While I don't think this is the most amazing book in the world, it was certainly fun and I remained entertained throughout the whole thing.

The best part about this book was all the characters. All of them are so well-rounded and interesting. I wanted to learn about everyone and their motivations. I also loved how inclusive this book was. There were so many LGBTQ characters, as well as POC characters. It really reflects the world we live in, only better because they were far more accepting than the world we live in now.
Another random bit I enjoyed was the fact the main character has her period. I know it's silly, but I've always wondered how people with uteruses handle their periods in these books. It seems like most, even writers today, never include this detail. Meanwhile, I'm left here wondering how do they handle it in their world? How do the characters handle it? And this book answered that. I know it's a silly little thing to enjoy, but it brought me so much joy to read a character in a book was also having their period.

There were so many twists and turns in this book that it kept me glued and intrigued. I needed to find the answers and I was very happy with them. I'm excited to continue the series and see what happens in the future with these characters.

*spoilers*

I agree with that other review that I think this book just tried to do too much. The beginning was cool - a girl trying to work off her debts on a ship for an unrelenting captain, saves a guy from the ocean in the hopes he will be rich and will help pay for her freedom. But then it went a bunch of different places (pandemic, counterfeiting, gambling, secret identities, gangs) I guess in the hope of throwing you off the scent but it meant that nothing really felt like it happened until the end when things were being worked out. I liked a lot of ideas in this book - like children forced to carry the debts of their parents, living for yourself vs what society expects you to be, how revenge won't fix things - but it kind of ended up being about none of those things because it was about too many things. Romara could have been a really cool character (daughter of a gang lord who is being used in the same way as Cayo, but has her own ambitions, exploits the perception of women to her advantage) but she was hardly in it :( There was a lot of diversity/representation in this though and sometimes the writing really hit you with something juicy but the story didn't quite get there for me unfortunately. I don't know anything about the Count of Monte Cristo so maybe that may have changed things but she didn't wow me

Also Amaya was a smart character, well aware of how to keep herself out of trouble (though sometimes that conflicted with her morals or interests) but I felt sometimes this was lost. Like when she was interviewing all the debt collectors - these guys are doing shady business why would they want to tell her anything about their jobs more than "yeah we did them". And if she was already in contact with Mercado, wouldn't she kind of know what was up? And also couldn't one of the debt collectors easily go to Mercado and be like ?? this weird girl that appeared out of nowhere is looking for info about this girl that disappeared once?? And also with Boon - I get she was kind of consumed by revenge or whatever but a mysterious stranger offers you endless gold to go get your own revenge (helping him too) and she doesn't question that at all? I also would have really liked a map of the kingdoms cause I felt there were a lot of references to things in the world that I had no reference of my own for - Sim describes things a lot as being traditional for this area or that area, which gave me nothing cause I never knew what that meant

Here was my vibe for what was going to happen when she pulled the guy out of the sea: I thought it was going to be Cayo, and his chapters were explaining how he ended up in the sea in the first place, and then Amaya's chapters were the future story since their meeting. And he was dressed for a funeral because he had thrown himself into the sea for some reason but he had found himself a second chance by accident and then they go on their adventure from there! Cause even this book acknowledges that so many of the plot issues are caused by their unwillingness to be honest with each other, when they had pretty much the same goal (idk why Cayo was so cut about turning in his father he seemed like a douchebag) and could have worked together a lot better had they met this way and realised their linked past earlier (and compelled him to act, though I did like how he ended up doing things for his own reasons, not just to save the love interest)! Maybe even making this a standalone, so getting rid of some of those other side plots, would have made it feel like a more coherent and satisfying story. I love books with a bit of a mystery element, but I don't like it as much when the mystery is created by just throwing 1000000 things at you and then saying they're all actually connected at the end.

4.5 stars! she had me at “YA-gender-bent-count-of-monte-cristo”. sometimes the writing was not my favorite but the story was so good and I am excited for the sequel.

Messy plot but the world building seems interesting.

