I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Scavenge the Stars was somewhat predictable, but not in a way that detracted from the overall story. I know it's supposed to be a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo (one of my favorites), but the author wasn't very subtle with their hints. We weren't gently led down a path, but shoved off a cliff into the watery truths below. It was easy to work out the anagram (which let you know who someone was before you were supposed to know), and the twist was something you could see from the start. The author does withhold some information (mostly regarding Amaya's mother), but it's not really relevant to the story. I think keeping the mother mostly an enigma is supposed to set up the next book, but it was annoying.

Cayo. I loved his name, but not his personality. He was rash, but not bold. Helpful, but not necessarily compassionate (unless it involved his sister). Cayo claimed to care about the people around him (particularly the children working off their parent's debts) when his only concern weeks before was getting drunk, high, and gambling his family's money away. There are moments of sobriety and decency (like keeping a child from being beaten to death), but it's like his eyes have suddenly been opened and exposed him to the ugly truths of the world. He berates himself for poor decisions, but it doesn't take him long to resort to bad habits. "It's the only way" is a phrase I'm tired of hearing. There's never just one way, only one you're willing to do above the others.

Certain aspects of the story didn't always make sense, like Cayo's "friends" thinking he was dead when he stopped going to the Vice Sector. If they were true friends, they would have been able to get in touch with him outside of the gambling dens, but chose not to. Other characters were mentioned once and never seen again. I wish some of the secondary characters had been fleshed out more, like Cayo's sister and Romara. The book's sole focus seems to be Amaya, Cayo, and the people in their immediate vicinity. We know they're there without really knowing them. Amaya also prides herself on being resourceful and a survivor, but she ignores all of her instincts in favor of a personal vendetta she was only recently made aware of. She talks about not trusting people, but then wholeheartedly believes the words of someone she barely knows. It wasn't particularly believable.

At one point Amaya says, "All her work, for nothing." What work?? She didn't actually do anything. Her "plan" unfolded with little to no effort on her part. Events simply happened in a way that was favorable. She was just a pretty figurehead being manipulated by someone else.

There's a smidge of insta-love. They don't necessarily act on their feelings, but they're smitten from the start. They know literally nothing about each other, but there's an undeniable attraction between the two. (You can't see me, but I'm rolling my eyes.) Amaya was easily distracted for someone seeking revenge.

Those were my main issues with Scavenge the Stars, but the story itself was still mostly enjoyable. Retellings aren't usually my cup of tea, but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to see how an author remade The Count of Monte Cristo. Everyone has a unique perspective when reading or telling a story, and I love to see how those feelings and perceptions translate into new versions and ideas. I think Sim did an amazing job recreating something familiar and making it her own. Some of the phrases were repeated a little too often (like Cayo saying Amaya was made of salt water and steel), but it only briefly pulled me from the story.

I was not a fan of the Brackish or what happened on the ship, and Silverfish's experiences really made me angry. If you can't stomach children being used for labor, and occasionally dying because of their efforts, this might not be the book for you. They are barely given enough food to survive, and any perceived slight on the captain is met with violence and cruelty.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Scavenge the Stars and look forward to seeing how the author wraps up the duology. I do think you'll need to suspend your disbelief for this one to work, because Amaya is very lucky when it comes to not dying. She has a lot of close encounters, but always manages to scrape by just enough to make it.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on January 20, 2020.