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hannahinpages's review against another edition
2.0
"Amaya stood there for what felt like hours, bathed in starlight and blood."
I am... so disappointed.
Scavenge the Stars is essentially a retelling of Monte Christo, which admittedly I know virtually nothing about. Nonetheless, I was super excited for Scavenge because I mean, a girl with a knife is on the cover. And she could stab me. Also, it's a revenge story. That is all so far up my alley it's wild, but I feel the disappointment deep in my bones.
I'm going to start with the one thing I did enjoy, which was the characters. Even though I believe they needed considerably more depth, they were overall enjoyable. Not to mention, super diverse! I could see myself loving them if their story would've meshed with me. But alas, it did not.
The plotline of Scavenge needed a lot, I mean A LOT, more depth and development. I didn't feel connected to anything happening and therefore I didn't care what the outcome was going to be. Not to mention, the writing didn't mesh with me either and made the plot even harder to care for.
Ultimately, I wanted more from Scavenge the Stars.
I am... so disappointed.
Scavenge the Stars is essentially a retelling of Monte Christo, which admittedly I know virtually nothing about. Nonetheless, I was super excited for Scavenge because I mean, a girl with a knife is on the cover. And she could stab me. Also, it's a revenge story. That is all so far up my alley it's wild, but I feel the disappointment deep in my bones.
I'm going to start with the one thing I did enjoy, which was the characters. Even though I believe they needed considerably more depth, they were overall enjoyable. Not to mention, super diverse! I could see myself loving them if their story would've meshed with me. But alas, it did not.
The plotline of Scavenge needed a lot, I mean A LOT, more depth and development. I didn't feel connected to anything happening and therefore I didn't care what the outcome was going to be. Not to mention, the writing didn't mesh with me either and made the plot even harder to care for.
Ultimately, I wanted more from Scavenge the Stars.
the_alexeli's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, so, I kind of loved this?
As a whole, the majority of the story didn't necessarily have much substance to it, so that's why it has a little bit of a lower rating. Most of the book was made up of backstory and scheming, than a thrill-ride. But the writing was nice and clean, with a decent cast of characters (I don't know why I'm particularly fond of Roach and Avi
As a whole, the majority of the story didn't necessarily have much substance to it, so that's why it has a little bit of a lower rating. Most of the book was made up of backstory and scheming, than a thrill-ride. But the writing was nice and clean, with a decent cast of characters (I don't know why I'm particularly fond of Roach and Avi
catyreadsthings's review against another edition
Just a bit boring. Got about a third of the way through and couldn’t bring myself to care about the characters or the plot.
worldsunlikeourown's review against another edition
4.0
Read more reviews on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own.
3.5 stars
It has been well over a decade since I last read The Count of Monte Cristo, and I remember only the faintest outline of the plot - definitely time for a reread. But like it, Scavenge the Stars too, is a tale of revenge and how far our main character Amaya is willing to go for it. Retellings this year are turning out to be pretty good!
Scavenge the Stars has an excellent cast of characters from the formerly drunken wastrel heir Cayo Mercado, attempting to redeem himself as his family is struck by hardship, the mysterious Boon who is out for revenge against those who made him Landless, to Amaya herself, made bitter by years of enduring cruelty aboard the debtor ship, now only seeking revenge against the one responsible, Captain Zharo. With an intricately woven plot, it was a delight to see this story unravel piece by piece, and the author does a wonderful job and keeping the air of mystery throughout, never revealing all the details at once.
There are points in the story where there is so much going on it's hard to keep things straight, and all the twists in the tale, though delightful, don't help much in this aspect. The world building could definitely use some work. There are mentions of so many places, countries and cultures, but nothing is ever defined in more detail and everything ends up feeling extremely generic when, in fact, there are some very important political implications of some events that occur in this story. The book doesn't bother to expand even Moray, where the story takes place, beyond the specific areas that the plot touches. However, what annoyed me the most was the multiple timelines and it was extremely confusing when something happens in one chapter and in the next people are planning it out. Add to that the dual narrative, and it just took a large chunk of enjoyment out of the tale for me since I always prefer a more linear storytelling technique.
Overall, a pretty good read, and one I would recommend. I loved how complex and well written this book was, and I'm really looking forward to the sequel to see where this story goes next.
3.5 stars
It has been well over a decade since I last read The Count of Monte Cristo, and I remember only the faintest outline of the plot - definitely time for a reread. But like it, Scavenge the Stars too, is a tale of revenge and how far our main character Amaya is willing to go for it. Retellings this year are turning out to be pretty good!
Scavenge the Stars has an excellent cast of characters from the formerly drunken wastrel heir Cayo Mercado, attempting to redeem himself as his family is struck by hardship, the mysterious Boon who is out for revenge against those who made him Landless, to Amaya herself, made bitter by years of enduring cruelty aboard the debtor ship, now only seeking revenge against the one responsible, Captain Zharo. With an intricately woven plot, it was a delight to see this story unravel piece by piece, and the author does a wonderful job and keeping the air of mystery throughout, never revealing all the details at once.
There are points in the story where there is so much going on it's hard to keep things straight, and all the twists in the tale, though delightful, don't help much in this aspect. The world building could definitely use some work. There are mentions of so many places, countries and cultures, but nothing is ever defined in more detail and everything ends up feeling extremely generic when, in fact, there are some very important political implications of some events that occur in this story. The book doesn't bother to expand even Moray, where the story takes place, beyond the specific areas that the plot touches. However, what annoyed me the most was the multiple timelines and it was extremely confusing when something happens in one chapter and in the next people are planning it out. Add to that the dual narrative, and it just took a large chunk of enjoyment out of the tale for me since I always prefer a more linear storytelling technique.
Overall, a pretty good read, and one I would recommend. I loved how complex and well written this book was, and I'm really looking forward to the sequel to see where this story goes next.
taylorfan's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Absolutely perfect in every way
dannywithaygreenlikethecolor's review against another edition
4.0
4 STARS
This was okay. i would read it again and read the next book. I wish there was a map.
This was okay. i would read it again and read the next book. I wish there was a map.
lroma's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0