I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. 4.5/5

You know a retelling is amazing when you immediately need to go see the source material because you arent ready to leave the world behind. This was no exception. I have always loved the Count of Monte Cristo, and forced my husband into watching the movie with me less than 30mins after finishing the book.
I really loved Amaya's character and her struggle with fighting herself against that burning need for immediate revenge, even when she knows she needs to play the long game. I also enjoyed Cayo and his perspective, and the developing dynamic between he and Amaya. I will definitely be looking for the sequel!

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UGH. WHY.

I am so massively disappointed by <em>Scavenge the Stars</em> by Tara Sim that a part of me kind of wants to cry. I was <em>so here</em> for this book when I first learned of it. A gender-bent <em>The Count of Monte Cristo</em> retelling? I mean, how could I not be in love with this idea? It sounded so cool! And I've always been a <em>massive </em>fan of that story--though I do prefer the 2002 film version to literally everything--and so I was really excited about this book.

<b>And then I read it...</b>

I just. Why? Why did this book have to be so terribly <em>bad</em>?

A part of me just wants to point-blank stop and say that this really isn't a <em>The Count of Monte Cristo</em> retelling. At all. Sure, it's got some similarities, namely being more or less imprisoned with some rich guy, using his money to become a Count / Countess, and enacting revenge against those who ruined her life. But even that last bit is pushing it a little? I'm sorry, but what revenge did Amaya actually enact at all? Ugh, I'll get back to that.

<b>The writing:</b>

I just, what's the word? Hate. Yeah, I hated it.

I don't think there was a single aspect of it that I liked if truth be told. The plot was poorly done, the world-building was all over the place, and the characters were <em>awful. </em>I mean, I liked...Roach. And that would be about it. This is a problem in and of itself, though, since Roach is only in something like 10% of the story. I can't even count the number of times I felt as though the author had set something up terribly. And I can speak to only one scene in the <em>entire</em> novel that I actually liked.

<b>Amaya:</b>

Honestly, I liked her in the beginning. When we're first introduced to her she is Silverfish, a slave working off the debt that her father accrued on a ship captained by an evil and abusive man. Amaya's introduction was actually decent. I liked her. I felt for her. But as the story goes on, I liked her less and less until finally I was just completely thrown as to what her purpose in the story was at all. This could very well have just been a story about Boon, the rich man she helps escape, and ultimately didn't even need Amaya at all.

And considering Boon is also in about 10% of the story, this is kind of sad.

But Amaya was just <em>useless</em>. I don't know how the hell I was supposed to take her seriously as a counterpart to Edmund Dantes. She did <em>nothing</em> but flounder about and make stupid decisions. For a character who is supposed to be emulating the cunning, charming, confident, and ruthless mind of someone hellbent on revenge and holding desperately to hate to keep him moving forward, Amaya was thoroughly pathetic. She didn't <em>do</em> anything for the entire novel!

Amaya did none of the manipulating. In fact, the only things she ever really did was attempt to kill and kill a few people involved in her enslavement, both of which left a <em>lot</em> to be desired. None felt like any sort of revenge and neither were at the level of the true Count. The revenge enacted against the main person who ruined her life was something that she was, ultimately, so far removed from that it never even felt like she had a role in it. Not to mention the fact that he makes her cry later...

And none of this would be inherently bad if she wasn't meant to be a representation of a specific character. But when you're marketing this book as a retelling, you absolutely cannot decimate the character you're meant to be retelling. And Amaya, in comparison to Edmund, was too weak. She was not the strong and driven, albeit somewhat misguided, character she should have been. Even worse, the revenge never really felt like hers. And, though this may be slightly spoiler-y, in the end, it truly wasn't her revenge at all.

I remember thinking, while I was reading, that the setup for Amaya's getting revenge seemed so poorly done. I never once felt that she had a true role in any of it. Her motivation always felt lacking and it didn't help that even she questioned herself early on. Everything about Amaya's motivation felt forced and cheap.

<b>Cayo:</b>

At times, I really wasn't sure what to make of him. It doesn't help that Amaya is supposed to be destroying his family for her revenge and his entire role in the story takes away any possibility for her to do that. And then they...sort of have a romance? That never once really feels legitimate. He was like this strange mix of Maximilien Morell and Mercédès, if only because the Valentine character Maximilien falls for in the original is actually Cayo's sister and his love interest, therefore, becomes the Countess in <em>Scavenge the Stars</em>.

Honestly, Cayo was just a mess.

From a ridiculous and horribly patched together gambling addiction plot to a trying to save his sister plot, to the betraying his father plot, to distractedly being interested in the Countess (but not really)...Cayo was all over the place. It was as though the author had a million ideas for him and instead of picking the few that would work for her story and nixing the rest, she just half-assed them all in order to keep every piece together.

It got to a point where I realized that every single character was just deeply underdeveloped. And all because Sim couldn't stick to a few ideas and develop them. Instead, she tried to mix everything together and ultimately this really hurt every single one of her characters.

<b>Everything else:</b>

I think the best word I have for this story is underdeveloped. Sim doesn't really develop anything. All the pieces she sets up are poorly planned and never really feel like she spent enough time on them. The story dragged so much because she tried to fit in all these little pieces and plot points and never really took them anywhere significant. Even the reveal about Amaya's mother was so poorly done that I had to cringe. It was very reminiscent of deus ex machina and happened so quickly that the whole thing just felt extremely contrived.

