Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK – HarperVoyager for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Goodreads Synopsis
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.
Review
Trigger Warnings: Drug use and sex slavery
This one was one my most anticipated reads of 2020 and it did not disappoint! The Court of Miracles is essentially a Les Misérables retelling with a hint of The Jungle Book and Six of Crows vibes.
I’ve really been into historical fantasies recently and this ticked all the boxes with a rag-tag group of criminals set in the midst of The French Revolution. This book was so well written that I found myself completely captivated by the criminal guilds! I really liked Nina as a character, having been so young when she was forced into a guild to protect herself she grew to be a strong, reckless and independent woman who cared so much for Ettie. Nina was put into difficult situations throughout this book and had to risk so much.
Let’s talk about the Les Misérables references. I love this musical (I’ve only seen the film version which had scenes filmed at my university) and have had the book on my tbr pile for so long but I absolutely loved the comparisons. At one point the book quotes ‘Red as the blood of angry men’ and honestly I couldn’t stop myself from singing ‘Red and Black’.
I originally rated this at four stars but after taking a few days to write this review I realised how much I actually loved this book. I loved the characters, I loved the Les Misérables references and most of all I loved the storyline.
Whilst this is a book full of tragedy and it is dark and gritty, it is also empowering and epic story that I recommend picking up when it comes out this month!
Rating: 5/5 stars