Honestly you had me at "gender swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Christo". I enjoyed Tara's writing style and I'm always down for a good revenge storyline but this fell a little flat for me. I didn't see a lot of similarities/references to The Count of Monte Christo so this ended up just seeming like another typical YA fantasy about revenge.

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite classics, so i was beyond thrilled when I heard there was going to be a retelling!  This book was so fast-paced with tons of plot twists which means it was FUN!  I love a book that can keep my on my toes and makes me want to keep turning the page.  This book as exactly that!  Amaya and Cayo were both fantastic characters and I loved learning more about their pasts as the story progressed, and watch them fight for the lives they deserved!  I can't wait to continue the series!

When I read "epic YA fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Leigh Bardugo" in the NetGalley blurb for this title, I knew I had to read it.

Boy, am I glad I did.

First of all, a sci-fi retelling fo THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO - is that not one of the most unique things you've ever heard??!

Tara Sim took the classic story and turned it on its head. True to its roots yet its own, well-evolved tale, Sim crafts a world full of high stakes, wicked twists and a steamy, satisfying romance.

Plus, one of the absolute *coolest* aspects of this story was the way that every chapter began with a literary quote - a quote that actually foreshadowed the characters' motivations throughout said chapter. SO. UNIQUE. AND. AWESOME.

I really enjoyed this title, and can't wait to continue Amaya's story when the series' second instalment is released!

While I enjoy the original Count of Monte Cristo, I enjoyed this story. Well written and I would highly recommend.

Scavenge the Stars, the first book in a duology, introduces Amaya "Silverfish" Chandra, who is a prisoner on a debt collector's ship when the story opens.  When against her captor's wishes she rescues a mysterious man, Boon, from drowning, he offers her riches and a chance at revenge against Kayman Mercado, the merchant who ruined her family. They escape and head to her former home of Moray, a city-state where opulence and desperate gamblers collide.  Boon orchestrates Amaya's makeover and sets her up as a countess, who cons and manipulates people.  As she navigates this game of deception, she finds herself crossing paths with Kayman's son Cayo, who is involved with the seedy Moray underworld, trying to get medicine to save his sister from a disease plaguing the city. Each working toward their own ends, they begin to fall for each other as they get caught up in complex schemes and discover revealing secrets about the past.  Each chapter begins with literary quotes that foreshadow what is to happen. Alternating between Cayo and Amaya's perspectives, this tale of romance and revenge will capture reader's hearts and minds.

First, I have never read The Count of Monte Cristo. Not sure how that happened but I plan to fix that soon. But honestly I wanted because I really wanted to read this one without making holding it along side as work that is considered a classic. Not sure if that helped or hurt but that is what I did.

Overall this was a really fun and quick read. I really enjoyed the two main characters and how their stories intertwined. The big reveals were a tad predictable but still enjoyable. While I will absolutely read what happens next, I find myself in a place where I am not super emotionally connected or dying for the next book.

A solid four star read.

”For again she was alone, trapped in the cradle of the ocean’s dark and all the stars gone cold.”

Scavenge The Stars follows Amaya who has recently discovered that her parents are both dead and has made a deal with a rich man to bring down another rich man in hopes of securing a future for her and her friends.

The story is a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo and if you’re like myself and only have a vague idea on that particular classic, then I think you’ll enjoy this. There’s a lot of gambling and high stakes. There’s a little bit of Robin Hood and our main character, Amaya, is constantly battling with her own inner turmoil and how far is too far, along with what she will do in order to gain the freedom she wants.

There’s a bit of a romance but it’s more of an afterthought, and I felt as if it was halfway relevant to the progression of the story line. So, even though it wasn’t my favorite, it didn’t bother me.

The story has a few spots where the plot gets bogged down a bit, but later on it’s revealed that those slower sections were needed. On the flip side, there were a couple of gruesome scenes that the author (I think in good taste) didn’t over accentuate. They were there, but blessedly brief.

My favorite part of the book would probably be a lot of the side characters. I really enjoyed the children the main character hangs out with that she met on the ship she had to serve time on. I found a lot of their personalities and interests to be fairly fleshed our considering they weren’t the main focus. I also really enjoyed Romara who kept surprising me over and over, and even after the end of the book I still haven’t quite figured her out.

Another thing I think was done very well, were the “quotes” from different pieces of literature at the beginning of each chapter. I felt like each of these quotes helped set an idea of the motivations for the characters as well as helping to flesh out the world a little more.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be continuing. However, I can definitely see this one being a polarizing book due to the slower nature of the book and also some may be able to detect the plot twists early on.

