Damn but it feels good to have read a book that was 5 star from beginning to end. THE COURT OF MIRACLES was a page-turner and a half and I am truly sad it is over. I’ve heard all the rumours of Les Miserables and Jungle Book in the same breath as this release and in my opinion, it sits well with these ideas in the background. The execution of this kind of retelling was superb in every way.

Eponine (Nina) but mostly referred to as ‘Black Cat’ was a young novice of the Parisian underworld. She was equipped with the kind of foolish courage you see in someone young but that nerve and intuition moulded her into a thief admired by seasoned Masters of the Court. This was a world that was easy to understand despite the complexities that were apparent, I never once felt lost in the world building. This court of different ‘tribes’ of the city’s underworld had so many great characters to cheer for. I adored the ghosts, the thieves, the assassins and the people of the pen.

"I’m the Black Cat of the Thieves Guild and these are the things I have done."

Life was tough for Nina, but she staunchly fought for her two sisters, she was loyal and sneaky and unrelenting; I adored her. I also enjoyed the humble ignorance she had for those three young men that admired from a distance (this is not a romance, by the way). Her little sister was annoying and fun, her big sister was tragic. What I admired most about Nina was that she brough the different guilds together in a way they never had before; she sparked loyalty in the senior people because of her courage and ingenuity.

The best thing about this book was the not knowing where-the-heck the plot was headed, what would happen around any turn and the pacing alongside the excitement. It was a tale told over years and so also, there was no rushing. Kester Grant is a name to watch and an author to anticipate more from.

THE COURT OF MIRACLES was a stand out read for me this year (so far). I have that itching desire to pick it up again, maybe I’ll wait for my precious hardcover to arrive.

Thank you to Harper Voyager for the early review copy.

I was really intrigued by the blurb of this one, although when it mentioned the drama of Les Misérables, I wasn't expecting to have characters from Victor Hugo's classic reimagined within its pages.

We follow Nina (Éponine), daughter of the Master of Thieves (Thénardier), as she is admitted to the Thieves Guild to protect herself from her father after he sells her older sister to the Lord of one of the other guilds. When this is about to happen again with Ettie (Cosette), Nina decides she cannot watch Thénardier sell another beautiful girl and tries to rescue Ettie. This puts in motion a series of events which threatens to bring the structure of Paris's underworld crashing to the ground, just as the Miracle Court's assistance is needed most by the revolutionaries.

Nina is a fierce and talented (if a little impulsive) character. I thoroughly enjoyed her character development as the book went on and, although her own actions were often quite predictable, those of others to her actions were not always and so this allowed for some surprising moments. I liked the writer's emphasis on Nina's disinterest in a love interest, despite providing her with three potentials and having Ettie egging her on. The gender-bending of the character of Javert and the hinting of more to the Inspector's obsession with Jean Valjean was an unusual take on these characters and it will be interesting to see how this develops over the course of the trilogy.

Whilst this book didn't get me to that point where I didn't want to put it down until about 80%, which is far too late to earn a 5 star rating from me, it is still a very enjoyable and highly engaging opening to the trilogy and I am certainly interested enough that I will look out for and read the next instalment.

I DNF'd this book at 27%.

Initally I was intrigued by the setting, and the retelling of Les Miserables, as I am a fan of the musical.
However, I found it very difficult to get into the story and immerse myself in the world. For me, this was due to to a large amount of exposition. With so many characters being introduced, it did get tiresome keeping track of them all.

The plot was where this book fell flat for me, it was very one note, and this coincided with Nina, the main character, being very one dimensional. There was no real depth or emotion within the writing, with Nina's narrative being very methodical.
Overall, there was no real motivation for me to continue reading.

Thank you so much to HarperCollins and Netgalley for a free e-copy of this book. I am really sceptical when a book is compared to Throne of Glass or Six of Crows. I learnt my lesson with past reads so I lowered my expectations. But, this book was incredible and it definitely pulled it off: impossible heist and fierce heroine. I totally get the hype about this retelling of Les Miserables, it's flawless and I really can't add anything else, I am stunned. It was so good. It was way darker and more dramatic than I expected and the main character, Nina, is what a real fierce, brave and cunning character should be. With a very complex plot and a wide array of characters, it's super intriguing. This book is definitely a must read for all YA fans.

