It’s a decision that puts in motion a war between the Lords, with Nina at the centre of it all. Nina steals away with Ettie and pledges her to the Dead Lord and his ghosts – the only guild defiant and dependable enough to protect Ettie against the Tiger. When Nina’s sweet and innocent adopted sister Cosette (Ettie) catches the Tiger’s eye, Nina becomes caught in a dangerous race to keep her safe. But what Nina really wants is justice for her sister, and revenge on the man who stole her. She’s small and light and can steal the most valuable objects without getting caught.

Devastated by her loss, Nina becomes a cat burglar with the Thieves Guild. They welcome the Wretched into their midst but as famine spreads through the city, another revolution is building.Įponine ‘Nina’ Thénardier is just a child when her older sister Azelma is taken by the Tiger – the ruthless lord of the Guild of Flesh. Paris is a poverty-stricken and lawless place, held together by a precarious accord by the lords of each guild.

In Grant’s alternate history, the city has been divided between the heartless royalty and nine underworld guilds of thieves, smugglers, mercenaries, spies, assassins and more, known as the Court of Miracles. Enter Kester Grant’s The Court of Miracles, a fantasy retelling of Les Miserables set against the backdrop of 1828 Paris in the wake of a failed French Revolution. I was in need of a new series to fall in love with, one with devious characters, devastating betrayals and darkly romantic undertones. Last year delivered conclusions to two of my favourite YA fantasy trilogies: Stephanie Garber’s Caraval and Holly Black’s The Folk of the Air.

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant