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Unfortunately this wasn’t the book for me. It wasn’t bad, but I didn’t love it either. I felt let down a bit by it even though I went in with no expectations. It was a very quick listen though and another OwlCrate book read, so that’s gotta mean something.
I just wanted more. I feel like if I had known the story of The Count of Monte Cristo prior to reading this, I may have enjoyed it more. But I’m very in love with the inclusion in this book! Very diverse.
I just wanted more. I feel like if I had known the story of The Count of Monte Cristo prior to reading this, I may have enjoyed it more. But I’m very in love with the inclusion in this book! Very diverse.
This book was on my highly anticipated books of the year list and I thought it would finally be my introduction to the author’s writing. But I ended up reading her debut Timekeeper first and thought it was a good one, but somehow had the feeling this would be more my kinda fantasy. Then reading some mixed reviews made me a little apprehensive but thanks to some motivation from my friends and this book also being the January pick for SARC2020, I decided to pick it up and I’m so so happy I did.
I actually don’t remember if I read The Count of Monte Cristo in my childhood, so I know nothing about it except that it’s a revenge tale and I think I enjoyed not knowing the original tale and letting this retelling surprise me. So, I’m obviously not the right reviewer if you wanna know about how faithful or not this book is to its source material. However, I can say that it was very easy to follow right from the beginning, starting off a bit slow and taking time to let us get used to the characters before picking up pace towards the end. The plot is very tightly woven with many mysteries, some of which were predictable but many were not - it was a lot of fun unraveling them and watching them play out. I also loved how the author kept leaving little clues but never told the complete truth, making me not want to put down the book at all.
The world building is not expansive in this book like I’m usually accustomed to in other fantasies. As most of the story takes place in a single city, we only get to know the one place intimately with info about the various sectors, the economy and political tensions, the disparity between the filthy rich and the poor and how the debtors system works. We are told about other empires which surround Moray and how they are trying to gain access to the prominent trade routes but the story never goes into detail about them. But the way the ending is setup, it looks like we might get a bigger picture in the sequel and I’m all here for it. As an Indian reader, it was awesome to see an all POC cast in the book, and though we realize that each of the kingdoms here are inspired by various Asian countries, the author tries to keep them a bit ambiguous but I didn’t really mind it. And the queer normative world shown here was beautiful - everyone just being who they want to be, whether it’s demi, bisexual, aro, wlw or trans.
Amaya is a multi faceted young woman and I really admired her for it. Her years on the debtors ship have hardened her and it’s a motivator for revenge, but on the other hand she is also very compassionate and is always thinking about how her actions might impact others. This girl who could be both driven by her anger and her kindness was a revelation and I’m very excited that I got to know her. Cayo on the other hand is a privileged young man who turned to drinking and gambling to drown away his sorrows but is trying to rectify his mistakes because his whole world is on the verge of collapse. I liked that the author showed us that he is working towards being better, never excusing his previous behavior or condemning his addiction. And despite appearances, he is very soft hearted guy who just wants his sister to be safe and happy.
I liked how the dynamic between Amaya and Cayo developed. It’s kind of an enemies to lovers story but only party knows it, so that was fascinating and I also enjoyed that the author took time to make the characters understand each other a bit before acting on their feelings. There are also no instant love declarations which is kind of nice even though I wouldn’t have minded if that had been the route taken. There are some amazing scenes between the two, a particular one being the absolutely adorable mud fight.
There is also a huge cast of side characters but we never do get to know any of them in detail. Roach is Amaya’s best friend and the bond they share due to surviving together on the debtors ship is deep and loyal, but I really wanted more time with them together coz he seemed like an excellent character. Liesl and Dead Shot are a badass f/f couple who are helping and protecting Amaya in her endeavor and while we got to see them a little in action, I wanted more. We do get to know Cayo’s sister Soria a bit better and I thought she was such a lovely girl and always brought some lightness to the proceedings. There are also many other small characters who play significant roles for a little bit of time and villains whose motivations are very mysterious and we never know who is betraying whom.
