything was very task oriented. Our protagonist would encounter a problem then immediately solve it and move on to the next problem. It felt like a bunch of mini plots rather than one cohesive plot. It was just . . . weird.

I did like all the Les Misérables aspects. Although dumb me did not catch that Ettie is short for Cosette.

Overall I enjoyed The Court of Miracles. It was a fun story with a beautiful setting. I would love to explore the guilds of the Court of Miracles more. The Court of Miracles is set to be a trilogy.

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant will be released on June 2nd, 2020.

Thank you to Random House Children's / Knopf Books for providing an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book, and I'm sad to say I was left disappointed.

Let me begin by saying that the premise is exciting, and the author is good at setting and description. I found my skin crawling with some of the vivid imagery. However, I found the execution in general lacking.

My biggest issue is that I felt nothing for any of the characters except annoyance. Every last one fell flat, and often I had to refer to my notes to remember who was who because they were all static. Nina, our main character, reads so cold, self-serving, and emotionless, that even knowing her motivation to protect her sisters, I still couldn't sympathize or root for her.

The story was all over the place. Emphasized issues were swapped so abruptly, and the time jumps left me floundering and wondering if something that was true years ago (in the last chapter) still holds because it wasn't mentioned again. Such as things pertaining to manner and appearance that were written to be very important, then pretty much fall away, this is also true of motivations and left me scratching my head. There were scenes where something would happen to a character, such as a terrible wound, and suddenly they're up and acting like nothing happened—going from laying there bleeding to hopping up and rushing around. There were a lot of unrealistic actions that are quite detrimental to the story, especially considering the book is written in first person. Yet, Nina's thoughts are contradictory to what happens. Again, I don't want to spoil anything, suffice it to say when something big was revealed, I didn't understand how it was possible considering the character's mindset on the issue.

Overall the scenes seemed jumbled, some rushed, others pointless. The "love interests" felt tossed in simply to say there was some nod to romance, they too fell flat. There was no passion or actual interest, for that matter. It was more like being told one person liked another just for the sake of knowing. Like the characters themselves, it wasn't fleshed out.

At the halfway point, I was bored. I pushed through because, as I said before, I wanted to like this book. There were some points of interest in the beginning, it sagged throughout the middle, and the end felt thrown together and rushed. The pacing was just odd. It was mostly slow with these odd random bursts that tricked me into thinking something was happening. Repetitive phrases were exhausting, and honestly, I just wanted something to happen. I felt a bit surprised, perhaps once in the book. Even parts meant to be surprising or shocking, I think, were done in a way that left me confused instead of that rush of excitement or dread I wanted to feel.

Bear in mind this was not a final copy, so there may yet be editing to help tighten and brighten this manuscript, and I sincerely hope that is the case. I think this has so much potential; it just needs some work.

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant.
In this page turning, brilliant retelling of Les Mis, we meet Nina, a young but determined cat burglar who is adopted into the thieves guild as a child. The thieves guild is one of the nine underground, criminal enterprises that make up the Court of Miracles. In the world of 19th century Paris, the inhabitants of the court strive to create their own world, despite the tyranny and hatred going on above in the royal palace.
Nina has one goal when she enters the thieves guild; to save her sister, Azelma, from a life of prostitution forced upon her by the Flesher’s guild and the man behind it, the Tiger. However, after Azelma is taken, Nina turns to her guild for support. She becomes the most successful cat burglar there is. This also leads her to a new cause... saving the young, afraid and beautiful Ettie from suffering the same fate as Azelma did.

What I liked:

The characters, especially Nina, are tragically flawed, brutally honest and realistic characters. The decisions that haunt them haunt the reader as well.
Nina is an incredibly strong female lead! She puts nothing in front of her need to save her sisters.
The bond of family, blood and guild, is such a beautiful thing. It’s almost like the reader can see each thread that knits the characters together, and feel how thick some of those bonds become.
You don’t have to know the story of Les Mis to enjoy the book! I only knew the general theme, and was still completely wrapped up in Grant’s fictional world.

What I didn’t like:

I would have loved more information on the other guild leaders and guild members. I felt myself growing so attached to them, yet I knew nothing of their upbringing or what made them into the lovable characters they are.
There definitely could have been more romance! Nina was presented with not one, not two, but THREE wonderful love interests, and she barely seemed to notice at all. That definitely could have been explored more and added some relief to the dark tone of the story.