There was so much potential here but it wasn't achieved, and I'm just disappointed. Maybe huge fans of Les Miserables will enjoy this, but to the average reader everything is so disjointed and confusing it's hard to ever get into the story. There are unexplained time jumps, sudden changes in motivations, and generally inexplicable plot points which just can't be believed. I've heard so much hype about this book and I can't see how it's justified.

The protagonist, Nina (or Eponine), was born into poverty, the daughter of the Master of Beasts in the Guild of Thieves - one of the Guilds making up the Court of Miracles, a collection of the undesirable members of 1800s Paris society. The Court has its own laws and own hierarchy, but the laws are being abused. Nina's elder sister, Azelma, has been sold by their father into prostitution, and Nina will do anything to get her back - even if that means going up against the Master of the Guild of the Flesh, the dreaded Tiger himself.

It's a great premise, and the backdrop - France if the French revolution failed - is equally brilliant. Unfortunately, the story never gets going. It keeps jumping with no explanation - Nina has just joined the Guild of Thieves, then she's been there two months, then she's been there two years. New characters are introduced with minimal explanation and justification and the reader is expected to care. It all feels disjointed and unbelievable, and it's hard to come to care about anyone or their motivations when their motivations keep suddenly switching. All the major characters from Les Miserables cameo, but while this likely appeals to existing fans, the lack of explanation is confusing to everyone else.

Nina is fine as a main character - she's brave but reckless, smart but not all powerful - although she's 'the best Cat (thief) ever' with no explanation or on-page training, which is a trope that's a little tired. Her care for her sister - and her friend Ettie, later on - his heartwarming, although the sudden shift in focus from her sister to Ettie is slightly jarring. Equally, Ettie's switch from helpless little mouse to capable looks-out-for-herself lockpicker was great but never really explained. Essentially, all the characters were great, but all their growth took place off-screen. I kept waiting for things to happen on-screen, but all we were shown were action scenes or the scheming of the Court. I wanted character development that was shown, not changes that were told.

There's no romance in this, which was great - not all books need romance - but everyone seemed to be in love with Nina anyway. A prince? Check. An assassin? Check. The head of a lovable French resistance movement? Seriously, Nina spends all her time stealing from people, crawling around in the sewers, or thinking about either her sister or Ettie - why do these people love her? It would be a stronger book with none of that at all.

I feel like this has been a very negative review, but this isn't a dreadful book. It's fine. A very quick read, plenty of action, plenty of originality, a brilliantly diverse cast. It just doesn't feel finished. It's a rough draft that could have become a diamond but has been left unpolished. I expected more, especially given the hype, and I'm disappointed.

From what I've seen, my opinions are in the minority and lots of people love this - which is great! I can't personally recommend it, but I hope this book finds its audience. Fans of Les Mierables and historical fiction may well enjoy it.

Absolutely loved The Court of Miracles—one of the most captivating books I’ve read this year. This brilliant reimagining of Les Miserables introduces us to some familiar names, and a similarly repressive setting, but a whole new story—primarily providing a redemption for the character of Éponine Thénardier. (There’s also an entertaining reinterpretation of the relationship between Javert and Valjean, amongst other threads.) I’d always thought that Éponine gets a raw deal in the original story. She is a spoiled and selfish child, but then she is forced to watch the man she loves fall for Cosette’s beautiful face, and then she tragically dies—her character redeemed only by her hopeless love. The Court of Miracles is dark, but fortunately nowhere near as depressing as Les Miserables.

In Kester Grant’s story, Nina (Éponine) becomes a member of the Guild of Thieves to prevent her avaricious father from selling her to Lord of the Guild of Flesh, like her older sister. Nina is unable to rescue her sister, but when her father’s ward similarly catches the evil Lord’s eye, she resolves to do whatever it takes to prevent him from taking Cosette as well. Like Les Miserables, the plot spans several years from Nina’s initiation into the Guild of Thieves as a child in 1823, to the Paris Uprising of 1832 and its aftermath.

Though Nina’s adventures, as a gifted burglar called the ‘Black Cat’, are gripping and entertaining as she slips unnoticed into palaces and prisons alike, the heart of this book is the relationship between Nina and Ettie (Cosette). Nina is a compelling protagonist; intrepid, sharp-witted and passionate about righting the wrongs of society. When the book begins Nina’s motives are extremely dark, and she is willing to sacrifice her foster-sister for her own ends, but as she spends time with Ettie their relationship develops to the point that Nina vows to protect her, even though this means going up against the most feared man in the Court of Miracles: Kaplan ‘The Tiger’, Lord of the Guild of Flesh. Ettie is beautiful but defenceless, but through the book she grows more self-sufficient until she is quite capable of standing up for herself and Nina.