In conclusion, I kept my expectations a bit low after reading some of the reviews but the book totally surpassed them all and I had a lot of fun reading it. If you like the classic The Count of Monte Cristo, I think you should give this a try though I can’t tell how close it is to the original. And if you are like who hasn’t read the original but love reading character focused YA fantasies with a diverse cast, a revenge drama, slow unraveling of mysteries and the promise of more political intrigue, then I think you’ll enjoy this book a lot. That ending wrapped up a lot of unknowns and but left enough questions unanswered to make me excited already for the sequel.
I actually don’t remember if I read The Count of Monte Cristo in my childhood, so I know nothing about it except that it’s a revenge tale and I think I enjoyed not knowing the original tale and letting this retelling surprise me. So, I’m obviously not the right reviewer if you wanna know about how faithful or not this book is to its source material. However, I can say that it was very easy to follow right from the beginning, starting off a bit slow and taking time to let us get used to the characters before picking up pace towards the end. The plot is very tightly woven with many mysteries, some of which were predictable but many were not - it was a lot of fun unraveling them and watching them play out. I also loved how the author kept leaving little clues but never told the complete truth, making me not want to put down the book at all.
The world building is not expansive in this book like I’m usually accustomed to in other fantasies. As most of the story takes place in a single city, we only get to know the one place intimately with info about the various sectors, the economy and political tensions, the disparity between the filthy rich and the poor and how the debtors system works. We are told about other empires which surround Moray and how they are trying to gain access to the prominent trade routes but the story never goes into detail about them. But the way the ending is setup, it looks like we might get a bigger picture in the sequel and I’m all here for it. As an Indian reader, it was awesome to see an all POC cast in the book, and though we realize that each of the kingdoms here are inspired by various Asian countries, the author tries to keep them a bit ambiguous but I didn’t really mind it. And the queer normative world shown here was beautiful - everyone just being who they want to be, whether it’s demi, bisexual, aro, wlw or trans.
Amaya is a multi faceted young woman and I really admired her for it. Her years on the debtors ship have hardened her and it’s a motivator for revenge, but on the other hand she is also very compassionate and is always thinking about how her actions might impact others. This girl who could be both driven by her anger and her kindness was a revelation and I’m very excited that I got to know her. Cayo on the other hand is a privileged young man who turned to drinking and gambling to drown away his sorrows but is trying to rectify his mistakes because his whole world is on the verge of collapse. I liked that the author showed us that he is working towards being better, never excusing his previous behavior or condemning his addiction. And despite appearances, he is very soft hearted guy who just wants his sister to be safe and happy.
I liked how the dynamic between Amaya and Cayo developed. It’s kind of an enemies to lovers story but only party knows it, so that was fascinating and I also enjoyed that the author took time to make the characters understand each other a bit before acting on their feelings. There are also no instant love declarations which is kind of nice even though I wouldn’t have minded if that had been the route taken. There are some amazing scenes between the two, a particular one being the absolutely adorable mud fight.
There is also a huge cast of side characters but we never do get to know any of them in detail. Roach is Amaya’s best friend and the bond they share due to surviving together on the debtors ship is deep and loyal, but I really wanted more time with them together coz he seemed like an excellent character. Liesl and Dead Shot are a badass f/f couple who are helping and protecting Amaya in her endeavor and while we got to see them a little in action, I wanted more. We do get to know Cayo’s sister Soria a bit better and I thought she was such a lovely girl and always brought some lightness to the proceedings. There are also many other small characters who play significant roles for a little bit of time and villains whose motivations are very mysterious and we never know who is betraying whom.
In conclusion, I kept my expectations a bit low after reading some of the reviews but the book totally surpassed them all and I had a lot of fun reading it. If you like the classic The Count of Monte Cristo, I think you should give this a try though I can’t tell how close it is to the original. And if you are like who hasn’t read the original but love reading character focused YA fantasies with a diverse cast, a revenge drama, slow unraveling of mysteries and the promise of more political intrigue, then I think you’ll enjoy this book a lot. That ending wrapped up a lot of unknowns and but left enough questions unanswered to make me excited already for the sequel.
