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Immediate reaction: I really liked this! A lot of layers, interesting world and characters. I liked the setting of Moray quite a bit. Can't wait to see what will happen in the sequel!
Why I Read: I loved Timekeeper by Tara Sim and The Count of Monte Cristo is a favorite of mine (both movie and book!) so when I heard about this latest book by her, I was sold!
My Thoughts:
This was a really cool Count of Monte Cristo retelling! It’s a loose retelling: the bones of that story of revenge are there but set in its own unique fantasy world. There are many differences that make the story original and fresh but with the familiar themes that fans of Count of Monte Cristo will recognize and appreciate.
Amaya has spent years on a debtor ship after she was sold as a child as payment for her family’s debts. Now she’s back on her home island of Moray and she’s out for revenge with the help of a strange man she saved from drowning. In her sights is the family of Mercado and the merchant’s son, Cayo. Cayo is sort of a mess, trying to recover from some addictive vices, and constantly making poor decisions — but he has such a good heart! I adored him. He cares so much for his sister and tries so hard. It’s not too difficult for Amaya to figure out just how to play Cayo but as a result, Amaya actually gets to know him.
Amaya and Cayo are so different that seeing them together is just fun to watch. They’re from completely different worlds but yet share a lot of the same desires. They complement each other so well.
As Amaya digs deeper into her past now that she’s back on Moray, she starts to unravel all sorts of secrets not only about herself but about some key figures in Moray’s social structure. Who really was that man she’s working with/for? And what really happened that landed her on that debtor’s ship? There are so many interesting layers that I was kept interested and engaged the whole time! I was invested in Amaya’s journey, Cayo’s fate and eager to learn more of the secrets surrounding the past and Moray and the underlying political tension between the two empires Moray lies between.
In Short…
Whether or not you’re a fan of The Count of Monte Cristo, I’d recommend this for fans of fantasy and stories full of deception, manipulation and revenge because this one has it in spades. The fantasy world felt a touch historical which seems appropriate and I’m eager to see more of the world and political motivations of the different empires we briefly hear about. Amaya and Cayo are a new favorite pair and I can’t wait to see what they get up to in the sequel!
Why I Read: I loved Timekeeper by Tara Sim and The Count of Monte Cristo is a favorite of mine (both movie and book!) so when I heard about this latest book by her, I was sold!
My Thoughts:
This was a really cool Count of Monte Cristo retelling! It’s a loose retelling: the bones of that story of revenge are there but set in its own unique fantasy world. There are many differences that make the story original and fresh but with the familiar themes that fans of Count of Monte Cristo will recognize and appreciate.
Amaya has spent years on a debtor ship after she was sold as a child as payment for her family’s debts. Now she’s back on her home island of Moray and she’s out for revenge with the help of a strange man she saved from drowning. In her sights is the family of Mercado and the merchant’s son, Cayo. Cayo is sort of a mess, trying to recover from some addictive vices, and constantly making poor decisions — but he has such a good heart! I adored him. He cares so much for his sister and tries so hard. It’s not too difficult for Amaya to figure out just how to play Cayo but as a result, Amaya actually gets to know him.
Amaya and Cayo are so different that seeing them together is just fun to watch. They’re from completely different worlds but yet share a lot of the same desires. They complement each other so well.
As Amaya digs deeper into her past now that she’s back on Moray, she starts to unravel all sorts of secrets not only about herself but about some key figures in Moray’s social structure. Who really was that man she’s working with/for? And what really happened that landed her on that debtor’s ship? There are so many interesting layers that I was kept interested and engaged the whole time! I was invested in Amaya’s journey, Cayo’s fate and eager to learn more of the secrets surrounding the past and Moray and the underlying political tension between the two empires Moray lies between.
In Short…
Whether or not you’re a fan of The Count of Monte Cristo, I’d recommend this for fans of fantasy and stories full of deception, manipulation and revenge because this one has it in spades. The fantasy world felt a touch historical which seems appropriate and I’m eager to see more of the world and political motivations of the different empires we briefly hear about. Amaya and Cayo are a new favorite pair and I can’t wait to see what they get up to in the sequel!
