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Marvels and Magic #1
A Curse of Scales and Flame: A Magic and Marvels Novel
Damien Blackthorne
Dragons were dying. All over the world, a curse was taking us out one by one, and nobody knew how to stop it. I watched my mother burn, I watched my little brother fall sick. That's when Robby practically falls into my lap, with his big brown eyes and charming smile and his penchant for being hunted by vampires. After saving him twice from certain death, we soon come to realize that there's a reason he's being hunted.
And that reason may be the answer to all our problems, and the start to a whole new set of them.
Robby Diaz
I bounced off problems and tended to avoid any and all issues with a smile and a wave. So imagine my surprise when I'm heading to a magic shop in Malibu and I'm suddenly attacked by vampires and then saved by one of the most handsome men I'd ever seen. I thought I could float away from whatever mess I stumbled into, but this problem stuck—following me all the way home.
The vampires were after me, but they didn't want me dead . . . they wanted me alive. Why? And what did I have to do with this dragon-killing curse? And why was I falling for the fiery hot dragon who insists on saving me over and over again?
Contains mature themes.
Dragons were dying. All over the world, a curse was taking us out one by one, and nobody knew how to stop it. I watched my mother burn, I watched my little brother fall sick. That's when Robby practically falls into my lap, with his big brown eyes and charming smile and his penchant for being hunted by vampires. After saving him twice from certain death, we soon come to realize that there's a reason he's being hunted.
And that reason may be the answer to all our problems, and the start to a whole new set of them.
Robby Diaz
I bounced off problems and tended to avoid any and all issues with a smile and a wave. So imagine my surprise when I'm heading to a magic shop in Malibu and I'm suddenly attacked by vampires and then saved by one of the most handsome men I'd ever seen. I thought I could float away from whatever mess I stumbled into, but this problem stuck—following me all the way home.
The vampires were after me, but they didn't want me dead . . . they wanted me alive. Why? And what did I have to do with this dragon-killing curse? And why was I falling for the fiery hot dragon who insists on saving me over and over again?
Contains mature themes.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published November 10, 2023
555 people are currently reading
3873 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 242 reviews
April 26, 2025
**May be spoilers?? I'm not sure but cautioning just in case**
It literally breaks my heart to rate this. I really don't like rating books low, it hurts me and I'm a lover. I want to love on everything I read, and the Author looks like an absolute sweetie! But I need to be honest. This book was tough. I'll start a little silly goofy, then get into it with some cons and pros. These are all my opinions, and I FEEL REALLY BAD.
Reasons I wanted to DNF:
-The use of the word "pube" twice. That is twice too many times.
-Mc wore KHAKI SHORTS to a party that was pretty much going to be a hot sexy dragon orgy? tf? 🐉🩳
-TO MAKE THAT POINT WORSE, 3 TIMES KHAKI PANTS MAKE AN APPEARANCE. ON 3 DIFFERENT CHARACTERS. DOES THIS WORLD ONLY EXIST OF KHAKI PANTS? My sleep paralysis demon gonna look like khaki pants at this rate. 🩳
-The use of the whole "it had been 3 weeks now"/time skipping literally destroyed all chances of building these MC's relationship.
-Sentences SO GENERIC that I was eye rolling like "we've got company" 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
-Spicy scene ending with a weird inessential line about seagulls squarking and looking at naked men or something, I forgot to note it exactly but I was like 0_0 um okay.... when I read that.
-I swear one MC's hair color changed half way through. or again, maybe I just misread that.
-Vampires who can go in the sun, this is new? or I've just never read a book with sun vampires before?? I don't read vampire books to be honest. So I wouldn't know.
I am no critic. I am not good at my own words, hence why I don't write books lol so bare with me.
The book reads like a VERY simple YA, there is no depth to the language used which can be nice when you want a nice calm read but this felt too simple?
Especially when it's set in a modern world that has dragons and fae and etc., I feel like it should have been invoking a head cinema but it didn't create much at all.
