Amaya has lived the last seven years of her life on a debtors’ ship where children are sold to work off debts made by their parents or someone else. Her father was murdered by Kamon Mercado and Amaya was sold to the captain of the ship. Just when she thinks she will be able to leave, she rescues a mysterious man from drowning and is kept on board by the evil captain. Soon, she escapes and agrees to help the mystery man get revenge on Kamon Mercado because Amaya also wants to get revenge for the injustices she and the other children have suffered. When she first meets Cayo Mercado, Kamon’s son, Amaya’s only goal is to use him to get revenge. Cayo’s goal is to do anything he can to save his sister from the disease she has contracted, even if it means making a bad deal with the Slum King, the man who holds a great influence over the casinos and economy of Moray. As Amaya and Cayo get to know each other, they begin to care for each other in an unexpected way. They will both make some difficult decisions and find themselves facing danger at every turn while in pursuit of the corrupt people who have ruined so many lives.

I enjoyed this gender-bent retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo overall. I loved the plot and characters of the original book. Even though the Count goes down a very dark path, he learns some fundamental truths about life and how unsatisfying the path of revenge is. I believe this type of character development was also done very well in this retelling. The characters and the setting seemed so real, and the plight of some of the characters evoked many strong emotions within me as I read. I felt genuine disgust and anger towards some of the more shady and evil characters, as well as sadness for those who were abused and used by selfish, merciless people. I did not care for the profanity and did not agree with some of the lifestyles and views presented, and there were times when the details were a little grisly for my taste. Other than that, I liked this book very much and cannot wait for the sequel, now that I am emotionally and mentally invested in the characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

**I received a copy of this book from the publisher on Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are completely my own**
I honestly wish I could give this book a better review, but it just wasn't as good as I was hoping.
The way it's written was pretty confusing at first, as it is written in a dual point of view. It isn't marked out at all, so you basically have to figure that out. It's not hard, but was confusing at first. The characters were really interesting and I thought they were written and developed well. I do wish there had been some backstory to some of them, but it doesn't affect the story that there wasn't.
What I didn't really like was the story as a whole. I think it had great potential, but the way it was written just wasn't for me. I found that I was bored for most of the book and I actually wanted to put it down at one point. I also think the story seemed really flat for a huge portion of the book, with everything happening in the very beginning and the very end. 
Overall, it just wasn't for me and I don't see myself picking the sequel up either.

This was an awesome read. While I don't know much about its origin tale I enjoyed the characters in this book as well as the story ARC greatly. I love the slow burn romance with both of the main characters not wanting to be attracted to each other and needing the other for more serious reasons but falling for each other anyway. ALSO I love a good betrayal and there are SO many in this beauty. Cannot wait for book 2.

And intricate and vibrant retelling of a classic story, Tara Sim brings a whole new twist to the Count of Monte Cristo tale. Revenge, politics, economic downfalls, and all the glitz and false glamour of a Monte Carlo casino create a lush world for the young Amaya and her band to seek vengeance upon those who destroyed their lives.

Sold into indentured servitude at ten years old, Amaya has slaved away under the whip of a vicious captain for seven years. But just as her debt is nearly paid off, she takes a risk and rescues a man from the sea. That man, calling himself Boon, in order to repay her kindness tells Amaya not to trust the captain to keep his word of release once her debt is paid and gives her a cryptic message on how to escape to riches beyond her wildest dreams should she choose to follow his instructions to seek revenge on all those that have wronged them both in life.

Taking society by storm as the Countess Yamaa, Amaya sets her sights on the cruel captain, the owner of the ship that held her captive, and the monsters who framed her father for smuggling and destroyed her family.

Meanwhile, Young Lord Cayo is trying to reform his wild ways in order to win his father's tightfisted approval and earn the money needed for medicine to treat his gravely ill sister. The more he learns of his father's shady ethics in both business and family, the more he finds himself disgusted by how lightly those with power oppress and discount those that have nothing. All the back door dealings and under the table trades are almost enough to give his faith in humanity. . . but for his sweet younger sister who has spent her entire life trying to better the wotld however she can as often as she is able.

