Author: Tara Sim
Series: Scavenge the Stars #1
Age: Young Adult
Genres: Fantasy, Retelling
Publication Date: January 7th 2020
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Source: Hardcover
Purchase: Hardcover | Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | Book Depository
Synopsis:
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.
My Rating:
Excerpt:
Revenge. It was a simple word when spoken out loud, but it was so much bigger, like the hidden city under the atoll. It was a word of fire and blood, of a knife’s whisper and the priming of a pistol.
It was a word that consumed her, filled her entire being until she knew that she could no longer be Silverfish. Silverfish’s will was to survive, to simply make it to the next day, and hopefully the day after that. But that was no longer her will.
Now it was revenge.
Captain Zharo. Kamon Mercado. Moray.
They would all pay.
My Thoughts:It was a word that consumed her, filled her entire being until she knew that she could no longer be Silverfish. Silverfish’s will was to survive, to simply make it to the next day, and hopefully the day after that. But that was no longer her will.
Now it was revenge.
Captain Zharo. Kamon Mercado. Moray.
They would all pay.
Let me preface this by saying that I have never seen or read The Count of Monte Cristo, not even the Disney movie. This book is a YA fantasy retelling of that story. I enjoyed the story enough, but wasn’t fully invested in the characters so I ended up going with a 3.75-star rating for this. I will however go and watch the Disney version though.
Amaya was an interesting character from beginning to end. I enjoyed seeing her different sides. She was a strong character. She dealt with insanity from the time she was taking to the ship until her release. She was a girl on a mission and wanted to achieve her mission by any means. There were definitely moments I wanted to slap her silly, but even when things got crazy, she continued to push forward. I enjoyed her.
Cayo Mercado is the son a wealthy man, but was troubled and “addicted” to gambling. He made crazy mistakes, but he never let it hold him back. I enjoyed that he was a bisexual character. Seeing his different romances was enjoyable. Cayo was your standard kid that wanted to be loved but also wanted to escape his problems. Seeing him come face to face with the truth of his life and dealing with it was amazing. He made the right choice in tough situations.
The romances in this novel were all subtle and well written. The main romance between Amaya and Cayo was adorable. Nothing too intense, but you could feel the emotions they had for one another. I adored seeing them fight their feelings and then succumb to it. I wish they ended on a better note, but it was much more refreshing the way they ended up.
Boon was absolutely suspicious and annoying. I could not stand him from the beginning. He was intriguing, but fishy from the get go. Kamon Mercado is a horrible, money hungry, greedy father. Not the best man at all.
Soria was a good character. Not much depth, she seemed shallow, but I enjoyed her. Sébastien and Philip were cutie pies. The story surrounding Sébastien was cute, but my poor baby and his eyes – I cried. The Bugs and Liesl were such an amazing cast of friends and help to Amaya from beginning to end. They always seemed to have her back.
The Slum King, Juan Salvador is an absolutely annoying man. He was just as bad as Kamon. I didn’t care for how he treated his daughter as a pawn. He was a wicked man that was hungry for money, power and respect – which he deserved NONE of.
Romara, the daughter of the Slum King, was laughable. Of all the “evil” people, she was much more likable. She was just as annoying as the others, but something about her made me like her. She played the role her father gave her while still plotting her own game.
Overall, I did enjoy it and plan to re-read it once I watch The Count of Monte Cristo. I think it was a pretty good story of romance and revenge.
About the Author
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.
Giveaway
3 winners will receive a finished copy of SCAVENGE THE STARS, US only.
Giveaway ends February 14th at midnight EST.
Tour Schedule
Week
One:
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1/13/2020
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Excerpt
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1/14/2020
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Review
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1/15/2020
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Review
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1/16/2020
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Review
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1/17/2020
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Excerpt
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Week
Two:
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1/20/2020
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Review
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1/21/2020
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Review
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1/22/2020
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1/23/2020
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1/24/2020
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Week
Three:
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1/27/2020
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Review
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1/28/2020
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Excerpt
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1/29/2020
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Review
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1/30/2020
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Review
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1/31/2020
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Review
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Week
Four:
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2/3/2020
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2/4/2020
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Review
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2/5/2020
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2/6/2020
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Review
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2/7/2020
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Review
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Week
Five:
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2/10/2020
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Review
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2/11/2020
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Review
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2/12/2020
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2/13/2020
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2/14/2020
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Review
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Thank you to Rockstar Book Tours for having me on this tour!