The first thing that drew me to this book was its striking cover design: a representation of the dazzling French court, and below, its dark reflection—the Court of Miracles. (Historically this was a French term that referred to the slum districts of Paris—home to unemployed migrants.) In this book, the ‘wretched’ of Paris are divided into nine guilds controlled by nine Lords, together forming the Court of Miracles. Though it is a criminal underworld, it is also a refuge for those despised and rejected by society and subject its own laws and protections. Many of the characters also display this contradiction of darkness and light in varying measures.

The Court of Miracles has been compared to Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows and it definitely has a similarly fast-paced, high-stakes, heist-style plot and equally engaging characters. The structure of the Court also reminded of the mime lords and voyant gangs of Scion London in Samantha Shannon’s Bone Season series. Though there are no overt magical elements in this book, the author still manages to create an atmosphere of fantasy with the mystery and menace of the various Guilds and their charismatic Lords, as well as Nina’s almost mythic abilities. For me, the fact that it is inspired by real historical events and issues, like human trafficking, made it even more compelling.

The Court of Miracles swept me away to the treacherous underworld of 19th century Paris in a thrilling, nail-biting adventure that I couldn’t put down. I didn’t realise it was the first of a series, as its narrative arc felt so satisfying and complete, but I will definitely read the sequels and probably buy myself a hardback copy of this beautiful book, as well.

It was exciting from the beginning to the end, I really enjoyed it and would recomend it to all lovers of historical fantasy, there are just not enough novels out there that fit into this category.
I have also reviewed it on Goodreads, and intend to do so on Amazon, with a five star rating.
It is not often you get a novel like this, full of action and adventure.
Nina, better known as Black Cat, is a burglar for the Guild of Thieves; I hesitate to say more, for fear of spoiling the book, but this is an alternate history, where the French Revolution failed, thwarted by the nobles.
This novel is a real page turner, I was obliged to charge my tablet, otherwise I would have continued to read it all night.=

-Arc gifted from Netgalley-

"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."

I love giving reviews and I also try to keep my reviews positive but there were a few little niggles with this book (although it was generally satisfying). I was utterly intrigued by the concept and I thought it was nicely developed as I did pick up on a lot of connections with Les Miserables. But, I didn't even realise this was a retelling of 'What if the French revolution didn't happen' until I read that on a review. Maybe that's my fault for not reading closely enough but I think it could have been made clearer.

I really enjoyed the fables and stories at the start of chapters- I felt like they gave the story such a unique, slightly dark twist, and also broke up a lot of action (I mean a lot). All in all, both the main character Nina and also Ettie were very well written, developed and super connectable (I love a badass main character). But, although she continually thought about it, her initial goals that built the whole plot seemed to take a back seat until right at the end of the book, and even then, it seemed unclear whether that was followed up. Also, I am all for a romance, but the multiple love interests seemed unnecessary (they were basically throwing themselves at her, despite her not really reciprocating at all) and I felt like the author made them purposefully, awkwardly different just so they could be told apart. It would have been unbearable if she was actually interested, but luckily her sharp personality save that one. Don't get me wrong, I live for romance, but still.

The storyline was incredibly complex and weaved in and out of different times and places; although I enjoy being kept on my feet, this meant there were a lot of characters I completely forgot about or that were introduced right at the end. Speaking of cramming at the end, a lot of the storyline unfolded in about the last 10%, as well as a lot of realisations about Nina's motives.

However, this book was complex and well-built enough to keep me reading- the storyline brought together a lot of fantasy ideas and tropes but still managed to stay satisfyingly unique and the Parisian setting was rich and realistic, as far as I could tell. If you're reading for the Les Miserable slant, I don't think you'll be disappointed, as I loved the concept in that sense, but I didn't catch much Jungle Book or Six of Crows- maybe that's just me?

I was SO surprised to receive an E-Arc copy of this book but so grateful I did. I’ve been looking forward to this book and I’ve even preordered the Waterstones special edition because it looks beautiful!
I’m really intrigued by this book because I’ve heard its a Jungle Book (Rudyard Kipling not Disney) meets Les Misérables meet Six of Crows. I’ve never watched or read Les Misérables or read the Jungle Book so I was a little apprehensive about reading this as I have literally no idea about what is going to go down!