The simple language also made the spice feel kinda odd? Because it was very YA, and then they were smashing. So it was a strange juxtaposition for me. Spice was aiight though, it was pretty mild in comparison to the spicy trash I read, but it may be a lot for others. (There was consent discussion too, for all ya'll who need that clarified)
The side characters were good enough, but didn't feel flushed out enough to care about them. Claire was about the only side character who got some proper depth. She was fun and pretty bad ass over all.
The Mc's.... just hot men just being kinda boring and hot? One of them is the broody protective dragon. The other a man shoved into a world where he's being hunted for unknown reasons who cries too much and flicks between being all sunshine and rainbows one second to being hell traumatized and crying the next..
and their relationship, wasn't quite insta-love... but it was pretty damn close to it but at least with insta-love there's normally some kind of bizarre INSTANT connection.... With these Mc's, it felt rushed and forced and they had no chemistry except thinking the other person was hot in the beginning??? They barely even spoke to each other, and NEK MINNIT... They fooling around, talking like they known each other months. tf?
And then the authors use of "And then it was 2 weeks later" really killed all the chances to create the relationship.. There is a part where its says something like... "we acted like boyfriends, with the way he'd cuddle me into the night and how I'd learned to brew the coffee he loved, making sure it was by his bedside" THIS LINE COULD HAVE BEEN CUTE IF YOU HAD WRITTEN ANY OF THESE KIND OF CUTE MOMENTS AND FEELINGS INTO THE ACTUAL BOOK TF??? But there was nothing. This sentence felt off.
There is also (what I assume) an error in the book??
Maybe I'm dumb... I was waiting for a mic drop "wait you knew who I was the whole time?" moment... Because the MC's made a fuss about pretending to be someone else to get into this party, and introduce themselves as the cover up name.... But then they meet a cool drag queen person, and the drag queen uses the MC's real name???? (TBH By this point, I was starting to skip a few sentences here and there so maybe that was explained and I missed it but I did go back and tried to see where/if I missed it and I couldn't find it)
I feel like there's a tonne more feelings I have but this review is already too long.
Things I liked:
The idea of the world WAS SO COOL, like the whole dragons/fae integrated into society thing.
Claire was cool.
Spice was aiight.
Damien gave hot man vibes.
Attempted descriptions of places and surroundings so you could get some idea of the scene.
I finished it quickly so good if you don't wanna read a mammoth read.
THE SNAKE WAY. That was the coolest thing in this book actually I just remembered.
AND THE COVER OMG. An absolute powerhouse of talent that artist is.
I feel like a horrible person. All opinions my own. BUT IM SORRY PLEZ DONT HATE ME.
Added: 13/2/2024
***my dislike for this book is the reason I have no fear to post the absolute trash that comes out of my mouth and into my reviews these days and I’m so grateful to have my GR friends on here understand me and my humour even though I’m a tad crass, but I’m thankful you’re all here. I met my book besties thanks to this book, so some good did some out of the time I wasted reading it 💅🏼*** I was being nice even in this review as I was still finding my feet in how I wanted to set my reviews. Now I just try to be my unhinged self 💅🏼***
It literally breaks my heart to rate this. I really don't like rating books low, it hurts me and I'm a lover. I want to love on everything I read, and the Author looks like an absolute sweetie! But I need to be honest. This book was tough. I'll start a little silly goofy, then get into it with some cons and pros. These are all my opinions, and I FEEL REALLY BAD.
Reasons I wanted to DNF:
-The use of the word "pube" twice. That is twice too many times.
-Mc wore KHAKI SHORTS to a party that was pretty much going to be a hot sexy dragon orgy? tf? 🐉🩳
-TO MAKE THAT POINT WORSE, 3 TIMES KHAKI PANTS MAKE AN APPEARANCE. ON 3 DIFFERENT CHARACTERS. DOES THIS WORLD ONLY EXIST OF KHAKI PANTS? My sleep paralysis demon gonna look like khaki pants at this rate. 🩳
-The use of the whole "it had been 3 weeks now"/time skipping literally destroyed all chances of building these MC's relationship.
