Published By: Harper Voyager
Pages: 402
Date Released: 04/06/2020
In the dark days following a failed French Revolution, in the violent jungle of an alternate 1828 Paris, young cat-burglar Eponine (Nina) Thenardier goes head to head with merciless royalty, and the lords of the city’s criminal underworld to save the life of her adopted sister Cosette (Ettie).
Her vow will take her from the city’s dark underbelly, through a dawning revolution, to the very heart of the glittering court of Louis XVII, where she must make an impossible choice between guild, blood, betrayal and war.
*****
It took me several attempts to finish reading this book, even though it is really rather good. It’s a brilliant story and very well written, and I can see it being adapted into a movie.
The one sticking point that still irks me, is why are some of the characters named after Les Miserables characters? It’s not even like all of them are. There is a hint of the Les Mis storyline but generally, I don’t think it’s linked in the slightest. I was hoping it would eventually become clear why the Les Mis characters were chosen, but I never found out and I found that quite jarring. For example, a scene would be happening, and I’d be really involved in it and then suddenly, Javert (who is a woman in this) appears and it brings me out of the story. I think that’s why it took me a while to get to the end, as I kept waiting for someone to start singing.
Overall, The Court of Miracles is a fast-paced romp through a fantasy Paris. It is dirty and grim, dangerous and scary. There are fruits for the brave, but also for the patient.
I have just found out that this is only number one in a future series, so maybe it will become more obvious why Eponine, Cosette, Thernardier and Enjolras are there, as opposed to simply having Laura, Sandra, Bruce and Tony. The story would work just as well in my opinion, and I wouldn’t feel it jarred every time I felt a song was needed.
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