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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5 stars listened to via audio book. A clever YA fantasy reimagining of Les Misérables and The Jungle Book. An enjoyable read as an audiobook didn't have to think too hard with many of the characters kind of recognisable.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Absolutely loved this feminist, fast-paced and powerful re-imagining of Les Mis. (And very interesting to read a version of the story without Marius.)
A retelling/spinoff of "Les Miserables" in an alternate world where the French Revolution failed and the Underworld is organized into a powerful series of criminal Guilds. One girl tries to save her sister and her adopted sister from the powerful and evil Tiger, a lord of enslaved and addicted prostitutes. In so doing, she finds herself at the crux of the nascent revolution. I enjoyed the historical setting and the allusions to Victor Hugo, but the melodrama was annoying. Found myself skimming to the end. I won't be reading the sequel.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really struggled to decide whether I wanted to give this book two or three stars. Two seems too harsh; after all I did finish the book and the premise wasn't awful, however it fell very much short of the mark.
When this book was announced, I was really excited for it. It had all the elements for a great story, and, quite honestly, it still does have all of the elements for a great story, the kind that would leave you feeling hollow once you've finished reading it because it's so good. Unfortunately, the published product felt more like a first or second draft rather than a polished and complete piece of writing; the plot lines were there, the characters were mostly there, but so much else was not there.
Let's start with Nina. I've finished the book and I still have no idea who Nina is despite the fact that she is not only the protagonist but the narrator of the story. But, I'm left wondering: what's her personality like, what are her good and annoying characteristics, what makes her so endearing to all of the other characters, what makes her tick? Though these questions don't just end with Nina, I could ask them about every character I came across in this book.
I also felt robbed of experiencing Nina's relationships with the other characters. I was told characters liked her, I was told Nina liked or disliked certain characters, but I certainly couldn't feel it and had a harder time believing it. I was robbed of the little moments, interactions, dialogues and reflections that make reading about relationships between characters so enjoyable. Instead, Nina told me about how she felt about people and shared perhaps one or two brief memories which were entirely devoid of the intricacies that make those relationships between characters almost palpable.
The plot lines were there too but it was missing the suspense and tension that comes with good plot building. I didn't even get to enjoy the little nuggets of foreshadowing or plot building that warn you that something is brewing. Instead, those excruciatingly exciting moments of tension while the character is toiling and plotting away were nowhere to be found. One moment Nina is describing the situation at hand, and the next we're accompanying her on her latest action scene. The in-between bits that drive a story were missing and therefore made it really hard to sink my teeth into it. Fortunately, because the bare bones of the story held a lot of promise, it was easy to read the book in its entirety, but I missed the agony of being torn between reading on or slowing down. Had the plot lines been properly padded with the juicy meaty bits that makes it so hard to decide between reading one more chapter or savouring what's left, this would be a very different review. I mean, the story is set in Paris, arguably the best setting for any story, whether it takes place in the past or present, but I got no feel for Paris whatsoever. The book might as well have taken place in New York and I wouldn't have known had it not been for the occasional mention of Notre Dame and the Tuileries.
The what was very much there throughout the whole book, whether it was in terms of what Nina felt about a character or what she was doing, but the why and the how were sorely missed. I would have loved to have seen Nina hone her skills, develop from the little kid to the Black Cat. I would have loved to have seen the relationship between Nina and Ettie, Nina and Tomasis, St Jude, Montparnasse develop.
This very much felt like an unfinished story to me, which is such a deep shame. If the author had been given the proper support and resources to hone her craft and flesh out her idea into a well-crafted story, The Court of Miracles would have undoubtedly been an excellent read.
I think I will stick with two stars for now...
When this book was announced, I was really excited for it. It had all the elements for a great story, and, quite honestly, it still does have all of the elements for a great story, the kind that would leave you feeling hollow once you've finished reading it because it's so good. Unfortunately, the published product felt more like a first or second draft rather than a polished and complete piece of writing; the plot lines were there, the characters were mostly there, but so much else was not there.
Let's start with Nina. I've finished the book and I still have no idea who Nina is despite the fact that she is not only the protagonist but the narrator of the story. But, I'm left wondering: what's her personality like, what are her good and annoying characteristics, what makes her so endearing to all of the other characters, what makes her tick? Though these questions don't just end with Nina, I could ask them about every character I came across in this book.
I also felt robbed of experiencing Nina's relationships with the other characters. I was told characters liked her, I was told Nina liked or disliked certain characters, but I certainly couldn't feel it and had a harder time believing it. I was robbed of the little moments, interactions, dialogues and reflections that make reading about relationships between characters so enjoyable. Instead, Nina told me about how she felt about people and shared perhaps one or two brief memories which were entirely devoid of the intricacies that make those relationships between characters almost palpable.
The plot lines were there too but it was missing the suspense and tension that comes with good plot building. I didn't even get to enjoy the little nuggets of foreshadowing or plot building that warn you that something is brewing. Instead, those excruciatingly exciting moments of tension while the character is toiling and plotting away were nowhere to be found. One moment Nina is describing the situation at hand, and the next we're accompanying her on her latest action scene. The in-between bits that drive a story were missing and therefore made it really hard to sink my teeth into it. Fortunately, because the bare bones of the story held a lot of promise, it was easy to read the book in its entirety, but I missed the agony of being torn between reading on or slowing down. Had the plot lines been properly padded with the juicy meaty bits that makes it so hard to decide between reading one more chapter or savouring what's left, this would be a very different review. I mean, the story is set in Paris, arguably the best setting for any story, whether it takes place in the past or present, but I got no feel for Paris whatsoever. The book might as well have taken place in New York and I wouldn't have known had it not been for the occasional mention of Notre Dame and the Tuileries.
The what was very much there throughout the whole book, whether it was in terms of what Nina felt about a character or what she was doing, but the why and the how were sorely missed. I would have loved to have seen Nina hone her skills, develop from the little kid to the Black Cat. I would have loved to have seen the relationship between Nina and Ettie, Nina and Tomasis, St Jude, Montparnasse develop.
This very much felt like an unfinished story to me, which is such a deep shame. If the author had been given the proper support and resources to hone her craft and flesh out her idea into a well-crafted story, The Court of Miracles would have undoubtedly been an excellent read.
I think I will stick with two stars for now...
A little bit scattered with time jumps, numerous characters, etc but an enjoyable read. It took me a long time to get into this one, but I am glad I continued. Enjoyment does strongly hinge on familiarity with Les Miserables which I'm not certain many teen readers have outside of perhaps the musical.
Also with the title I was expecting Hunchback of Notre Dame not Les Mis
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the advanced reader copy.
Also with the title I was expecting Hunchback of Notre Dame not Les Mis
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the advanced reader copy.
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated