“I’d rather live one glorious night hunting by your side, Nina Thénardier, than a hundred lifetimes without you.”
You know how I said I don’t usually
read retellings? Meet another one! This time though, it’s the characters from Les
Misérables with some elements from Hunchback of Notre Dame (the
Miracle Court) with a touch of The Jungle Book. Though the combination
sounds a little odd, it actually works really well.
I
didn’t think I could hate Thénardier any more than I already did. Until I finished
chapter one. If you’re familiar with the original story of Les Misérables,
then you already know the majority of characters from this book.
The
plot itself differs greatly in that it focuses on Eponine “Nina’s” perspective
as she lives as a thief among the Miracle Court, basically a mafia of sorts
with nine different guilds. At first, I was skeptical about the court, but it
quickly became clear that it was not an idealized sort of life, especially not
with the Guild of Flesh dealing in human trafficking. The intensity of this
element is far more prevalent in this book than in its main inspirational
source.
At
the same time, Grant plays off the events of the original story. Sometimes,
it’s annoying in that it left me knowing how certain events would turn out, but
at other times, she used the knowledge to her advantage to put her own twist to
the story. Which was pretty cool, though no less heart-wrenching.
Another
element I liked was the stories at the beginning of each section and the way
Grant weaves in the French language here and there. It really added to the
richness of the story as a whole.
Probably
my favorite characters were Nina for her stubborn determination and familial
loyalty, Ettie for her innocent naivety and romantic nature, and Enjolras St.
Juste because it’s Enjolras. The sister relationship between Nina and Ettie is
just golden. Who needs Marius (he never shows up) when you can have the love
between two sisters? Oh, yeah, and Javert is a woman while Valjean is
apparently a boring housemate. I need more backstory for these characters!
In
all, I gave The Court of Miracles 4/5 stars for excellent character
development, interesting world building, yet an okay plot. I’m curious, though,
to see if Grant plans on writing a sequel because the ending was pretty
open-ended.
Interested in the book? Have you read it yet? You might also enjoy these YA retellings:
Let’s
chat! Has The Court of Miracles made it to your TBR list yet? Have you
read it? What’s your favorite classic retelling?
***
Similar book reviews: The Magnolia Sword, Of Myth and Monster, The Beast of Talesend, and The Snow Child
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