The Court of Miracles

March 27, 2020

Gr 8 Up-In 1828, as a member of the Thieves Guild, Nina Th�nardier will do everything she can to rise to the top and protect her new guild and family. And when Lord Kaplen, aka the Tiger, takes an interest in Nina's adopted sister Ettie, she must delve deep into a ravaged Paris underground, ruled by violence and greed. The first entry of the "Court of Miracles" series draws inspiration from Les Mis�rables and characters such as �ponine and Cosette. It's filled with pageantry and drama, and despite a slow start, readers will find a lot to love even before the story starts moving at breakneck speed. Plot points resolve quickly; some characters show up without fanfare. Laundry lists of guilds and characters can be intimidating. Nevertheless, Nina is a strong lead with a focus and development throughout. Approaching the text with a general knowledge of Les Mis�rables-the book or the musical-is a plus. VERDICT A grand start for a series that will appeal to the historical fiction audience.-Thomas Jonte, Pensacola State College, FL

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2020
A young thief defies a brutal crime lord in this reimagining of 1820s Paris. The French Revolution has failed, and the royals have restored order by day. But at night, it is the city's criminals who rule, forming guilds bound by the laws of the Miracle Court. When famine strikes, young Nina's avaricious father sells her older sister to the Tiger, the Lord of the Guild of Flesh, and Nina flees and becomes a burglar--the Black Cat of the Guild of Thieves. In time, Nina's exploits win the admiration of allies from all classes of society. Meanwhile, the poor still starve, the royals poison them to suppress uprisings, and the other Lords cannot stop the Tiger from enslaving women. When the Tiger tries to seize Nina's beautiful, innocent, young friend, Nina orchestrates a plot to kill him and save his victims, whatever the price. Grant's debut is crowded with characters and events; the action feels rushed, with leaps of logic and time that can leave readers puzzled. But the narrative shines in its depictions of the gritty criminal underworld and its fierce and resourceful heroine. Nina has olive skin and black hair from her Algerian mother, and several characters are brown-skinned and dark-eyed. The Miracle Court is described as a place where race doesn't matter (along with social class and religion), unlike the all-white royal court. A raw, spirited, sometimes uneven tale of adventure and intrigue. (map, Miracle Court guide and laws) (Historical fantasy. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 11, 2020
Grant’s ambitious debut, which launches a trilogy inspired by Les Misérables and The Jungle Book, opens in 1823 Paris, where the criminal underground comprises nine guilds bound by a governing body dubbed the Miracle Court. Olive-skinned Eponine (“Nina”) is just nine when her rage-filled father, Thénardier, sells her older sister, Azelma, to the Guild of Flesh’s ruthless leader, Kaplan (“the Tiger”). To spare Nina the same fate, Azelma arranges for the fledgling cat burglar to join the Guild of Thieves, thus earning her its leader’s protection. Court law forbids guilds from interfering in each other’s affairs, but that doesn’t stop Nina from attempting to rescue Azelma—or from plotting to thwart the Tiger when, six years later, he sets his sights on Cosette, Thénardier’s 12-year-old ward. Vividly sketched characters, high stakes, and a harrowing plot distinguish Grant’s tale, which champions justice and found family while opposing human trafficking. Nina’s tender relationship with Cosette offsets the story’s brutality, and her flirtations with a merciless assassin, a passionate revolutionary, and others inject humor and romance. Ages 14–up. Agent: Josh Adams, Adams Literary.

October 23, 2020
Grades 9-12 In an alternate 1828 Paris, Nina Th�nardier, placed in an underground criminal network called the Court of Miracles, wants to save her adopted sister, who was sold into slavery by their father. Nina plans to use her father's ward, a girl named Ettie, as a bargaining tool for her sister but, after a change of heart, decides against it. In order to save both Ettie and her sister, Nina relies on her skills as a cat burglar and her revolutionary university friends to execute an elaborate plan and rescue her sister. Debut author Grant's unique retelling of Victor Hugo's Les Mis�rables, the first in a planned trilogy, is told from the perspective of �ponine (Nina) and features a female-centric ensemble. Many of the characters from Hugo's work are present, such as Jean Valjean, Cosette (Ettie), Th�nardier, and Javert. While Grant's novel is a retelling of the original story, it has enough power to stand alone, and fans of alternate histories will enjoy this adventurous new take on a classic.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.