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The Court of Miracles (A Court of Miracles #1) by Kester Grant
Published: 02 June 2020 by Knopf Children’s
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.
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
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*ARC Kindly provided by Knopf Children’s thru Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
It’s been awhile since I’ve read a fantasy book. I was kind of hesitant and scared before I started reading this, but the premise of this The Court of Miracles really intrigued me and that’s what really pushed me to sign up and join the blog tour.
“There are no family names in the Miracle Court. There is no race or religion. Faith, cast, blood – these are not bonds that tie the Wretched together – for that is how the world sees us, as Wretched. And thus, Wretched is the name given to all children of the Miracle Court. What binds us is our Guild. It is a bond stronger than family, thicker than blood. All you see here are brethren of the Thieves Guild”
I’m going to start off by commending how fantastic the world building has been made on this book. I love how organized the world was set up and the way the world were divided into different factions/courts. Basically, the whole Court of Miracles system intrigued me. It was unique and exciting to read. I also had a great time meeting the people from different factions. They have their own unique identities that are pretty remarkable. It also helped that the book was so descriptive about how Paris was during that time. It’s Paris but not the magical city of light but as a city crippled by revolution and divided between nobility and wretched.
The story started on a slow side but as the chapters progress, I find myself so immersed in the story. The timeline between parts got me a bit confused at first, but I was able to get the hang of it and I can say that the transitions between those parts despite the year that have passed were written smoothly and seamlessly. The fast-paced action-packed middle part of the book made up for its slower start!! I also like how unpredictable each chapter was. Just when I thought that everything will be resolved a new challenge will surface and revelations will be made. There are a lot of gripping mind games and clever twists and turns making the reading experience more thrilling.
“I’m the Black Cat. A daughter of this city. A child of Tomasis, Lord of Thieves Guild. No one can take anything from me because the Tiger has already taken it all. And I’m going to get it back.”
Nina is such a dynamic character and I love how her character started as a youngster cat burglar transforming into one of the best in the Court. I like her fierceness, determination and loyalty. Despite being the best burglar in town, Nina has a soft heart for her sisters and it was really shown on the lengths and efforts she did in the story to save them.
The blurb for this book says that its a Les Misérables meets Six of Crows. It definitely has the whole Six of Crows vibe! The Les Mis parts are well incorporated in the story as well. I think the author really did a lot of research for this book! Kudos on that!
Overall, this was an epic fantasy story! I’m so excited for the sequel. I don’t know what more is going to be in store for us, but I know it would definitely be worth the wait.
4/5 Flower Rating
Kester Grant is a British-Mauritian writer of color. She was born in London, grew up between the UK, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the tropical island paradise of Mauritius. As a wanton nomad she and her husband are unsure which country they currently reside in but they can generally be found surrounded by their fiendish pack of cats and dogs.
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