The lyrical writing that flows back and forth bwteen Amaya and Cayo's points of view is smooth and full of rich descriptions that the bring the city of Moray to life. I picked this book and refused to put it down til it was finished.

*I recommend this book to fans of Alexdre Dumas, Mercedes Lackey, and all those who like a bit of swash with their buckles.

*special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital copy ARC in trade for an honest oipinion*

It started off well if a little grittier than I like.  Then it all just sort of started spinning and not much movement happened.  I skipped a good chunk in the middle and found that I hadn't really missed anything once I jumped to the end.

Amaya was sold to a debtor ship filled with children conscripted to pay off familial debts.  She spent 10 years diving for pearls, gutting fish, beaten and starved until she escaped.  With the help of Boon, a man she saved from drowning and who later saved her, they plot revenge to those that wronged them.  A primary target is the wealthy merchant and owner of the debtor ship whose son, Cayo, is to be used in the plot to destroy that family.  The plot gets a bit twisty.  We delve into Cayo’s backstory and of course discover he’s a likable though troubled sort.  This first book in the planned duology wraps a few things up, but all the players are in place for the next book. 

Maybe I’m just drawn to books about plotting and revenge but it seems there are lots out there.  This one is good, the writing is well done, briskly paced, never plodding.  The bad guys are bad while the good guys are often in a state of puzzlement.  This reinvention of Count of Monte Christo is an engaging read and I look forward to reading the sequel.

**Special thanks to NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own and in no way reflect the views of NetGalley or the publisher. **

3.5 Stars

This is another one of those cases where I wish Goodreads did half star reviews. I liked the book, but I didn't "really like" the book. I feel bad giving it three stars, because I think this was a case of right book / wrong reader. Or, perhaps this was one I should have read with a paper copy instead of starting with the electronic ARC and finishing with the audio book. The narrator of the audiobook was great, by the way. I simply think this just wasn't the story for me, especially after just reading Sea Witch which also involved boats and revenge and, although a completely different story, similar themes. I think I would have liked this one better if I read it at a different time.

Okay, so here's what I thought...

I was instantly drawn into the story. Silverfish presented an intriguing character as a child laborer on a debtor's ship. I could literally smell the fish guts on the ship from the author's descriptions. I immediately felt empathy for her plight.

But, I didn't maintain that level of empathy for her throughout. She made some rash decisions, especially after reuniting with Boon, or at least they felt rash to me as a reader. Her identity is supposedly split between Amaya, who she was before and who she wants to become again, and Silverfish, who she was on the ship, consumed with revenge. I found she wasn't very likable as a main character.

But, I adored Cayo. I'm super excited for a bisexual main character and would like to see this explored a bit further, especially if relationships develop in the second half of this duology like I believe they will. Cayo is not that great at scheming, he just wants to help people, and he trusts too easily. His major motivations come from a desire to help his sister and I found him far more likable than Amaya/Silverfish.

I wanted more of Roach. We don't have nearly enough asexual/aromantic representation in books and I just want to see more of him. He's a loyal friend and not really developed much beyond that, although the ending of the book hints that there's more to his character.

The plot was paced out recently well. There were a couple of things I had difficulty keeping up with in regards to the politics of the city and interactions with Mr. Mercado and the Slum King. I think this is where I would have benefited most from not listening to the audiobook, but rather having a paper copy in my hand so that I could re-read paragraphs as needed to make sure I got everything solid in my head before continuing on.

I'll definitely read the conclusion to this tale when it's published. If you liked the original Count of Monte Cristo (of which this is a gender-swaped retelling) then I think you'll like this story. If you want a fierce female lead, you'll like this story. If you want a sensitive male lead, you'll like this story.

