13 must-read June YA book releases to start your summer off right
By Lacy Baugher
The Court of Miracles – Kester Grant
A gorgeous, diverse fantasy mash-up that mixes elements of Les Miserables and The Jungle Book? Um, sign us up for this book right now.
The unique premise of Kester Grant’s The Court of Miracles is enough to make any fantasy fan (or musical theater lover, come to that ) sit up and take notice. Loosely based on the world of Les Miserables, it’s the story of Eponine Thenardier, a cat burglar who plies her trade as part of an elaborate underground court of thieves and criminals. Known here as Nina, she’s forced to steal to keep herself alive, and is constantly on guard to protect her sister Cosette from a grabby hands crime lord who wants her delicate beauty for himself.
But this story of life following a failed French Revolution feels more like Six of Crows than Victor Hugo, as the children of the Miracle Court must work together to survive. More than a few familiar faces from Hugo’s tale appear here, however, including Valean, Javert, and an extremely dreamy version of Enjolras.
The official synopsis is fairly vague but still manages to feel exciting.
"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."
The Court of Miracles is available on June 2.