3 stars

I enjoyed the story and the characters enough, but the plot lacked some things for me

Revenge, that is the one thing Amaya wants when she is forced off a debtor ship, The Brackish, where she has lived the last seven years. When she chooses to rescue a man from drowning she becomes intertwined in a plot not just to get revenge on the captain of The Brackish but also from the man who owns it.
She is ready for the fate that the last seven years has brought her, until she meets Cayo. He is the son of the owner of the ship and as she gets closer she starts to learn more about not just Cayo, and his family, but also about her past.

As someone who has not read The Count of Monte Cristo I can not say how well this follows the original text, but as a book it was quite good. Amaya is naive but very strong, she seems to handle everything that is thrown at her. Cayo seems like he was just a very lost young person. He seemed like he was doing everything he could to better his situation and that of his family. There were also a lot of supporting characters that I loved. Roach, even though they were a very minor character, was one of my favorite mysteries in the story. Cayos sister also seemed like a great character and I hope we get to see more of her in the next book.

(Disclaimer: I received this book from Edelweiss. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

TW: gambling addiction

Scavenge the Stars is a story about revenge. Were you surprised? But even more than that, Scavenge the Stars is also a story about trust and deciding just what kind of person we want to be. I adored that we are able to witness character growth and evolution not only from Amaya, but also from Cayo. We think we are defined by all these things - the cruel conditions of our life, the family we are thrown into, or the deeds of the ones we love - but is that truly who we are?

Having experienced the underbelly of the society on the debtor ship, Scavenge the Stars constantly examines the contrast between the decadence of the elite society and the decay of the foundations. Amaya's entrance into society introduces a conflict within her, who is Amaya truly? On the debtor ship she was Silverfish, in the elite society a countess, but who is she in her heart? Therefore, Scavenge the Stars is also about Amaya's character development - getting down to the roots of who she truly is, in the dark of the night and the shadows of the dawn.

Full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/review-scavenge-the-stars-by-tara-sim/

As someone who is not super familiar with the Count of Monte Cristo, this was enjoyable but not standout for me. Lots of secrey and snooping around, and I thought the characters were pretty great! I just wish we could have seen more from Roach. Maybe in the next book!

*3.5 stars*

Amaya has been working on a ship as an indentured servant for the past 7 years. Her contract is almost up, but when she finds a drowning man she decides to rescue him and she fears her actions will cause her contract to be extended. The man offers her some advice and she reluctantly takes it when the captain turns on her.

With the help of this mysterious man, Amaya remakes herself and begins plotting her revenge. The more she finds out about her past, the more she is unsure of her path forward. It doesn't help that the son of the man responsible for ruining her life is actually a decent person who she enjoys talking to. As the two become friends, the game of deception begins to twist itself into a perilous loop.

I'm not very familiar with The Counte of Monte Cristo, so I can't attest to the retelling aspect. But damn I really enjoyed this mystery/revenge story. I loved that the two MCs were constantly trying to out maneuver and manipulate each other. If that's a trope then I love it and need it in more books. I was totally cheering for them both to win though.

There was so much lovely queer rep in this book too! I'm not sure if Amaya was queer, but Cayo was implied bisexual and I'm pretty certain Roach is asexual. There was also a lovely card dealer who was non-binary and they were cute!! They totally flirted with both Amaya and Cayo and I was here for it!

The plot was really fun. I loved all the conflict, so much double crossing happening! And the ending was crazy! I just saw there's a sequel. Now I'm even more excited!!

I'm pretty much sold when you tell me about a book and it's a gender-swap retelling. Throw in Count of Monte Cristo and I'm ecstatic. I loved this female tale of revenge that features themes of colonialism and an impressive diverse cast of characters. I can't wait for Book #2.

Scavenge the Stars is a young adult fantasy retelling by Tara Sim. It is the first book in the scavenge the stars duology, which is a gender flipped retelling based on The Count of Monte Cristo. I have never read the Count of Monte Cristo, but I did really enjoy Scavenge the Stars. It is the first book I have read of Tara Sim's, and now I am already excited to read more from her. One thing that I knew going into this book is that it is a revenge story, which I normally really enjoy. Plus, I love retellings, so I was in!

In Scavenge the Stars, we meet our main character Amaya. Amaya starts out as a slave on a ship. Through a series of events Amaya is able to escape the ship and go on a different sort of quest. I liked the characters in Scavenge the Stars, but I think the best part of the story was the plot and the way the story was presented. Scavenge the Stars is told in dual narrative, and in multiple timelines. Sound confusing? Yes, it could be at times, but if you stick with it, the story all comes together in a fun way. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure that Tara Sim took us on, and a lot of my enjoyment I am attributing to the storytelling technique.

Amaya meets several characters throughout the course of the adventure. There is her cruel captain, and then Boon, the guy that assists Amaya with her escape. Boon has an agenda of his own, which leads the two of them to our other main character Cato. Other than the way the story was presented, I also loved the world that Tara Sim created. It is full of secrets and intrigue and it is gritty, raw and dark. I recently listened to Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody, and the setting in Scavenge the Stars, reminded me a lot of the city of sin from Ace of Shades, which is high praise from me. It was fantastic. Everyone has their own agendas, and revenge weaves throughout many of the storylines.

Overall, if you are a fan of gritty adventure tales full of surprises secrets and a unique story telling method, I think you will really enjoy Scavenge the Stars. I can't wait to read the conclusion to this duology. I think we are not only going to get some more answers, but I am super excited to see all of the character relationships progress. This was a really strong first book in this series.

I didn't know this wasn't a standalone when I started it but it was so great that I can't be mad about having to wait for the sequel. It was so fun.