2.5 stars I don't have a lot to say about this book. I love the story of The Count of Monte Cristo and was really excited when I heard that this was a spin on that book, but I'm not sure if it really embodies that story the way I wanted it to. The COMC elements seemed to be kind of thrown in without a lot of thought and I wanted this to be more about Amaya getting revenge on the people who had wronged her and less about Amaya being suckered into carrying out someone else's vendetta, which is what we got.

I also found several of the plot beats a little contrived. The circumstances surrounding Amaya meeting Boon and the idea that they both have the same enemy is pretty unrealistic. To be fair, the author does bring it back up at the very end of the book, but we don't actually get an answer. I also thought the timing of Amaya's father's vault being opened and her finding out about it were a little too cookie-cutter perfect for me.

As far as the plot...there isn't that much here. There are the makings of a plot with the counterfeit money but that's not really a plot. Amaya's desires for revenge never fully manifest themselves in a way that feels like she is pulling the reins, and in fact she's not. It's more a mystery story with her finding out what happened to her and her family when she was younger, but it doesn't feel proactive. Most of these things just happen to her and people tell her bits and pieces as the plot needs her to know the information in order to move forward. A perfect example is the ring Soria wears that ends up belonging to Amaya's mother. She apparently didn't see it when she and Soria met, and it's only after Soria randomly tells Cayo how she got it and the conversation she managed to overhear and remember from 7 years before (when she was what? 7? 8?) and then Amaya happens to spot Cayo with it and he tells her where it came from and she realizes the truth behind her abduction...it's just a lot of little contrivances that didn't end up feeling organic.

Cayo was a more interesting character, in my opinion. I found his story more interesting and him as a character more developed. I liked the relationship he had with his sister, and the fact that he obviously had vices that he was fighting against.

As far as the dynamic between Cayo and Amaya...it was fine. I liked the scenes between them but I wish there had been more of them. I needed more banter or angst or something to convince me that she would abandon her initial plans to use him as a means of revenge against his father.

The world is a little murky, but I'm thinking it will be fleshed out more in the sequel, now that our characters are on their way out of the city.

As much as it seems like I'm criticizing this, I did enjoy my reading experience, for the most part. It was mostly as I finished up the book that a lot of these issues I had came into focus. I think I probably will read the sequel, which could absolutely have an effect in the long run on how I feel about this book.

Ooh, one more super nitpicky thing...I don't get the title of this book. It doesn't actually seem to have ANYTHING to do with what is inside the book. Before I began reading (I didn't read the synopsis, all I knew is that it was a Count of Monte Cristo retelling) I thought it was a sci-fi set in space or something. I know that sailors use the stars to navigate, and that the first part of Amaya's story takes place on a boat. But it's not something that is a focus at all and I just don't understand what it means.