Book Blurb:
SCAVENGE THE STARS (Scavenge the Stars #1) by Tara Sim
Pub. Date: January 7, 2020
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Pages: 336
When Amaya rescues a mysterious stranger from drowning, she fears her rash actions have earned her a longer sentence on the debtor ship where she’s been held captive for years. Instead, the man she saved offers her unimaginable riches and a new identity, setting Amaya on a perilous course through the coastal city-state of Moray, where old-world opulence and desperate gamblers collide.
Amaya wants one thing: revenge against the man who ruined her family and stole the life she once had. But the more entangled she becomes in this game of deception—and as her path intertwines with the son of the man she’s plotting to bring down—the more she uncovers about the truth of her past. And the more she realizes she must trust no one…
Packed with high-stakes adventure, romance, and dueling identities, this gender-swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo is the first novel in an epic YA fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Leigh Bardugo.
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My Review:
4 Out Of 5 Stars
Genre: Another-World, Heart-Wrenching, Mystery, Retellings, Suspense, Teen--
This very much so had the feel of the Count of Monte Cristo story that it was compared to, and I absolutely loved that aspect! While this played a great homage to the classic, it at the same time was something very uniquely it's own. This was gritty and violent, full of death, torture heartbreak and all kinds of sins, but yet was so realistic and I felt like I could see and understand the whys and hows.
The story is told through alternating chapters from Silverfish and Cayo, two very different characters with completely different motivations. Silverfish, or Amaya, was the poor indentured servant girl trying to pay off her family's debt so she can go back to her life- but along the way she discovered that revenge makes a much better motivator. And then we have Cayo, the spoiled playboy son of a shady merchant who is struggling to walk the straight and narrow. The two end up meeting, both pretending to some degree, and it was a complicated mess that I am so glad I had a front seat to witness everything unfold. I loved Amaya from the beginning, rooting for the underdog and even understanding the need for revenge that pushed her every action as well as the internal conflict she battled with every day. Cayo was more complicated. He was a playboy who happened to have a current rough time so I as all set to dislike him...but I am not sure I do dislike him, he ended up being more of the honorable hero than I would have ever expected.
Yes, this is a series. The ending of this book is just the unfolding of the overall conflict in the series. While some issues were resolved, some others were just made known so I am super interested to get the next book and see what Amaya and Cayo have in store for them next. I recommend this for anyone who likes retellings, historical-ish fiction, and gritty dangerous plots full of revenge.
Tara Sim is the author of SCAVENGE THE STARS (Disney-Hyperion) and the TIMEKEEPER trilogy (Sky Pony Press) and writer of all things magic. She can often be found in the wilds of the Bay Area, California.
When she’s not writing about mischievous boys in clock towers, Tara spends her time drinking tea, wrangling cats, and occasionally singing opera. Despite her bio-luminescent skin, she is half-Indian and eats way too many samosas.
Tara is represented by Victoria Marini at Irene Goodman Literary Agency.
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