Scavenge the Stars is the first novel in a new series of the same name, written by Tara Sim. It’s been described as a gender-bent retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, and being a massive fan of that novel, I just knew I had to give this one a try.
In a world where debts are an unfortunate reality, certain (and wealthier) members of society have found a solution. A way of getting their money back. They’re called debtors ships. These ships take on people – adults and children alike – and force them into work until they’ve paid off their (or their family’s) debt.
For the last seven years, that has been Amaya’s life. Not that she was allowed even her name, while onboard the ship. Instead, she was merely Silverfish. But she is a girl with a long memory, and she will have her revenge, once she is free.
Cayo is the son of a merchant, but not a wealthy one. No, those funds went away with Cayo’s gambling habit. But that is far from the end to Cayo’s story, for the city he lives in is as complex as the day is long.

“Women with knives are sharper than any mind.”

Warnings: Scavenge the Stars is a novel full of intense emotion and heavier subjects. These elements include abuse, drug use, maiming (specifically involving eyes), child slavery, and gambling. There’s also a sickness described, one that is affecting (and killing) many. All of these subjects are handled carefully.

Scavenge the Stars was a brilliant and fascinating novel. I was lucky enough to get one of the special editions from Owlcrate, and I couldn’t be happier with it. The fact that I enjoyed the contents as much as the cover was perfection.
As I mentioned above, I’m a huge fan of the Count of Monte Cristo. So right off the bat, this book had a lot to live up to. But I’ll say, I was pleasantly surprised by what I found here. This was an intricate and compelling plot, one that well-earned the comparisons made.
I was immediately caught up in this story, from the first moment I saw the depth of Silverfish’s (Amaya) plight. It’s hard not to forge an emotional connection when reading something such as that. From there I was sold, following her story from one page to the next.
Scavenge the Stars was an amazingly complex story. There were several moving pieces in this story, as each character seemed to have their own motivation and focus on revenge. It made for a fascinating tale, one that I just can’t get out of my head.
I very much enjoyed following the multiple threads of this story, trying to piece it all together as it went. Not everything was so clearly laid out, but the evidence was there to be found, if you knew where to look. I loved that balance. It really enhanced the story, watching the characters solve the concerns on their own.
In short, I really enjoyed Scavenge the Stars. I’m thrilled with how it turned out, and am shocked to say that the novel did justice to the comparison (in my opinion). I haven’t read anything else by Tara Sim, but clearly I’m going to have to change that.

For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

I love a good disguise and revenge story, but this one did not live up to the hype around it. It was good, but it started out really slow and it was predictable more times than not. I did like it though, just not as much as I would've liked to.

I adored this book! This is a gender swapped retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo, featuring Amaya (Silverfish), who saves a man from drowning while aboard the Brackish, a debtor's ship, where she was sold as a child. The man promises her riches and revenge, and together, although inadvertently, they escape the ship together and hatch a plan where Amaya masquerades as the mysterious and wealthy Count Yamaa in order to seek revenge on the captain of the Brackish, and a merchant that Amaya believes to have been involved in her father's death and her mother's sale of her. Along the way, she meets Cayo, Mercado's only son, and plans on using him to get to his father. Meanwhile, Cayo's sister has fallen ill, and he tries to figure out a way to help get her the medication she needs to get better, which is extremely expensive. He ends up uncovering further mysteries about the city, corruption, and his father, when his friend and ex-lover Sebastien comes to him for help.

Tara Sim has created a beautiful, vivid world filled with wonderful, flawed, complex characters. The story is told from dual POVs of Amaya and Cayo. Amaya Chandra is a girl with her heart set on revenge after finishing a stint on a debtor's ship. Her story and journey is heartbreaking and filled with mystery. Cayo Mercado is an ex-drunken playboy trying his best to make things right and take care of his sister. He's a bit of a mess, but a very endearing mess at that; he's trying so hard! Admittedly, the side characters are a little undeveloped, but I would love to hopefully see more of them in the sequel (Liesl!! Roach!!), and I loved the sexual diversity among the cast.

The book is jam-packed with action and twists and turns that kept me, as someone who's unfamiliar with the original Count of Monte Cristo, on edge and anxious to finish reading. The book ends on a bittersweet note, opening up to the conclusion in book 2, which I await eagerly!

This does NOT do the Count of Monte Cristo any sort of justice (ha!) - not every revenge story is a retelling.

This book barely works on its own, much less as a retelling. The only good thing to come out of it is that I decided to read the Count of Monte Cristo before it, so in a roundabout way, this book exposed me to one of my favorite stories.... but also butchered it.

So I’m not gonna lie - I bought this because of the cover. The fact that this is a retelling of Count of Monte Christo is just a bonus

This was a super action-packed and fast read. Great strong, female lead too!

As someone whose favorite book of all time is The Count of Monte Cristo, I was both super excited and weirdly hesitant to read this one. But it turned out really well and I can't wait for the second one!