Warnings: child abuse and indentured servitude, addiction and alcohol abuse, sick family member, physical violence and homicide
Rep: Biracial WOC main character; Bisexual main character who is also a recovering addict; secondary queer and PoC characters
Retellings are like catnip to me, and when it is a retelling with diversity, I am always excited. This story is a genderbent version of Count of Monte Cristo, where one of our protagonist, Amaya, having returned from a long indenture at sea is planning revenge on the people that caused her to be there. Given at a very young age to a ship to pay off family debts, she and other children like her, called Bugs, are mistreated by the captain and have lived a mostly lonely life. At nearly the end of her term of service, she rescues a rich-looking man from the sea, partially hoping for a reward that would hasten her debt resolution, but instead has her life shattered. The other protagonist, Cayo, the son of the merchant who is the target of her revenge, is recovering from a gambling addiction after nearly bankrupting himself, and trying to prove to his father that he can be responsible. When his sister falls ill with a disease that has been spreading in their city-state of Moray, he is pulled by his desires to fix things quickly the only way he knows how.
The story starts off with different timelines for the leads, and merges it soon enough, as Amaya returns to Moray as a mysterious Countess who is taking high society by storm. Cayo, intrigued by her, and also encouraged by his father to seek favors with her, crosses paths with her often. While they both are holding secrets close to their heart, they both find a kinship in each other. Their story arcs do play separately, as Cayo, desperate for money to buy medicine for the sister his father refuses to spend money, makes a deal with the Slum King, while also trying to investigate the latter for the Port Authority. He is also fighting his addiction when it is everywhere in his life, whether is wandering the streets of a city known for its casinos, or with his 'friends' at parties. Amaya who has been subtly pushing Cayo towards hints of his father's misdeeds, and hoping to use him for the destruction of the Mercado family, starts realizing that she cannot punish him, too, for his father's crimes. She is also starting to think beyond the red-tinged haze of revenge, to find 'Amaya' in between trying to leave behind 'Silverish' and keeping her 'Countess' facade, when that is an identity she had left 7 years ago. Finding the person who orchestrated her father's fall and her being sold becomes a mission for her, while her mentor, Boon is trying to direct her towards revenge against the Mercados. The emotional landscape of both their stories is well-done.
I liked the world-building in the book, with its rich imagining of the cultures, the dressing, the mythology that appeared in snippets as chapter headings; I wish, though, it was more clear about which kingdom belongs to which empire (I really hope there are maps in the final version, because I couldn't figure out). The plot was flowing smoothly, building up the tension between the two main characters and how their threads would twist as the story was reaching its end, but I felt the ending was a bit messy. Between the fact that Boon's plan made no sense, and finding out mid-way during the book that Amaya didn't actually orchestrate the Mercado's financial ruin (I honestly thought they had done something, but nope I was left being 'wait you didn't do that?'), what exactly was the revenge plan is a big question. Also the ash fever that permeated the city made no sense from the start - the Port Authority was checking incoming people for signs of disease, but it is not contagious (Cayo frequently is in contact with his sister and nobody else gets sick) so why were they doing that? When I compare the story arcs of the lead, Cayo's feels more satisfying, while Amaya's sort of falls apart towards the end; I do hope that it is better in the sequel.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Disney-Hyperion, via Netgalley.
Rep: Biracial WOC main character; Bisexual main character who is also a recovering addict; secondary queer and PoC characters
Retellings are like catnip to me, and when it is a retelling with diversity, I am always excited. This story is a genderbent version of Count of Monte Cristo, where one of our protagonist, Amaya, having returned from a long indenture at sea is planning revenge on the people that caused her to be there. Given at a very young age to a ship to pay off family debts, she and other children like her, called Bugs, are mistreated by the captain and have lived a mostly lonely life. At nearly the end of her term of service, she rescues a rich-looking man from the sea, partially hoping for a reward that would hasten her debt resolution, but instead has her life shattered. The other protagonist, Cayo, the son of the merchant who is the target of her revenge, is recovering from a gambling addiction after nearly bankrupting himself, and trying to prove to his father that he can be responsible. When his sister falls ill with a disease that has been spreading in their city-state of Moray, he is pulled by his desires to fix things quickly the only way he knows how.
