04 Jan 2020

Blog Tour: Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim – Review and Giveaway!

Posted in Blog Tour, Giveaways |

Scavenge the Stars

Author: Tara Sim

Series: Scavenge the Stars #1

Publishing Date: January 7th, 2020

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

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.

I have read so many fantasies lately, so I really wanted something that stood apart from other fantasy novels. I was really hoping that Scavenge the Stars would give me that extra-special experience that I was looking for. Needless to say, I was not disappointed in the slightest. Scavenge the Stars was exactly what I was looking for – it had all the elements that I was hoping it would have.

The first notable thing about Scavenge the Stars is how well done the world building is. This book goes into detail in order to describe the world and what is going on – it’s so well written that you can easily picture yourself within the world. I liked that – I love world building in all books, but in fantasy it is much more vital to have a good world building established. In this case, Tara Sim did an exceptional job in creating a wonderful world.

The characters were fleshed out, too – I felt like I actually knew them personally and I enjoyed reading about them. I loved the dialogue, and I felt that it was the kind of dialogue that really added to the story. It gave a little something extra to the book and the characters, rather than just feel like pointless chit-chat.

The plot was definitely interesting. It was unique. Like I said earlier, it was what I was looking for in order to make this book stand out from the endless other fantasy novels that I have read.

There was a lot of development, both in terms of characters and plot. The plot itself was the kind that kept me interested and not bored.

The pacing was a tad bit slower than I thought it would be and hoped it would be, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes slower paced books can be amazing, too, and in this case, it proves that point.

If you are a fan of fantasy, Tara Sim, or want to discover something unique and fun this year, pick up Scavenge the Stars!!

Note: I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

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.

Name pronunciation: “tar-ah” (not “terr-ah”).