Absolutely wonderful!
I was completely lost within this story and these characters. I couldn’t put it down! So beautifully written, with such a wonderful plot and storyline.

I recommend this to everyone!

I had really high expectations for this book but it ended ip falling a little bit flat. I did enjoy getting to know the main character’s back story, I just wish the overall plot would have been better and more fleshed out.

I think if you’re looking for a quick and easy read this might be right up your alley. If you like more developed and complex high fantasy though, it might not be the one for you. However, I still think 3 stars is a pretty good rating in my book!

This book has been very hyped up, so I was a bit hesitant going in because lately it seems like hyped books fail to live up to expectations. However, I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I love books that play with the "what if" situations in history. What if the French Revolution failed? It's interesting to see the world Grant imagines and it combines it with Les Mis, which is just right up my alley. There is some lush worldbuilding and great characterization. I can't wait for more.

Review will be available on my blog, The Reading Fairy, on 8/15/2020

TW: Corporal punishment, Drug addiction, Drugging, Poisoning, Prostitution (mentioned), Slavery (mentioned), Starvation, Violence, Whipping, blood

Rep: Blind side character

Disclaimer: I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion.

“Do not cry for me, I am already dead."

"No, not dead, the dead at least are free.”


I've had this book on my TBR for a long time, and I'm glad that I can finally tick this book off my TBR and my ARC stack. It really wasn't the best, but honestly I was just really underwhelmed while reading this book. 

I don't think it's the book, or maybe it's just me-but honestly this book was just really okay, and I felt very meh about it for about a good chunk of this book. The Court of Miracles, was one of my anticipated releases-but it kinda disappointed me in a lot of ways, and I really hope the next two books in this trilogy is better. 

It seemed that this book has a good start to this this series, and I am not going to lie-but I definitely need the next book after what happened at the end of the book. I got really interested with the ending because it's so interesting what's going to happen next. 

That ending was so good and really awesome compared to the rest of the book-even though I did feel meh about it. Though, Nina snapped right after it, and I'm really curious with what's going to happen. 

I think the hardest part is, I just really did not care about it. 

As someone who is a history bluff, I really do not know anything about the French Revolution. All I know is two guys and they succeeded. And this is the alternate universe of if it failed, and there is two separate worlds-the royalty and the criminal guilds. And I liked how the world was set up, but I really couldn't help think that this book needed more fleshed out world-building. 

I wanted to know more with the courts, and how all of them are different. I'm hoping the worldbuilding would be fleshed out more, and I'd probably care a little more about the world. 

I absolutely did not care about the characters. I had no emotionally connected, and I really wouldn't even care if any of them decided to get themselves killed or something, because I had no interest. There was no spark I had with them, and with way too many characters introduced-I just really did not care for them. 

I also found it weird, that the author would have a lot of time jumps without no meaning to it-only just to age up Nina. I just really don't know what the purpose for that would be.

I was very interested when I read that this book was like "Les Misérables meets Six of Crows" as I enjoy both of those stories. This description was appropriate for this story and I enjoyed it almost as much as I enjoyed the original stories. This book is set in an alternate world in 1828 Paris. Nina and Ettie are sisters. Nina is a burglar and a thief and steals to make money to support them both. Ettie catches the eye of the leader of one of the other guilds and Nina has to keep her safe. I enjoyed seeing the sister bond between them and seeing how far one sister would go to protect the other.

A very unique read set in early 18th century Paris. If you like Les Miz, you'll love The Court of Miracles.


Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Oh boy. How much I’ve wanted to enjoy this book but how messy this book was. The premise sounded so promising: In an alternate Les Miserables, the French Revolution has failed and Eponine Thenardier (Nina) isn’t the helpless/misunderstood foster sister of Cosette (who, as we remember, is the pure-hearted, idealised, naive sister who grew up with the abusive Thenardier family until she is rescued by Jean Valjean) but instead grows into a wild, determined girl who will stop at nothing to fight for justice in an impoverished Paris. Cosette, on the other, is much younger than her and more of a child rather than an evenly matched sister in wit and intelligence. While I wasn’t entirely sold by this set-up, I was willing to go along, especially since I love good retellings and stories that implore relationships between sisters. Also while I have never read Les Miserables, the musical to it is one of my all-time favourites so I would say I am pretty familiar with the themes of the story. If only I had known how chaotic the story would get.

It’s really hard for me to write a review because literally nothing stuck with me. The plot is a plot that didn’t even happen. The main character’s voice was so unsubstantial, I found it hard to connect with her and her actions at all. There were so many irrelevant side characters, I didn‘t even know who was who even towards the end.