I want to thank NetGalley, Random House Children’s, and author Kester Grant for providing me with an ARC of this novel.

What a different experience while reading a YA novel! And it was a phenomenal experience! This re-telling of Les Miserables and Jungle Book… Just wow. How do you even meld those two things together?! But the author figured out how and did it well. This version of France that is built within your imagination is just gorgeous; you feel like you’re falling smack dab into the middle every time you crack open this book. I was entranced the whole way through, and I definitely enjoyed this re-telling.

Thank you again to those named above for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

I loved this book. Wow. While I am not too familiar with Les Miserables, this book still sucked me into its constant adventure and danger. The worldbuilding within The Court of Miracles is thorough and detailed, making this version of France just as tangible as the real one. Each character was so dynamic and full of life that I felt like I was running through the streets of Paris with them. I loved Nina and all of the incredible schemes that she pulls off with her only goal in mind: protecting her family. While elements of romance were sprinkled throughout the novel, the main bonds of sisterhood and duty to one's country were prevalent and the core of this book. My only complaint would be the hazy timeline within the book. A chapter would go by and I would only realize after that two whole years had passed by without any noticeable notation. It made things a bit difficult as I tried to picture how old Nina was when certain events took place, but otherwise, I adored this book!

I was so excited to see that there was going to be a Les Mis reimagining from Eponine’s point of view, and this was only made better when I found out it would also take on a fantastical twist as well. Les Mis is one of the few classic historical fiction novels that has appealed to me, and yes, maybe it was primarily motivated by my love of the musical. Nevertheless, it was a huge deal for me when I received a copy of this to read and review.

Sad to say I was a bit disappointed overall. The premise and the world Grant creates out of 19th Century Paris is exciting, definitely more so than Victor Hugo and his tireless descriptions of the French sewer systems among other things. The idea of there being these guilds that ran the underworld of this indulgent city was very creative and utilized the characters we know from the original Hugo novel in a fun way (especially Montparnasse). Counteracting these guilds is the backdrop of the French Revolution’s very long fallout. The opulence and extravagance of the scenes set in the French palace were so well done that you understood why the guilds would be so angry with the way the country was being ruled.

Where the story fell flat for me was pretty much everything else. With such an incredible premise, I was hoping the actual plot would be executed differently. Time jumped around in odd ways from chapter to chapter, making it very hard to figure out how much time had passed. The plot got very convoluted at points and I couldn’t exactly follow what was happening until it had already happened. A lot of the relationships between characters that were set up didn’t feel fully fledged out. It was like waiting for the best part of a song to play in the club and then the DJ changes it only moments before it hits. I was just left feeling underwhelmed by most of the characters.

Speaking of which, I felt like some of the characters felt oddly out of character, based on the source material of this reimagining. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but some of the characters felt like they were only the same characters from the original Hugo novel in name with not much else all that similar. This perhaps could’ve worked more for me if the plot and pacing were a bit stronger, but without that, it just felt like new characters that just happened to have the same name.

Overall, not a bad book, just not what I was hoping for when I picked it up.

I received an e-ARC via Netgalley but all the views expressed below are my own.

I have heard a lot of good things about this book and when I saw that amazing cover....oh my I knew this was going to be good. The first half of the book was a little confusing at times. There were time line jumps that you weren't 100% sure of until halfway through the chapter you were told its 2 months or 2 years later. And the plot line was a bit all over the place bouncing from this story to that story (some of which was needed to set the background). BUT the second half of the book immensely made up for the beginning!! Wow oh wow when this book started to get interesting it got interesting FAST and made it nearly impossible to put down!! The twists and turns, betrayals and intrigues had me so thoroughly engrossed in this book!

One of my favorite parts of this book were the Courts of the Wretched! Normally, fantasy books are all about princesses and palaces or coming from nothing to woo a prince but this book was nothing like those and I LOVED it!! These courts were all about beggars, thieves, assassins and they were even more intriguing! The world building was so intricate I felt like I was a part of these courts and understood their rules and customs, of which there are MANY let me tell you! And the politics and scandal were taken to a whole new level within these courts. I'll let you read the book to find out more but wow I just loved it!

