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Scalebound
FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros meets POWERLESS by Lauren Roberts, and LIGHTLARK by Alex Aster in this fairytale story of dragons, plagues, and curses.
Aurelia grew up knowing she was the result of the tattoo on her father's wrist. The engraved sign came from killing a dragon, which caused him to obtain one of the five curses. Aurelia was that curse. She was a Scaleborne, half-dragon, and half-mortal and had been hidden in a tower her entire life as she was wanted for her golden blood.
When diseased creatures spread plague and famine across the lands, she is the only one to save her kingdom. She is quested to search for the golden dragon relic that grants only one wish and can only be seen by the Scalekind. Being the only person who can see the egg, she goes on a journey to save her kingdom from the diseased creatures and the extinction of dragons, all while being hunted for her golden blood.
With dragons possessing elemental abilities and being able to transfer these gifts to their riders, Aurelia has to claim her ability with her connected dragon and train in time before the kingdom is immersed with plague by the Deathlies or she is killed for her gilded blood.
Aurelia grew up knowing she was the result of the tattoo on her father's wrist. The engraved sign came from killing a dragon, which caused him to obtain one of the five curses. Aurelia was that curse. She was a Scaleborne, half-dragon, and half-mortal and had been hidden in a tower her entire life as she was wanted for her golden blood.
When diseased creatures spread plague and famine across the lands, she is the only one to save her kingdom. She is quested to search for the golden dragon relic that grants only one wish and can only be seen by the Scalekind. Being the only person who can see the egg, she goes on a journey to save her kingdom from the diseased creatures and the extinction of dragons, all while being hunted for her golden blood.
With dragons possessing elemental abilities and being able to transfer these gifts to their riders, Aurelia has to claim her ability with her connected dragon and train in time before the kingdom is immersed with plague by the Deathlies or she is killed for her gilded blood.
576 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 14, 2024
486 people are currently reading
8553 people want to read
About the author
Logan Piercey
2 books211 followersLogan Piercey is a business owner by day and a dreamer by night. She has been married to her husband for 2 years and co-owns a counseling practice with her mother. Logan is creative and determined to run with the wind wherever it takes her (and smell the flowers along the way, of course). She believes in fairytales and always happy endings.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 250 reviews
March 22, 2024
I’m biased since I wrote SCALEBOUND🐉✨🫶🥹 but I am so excited for everyone to have the opportunity to read my debut🫶 let’s be real, who doesn’t want another dragon book?? 💖 I LOVE YOU💖
November 18, 2024
This book was simply not good.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!
The first 20% I enjoyed and got me hooked, so that’s why it’s 2 stars instead of 1.
But once we got into the bulk of it, everything went south for me.
Premise: This has been marketed as Tangled meets Fourth Wing or as per the GR synopsis Fourth Wing, Powerless, and Lightlark. I’ve never read Lightlark but I would not compare this to Powerless at all maybe except for being YA? And please stop including Fourth Wing as a comparison if you just mean it has dragons. Just say it has dragons. This book just had dragons/dragon riding - I did not find it to similar to Fourth Wing in really anything else. I would say Tangled was an appropriate comparison as we have a naïve princess locked in a tower all her life who escapes and falls in love with the first man she meets within 4 days.
Dragon language: This has been a huge selling point for the book, saying there’s a full dragon language made for this. There was no consistency of usage of this language. Sometimes there would be communication with dragons in Satas Lerma and other time just in English. And when it was used there were footnotes of the translation that would be helpful, but basically every time it was used the translation would be written into the sentence directly after. I don’t want to fully quote the book since it was an arc but an example would be like
“[dragon language word]” I said in [dragon language] saying to them [definition of dragon language word used].
I found it all very unnecessary. And then some characters who seemed to not know the dragon language would then randomly use a word in it? My internal monologue while reading was very much so “Stop trying to make fetch happen. It’s not going to happen.”
Romance: I knew this was a YA no spice romance which I was here for! But the insta love of our FMC and mmc was such an ick. The whole book takes place over 10 days! Our MCs who are like enemies to lovers/he’s an assassin trying to kill her fall in love with each other after like 4 days. Our mmc moves on from his dead fiancée (the whole reason for his quest is to bring her back) for this random girl so quickly. He goes from hating “her kind” to being in love and willing to protect her to the ends of the world in a week.
Other notes: the writing throughout could have used like 5 more rounds of editing. And not anything to do with grammar stuff (I did read an arc) but like just inconsistencies within a paragraph of who is talking to who. And repeating the same information in 2 different sentences on the same page. This very much felt like a first draft.
Overall, I’m disappointed because this was marketed so well but was such a flop for me. I think this could have been a fun read with another year of work put into it.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!
The first 20% I enjoyed and got me hooked, so that’s why it’s 2 stars instead of 1.
But once we got into the bulk of it, everything went south for me.
Premise: This has been marketed as Tangled meets Fourth Wing or as per the GR synopsis Fourth Wing, Powerless, and Lightlark. I’ve never read Lightlark but I would not compare this to Powerless at all maybe except for being YA? And please stop including Fourth Wing as a comparison if you just mean it has dragons. Just say it has dragons. This book just had dragons/dragon riding - I did not find it to similar to Fourth Wing in really anything else. I would say Tangled was an appropriate comparison as we have a naïve princess locked in a tower all her life who escapes and falls in love with the first man she meets within 4 days.
Dragon language: This has been a huge selling point for the book, saying there’s a full dragon language made for this. There was no consistency of usage of this language. Sometimes there would be communication with dragons in Satas Lerma and other time just in English. And when it was used there were footnotes of the translation that would be helpful, but basically every time it was used the translation would be written into the sentence directly after. I don’t want to fully quote the book since it was an arc but an example would be like
“[dragon language word]” I said in [dragon language] saying to them [definition of dragon language word used].
I found it all very unnecessary. And then some characters who seemed to not know the dragon language would then randomly use a word in it? My internal monologue while reading was very much so “Stop trying to make fetch happen. It’s not going to happen.”
Romance: I knew this was a YA no spice romance which I was here for! But the insta love of our FMC and mmc was such an ick. The whole book takes place over 10 days! Our MCs who are like enemies to lovers/he’s an assassin trying to kill her fall in love with each other after like 4 days. Our mmc moves on from his dead fiancée (the whole reason for his quest is to bring her back) for this random girl so quickly. He goes from hating “her kind” to being in love and willing to protect her to the ends of the world in a week.
Other notes: the writing throughout could have used like 5 more rounds of editing. And not anything to do with grammar stuff (I did read an arc) but like just inconsistencies within a paragraph of who is talking to who. And repeating the same information in 2 different sentences on the same page. This very much felt like a first draft.
Overall, I’m disappointed because this was marketed so well but was such a flop for me. I think this could have been a fun read with another year of work put into it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2024
First of all - thank you so much to the author for an eARC copy of this book. It was a very anticipated read for this year with the huge focus on dragon language and the comparisons to other huge books but making it YA.
I’ll give it that - the YA aspect was done well, and it did read like a YA.
However unfortunately it fell short in a lot of ways for me. The plot was good and the characters were likable and the world extremely diverse - this was a huge focus in the beginning of the book and I really enjoyed the eclectic world we were brought into.
