Scavenge the Stars

Amaya Chandra spent years imprisoned on a debtor ship, forced into labor to pay off her family's debts. After her escape, she assumes a new identity as wealthy countess Silverfish and returns to Moray, the city that destroyed her life. In this retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, Amaya pursues revenge against the corrupt merchant king who sent her to the debtor ship. She finds an unexpected ally in Cayo Mercado, the son of her target, even as she plots to dismantle his family's empire. The story takes place in a fantasy world of merchant princes, gambling houses, and seaside trade routes. Political machinations and a mysterious illness threatening the city complicate Amaya's mission for vengeance. This reimagining explores themes of justice versus revenge, the cost of deception, and whether the cycle of violence can truly be broken. The gender-swapped protagonist and fantasy setting bring fresh perspective to the classic revenge tale.

Readers found this Count of Monte Cristo retelling to offer an interesting gender-swapped premise but felt the execution fell short. Several noted the plot moved slowly in the first half before picking up pace. Liked: - Strong LGBTQ+ representation - Vivid world-building and maritime setting - Complex characters with realistic motivations - Fast-paced final chapters Disliked: - Predictable plot twists - Romance felt rushed and underdeveloped - Character relationships lacked emotional depth - Confusing financial/political subplots "The revenge plot gets lost among too many side stories," noted one reader. Another mentioned "the protagonist's motivations seem to shift without explanation." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 3.8/5 (120+ ratings) BookBrowse: 3/5 (40+ ratings) Several readers expressed interest in the sequel despite their critiques of the first book, citing potential for the series to improve as the world expands.

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🗡️ The story is a gender-swapped retelling of Alexandre Dumas' classic "The Count of Monte Cristo," reimagining the revenge tale with a young female protagonist. 🌊 Author Tara Sim was inspired to write the novel after watching the anime "Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo," which is a futuristic adaptation of the same source material. 💫 The book explores themes of slavery and human trafficking through its depiction of "the Brackish," a debtors' ship where children are forced to work off their families' debts. 🌏 The fictional city of Moray, where much of the action takes place, is inspired by various Mediterranean and Southeast Asian port cities. 📚 This was Tara Sim's first young adult novel after previously writing the "Timekeeper" trilogy, which featured LGBTQ+ characters in a steampunk Victorian setting.