I was also thoroughly attached to the main character Nina. Reading this book was like growing up with her. We start the book with her as a young girl ripped apart from her sister (more like mother) by a Father who is an awful, awful human. And with the help of a friend she becomes part of a new family, the court of the wretched. I absolutely loved that we got to see part of her upbringing and how that influences her later in life. I also loved that while there were many men interested in her (ahem hello gorgeous) that she was all about sisterly love. She fought and bled for her sisters (one biological and one not) and that made me love her all the more. Nina was a take no crap, dish it out as hard as you give it, amazing thief that I would love to be best friends with.

All around I really enjoyed reading this book. The writing was beautiful and creative and entranced me in this world. I could definitely see myself getting lost in an audiobook version. I would definitely recommend this book especially if you like a beautiful story about thieves and sisterly love with a bit of politics and revolution thrown into the mix. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-ARC!

This book was just okay for me. I actually ran into small issues with it right away. I don't know how old Nina is supposed to be during most of this book. I know how old the character she is loosely, very loosely, based on is supposed to be. But that doesn't mean she's that age. So a lot of the context of who the character has become is supposed to be. I am also not very familiar with the source material this is a retelling of, Les Misérables. I know the names of a handful of characters and that's about it. I had to look up how old Eponine was in that book/play, but I am unsure if she is that old in this book.

There was a lot of action at the start of the book, and I was really into it. There was a heist to "steal"/release a man from prison, Orso, The Dead Lord. He rules over the "dead", who seem to mostly be orphan children. A lot of things happened really fast. The pacing was just a little strange. Time and detail weren't given to things in a way that didn't really make sense until near the end of the book.

Around the middle of the book, there is a scene that I think was meant to feel stressful, because of where Nina and Ettie were and who they were around. But the scene ended up having no consequences from those people. It happens later and to someone else. Not everything felt like a cause and effect situation. This is around when the book started to take a dip in pacing for me.

There's a 2-year time jump, which I usually hate in books. But it worked for this book. The latter half of this book was about as face-paced as the first quarter of the book. Again, a lot happening very quickly. There is a twist that I didn't expect, and that helped raise the book for me. At first, I was unsure how this could be more than one book, but with where things were left I am very interested in continuing the series. I hope certain characters are explored more and expanded on.

**I was provided an electronic ARC by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Kester Grant's The Court of Miracles leads readers in a retelling of Les Miserables where Eponine, called Nina, is the star of the show. Nina is a Thief in a France where the criminal underground of the city is run by various guilds. Nina swears to protect her foster sister, Ettie (Cosette), from the Lord of Flesh.

I was generally pleased with this retelling. While I was not overly impressed with the characters themselves, I found the world and the various factions within it to be compelling. I actually felt the concept could have stood without the framework of the retelling to fall back upon. Eponine is probably one of my favorite characters of Les Mis anyway, and I was happy to see her in the spotlight with her cleverness being key to her success or failure. It was interesting how Grant wove each of the characters into the new story being told.

I was entertained all the way through the story and feel it could appeal to fans of Les Mis or those who are unfamiliar with the original work. I look forward to seeing what Grant comes out with in the future.

*My thanks to the Author and Publisher for gifting me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

The Miracle Court is lauded as Les Miserables meets Six of Crows and it certainly did not disappoint.

In mid-1800s France, Nina Thernadier was robbed of her home and her beloved sister all in the span of a single night. To escape the wrath of her father, she is whisked away to the Miracle Court where she is sworn into the Thieves Guild and bound to never go after the man responsible—The Tiger. Lord of the Guild of Flesh. But Nina cannot let her sister go, and as she grows and learns to cultivate the skills she has learned within her guild she will stop at absolutely nothing to save her, and the Miracle Court itself, from the Tiger's corruption.

I. Loved. This. Book.

The prose is absolutely beautiful. It drew me in immediately with it's dark, breathless pace and Nina was a wonderful character to follow. Flawed characters are so much more beautiful to me, so much more human, and she encompasses everything I love about this archetype. I have never been one for politics, but the political intrigue concerning the Guilds of the Miracle Court was absolutely fascinating. Les Miserables is a familiar storyline for me, but the interwoven world-building drew me in and did not let me go until the very end. I had not expected to be so enthralled. There were so many characters that surprised me with how much I adored them. Ettie: A character who's an archetype I usually do not enjoy. A fierce and beautiful little thing. Gavroche: My sweet angel. Montparnasse: The silent killer with a loyal and loving heart.

And it did not gloss over or remove the horrible, ugly, heart-wrenching areas that Les Miserables is so famous for. While Nina's own agenda took precedence, we were often thrust right into the heart of what fear and cruelty can and has done to those without the means to protect themselves. I was concerned that things would be lost, or left unresolved with so many things going on at once, but the author did a wonderful job of weaving them together again.

There were a few things that I did not enjoy as much: Nina being in the middle of a pool of two(three?) men was not something I generally care for, but the romance was most certainly not the focus here and in the end, I was able to overlook it. Also, there were parts where we would skip quite a bit ahead and I had to read in a way to realize how much time had passed, and I think it would have been helpful to have more dates for such large jumps.

As these were all minor, I did not feel the need to remove or half a star. This book genuinely surprised me in many ways and I am so pleased to know that it is the first of a series. I am so eager to delve back into the fascinating intrigue that is the Court of Miracles and the Guilds within it.

What a beautiful book! THE COURT OF MIRACLES held me captivated for the entire time I read it. In fact, I read the whole thing in one sitting. The language was magnificent and the story rich and poignant. When I started, I wasn't quite sure what to expect given this seemed to be a Les Miserables retelling. Marketed as a Les Miserables meets Six of Crows, I was excited to see how this would turn out. And boy were my expectations blown out of the water. While I knew the Les Mis story, this book kept me surprised as it twisted and turned in every direction. I was excited to see character names I recognized and to see how they made an impact on the story, as well as new faces that I came to love as their journey unfolded in the narrative..

I thought this was a clever, dark, unique take on the Les Mis story. While it was hard at times to navigate through the broad cast of characters, the plot kept me moving along and excited to find out how the Black Cat of the Thieves Guild would make it out of this revolution alive.

Kester Grant did an exceptional job at bringing this story to life while navigating the harsh waters of retelling a well-beloved story.

5/5 stars

The Court of Miracles is a stunning tale of thievery and one girls treacherous journey to save the ones she loves. In the after math of a French Revolution vastly different from the one we all know, Nina lives her life in darkness, trying to protect those she loves and still abide by the Law that has protected her.

This book was such a wild ride that I couldn’t put it down. It’s face paced (albeit too fast at times), horrifically graphic and will betray you over and over again. I loved every second of it and only wish that at times there was more to the Tory instead of jumping time so much.

4.5!

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Children's for the e-arc to review!
So I didn't know much about this book going in, besides that it was supposed to be Six of Crows meets Les Mis. And well that premise was very appealing! And I think it lived up to that!

The Court of Miracles is set in an alternate 1828 Paris, where the French revolution has failed. The city is divided between the cruel royalty and nine criminal guilds. The nine guilds make up The Court of Miracles, where the city's underbelly thrive and live by their own set of laws. Eponine (Nina) Thénardier is a member of the Guild of Thieves, stealing to survive. She's also trying to protect her naive adopted sister Cosette (Ettie), from the Tiger, the ruthless leader of The Guild of Flesh. Nina's mission to keep Ettie safe leads her into sticky situations. Nina must ultimately decide if keeping Ettie safe is worth starting a war between the guilds.

So the beginning of this book is a bit slow, but it helps set up the guilds, Nina's story, and the world. It will quickly hook you though! I was trying to do a buddy read with some friends but I couldn't put the book down and finished it in one night! I loved the characters and all of the Guilds! It was so interesting and set up well! There's a ton of action, and layers to the story. The overarching plot is centered on Nina saving Ettie, but there's so much more involved in it than just that.
I wanted more of all of the guilds though! We get to see a lot of the Thieve's Guild, and a few others. But I hope further books in the series elaborate on the other Guilds more. I also cannot wait for more from some of the side characters! There's so many we get to see and I really liked that.
There's a bit of romance in the book, but it's definitely not the central focus. There's the barest hint of a love triangle but I didn't mind it, because it wasn't a big focus at all. Also I loved that Nina got to have a group of male friends that were just genuinely friends and not potential love interests. That's missing in a lot of YA.

I wasn't always loving the use of the same names as Les Mis. We got Cosette, Eponine, Javert (with a fun twist though!), and Jean Valjean. I feel like there could have been a bit more creativity there. But the characters were given enough of a twist that you didn't feel like you're reading a Les Mis retelling.

Overall, I love this book!! I think it's going to be crazy hyped, and talked about endlessly, and for good reason!! If you like fantasy, are in any way intrigued by a Les Mis on its head premise, and like action packed stories, jump on this book!!!