Subverted Trope: Genderbent Count of Monte Cristo
Subgenre: YA Fantasy
Looking for tropical islands, coral reefs, and sparkling blue waters mixed in with bit of murder? Then the Scavenge the Stars series is your best bet.
A genderbent remake of The Count of Monte Cristo, Scavenge the Stars follows Amaya Chandra—AKA Silverfish—a teenage girl on the cusp of independence who is determined to seek her revenge. Sold into servitude after her father was executed, Amaya has spent years onboard a debtor ship. After she escapes the ship, she teams up with a group of outcasts who have had their lives ruined by the same person who destroyed her own family—a wealthy merchant who controls their city-state’s port.
Slipping into a role of subterfuge, Amaya sets her eyes on Cayo, the son of her enemy. The goal: to destroy this merchant, his son, and their family from within. Cayo is nothing like she expects, however, and as the two of them grow close she realizes that she will need to make a painful decision.
Fast-paced and complex with a bisexual main character (Cayo), Scavenge the Stars is a wild ride full of twists, double-crosses, and startling reveals. The book is not quite a HFN, but remains surprisingly hopeful.
Content Warnings: Child abuse, child imprisonment, child death, indentured labor, pandemics, gambling addictions.
Twist That Romantic Trope
Subverted tropes and remakes of old classics can be thrilling, especially if that subversion is pulled off with style. If you’re looking for more exciting books to check out, especially retellings, then here are four fairytale romances available on Kindle Unlimited.
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