Thank you to the author Kester Grant, the publisher Alfred A Kelly, and Net galley for giving me an ARC in exchange for my candid review.

What an utterly charming book. It takes place in France after the the first revolution. The monarchs are back in charge and there is trouble brewing. It takes place in the Les Miseables time. But I will get back to that.

It is the story of the underclass....the poor people...the people that you walk past and don't notice. They are broken into various guilds that serve as families. There are thieves, beggars, assassins, drug smugglers, prostitutes, etc. The day walkers own the day, but the guilds own the night.

it is the tale of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables told afresh....but not really. Nina becomes a Thief to save her...and she becomes The Black Cat....one of the most renowned cat burglers when she steals the dauphins locket.

It is an entrancing story and well worth the read.

I've been excited about this title for a while, and it was unlike anything I've read before! I was also not what I expected but still very much an enjoyable read!

I wanted to love this one but it just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t relate to any characters and that is a huge part for me.

The Court of Miracles was marketed as a retelling of Les Mis and The Jungle Book. The Les Mis references are obvious throughout, however, I don't understand how the Jungle Book plays into it. I haven't read the book so that could be why I didn't pick up on the references. The concept of this novel was intriguing but trying to fit the entire Les Mis plot and a criminal underground plot in a 400-page book didn't work. Les Mis spans many years and there are so many plot beats. This book was so rushed. I think it would have been better if the Les Mis plot was spread out through at least the sequel rather than the entire thing in this first book.

I know there are characters in this story, but I felt such a complete disconnect from every single one because there is no development beyond the surface. A lot of potential lost.

I have not read a book like this in a while. From page one, I was completely enveloped by the atmosphere of the story and it was almost impossible to put down. I started reading yesterday, only intending to read a few pages, and all of a sudden two hours were gone. This book just draws you in so well. I am in love with this story and the intrigue and deceit at the heart of it all. We follow Nina, a girl who started off being raised under less than optimal circumstances and is now well on her way to becoming an infamous thief. I loved her character in particular and the extent to which she will go to protect those she loves, even if it means betraying everyone who stands in her way. I don’t think it’s fair that she gets three love interests and I get zero, but I’m intrigued to see how that plays out in the next book. I will say, however, that I was a little disappointed/confused with all of the time jumps. They would just kind of happen and all of a sudden Nina’s telling you that two years have passed. I honestly feel like, if we’re going to have some lengthy time jumps here, that the characters need to undergo some development and not be exactly the same before and after, especially with the younger children, but nothing really does. I don’t think the time jumps add much to the story considering nothing changes within them. Besides that, I did really enjoy this book, and I am highly anticipating the next one!

This one felt to me like it took things from other stories and tried to make it its own. And for some of the things it worked out well but others it just didn't. I did love the characters and the adventure of the story. I think that even with the things that didn't work out still doesn't make this a bad read. If you enjoyed Les Miserables then I would totally check this one out.

My reaction to this book is a mixed reaction. One the one hand I found this to be an interesting book with an interesting dynamic. My favorite part would probably be the court dynamics and the court hierarchies. I just found that to be a very interesting element and I enjoyed learning about how each court was set up and just how the court system worked in general, I do wish we got to hear more about the Sisters because they seemed like a very strong court.
The politics of the royalty vs the commoners was intriguing and the only part about that that I did not like was that it seemed to the Les Mis aspect. The whole ball scene and the revenge on the royals was a masterpiece. Also I did not like the royal family when they were talking about how the peasants wronged them when they are the ones who started killing and I really wished Nina confronted the dauphin with all the deaths of the commoners when he was talking about the funeral professions for the nobility.
I also found our main character, Nina, to be an interesting character. She knew what she wants and she goes for it and I really appreciated her protector status that she developed. I also found her dilemma over whether or not she should trade Ettie for her sister was interesting. I loved that internal conflict and all the bits and pieces that went with it. I thought the Nina’s internal conflict of trying to justify selling Ettie to get her sister back was very intriguing and I think it added a lot to the beginning of the story. I do agree with her decision in the end and I think the path she choose says a lot about her character.
Now for a couple of the things I didn’t like. I didn’t like the fast pace. Usually I like my books to have substance and have action, but there just seemed to be action after action after action. I just felt as none of the big action scenes got the time they should’ve or deserved. For example when Nina broke into the prison. She talks of how hard it would be and how no one can do it, but yet she seemed to accomplish it pretty easily. Also there would be pretty major time skips with no warning attached. It seemed that when Ettie was kidnapped the next chapter jumped two years and there was no warning and no time stamps to indicate how much time had passed.
Nina’s development bothered me. We did not watch her grow at all and it seemed she was a master thief to begin with and I don’t think we saw her really be challenged by anything and that was disappointing. We did not see her plan anything and it seemed everything was done on the fly or planned off screen and it would have been really cool to see Nina’s thought process and her working things out. Because the whole deal with Ettie kidnapping kind of confused me. There was also no failure, no learning and since there was no failure and no learning there seemed to be very little character development. And because of the fast pace and that we never saw planning the ending didn’t really feel like the ending and there seemed to be a few points during the last few chapters that could have been better.
I did not like the romance aspect either. This was not just a simple love triangle because there were like three different guys that Nina all seemed to like and was seeming to be pushed towards. Probably my least favorite thing in regards to the romance was that when Nina first met the Dauphin she broke into his room and when he woke up she kissed him to distract him. Listen I don’t care that she was a girl and that she was trying to avoid to arrest, but it is 2020 it is time we stopped having non-consensual kissing in books between characters who don’t know each other because let’s be honest if Nina was a guy and the dauphin had been a girl that scene would have caused a lot of outraged. It was still wrong for Nina to do that.
The final thing I’m going to discuss is Nina’s relationship with her sister Azelma. It seemed at some points she was planning on rescuing her sister, other times she had given up on her sister, and then other times where she was thinking of revenge and not rescue. It kind of confused me, because we kept going back and forth on was Azelma alive and ready to be rescued. I just wished the Nina’s thought surrounding her sister stayed consistent, because I did not like being in a constant guessing game over whether the plan was to rescue Azelma or had Nina just given up on her. With that being said the found family aspect was strong and I did think that Ettie’s relationships with the ghosts was cute.
I was not pleased with the book and I do think there were a lot of things that could have be written or explained better.