The Court of Miracles is a super fast paced action packed story, there’s a lot going on, some clever twists and a lot of characters. There’s different guilds for different things such as the Guild of Assassins. There’s Lords of the Guilds and then masters, etc with lots of different characters in each guild so I think I would have benefitted from some sort of character list. I enjoyed the characters, they were dark, real, flawed and mysterious and I would have liked to have known more about their backstories and how they came to join the guilds, etc.
There were quite a few time jumps throughout the book which I did find a little confusing at times, I also found the appearance of Cosette or Ettie as she’s called by Nina a little confusing, there was no build up to a younger sister character appearing so I could have done with some more clarity on how she came to be so important to Nina.

This is a great tale of sisterhood and about how far we’ll go for those we love and for Nina, there is no limit. I LOVE Nina, I thought she was brilliantly flawed and determined character. I’d love to see more of how she became such a talented thief and more about her relationships with the other characters and protentional love interests. I quite liked that was little romance in this story and that’s coming from someone who loves romance in stories haha.

The world building is incredible, you can really get a taste for what life would be like and it is not pleasant. The poverty, the desperation, famine, the wealth gap, abuse, illness, it feels SO real. The book is set in 1820s Paris after a failed revolution and Grant has done a superb job of imaging and capturing the spirit of the citizens of Paris and how difficult life was when dealing with the horrors of poverty and famine.

I don’t think you need prior knowledge of the Jungle Book, Les Miserables, Six of Crows, etc to be able to read this story, I just enjoyed this book for what it was; a bloody good book. I could have quite happily read this book in one sitting but forcibly made myself take breaks so I could enjoy it for longer. I just loved this book so much more than I thought I would, and cannot wait for the next installment in the series.
A hugeee thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the E- Arc of The Court of Miracles.

I blazed through this book in a couple of days, which isn’t a criticism (I’m a fast reader) – it’s a sign that I’m really enjoying it. The plot races along, and despite a potentially vast cast, it’s kept beautifully focused every step along the way.

I loved the setting: mid-19th-century France, but an alternate-world one where there are nine ‘guilds’ including thieves, assassins, ‘ghosts’ (not actually ghosts) etc. The city is colourfully drawn, and the characters from the various guilds are too.

Confession: I’d not read Les Misérables nor seen the musical, although I did catch a couple of episodes of the recent TV series. So I knew enough to understand that this weaves around that plot, which is an idea I love – there’s so much fun to be had for writer and reader alike in intersecting with but also diverging from an existing story. But I’m fairly sure many of the references passed me by. That didn’t impede my enjoyment, but there’s clearly an extra layer there for Les Mis fans.

Although this is a world with plenty of villainy and double-crossing, I really enjoyed the way there were also lots of characters with kindness and loyalty too: it never felt bleak in that sense.

There are many more stories to tell from this world, so I hope this is just the first Court of Miracles book.

One last note: I only realised after reading that this is categorised as Teens & YA fiction. I'm 42, so perhaps not the target audience! But that's a sign in itself that this could break out of that boundary too - it would sit happily on my bookshelf in between V.E. Schwab's Shades of Magic series and Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere.

I found this to be a pretty dark book, it reminded me of the Terry Pratchett books with the Guild’s, but not humorous in the slightest and very adult..

It’s an exciting book, fast paced and it doesn’t stop for a moment. The main character has been forced through her circumstances to be tough and ruthless, driven by the need to save her sisters and stopping at nothing to achieving her aim.

I enjoyed reading this, my thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for the advance copy.

I really enjoyed this book! The series has lots of potential. The world-building is creative, the hints of fantasy are clever, I loved the twist on history.

Nina's sister is sold by her father when they are young to The Tiger, the Lord of the Flesh Guild. Nina joins the Guild of Thieves and becomes their youngest Cat ever, scaling buildings, sneaking inside and stealing. Known as the Black Cat, she will do anything to get her older sister back. History sort of repeats itself with Nina's adopted sister Ettie, and Nina spends most of the book trying to save Ettie from The Tiger.

This book has a whole bunch of interesting characters, from the Dauphin of France, to Montparnasse, to St Juste. All three of these could be Nina's love interest but I love that she's so focused on her goals that she doesn't pursue any of them! I really enjoyed the Death Lord and the Lady of Assassins too, such great characters.

