delayed review, but recently got asked for a recs around a certain type of rep and this one was still in my mind, so figure I should write a review.

I'll admit, I almost DNF'd this book. What saved it was during the bookclub meeting we discussed it at, a member mentioned there were some good scenes exploring amaya's demisexuality in the back half of the book. Since the only reason I picked up this book was for the ace rep, I figured I'd read till I hit the rep. And at that point, I had 50ish pages left. So finished it.

Roach, while ace, wasn't good rep. His part is too small to be anything other than label service. Amaya however I think was a good show of demisexuality, especially contrasting her POV of scenes to the LI - Cayo. You can tell Cayo is feeling the sexual tension and Amaya just isn't. That, plus her earlier internal monologues about using touch because of how it worked for others, were nice to see as a demisexual myself.

A fast read and good retelling.

I'm somewhere between a 3 and 3.5 with this one.
The world building and characters are well realized (the main ones at least). The plot is a little slow in the middle and really drags.
The mystery is nice and you want to keep reading to find out what happens.

I guess what really dropped this down into 'ok' territory is that the Silverfish/Amaya learned nothing in the end. Like she learned about her family and the secrets of Moray but she began the story on a ship wanting revenge and ends the story on a ship wanting revenge.

Cayo is another character that I wish had learned something. He was on the path of forgiveness and maturity then just gets swept away by characters that are bigger and more compelling than him. I also don't like how the chemistry between Amaya and Cayo was almost forced in the series.

It was worth the read but a let down since I was really looking forward to the book.

I flew through this in a couple days. I really like the pacing and the direction the plot goes in. The characters are solid, but not particularly memorable. The writing is good, as Tara Sim's writing always is, but there are a few lines of dialogue that maybe feel a little unnatural, especially for the setting. I appreciate that this world has no homophobia and how diverse the cast of characters we follow is. I was more invested than I thought I might be by the end and I'm interested to see where the story goes next in the sequel.

This review can also be found on Bookstacked: https://bookstacked.com/reviews/book-reviews/scavange-the-stars-tara-sims/

As March is Women’s History Month, what better book to read than a retelling of a classic, with a woman spearheading it?
Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim throws its reader into the thick of the action from the very beginning. There’s no time to get used to the brutal treatment Amaya faces on the Brackish. This also sets the pace for the rest of the novel, which compliments the cut-throat aspects of the story rather well.

Tara Sim’s writing also shines through her characters. They’re all incredibly well rounded, even the ones we barely get to meet. Amaya is fantastic in her character development, especially the way she comes to reconcile the two sides of her as the story progresses and she allows herself to be more vulnerable. Cayo left less of an impression, he’s likeable enough but pales in comparison to Amaya.

From the small children Amaya rescues, to Soria, to her bodyguards, Tara Sim’s secondary characters breathe life into the story. The inclusion of LGBTQ characters is seamless in the world, with even a non binary character briefly appearing in one scene.

I can’t speak to the novel’s faithfulness in its retelling, but I found the story to be engaging. The main plot and the subplots are tightly connected, if a bit confusing at times, but the whole does culminate in an impressive final set up. The writing is good: Tara Sim pays extra attention to the details of her world, which bring Moray to life before the readers’ eyes.

However well Scavenge the Stars is executed, I did find the breakneck pace tiring. There aren’t enough filler scenes in the second half of the book, so I found myself more detached from the story as it neared the end.

I enjoyed Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim, particularly the way she writes her characters. It’s an interesting take on a little known classic, and could serve to introduce certain readers to it.