One of the biggest things that made me struggle to get through this was the overly descriptive language of telling not showing. A tattoo couldn’t be black - it had to be onyx (even though onyx had been used earlier on the page); picking a flower wilted it instantly draining its life rather than the plant just being freshly picked - not to mention how moist this leaf was.
This really threw me out of some otherwise interesting scenes and overall drew me away from the overall story.
The dragon language was also a huge point for me and something I was so excited to dive into, but it felt like it was used without as much intentionality as I was expecting.
Overall for a new author this book is still something to be hugely proud of and I think the world has a lot of promise - this just fell a bit short for me mostly with the writing style. Definitely worth a shot if you’ve liked YA books with dragons and diverse fantasy worlds, but compared to other things I’ve read recently this one just didn’t hit the mark.
I’ll give it that - the YA aspect was done well, and it did read like a YA.
However unfortunately it fell short in a lot of ways for me. The plot was good and the characters were likable and the world extremely diverse - this was a huge focus in the beginning of the book and I really enjoyed the eclectic world we were brought into.
One of the biggest things that made me struggle to get through this was the overly descriptive language of telling not showing. A tattoo couldn’t be black - it had to be onyx (even though onyx had been used earlier on the page); picking a flower wilted it instantly draining its life rather than the plant just being freshly picked - not to mention how moist this leaf was.
This really threw me out of some otherwise interesting scenes and overall drew me away from the overall story.
The dragon language was also a huge point for me and something I was so excited to dive into, but it felt like it was used without as much intentionality as I was expecting.
Overall for a new author this book is still something to be hugely proud of and I think the world has a lot of promise - this just fell a bit short for me mostly with the writing style. Definitely worth a shot if you’ve liked YA books with dragons and diverse fantasy worlds, but compared to other things I’ve read recently this one just didn’t hit the mark.
July 4, 2024
I was SO excited when I first found out about this book through Instagram and absolutely thrilled to find out I got chosen as an ARC reader!
However after finishing the book I feel as though it definitely needed 3-5 more rounds of editing before being published, which makes sense given the fact this was written in 9 months. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED the story idea however I felt like it was way too rushed. The character development, the dragon riding, and the romance were all thrown at you way too fast and each one deserved more development.
(I think she should have really taken her time with everything and maybe even lengthened it into 2 books)
The writing itself felt more like a middle school grade reading level than YA which I associate with high school. So be aware of that while reading!
The romance felt flat to me. The MMC didn’t have a personality outside of loving the main character and he had SO much potential for more than that that it made me sad. Same with the FMC honestly; the baseline was there and I think with a little more editing she could have really come to life.
Overall I have high hopes for Book 2 because I have seen many writers like this somewhat “flop” on their first book and then drastically improve on the second and I have a feeling this will be the case!
However after finishing the book I feel as though it definitely needed 3-5 more rounds of editing before being published, which makes sense given the fact this was written in 9 months. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED the story idea however I felt like it was way too rushed. The character development, the dragon riding, and the romance were all thrown at you way too fast and each one deserved more development.
(I think she should have really taken her time with everything and maybe even lengthened it into 2 books)
The writing itself felt more like a middle school grade reading level than YA which I associate with high school. So be aware of that while reading!
The romance felt flat to me. The MMC didn’t have a personality outside of loving the main character and he had SO much potential for more than that that it made me sad. Same with the FMC honestly; the baseline was there and I think with a little more editing she could have really come to life.
Overall I have high hopes for Book 2 because I have seen many writers like this somewhat “flop” on their first book and then drastically improve on the second and I have a feeling this will be the case!
July 12, 2024
*ARC* *spoilers* first let me say how excited I was for this book and how grateful I am that I was chosen for an ARC!!
A YA novel with a princess that is said to be dead (at least the kingdom thinks so) due to a curse given upon her at birth. Her rightful place on the throne given to someone else. A quest (with dragons) to get her throne back and stop a deadly disease from wiping the kingdom and its people out. There’s enemies to lovers. Betrayal. Found family. All of which are some of my favorites! It is a very clean novel.
This book was a journey to read. Some parts I gave 2 stars and other parts I gave 4 stars. So I settled on a 3 star review. I LOVED the plot and story line. I think it was such a great story and there were some twists and turns that I didn’t expect and just absolutely loved. However, I felt like there were multiple paragraphs throughout the entire book that stated the exact same thing over and over again just in multiple different ways. *spoiler* I wanted so much more from the main love interest Damien. He has so much potential but his personality was not there for me and their love story was kinda off. One second he wants her dead to bring back his fiancé and then all of a sudden he loves her because she has brought life back to him. But WHY has she brought life back to him? WHY does he love her? Because she’s been strong and capable for all of 2.5 days of you being with her? Not saying people don’t instantly fall in love but felt there could be more to it with their love story. I think with a few more edits (or more edits from different age groups/people) before the release this might have been a 5 star book for me!
As of right now, I’m not completely cutting my ties with the series. I am excited for book 2 and to see if anything changes.
July 4, 2024
I am so grateful to this author for the opportunity to be an ARC reader. I don’t like giving negative reviews to a new author, especially one that worked so hard to create this world. I really wanted to love this book. But I just struggled to not DNF. I do think for teens/YA who are new to fantasy, this could be a great option. It’s not my cup of tea but that doesn’t mean that others will agree.
The world is very intricate and that is why I gave it 2 stars instead of 1. But everything else about this book was just not for me. The author is very tell, not show. So even if we could have really understood things from context, it’s really handed to us which is not as entertaining for me. The characters tell us exactly how they’re feeling and we are not left to wonder.
The plot is confusing at times. I’m not sure we get answers as to why these things are happening truly. There are some answers at the end but I still just don’t quite understand some elements. And the plot was fairly predictable. There is a twist but again, I had a feeling that was coming.
I do think for a debut release, this author put so much work into this story. I really respect that! The author has great potential and I will definitely keep her on my radar for future books.
The world is very intricate and that is why I gave it 2 stars instead of 1. But everything else about this book was just not for me. The author is very tell, not show. So even if we could have really understood things from context, it’s really handed to us which is not as entertaining for me. The characters tell us exactly how they’re feeling and we are not left to wonder.
The plot is confusing at times. I’m not sure we get answers as to why these things are happening truly. There are some answers at the end but I still just don’t quite understand some elements. And the plot was fairly predictable. There is a twist but again, I had a feeling that was coming.
I do think for a debut release, this author put so much work into this story. I really respect that! The author has great potential and I will definitely keep her on my radar for future books.
October 7, 2024
3.5
i want to start out by saying that i am so SO impressed with logan and the world she creating with this book. this gives me hope as another girl from utah that someday i can be a published romantasy author as well🥹
the first half of this book had me HOOKED. the world building was believable but not too complicated to follow. the plot was carrying. i was invested.
i think my biggest qualm with this book is that the love didn’t feel believable to me. the MMC was grieving and still SO in love with his fiancé who had died and then it took about a chapter for him to be over her and moved on to the FMC.
also i’m a big enemies to lovers girl. i LOVE the tension and angst and build up. i was gearing up for a good enemies to lovers subplot, but then it felt more like insta love.
i’m excited to see what logan does next because i do think she has so much potential!!!