I actually haven't seen Les Mis, so I have no idea about how it relates! I still found the story incredibly enjoyable with plenty of plot twists I didn't see coming. The Tiger is a horrific villain, Nina has to make difficult choices, and there are big themes of loyalty.

Overall, I'm impressed and can't wait to see how Kester Grant follows this up. This is an author with huge potential and I'd love an adult book some time.

The Court Of Miracles - Review


All my thanks to HarperVoyager for gifting me this enthralling book! The Court Of Miracles was exactly the kind of adventure I needed to immerse myself in during ye old quarantine.

In a world made up of those whose grasp on the law is wiry at best, Nina understands that loyal allies are where the greatest power lies. And while Nina herself belongs to one Guild, the relationships she forms with the members, leaders and denizens of - not just the other Guilds - but the day walkers and even royals, is something to be highly commended.

Nina is a character who goes on a huge journey of growth during this book. Not just from a small child into a young woman; but from a scared, defenceless girl, into a wise, bold, empathetic force to be reckoned with. Nina witnesses cruelty first hand, even from those she calls friend and kin, yet rarely does she allow herself to fall victim to the same curse and bestow these unkindnesses onto others.

There was a huge cast of supporting characters in this book (so many, in fact, that I found it incredibly difficult to keep track during the first quarter!) but each of them gradually developed a clear voice, even with limited page time. Their goals and ambitions within the Court beg to be fleshed out and I hope we get to see their stories grow in Book 2!

The book was plotted well, with foreshadowing and excellent mirroring between Nina and her enemy. *SPOILER* The Court paid the price for abandoning Kaplan; they stood by and watched while Kaplan was sold to slavers, submitting to his wrath when he returned. History repeated itself when they allowed Nina to be whipped by him, only her actions in response were to stand for justice, not hatred. *END OF SPOILER*

Admittedly, the time jumps did confuse me. It was never made very clear how long had passed between events or how old Nina was supposed to be during various stages of the book. On one occasion, a character commented that two years had passed between one event and another, when my assumption was that it had only been a few weeks.

And while learning about the various Guilds a few at a time made it easier for the reader to follow, the odd comments on Guilds we had never heard of that then weren’t expounded on, did offer more confusion than clarity.

But these points aside, I thoroughly enjoyed The Court Of Miracles and will be waiting with bated breath for the sequel. Friends, I encourage you: grab your copy and #JoinTheCourt

As a side note: This book is reportedly inspired by Les Miserables. I would strongly object; it is far closer to The Jungle Book in its source material and if that puts you off - don’t let it! Rudyard Kipling’s book is not the Disney version, that book is DARK and lends itself fully to this captivating tale.

The Court of Miracles has been everywhere on social media for the past few weeks and all of this got me very intrigued and interested so I jump on the occasion to read it early!

This book is a reimagining of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo with its twists and turns as the Paris of Kester Grant is full of criminals, lies and secrets and one major event is also different - the 1789’s French Revolution failed in this book therefore changing the history we know into something quite darker.

The world Grant came up with is super interesting and it is really fun to spot all the Les Mis references like names and places. Moreover, our main character is really one you can’t help but root for as she fights for what and who she loves no matter the cost.

However, I did struggle with the writing as the beginning felt a bit awkward in the way it was all being told and it all unfolded. But the more you read, the better the writing gets and that ending left me wanting so much more and I’m really excited for the sequel!

To conclude, I can say that this is an interesting book with a good plot and background. It isn’t the best YA out there but Kester Grant is definitely an author you’ll want to look out for as I can expect her next few books to be good ones.

HarperVoyager


The Court of Miracles (A Court of Miracles #1) by Kester Grant is historical fiction aimed at the young adult audience and set in an unfamiliar Paris of 1828, where the French Revolution has failed and an increasingly distrusting monarchy remain on the throne. The city has become divided between the royalty, those who survive in local businesses and those of the underworld – the infamous Court of Miracles. This so-called Court, consists of nine underworld guilds, thieves, assassins etc.
Our protagonist Nina, belongs to the Guild of Thieves and the story commences when her older sister Alzema promises her to the guild in order to save her from the horrors Lord Kaplan and his Guild of Flesh.
At the start of this tale, I sighed thinking, “Ah, another YA where a girl decides to break all of the rules but it all works out well and everyone loves/forgives her”. Thankfully, Grant imbues her character with the ability to learn and while Nina does break rules, we see her through various stages in her life and as she grows, matures and comes to realise why some of her hopes for revenge cannot be fulfilled.
Throughout the story that are continuous references to names that are familiar to any fan of ‘Les Misérables’ – Valjean, Cosette (Ettie), Eponine (Nina), Thénardier, Gavroche and I admit that I did love how the author tied such a familiar storyline into her own fantasy world. This is not quite the tale of ‘Les Mis’ from the perspective of Eponine, rather the tale that Eponine might have told in an alternative Paris.
There is no doubt about the author’s talent in creating well-rounded world which has the benefit of being at once both familiar and also an object of curiosity. Combined with an entertaining storyline, I found myself eager to finish the story and learn about what will happen next for Nina and her cohort.
Thank you to HarperCollins & Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

