Can't Wait For...COURT OF MIRACLES by Kester Grant

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Hi Bookworms!

If you've been here before, you know that I'm more than a little obsessed with musicals. You can constantly catch me listening to them (Much to my family's everlasting chagrin) and stuffing as many trips to the theatre as I can afford (I already have two shows lined up for this spring and one for this fall, and I'm trying to squeeze two more in this year if I can!).

So of course, when I heard about debut novel THE COURT OF MIRACLES by Kester Grant and the summary stated,

Les Misérables meets Six of Crows in this page-turning adventure as a young thief finds herself going head to head with leaders of Paris's criminal underground in the wake of the French Revolution.

You know I had a serious case of grabby hands!

Even more so when you look at the author's FAQ, which states,

I've never read Jungle Book or Les Misérables, what else can I compare this book to to see if I'd like it? 

ACOM should appeal to fans of gritty criminal underworlds like Leigh Bardugo’s Six Of Crows, and Scott Lynch's The Lies Of Locke Lamora, lovers of high octane YA fantasy like Sabaa Tahir’s Ember In The Ashes, classical literature retellings in the vein of Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles and Danielle Paige’s Dorothy Must Die series…

I mean, granted, Les Misérables was a novel first, written by Victor Hugo. The musical, however, popularized the story in a new way and was my first exposure to it. So it's still my first and truest love.

I've started reading the novel (And also Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame) several times over the years, but those are long, wordy clunkers and I always find myself putting them down again. Someday I will get through them!

But for now? Yeah, I'll read all of these cool retellings and inspired-by novels instead!

What are YOU excited to read this 

Can't-Wait Wednesday?

Is THE COURT OF MIRACLES on your list?

~*~

O F F I C I A L   I N F O:

Title:  THE COURT OF MIRACLES
Author: Kester Grant

Release Date: June 2, 2020

Publisher: Knopf Children's

SUMMARY:

A diverse fantasy reimagining of Les Misérables and The Jungle Book. 

 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. 

 For fans of the gritty criminal underworlds of Six Of Crows, The Lies Of Locke Lamora, fierce alternate histories like The Gilded Wolves, And I Darken …and anyone who knows that Eponine deserved so much more.

Title: WHERE DREAMS DESCEND
Author: Janella Angeles

Release Date: May 12, 2020

Publisher: Wednesday Books / Macmillan

 

SUMMARY:

"[A] spellbinding melody of a book, and the true magic is how Angeles puts all the best parts of an enrapturing theatrical performance onto paper and ink. From the gripping twists in the first pages all the way to the final, heartbreaking crescendo, Where Dreams Descend will surge you to your feet in a standing ovation.” —Sara Raasch, New York Times bestselling author of the Snow Like Ashes trilogy

In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.

As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.

The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost

The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told

The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide

Where Dreams Descend is the startling and romantic first book in Janella Angeles’ debut Kingdom of Cards fantasy duology where magic is both celebrated and feared, and no heart is left unscathed. 

“Lavish and opulent in a way that feels warmly familiar yet demands your attention. There are secrets upon secrets, a girl who’s boldly ambitious, and truly riveting stage magic. I didn’t want the show to stop.” —Emily A. Duncan, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked Saints