All her minor characters were caricatures, leaving me unable to care about any of them. Therein lies the massive disappointment I feel with the fact that I even bothered to finish this book. There was so much potential here for something amazing and in every possible way, it fell flat. I was so excited, but now I'm just sad and tired.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

This review will go live on the Reader Fox Blog on May 24, 2020

I had high hopes for this one as soon as I saw it pitched as a Count of Monte Cristo reimagining, and it did not disappoint. Tara Sim has written some truly compelling characters here: I found myself rooting for both Cayo and Amaya even when they were at odds with each other, and even their most upsetting actions were completely understandable. Some of the twists I saw coming, and others I didn't quite, but either way the complex plot has left me eager to learn the resolution in the sequel. That said, it's the characters that really sell me on a book, and it's Cayo and Amaya who will be helping me sell my teens on this one. (And there is no doubt that I WILL be selling my teens on this one.)

That was….underwhelming. Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim is the first book in her series of the same name. It is touted as a gender-bent retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. That alone is why I wanted to read it, but it fell short on so many levels.

The story opens on a debtor’s ship where Silverfish, formerly known as Amaya, spends her days hunting for pearls, waiting til she has enough to buy her way to freedom. When one day, so close to freedom, she helps save a man that is drifting and drowning in the sea, Silverfish finds herself running for her life. Boon, the man she saved, offers her a deal. Let him train her, and she can return to Moray, her home, with his wealth. There’s one catch though: she must help him bring down the man he feels responsible for his own situation, Kamon Mercado.

Amaya is a contradiction of a character. She is ruthless in her pursuit for revenge, not caring who she brings down in the process. Yet she cares about the other kids left on the debtor’s ship. So much so that she bargains with Boon to buy the ship and set them free. They are now under her care where they will stay until her job is finished. Amaya is easy to like. While she operates in a gray area of the law (and morality), she is focused and determined, loyal and caring in her own ways. I immediately rooted for her.

Then there’s Cato, the infamous son of Kamon Mercado, who Amaya is tasked with befriending. I’m not really sure how I feel about him. He used to spend his nights in the Vice Sector of the city gambling, drinking, and having relations (to put it nicely) with anything with two legs. He drug the family name through the mud, and now that they are broke, he is trying his best to live up to his father’s expectations and help rebuild the family name. Cato is hard to like. He wears a mantle of shame around and has very little self-esteem. I felt bad for him, but a lot of what happens to him in this book (and his past) falls squarely on his shoulders. His own actions bring about a lot of the trouble he faces. I really wanted to reach through the book, smack him and tell him to take responsibility for his actions.

While I like the characters and premise of the story, it fell apart for me in its execution. The first portion of the story is action-packed, then when Amaya returns to Moray, the plot and action stop. The back and forth POV between Amaya and Cato is distracting and does not flow well within the plot. While eventually these two separate storylines, converge, until they do, Cato’s story seems to serve one purpose: make the reader empathetic to him. It failed with me, and instead I found myself skimming his chapters to get back to the main story.

Overall, Scavenge the Stars was an okay read for me. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either. I would have enjoyed the story more without Cato’s POV. I liked Amaya and her self-made mission. While her morality lived in the gray in-between area, she is laser-focused on her own goals and what she wants from the rest of her life. If you enjoy dystopian fantasy, I believe you may enjoy this one.

Tara Sim remained faithful to the original material of this book - The Count of Monte Crisco - but also put a new wildly imaginative spin on the original story. Would recommend to students.

I enjoyed this one! Not a favorite, but quite an enjoyable fantasy.

I felt like the world-building was a bit lacking, but I also felt Sim develops her characters and plot well; I honestly didn’t know where the story was going to go, so I take that as a win 🤷 Also, the romance element is well-placed (not overpowering) and a nice addition to the plot. Overall, I felt there was a significant amount of uniqueness to the story to make it an enjoyable, action-packed read!

I received a NetGalley arc from Disney Hyperion in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own!



If you enjoyed this review, you can follow me here on Goodreads or on my booksta and my twitter @ashton_reads :))

"Revenge... It was a word that pumped through her blood and set the stars on fire, and she wanted to rake her hands across the sky and grab them, to let them burn down everything in her path."

I enjoyed this gender-swapped, loose retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo. It's really light on fantasy and world building but if you love a good revenge story and a slow burn, enemies to lover romance then you'll probably like this one.

Loved this retelling of a female Count of Monte Christo. Great action, lots of pirates and a strong female lead will make this popular among middle grade readers.

I greatly enjoyed Sim's novel, set in a lush fantasy world, filled with magic and con artists. The plot twists kept coming and I couldn't put it down.

I will start by saying that I did not finish this book. From what I read, the writing was well done and so was the world building.

However, this just was the wrong book at the wrong time for me. My most trusted book recommending friend absolutely loved this book, but I just found myself distracted while reading it. I didn't get very far into the story - and I am sure it would have captured my attention at some point . I think I am just in a slump with this genre.

I hope to revisit this title in the future and give it another chance. I hope you will form your own opinion!

Thank you, as always, to the publisher and netgalley for the galley!

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.