3.5/5 stars.

The Court of Miracles was a really gripping novel. All the books that I've read about Paris have been romance novels, so it was refreshing to explore Paris through a French Revolution- based fantasy.
I was fascinated with Nina's life from the very beginning of the story, and loved being a part of her epic adventure. There was a mysterious element to the book, which kept me at edge at all times - specially while reading the last few chapters.

I book had a lot of characters, so it was hard to keep track of all the characters in the story at all times. I also felt if the love interests (even though it wasn't the main part of the story) were included in the book just for the sake of crafting a YA story. I would have liked the book better if the author focused on one guy in Nina's life, instead of having her feel attraction to almost every boy she meets - given how there were many important events going in the background.

I would recommend The Court of Miracles if you want to read a fast-faced and gripping story!

<b>Rating:</b> 5/5 Stars

I received an e-ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! I didn’t know much about this book going in aside from it being a Les Mis meets Six of Crows vibe. And to be honest I know nothing about Les Mis except that it’s a musical… but I love SoC and that was enough for me.

The Court of Miracles is set in an alternate 1828 Paris, where the French Revolution has failed and the city has been divided between merciless royalty and nine underground criminal guilds, known as the Court of Miracles. The book follows Nina, a cat-burglar, who is a member of the Guild of Thieves. When the ruthless leader of the Guild of Flesh, Tiger, shows an interest in Nina’s younger adoptive sister she will do whatever is necessary to protect her. Even starting a war between the guilds if necessary.

This story does start a little slow but it quickly develops into a fast-paced, action-packed adventure. I could not predict where the plot was going and there were some really clever plot twists that I did not see coming at all.

What I liked:
I freaking loved Nina! She has had a tough life and she had to grow up quick. She is fearless, sneaky, unrelating and loyal to those she loves. I loved her sweet bond with Ettie and the lengths she was willing to go to protect her from the darker sides of the Court. I also liked that while there was hints of romance throughout the book, the main focus was on Nina fighting for her and Ettie’s survival. I’m sure romance will become a more prominent part of the story as the series continues but I like that the ground work was laid without one.

The world building was insanely well done in this book despite it being quite complex. I never felt overwhelmed by it and absolutely adored this world. I loved getting to see the different guilds and see the dynamics within the guilds. The Court of Miracles was dark and gritty and I loved it.

What I didn’t like:
Only down side (that isn’t even really a downside) is that I was more of the Guilds! I would love to see more of the other guilds and how they interact with one another. But I think that will come into play as the series progresses. I also hate that I have till wait till 2021 sometime for the next book.

Overall, I absolutely recommend this book! I know nothing about Les Mis and I still really enjoyed it! I totally get the SoC references, but it is completely its own book!

Such a great story. Truly a transporting tale. I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to get my hands on the Physical copy.

I loved this very much! The characters, the actions and even the plot itself! Very inspiring for my own book too!

Thank you to Netgally for giving me this arc even though my percentage is so low.

Honestly though if this wasnt a Netgalley Arc I dont know if I would have made myself try to finish it. I thought it was kinda boring Overall. I feel like things could have been fleshed out more. There were some time skips that I wish weren't there. Like another review mentioned they would do timeskips and be told about the development instead of seeing it happen.

Also the Mc has three love interests and none of them were really that good. Having multiple love interests for me personally isn't a turn off automatically, though I know it is for some, but like none really had any chemistry with the Mc.

And if you are hoping for this to be like Le Mis or SoC, just like idk don't. Your better of not. I'll say to end at a positive note I like the rep. Has Poc characters in a setting you don't see them in very often. Also I liked the concept of the courts.

This story is one I’ve been looking forward to reading for a few months now! Anything that has a combination of Les Mis and Six of Crows is bound to get my attention and while I did find the overall story enjoyable and fun I was ultimately a bit let down by this one!

Things I liked:
The actual court of Miracles! How creative to consider this entire mini criminal underworld in the middle of 19th century France! I enjoyed reading about each guild and getting a feel for their political structure as this book progressed! I definitely wanted more of the guilds throughout the whole book!
The world building was well done and extremely descriptive as it dropped me right back into the middle of the glam life of the aristocracy of the time and still equally detailing the grimy and dour conditions of the common people.


Things I didn’t like:
The overall flow of this book felt extremely choppy. There wasn’t a clear timeline and a lot of the sections seemed like the scene was set, a problem was introduced, a problem was solved, and then we were into the next section. Because of this the overall flow of the book felt incredibly disjointed and unconnected.
There were some pretty noticeable historical inaccuracies that I noticed, and trust me- I normally don’t catch those things as I am no historian! These inaccuracies actually took away from the story line for me a bit as I was jolted out of the time period.
Also- as this wasn’t an actual retelling of Les Mis (so much as a reimagined alternate reality) I found the actual plot lacking. This alternate reality wasn’t exactly revolutionary as it took a lot of the same points from history and Les Mis it’s self. Because of that this book felt slightly unoriginal and like a bit of a let down- so much more could have been done with the courts are storyline that made this feel more “fresh”!

The worldbuilding of The Court of Miracles is exquisite. It takes place in Paris, where the seedy underbelly of different guilds rule. I normally like that sort of thing, and I love Les Mis so a retelling of it sparked my interest. Some of the references to Les Mis were surprising, and some of them I didn’t care for. Like I said, I loved world created, but some of the plot didn’t work for me, and I thought the romance was all over the place. Someone less picky will likely enjoy it, and I will still probably plan on reading the sequel.

i really enjoyed the mix of Les Miserables and the use of scifi, the characters still felt like themselves and I really enjoyed reading this. I'd be interesting in reading other books from this author.

This was such an interesting read! The beginning had me going hmm I'm not sure how this is going to play out to holy crap I'm not even sure what they are going to throw at me next. This world is so different from any of other fantasy that ive read and I absolutely love it! I'm not sure how shes going to play out the second book but its going to be epic that much I do know!

I give this book 3 stars because it was an interesting read, but it didn’t feel very original at all.
I love a good rewrite or spin off, but this felt more like a copy cat with a hint of originality to me.
I will probably still reach for book two when it comes out, to see how the story progresses and if the author uses more original ideas!

Three stars.

I had a hard time staying interested in this one. It was good and I wanted to know how it ended, but there were some things I had issues with.

First, the only thing it really had in common with Les Mis were the names. And those were changed to be similar nicknames. Maybe if I read the book Les Mis I would see more similarities, but from watching two of the movies I don’t see any.

Second, the amount of unnecessary random detail that made up about a fourth of the book. Not needed at all and added nothing to the story.

Third, the way the author does timing. You never know where you are, how old anyone is, and she doesn’t really say exactly how much time has passed. Flip a page to a new chapter and it’s been a few years. Not my favorite.

Fourth, it could be predictable. Predictability puts me to sleep.

Fifth, the characters could’ve gone a lot deeper. This is probably the main reason why I’m not giving this book a higher rating. None of the characters really change throughout the story. You don’t really see anyone’s (including Nina’s) emotions or history. All allegiance to either the miracle court or the revolution. And I am the black cat of the thieves guild. That was the majority of the book.

What did I like?

The thing that first drew me to it was the general plot, which though it needed to be more developed was interesting.

Second, (and again, though it could’ve gone deeper) it shows the bonds between sisters and the sacrifices they’re willing to make for each other.

Would I read a sequel? I would give it a shot because I think that this writer has potential to grow. I’m curious to see what that growth looks like in a second book.

This book was exactly what I needed to break my latest pandemic slump. I'm a die-hard Les Mis fan, and this one hit all the right notes of the questions of revolution and what it means to die for something, while at the same time giving Eponine (Nina) agency and power against the backdrop of an intricate underworld. (And replacing the rivalry between the lead girls with the sister bond that should have been!) I absolutely inhaled it. I loved every new glimpse into how something from the original had been reworked, and I adored the new setting and context the characters had been dropped into. I would have loved some more depth in Nina's relationships to the students and Montparnasse - there was so much implication, and I wanted to really dig my claws in - but even without that, the story shines. I cannot wait to read more from Kester Grant!