While I felt very sympathetic towards the main character at the beginning as a young girl, she quickly grew into a big question mark that I never quite could get a grip of. While I really admired her determined nature, she felt like a force the author had created but didn‘t quite know how to control. I liked how she, as the years pass by, becomes better in her job and her heist work, rising through the ranks of the Court of Miracles, and learns how to play the game of intrigues. However when it comes to the big ‘life changing’ events, she never delivers. The scenes are suddenly oversimplified, place and time jumps are inserted and voila, the problems are magically resolved. I was always left with so many confused feelings, and it was exactly these types of jumps that made the plot incoherent and very hard to follow. It’s like the author created so many rules and built so many walls, only to tear them down with one single ‘exception’. It was extremely frustrating how she kept disregarding her own rules, adding a little bit of magic here and there that in the end, nothing really surprised me anymore.
Adding to that were the many side character’s names that were so unremarkable and too similar in character, I quickly lost track of who stood on which side which was a pity because the story introduces a lot of interesting characters, only that they quickly vanish again.

Also in terms of the relationship between Ettie and Nina, the foundation of the second part of the book, I wished we would have seen more growth there, especially since I never got the feeling Ettie was able to shine her own light. I understand it’s a tough-kind of love but it was such a twisted and private relationship that it sometimes feels as if the reader wasn’t invited to become witness of it. While I did understand the underlying theme of the book — sisterly love that can transcend place and time — it wasn’t well-elaborated enough for me to really buy it as the ultimate driving motive.
I generally felt that there were a lot of storylines that the author couldn’t quite lead together and thus were left hanging as loose ends: On the one hand we have the internal fights for power within the Court of Miracles, on the other hand, people are rallying up to fight the still existing monarchy. It was so frustrating at times because often I didn’t even know who was fighting whom.

That said, people who are familiar with the Les Mis world will also get their money’s worth on the everlasting conflict between Jean Valjean and Javert is. Unlike the epic theme in the original novel though, the relationship between the two of them is a little bit more twisted — for starters, Javert is a female inspector in this book here. While I liked the idea of the origins of their relationship, this storyline never felt significant enough because it was too quickly squeezed into the book and only added to the blurry nature of this book. In the end, I honestly didn’t care about the two of them.
I also had some problems with the potential love interest storylines, with Nina getting caught between her feelings and her drive to succeed. I could see where the author tried to go (aka following the good old prince with a soft heart vs. leader of the rebels love triangle trope (oops was that a spoiler?)) but I didn’t buy it for a moment. It felt out of place, forced and contributed exactly nothing to the whole plot.

On the other hand, the author invested a lot of efforts into the background of the city (if it’s not about the Court of Miracles or the Royal Court). The Paris of this book is described as being poor, ugly and full of dangers. Unlike other YA books that often romanticise historical Paris as a setting and only briefly touch on topics such as violence and poverty, the author doesn’t hold back to address uncomfortable topics such as human trafficking, violence towards women and children or sexual slavery here. It’s the ultimate trigger for Nina to rise high in her guild, to destroy those who brought injustice to her and her sisters and to take control.
Another thing that positively stood out to me was the diverse cast. I really appreciated how the author acknowledged France’s history of immigration from other countries, especially from the Maghreb states, and even the main characters is being described as having ‘olive skin, the legacy of the Algerian pied-noir woman who birthed [her]’. What a unique character.

I really wished I would have liked this book but it was a tough book to get through. The plot fell very flat most of the time, the characters felt often out of place and more than once did it was as if some parts of the story only existed in the author’s head. Was it a bad book? No. But it was a book that definitely could have been more well-executed and needed more polishing. Lastly, I would also say that this book is targeted at a very special type of group — and it’s definitely not the Les Mis lovers. While this book is a rather very twisted version of how the story of Les Mis could have been told, it has barely anything to do with it, so if you want to keep the book in good memories, maybe skip this book. However if you are looking for a heist book with a unique setting and interesting worldbuilding — this one is for you.

3.5 stars. Disclaimer: I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange of an honest opinion.

I'm not someone you can call the biggest fan of Les Misérables, but I read it and watched adaptations and it's inevitably a work of art that stays with you, so I'm basically knowledgeable with the names and setting.

"Court of Miracles" is a book that is an 'alternate universe'/au of the characters of Les Mis, and I love the setting, I like the characters, and I love the idea of guilds. While reading it, it's a ride, it makes me curious enough to flip the pages (virtually on an eARC) and finish it. But after reading it ? it just didn't stay with me. This is, of course,a different story than Les Mis and the author's intention would differ, but for all intents and purposes, it just didn't strike me in the heart.

I know people have mentioned this by I did a double-take at some historical inaccuracies, it kind of spoils your reading to be honest. But there's not much of them (I think?), so I pretty much saw them then pretend I didn't so I can continue reading.