The story starts off with different timelines for the leads, and merges it soon enough, as Amaya returns to Moray as a mysterious Countess who is taking high society by storm. Cayo, intrigued by her, and also encouraged by his father to seek favors with her, crosses paths with her often. While they both are holding secrets close to their heart, they both find a kinship in each other. Their story arcs do play separately, as Cayo, desperate for money to buy medicine for the sister his father refuses to spend money, makes a deal with the Slum King, while also trying to investigate the latter for the Port Authority. He is also fighting his addiction when it is everywhere in his life, whether is wandering the streets of a city known for its casinos, or with his 'friends' at parties. Amaya who has been subtly pushing Cayo towards hints of his father's misdeeds, and hoping to use him for the destruction of the Mercado family, starts realizing that she cannot punish him, too, for his father's crimes. She is also starting to think beyond the red-tinged haze of revenge, to find 'Amaya' in between trying to leave behind 'Silverish' and keeping her 'Countess' facade, when that is an identity she had left 7 years ago. Finding the person who orchestrated her father's fall and her being sold becomes a mission for her, while her mentor, Boon is trying to direct her towards revenge against the Mercados. The emotional landscape of both their stories is well-done.
I liked the world-building in the book, with its rich imagining of the cultures, the dressing, the mythology that appeared in snippets as chapter headings; I wish, though, it was more clear about which kingdom belongs to which empire (I really hope there are maps in the final version, because I couldn't figure out). The plot was flowing smoothly, building up the tension between the two main characters and how their threads would twist as the story was reaching its end, but I felt the ending was a bit messy. Between the fact that Boon's plan made no sense, and finding out mid-way during the book that Amaya didn't actually orchestrate the Mercado's financial ruin (I honestly thought they had done something, but nope I was left being 'wait you didn't do that?'), what exactly was the revenge plan is a big question. Also the ash fever that permeated the city made no sense from the start - the Port Authority was checking incoming people for signs of disease, but it is not contagious (Cayo frequently is in contact with his sister and nobody else gets sick) so why were they doing that? When I compare the story arcs of the lead, Cayo's feels more satisfying, while Amaya's sort of falls apart towards the end; I do hope that it is better in the sequel.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Disney-Hyperion, via Netgalley.
I enjoyed this book! It was well written and I believe the character development was good. For me it lacked a spark, something that makes me want more. I might read book 2 but it’s not absolutely necessary.
Amaya has spent the last seven years on a ship working off her families’ debt, and on the eve of her release she saves a man from drowning, threatening her own freedom. What almost ends in death offers Amaya a better opportunity, the chance to avenge the death of her father and the slander of his name. Cayo has squandered his inheritance at the gaming tables and been put on a short leash by his merchant father, attempting to take over the family business. But when his sister falls ill, and the facade of their position is stripped away, Cayo must do everything he can to save the sister who saved him. This puts him in the path of the mysterious Countess Yamaa, who appeared overnight and now hosts extravagant events for the wealthiest and most powerful in the city. Amaya and Cayo are thrown together as both find themselves caught up in revenge and survival–even as they may not always be on the same side, or even know what side they’re on.
This markets itself as a gender-bent Count of Monte Cristo retelling. Now, it has been five- seven years or so since I read the unabridged Count of Monte Cristo. Still, don’t go into this expecting a beat for beat retelling. I wasted a lot of time trying to figure out what moments were transposed from the original, and, while it takes the essence of revenge, especially set amidst the merchant class, there is not a wise old man in a jail cell. There are moments where the intent is the same. For instance, Amaya leaves the boat that has been her prison with a moment that will leave everyone on board to believe she is dead, much like the escape of Edmond from prison, but Sim makes the narrative her own. I don’t make any judgement on this. I think an author that can take such a well-known source material and shape their own narrative in a play on the original, in conversation with the original, is good. Things do not necessarily need to be a beat by beat retelling. After all, where is the creative freedom in that?