🔥NO SPICE🔥
🤐NO STRONG LANGUAGE🤐
i want to start out by saying that i am so SO impressed with logan and the world she creating with this book. this gives me hope as another girl from utah that someday i can be a published romantasy author as well🥹
the first half of this book had me HOOKED. the world building was believable but not too complicated to follow. the plot was carrying. i was invested.
i think my biggest qualm with this book is that the love didn’t feel believable to me. the MMC was grieving and still SO in love with his fiancé who had died and then it took about a chapter for him to be over her and moved on to the FMC.
also i’m a big enemies to lovers girl. i LOVE the tension and angst and build up. i was gearing up for a good enemies to lovers subplot, but then it felt more like insta love.
i’m excited to see what logan does next because i do think she has so much potential!!!
🔥NO SPICE🔥
🤐NO STRONG LANGUAGE🤐
July 3, 2024
Received an ARC copy, thank you Logan Piercey! Starting now!
This was so good! It was incredibly fast paced & engaging. The FMC IS SO AMAZING!!!
World building was CHEFS KISS!
This did give me Fourth Wing vibes but in a YA way which is totally okay!
Alsooooo….shadow mommy instead of shadow daddy!
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
This was so good! It was incredibly fast paced & engaging. The FMC IS SO AMAZING!!!
World building was CHEFS KISS!
This did give me Fourth Wing vibes but in a YA way which is totally okay!
Alsooooo….shadow mommy instead of shadow daddy!
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
October 3, 2024
**Thank you so much to the author for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! The thoughts below are entirely my own.**
I had high hopes for Scalebound, but it was just not the book for me. It’s sad, because I truly think a lot of these issues could have been fixed with a little more time and editing. I ultimately DNF’d Scalebound because of these issues and because I had a lot of ARCs I needed to get to.
First off, the marketing was great in the sense that it made me want to read Scalebound, but it sadly did not deliver like I hoped. It was marketed as a no-spice YA romantasy book with Tangled meets Powerless meets Fourth Wing vibes.
I read Powerless and had a great time, but I would not say that Scalebound was anything like Powerless. Maybe the intentions were that Scalebound is “enemies to lovers” (I’ll get to that in a second) and so is Powerless, but they were nothing alike.
Scalebound was also nothing like Fourth Wing except for the fact that they both have dragons in them, which I feel like is a pretty popular fantasy element. I found Fourth Wing to also be more engaging of a read than Scalebound.
And then there’s Tangled. Yes, the FMC of Scalebound lives in a tower. Why, you might ask? I honestly couldn’t tell you why, and neither could Scalebound. The logic was so flimsy to me as to why she was in the tower, because I felt like there were so many better options for her situation. Also, some of the plot points utterly destroyed the already-flimsy reasoning for her living in a tower. She was very easily able to escape, and other characters who also lived in the tower also helped her escape. She was able to basically leave whenever she wanted, and that bothered me. I wish there was more of a reason for her to be in a tower, because then I would find it to be more like Tangled. I felt like all of Scalebound had really poor reasoning behind why decisions were made by characters. Nothing was explained very well except for the imagery, which I thought was overly explained at points with repetitive wording.
And now, the enemies to lovers aspect. I feel like the MMC had decent character development. I actually enjoyed his chapters a lot until he met the FMC. The FMC was really underdeveloped, though, and I was so bored during her chapters. Then, they meet, and suddenly the MMC loses the little character he had, and all of his motivations as a character, too! And the romance developed wayyyyyy too fast. The enemies part was okay, but I don’t think it was set up amazingly. Basically, he’s sent to kill the FMC so he can get his dead fiance back. It was such a good idea! It really did set up the enemies part well. But as soon as he met the FMC, it seemed like he basically fell in love at first sight and forgot his dead fiance. It was really disappointing. I did appreciate that it was zero spice, though!
Another big selling point for the book was the inclusion of dragon language in the book. Scalebound did have a fantasy language, which I thought was such a cool concept! Unfortunately, it was also poorly executed. The words that were translated into Satas Lerma could have been chosen with a lot more intentionality. I wished there was more conversation in it and less using the same three words in dragon language through every. Single. Chapter. There was a dictionary of sorts, which was so cool, but again, there were about three main words used in dragon language, so it was largely unnecessary after the fifth chapter or so.
Also, the formatting of it bothered me. I wished the English translations of the words were at the bottom of the page they were used on, but instead all of the words in the chapter are linked on the very last page of each chapter. Maybe it’s easier to keep your spot in a physical copy of the book, flip to the end, check the words, and flip back, but it was so frustrating as an ebook trying to find where I was. It also allowed for me to get spoilers for the ends of the chapters, which was annoying.
Like I said, I think Scalebound had a lot of great marketing and potential, but the cool concepts just weren’t executed as well as I hoped. I think I really could have enjoyed this book if it had just been edited a little more.
I had high hopes for Scalebound, but it was just not the book for me. It’s sad, because I truly think a lot of these issues could have been fixed with a little more time and editing. I ultimately DNF’d Scalebound because of these issues and because I had a lot of ARCs I needed to get to.
First off, the marketing was great in the sense that it made me want to read Scalebound, but it sadly did not deliver like I hoped. It was marketed as a no-spice YA romantasy book with Tangled meets Powerless meets Fourth Wing vibes.
I read Powerless and had a great time, but I would not say that Scalebound was anything like Powerless. Maybe the intentions were that Scalebound is “enemies to lovers” (I’ll get to that in a second) and so is Powerless, but they were nothing alike.
Scalebound was also nothing like Fourth Wing except for the fact that they both have dragons in them, which I feel like is a pretty popular fantasy element. I found Fourth Wing to also be more engaging of a read than Scalebound.
And then there’s Tangled. Yes, the FMC of Scalebound lives in a tower. Why, you might ask? I honestly couldn’t tell you why, and neither could Scalebound. The logic was so flimsy to me as to why she was in the tower, because I felt like there were so many better options for her situation. Also, some of the plot points utterly destroyed the already-flimsy reasoning for her living in a tower. She was very easily able to escape, and other characters who also lived in the tower also helped her escape. She was able to basically leave whenever she wanted, and that bothered me. I wish there was more of a reason for her to be in a tower, because then I would find it to be more like Tangled. I felt like all of Scalebound had really poor reasoning behind why decisions were made by characters. Nothing was explained very well except for the imagery, which I thought was overly explained at points with repetitive wording.
And now, the enemies to lovers aspect. I feel like the MMC had decent character development. I actually enjoyed his chapters a lot until he met the FMC. The FMC was really underdeveloped, though, and I was so bored during her chapters. Then, they meet, and suddenly the MMC loses the little character he had, and all of his motivations as a character, too! And the romance developed wayyyyyy too fast. The enemies part was okay, but I don’t think it was set up amazingly. Basically, he’s sent to kill the FMC so he can get his dead fiance back. It was such a good idea! It really did set up the enemies part well. But as soon as he met the FMC, it seemed like he basically fell in love at first sight and forgot his dead fiance. It was really disappointing. I did appreciate that it was zero spice, though!
Another big selling point for the book was the inclusion of dragon language in the book. Scalebound did have a fantasy language, which I thought was such a cool concept! Unfortunately, it was also poorly executed. The words that were translated into Satas Lerma could have been chosen with a lot more intentionality. I wished there was more conversation in it and less using the same three words in dragon language through every. Single. Chapter. There was a dictionary of sorts, which was so cool, but again, there were about three main words used in dragon language, so it was largely unnecessary after the fifth chapter or so.
Also, the formatting of it bothered me. I wished the English translations of the words were at the bottom of the page they were used on, but instead all of the words in the chapter are linked on the very last page of each chapter. Maybe it’s easier to keep your spot in a physical copy of the book, flip to the end, check the words, and flip back, but it was so frustrating as an ebook trying to find where I was. It also allowed for me to get spoilers for the ends of the chapters, which was annoying.
Like I said, I think Scalebound had a lot of great marketing and potential, but the cool concepts just weren’t executed as well as I hoped. I think I really could have enjoyed this book if it had just been edited a little more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2024
DNF @ 48%
I tried. I reaaaally tried to finish this book. It’s a really pretty book for my bookshelf. But … it’s just … not written well. And I can’t get past it to even enjoy the book. Maybe someday I’ll try and finish it, but I just can’t.
Originally I was going to give it a 2/5 for at least the idea, but I can’t even finish it bc of the writing.
Good vibe first: This book at the beginning gave Tangled meets Princess bride, especially when going through the forbidden forest, definite rip on the fire swamp vibes 😂 yay art & how pretty this book will live on my shelf.
But … here are my thoughts …
I really wanted to absolutely be in love with this book, especially for how pretty it is in print, but the diction made this book incredibly difficult to read. It was super descriptive, like she had grabbed a book of synonyms and adjectives and made sure to include all of them on the same page or when describing…well… anything :/
For example, I couldn’t get over chapter 16, paragraph 2, if this puts it into perspective “Running through the mysterious black trunks of trees that I had watched my entire life, I didn’t look back. Immediate darkness and an icy breeze shuddered through my body as I passed the border marked by black-trucked trees. Shadows lived on the inside, making it almost impossible to see through the thick core of the thickets, leaving what they laid behind them a mystery.”
^ This was really hard for me to read (one of unfortunately many examples) and the flow was interrupted with so many distracting / descriptor words rather than allowing the reader to imagine what it looks like & getting the vibe of everything. It took away from the plot and the story unfortunately because I was so caught up on trying to read all the words. Could use a better editor / someone to help with flow of the story and the writing. (And accidentally called the eye pupil an iris, like that should be something an editor should catch.)
The romance development felt more like something I would’ve written myself in high school.
I really hope to see her develop as an author & writer. And if this is her writing style, then that’s totally fine! Just not easily readable for most- reading some other reviews show I wasn’t the only one who struggled.
I’m not sure if using other well known books is a good or a bad thing for authors in regard to giving vibes of books. I haven’t read powerless or *the other she mentions*, but I feel like that may set up unrealistic expectations of what the reader will find in the pages, concerning content and/or readability. The only thing I found in regard to Fourth Wing was the concept of dragons & being able to hear from them? 🤷🏼♀️
Great concept, not well written. And my background is in legal-quality control documentation for an orthopedic company previously, but I’d like to think with the books I’ve read this year, that I know what flows nicely and when words should be used or leaving the imagination up to the reader. If the author wishes for more feedback & help, I’d be happy to oblige.
I tried. I reaaaally tried to finish this book. It’s a really pretty book for my bookshelf. But … it’s just … not written well. And I can’t get past it to even enjoy the book. Maybe someday I’ll try and finish it, but I just can’t.
Originally I was going to give it a 2/5 for at least the idea, but I can’t even finish it bc of the writing.
Good vibe first: This book at the beginning gave Tangled meets Princess bride, especially when going through the forbidden forest, definite rip on the fire swamp vibes 😂 yay art & how pretty this book will live on my shelf.
But … here are my thoughts …
I really wanted to absolutely be in love with this book, especially for how pretty it is in print, but the diction made this book incredibly difficult to read. It was super descriptive, like she had grabbed a book of synonyms and adjectives and made sure to include all of them on the same page or when describing…well… anything :/
For example, I couldn’t get over chapter 16, paragraph 2, if this puts it into perspective “Running through the mysterious black trunks of trees that I had watched my entire life, I didn’t look back. Immediate darkness and an icy breeze shuddered through my body as I passed the border marked by black-trucked trees. Shadows lived on the inside, making it almost impossible to see through the thick core of the thickets, leaving what they laid behind them a mystery.”
^ This was really hard for me to read (one of unfortunately many examples) and the flow was interrupted with so many distracting / descriptor words rather than allowing the reader to imagine what it looks like & getting the vibe of everything. It took away from the plot and the story unfortunately because I was so caught up on trying to read all the words. Could use a better editor / someone to help with flow of the story and the writing. (And accidentally called the eye pupil an iris, like that should be something an editor should catch.)
The romance development felt more like something I would’ve written myself in high school.
I really hope to see her develop as an author & writer. And if this is her writing style, then that’s totally fine! Just not easily readable for most- reading some other reviews show I wasn’t the only one who struggled.
I’m not sure if using other well known books is a good or a bad thing for authors in regard to giving vibes of books. I haven’t read powerless or *the other she mentions*, but I feel like that may set up unrealistic expectations of what the reader will find in the pages, concerning content and/or readability. The only thing I found in regard to Fourth Wing was the concept of dragons & being able to hear from them? 🤷🏼♀️
Great concept, not well written. And my background is in legal-quality control documentation for an orthopedic company previously, but I’d like to think with the books I’ve read this year, that I know what flows nicely and when words should be used or leaving the imagination up to the reader. If the author wishes for more feedback & help, I’d be happy to oblige.
March 24, 2024
I am so excited that I got to be a beta reader for Scalebound! This book was amazing. I love the use of the elements and how the dragons and Scalebounds come together to help the world and the evils that are plaguing it. The love story is adorable! Damian and Aurelia's story is page turning! I can't wait for this book! It's non-spicey. I went on her site and pre-ordered it! Www.loganpierceywrites.com
July 13, 2024
Arc read, thank you to Logan Piercey for giving me the opportunity!
This was an amazing book that was fast paced, and jumped right into the plot on page one. logan Piercey has done a great job writing characters that are well written and developing a intriguing plot that will leave you on the eage of your seat! After finishing Reckless and a Iron flame reread this was the perfect next read, with similar banter, betrayals, and relationship. It you are looking for your next five star romantasy read with dragons look no further!
This was an amazing book that was fast paced, and jumped right into the plot on page one. logan Piercey has done a great job writing characters that are well written and developing a intriguing plot that will leave you on the eage of your seat! After finishing Reckless and a Iron flame reread this was the perfect next read, with similar banter, betrayals, and relationship. It you are looking for your next five star romantasy read with dragons look no further!
October 12, 2025
I randomly discovered Logan and Scalebound one day on Instagram, then started following her journey until publishing : I was waiting for it, I thought I would like it...
It is marketed as FW, Powerless and Lightlark : I will address that at the end of this review.
The beginning was a real treat : well-written despite the editing, captivating as Logan managed to show the stakes without overwelming us. That's the reason I push through the book and didn't DNF : it has a lot of potential.
So let's talk about the obvious issue of this book :
The Editing :
This book needs other rounds of editing because mainly, there is a lot of repetition like :
- "my bed would fit in a small area and a small [object]..."
- "... running through my mind. My mind..."
It happens throughout the book, in a way I was wondering if the author paid attention?
HOWEVER ! Keep in mind this is the debut novel of an INDIE author : she has to pay herself for professional editing and I don't think she has ilimited funds, so editing mistakes are excepted.
