This book had a lot of potential but parts of it didn't live up to my expectations.
First off, the world-building. At times it was amazing but other times, it lacked a lot. For example, there were many times when they seemed to not be technologically advanced but that changed by the next page, leaving me confused.
Another thing that I didn't like is that the details often felt forced like the author was trying to be 'politically correct' because it was expected of her. These details often put a little hitch in the reading and I'd have to go back and try to figure out why the author included what she did. I don't want to write too much because of spoilers but there were times when I was going along just reading when there were sudden, there would be paragraphs explaining political opinions and hot topics of today's society.
Amaya was such a complex and interesting character. She was so adaptable to different environments and I loved seeing the changes in her.
However, despite all that, I found the plot intriguing and I'm looking forward to reading the second book someday.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Content: 1 Star for excessive use of language
*I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. A positive review was not required and all thoughts are my own. ( )

Overall, I a liked this book, but i did not love it. I did like both very different POV and loved the court policies that were the main focus of this novel. I thought however the pacing was not as strong and the book did not grab my attention from page one. There was some flashback moments that I wish had been clearer. I liked the sexual representation in this read overall. I also really liked the elements of found family and the sea themed elements. I like the ending however and we be checking out book 2! ( )

Overall, I a liked this book, but i did not love it. I did like both very different POV and loved the court policies that were the main focus of this novel. I thought however the pacing was not as strong and the book did not grab my attention from page one. There was some flashback moments that I wish had been clearer. I liked the sexual representation in this read overall. I also really liked the elements of found family and the sea themed elements. I like the ending however and we be checking out book 2! ( )

Thanks to Goodreads for letting me read and review this book I received from one of their giveaways. This is my own honest opinion and thoughts on the book.

I was surprised and excited to win one of the Goodreads giveaways because I've never won one before and I was especially interested in reading and reviewing this book.

This is a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo that is gender-bent with murder, mystery, and deceit. I haven't read The Count of Monte Cristo recently but I remember the basics and most of the story. I didn't even think about The Count of Monte Cristo at all while I was reading this except once or twice when I stopped my reading and remembered this was a retelling and sat down to think and compare things a bit and saw that it was a gender-bent retelling of the story.

I think I like this alright, but then again I like the Count of Monte Cristo too - they each have their positives and negatives to how the versions of the same story are told. I like Amaya as The Count/Countess of Monte Cristo role and Cayo - I love the two of them together.

It's very much a revenge story and Amaya has a hard time moving on and letting go of things in her past in regards to her mother and all the time she was stuck on the ship serving the idiot captain as Silverfish. Both Cayo and Amaya have a lot of secrets and things they find out in regards to their families that are hard to deal with and have to come to terms with eventually.

It isn't a fantasy read if you're expecting that, it's more of a contemporary retelling with pirates, ships, the sea, a port town and the like also with the battle between classes of poor and rich that is brought out in these types of stories a lot.

After Silverfish/Amaya gets free from the Captain, she teams up with the mysterious stranger, Boon that she saves and they make and enact a plan of revenge on Cayo's father to bring him down and along the way Amaya and Cayo begin to care for each other and that makes things complicated then the truth comes out with some unearthed secrets and they find out what Cayo's father has done, Cayo finds out who Amaya is and about Boon and their plan of revenge then Amaya finds Roach, one of her friends from the ship she serves on, who disappears when she teams up with Boon and they board a ship to head to another place to see if they can help Cayo's sister, who is very sick.

It, of course, ends as they are going to sail away to try to see if they can help Cayo's sister and with unanswered questions and things falling apart on a bit of a cliffhanger. I'm undecided if I will read the next one or not, but this was a bit of a letdown from the hype it received and what I was hoping for and expecting to read.

If you're curious then check it out, it may be that it just wasn't as much my type of thing. ( )

Rating: 3.5
Title: Scavenge the Stars
Author: Tara Sim

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.

Initial thoughts:
I am a major fan of Tara Sim’s work so when I heard that this book was coming out I was so excited! I am probably going to be destroyed for saying this, but I have never read the Count of Monte Cristo so I was going into the book with a blank slate when it came to the comparisons (trust me I will pick it up eventually). I legit have been blessed with getting a copy of this book early. The cover is stunning and I love the idea of what this book is going to be. I wonder how many changes are going to be made over the course of the next few months when it is released as I was given the book so early, but I am excited to see them in the copy that I purchase.

Plot:
What I liked:
The amount of diversity in this book is astounding. I enjoyed the character development very much as well as the split narration between Cayo and Amaya. The description of gambling addiction was sad and yet beautifully explained showing the dangers that they can bring. I also loved the way Tara always seems to design characters that have ulterior motives than what we originally see. This allowed me to guess as to where the progression will go, but also keep me kind of in the dark. Assumptions can always be wrong.

What I didn't like:
Honestly, I will admit that there is some world building issues that I would love to see resolved. This is just the first book though and there is definitely room for growth in the world, but even so there didn’t seem to be a lot of description throughout this book. I really had to guess about certain things and it made it hard for me to actually see the world in my mind's eye. I also wish that I could have learned more about the history between the different empires a little bit more.

Overall:
Overall, I found this book to be an enjoyable read and I cannot wait to see where the second book goes! This story also has me grabbing for the book it was based on. I loved the tale of revenge and I am certainly invested in the characters and how they will be affected now that some major plots have been revealed. ( )