Overall, it's good while you read it, it's enjoyable, the characters are well-written as well as the plot and setting. If you're looking for a quick historical read and can ignore some historical inaccuracies in an au of Les Mis, I'd recommend this.

This was a pretty standard fantasy novels without any particularly innovative elements. It's a quick read that will find its audience among teen fantasy fans.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

The Court of Miracles is a fantastically dark historical reimagining of Les Miserables. I had a lot of fun with this book and really enjoyed my read. There is fantastic world-building and I loved how this alternate dark Paris came to life. Because of the complicated nature of the world, the characters did get quite numerous and the structure of the court felt overwhelming in some places when the narrative turned to feel like info dumping. However, the writing was excellent and the complexity was something I could appreciate, though it took me a bit longer to understand and there are some places where my comprehension is a bit fuzzy. A reread may be needed at a later date.

The pacing of the book was just near perfect and I loved the action and tension built into the plot. I thought that the character of Nina was well-constructed, though there were bits where her actions didn't quite make sense. Typically, these worked themselves out as the narrative continued. There were also some rough transitions in the time jumps that were mildly disorienting and did require me to stop and realign myself with the story.

A good, quickly paced read that left me definitely wanting to explore this world more. I look forward to being able to read the remaining books in the trilogy.

First, thank you to the Author, Kester Grant and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was incredibly fast paced from the very beginning and keeps the readers on the edge of their seats, not wanting to stop reading! I loved the setting was within the streets of Paris, as I have always loved Paris and I found the details made the story that much better. This book was so magical and I never wanted this book to end! The synopsis of this book promised a concept similar to Les Miserables, and she did not disappoint! I read this book in no time and fell in love with the world and story. I will be recommending this book to all my friends and followers, as I am confident that they would love this just as much as I did!

3.5/5
I’m not sure what to think of the book. I feel like there was so much going on with no real structure. I liked so many things like the eerie world building and diverse characters, but everything was all over the place for me. The time jumps made things confusing and I feel like the book could’ve done better without them. Just my opinion.

It is said to be a retelling of Les mis but I am not very knowledgeable of that book (maybe just the gist of it), so I can’t really compared. However, there are other books that are Les Mis retelling and did so much better as retellings go and this book did not feel original.

I’m not going to lie, but the romance in this book is what kept me reading it too. I also really like the protagonist, Nina, and how fearless she is! Thank you to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Les Miserables meets Jungle Book–sold me, but didn't keep my interest.

Eponine [Nina] is a talented thief, which they call a cat in this book. She's a member of the thieves' guild and daughter of Thenardier, a conniving, violent man. Nina is strong, but for me, it was difficult to connect with her chilly disposition, although I felt for her plight which was trying to find her sister who was sold to the flesh guild [prostitutes,] and also trying to protect her adoptive sister Cosette [Ettie,] from a similar fate.

Unfortunately, instead of growing more interested in the characters, or the story itself, I grew detached. I wanted to know more about side characters than the plight of Nina, Ettie, or her missing sister. Although the world is vividly depicted, down to the filth and smell of the streets, I found the story lacking real depth to it.

It failed to draw me in and thus deliver a wonderful tale.

A few good highlights of the story were, as I said, the side characters. They were memorable to me, I only wish they had more air-time, and we were able to dive into their stories more. The hero of the book was definitely the magnificent world-building and embellishing on Les Mis' foundation and breathing a new life into it.

Overall, I recommend if you're looking for an interesting take on Les Mis, or need to fill a prompt with a historical retelling.

This book was a lovely surprise. You have Les Misérables set within the world of the gangs of New York.
The Court of Miracles are comprised of several groups responsible for different nefarious purposes. There is the court of thieves, assassins, flesh, ghosts, and others. They are a cutthroat bunch that do not trust anyone.
You have the traditional characters in Les Misérables just in different circumstances. I really enjoyed this book and how the old story was reimagined. I look forward to the next book.

Title: The Court of Miracles
Author: Kester Grant
Release Date: 6.2.2020
Review Date: 7.27.2020

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


I haven’t read the original but I really enjoyed this retelling of Les Mis. I liked the characters and I enjoyed the setting of the guilds and the struggles and such. I read this one pretty quickly too so that was good, it was very fast paced. This is one of those arcs that I want to go buy the finished copy of. Very good.

I absolutely loved this book! Nina is the best kind of heroine that stays true to who she is even in a world that tears her down at every turn. Her bravery, love for others and the need to do what is right is admirable. A great retelling of Les Mis. It was one of the more complex book I’ve read in awhile, lots of characters and moving pieces. I’ll, be Rereading this one for sure.

Sadly, this book just wasn't for me. I tried a few time to get into it but it wasn't clicking with me.

If anyone has anything negative to say about this book I don't wanna hear it.

