Thursday 14 November 2019

Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim

Unexpectedly rescued from her life aboard a debtor's ship, Amara dedicates her life to vengeance against the man who put her there.

In the city state of Moray, children bear their parent's debts. Amara has been working for years to pay off her father's. An impulsive act of kindness brings her the chance for vengeance.

In Moray, Cayo, the son of the city's leading merchant, is caught in a web as he tries desperately to find a cure for his ill sister. His path keeps intersecting with the mysterious Countess Yamaa, and as he struggles to bring down the evil infecting his city she might be his only hope.

I'll admit, I don't know the original Count of Monte Cristo, other than the general knowledge of it everyone has. This story doesn't need any knowledge of the original to enjoy; it's a fabulous read all on its own.

The first few chapters are temporally uneven; they're not happening when you think they're happening. After a while they even out, though occasionally the same event will happen from both points of view.

I liked the characters in this. i'll be honest, the double dealing was hard to follow, but the rest of it was very good and I really enjoyed it. It also manages to have some great social commentary:

They had all been ravaged by the generation that came before them, told to feast on scraps and enjoy it.


I did wonder if no one was surprised that a seventeen year old girl was on her own - surely she should have had guardians? But maybe that's not considered necessary in their culture.

All in all, a great read, and I hope to get to read the next part when it comes out.





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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