Private user's review
I adore The Count of Monte Cristo and stories of revenge, and retellings most of all. This one strikes that lovely balance of familiarity and fresh twists! Also, the prose is excellent.
Here you will find swash-buckling fun, with romance and sword fights and schemes! I found myself surprised (at first) that Amaya could enact her plan for ultimate revenge in a third of the pages devoted to Edmond Dantes, but women do know how to get shit done. Very excited/impatient for book 2!
Here you will find swash-buckling fun, with romance and sword fights and schemes! I found myself surprised (at first) that Amaya could enact her plan for ultimate revenge in a third of the pages devoted to Edmond Dantes, but women do know how to get shit done. Very excited/impatient for book 2!
Actual rating: 3.8 stars
Okay! So I reviewed this book on my blog. You can find the post here
I'm not going to put my entire review on goodreads but what I will give is a little sneakpeak so you guys can see all the little goodies that I put in my review. Here goes:
Summary: When Amaya saves a mysterious man from drowning, she is afraid that her sentence on the debtor ship, which is almost up, will be elongated. Eager to get home, she believes she has destroyed her future. Instead, the man who she saved strikes up a deal with her: he’ll help her get revenge on the man who ruined her life and she’ll help him get revenge on the person who ruined his. And so Amaya is tossed into a world of riches and finery in a plot to murder both of the men. But the more she explores this new world, the more she dregs up the past that she thought was gone forever–and the more she realizes that no one can be trusted.
On the other hand... [rest of summary on blog]
Characters:
Amaya: The first character we are introduced to is Amaya. When we meet her, we find her on a debtor’s ship, working furiously. Conditions aren’t great. But don’t worry, Amaya’s leaving soon. This girl is hard-working, tough, strong and loyal. I liked what a strong female character she was but there were a few things I didn’t like about her (more on that later).
[find on blog, my opinions on Cayo and Boon]
The plot
So…I’ll admit. I went into this book expecting adventure. Maybe it was the cover, maybe it was the synopsis. Whatever it was, I didn’t think that the characters would be attending parties and tromping around the city.
Revenge. That is what this book is all about. [read the rest of my opinion on the plot on my blog]
Here are my final ratings for the book: (out of five stars)
Characters:
Okay! So I reviewed this book on my blog. You can find the post here
I'm not going to put my entire review on goodreads but what I will give is a little sneakpeak so you guys can see all the little goodies that I put in my review. Here goes:
Summary: When Amaya saves a mysterious man from drowning, she is afraid that her sentence on the debtor ship, which is almost up, will be elongated. Eager to get home, she believes she has destroyed her future. Instead, the man who she saved strikes up a deal with her: he’ll help her get revenge on the man who ruined her life and she’ll help him get revenge on the person who ruined his. And so Amaya is tossed into a world of riches and finery in a plot to murder both of the men. But the more she explores this new world, the more she dregs up the past that she thought was gone forever–and the more she realizes that no one can be trusted.
On the other hand... [rest of summary on blog]
Characters:
Amaya: The first character we are introduced to is Amaya. When we meet her, we find her on a debtor’s ship, working furiously. Conditions aren’t great. But don’t worry, Amaya’s leaving soon. This girl is hard-working, tough, strong and loyal. I liked what a strong female character she was but there were a few things I didn’t like about her (more on that later).
[find on blog, my opinions on Cayo and Boon]
The plot
So…I’ll admit. I went into this book expecting adventure. Maybe it was the cover, maybe it was the synopsis. Whatever it was, I didn’t think that the characters would be attending parties and tromping around the city.
Revenge. That is what this book is all about. [read the rest of my opinion on the plot on my blog]
Here are my final ratings for the book: (out of five stars)
Characters:
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It ended too neatly and the stakes rose pretty dang high. I dunno if it could get resolved in the next one, but who know?
**I received a copy of this book from the publisher on Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are completely my own**
I honestly wish I could give this book a better review, but it just wasn't as good as I was hoping.
The way it's written was pretty confusing at first, as it is written in a dual point of view. It isn't marked out at all, so you basically have to figure that out. It's not hard, but like I said it made the beginning confusing. The characters were really interesting and I thought they were written and developed well. I do wish there had been some backstory to some of them, but it doesn't affect the story that there wasn't. And there’s also the possibility for more in the next book.
My main issue was the story as a whole. I think it had great potential, but the way it was written just wasn't for me. I found that I was bored for most of the book and I actually wanted to put it down about halfway through. I also think the story seemed really flat for a huge portion of the book, with everything happening in the very beginning and the very end. I like a book that keeps my attention held all the way through, but this just didn’t do it. There would occasionally be things that happened that would heighten my interest, but only momentarily.
Overall, it just wasn't for me and I don't see myself picking the sequel up either.
I honestly wish I could give this book a better review, but it just wasn't as good as I was hoping.
The way it's written was pretty confusing at first, as it is written in a dual point of view. It isn't marked out at all, so you basically have to figure that out. It's not hard, but like I said it made the beginning confusing. The characters were really interesting and I thought they were written and developed well. I do wish there had been some backstory to some of them, but it doesn't affect the story that there wasn't. And there’s also the possibility for more in the next book.
My main issue was the story as a whole. I think it had great potential, but the way it was written just wasn't for me. I found that I was bored for most of the book and I actually wanted to put it down about halfway through. I also think the story seemed really flat for a huge portion of the book, with everything happening in the very beginning and the very end. I like a book that keeps my attention held all the way through, but this just didn’t do it. There would occasionally be things that happened that would heighten my interest, but only momentarily.
Overall, it just wasn't for me and I don't see myself picking the sequel up either.
According to the description, Scavenge the Stars is a gender-swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. I am not familiar with the original story, but after reading this book, I am interested in reading it to see where the stories overlap.
This was a very entertaining story. I absolutely loved seeing how Cayo and Amaya worked through their layers of deception and are now working together to achieve their goals. They now have a better understanding of the truth and know who the true enemies are. I can't wait to read the next installment to see what is in store for them next.
My full review is on my blog: https://jacquesbooknook.blogspot.com/2020/03/review-scavenge-stars-by-tara-sim.html
This was a very entertaining story. I absolutely loved seeing how Cayo and Amaya worked through their layers of deception and are now working together to achieve their goals. They now have a better understanding of the truth and know who the true enemies are. I can't wait to read the next installment to see what is in store for them next.
My full review is on my blog: https://jacquesbooknook.blogspot.com/2020/03/review-scavenge-stars-by-tara-sim.html
First - I somehow haven't read The Count of Monte Cristo so when I received an ARC of this, I decided to rectify that afterward. It's been my exp that the classic inspiration often overshadows the the story for me and I wanted to give it a fair shot. Not sure if that helped or hurt here. I was interested enough to binge the story but it didn’t leave a strong impression. Amaya and Cayo were great characters so I'll definitely read on to see the end of their story. Tad predictable but overall a fun fast, paced story. Just wanted to feel a little more than I did. Definitely worth checking out!
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
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I loved this book so much I really liked that it was a gender bent retelling on The Count of Monte Cristo since I love the original story and I love the books by the author of that book. I really loved the characters so much the ones that I loved most were Amaya and Cayo. I really liked just how Amaya could both be very strong and vulnerable at the same time. I really liked Cayo for his sense of justice and his love for his sister whom he would do anything for. I liked how the relationship between Amaya and Cayo moved along not too fast or too slow I hope by the next book they will be where they can overcome certain things so their romance can move forward. I really loved the plot it was like the original tale but with many more elements that made it different and a very interesting story at the same time. It started out as your typical revenge story but it became so much more by the end I loved everything about this book. So I am really looking forward to the end of this tale with the next book.
Took me what felt like forever to get through this book. It just didn’t keep my interest. Other reviewers are able to put into words better why I didn’t like it- the descriptions that were there were good but not a lot of world building and i felt like it was trying to go a bunch of different directions without fully fleshing any of them out.