Do you realize that this is a book about the people standing up against tyrants?? in 2020..when the people are standing up against tyrants?? Don't tell me this book isn't important okay.

Two sisters literally against the world?! what else could you possibly want???

I'm not going to throw in the synopsis because I just have too much to say about this book but I will start with I LOVE NINA!!! Her character development through out this book is absolutely incredible.
Her determination, her wit, her heart like where do I even start?? Kester Grant has given me a character that I didn't know I needed honestly. Her love for her sister(s) knows no end and if she has to take down the city with her to save them, she will. The Black Cat of The Thieves Guild will forever be one of my favorite characters.

And Ettie oh my goodness Ettie. Hoyl character development. I need more Kester Grant books because wow she is so good at growing characters into who they are meant to be. Ettie is so so so fierce and anyone who underestimates her is screwed. Also Nina will come for them.

This book is filled with so many characters from the king and queen to their son, St. Juste my favorite revolutionary fool, The ghosts, like I can just go on and on and on about the amazing FULL cast of characters in this book. They each play a part, no one falls into the background and I feel very satisfied with how everything turned out. This book felt like a perfectly orchestrated game of chess.

The world building - oh my goodness THE WORLD BUILDING!!
Each guild, their rules, who does what, the machinations between each guild, the laws of the miracle court!!
From the moment I read the law of the miracle court, and the names of each guild and what they represent I was hooked!!
BTW - everything is included in this book : map of Paris(with numbers to identify locations), The entire miracle court(including insignia's, lord names, their hierarchy, the laws of the miracle court.
Granted I have the waterstones edition but the information is still there.

The reason I point that out and explain it is because most of the complaints I've heard about this book is that it isn't easy to follow to which I say : you don't need to read this book in 24 hours, take your time before you go around saying it wasn't great. - and thats the tea-

the only only ONLY reason to me that it isn't a FULL 5 stars is because the jump from Nina wanting to save Azelma to Nina with Ettie was a bit of an unexplained jump to me. Even with the explanation of Thenardier taking her up as his ward. I would have liked a bit more explination on Ettie, where she came from, her family and how she came to be his ward. BUT as side from that bury with this book thanks.

Also do not compare it to anything you've read before - it is not six of crows so don't go in expecting that
(thats another complaint I've heard and ??? every book is its own story)

Kest Grant has completely enraptured me with this book (which btw I took my sweet time reading because these characters deserve the time to get to know them) and in the future I will absolutely be picking up anything she writes. Court of Miracles #2 please???

my point is GO READ THIS!!

It took me quite some time to labor through the first few chapters of this book, especially when I was expecting a more traditional retelling and instead was met with a vastly rich new world that was entirely unlike anything I was expecting. The first half of this book alone stands out as a gripping, tense story that I loved immensely.

That fell flat once the more obvious Les Miserables story began weaving in.

At times, I was amused by the references to the original book/musical, but often the nods seemed forced (especially the use of musical lyrics) or just oddly placed. The pacing of the book further took away from my immersion - though I did enjoy the writing style and applauded the use of detailed narrative that oftentimes had little to no dialogue for long expanses, which I'm sure was to mimic the original novel, the parts of the story that were meant to be the familiar scenes from the musical moved rapidly, and the transition between the two moods was jarring at times.

Some changes were made to the original story that I adored, mainly the heavy family bond and the intense plotting, strength, independence and intelligence we see from both Nina and Ettie as they grow throughout the story. Others were questionable (Was the choice to make Javert a woman simply because the Javert-Valjean relationship had to be a heterosexual one? Was it progressive to rid ourselves of the Eponine/Marius/Cosette love triangle only to give Eponine three different love interests of her own?)

Overall, I have more positives than negatives, and I am interested to see this story continue. I hope to see more historical fiction like this in the future.

Incredible! Just an incredible story!! Lots and lots of mystery, intrigue, beautiful sister love and strength, found families and a touch of romance! Nina is fierce and I mean FIERCE! She goes above and beyond to protect her sisters (real and found sisters). I love Nina's calculating ways, her reckless loyalty and her love of not giving a damn of who she takes down to accomplish her goals. Like yes, Nina keeps in mind the safety of her Guild family but she still seeks her revenge. Now a bit about the world building, I've heard that it's partly inspired by Les Misérables and while I haven't read or seen this original material before, I very much want too! I think it would be great to see what inspired this incredible tale of revenge, justice and loyalty! The various guilds mentioned throughout the story and amazing! My personal favorite would have to be Nina's Guild of Thieves and my other favorite character, Montparnasse's Guild of Assassins! There's also the Guild of Letters that interests, probably because I too consider myself a teller of stories ;) There is one warning I will give you though..... EXPECT A BOOK HANGOVER BECAUSE THERE'S A CLIFFHANGER ENDING *cue the tears*