I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of this last year and so of course I jumped at the chance to join in on the blog tour for a thrilling YA Fantasy spin on Les Misérables, THE COURT OF MIRACLES by Kester Grant! Keep reading to find out more about the book, the author, and my review! (click the banner to follow the tour!)
The Book
THE COURT OF MIRACLES
(A Court of Miracles #1)
by Kester Grant
Publisher: Knopf Children’s
Release Date: June 2nd 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Retellings, Science Fiction
Goodreads
Purchase Links:
Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo
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.
pooled ink‘s Review
Um okay YES thank you! I really enjoyed this new YA Fantasy! This story is inspired by Les Misérables, The Jungle Book, and honestly I caught some The Hunchback of Notre Dame vibes as well. At first I was almost worried we were getting a slow start but honestly there is just something about the language and how the author curls and crafts her prose that kept me glued. I found myself easily immersed in this alternative gritty French world and eager to watch as the characters, especially Nina, grew, hardened, intertwined, and played the game of life to the bells of Notre Dame.
Absolutely riveting, beautifully envisioned, filled with breath-catching moments and colorful characters that spin together tales to elevate the forgotten into bolder players on the board, The Court of Miracles is a YA release not to be missed. And the cover is so lovely too!
The Author
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.
pooled ink 