An alternate historical fantasy of sorts set in a Paris that never quite was, where the Revolution failed and 'Les Miserables' characters populate the story for no apparent reason. Having only seen the stage show and film once each some years ago I'm not overly familiar with 'Les Mis' so may have missed a few things, although that also meant that any potential irritations from knowing the story well went right over my head!

I was a little unsure of this at first, I read a little, got to the first time jump and put it down for a while. I think the jumps forward were necessary to the plot but I felt they resulted in a lack of character interaction and thus my empathy. I'm glad I picked it back up though, I really enjoyed the story and the portrayal of the Miracle Court with all it's different Guilds, it reminded me of a more elaborate and darker version of Tamora Pierce's 'Court of the Rogue' from her Tortall novels.

I liked that despite there being three potential love interests the romance was minimal, as was the fantasy- I only recall there being vague talk of magical artefacts and a couple of instances of what appeared to be magically induced hypnotism. I ended up racing through the last few chapters and definitely enjoyed it enough to want to read any sequels.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

Underworld in Paris, also known as the court of miracles. Revolution has failed. Nina's sister is stolen and she is adamant to bring her back, so she joins the thieves guild. And even the lowest of low have rules to obey.

Les Miserables on another level.

Gripping and twisted story, can't wait for a sequel.

I really liked this! Takes the characters and setting of Les Mis and puts it in a thrilling, dark, mysterious story that is so engaging, with many twists I didn't see coming. Cannot wait for the rest of the trilogy!

I was really looking forward to reading this book, and sadly, I was very disappointed. I don't think it's a bad book, but it wasn't a good book for me.
I will start with things I loved: the whole idea of the Miracle Court. I really, really loved it!
I loved the plot (well, most of it).
But the worst thing is that I didn't feel.any connection with the characters.
Nina just... Was there. I can't say that I don't like her, I just don't really care about her? She has no personality.
I don't get her sudden change about Ettie. Going from "I will use you" to "I will die for you". And it all happened in like one chapter?
That's the other thing - the whole book feels rushed. Everything happens so fast, but it's a bit too fast. And then the time jumps. Nope.
I absolutely hated, HATED, Javert. Or rather how this character what's written. A huge no from me.
And the last thing - three love interests. Really? REALLY?!
Oh well, it might sounds really bitter but I was looking forward to read a retelling of Les Mis and I got... This.

A wonderful premise of a book that ultimately falls short due to poor execution.

I was very intrigued by the premise of this book and was incredibly excited to read it. Unfortunately, there were a few issues which bothered me.

1. The author is fond of incorporating time-skips into the writing. While some readers may feel that this made for a fast-paced plot, I felt that it prevented proper character and relationship development. For example, characters which did not know each other at the end of the Part 1 were very close to one another at the beginning of Part 2. The gaps also meant that the plot progression mostly included info-dumping in the later parts instead of actually showing you what happened.

2. As mentioned in point 1, I felt there was lack of character growth especially for our MC. She is the typical YA MC who's somehow able to do everything that other people (who are older and more experienced than her) are not able to achieve. I think the story would have been more captivating if we could see the MC struggle/learn to become a skilled burglar rather than just start out with her being the most gifted one without any explanation.

3. I know that the author was trying to use a certain writing style to portray the atmosphere and feel of 19th Century France, but I felt that the tone was a bit forced and the dialogue between the characters felt unnatural. There were some instances where lyrics from the actual Les Miserables musical were incorporated into the dialogue (eg. "Will you join in our crusade?" from Do You Hear The People Sing / "And rain will make the flowers grow" from A Little Fall of Rain). While I understood such references were to be expected from a re-telling, I doubt people would actually use these phrases when speaking to one another.

Overall, I was personally quite disappointed with this book. It's a wonderful premise but there's huge room for improvement. That aside, it might still appeal to some YA readers who are interested in re-tellings and want a fast read. As for me, it's unlikely that I will continue this series. I may consider reading this author's books in the future as it seems she has some good ideas, but probably not until there's some improvement in execution.