unfortunately, i didn't love this one.

there were a lot of timeskips that seemed jerky and uncoordinated, like me after a few wines, and especially in the first half the narrative didn't seem to flow very well. nina was a good character, pretty well-rounded, but she seemed to get out of scrapes and conflict a bit too easily for my taste.

i'm glad there wasn't an overt Pointless Romance, except it's clear that any boy around her age who goes within 3.4 miles of her is cast as a love interest: montparnasse, st juste and the dauphin. it's a little bit tiring, but at least she didn't really care that much about romance otherwise i'd have been driven up the wall.

there were a couple of historical inaccuracies that did drive me a little bit up the wall, though. nothing too serious, and only throwaway lines really but still:
- it's mentioned that the prince had a whipping boy, even though they're pretty much entirely a historical myth, and just seems like a cheap shot at Making The Nobles Evil
- speaking of Making The Nobles Evil, the nobles are... all evil. except the prince because of course.
- faberge eggs are mentioned, despite them being made for the russian royal family, and despite faberge not being alive at this point in time.

also, this isn't historical, but still annoying:
- lady corday's hypnotism. seeing as there isn't a hint of fantasy anywhere else, it seems a lot like a diabolus ex machina.

tl;dr it wasn't horrific, but it was a disappointment.

3.5 or 4 stars

I liked this! I'm a big Broadway fan and I was humming the musical the entire time. RTC closer to release date.

3.5 stars. There was so much to like about The Court is Miracles. The world was well built, the characters were engaging and the prose was flowing and very readable. It lost a whole star because of the connections to Les Mis. It doesn’t need it. The story, the world and the history are interesting and strong enough, it didn’t need to be hung on the hook of Les Mis especially considering none of it was essential to the plot. It only serves to distract if you know the story of Les Mis. I just kept waiting for the events of that book to happen. It felt like a crutch the book didn’t need.
Nina is a good protagonist, she is likeable but also hard and ruthless in certain aspects however, she is “malnourished”, “small” and angular yet still three men at least seem to fall in live with her after brief encounters even though her behaviour towards them is terrible. Montparnasse the assassin (who is a strong silent stone cold hottie and therefore my favourite) is the exception but even he in the end professes that he will happily die for her. They can’t resist. There is also a vagueness to the time line that is confusing, I have no idea how old any of the characters are and with the time jumps that becomes even more tangled. That said I did enjoy this book and would happily return to that world to see what happens to these characters and the court of miracles.

Short review: This is exactly what a Disney animation would be if it were in book form.

My advice: Don't focus too much on the "Les Mis retelling" because it takes shape very slowly. Instead let Nina's relationships rip your heart out.

Long review, no spoilers:

The Plot:

After seeing that the inspiration behind this was Les Mis, it felt very daunting to me and I was sure it wouldn’t be my cup of tea (much like Les Mis) and I expected to give it a 2-2.5, potentially even a DNF. Boy was I proven wrong.

A weirdly fluid mash up of Les Mis, the Jungle Book, Six of Crows, Nevernight, The Bone Season, Mistborn, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Assassin’s Apprentice. Yep there’s bit of everything in here, but it somehow works.
I don't know what genre to call this, it's technically historical fiction... because you know, failed revolution in Paris etc. However, a very vague hint of ...something mystical is present.

The story in a nutshell is about Nina, the urchin turned expert thief is on a mission to take down a powerful figure. Nothing too original here, underdog versus ultimate evil has been done many times, but this isn’t where the story shines, although the slow incorporation of Les Mis plot starts adding layers to the plot. You’re here for Nina and Ettie’s relationship, no, really, trust me on this.