** For teachers and parents, there's nothing beyond a few quick kisses in this book. Attractions are mentioned, but nothing is even close to explicit. Preteens can read this without concern, in my opinion. **

With a very minimal recollection of the story of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, I found myself trying to compare the two stories and getting lost. Once I gave up on finding the similarities between them and think of this story as completely it’s own, I was able start really enjoying it.

The characters were interesting and the plot picks up once the two points of view cross paths. I didn’t love this book as much as I thought I would, and I can’t quite place my finger on why I didn’t love it. Overall found it to be a fun read but the ending kind of felt a little rushed. After I finished reading I realized that this was the beginning of a series so that eases my mind a little about the ending. I was left wanting more answers and thinking this was a stand-alone left me feeling a little lack luster. 

This was my first book by Tara Sim. I enjoyed it and will probably do a reread before the second book releases.  I’m also interested in trying her Timekeeper series a try.

I first would like to say that it has been 10 plus years since I’ve read The Count of Monte Cristo so I’m a little rusty remembering the book. And trying to read a summary was just super confusing…BUT do you need to read The Count of Monte Cristo to read and enjoy this books..NOPE! 

Amaya Chandra (also known as Silverfish and Countess Yama) is one of the books tow main characters. She has spent the last 7 years on the a debtors ship (that bought children) called the Brackish working off her parent debut. We our introduced to Silverfish when she is only days away from returning home with her debut paid. That all changes when she rescues a man, named Boon, out of the sea. Long story short (I don’t want to give it all away ; ) ) the two team up to get revenge on the men who ruined their lives and so Countess Yama is brought to life.  Amaya is fierce and strong and won’t let anything stop her from getting revenge she deserves. 

Cayo Mercado is out second main character and he is the son of the businessman, Kamon Mercado. Cayo’s family had fallen on hard times and he has done a fair share of damage to the family name with his gambling addiction. 

What I liked: 
I enjoyed the gender-swapped YA spin on the. The Count of Monte Cristo was one of my favorite books that  I had to read in high school. So how can I not enjoy it. Also the author made the story a whole lot less confusing which I am grateful for.
I loved how protective Amya was of all the younger kids 
just enough action in it to make the story interesting.

What I didn’t like:
the story dragged in the beginning and took me FOREVER to get into 
kinda confused about the kingdoms and would like to know more 

Overall I did really enjoy the book and would recommend it! And after that ending I need the next book like now please and thank you! 

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC if this book!*
*I  received an eARC in exchange for a honest review*

To inherit the skies, you must scavenge the stars. 
-	Rehanese proverb

This retelling of A Count of Monte Cristo turned out to be quite a fun read. Amaya/Silverfish remained a strong character and her motivations remained rather stable throughout the story. Cayo’s persistence to look out for his sister kept me interested in his character and I am relieved the story didn’t fully operate around a romance between him and Amaya. This was a story of justice and revenge. However, I felt like I needed more information on the ash fever to understand its deadliness and widespread impact, but that may be left to the next book as the story continues.

Perfect for any pirate fan. I absolutely loved this one. Amaya is such a young and powerful influence throughout this book. She deals with heartbreak, insecurities, as well as struggling to find balance in her new life-in freedom. She doesn't know how to be free, we go on this journey with her as she tries to seek justice and revenge but also the power of forgiving. 
This does have a rather slow character arc, but by the end you realize the strides she made to become a better person. 
Her past was taken from her and she strives to make sure her future is secure. 
I solidly gave this three stars. 
I only wished this could capture the world better. Give a better visual for the readers to really grasp the surroundings and places. The going back and forth between Amaya and Cayo was a bit confusing at first in understanding the timeline, and perhaps I enjoyed the suspense of the two characters meeting up. It feels like the novel falls a bit flat after these two get together and decide what is in the best interests for the future. When really, it should have made the novel stronger. There was a lot going on for this little adventure. Conterfeit, disease, heartbreak, romance, and injustice. Maybe focusing on a single problem or two and detailed their relevance better would have served this novel better off. 
If you are looking for a fantasy book with a lot of diversity and representation, this is for you. Positively this book has a wide array of characters and doesn't over do their personalities. So thank you Disney for taking that advance!

Scavenge the Stars wasn’t entirely what I expected it to be. I think it is being marketed as a fantasy which it was decidedly not. I am not sure I can even pinpoint any fantastical elements? But I am making an educated guess here and assuming that the sequel will have a lot more of those elements. 

Reading this book was fine. Just fine. I liked the story enough and kept flipping the pages but always felt like there was something missing that would draw me more to these characters and make me feel more invested in what was happening. It wasn’t until the last 20% of this book where I actually felt like I couldn’t stop reading, which is also why this book ended up being a three star read instead of 2 or 2.5 stars. 

I think one of the biggest reasons I struggled with falling in love with this book was I had trouble immersing myself within the world Sim had constructed. I couldn’t quite visualize it and my brain would keep trying to fill those gaps with images that did not match the story. There wasn’t much work done not just to visually build the world, but also to give it a background. Like there is history of war and territorial disputes mentioned and I wished we’d dwelled a bit more on that.

There also wasn’t a lot happening in the book. It’s a slow book that takes its time peeling back the layers of the mystery, secrets, lies, etc. That isn’t to say that the book was boring? Just slow. There is a lot happening aside from plot stuff – character development, etc. 

Except that I also felt like Amaya was not the best at her disguise as the countess. She kept making choices that put her disguise at risk!!! That said, I did actually like her as a character. I enjoyed how driven she is; even if that drive occasionally led her to make frustrating choices. She was also compassionate and smart, and just generally fun to follow.

Cayo, for all his past and present vices was an innocent, sheltered baby who truly learns SO much over the course of the book. Watching him deal with all the obstacles that came his way, and come out a better, more rounded person was gratifying. 

The two together made a good team and while I wasn’t 100% aboard this romantic ship, I did love their easy friendship and banter. 

More than the main characters though, its the wide array of well-rounded secondary characters that I loved. There are so MANY, with so many different alliances, and they are all so very well written. 

It’s really how everything comes together at the end though that makes Scavenge the Stars a book worth reading. Like I said earlier, the last 20% of this book is truly something. I love a good mystery and I especially love a good twist. Suffice to say, THERE ARE SOME GOOD TWISTS happening and the consequences of those twists…well… 

Even though Scavenge the Stars ended up not being what I expected, I finished the book quite satisfied and very excited to see what awaits us in the sequel. Hopefully there won’t be too much waiting to be done.

I have to admit that the cover of Scavenge the stars is what caught my interest at first . Once I started the book I just couldnt put it down. Page after page I was in awww or I was screaming.

Having never read The Count of Monte Cristo, I had no idea what to expect with this story. Honestly, the extent of my knowledge of that book is the fact that the title was mentioned in The Shawshank Redemption movie. So I can’t tell you how close or true to the source material Scavenge the Stars is.

I wanted to read this because I liked the sound of the synopsis. I love a good “stabby girl seeking revenge” series.

This isn’t exactly a “fantasy” per se. Fantasy as a genre can be a bit ambiguous. Don’t go into this expecting a lot of magic or powers or fantastical creatures. This was a fantasy because it’s a made up place with a made up history. It feels like it can almost be alternate earth/alternate world/alternate history story. It feels very true to life.

This was such a fast-paced, non-stop tale. Not once did the story drag. There were times when I felt like I wanted to stop blinking so I wouldn’t loose that precious second of reading.

Told from alternating duel POVs of Amaya and Cayo, the book grabs your attention right away and never lets you go. I loved each of their narratives and I’m living for their scenes together. They’re just too cute.

Being part one in a duology, I can tell you this; thankfully there isn’t a cliffhanger that will make you want to throw things and rip your hair out while you wait. It leaves off with a nice open ending so that you know the story will continue.

