Unexpectedly rescued from her life aboard a debtor's ship, Amara dedicaes her life to vengeance against the man who put her there.

In the city state of Moray, children bear their parent's debts. Amara has been working for years to pay off her father's. An impulsive act of kindness brings her the chance for vengeance.

In Moray, Cayo, the son of the city's leading merchent, is caught in a web as he tries desperately to find a cure for his ill sister. His path keeps intersecting with the mysterious Countess Yamaa, and as he struggles to bring down the evil infecting his city she might be his only hope.


I'll admit, I don't know the original Count of Monte Cristo, other than the general knowledge of it everyone has. This story doesn't need any knowledge of the original to enjoy; it's a fabulous read all on its own.

The first few chapters are temporally uneven; they're not happening when you think they're happening. After a while they even out, though ocasionally the same event will happen from both points of view.

I liked the characters in this. i'll be honest, the double dealing was hard to follow, but the rest of it was very good and I really enjoyed it. It also manages to have some great social commentary:

*They had all been ravaged by the generation that came before them, told to feast on scraps and enjoy it.*

I did wonder if no one was surprised that a seventeen year old girl was on her own - surely she should have had guardians? But maybe that's not considered necessary in their culture.

All in all, a great read, and I hope to get to read the next part when it comes out.