-Sentences SO GENERIC that I was eye rolling like "we've got company" 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
-Spicy scene ending with a weird inessential line about seagulls squarking and looking at naked men or something, I forgot to note it exactly but I was like 0_0 um okay.... when I read that.
-I swear one MC's hair color changed half way through. or again, maybe I just misread that.
-Vampires who can go in the sun, this is new? or I've just never read a book with sun vampires before?? I don't read vampire books to be honest. So I wouldn't know.
I am no critic. I am not good at my own words, hence why I don't write books lol so bare with me.
The book reads like a VERY simple YA, there is no depth to the language used which can be nice when you want a nice calm read but this felt too simple?
Especially when it's set in a modern world that has dragons and fae and etc., I feel like it should have been invoking a head cinema but it didn't create much at all.
The simple language also made the spice feel kinda odd? Because it was very YA, and then they were smashing. So it was a strange juxtaposition for me. Spice was aiight though, it was pretty mild in comparison to the spicy trash I read, but it may be a lot for others. (There was consent discussion too, for all ya'll who need that clarified)
The side characters were good enough, but didn't feel flushed out enough to care about them. Claire was about the only side character who got some proper depth. She was fun and pretty bad ass over all.
The Mc's.... just hot men just being kinda boring and hot? One of them is the broody protective dragon. The other a man shoved into a world where he's being hunted for unknown reasons who cries too much and flicks between being all sunshine and rainbows one second to being hell traumatized and crying the next..
and their relationship, wasn't quite insta-love... but it was pretty damn close to it but at least with insta-love there's normally some kind of bizarre INSTANT connection.... With these Mc's, it felt rushed and forced and they had no chemistry except thinking the other person was hot in the beginning??? They barely even spoke to each other, and NEK MINNIT... They fooling around, talking like they known each other months. tf?
And then the authors use of "And then it was 2 weeks later" really killed all the chances to create the relationship.. There is a part where its says something like... "we acted like boyfriends, with the way he'd cuddle me into the night and how I'd learned to brew the coffee he loved, making sure it was by his bedside" THIS LINE COULD HAVE BEEN CUTE IF YOU HAD WRITTEN ANY OF THESE KIND OF CUTE MOMENTS AND FEELINGS INTO THE ACTUAL BOOK TF??? But there was nothing. This sentence felt off.
There is also (what I assume) an error in the book??
Maybe I'm dumb... I was waiting for a mic drop "wait you knew who I was the whole time?" moment... Because the MC's made a fuss about pretending to be someone else to get into this party, and introduce themselves as the cover up name.... But then they meet a cool drag queen person, and the drag queen uses the MC's real name???? (TBH By this point, I was starting to skip a few sentences here and there so maybe that was explained and I missed it but I did go back and tried to see where/if I missed it and I couldn't find it)
I feel like there's a tonne more feelings I have but this review is already too long.
Things I liked:
The idea of the world WAS SO COOL, like the whole dragons/fae integrated into society thing.
Claire was cool.
Spice was aiight.
Damien gave hot man vibes.
Attempted descriptions of places and surroundings so you could get some idea of the scene.
I finished it quickly so good if you don't wanna read a mammoth read.
THE SNAKE WAY. That was the coolest thing in this book actually I just remembered.
AND THE COVER OMG. An absolute powerhouse of talent that artist is.
I feel like a horrible person. All opinions my own. BUT IM SORRY PLEZ DONT HATE ME.
Added: 13/2/2024
***my dislike for this book is the reason I have no fear to post the absolute trash that comes out of my mouth and into my reviews these days and I’m so grateful to have my GR friends on here understand me and my humour even though I’m a tad crass, but I’m thankful you’re all here. I met my book besties thanks to this book, so some good did some out of the time I wasted reading it 💅🏼*** I was being nice even in this review as I was still finding my feet in how I wanted to set my reviews. Now I just try to be my unhinged self 💅🏼***
Read
April 17, 2024#HateRead #AmIMean #NoOneCaresAboutTheseSpoilers
Thank you Chelsea for this rec, I enjoyed it a lot at first but then I gave it another chance and it turned out to be actually bad that it took me three days to reach 48% therefore #DNF.