Scavenge the Stars was a swoon-worthy fantasy with two strong leads and an interesting setting. Amaya is a kickass heroine who you can't help but root for, and Cayo, despite his privileged background, is a sympathetic character as well in his steadfast loyalty and love for sister and moral integrity. The enemies-to-friends-to-lovers slow-burn romance between the two characters was well executed, leaving the reader dying for one of them to make a move already. The plot twists were gutting for characters and reader alike, and the ending left me dying for the sequel.

This story is a gender swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. I’ve never read that book, but I really enjoyed this story.

The narrative switches between Amaya, a prisoner on a ship, and Cayo, the son of a businessman in the main city. Amaya escapes her captivity, and she tries to take down the men who were keeping her prisoner. Cayo also does his own investigation to figure out who is making counterfeit money in their city.

I liked the pacing of this book. There were some small reveals every couple of chapters. I was surprised at the twists that happened. I also liked the main characters. They had good chemistry with each other. I’m curious to see where the story goes next.

Thank you Disney Book Group for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The only thing I needed to hear for this book to catch my attention was gender-bent retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo.

Quite frankly, I tend to avoid retellings because I rarely enjoy them — it’s hard to not be critical in comparing the spin to the original.  That being said, I found the idea of putting a twist on the French classic to be intriguing and decided to approach Scavenge the Stars as a book inspired by The Count of Monte Cristo rather than a retelling.  That might sound weird, but it ultimately allowed me to enjoy this book in its own right!

Scavenge the Stars is the first book in a YA Fantasy duology.  Told in the alternating POVs of Amaya and Cayo, this is a story of revenge and political intrigue.

As I was reading, I could certainly see the parallels to The Count of Monte Cristo.  Most of the story is fast paced and, for those unfamiliar with the original, full of twists.  I did find the world-building to be a bit generic and the ending fell a little flat for me, regardless of it being a lead into book 2.

As for the characters, I loved Cayo and felt indifferent towards Amaya.  They both had a lot of growth throughout the story while battling their inner turmoil.  I thought the “bugs” made a great addition to the narrative, and the villains were perfectly nefarious!

Overall, I really enjoyed Scavenge the Stars.  I fully recommend trying to read it without being hypercritical of how much of a likeliness it bears to the classic tome.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. Please note that it, in no way, had an effect on my opinion or review.

When Silverfish rescues a man from drowning, she's more concerned about gaining more debt from her act than his safety. But the man promises riches beyond her dreams—and revenge on those who wronged her and her family. Silverfish takes his vow, and transforms into the Countess Yamaa, the mysterious and fabulous newcomer set to take the city-state of Moray by storm, and bring it to its knees.

Whew. This was a mess.

I'll be honest though, the first 40% was riveting, exciting and a unique spin on The Count of Monte Christo (admittedly, I have not read this), with a gender-swapped hero, a queer love interest, and lots of queer characters and characters of color.

And then the book sags into the weight of itself and never recovers.

Soft boi and stabby girls do not a book make

I liked Amaya (Silverfish). She was filled with rage and revenge for the way her family was treated, and at the system of debt that allowed her to be sold off to a debtor's ship and beaten and starved for seven years along with with a boatload of other children. She was stabby and sharp and strong and determined to succeed—even if her motivations were a little all over the place and her acting skills not so fantastic (I preferred her as the mysterious Yamaa than when she awkwardly attempts to befriend Cayo). Her awkward transitions from Silverfish to Amaya to Yamaa were...clunky and felt a little over-done.

I also liked Cayo, a soft bisexual who just wants to recover and get over his old ways. He had a bad gambling addiction that nearly drove his family to bankruptcy, and just wanted to do right by his family legacy and his sister, and win his father's trust. However, I felt that Amaya's description of him as firmly rooted in the ground, a tree with his roots stretching down anchoring him to the earth (paraphrased) were incredibly off-base, since from the instant Cayo is being pulled in a billion directions and never really seems to find a point and stick to it. He's constantly allowing himself to be pulled in whatever direction someone tugs him.

