Captivating worldbuilding and empathetically etched characters make Scavenge the Stars a light and enjoyable read.
A rags-to-riches story with the promise of revenge.
At 17, Amaya “Silverfish” Chandra is a prisoner aboard a debt collector’s ship, where she has been worked to the bone under the watchful eye of Capt. Zharo. When she ignores the captain’s orders and rescues a mysterious man—who goes by the name Boon—from drowning, Silverfish is told that her sentence aboard the ship will be extended. Boon offers her a unique opportunity—more wealth than she can begin to imagine—in exchange for her help exacting revenge upon Kamon Mercado, a merchant in the multicultural city of Moray. Silverfish undergoes a makeover and rigorous training under Boon’s tutelage and learns to not only behave like a lady, but also to con and manipulate people. Told alternatingly from the perspectives of Silverfish and Kamon Mercado’s son, Cayo, the first novel in Sim’s (contributor: Color Outside the Lines, 2019, etc.) new duology is rich in detail and well written despite its rushed ending. The romance is between a man and a woman, but the book creates a world in which people who are culturally and racially diverse and/or nonbinary are fully accepted and unremarkable; Amaya is brown-skinned, and Cayo is bisexual. While there are few descriptions of Moray and the lands around it, the historical setting brings to mind a subtropical land under European influence.
Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-368-05141-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019
This tale moves beyond the boom-bang, boring theology of so many fantasies—and, in the process, creates, almost griotlike, a...
Taj, the black teenage narrator of Onyebuchi’s debut, is an aki, or sin-eater—meaning that he literally consumes the exorcised transgressions of others, usually in the forms of inky-colored animal-shaped phantasms called inisisas that reappear as black tattoos on the akis’ “red skin, brown skin.”
This really isn’t his most remarkable trait, however, even as he ingests greater and greater sins of the Kaya, the brown-skinned royal family ruling the land of Kos. What makes Taj extraordinary is the tensions he holds: his blasé awareness of his exalted status as the best aki, even as the townspeople both shun yet exploit him and his chosen family of sin-eaters; his adolescent swagger coupled with the big-brotherly protectiveness he has for the crew of akis and, as the story proceeds, his increasing responsibility to train them; his natural skepticism of the theology that guides Kos even as he performs the very act that allows the theology—and Kos itself—to exist. He must navigate these in the midst of a political plot, a burgeoning star-crossed love, and forgiveness for the sins he does not commit. “Epic” is an overused term to describe how magnificent someone or something is. Author Onyebuchi’s novel creates his in the good old-fashioned way: the slow, loving construction of the mundane and the miraculous, building a world that is both completely new and instantly recognizable.
This tale moves beyond the boom-bang, boring theology of so many fantasies—and, in the process, creates, almost griotlike, a paean to an emerging black legend . (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-448-49390-9
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
Mild gothic horror for fans of dark academia.
Tara Boone has escaped her mother and is finally going to college.
She wasn’t able to land a spot in the prestigious Magni Viri program at Corbin College, something that comes with a full-ride scholarship, not to mention invaluable connections. But Tara was able to secure a couple of on-campus jobs to help offset her massive student loans, allowing her to major in English for secondary education through the college’s regular track. A forlorn Tara attends classes, goes to work, and tries to ignore her unfriendly roommate, all while being jealous of the enchanting Magni Viri students she sees around campus. When one of the MV students dies under mysterious circumstances, Tara is offered her spot in the coveted academic society. Maybe now she can finally achieve what she’s always wanted: to be a world-famous writer. For the first time in her life, Tara has close friends and feels like she finally belongs somewhere. Unfortunately, her new friends are harboring a huge and deadly secret. This gothic horror story is an enjoyable though at times predictable read. The drawn-out plot lacks enough twists that could keep readers guessing and instead ambles toward an expected, yet still satisfying, conclusion. Despite the bland narrative, readers will empathize with Tara and root for her success and developing self-esteem. The main character is cued white; there’s racial diversity among the supporting characters.
Mild gothic horror for fans of dark academia. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2023
ISBN: 9780063115965
Page Count: 416
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