This is one of those times where I wish I could add on half stars in the ratings. I'd give it a 3 for the first half but a 4 for the second half. I liked this book. There were some highs and lows for me, moments where I didn't want to stop reading and a few moments scattered in when I found myself skimming a little bit to get to more interesting parts, but all in all, it was solid. I never read The Count of Monte Christo so I don't have anything to compare this gender-swapped retelling to, but that's not a big deal to me. Let's dive in!

Amaya has been spending her life indentured on a debtor ship she was sold to as a young girl. When she rescues a stranger from the ocean, her actions have set her onto an unimaginable path, where she must disguise herself in her quest for revenge from the man who had destroyed her family and life as she knew it all those years ago. But revenge isn't what she expected and Amaya finds herself tangled in a dangerous game of deception as she grapples with the truth of her past amid the perilous streets of Moray.

I would say I had two issues with this. The first was that in the beginning, the timing between the two point of views didn't seem to line up, where one was ahead of the other, but within a couple chapters that got resolved to where they were both at the same time, so no harm, no foul really. My second issue was that I found myself bored in some places. A lack of proper plot pacing and motivation made parts drag a bit, however, there were plenty of parts that got me excited to keep reading, so it pretty much balanced out.

One of my favorite things about this book was the two main characters, Amaya and Cayo. I felt that their chemistry was fantastic. It's no secret I enjoy a slow burn and that whole enemies to lovers trope and I though this one was done very well. Both Amaya and Cayo felt really flushed out and real. I sympathized with them, I rooted for them, and I wanted each of their happiness. I definitely cared about these two. I can't really say the same for many of the other characters yet (Except perhaps Beetle!) but Amaya and Cayo are both very successful as characters and BRAVO for that!

I'd also like to mention that Tara's style of writing is fantastic. Her words seemed to move across the page with a flourish- artistic, with a smooth and graceful flow that made it easy to envision the bustling streets and crowded docks of Moray. She definitely has a distinct style that I look forward to seeing more from.

There are a lot of pressures on both of our characters and you can tell that this is a first installment setting up for a much bigger collision in additional books. The world building is not complete but I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more as the other books so that didn't bother me so much. And as I said before, when the plot was moving, it was moving! It was exciting and page-turning. Especially the second half where all of the reveals and twists and turns were happening.

If you like stories of revenge and romance and twists, you will enjoy Scavenge the Stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and Disney Hyperion for providing this e-arc free for an honest review!

Putting this down for now. Made it 40 percent of the way, but I still don't feel compelled to read. The characters and story lack the punch and draw to care what happens and how things progress. Super bummed because I had such high hopes.

"'It's funny, isn't, it, how you can only ever see the surface of a person? I feel like most of the time, beneath my surface, I'm drowning. And no one can see it.' Her eyebrows furrowed together, thoughtful. 'That's it,' she agreed. 'That's it exactly.'"

Tara Sim's Timekeeper series is one of my all-time favorites, so when I found the signed, special edition of this book for $5 at a local bookstore, it was an automatic buy.
Scavenge the Stars is the beginning of a adventure-filled duology based on The Count of Monte Cristo. While I haven't read the inspiration for the book itself (I tried to read the Sparknotes article but got too confused), Scavenge the Stars reminded me a lot of Amanda Foody's Ace of Shades.
While I didn't find the worldbuilding or the plot to be particularly unique, I did enjoy the characters and the plot twists. Cayo reminded me of a Jesper who was rich to start with and Amaya was your typical swashbuckling, fiery protagonist. Sebastien was my favorite at first, and he still might be but I'm not sure because I can see myself favoring Roach in the sequel. I liked most of the plot twists, too, and I only managed to call one of them. I'm hoping book two has a bit more action and angst, but I'm scared to admit it (because I said the same thing about Timekeeper and then ate my words...I'm still scarred from that).
If you're in the mood for a short fantasy filled with gambling, corruption, hidden identities, and sort-of pirates, Scavenge the Stars is the book for you.
3.75/5

AMAZING AND IM MAD THIS GOT RELEASED A FEW WEEKS AGO SO I HAVE TO WAIT LONGER FOR THE SEQUEL