Review: The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant

Liberty 

1828 and the citizens of Paris still mourn in the wake of their failed revolution. Among them, in the dark alleys and crumbling cathedrals of the city, the most wretched have gathered into guilds of thieves, assassins – and worse. Together they are known as The Court of Miracles.

Family

Eponine has lost more than most. When her father, Thénardier, sells her sister to the Guild of Flesh she makes a promise to do anything she can to get her sister back, even if that means joining the Court of Miracles, the very people keeping her sister a slave.

Treachery

Eponine becomes perhaps the greatest thief the Court has ever known, finding a place among them and gaining another sister, Cosette. But she has never forgotten the promise she made, and if she’s to have any hope of saving one sister, she will have to betray the other.

REVIEW

A YA fantasy retelling of Les Miserables? Yes please! I'm not ashamed to admit that I practically begged for an arc of this book, but alas as the cover suggests they were like gold dust. 

I haven't actually read Victor Hugo's mammoth Les Miserables, but I have seen the stage/movie musical countless times, and so I would consider myself fairly attached to the characters, especially Enjolras. I was therefore a little concerned as to where this story would take them. Is it an actual retelling or just using the characters' names to sell it? Are their personalities and relationships the same? And, most importantly, is the ending different? (Please say yes!) Safe to say that I needn't have worried. If anything this only made me like some characters -namely Cosette-more! The story still makes complete sense if you have no knowledge of Les Mis, but I do think that knowing the characters, their back stories, and their fates in the original plot does add an extra dynamic to the reading experience. There are plot twists on plot twists, designed to trick readers who think they know what's coming (many scenes had me holding my breath), and there are a few little in-jokes in there too. 

I haven't read that much YA fantasy to compare this to, but I have seen comparisons with Six of Crows bandied about. I do know that the 'Guilds' idea isn't a new one in the genre, but it was new to me and I really liked it! The underworld of Paris, the 'Wretched', are split into nine Guilds. The Lords of each Guild convene at the Miracle Court. They are bound by Law and live in relative harmony, turning a blind eye to each other's misdeeds. Until Eponine comes along. When Thernadier sells Eponine's sister to The Tiger, The Lord of the Guild of Flesh, Eponine (Nina), vows to do whatever it takes to get her back. And so begins her journey into the dark underbelly of Paris. Eponine is a relatively tragic character in the original Les Mis, so it was nice to see her finally getting some recognition. Her storyline here barely resembles the Eponine we know, but this is no bad thing. As well as Les Mis there are references to The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Jungle Book (The Tiger anyone?) in there too. It's a melting pot of classic stories and characters with modern twists. And it works brilliantly. 

It did take me a little while to get into the story - it's very dark and macabre in places - but it's definitely a grower and well worth sticking with, and once things really got going I literally couldn't put it down. By the novel's end I was well attached to many of the characters and so I was delighted to discover that although The Court of Miracles can easily be read as a standalone it is actually the start of a series, and with the Les Mis inspired story lines practically at an end Kester Grant can have free reign in the next installment! If, like me, you can't wait until then there is also a short story available through Kester's mailing list that is well worth a read.

The Court of Miracles is a fun, fast-paced and fresh take on a classic. Join the Court and enjoy the ride.