Review--Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim

 

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.

Tara Sim’s Scavenge the Stars is a YA gender-swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo and it did a pretty good reimagining of the classic tale in a new way. Elements of the beloved (on my part) classic are still there and so is a fresh new take.

Amaya has been working on a ship for several years now working off debts. She never really understood why she was separated from her mother, but the vile captain she works for lets her and the other children know how much debt is left to payoff regularly.

Then just as her time working is almost up, Amaya makes a decision to save a man lost at sea. It costs her greatly, but then the man called Boon makes a tempting off: help him escape the ship before they make port and he’ll make her rich.

Naturally things go awry and when Amaya thought freedom was near, she ends up jumping overboard to save her own life. She reconnects with Boon almost magically and she agrees to work with him so they can both get revenge on the people who took much of their own lives from them.

Then we have Cayo Mercado who just so happens to be the son of the rich merchant who Boon wants to exact his revenge on. Amaya taking on the role of an elusive young rich countess will have to try to somehow use Cayo to their advantage but you can probably guess what happens there. Although there are other romantic complications involved in this one. I feel like Cayo and Amaya didn’t really get many romantic moments so I had a hard time getting into that aspect. I wasn’t against their relationship, it was just a matter of “do you really like them?” given your other circumstances? Hopefully the sequel will give them more togetherness so I can root for them more.

This was definitely an interesting take on one of the only classics I’ve ever enjoyed. I love a good revenge story and Amaya was definitely planning her revenge on the people she believed to play a role in what ended up being her family’s predicament. Although, she ends up being a bit more bloodthirsty than her original counterpoint. I can’t figure out if I enjoyed that as well or not. There was something deliciously satisfying about the Count absolutely ruining the lives of the men who wronged him. It’s been ages since I read the original source but I can’t recall him directly killing anyone. Which is why I found it so satisfying. Lol.

But as with any retelling you take it with a grain of salt. Nothing will ever be a direct play by play and I would t want it too. But I guess taking away that main element that I thoroughly enjoyed from the classic was mildly annoying. I still enjoyed Sim’s take on the story.

The ending was where things really get shook up! The original classic’s plot gets lost in the wind and Amaya’s story fully takes over. It does end with some cliffhanger type feelings as chaos ensues, secrets were revealed, and now there’s hell to pay again! Cannot wait to start the continuation of this duology asap!

Scavenge the Stars was a well written novel that retells one of two classics I ever enjoyed outside of fairy tales. It stays true to the original in essence and yet has its own brand as well, making for a magnificent retelling!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars