Title: The Court of Miracles
Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: Court of Miracles # 2
Paperback, 416 pages
Publication: May 25, 2021 by Ember
Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Buy|Amazon|B&N|
Publication: May 25, 2021 by Ember
Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Buy|Amazon|B&N|
In the violent urban jungle of an alternate 1828 Paris, the French Revolution has failed and the city is divided between merciless royalty and nine underworld criminal guilds, known as the Court of Miracles. Eponine (Nina) Thénardier is a talented cat burglar and member of the Thieves Guild. Nina's life is midnight robberies, avoiding her father's fists, and watching over her naïve adopted sister, Cosette (Ettie). When Ettie attracts the eye of the Tiger--the ruthless lord of the Guild of Flesh--Nina is caught in a desperate race to keep the younger girl safe. Her vow takes her from the city's dark underbelly to the glittering court of Louis XVII. And it also forces Nina to make a terrible choice--protect Ettie and set off a brutal war between the guilds, or forever lose her sister to the Tiger.
My Thoughts
I’ve been wanting to read The Court of Miracles since it was first
released last summer. I’m not sure why but I never got around to reading
it. With the paperback releasing today, Penguin Random House reached
out and kindly offered me a review copy. I of course accepted happily!
The Court of Miracles is a debut novel by Kester Grant and the first
book in a planned trilogy or quartet. The novel draws inspiration from
Les Misérables, The Jungle Book, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Oliver
Twist; all well-known and loved stories.
I would like to disclose, while I am familiar with all inspirations for The Court of Miracles, I don’t know enough to draw the lines of similarities between the book and its inspiration except a few character names and a little of the history like the revolution/uprising against the nobility. The Court of Miracles is centered on Nina, a skilled thief and the endurance and length she would go through for her sisters. Grant was inspired by Eponine (Nina) and Cosette (Ettie)’s relationship from Les Misérables, or lack there of; questioning Hugo’s take on female action and friendships. With that said, I think the inspiration definitely gave a hand to the framework of the novel but the characters and world building was wholly unique and original.
The Court of Miracles is comprised of nine guilds, basically the underground network of the so-called deplorable of Paris. Each Guild specializes in a type of profession. Nina belongs to the Guild of Thieves and Ettie to the Guild of Beggars. I found the world building fascinating. Each guild had their own rules and codes to abide by but also rules to follow as a whole. Readers were treated to a few of the inter-working of the main guilds. I hope Grant goes more in depth with the guilds and explore the other guilds that were mentioned in the next books.
I absolutely loved Nina. She’s not only intelligent and a skilled thief but also a little firecracker, not afraid to make noise wherever she went. While Nina is the main character, I must say the entire cast of characters were very well-developed, so richly detailed I can clearly picture everyone from Nina, Ettie, The Dauphin to Le Maire and Montparnasse. I enjoyed the overall plot, but I think the characters truly make this book. I liked and admired that all the characters were gray. There was never a clear good versus bad or right and wrong. Some of the so-called good guys did heinous things, some of the so-called bad guys did heroic things…everything dependent on one’ own beliefs. I like my characters flawed, it more relatable and realistic. More Montparnasse please...The Darkling who?
All in all, The Court of Miracles was a great start to what’s sure to be an incredible series. I can easily say The Court of Miracles is one of the best novel I read so far this year and I am beyond excited that this book is a start of a series. I can’t wait to immerse myself back into the world and with the characters… I kinda miss them already! I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great plot or a highly character driven novel. And although The Court of Miracles is inspired by big name titles, go in unattached knowing its a loose interpretation of them but expect to be wowed by Grant’s engrossing creative originality and storytelling.
I would like to disclose, while I am familiar with all inspirations for The Court of Miracles, I don’t know enough to draw the lines of similarities between the book and its inspiration except a few character names and a little of the history like the revolution/uprising against the nobility. The Court of Miracles is centered on Nina, a skilled thief and the endurance and length she would go through for her sisters. Grant was inspired by Eponine (Nina) and Cosette (Ettie)’s relationship from Les Misérables, or lack there of; questioning Hugo’s take on female action and friendships. With that said, I think the inspiration definitely gave a hand to the framework of the novel but the characters and world building was wholly unique and original.
The Court of Miracles is comprised of nine guilds, basically the underground network of the so-called deplorable of Paris. Each Guild specializes in a type of profession. Nina belongs to the Guild of Thieves and Ettie to the Guild of Beggars. I found the world building fascinating. Each guild had their own rules and codes to abide by but also rules to follow as a whole. Readers were treated to a few of the inter-working of the main guilds. I hope Grant goes more in depth with the guilds and explore the other guilds that were mentioned in the next books.
I absolutely loved Nina. She’s not only intelligent and a skilled thief but also a little firecracker, not afraid to make noise wherever she went. While Nina is the main character, I must say the entire cast of characters were very well-developed, so richly detailed I can clearly picture everyone from Nina, Ettie, The Dauphin to Le Maire and Montparnasse. I enjoyed the overall plot, but I think the characters truly make this book. I liked and admired that all the characters were gray. There was never a clear good versus bad or right and wrong. Some of the so-called good guys did heinous things, some of the so-called bad guys did heroic things…everything dependent on one’ own beliefs. I like my characters flawed, it more relatable and realistic. More Montparnasse please...The Darkling who?
All in all, The Court of Miracles was a great start to what’s sure to be an incredible series. I can easily say The Court of Miracles is one of the best novel I read so far this year and I am beyond excited that this book is a start of a series. I can’t wait to immerse myself back into the world and with the characters… I kinda miss them already! I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great plot or a highly character driven novel. And although The Court of Miracles is inspired by big name titles, go in unattached knowing its a loose interpretation of them but expect to be wowed by Grant’s engrossing creative originality and storytelling.