But for me, the biggest issue is :
The Pacing :
There is a clue before you start reading and at the beginning of the story that indicates the pacing is not good.
First, the book is 559 pages for 71 chapters + 1 epilogue... Some chapters are way too short, at least two don't bring anything to the table, and they cut the story in a way that makes the rhythm slow.
The second clue is the "10 days deadline" to complete the quest: why is this an issue? Because the supposedly "enemies-to-lovers" don't get enough time to develop (it's instant love), every bond between characters happens instantly.
For example, Damian is on the hunt for a Scaleborne to bring his fiancee (which we know nothing about, it would have been better to know more of her personality so we could get attached) from the dead but abandons it right after meeting Aurelia. It's not credible...
Now, onto the Magic System :
I didn't understand it and thought it was underdeveloped. Magic appears at the beginning of the book, nothing in the middle then reappears at the end. It had the potential to be a strong pillar of the book but it wasn't used enough.
For The Dragons & Satas-Lerma :
They appear in the majority near the end, however they influenced the entire story through the scalebornes. I would have loved to see them more present throughout the book.
Satas Lerma is the dragon language created by the author so bravo for that ! It a nice effort which bring authenticity to the story : I would have loved if it was more used though...
The Characters :
Because of the pacing being too fast, they don't have time to develop properly and their decisions seem immature. We already established that Damian gives up his dead lover too quickly, the same goes for Aurelia who forgives his betrayal too fast: the romance between those two is insta-love, they don't take enough time to get to know each other...
Oh and did you know that Aurelia has pink hair? Don't worry about forgetting it, she will remember it pretty often, too often...
Then... The World-Building :
While I can say with certitude there is too much purple (haha) in this world, it is well-written. No info-dumb in sight, we discover the world as the characters move and each part appears when it's the right time. You can see it in your mind so well done to Logan, as a credible world is not an easy task in which she succeeds.
Now The Marketing :
The book was also marketed as Tangled which is more appropriate, considering Aurelia is locked in a tower for her protection then managed to escaped.
In conclusion, the book needed/needs more work because it is an unpolished gem. I have no doubt it will find an audience because the reader can see the potential throughout the story.
It is marketed as FW, Powerless and Lightlark : I will address that at the end of this review.
The beginning was a real treat : well-written despite the editing, captivating as Logan managed to show the stakes without overwelming us. That's the reason I push through the book and didn't DNF : it has a lot of potential.
So let's talk about the obvious issue of this book :
The Editing :
This book needs other rounds of editing because mainly, there is a lot of repetition like :
- "my bed would fit in a small area and a small [object]..."
- "... running through my mind. My mind..."
It happens throughout the book, in a way I was wondering if the author paid attention?
HOWEVER ! Keep in mind this is the debut novel of an INDIE author : she has to pay herself for professional editing and I don't think she has ilimited funds, so editing mistakes are excepted.
But for me, the biggest issue is :
The Pacing :
There is a clue before you start reading and at the beginning of the story that indicates the pacing is not good.
First, the book is 559 pages for 71 chapters + 1 epilogue... Some chapters are way too short, at least two don't bring anything to the table, and they cut the story in a way that makes the rhythm slow.
The second clue is the "10 days deadline" to complete the quest: why is this an issue? Because the supposedly "enemies-to-lovers" don't get enough time to develop (it's instant love), every bond between characters happens instantly.
For example, Damian is on the hunt for a Scaleborne to bring his fiancee (which we know nothing about, it would have been better to know more of her personality so we could get attached) from the dead but abandons it right after meeting Aurelia. It's not credible...
Now, onto the Magic System :
I didn't understand it and thought it was underdeveloped. Magic appears at the beginning of the book, nothing in the middle then reappears at the end. It had the potential to be a strong pillar of the book but it wasn't used enough.
For The Dragons & Satas-Lerma :
They appear in the majority near the end, however they influenced the entire story through the scalebornes. I would have loved to see them more present throughout the book.
Satas Lerma is the dragon language created by the author so bravo for that ! It a nice effort which bring authenticity to the story : I would have loved if it was more used though...
The Characters :
Because of the pacing being too fast, they don't have time to develop properly and their decisions seem immature. We already established that Damian gives up his dead lover too quickly, the same goes for Aurelia who forgives his betrayal too fast: the romance between those two is insta-love, they don't take enough time to get to know each other...
Oh and did you know that Aurelia has pink hair? Don't worry about forgetting it, she will remember it pretty often, too often...
Then... The World-Building :
While I can say with certitude there is too much purple (haha) in this world, it is well-written. No info-dumb in sight, we discover the world as the characters move and each part appears when it's the right time. You can see it in your mind so well done to Logan, as a credible world is not an easy task in which she succeeds.
Now The Marketing :
The book was also marketed as Tangled which is more appropriate, considering Aurelia is locked in a tower for her protection then managed to escaped.
In conclusion, the book needed/needs more work because it is an unpolished gem. I have no doubt it will find an audience because the reader can see the potential throughout the story.
August 14, 2024
Arc reader
DNF at 40%
I hate to dnf books. I truly do. This book needed a few more rounds of editing for sure. I wanted to like it so much, but it was hard to do that when phrases like "the fire burned the fire to ash" exist in this book. The enemies to lovers moved way too swiftly considering what the MMC was going through. I get that this is YA, but you don't go from meeting a dragon to riding said dragon in the same chapter. Especially when it's something you've never done before. The dragon language also was not really a full language as much as it was just used to replace other words in the english language. This was a bit dissapointing as the dragon language was a huge marketing piint. It is also compared to Fourth Wing. The only thing Scalebound and FW have in common is dragons. There are a few more nit picky things I didn't like, but I feel like they are covered enough in other reviews already.
I wanted to like this book so much because of how much love the author put into it, how pretty the cover and sprayed edges are, and how intriguing the concept is. But unfortunately, that is not the case. I do hope book 2 learns from book 1 and becomes much more polished.
DNF at 40%
I hate to dnf books. I truly do. This book needed a few more rounds of editing for sure. I wanted to like it so much, but it was hard to do that when phrases like "the fire burned the fire to ash" exist in this book. The enemies to lovers moved way too swiftly considering what the MMC was going through. I get that this is YA, but you don't go from meeting a dragon to riding said dragon in the same chapter. Especially when it's something you've never done before. The dragon language also was not really a full language as much as it was just used to replace other words in the english language. This was a bit dissapointing as the dragon language was a huge marketing piint. It is also compared to Fourth Wing. The only thing Scalebound and FW have in common is dragons. There are a few more nit picky things I didn't like, but I feel like they are covered enough in other reviews already.
I wanted to like this book so much because of how much love the author put into it, how pretty the cover and sprayed edges are, and how intriguing the concept is. But unfortunately, that is not the case. I do hope book 2 learns from book 1 and becomes much more polished.
March 24, 2024
✨ Beta reader - review to come ✨
July 15, 2024
AHHHH WHERE DO I BEGIN!?!
✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ - Incredible!! Can’t stop thinking about it, has consumed my thoughts…
This was my first serious fantasy read with dragons that I didn’t DNF and I was BEYOND impressed!! Aurelia’s story is so incredibly written. The immersive details really paint the story perfectly in my mind, I found myself dreaming of these dragons at night and which one could potentially connect with me!! I’m kinda jealous i’m not a Scaleborn ngl🥲
Character development was HUGE! We see so many different sides of Aurelia and Damian’s characters and how much their stories evolve throughout including their own together🫶🏻
Aurelia is not your typical fairytale princess. She is an intricate FMC of grace, beauty, power, and faith in dragon kind. Without her this story just couldn’t be what it is!!
Damian’s ‘bad boy’ persona really drove me to hate him at first until other things unraveled in the book, however i ultimately fell in love with him, maybe someone else will too??
The romance was closed door and clean!! No bad language and no spice! I will say the plot twist and ending had me in TEARS just a heads up😌
Overall an amazing dragon fantasy full of medieval politics, elemental powers, new forever friendships (& maybe one broken one), and the love between dragon and rider✨
Really REALLY enjoyed this read! Thank you Logan for allowing me to be apart of the Street team! I’m forever grateful for all my new book besties and can’t wait to see what she writes next!!
✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ - Incredible!! Can’t stop thinking about it, has consumed my thoughts…
This was my first serious fantasy read with dragons that I didn’t DNF and I was BEYOND impressed!! Aurelia’s story is so incredibly written. The immersive details really paint the story perfectly in my mind, I found myself dreaming of these dragons at night and which one could potentially connect with me!! I’m kinda jealous i’m not a Scaleborn ngl🥲
Character development was HUGE! We see so many different sides of Aurelia and Damian’s characters and how much their stories evolve throughout including their own together🫶🏻
Aurelia is not your typical fairytale princess. She is an intricate FMC of grace, beauty, power, and faith in dragon kind. Without her this story just couldn’t be what it is!!
Damian’s ‘bad boy’ persona really drove me to hate him at first until other things unraveled in the book, however i ultimately fell in love with him, maybe someone else will too??
The romance was closed door and clean!! No bad language and no spice! I will say the plot twist and ending had me in TEARS just a heads up😌
Overall an amazing dragon fantasy full of medieval politics, elemental powers, new forever friendships (& maybe one broken one), and the love between dragon and rider✨
Really REALLY enjoyed this read! Thank you Logan for allowing me to be apart of the Street team! I’m forever grateful for all my new book besties and can’t wait to see what she writes next!!
September 17, 2024
DNF - I was so excited for this book from the marketing I saw on this book before release. However I was very disappointed and DNF’d at the 65% point. The “enemies to lovers” plot was horrible. They were never really enemies, our male character started with wanting to kill her to bring his fiancée back to life but then instantly go over his fiancée and fell in love with our main female character. I also found the book needed more editing, I felt like I was constantly rereading the same lines over just phrased slightly differently. I tried skimming the rest of the book to see if it got interesting and found I couldn’t be bothered to even skim the rest. Overall a big let down for something I was really excited for.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2024
Okay. I am so grateful to be chosen as an arc reader for this book! Based off of the marketing for it I was so excited! It was marketed however like Powerless, Fourth wing, and Lightlark. As it is a Romantasy I would say that is where the likeness ends besides dragons being in the book. It was also compared to Tangled/Repunzel which I’d have to agree with having a young naïve girl “stuck” but also kinda not stuck in a tower.
I had to keep reminding myself this is YA but it really felt like a good entry into fantasy for younger readers.
I really struggled with the timeline of events going on. In a matter of 2 weeks characters healed from huge traumas, fell in love, and had their entire lives changed with little to no real issues. Scenes felt conflicting because one thing would be said and then a few sentences later it’s completely disregarded when it should be a huge factor in how events unfold. For example she is drained of her blood (blood that was drank? With no real explanation as to why) and then had to fight her way out because her rescuer didn’t really do the rescuing. To me this was a moment where I had to put the story down and give it a break.
The way things were described felt a bit repetitive and spelled out. While there were great themes happening in the story, it would’ve been nicer to figure them out rather than just being told.
I also felt inconsistency with personalities in characters. Aurelia is such a bright, positive, innocent character yet she received dark and shadowy abilities with no real explanation or underlying hints. Damian was supposed to be this dark shadowy character, but it came off as “looks like he could kill you but is really a cinnamon roll” -but not in a good way. I felt like his story and character development was robbed and happened wayyy too quickly. At times it also felt he was way more emotional than Aurelia.
I know I’ve said more negative, but the overall story was pretty good! I just wish the execution was different, which is why I still have it 3 stars. I’m looking forward to seeing where this author goes with the story and I think it has good potential and can go in several different directions!
I had to keep reminding myself this is YA but it really felt like a good entry into fantasy for younger readers.
I really struggled with the timeline of events going on. In a matter of 2 weeks characters healed from huge traumas, fell in love, and had their entire lives changed with little to no real issues. Scenes felt conflicting because one thing would be said and then a few sentences later it’s completely disregarded when it should be a huge factor in how events unfold. For example she is drained of her blood (blood that was drank? With no real explanation as to why) and then had to fight her way out because her rescuer didn’t really do the rescuing. To me this was a moment where I had to put the story down and give it a break.
The way things were described felt a bit repetitive and spelled out. While there were great themes happening in the story, it would’ve been nicer to figure them out rather than just being told.
I also felt inconsistency with personalities in characters. Aurelia is such a bright, positive, innocent character yet she received dark and shadowy abilities with no real explanation or underlying hints. Damian was supposed to be this dark shadowy character, but it came off as “looks like he could kill you but is really a cinnamon roll” -but not in a good way. I felt like his story and character development was robbed and happened wayyy too quickly. At times it also felt he was way more emotional than Aurelia.
I know I’ve said more negative, but the overall story was pretty good! I just wish the execution was different, which is why I still have it 3 stars. I’m looking forward to seeing where this author goes with the story and I think it has good potential and can go in several different directions!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2024
Tropes:
closed door romance
slow burn
He falls first
Shadow Queen
morally grey MMC
Dragons
elemental magic system
found family
Dual POV
I love a fairytale retelling... and one with a twist- definitely up my alley! What do you get when you cross Rapunzel with Mulan-vibes, adding in dragons, magic, and a Shadow Queen? Scalebound!
Scalebound is written from the POV of FMC Aurelia and MMC Damian. Aurelia is a Princess who is kept in a tower away from everyone. Her parents say it's for her protection- she's Scalekind, part human, part dragon- and hunted for her golden blood. When disease attacks her kingdom, Aurelia convinces her father, the King, to allow her to go on a quest to find a cure. If she does, she'll be heir to the throne.
Damian, is an assassin. Ever since his fiance died, he doesn't give a crap about anything any more. A chance encounter with a sorcerer convinces Damian to find a Scalekind in exchange for bringing his fiance back from the dead. Meeting in the enchanted forest, can Damian and Aurelia work together to save the kingdom? Or will betrayal keep Aurelia from protecting those she loves?
I thought this was a good YA fantasy! I loved all the characters- specifically Belle, a pink dragon! Normally, we're all about a shadow daddy, but what about a Shadow Queen? You heard me. I loved a woman being the one wrapped in shadows this time! Aurelia is smart, trusting, and caring- even after everything that happens to her. Damian is your morally gray MMC who would kill for the woman he loves. I love how the characters all have colorful hair/nails, etc. Reminds me of District 1 of Hunger Games haha. I kind of want a book 2 just to dive deeper into the characters because I enjoyed them! But overall, a cool twist of a fairytale.
closed door romance
slow burn
He falls first
Shadow Queen
morally grey MMC
Dragons
elemental magic system
found family
Dual POV
I love a fairytale retelling... and one with a twist- definitely up my alley! What do you get when you cross Rapunzel with Mulan-vibes, adding in dragons, magic, and a Shadow Queen? Scalebound!
