Book Review – The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant

5 January 2021 /
the court of miracles cover

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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My rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.
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I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I found this such fun! I’m definitely looking forward to book two, and may even have to reread book one 😉

I loved the concept of the guilds – nothing new per se, but something I thought was used well here. I liked Nina’s status within the thieves guild, and how capable she is.

We get some good themes of loyalty throughout, with Nina trying to protect her youngest sister and rescue her eldest (and then rescue the youngest). Her father is a cruel figure and an interesting character. The play around all the villainous characters is actually very well done – they all have a good air of menace.

The heists themselves are both fantastic and fantastical. I do love a good heist, and I also like it when they play well into the concept of the book. I felt that some were a little unnecessary, but they all had the same end goal. But honestly, sometimes she pulls off some insanely impossible things!

Like many readers, I found the time jumps frustrating, and hope that this isn’t something continued into the next book. I doubt they will be though because we’re into the main action.

4 stars.

Buy The Court of Miracles from Waterstones.

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