The Court of Miracles is an intensely riveting read that you will find yourself glued to until you reach the final page. It sets up what is going to be a magical trilogy and sets a strong foundation for future adventures.

Grant’s writing flows so well, creating such a compulsively readable story that I flew through over half of this fantastic book in one afternoon. It just clicked instantly and from there, you’re utterly hooked by Grant’s entrancing writing. Her skill is clearly evident when it comes to the Les Misérables element, which is used as a tool to weave familiar elements and characters into her wholly original, bold reimagining. This is no carbon copy, rather a fresh look at a tale that many of us hold dear. It’s awesome to comb through and spot all the little references which are rather like a knowing wink to the audience that is hunting for those tiny details. This speaks volumes about Grant’s skill and attention to detail. For a debut author, she blows it out of the water.

This Paris is not the one we know with Grant casting a darker revisionist lens on our version of history. Here, the seedy underbelly of the city and its various criminal guilds are exposed but the equally (if not more) corrupt and brutal court hides their treachery behind fine clothes, deceptively beautiful smiles and extravagant balls. Grant makes it very clear that most people stray to the dark in order to survive, but the rich thrive off it. There’s a stark contrast between the vain frivolity of the elite and the harsh struggle of the Wretched (those in the Court of Miracles). Grant weaves a fully fleshed-out, realised world beneath the surface of Paris that was so fascinating to visit. The different Guilds are so distinct and interesting to read about, with a lot of room left for further exploration in the sequel and this reviewer strongly hopes that we’ll return to their shadowy halls.

Grant is unafraid to really dive into the action and gritty topics. There’s a fair amount of blood and violence, showing the dirty, raw reality of survival. Addiction is also a large topic of the book, particularly opium addiction or the ‘poppy’ and the book also delves into the issue of slavery. Also, there’s a really thought-provoking conversation about privilege at the heart of the book. Nina is a working-class person of colour and this informs every aspect of her worldview. She faces prejudice and being seen as ‘lesser’ for being mixed race. In contrast, the white elite will never understand the struggles she has faced. Even the revolutionary students are blinded by their fanatical ideology, which they are only able to cultivate because of their privilege, knowledge and education.

Speaking of Nina, she is a fantastic protagonist, who is ferocious, feisty and an excellent thief to boot. Her relationships with other characters and their dynamics were really interesting to read and hopefully there’s more to discover with some of them. In fact, the vast majority of the characters were really three-dimensional and well-rounded. They all have a grey morality that Grant applies across the board to highlight the messy reality of survival. Even the primary villain has a believable and understandable backstory that goes a long way towards explaining why he is the way he is, though his horrendous actions are never excused. He is a menacing villain, but the beauty of Grant’s work is that so is Nina’s father. Their scale is vastly different but Nina’s father manages to wreck so many aspects of her life and his treachery is purely motivated by greed. To this reader, both men appeared equally deplorable. A lot of the story centres on Nina liberating herself from him, finding her own identity and forming her own family. The found family trope is a familiar and comforting one in this story, creating genuine but complex relationships.

In summary, The Court of Miracles is a brutal, sharp and brilliant story that has a moody and dark atmosphere expertly created by an unflinching author. It is a rich tale that you’ll be able to vividly picture yourself in.

I received a copy from Netgalley.

I was really excited when I got the approval for this one. One of the rare books I knew right away was going to be an epic once I started reading. Seeing “Six of Crows” comparisons tend to make me roll my eyes as it usually involves a break in to some impossible place of some sort. It was really the “Les Mis” comparison that drew me in for this one.

Though it took a while for me to spot anything resembling Les Miserable. I thought the world building was absolutely fascinating. I didn’t really get much of a sense of 1800s Paris though, it was more about the Courts and the characters, but the sense of place, the gloom and grittiness came through as the story progressed.