Plot/Quote time: it started quite good, we have dragons, curses, twins in a prophecy, one of them dies and the curse begins, great world building and backstory….but I couldn’t continue, here are some of the reasons:
1. the very bad puns? like: “I know it like the back of my wings”…“don’t hold your ice” instead of breath, because he’s an ice dragon🙄…..“and you came back empty-taloned”…“who was I to look a gift centaur in the mouth”
2. the awfully bad dirty talk, BRO YOU’RE ROYALTY, DO BETTER THAN “fuck yeah baby, swallow it all. like having my thick cock in your mouth? want it? want me to come for you baby?” 🤮🤮🤮
3. usually I love books with prophecies but for some reason I didn’t like this one! also, the word ‘maybe’ is never supposed to be a part of the freaking prophecy guys! learn your magic folklore history, come on.
Thank you Chelsea for this rec, I enjoyed it a lot at first but then I gave it another chance and it turned out to be actually bad that it took me three days to reach 48% therefore #DNF.
Plot/Quote time: it started quite good, we have dragons, curses, twins in a prophecy, one of them dies and the curse begins, great world building and backstory….but I couldn’t continue, here are some of the reasons:
1. the very bad puns? like: “I know it like the back of my wings”…“don’t hold your ice” instead of breath, because he’s an ice dragon🙄…..“and you came back empty-taloned”…“who was I to look a gift centaur in the mouth”
2. the awfully bad dirty talk, BRO YOU’RE ROYALTY, DO BETTER THAN “fuck yeah baby, swallow it all. like having my thick cock in your mouth? want it? want me to come for you baby?” 🤮🤮🤮
3. usually I love books with prophecies but for some reason I didn’t like this one! also, the word ‘maybe’ is never supposed to be a part of the freaking prophecy guys! learn your magic folklore history, come on.
November 17, 2023
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
“I will sooner burn down the world for you than live in it without you, Robby.”
This book was pretty much just as entertaining as people are saying. I had a lot of fun reading it, and would definitely recommend others read it too. I know I’ve seen other people comment on the same thing as well, but for a fantasy book, the world-building was refreshing and easy to grasp. That doesn’t mean it’s simple or boring, but the author hasn’t made it unnecessarily complicated, which I really appreciate. The world just intrigued me instead of having me scratch my head trying to figure out how it all works. It’s pleasantly original, with fun and sweet main character. The side characters were lovely and added to the story as well.
That’s when the biggest and most notorious of all cockblocks struck: little siblings.
Also, there’s no getting around the fact that dragons are just fucking awesome. Hot dragon shifters? Pfft, I’ll eat it the hell up. Pair the sweetheart badass dragon with a snarky sweetheart human, and I’m a goner. I was also quite near the end and thought I was finally getting through an entire book without shedding a tear, but I was so very wrong. My romance-reading self would’ve liked to see a bit more of the ‘romancing’ as it were, as a lot of the intimacy and connection-making was glossed over or skipped with time jumps, but overall I thought the author found a really good balance between the fantasy, the action and the love story. Cute, hot and entertaining book.
Robby was someone I wanted with me for the long haul, and I quietly vowed in that moment that I’d make sure we’d make it there together. That we’d grow old and look back on it all with a smile and a laugh, sealing it with a kiss.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Urban fantasy
Dragon shifter
Mystery solving
Dragon-riding
Size difference
Multiple orgasms
Trauma
Forced proximity
Shifter/human
Paranormal (fae, vampires, basilisk, etc)
Curse-breaking
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Death of a parent (on page)
Illness
Mentions of death of a family member
(past, off page)
Graphic violence
Injuries
Mass murder (off page, some details)
Severely injured MC
On page killing
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Urban fantasy/romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MCs age: 26 and 30
I swallowed down a thick lump of fear. Or was that lunch?
“So?” He crossed his arms against his chest. “How’d you like your first time on dragon-back?” “Well, it’s not as good as the time I rode a bear.” “A what… oh.” He must have picked up on my joke, and if he didn’t then he certainly picked up on the childish giggles I tried to swallow down.
I was the kind of guy who only had the brain-width to handle one or two tasks a day, and that included sending emails.
Big same.
“I will sooner burn down the world for you than live in it without you, Robby.”
This book was pretty much just as entertaining as people are saying. I had a lot of fun reading it, and would definitely recommend others read it too. I know I’ve seen other people comment on the same thing as well, but for a fantasy book, the world-building was refreshing and easy to grasp. That doesn’t mean it’s simple or boring, but the author hasn’t made it unnecessarily complicated, which I really appreciate. The world just intrigued me instead of having me scratch my head trying to figure out how it all works. It’s pleasantly original, with fun and sweet main character. The side characters were lovely and added to the story as well.
That’s when the biggest and most notorious of all cockblocks struck: little siblings.
Also, there’s no getting around the fact that dragons are just fucking awesome. Hot dragon shifters? Pfft, I’ll eat it the hell up. Pair the sweetheart badass dragon with a snarky sweetheart human, and I’m a goner. I was also quite near the end and thought I was finally getting through an entire book without shedding a tear, but I was so very wrong. My romance-reading self would’ve liked to see a bit more of the ‘romancing’ as it were, as a lot of the intimacy and connection-making was glossed over or skipped with time jumps, but overall I thought the author found a really good balance between the fantasy, the action and the love story. Cute, hot and entertaining book.
Robby was someone I wanted with me for the long haul, and I quietly vowed in that moment that I’d make sure we’d make it there together. That we’d grow old and look back on it all with a smile and a laugh, sealing it with a kiss.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Urban fantasy
Dragon shifter
Mystery solving
Dragon-riding
Size difference
Multiple orgasms
Trauma
Forced proximity
Shifter/human
Paranormal (fae, vampires, basilisk, etc)
Curse-breaking
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Death of a parent (on page)
Illness
Mentions of death of a family member
(past, off page)
Graphic violence
Injuries
Mass murder (off page, some details)
Severely injured MC
On page killing
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Urban fantasy/romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MCs age: 26 and 30
I swallowed down a thick lump of fear. Or was that lunch?
“So?” He crossed his arms against his chest. “How’d you like your first time on dragon-back?” “Well, it’s not as good as the time I rode a bear.” “A what… oh.” He must have picked up on my joke, and if he didn’t then he certainly picked up on the childish giggles I tried to swallow down.
I was the kind of guy who only had the brain-width to handle one or two tasks a day, and that included sending emails.
Big same.
April 18, 2024
I feel terrible because I really wanted to like this book, the premise looks interesting and the author seemed super excited when promoting his book. And yet, and yet! It was not good.
It was just weird? There were many plot holes, character inconsistencies and so many cringe moments, plus, some very very weird time jumps.
It was just weird? There were many plot holes, character inconsistencies and so many cringe moments, plus, some very very weird time jumps.
February 2, 2024
“𝑨𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒘𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔, 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅.”
I’m notorious for rating any book I enjoyed 5 stars, so regardless of any tiny quirks others may find, it’s getting 5 stars. I had a great time reading this! I can understand how some readers were disappointed that it wasn’t more “high fantasy” because the title fits in with those level of fantasy books, but personally I find it very refreshing to read a fantasy book that isn’t so high stakes and complex! I’m an absolute sucker for MM reads, so add in some dragons and vampires and basilisks in a not overly complicated setting? Perfect for me.
I loved Damien and Robby endlessly. The spice wasn’t overdone, and there was buildup to it versus just immediately smashing lol. Damien is a broody, hot dragon shifter who cares immensely for both Robby and his family members. I loved the character growth of Robby throughout and the way he gained so much more confidence thanks to the Blackthorne family and his training. There was some world building here and there but it was never complicated and your brain didn’t hurt trying to make sure everything made sense in your head 😂 I throughly enjoyed the book and I’m happy so see that almost everyone else has too this far ❤️ Thank you Max for giving me this ARC opportunity! Can’t wait to hopefully read more after the ending!