And with these two leads, I'll be honest: the book was better before they met.

Once they meet, the plot sags into angst and half-baked counterfeit schemes and unsolved mysteries that cover everything from Cayo's father's legacy to the Slum King to the ash fever to Amaya's family to the fate of Moray.

Lackluster Worldbuilding

At first, I was intrigued by the Asian-inspired world of Moray, which felt like it could be an inspired Singapore, situated as it was between two huge empires with lots of economic power and at the junction of the best trade routes. Plus the vice sector and the fact that it was an island and city in one.

But place names and place names do not a fantasy world make. Sim threw out nouns and titles and names all over the place, which was fine in the beginning—because I expected more worldbuilding to grow and flourish, but this growth never happened. There continued to be generic place names without context, which is shoddy worldbuilding at best.

Plus the city-island of Moray, which consisted of a place for tea, a nice area where rich people and not-super-defined nobility live, I guess a palace for the Prince (who is not important enough for his own name), the docks, a random hidden beach/swimming area no one knows about, and The Vice Sector. For the record, the Vice Sector contains 90% of the city, but doesn't have much more distinction beyond that and being...vicey? Lots of gambling.

Also, I'm still not 100% certain what Widow's Vaults are/why they are important, but I think that has more to do with a lack of cultural understanding/ignorance on my end than lack of explanation on the author's part.

The Pros

The representation! This is a book of people of color! This is a book of queer people!

Amaya's dresses. Fuck those all sounded absolutely gorgeous.

The Water Bugs and the Landless. I wanted more of them, and less of Amaya and Cayo. Granted, the romance didn't really reach fruition...like most of this book.

The Cons

Everything else. And Boon, that generic person who had little page time yet was very important for ~reasons~. Ditto to Cayo's dad and also the Slum King and Ramona (sp??), who had a purpose in the novel??

This is bloated, messy and had so much potential but fell flat because it tried to do too much at once and lost its identity halfway through the process.

Also it kinda has the dreaded Bury Your Gays Trope, although in this case it's more ship your gays off to a distant, uncharted land after maiming them (without context, this is not a spoiler).

Revenge book? Socio-political critique of debt and systematic injustice and poverty? An adventure mystery? Don't Let Your Kids Gamble? A YA fantasy romance?

I'm probably being far too harsh, but I think most of my disappointment lies with the execution, since the premise and potential was so high.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Thank you so much to Disney Hyperion and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. 

I was intrigued at the beginning of the book with Amaya and the other children aboard a service ship and Cayo trying to turn over a new leaf. But as the book went on I found myself skimming more and more because the world didn’t really keep my attention. I also realized that I wasn’t very invested in the characters and what was happening between them and how their stories intertwined.

Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim, 336 pages. LGBTQIA+
Disney Book Group (Hyperion), 2020. $19.
Language: R (39 swears, 2 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Amaya (17-years-old) and Cayo can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Their choices eventually bring them together on opposite sides of conflict, but both Amaya and Cayo are done losing. And, this time, they are both determined to win because they have nothing left to lose.
I was intrigued for a while about how Amaya’s and Cayo’s lives were going to cross paths. When their connection was revealed about a third of the way in, I was thrilled by the new development and couldn’t put down their story. Sim has brought to life characters that are unknowingly in conflict, making readers fall in love with both Amaya and Cayo; you feel pain for both of them as challenges pile up in front of them -- including their unwitting sabotage of each other! Unfortunately, I found the end to be a whirlwind that was unpleasant to ride. Several things were revealed in a manner that felt sudden and unplanned, as if Sim didn’t know how to get to the ending she wanted. With that bitter taste at the end of the book, I’m unsure if I want to read the sequel, even though I enjoyed reading most of the book. The mature content rating is for addictive behavior (with substance abuse and gambling), partial nudity, and implied prostitution; the violence rating is for child abuse and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen