Title: The Court of Miracles (A Court of Miracles, #1)
Author: Kester Grant
Rating: ★★★★
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.
I’ll be honest, I’m a little over novels set in Paris. Especially when they all have to do with heists. Let’s be original, people.
Sometimes we must pay a terrible price to protect the things we love.
Nina: “Black Cat” of the Thieves Guild.
Ettie: Nina’s “little sister”. The root of this war (granted, it was inevitable in time).
Tiger: Lord of the Guild of Flesh. Lord Kaplan. No Lord will cross him.
Montparnasse: Loves Nina. My lover. Master of the Assassins Guild. Willing to lay himself on the line for Nina, even if he has to betray his guild.
St. Juste: Loves Nina. Everyone in his family was killed. Leader of the rebellion of people who aren’t in a guild.
The Dauphin: Loves Nina. Prince of France. Nina steels from him at a young age. They see each other later and help each other out. Has a mother who is always on the verge of handing him a glass of poison.
Orso: Has an army of “Ghosts” aka little kids. The only Lord who will stand up to the Tiger.
Thernadier: Nina’s dad. Beats her. Will do anything for whoever offers the most money, even betraying his own.
Tomasis: Lord of the Thieves Guild.
if he kills you, I’ll take his head from his body and I’ll set it on a pike in the middle of the Lords’ table in the Miracle Court, and none will ever take it down. There it will rot, the worms will eat it to bone, and all who see it will remember you. Even if Corday asks my life of me in return, I’ll do it. I swear.
Can’t get any more romantic than that!
Things I Liked:
- Secret societies. I love the idea of secret societies being known for specific talents. I love seeing the atmosphere from each unique faction. I’d love to learn more about how these came about and a look deeper into each society.
- Unpredictable. I did not predict one particular event to happen in this novel. That never happens!
- The world-building. Grant made this incredibly easy to follow.
Things I Didn’t Like:
- Hunger Games vibes. If you interchange Nina for Katniss and Ettie for Rue/Prim, you pretty much have the Hunger Games novel.
- The beginning. I was ready to DNF right away, honestly. But, I’m not a quitter, so I kept on trekking, and I actually really enjoyed the novel.
- The timing. I followed this pretty well through most of the novel, but I got a little confused at times by home much time passed.
- Everyone guy loves her. Give me a break! I’m so over the main character having all of these guys wanting her. Not reality!
The Court of Miracles is a story about war, ambitious power, and adversity. People who enjoyed The Gilded Wolves and Six of Crows would enjoy this novel.