Another favorite quote: “𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒐𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑹𝒐𝒃𝒃𝒚.”
I’m notorious for rating any book I enjoyed 5 stars, so regardless of any tiny quirks others may find, it’s getting 5 stars. I had a great time reading this! I can understand how some readers were disappointed that it wasn’t more “high fantasy” because the title fits in with those level of fantasy books, but personally I find it very refreshing to read a fantasy book that isn’t so high stakes and complex! I’m an absolute sucker for MM reads, so add in some dragons and vampires and basilisks in a not overly complicated setting? Perfect for me.
I loved Damien and Robby endlessly. The spice wasn’t overdone, and there was buildup to it versus just immediately smashing lol. Damien is a broody, hot dragon shifter who cares immensely for both Robby and his family members. I loved the character growth of Robby throughout and the way he gained so much more confidence thanks to the Blackthorne family and his training. There was some world building here and there but it was never complicated and your brain didn’t hurt trying to make sure everything made sense in your head 😂 I throughly enjoyed the book and I’m happy so see that almost everyone else has too this far ❤️ Thank you Max for giving me this ARC opportunity! Can’t wait to hopefully read more after the ending!
Another favorite quote: “𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒐𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑹𝒐𝒃𝒃𝒚.”
May 9, 2025
Спекотне Малібу, магічний реалізм, дракони і загадкове смертельне прокляття…Або книга, з якою в нас геть зовсім не склалось.
Весь час було відчуття наче я з голоду вирішила пожувати жувальну гумку😅
В книги дуже цікавий світоустрій, чарівні елементи органічно вплетені в будову і викликали посмішку. Але сюжет…. відчуття наче над ним не сильно старались. Персонажі поверхневі і картонні, мотивація деяких викликає багато питань🥲
При чому у книзі були хороші моменти, але їх так мало і во��и такі неочікувані, що складається враження наче вони тут випадково опинились.
Весь час було відчуття наче я з голоду вирішила пожувати жувальну гумку😅
В книги дуже цікавий світоустрій, чарівні елементи органічно вплетені в будову і викликали посмішку. Але сюжет…. відчуття наче над ним не сильно старались. Персонажі поверхневі і картонні, мотивація деяких викликає багато питань🥲
При чому у книзі були хороші моменти, але їх так мало і во��и такі неочікувані, що складається враження наче вони тут випадково опинились.
October 10, 2024
2.5
We find ourselves at LA but in a different universe where humanity is sharing their planet with mythologic beings since sometimes in the 19th century tears appeared and made way for those beings who didn't remember where they came from. So society took a different road and humanity had to integrate the new residents. Now it seems an important part of society is on the brink of extinction and it becomes quickly clear that it's no virus but a curse that decimates dragon-kind. In that situation Damien, a fire dragon, saves the mundane human Robbie repeatedly from vampire attacks, both of them not knowing yet that Robbie is linked to that curse.
Could have been a nice tale; love, adventure, a new but similar world to explore, magic and mayhem, escape with a lot of feels … but it wasn't. Oh, the author had a lot of nice ideas like a basilisk for public transportation, a vampire matriarch elected by parasites, dragon shifter who even in their human form still wear some few scales to identify their type of dragon or historic war against the vampires as some kind of WWII replacement. He throws them into the story like sparkling orbs but they don't sum up to a thought-out world building. Same applies to the story itself e.g. we get a chapter 'Daddy Issues' showing a short scene of the tension between Damien's father and his children but nothing comes out of it; it's a dead-end like the scene with Robbie's parents who were introduced up until the end of that scene as greatly important for him but afterwards only mentioned again one time. Emotional scenes were thwarted by dad jokes or the guys were easily distracted by lust or their budding romance. The author quite often told about the emotion of a scene but even in those moments he managed to create that emotion he killed it again by distracting. After that do I have to nag about odd logic or character inconsistencies? I tried my best because that story should have been right up my alley and it has some good parts and pretty ideas but as a whole it didn't work.