Characters:

There are a LOT of characters here and I had trouble remembering who they are, how old, of what Guild or background. Fewer characters with more definition would have greatly improved this book.

Nina's badass skills were completely unbelievable to me. We never saw her train, never heard her struggle with achieving skills. She breezes through situations like an assassin, not a thief and all manner of conveniences happen throughout the story.

The character development is poorly done, with the growing and evolving done off page and everyone else is a caricature. I can literally describe all the other characters using one word because that's all we've been given. We don't understand their motivation, their nuances, Montparnasse for example suddenly starts following Nina around 5 minutes after they meet and we are not told why - curiosity, love at first sight, orders from above? Just... something.
Plus the whole 3 dudes in love with her was a bit...sour. I know she has very different relationships with each of them, but none of them are well-defined and it's difficult to understand why they like her.

However, I decided to just go with it, hoping everyone’s backstory will be revealed in the next book.

Nina’s motivations are clear, she struggles and fights and claws her way through all situations and it’s hard not to root for her.

I loved her relationship with Azelma and Ettie, my heart sank so many times at her devotion, and her respect of the Law was very honourable.
Ettie was very sweet and innocent, I enjoyed watching her burrow into Nina’s heart and, in a way, heal her.

The Tiger made for a somewhat interesting villain (especially once his backstory is revealed), but not enough time was spent with him. His methods were terrible and truly evil, but I was much more intrigued by Thenardier. You’ll see why.

Worldbuilding:
France as a setting was delightful, I've somewhat been craving a bit of variety in my stories, to depart from the traditional Medieval fantasy setting with its meat and mead and breeches. Thus now we have macarons, gruel and bread.

The worldbuilding is scarce at first, but as we explore both the gritty underworld and the glam palace, the atmosphere and setting take better shape.

It's quite a vividly painted picture, the juxtaposition of the bright, delightful court life and the dire, disparate living of the poor is intriguing and heart wrenching.

The Court of Miracles itself was fascinating and I wanted to also explore the other Guilds desperately. The author has managed to give them unique characteristics, both social and physical and I’m curious to see how the others will be represented.

Writing Style: The writing is lovely, it flows well and it has short paragraphs and chapters, and constant movement, which kept me engaged. There was something compelling about the writing that made me keep going non-stop.

Pacing:
The pacing is …unique; Nina takes you on a non-stop adventure and you don't really have a chance to breathe and take it all in. This style of storytelling is quite difficult to nail and it works well here because it takes advantage of the single POV in person limited.

My main gripe is with the time jumps. They are hella confusing and if you don’t pay attention, you don’t realise x amount of time has passed. I’ve included the below breakdown so you can more easily understand the jumps:

---------------------------Small spoilers ahead----------------------

Part 1 1823 - Nina is 9 y.o.
Part 2 1829 - 6 years later, she is now 15; Ettie is 12.
Part 3 1829 – 3 months later.
Part 4 1832 – Nina is 17 and Ettie 14.

In addition, during these time jumps nothing happens. They just feel placed only to make the characters older (presumably to imply power & skill growth and reaching an appropriate age to have romantic interests).
Literally we are told of no remarkable interactions or events: Nina spent 6 Years training. Nina spent 2 years with the Société. That’s it. It feels like a wasted opportunity and something should have at least been hinted at (romantically or otherwise).
-----------------------End of small spoiler -------------------------

Overall, this book felt a bit unfinished and superficial (the ending was quite abrupt). There was a distinct lack of character development and this hurt the overall story. But I’m still thinking about this book hours later and feel an acute ache to get back to reading it, so the author definitely succeeded in making me connect to the characters.

Rating: 4 stars –. It's difficult for me to explain this, objectively it's 3 starts, but Nina with her iron will, her fiery honour and fierce loyalty has crept into my heard and made me consume this story in one sitting. This has the potential to become a great trilogy and I want more please.

I enjoyed this book. It is narrated by Nina and tells the tale of her revenge over Kaplan, the "tiger" lord of the Guild of Flesh who is determined to steal her sister and foster-sister away from her into his services. In the process she becomes a member of the Guild of Thieves and earns the moniker the Black Cat.

The book loosely uses the framework/characters of Les Miserables and the Jungle Book, although only Thenardier is easily identifiable. Those who have read those two books will get the references (Nina/Eponine, Ettie/Cosette, etc.), while those who haven't might be missing some of the subtext.