The pacing here was interesting. At 327 pages, it’s arguably an average or even shorter YA fantasy. Count of Monte Cristo is a honker. Even as a duopoly, if the second is around the same length, this will end up being half the length. Still, around third of the book was set-up. It was engaging and I was enjoying myself, but it was clearly set up. Still, this set-up is often cleverly done in terms of the chapters switching back and forth. The ending did feel a little rushed and there were moments that could feel little rushed, but, overall, Sim packed a lot into a compact book while still exploring her characters in a way that felt well-formed and engaging.
Like Ruthless Gods, this book uses snippets from histories, plays, treaties, letters, books, of this fictional world to introduce chapters. I’m still not sure how I feel about it. I’m not rooted enough in the world for it to feel significant, but it does set up the tone of the chapter. I think the most dissonance I had was attempting to understand the politics of this made up world while getting caught up in the politics of the original novel. That’s on me not the narrative. Still, I don’t understand the other countries introduced here, though I do believe this is something that will be explored in the sequel as it appears we’ll get to see a little more of the world.
The most engaging bits of this book come from the conflicting wants of its two leads–Cayo and Amaya. There’s a tension and charge that comes from legitimate conflicting stakes, and that works, maybe because we do get so much setup with each on their own. We’re invested in their individual journeys even as they are so compelling playing off the other. I would have liked to see a little more of this play off of each other. Their journeys intertwined, but were still largely separate beyond the other’s existence complicating their motivations. I think the second book in the duopoly will offer some compelling opportunities to explore this further.
This markets itself as a gender-bent Count of Monte Cristo retelling. Now, it has been five- seven years or so since I read the unabridged Count of Monte Cristo. Still, don’t go into this expecting a beat for beat retelling. I wasted a lot of time trying to figure out what moments were transposed from the original, and, while it takes the essence of revenge, especially set amidst the merchant class, there is not a wise old man in a jail cell. There are moments where the intent is the same. For instance, Amaya leaves the boat that has been her prison with a moment that will leave everyone on board to believe she is dead, much like the escape of Edmond from prison, but Sim makes the narrative her own. I don’t make any judgement on this. I think an author that can take such a well-known source material and shape their own narrative in a play on the original, in conversation with the original, is good. Things do not necessarily need to be a beat by beat retelling. After all, where is the creative freedom in that?
The pacing here was interesting. At 327 pages, it’s arguably an average or even shorter YA fantasy. Count of Monte Cristo is a honker. Even as a duopoly, if the second is around the same length, this will end up being half the length. Still, around third of the book was set-up. It was engaging and I was enjoying myself, but it was clearly set up. Still, this set-up is often cleverly done in terms of the chapters switching back and forth. The ending did feel a little rushed and there were moments that could feel little rushed, but, overall, Sim packed a lot into a compact book while still exploring her characters in a way that felt well-formed and engaging.
Like Ruthless Gods, this book uses snippets from histories, plays, treaties, letters, books, of this fictional world to introduce chapters. I’m still not sure how I feel about it. I’m not rooted enough in the world for it to feel significant, but it does set up the tone of the chapter. I think the most dissonance I had was attempting to understand the politics of this made up world while getting caught up in the politics of the original novel. That’s on me not the narrative. Still, I don’t understand the other countries introduced here, though I do believe this is something that will be explored in the sequel as it appears we’ll get to see a little more of the world.
The most engaging bits of this book come from the conflicting wants of its two leads–Cayo and Amaya. There’s a tension and charge that comes from legitimate conflicting stakes, and that works, maybe because we do get so much setup with each on their own. We’re invested in their individual journeys even as they are so compelling playing off the other. I would have liked to see a little more of this play off of each other. Their journeys intertwined, but were still largely separate beyond the other’s existence complicating their motivations. I think the second book in the duopoly will offer some compelling opportunities to explore this further.