We find ourselves at LA but in a different universe where humanity is sharing their planet with mythologic beings since sometimes in the 19th century tears appeared and made way for those beings who didn't remember where they came from. So society took a different road and humanity had to integrate the new residents. Now it seems an important part of society is on the brink of extinction and it becomes quickly clear that it's no virus but a curse that decimates dragon-kind. In that situation Damien, a fire dragon, saves the mundane human Robbie repeatedly from vampire attacks, both of them not knowing yet that Robbie is linked to that curse.
Could have been a nice tale; love, adventure, a new but similar world to explore, magic and mayhem, escape with a lot of feels … but it wasn't. Oh, the author had a lot of nice ideas like a basilisk for public transportation, a vampire matriarch elected by parasites, dragon shifter who even in their human form still wear some few scales to identify their type of dragon or historic war against the vampires as some kind of WWII replacement. He throws them into the story like sparkling orbs but they don't sum up to a thought-out world building. Same applies to the story itself e.g. we get a chapter 'Daddy Issues' showing a short scene of the tension between Damien's father and his children but nothing comes out of it; it's a dead-end like the scene with Robbie's parents who were introduced up until the end of that scene as greatly important for him but afterwards only mentioned again one time. Emotional scenes were thwarted by dad jokes or the guys were easily distracted by lust or their budding romance. The author quite often told about the emotion of a scene but even in those moments he managed to create that emotion he killed it again by distracting. After that do I have to nag about odd logic or character inconsistencies? I tried my best because that story should have been right up my alley and it has some good parts and pretty ideas but as a whole it didn't work.
November 9, 2023
A fun, steamy dive into urban fantasy, this novel has a mysterious curse, a deadly prophecy, queer normativity, and a whole gaggle of fantasy creatures!
Filled with dragons, fae, vampires, humans, witches and more, this world is interesting and different from any other fantasy I’ve read. I loved learning a little about this history, the politics and factions, and how they all coexist.
But onto the main plot - dragon shifters are cursed and dying. Damien and his siblings are on the hunt for a cure when it hits their family. Working with the local, charming and totally badass Marvel Claire leads to a run in with the cute totally normal if not pretty down on his luck human Robby. Curiously, he’s also being followed by murderous vampires, but is saved by the hot dragon who wants to keep him safe, locked in his castle. With their fates now intertwined, there’s no giving up the fire between them but will it cost them the entire dragon race? Or will they figure out how to stop the curse in time to save not only all dragons but Damien’s totally adorable youngest brother?
This was a fast paced read with a lot of high stakes adventures, gruesome deaths, steamy moments, and a fun family who i want more of.
I received an ARC from Max in exchange for an honest review. Since receiving my ARC he’s added two new chapters to help the time jump issue as well as the main relationship development. While I enjoyed the two main characters, I did feel cheated in a lot of moments where Robby or Damien described what had happened in the weeks between chapters and I would’ve loved to experience those moments with them instead. So I hope these new chapters bridge that gap!
Actual rating: 3.75⭐️
Filled with dragons, fae, vampires, humans, witches and more, this world is interesting and different from any other fantasy I’ve read. I loved learning a little about this history, the politics and factions, and how they all coexist.
But onto the main plot - dragon shifters are cursed and dying. Damien and his siblings are on the hunt for a cure when it hits their family. Working with the local, charming and totally badass Marvel Claire leads to a run in with the cute totally normal if not pretty down on his luck human Robby. Curiously, he’s also being followed by murderous vampires, but is saved by the hot dragon who wants to keep him safe, locked in his castle. With their fates now intertwined, there’s no giving up the fire between them but will it cost them the entire dragon race? Or will they figure out how to stop the curse in time to save not only all dragons but Damien’s totally adorable youngest brother?
This was a fast paced read with a lot of high stakes adventures, gruesome deaths, steamy moments, and a fun family who i want more of.
I received an ARC from Max in exchange for an honest review. Since receiving my ARC he’s added two new chapters to help the time jump issue as well as the main relationship development. While I enjoyed the two main characters, I did feel cheated in a lot of moments where Robby or Damien described what had happened in the weeks between chapters and I would’ve loved to experience those moments with them instead. So I hope these new chapters bridge that gap!