There was a dark sense of foreboding and dread throughout the whole thing, and something morbidly fascinating about it as well. Beautifully written and evocative, the novel was impossible to put down. I’m really looking forward to more from this series.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction for approving my request to view the title.

I loved this book! I know you should never judge a book by its cover... but this one was so gorgeous i couldnt help myself. Added to that, its a reworking of Les Miserables, my all time Favorited book. I mean its not quite on par with Les Mis, but its still a very good book.

I loved the way Grant captures 19th Century Paris. She wraps the story around the dirt and the darkness of a city at war with itself. Its the prefect setting for a story of thieves and murderers, prostitution and slavery.

The cast of characters is brilliant, and really helped draw me in from page one. Added to this, the guild system feels so natural for the time, and effortlessly makes this fantasy Paris seem real.

My only minor complaint (sorry!) was the length of the book. I felt like with some added depth and worldbuilding, this could have truly been epic. Still, a fantastic read.

As I started this I was very excited but as it progressed the jumps in time began to grate a little . Really solid world building but that jarring made it just that tiny bit less enjoyable . Still worth a look!

This was a book that I was so incredibly excited to read mostly due to how beautiful it looked the media hyping it up beforehand.

And now I'm glad I read it. But I didn't quite adore it as much as I hoped I would.

Now, this could be because I don't actually know Les Mis. At all. I recognised some of the names but that's it. So I didn't feel a strong connection. But I did grow to love the characters. Especially Ettie and Montparnasse.

Speaking of Montparnasse, I did love him and Nina together. I'm a big fan of assassin love interests. But i think I mostly shipped it as I love the idea? There wasnt enough interaction for me to really feel it. And it wasnt down to the time skips because you see how her relationships with others have grown as there's enough scenes. I just lomd of wanted more of them.

But I did love the world building. The idea of the miracle court was fascinating and I adored getting a peek at them with the meetings and the like. The stories at the beginning of each section helped with world building too and were such a fun addition. I definitely want to see more of this world.

So I definitely would recommend this book but I would say look more into it than just how stunning the cover is.

I love Les Miserables so I was already on board as soon as I realised the concept. This book was a wonderful read. I enjoyed following Nina's journey through the underground worlds of Paris.
Despite not really being a fantasy novel the story veered towards the fantastical at times, but it was forgivable. There were a wealth of complex and interesting characters and there was rarely a dull moment.
Considering how little romance actually figured in the novel, I found it mildly distracting that everyone seemed to be in love with Nina (although strong points for making her loved for her personality traits). Either way I think she definitely ended up in the right arms at the end of the story and I was entirely satisfied by the conclusion.
I can't think of many people who wouldn't enjoy it.

1828 and after the failed revolution the poor of Paris struggle to survive. Eponine (Nina) is saved from a terrible fate after her sister pleads for her to join the Guild of Thieves and so she becomes the Black Cat, a master thief. When her father tries to sell her sister Cosette (Ettie) into a similar fate Nina determines to save her, but at what cost.
I'm not normally a fan of YA fantasy novels but something about this book intrigued me and I'm so glad I picked it up. I loved the parallel universe where the French Revolution failed and the aristocrats continue to rule whereas the poor and the moral plot. The reimagining of Les Miserables is a genius idea and I would thoroughly recommend this novel

I loved the core concept, a Parisian underground criminal court made up of different guilds depending on their criminal speciality, and was excited to see where this led.

Unfortunately, it felt hampered down by all the other things It was trying to be. As a take on alternate history with a heavy handed influence of Les Miserables it didn’t fare very well. Neither aspect added much to the story and it felt like an afterthought that wasn’t very well researched or planned out.

I wish these aspects had just been left out because I really did enjoy the main focus of the story. There’s a lot of potential here and there’s a diverse range of characters that drive an interesting narrative. I did find the time jumps a bit annoying but overall it was an easy and enjoyable read so long as I didn’t focus too much on the historical/les mis aspects.

This is more of a 3.5 but it’s frustrating because I see so much potential!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

4.5 *
It has been a long time that I read a book that quickly that was not written by any of my Auto-Buy-Authors.
It was really well written and engaging. Nina is a lovely protagonist, that is deeply protective of her loved ones. For me never having read or watched Le Mis or Six of Crows I can't actually say if this is correctly described as a Les Mis meets Six of Crows but I definitely enjoyed it.
The only reasons that it is not a 5* book for me is the time jumps that can be confusing and Ninas apparent popularity with the male characters that made no sense...Don't get me wrong I do love a good romance but I do need more subtext.
That being said I am definitely excited for book 2!

I loved this dark tale following the engaging Nina as she navigates her way through the Court of Miracles. The setup of the Court was my favourite aspect and I enjoyed discovering more about each guild. It also reads as a standalone without any cliffhanger which is always a bonus.

This book is wonderful! I love a quasi historical magical realism mash-up. This is the story of life after the failed French Revolution, as seen through the eyes of Eponine. The most wretched in society have formed formed guilds making up the thieves, assassins, smugglers, mercinaries and more, which together are The Court of Miracles. Eponine joins The Guild of Thieves in an inspired effort to rescue her sister who has been sold to the lord of The Guild of Flesh. An adventure through Paris ensues, and with Victor Hugo’s characters as we’ve not seen them before, this is a truly magical story with twists and turns. I cannot wait for the next in the series! 5 BIG stars

I really enjoyed the court of Miracles by Kester Grant, I had no idea what to expect going into this book, I found it a refreshing book to read and really enjoyed the twist and turns throughout.

I really enjoyed Nina’s character, I found her character so badass and she was full of strength even when all the odds were against her, she was such a refreshing character.

I also really enjoyed St. Juste’s character as well and wish he had more of a backstory in this .

Ettie’s character i also enjoyed her i found a helplessness about her but wish she had more of a backstory but I enjoyed how her and Ninas characters came together and a bond was formed.

I loved the plot of the story and the characters and the different descriptions of the different guides. I found the plot decent and fast paced and well written but I will say that my only downside to this book when I was reading was I got really confused when it came to the little parts that where in french. I found the story had a lot of time skips throughout the book from months to sometimes years into the future.

I found the court of Miracles was strongly written, fast paced and fun that it kept me interested in the story and kept me turning the pages, I’m also looking forward to see where the story will go next.

My rating 🌟🌟🌟

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

The contents of this book is just as good as the package - and I mean that is pretty damn beautiful! It took me a few reading sessions to properly get into it but as soon as I did, I was hooked! It was sooo good and I really loved Nina. I am hoping this is going to be a series as I need to know what happens next!!

Thank you for the review copy!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I'd heard a lot of hype for this book and wasn't sure how it would live up to it - but I was wrong! I really enjoyed it as a retelling of the story of Les Miserables which allowed women and POC to take a larger role in the story. The narrative was satisfyingly twisty even to someone who knows the story of Les Mis pretty well, and the characters leaped right off the page. The potential for multiple romantic entanglements frustrated me a little bit (come on, let the women just get on with it!) but ultimately that wasn't a massive part of the book so I forgive it. Bring on the next book!

Nina and her sister are very close, When her father sells her sister into prostitution, Nina is forced to flee and join the Court of Miracles as a thief, something she excels at. And so she finds her place in society. She cannot save her sister, but when the king of Flesh targets her beautiful friend, she makes it her life's purpose to stop him at all costs, Set in the times of the French revolution, with the backdrop of the palace of Versailles, and a cast that overlaps with Lez Miserables, this is new story about the determined, crafty, talented Nina aka The Black Cat.
I haven't read the famous Victor Hugo book, so I cant make any comparisons. Tough but vulnerable, you cant help but root for the indomitable Nina. The story has many twists and turns and potential love interests, and the court of Miracles is fascinating in its politics and hierarchy. It kept my attention the whole way through and sends the message that it only takes one person to make a change.