"Never corner a man on a losing streak. Desperation is deadlier than a bullet."
I really enjoyed this! Which makes me VERY happy because I got it in the January Owlcrate box and I LOVED LOVED LOVED the pin it came with so now I can say I loved the book too!
I've never read The Count of Monte Cristo and I didn't really know any of the premise behind it (besides the revenge plot). From reading a few other reviews it looks like some people who had read the original didn't enjoy this book so much, so I'm glad I came in fresh! I seem to usually enjoy pirate/sea/ship/etc books, and this was no exception.
"It's funny, isn't it, how you 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."
I really enjoyed the twisty, turny plot- especially at the end! A buuunch of twists that I wasn't expecting. There were a few areas that I think could've been cut down-- I could've done without some of Cayo's forays through the city-- but overall I thought everything flowed pretty well. Amaya was likeable and it was fun to root for her to get some answers. The relationship between Amaya and cayo was obviously a highlight for me, bc I love a Romance, and I'm excited to see where the sequel takes them!
The beginning was definitely slow. It was hard to find the determination to focus and get a feel for the characters. The timeline is a bit wonky for the first bit and though I figured out fairly quickly what was happening, it was still a bit difficult to get a grasp on. I'm not super enthralled by the world building; some of the mentions of different areas or groups of people were never fully explained (I'm guessing we'll learn more in the sequel) so I never got full clarity or investment. Also, none of the side characters really grabbed me- I did like Soria and Roach- but no one super stood out.
Overall, really happy with this and will definitely pick up the sequel! Also, Bay Area author- yay!
I really enjoyed this! Which makes me VERY happy because I got it in the January Owlcrate box and I LOVED LOVED LOVED the pin it came with so now I can say I loved the book too!
I've never read The Count of Monte Cristo and I didn't really know any of the premise behind it (besides the revenge plot). From reading a few other reviews it looks like some people who had read the original didn't enjoy this book so much, so I'm glad I came in fresh! I seem to usually enjoy pirate/sea/ship/etc books, and this was no exception.
"It's funny, isn't it, how you 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."
I really enjoyed the twisty, turny plot- especially at the end! A buuunch of twists that I wasn't expecting. There were a few areas that I think could've been cut down-- I could've done without some of Cayo's forays through the city-- but overall I thought everything flowed pretty well. Amaya was likeable and it was fun to root for her to get some answers. The relationship between Amaya and cayo was obviously a highlight for me, bc I love a Romance, and I'm excited to see where the sequel takes them!
The beginning was definitely slow. It was hard to find the determination to focus and get a feel for the characters. The timeline is a bit wonky for the first bit and though I figured out fairly quickly what was happening, it was still a bit difficult to get a grasp on. I'm not super enthralled by the world building; some of the mentions of different areas or groups of people were never fully explained (I'm guessing we'll learn more in the sequel) so I never got full clarity or investment. Also, none of the side characters really grabbed me- I did like Soria and Roach- but no one super stood out.
Overall, really happy with this and will definitely pick up the sequel! Also, Bay Area author- yay!
The Count of Monte Christo has new life breathed into it with Scavenge the Stars, a beautiful and violent retelling that will capture your heart. When Amaya, trapped by a debtor, frees a stranger who promises her revenge, she's forced to flee and accept his offer or serve for the rest of her life. When Cayo discovers his family legacy is a lie he must do what it takes to save himself and his sister. These two collide in a fit of great passion and revenge that forces you to glide through the pages all at once. There is no stopping this bloody tale once it gets rolling, and it will leave you gasping in the dust when you hit the last page, begging for the next book. Sim has managed something that's hard to do, she has turned the Count into a unique and beautiful YA book.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
You can read my spoiler free review here: https://bookedwithgrace.wordpress.com/2020/01/30/review-scavenge-the-stars-by-tara-sim/
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes