I loved every part of this book! It was a slow build up for the first half or so, but then it took off (not unlike the revolution itself). The characters were relatable and so quirky, while the dialogue and character narrative were hilariously funny. I am so looking forward to the sequel to this because I cannot wait to see what happens to Nina and crew.

The Court of Miracles caught my eye because I saw it described as ‘Les Misérables meets Six of Crows.’ The story follows Nina, a young girl who has a talent for burglary and is a member of the thieves guild. When Nina’s adopted sister Ettie catches the eye of the Tiger (the lord of the Guild of Flesh) Nina must do everything she can to keep Ettie safe. Doing so will take her into the dark underworld of the guilds as well as the lavish court of Louis XVII. Will Nina be able to save her sister from the Tiger and at what cost?

The Court of Miracles has an intriguing premise and one that captured my attention early on. The story is quite a fast paced one and I enjoyed Grant’s writing style. The story feels very loosely inspired by Les Miserables so while I am familiar with the original story, I did not see too many comparisons with the original. The plot felt at times a little disjointed and I found the latter half of the book to be much more compelling. I am interested to see where Grant takes things in the next book in the series.

The thing that fascinated me most about The Court of Miracles was the setting. I loved the Parisian setting and the dark and seedy underworld of the guilds. The setting felt well detailed and Grant’s writing really brought that to life. The characters in The Court of Miracles are interesting but I didn’t feel massively attached to any of them. Nina is an interesting protagonist and I enjoyed seeing her go from strength to strength as she did all she could to save Ettie.

The Court of Miracles is a compelling start to a historical fantasy series and if you’re looking for something fast paced and inspired by Les Miserables, this could be exactly the book you’re looking for.

I was a little disappointed with this book - I think I got too dragged into the hype. The characters were okay, but the plot seemed like it had been done too many times before by better writers.

I loved this book - I haven't read Six of Crows sadly - but I can fully appreciate the audience.

I initially requested this during covid and unfortunately didn't get to read it due to the issue with lockdowns etc.

I loved the world building and character creation, the imagery was beautiful and the prose flowed well.

I didn't feel some of the description fit for the book but it didn't put me off reading it.

The cover is absolutely beautiful too - it is what initially sold me on the book!

I enjoyed this. It had a good pace and I liked the links with Les Miserables and it's a shame it's been so long until the sequel comes out.

My initial review didn't upload so this is still showing in my to review list- from memory this was ok, I am not the target audience so didn't appeal to me the way I expected but it was a good average read to me. Sorry- my last attempt at this review was more unbiased and nuanced but I can't honestly remember what I put!

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

I was SOO excited to have been granted an ARC of this book, especially as it was so hyped up, but I felt that, although it was good, it wasn't great (not sure if that's because it had been hyped up so much beforehand).

Set in an alternate Paris in 1828, the court of miracles (9 underworld criminal guilds) go head to head with the royalty after the French Revolution has failed. I feel as though the book had more potential than what was delivered but it was still an enjoyable read.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of A Court of Miracles by Kester Grant.

This was my first Kester Grant book, and I was drawn in by the Les Mis retelling (which was done really well).

I apologise for the lateness in my review. I recieved a physical copy of A Court of Miracles in a book subscription box and completely forgot I had it on here as well. Doh!

A great retelling, I recommend!

In Kester Grant's debut novel, The Court of Miracles, the Parisian criminal underworld shimmers in its daunting glamour. This world, full of thieves, smugglers, assassins, and perhaps more terrifying entities, thrums with danger and an allure hard to resist.

Nina, our heroine, doesn't merely navigate this world, but leaps headfirst into it when her sister's life hangs in the balance. Her journey from a desperate sibling to a celebrated member of the Thieves Guild is anything but easy. The years of her life in this guild, however, take a toll, and she feels her struggle weighing heavily on her, particularly when her adopted sister Ettie becomes the interest of a feared lord within the Court.

A prior encounter with this lord, known as the 'Tiger', ignites an unexpected chain of events in the Parisian underworld. Few are privy to the connection that Nina and the 'Tiger' share—a week of shared past that saw the bloom of love, only to end in disappointment. Since then, their past has been a driving force behind their actions, and its revelation sends ripples across the guilds of the Court.

The resurfacing of the 'Tiger' in Nina's life is a tumultuous storm. The spark that once existed between them seems undimmed, and the thought of letting each other drift away again is difficult to bear. However, Nina wrestles with the possibility of making herself vulnerable once more, with the risk it brings not only to her but to her adopted sister Ettie.

Throughout a tense week, they grapple with their feelings and the risk of vulnerability. Simultaneously, the narrative retraces their steps to the seven days that first bound them together, leaving lasting effects on their lives.

The Court of Miracles is an absolute thrill to read. It's filled with suspense, passion, conflict, and a touch of melancholy. Nina and the 'Tiger' are multi-dimensional characters whose journey ensnared my attention from start to end. Finishing the book was a difficult farewell.

Beyond the romantic and emotional subplot, this novel presents a harrowing yet engaging exploration of survival amidst the underbelly of Paris. The interplay of politics, personal ambitions, and betrayal within the Court's guilds make the narrative even more compelling. The Court of Miracles, no doubt, sets a high bar for the forthcoming installments of the trilogy.

This is such a fun retelling of Les Mis! As someone who isn’t hugely familiar with the story, this was great. I got to notice nods to the book/play that are very famous, and I’m sure there were loads of others I didn’t know too!
I found the Guilds a fascinating addition - the different abilities of each made it exciting and added another layer of tension to a well known story already knees-deep in it!
The sisterly bond between Nina and Ettie was fantastic, and I loved watching it grow and change as they grew, and events happen in the book.
I’m interested to see where the story goes!

This is my first read from Kester Grant and so I didn't go into it like many expecting things like her first book.

I enjoyed it, you can see the Les Mis influences as well. It is a fantasy set in Paris after the French Revolution, we follow Nina and Ettie throughout as they navigate the "court" or rather criminal underbelly.

It was a little slow paced at the time but loved the story line and character development and have definitely added this author to my TBR pile for her other and future books.

In an alternate 1828 Paris, Nina is learning the arts of being a thief within the Court of Miracles following her adoption by the Master of Thieves. Soon Nina, aka 'The Black Cat' is honing her craft among the wealthy of Paris while also plotting revenge on Master of Flesh, The Tiger, who ruined her older sister and has now set his eyes on Nina's adoptive sister Ettie. Using her skills, and connections from the palace, the college and the criminal underworld Nina is set to cause an uprising that Paris won't forget for a while.

I listened to this on audiobook which I highly recommend as the narrator was really good, and brought to life the pain, emotions and anger felt by every single character in this book. If you are a Les Mis fan, you may also enjoy many elements of this book as there is a lot of inspiration taken from Victor Hugo's famous novel from the feeling of a revolutionary Paris, as well as some character names and relationships. You have Eponine, Cosette, Valjean, and Javert among others.

I thought this was a really well-thought out novel and I loved the type of underworld that was introduced to readers within these pages - people of criminal undertakings from thievery, poisoning, begging and prostitution yet held together by rules and criminal honour. We also have many small families within a big family under the Court of Miracles as each Master 'adopts' children and they think of them as father or mother.

Nina as a character is everything you could hope for - clever, and tricksy but also young enough to often show her heart on her sleeve and show her weaknesses a bit too easy. I loved seeing her travel around Paris as she schemed against the Tiger, but also left some hearts beating in her wake including Master of Assassins, Montparnasse.

I think people who liked the criminal underworld seen in other books like Six of Crows or even The Lies of Locke Lamora could like this book as well though the setting of Paris is different to a fantastical world. This book is described as a fantasy but is more so alternative history as other than some mesmerisation, there isn't anything super fantastical or supernatural in the book.

I really enjoyed this though and I would love to read the next book when it's out to see what happened but I can also predict myself rereading this in the future as I'd already like to take it all in again!

This book has a very intriguing premise, very much like a YA fantasy book plot structure. Nina was an interesting character to follow. The plot diverged to end up following a lot of her looking after her sister. The idea of the guild structures and their relationships to each other was compelling. I just prefer more of a mystery or high action!

3.5 stars.

I enjoyed this book and thought it had a great concept. The retelling of Les Mis was so well done and I liked the added elements of the court of miracles and the different guilds. However, I did find the timeline and how time passed to be quite confusing as suddenly 2 years would’ve gone by without this being made clear. This element disconnected me from the story a bit and meant my emotional connection was weaker than I’d have liked.

I enjoyed the ending and how it all came together, and did develop a soft spot for a lot of the characters. I do want to read the sequel when it comes out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper collins for the E-arc of this book.

When the blurb said it was a cross between Les Mis and Sox of Crows I had to give it a go, and I'm so glad I did. Really enjoyed the world building and how the guilds were set up. There was a lot of characters to get to know, most of which were definitely on the greyer side of the spectrum of good and bad. But a nice quick read

I will not be giving feedback on this book as I couldn’t really get into it but I think others may enjoy it.

This book is written so well.
It is gripping and so fast paced.
The world building is so good
A great book

Don't be put off by this being a Les Miserables reimagining. There are plenty of nods to the original Victor Hugo story but you don't need to have read that before picking The Court of Miracles up. This book can stand perfectly on its own. It's grim and dark but vividly brought to life. It was very intriguing with some very clever twists. I'm excited to see where Kester Grant goes next with this trilogy.

This book was perfection from start to finish. I was pulled into a world of intrigue that didn't let up until the closing passage. I was fascinated by each and every element that this book brought to the table and I'm very much looking forward to seeing what Grant brings to the table next.