I wavered over what to rate this during the whole book. I probably would have rated it higher if it didn't try to sell itself as a Monte Cristo retelling, or if certain aspects of the adaptation had been clearer from the start. Monte Cristo is probably my favorite book of all time, so it was impossible not to be constantly comparing, especially since this didn't really nail it, and didn't go in the direction I was expecting.

It's a decently-good YA revenge story about rich people and destitute people, comfortably queer and vaguely fantastical without any real fantasy elements. But it takes a while to get started, and I'll bet this duology could have easily fit a single book with tighter writing. I spent almost the entire book struggling to see how this was a Monte Cristo adaption, and not just a generic revenge story.

But let's be honest, I'm gonna buy the second book as soon as it's published. This take on Monte Cristo is interesting and I'm invested enough to see what happens.

Spoiler addition:

About halfway through this book, it became clear that if this WAS supposed to be a Monte Cristo retelling, then Amaya wasn't the Count - but I couldn't figure out who she was supposed to represent. For a while there I thought she might be Haydee, but right at the end there I realized she's Cavalcanti (except not evil - presumably). It was actually a decent 'twist', and one I should have seen earlier, if I hadn't been so caught up in the frustration of the Monte Cristo story not unfolding the way I expected.

I think I would have enjoyed this first book better, though, if that had been clear from the beginning. Changing Cavalcanti to a protagonist wronged by the Count is a really cool take, but I couldn't read the book properly while I was second-guessing the author's intent the whole time. Still, I'm excited and curious to see how the next book will go!