From rising-star author Tara Sim comes an epic new YA fantasy duology–a gender-swapped The Count of Monte Cristo retelling that’s perfect for fans of All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace. 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 … 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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A compelling retelling, Scavenge the Stars, is a compelling take on the classic The Count of Monte Cristo.
Compelling Storytelling
The thing that makes Scavenge the Stars so compelling is how it takes the reader by surprise. When the reader begins this journey, it is easy to forget that it is supposed to be a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo as it follows Amaya, an indentured young girl working on a debtor ship.
Sim builds up the story, building Amaya’s history and how she fits into the story with excellent pacing. So when she reveals herself as a countess, it fits into the formula of a retelling, capturing the reader’s attention. It sneaks up on the reader as Sim tells the story, using her pacing and language to keep the reader enthralled.
Sim’s precision with writing, going back and forth between perspectives, lures the reader into the story, making the reader forget that this is a retelling. Retellings are great as long as they can stand on their own; that is why it works so well. Sim uses The Count of Monte Cristo as inspiration, but Sim makes it unique. Sim focuses on the past of the characters to build up the tension and to give the reader something new. Going back and forth between the characters, the reader has no idea that one story arc starts long before the other. It was a creative way to make the reader forget that this is a retelling.
Compelling Characters
Amaya and Cayo are both interesting characters. Amaya is the Countess here. Formerly an indentured slave, Amaya is now helping her financier with their plan of revenge, a plan primarily connected to her past and her father’s death.
This take on a classic is unique, and it works and for Amaya, the reader gets to know her, her past, and understand her. She makes a compelling protagonist who is rash, guided by her anger, fear, and curiosity. Yes, there are times when the reader wants to smack her, but ultimately, her personality shines and grows throughout the story. As Amaya learns more and more about her father’s pasts and the events that lead to her servitude, she lets go of her need for revenge that blinds her in search of the truth, making her compelling.
As for Cayo, it is great to see a member of the LGBTQ community represented through him. He is a carefree character who grows throughout the story. His relationship with his father is tenuous at best, creating much tension for the story. He is a crucial player in Amaya’s plan, but he has his mystery to solve, his own plans for life that help evolve him as a character.
Cayo and Amaya also have a rich dynamic. Sim builds up their relationship wonderfully, highlighting their pain, their flaws, and their strengths to create a compelling dynamic to fuel the story. More importantly, they grow throughout the narrative creating fascinating characters.
Final Thoughts
Scavenge the Stars is a fresh and imaginative gender-bent retelling of a classic. It has bold language, an exciting plot, and characters to keep the reader engaged.
First I am not familiar with The Count of Monte Cristo. Its a retelling of this story.
I have a bit of a hard time to get into it for the first couple of chapters but I did enjoyed reading it.
Scavenge the stars is the story of a young woman, Amaya, who wants revenge againts the man who ruined her family and stole years of her life. She will also uncover truth of her past and about her father.
I’m not gonna lie to you, I started reading this solely because I was promised a disaster Hufflepuff, something *very* on brand for me.
Literally any excuse to read about puffs and I’m there. I went into this with no expectations, not even bothering to read the blurb and pretty unfamiliar with the inspiration text The Count of Monte Cristo. Still, I felt pretty confident that I knew exactly what direction this book was going from the beginning, but I’m pleased to say that the story took a few turns that caught me completely off guard and I loved it!
There’s a twist towards the beginning-ish and a couple towards the end and I didn’t see any of them coming, which was awesome. But the characters are really what make this book and I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. Amaya is a rage queen who wants to tear the whole world down and I was vibing with it. And Cayo. UGH. My little disaster puff with the fabulous fashion flair and giant heart. I LOVE HIM OKAY?? NO ONE HURT MY FELLOW PUFFBALL.
I had so much fun following this story and I’m so curious to see how the next book plays out! Seriously have no idea what direction this plot is going in and I absolutely LOVE IT.
~FINAL WORD~
TWO THUMBS WAY UP FAM. If you’re looking for a fun adventure with awesome characters, this is definitely the book.
Having never read The Count of Monte Cristo, I had no idea what to expect with this story. Honestly, the extent of my knowledge of that book is the fact that the title was mentioned in The Shawshank Redemption movie. So I can’t tell you how close or true to the source material Scavenge the Stars is.
I wanted to read this because I liked the sound of the synopsis. I love a good “stabby girl seeking revenge” series.
This isn’t exactly a “fantasy” per se. Fantasy as a genre can be a bit ambiguous. Don’t go into this expecting a lot of magic or powers or fantastical creatures. This was a fantasy because it’s a made up place with a made up history. It feels like it can almost be alternate earth/alternate world/alternate history story. It feels very true to life.
This was such a fast-paced, non-stop tale. Not once did the story drag. There were times when I felt like I wanted to stop blinking so I wouldn’t loose that precious second of reading.
Told from alternating duel POVs of Amaya and Cayo, the book grabs your attention right away and never lets you go. I loved each of their narratives and I’m living for their scenes together. They’re just too cute.
Being part one in a duology, I can tell you this; thankfully there isn’t a cliffhanger that will make you want to throw things and rip your hair out while you wait. It leaves off with a nice open ending so that you know the story will continue.