This was one of my most anticipated books for 2020, so I was so grateful that I received an early copy from the publisher for review! However, I sadly felt let down by this book. The premise is so interesting-I love the concept of a gender-bent Count of Monte Cristo, and I love a good revenge story. However, this book was just so, so slow. I wanted there to be less making plans and talking about enemies, and more action and actual revenge. I really really liked Amaya and Cayo-I wish we had gotten more interaction and banter between them, because that really was fantastic. I also adored how everyone in this book seemed to be somewhere on the LGBTQ spectrum. There was one character who was definitely Ace, and everyone else seemed to mention liking both girls and boys, and we love a good queer community. 
Overall, while I did like some elements of this story, I generally felt underwhelmed and bored by the plot. I'm so very grateful that I got a chance to read this from the publisher, and I'm hoping that Sim's next book will pack more of a punch.

Very unique book and worldbuilding. I was fascinated by the characters and rooting for them the whole way through!

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for release of this review copy!

I was so excited to see when I approved for this! My heart squealed! This book was amazing! 5 stars! I loved the world building. The writing style. I will make sure I check out other works by Tara Sim. And let us now pass up looking as this stunning cover! That Is what drew me into this book but it captured the book so well. This kept me entertained and I never lost interest. I highly recommend picking this up.

Gender swapped Count of Monte Cristo? Yes Please. 
This book was really interesting and I would love to read more retellings like this that aren't the typical fairytales.

Woohoo I love me a good ole' Count of Monte Christo retelling and to have gender bent one was the cherry on top. So to say I was excited was an understatement. The pacing was good, I pretty much loved all the characters definitely darker than the original Count of Monte Christo and you won't see me complaining. Add a dash of romance and you have yourself a good read.

Overall a fantastic young adult book about revenge and one of the better retellings I have had the pleasure to read.

CW: slavery, violence, death, murder, drugging, alcohol use, and deception

So, I got an ARC of this. Decided I wasn't that into it and put it aside. Then Owlcrate chose this book for January and I decided to give it another try!

Overall, it was a good start to a series. The characters were interesting. The plot had a good clip to it. There was a good amount of twists and turns. The ending was satisfying; no huge cliffhanger but it was open for more to the story.

But... It was just lacking for me. I didn't love it. I liked it. I never got that attached to the characters and I found the romance between Cayo and Amaya very forced. Plus, the story felt like there were almost too many twists for my liking and that made me get a little bored by the end.

So, it was a fine book that I enjoyed reading, but I don't know if I can see myself picking up the next book.

What a whirlwind. Amazing characters. Leave you wanting more. The writing is so good. I am so anxious for book two. I really enjoyed the characters. I thought Sim did such a wonderful job with this book.

This story was AMAZING. I had heard a lot about this story before it was published and was very excited to read it. This is such a great read.

Pitched as a gender-swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, Scavenge the Stars is an action-packed and gripping fantasy full of not just revenge and retaliation, but also a mission of finding one’s true self. While I’m not aware of the classic tale (and did a little research to find out more about it), there’s no denying that a retelling of such a timeless trope will always have a charm in it.  

The story begins with Silverfish, or later on we know as Amaya, a girl who worked on a debtor ship led by Captain Zharo, working her way to pay the debts of her parents. With her father dead, Amaya was missing her mother with each day passing by. She’s very close to fulfilling the debt and only has a couple of days left on the boat, leaving her all excited to see her mother again on her birthday next week. Everything was going well until she rescued a young man that almost drowned named Boon. Her freedom which was right in front of her eyes was immediately delayed for a month. While they weren’t instantly friends, the two started to develop an unlikely friendship, until they decided to join forces in order to help each other seek revenge. 

In another place, we got a peek of Cayo, a retired gambler who tried his best to get back from his dark past by trying to earn his father’s trust by working on the harbour and taking care of logistics. With a younger sister that’s ready to get married, everything seems to be right on track until she collapses during a dinner with a potential husband and his family. They soon discovered that she was suffering from a spreading fever disease, which will cost them a grand of money to buy the medicine and taking care of her. Cayo’s world soon turned upside down when he realised that his gambling habit has brought bankruptcy to their family wealth, leaving them nothing to even heal his sister. When his father receives word that a rich countess has entered their city, he orders Cayo to get closer to her. It might be too late for Cayo to realise that the step will tear his family apart.

What I liked about Sim’s upcoming fantasy is the characters and each of the journeys that they went through. Everyone was onto something and the thrill from experiencing their rage as my rage was intoxicating. Amaya’s anger was very much real and her mission to get back to Zharo was thrilling. She was also in the middle of searching for her true self. After working endlessly on Zharo’s boat for the last seven years, who she truly is? Is she still Amaya, the cheerful and kind girl that loved to walked around the village with her mother to picked up fresh fruits for their breakfast? Is she Silverfish now, the fierce and tough girl who’s ready to do everything to save her life, basically to survive? Is she none of that or is she both?

On the other hand, Cayo’s journey as a retired gambler was also enticing to be followed. His regret for his ugly behavior in the past was clearly shown through Sim’s eloquent wordings, making his redemption arc even more appealing than before. His mission to becoming better, not just for himself but also for his sister, was also another plus point from his character. 

Although these two main characters and their journeys were magnificent, one thing that bothered me quite a lot was the narrative when it comes to worldbuilding. Sim was obviously an expert when it comes to crafting a fantasy universe with every little detail that will leave you craving for more. Unfortunately, I was struggling to keep up with this intricate universe that Sim delivered. It was obvious that she had all of this grand world in her mind, but sadly, it didn’t seem to communicate properly on the paper. It was narrated as if the readers were supposed to know about it already, when in fact, this is the first of the series and no one knows about this story, let alone the historical rivalry between two nations, which is implied in Scavenge the Stars. 

In conclusion, Scavenge the Stars was a marvellous gender-swapped fantasy that brings a lot in the table. Apart from the obvious revenge trope, it also has great additions of an authentic self-finding calling and a remarkable redemption mission. It was a solid first instalment with great potential to be developed in the sequel.

For more reviews visit me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

This very much so had the feel of the Count of Monte Cristo story that it was compared to, and I absolutely loved that aspect! While this played a great homage to the classic, it at the same time was something very uniquely it's own. This was gritty and violent, full of death, torture heartbreak and all kinds of sins, but yet was so realistic and I felt like I could see and understand the whys and hows.

The story is told through alternating chapters from Silverfish and Cayo, two very different characters with completely different motivations. Silverfish, or Amaya, was the poor indentured servant girl trying to pay off her family's debt so she can go back to her life- but along the way she discovered that revenge makes a much better motivator. And then we have Cayo, the spoiled playboy son of a shady merchant who is struggling to walk the straight and narrow. The two end up meeting, both pretending to some degree, and it was a complicated mess that I am so glad I had a front seat to witness everything unfold. I loved Amaya from the beginning, rooting for the underdog and even understanding the need for revenge that pushed her every action as well as the internal conflict she battled with every day. Cayo was more complicated. He was a playboy who happened to have a current rough time so I as all set to dislike him...but I am not sure I do dislike him, he ended up being more of the honorable hero than I would have ever expected.

Yes, this is a series. The ending of this book is just the unfolding of the overall conflict in the series. While some issues were resolved, some others were just made known so I am super interested to get the next book and see what Amaya and Cayo have in store for them next. I recommend this for anyone who likes retellings, historical-ish fiction, and gritty dangerous plots full of revenge.

3/5 stars

A decent start to a new series and female spun retelling of 'The Count of Monte Cristo'. Amaya and Cayo equally had their share of demons to deal with throughout this story including a few mysteries along the way. I really connected with Amaya in the beginning of the story, but then the story  quickly stalled. When Cayo, his family, and several other characters came on the scene, it really bogged down the story. There was almost too much drama. The mystery of the characters past and the parts with Cayo and Amaya are what honestly kept me reading.

Overall, I liked this retelling, however I felt I could put it down at anytime. There was so much going on inside the character's heads and plot wise that the romance felt ignored. The drama really took a lot of time away from the characters getting to know one another. I felt this story didn't capture my attention as much as it could have. I do plan on reading the next in the series in hopes that there will be more world building and character development.

Thank you so much to Disney Hyperion and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this  digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic, adventurous, AMAZING retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo that makes the hero a HEROINE. It is so amazing to see a classic retold with a gender-swap because hell, these books sometimes need that. Many of these stories would be so different with a swapped main character and they’d be pretty unique in that aspect as well.

Silverfish (Amaya) was a fantastically written character that had so much anger in her that it was different. Most female characters are written just angry, no emotion besides that, but Silverfish had a lovable anger? She was angry for the way her family was treated and she was going to exact revenge, you could feel it. It was palpable. It was cuttable with a knife. It was just great. She was a starving orphan sold to a debtor’s ship but she made the best of it. She was strong willed, she was also physically strong, she was determined… she was a true female BADASS. She fought, she cursed, but she was also awkward. She had her moments when she was a real person and you could actually feel it off the page.

Cayo was a pretty well written character too as a bisexual debt maker who gambled away all of his money and good away. He was kind of sweet, kind of weird, but also lovable. He wanted to get back into his families good graces and he tried with all his might to do so in the book.

The world building of the book was okay, it could have been better, but I already know the Count of Monte Cristo so I placed everything there myself. Maybe if someone hadn’t read that already they would be concerned with not knowing what was happening in the world.

This was good. It didn't blow me away which is why I'm giving it 3 stars. I enjoyed it. There's nothing really wrong with it. I think my only complaint would be the length. It seemed too short and that made it feel like the characters and plot needed more time to develop. I liked the characters and the plot. Maybe it just needed to be longer to push it to a 4 star.