Scalebound is written from the POV of FMC Aurelia and MMC Damian. Aurelia is a Princess who is kept in a tower away from everyone. Her parents say it's for her protection- she's Scalekind, part human, part dragon- and hunted for her golden blood. When disease attacks her kingdom, Aurelia convinces her father, the King, to allow her to go on a quest to find a cure. If she does, she'll be heir to the throne.
Damian, is an assassin. Ever since his fiance died, he doesn't give a crap about anything any more. A chance encounter with a sorcerer convinces Damian to find a Scalekind in exchange for bringing his fiance back from the dead. Meeting in the enchanted forest, can Damian and Aurelia work together to save the kingdom? Or will betrayal keep Aurelia from protecting those she loves?
I thought this was a good YA fantasy! I loved all the characters- specifically Belle, a pink dragon! Normally, we're all about a shadow daddy, but what about a Shadow Queen? You heard me. I loved a woman being the one wrapped in shadows this time! Aurelia is smart, trusting, and caring- even after everything that happens to her. Damian is your morally gray MMC who would kill for the woman he loves. I love how the characters all have colorful hair/nails, etc. Reminds me of District 1 of Hunger Games haha. I kind of want a book 2 just to dive deeper into the characters because I enjoyed them! But overall, a cool twist of a fairytale.
September 16, 2024
This was such a good story! I’m such a sucker for Tangled & this DELIVERED!!!!
“You're my new dream. You are everything I could've ever dreamed of.” ☀️💜
I loved this story so much - it was so much fun, I wanted to cry, laughed at the attitude, and genuinely loved this book 🫶🏻
TROPES:
🐉 slow burn
🐉 he falls first
🐉 shadow queen morally grey FMC
🐉 dragons
🐉 elemental magic system
🐉 found family
🐉 dual POV
🐉 Rapunzel retelling
RATING:
stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
spice: 🫑
hilarity: 😂
“You're my new dream. You are everything I could've ever dreamed of.” ☀️💜
I loved this story so much - it was so much fun, I wanted to cry, laughed at the attitude, and genuinely loved this book 🫶🏻
TROPES:
🐉 slow burn
🐉 he falls first
🐉 shadow queen morally grey FMC
🐉 dragons
🐉 elemental magic system
🐉 found family
🐉 dual POV
🐉 Rapunzel retelling
RATING:
stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
spice: 🫑
hilarity: 😂
Read
June 14, 2025 I dnf’d this book around chapter 9. The writing for me just feels very immature and rushed. The way events/conversations take place feel like they’re just thrown in and the characters (so far) really don’t show much promise to me. None of what I read was intriguing or captured my attention. Would not recommend :/.
July 17, 2024
I was so excited to be an ARC reader for this book. I was instantly drawn to the story before even becoming one.
I enjoyed the story a lot, but I felt like some key character building and relationships were rushed. The end has some shock value, but I also saw some of it coming. I definitely recommend you to pre-order and read the story for yourself!
I enjoyed the story a lot, but I felt like some key character building and relationships were rushed. The end has some shock value, but I also saw some of it coming. I definitely recommend you to pre-order and read the story for yourself!
September 29, 2025
I liked the idea of the world and the scalekind , but I got lost in how repetitive the writing style was.
I also had a hard time believing in the relationship between Aurelia and Damian.
I also had a hard time believing in the relationship between Aurelia and Damian.
August 15, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really wanted to love this book, but I have mixed feelings about it. There were some parts that I really enjoyed, but unfortunately also some parts that I personally didn’t like.
The beginning, maybe the first 25% of the book, seemed really promising. I liked the Tangled/Rapunzel vibes of a princess being locked away in a tower while everyone in the kingdom thinks she’s dead, and of course the dragons. Also the world seemed really interesting and was described well.
The beginning of the quest also seemed interesting, but unfortunately, after that the storyline went a bit downhill.
The whole book takes place in about 10 days and there was way too much happening in those days (enemies to lovers, quest, finding a dragon, discovering powers etc) and everything happened way too fast. I personally would have preferred the pacing to be a bit slower, so there would have been more time to explain and explore things a bit better instead of running around and rushing through the whole story. Also, the timeline could have been a bit longer. Maybe this could have been separated into two books?
The FMC was quite naive, and I don’t think she really grew up or learned that much during the story. And again, the relationship development between the FMC and the MMC just felt rushed. They went from fully enemies to lovers in a few days.
There were some things I wish would have been explained more, and also explained earlier in the book. For example the whole reason why the FMC was “locked away” wasn’t clear to me at first. Also, the whole Scalekind thing would have, in my opinion, needed more explanation (why/how the FMC was Scalekind, what does it mean other than being able to communicate with dragons etc). Also at one point her blood was being drained and drunk without any explanation.
While I usually enjoy descriptive writing, there were some instances where things that weren’t really important for the story were described in too much detail. Also, at times I would have loved things to be shown instead of being said/told.
This book was really YA, and I’m sure a lot of younger readers will really enjoy this book, and I think I would have loved it as a child. The fact that it was YA didn’t affect my rating because I knew that before reading.
I always feel bad saying negative things about debut novels, but these are just my honest opinions. I don’t think this was a bad book by any means, and writing this is a huge accomplishment, but it could have maybe used a bit more work and editing. There were for example multiple paragraphs throughout the story that said exactly the same thing with slightly different wording.
Also, this book has been marketed as a mix between Fourth Wing, Powerless & Lightlark and/or Fourth Wing & Tangled, and I’m afraid that comparing this book to FW might unfortunately cause some problems, because then people are expecting the book to be more like FW and if/when it’s not, it might affect their opinions about the book and the ratings. That said, the comparison didn’t affect my experience with the book or my rating.
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
I really wanted to love this book, but I have mixed feelings about it. There were some parts that I really enjoyed, but unfortunately also some parts that I personally didn’t like.
The beginning, maybe the first 25% of the book, seemed really promising. I liked the Tangled/Rapunzel vibes of a princess being locked away in a tower while everyone in the kingdom thinks she’s dead, and of course the dragons. Also the world seemed really interesting and was described well.
The beginning of the quest also seemed interesting, but unfortunately, after that the storyline went a bit downhill.
The whole book takes place in about 10 days and there was way too much happening in those days (enemies to lovers, quest, finding a dragon, discovering powers etc) and everything happened way too fast. I personally would have preferred the pacing to be a bit slower, so there would have been more time to explain and explore things a bit better instead of running around and rushing through the whole story. Also, the timeline could have been a bit longer. Maybe this could have been separated into two books?
The FMC was quite naive, and I don’t think she really grew up or learned that much during the story. And again, the relationship development between the FMC and the MMC just felt rushed. They went from fully enemies to lovers in a few days.
There were some things I wish would have been explained more, and also explained earlier in the book. For example the whole reason why the FMC was “locked away” wasn’t clear to me at first. Also, the whole Scalekind thing would have, in my opinion, needed more explanation (why/how the FMC was Scalekind, what does it mean other than being able to communicate with dragons etc). Also at one point her blood was being drained and drunk without any explanation.
While I usually enjoy descriptive writing, there were some instances where things that weren’t really important for the story were described in too much detail. Also, at times I would have loved things to be shown instead of being said/told.
This book was really YA, and I’m sure a lot of younger readers will really enjoy this book, and I think I would have loved it as a child. The fact that it was YA didn’t affect my rating because I knew that before reading.
I always feel bad saying negative things about debut novels, but these are just my honest opinions. I don’t think this was a bad book by any means, and writing this is a huge accomplishment, but it could have maybe used a bit more work and editing. There were for example multiple paragraphs throughout the story that said exactly the same thing with slightly different wording.
Also, this book has been marketed as a mix between Fourth Wing, Powerless & Lightlark and/or Fourth Wing & Tangled, and I’m afraid that comparing this book to FW might unfortunately cause some problems, because then people are expecting the book to be more like FW and if/when it’s not, it might affect their opinions about the book and the ratings. That said, the comparison didn’t affect my experience with the book or my rating.
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
September 27, 2024
2 ⭐️ for me personally.
3 ⭐️ for the pre-teen // teenager I’d recommend this to as an intro the the genre.
The insta love was the absolute biggest ick. We had SUCH potential for an AMAZING enemies to lovers situation just for them to unrealistically fall madly in love in two seconds. Homeboy went from MOURNING (in all caps) his dead fiancé to head over heels for the FMC in a literal page.
2 ⭐️ for the first 25% of this book that had me sooo invested. It was giving 5 star vibes, but it went very downhill from there.
However, I will say, this is a debut novel so kudos to Logan for doing something many of us haven’t.
3 ⭐️ for the pre-teen // teenager I’d recommend this to as an intro the the genre.
The insta love was the absolute biggest ick. We had SUCH potential for an AMAZING enemies to lovers situation just for them to unrealistically fall madly in love in two seconds. Homeboy went from MOURNING (in all caps) his dead fiancé to head over heels for the FMC in a literal page.
2 ⭐️ for the first 25% of this book that had me sooo invested. It was giving 5 star vibes, but it went very downhill from there.
However, I will say, this is a debut novel so kudos to Logan for doing something many of us haven’t.
September 17, 2025
Update as of 9/17/25
I had to DNF at 50%. They fell in love out of nowhere. It didn’t feel very earned. The writing also reads like a first draft.
I want this author to succeed, I really do. So if she’s reading this… I beg of you. PLEASE hire a different editor. You need someone with a much more critical eye. Also, read more books and pay attention to how they format sentences. And how they deliver information. Subtext is your friend!
Original review 8/1/24
I’m currently on chapter five so I can’t speak of the plot or world development yet but I will say on a sentence-by-sentence level it needs a lot of work. This is not to say that the prose won’t get better in later chapters, but the beginning felt clunky and like a thesaurus was pulled out every other sentence. I wish the author had stuck to the language she was comfortable with instead of using words that don’t necessarily fit in the context they are used in. That being said, I think it needs a professional editor, someone who is willing to help rework paragraphs and sentences to improve flow and limit repeated/redundant words. I’m still excited to see where the plot goes and will update my review accordingly.
To sum it up: if you are ok with some unnatural sounding prose and care more about plot, then this book could be a great fit. But if you’re like me where prose quality is extremely important to maintain your attention, it may take a little more effort to get into the book.
I had to DNF at 50%. They fell in love out of nowhere. It didn’t feel very earned. The writing also reads like a first draft.
I want this author to succeed, I really do. So if she’s reading this… I beg of you. PLEASE hire a different editor. You need someone with a much more critical eye. Also, read more books and pay attention to how they format sentences. And how they deliver information. Subtext is your friend!
Original review 8/1/24
I’m currently on chapter five so I can’t speak of the plot or world development yet but I will say on a sentence-by-sentence level it needs a lot of work. This is not to say that the prose won’t get better in later chapters, but the beginning felt clunky and like a thesaurus was pulled out every other sentence. I wish the author had stuck to the language she was comfortable with instead of using words that don’t necessarily fit in the context they are used in. That being said, I think it needs a professional editor, someone who is willing to help rework paragraphs and sentences to improve flow and limit repeated/redundant words. I’m still excited to see where the plot goes and will update my review accordingly.
To sum it up: if you are ok with some unnatural sounding prose and care more about plot, then this book could be a great fit. But if you’re like me where prose quality is extremely important to maintain your attention, it may take a little more effort to get into the book.
July 9, 2024
ARC Review! Thank you, Logan for the early access to your beautiful work of art.
I have so many thoughts but not enough capability to make my typing express how this book made me feel. I went through every emotion you can imagine. Anger, hate, love, fear, sadness... I felt so much. I feel like I read this slower just so I could take in all the things that were happening at my own pace. I know for a fact that I stopped reading a few times just to give myself a moment to think about what the heck I just read.
Scalebound is a closed-door romance about a gold-blooded princess that wants to take back her own freedom by going on the quest of a lifetime. Aurelia is just... *chefs kiss*. Darian is so dreamy and "my queen".... SIR, calm down. The plot, conflict, and all the relationships were so well thought of... endless standing ovations for this book.
If there is one thing you gather from this entire review, please let it be: "READ THE DANG BOOK!"
I have so many thoughts but not enough capability to make my typing express how this book made me feel. I went through every emotion you can imagine. Anger, hate, love, fear, sadness... I felt so much. I feel like I read this slower just so I could take in all the things that were happening at my own pace. I know for a fact that I stopped reading a few times just to give myself a moment to think about what the heck I just read.
Scalebound is a closed-door romance about a gold-blooded princess that wants to take back her own freedom by going on the quest of a lifetime. Aurelia is just... *chefs kiss*. Darian is so dreamy and "my queen".... SIR, calm down. The plot, conflict, and all the relationships were so well thought of... endless standing ovations for this book.
If there is one thing you gather from this entire review, please let it be: "READ THE DANG BOOK!"
September 2, 2024
ARC Reader!! *Possible Spoilers*
This is such an amazing YA fun dragon story!! I wish I could have had this book 5 years ago. It has a romance underline, no spice. You can feel the connection of the characters together, and when you are so engaged you feel for the characters. I loved the few moments where it feels like a combination of Cinderella and Tangled/ Rapunzel. Over all good read and another amazing dragon story!
This is such an amazing YA fun dragon story!! I wish I could have had this book 5 years ago. It has a romance underline, no spice. You can feel the connection of the characters together, and when you are so engaged you feel for the characters. I loved the few moments where it feels like a combination of Cinderella and Tangled/ Rapunzel. Over all good read and another amazing dragon story!
July 8, 2024
4.25 ⭐️ First, let me start by saying that I appreciate a fantasy book with clean language and no spice. *a round of applause* This book has dragons, found family, and a good mix of character-driven and plot-driven pages. I will definitely recommend this for someone wanting a cozy yet adventurous fantasy book. Also, that plot twist?! lol- it definitely got me. Just when I thought I had it figured out, NOPE. This book literally had me reading for straight hours and I had no idea. Could not put it down.
Thank you to Logan Piercey (the lovely author) for this arc.
Thank you to Logan Piercey (the lovely author) for this arc.
July 16, 2024
Definitely reads more YA as our MC goes through a lot of coming of age stuff. It also read a bit slow but there was a lot of building that needed to be done. For a debut, I think the author did good and I could see room for improvement in writing and story development.
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