Actual rating: 3.75⭐️
November 22, 2023
Wildly fun - original urban MM Romantasy set in LA with a curse, dragons, banter, and HEAT! Max can really bring it! ★★★★✬ 4.5/5
A mysterious curse is killing dragon families, Damien is trying to determine the cause and find a cure. He meets Robby, just a normal human until he’s attacked by vampires and Damon saves him. But why him?
Max’s writes in such an enjoyably fast passed way, with high stakes, without making it needlessly complicated high fantasy or full of angst. Very imaginative and original.
And please - hot dragon shifters? I ate this up and can’t wait for the next book!
Thank you to the author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
A mysterious curse is killing dragon families, Damien is trying to determine the cause and find a cure. He meets Robby, just a normal human until he’s attacked by vampires and Damon saves him. But why him?
Max’s writes in such an enjoyably fast passed way, with high stakes, without making it needlessly complicated high fantasy or full of angst. Very imaginative and original.
And please - hot dragon shifters? I ate this up and can’t wait for the next book!
Thank you to the author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 19, 2024
5 out of 5 stars 🌟
You know what time it is! That's right! All vibes, no brains! Flailing! Screaming! Shouting! Because this book is fang-flippin-tastic! (Fang is not a typo because vampires!)
I can admit to struggling with fantasy books. Often, I find myself lost because of big world building, intense lore, funky ass names, and having to flip back and forth to the map because WHERE THE F*CK DID THEY GO NOW?
Not with this fantasy book.
This is an urban fantasy, set in a modern-day L.A. (EEEE CALIFORNIA, MY HOME STATE). There's shifters, vampires, magic, mfing dragons, and more! The world is easy to understand and isn't over explained or overwhelming. The lore is there but isn't so intense that my brain spins out. Instead, the facts of the world are simply stated, and you're able to continue with the actual PLOT.
But don't ask me about the plot. Because this is a vibes review. We don't plot here. We don't know her.
Vibes? Immaculate.
Action? Spot on.
World building? Big but brain don't hurt.
Gayness? So f*cking gay.
Sexing? So sexed.
Character development? F!ght me. I love them. All of them.
Damien is a serious bb dragon. Robby is a not as serious bb human, maybe some smol himbo vibes, with a great butt. They find each other under some pretty crappy circumstances. Some sh!t is sad. Okay. Like right from the start. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. And PLOT HAPPENS.
I would d!e for Robby. I would d!e for Robby's dad to make me pancakes. I would also d!e for Bambi.
Max, if you hit me with a "Good boy" one more time............ I'll continue to give you all my money. 🥵 LAWD.
Anyway. That is all.
You know what time it is! That's right! All vibes, no brains! Flailing! Screaming! Shouting! Because this book is fang-flippin-tastic! (Fang is not a typo because vampires!)
I can admit to struggling with fantasy books. Often, I find myself lost because of big world building, intense lore, funky ass names, and having to flip back and forth to the map because WHERE THE F*CK DID THEY GO NOW?
Not with this fantasy book.
This is an urban fantasy, set in a modern-day L.A. (EEEE CALIFORNIA, MY HOME STATE). There's shifters, vampires, magic, mfing dragons, and more! The world is easy to understand and isn't over explained or overwhelming. The lore is there but isn't so intense that my brain spins out. Instead, the facts of the world are simply stated, and you're able to continue with the actual PLOT.
But don't ask me about the plot. Because this is a vibes review. We don't plot here. We don't know her.
Vibes? Immaculate.
Action? Spot on.
World building? Big but brain don't hurt.
Gayness? So f*cking gay.
Sexing? So sexed.
Character development? F!ght me. I love them. All of them.
Damien is a serious bb dragon. Robby is a not as serious bb human, maybe some smol himbo vibes, with a great butt. They find each other under some pretty crappy circumstances. Some sh!t is sad. Okay. Like right from the start. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. And PLOT HAPPENS.
I would d!e for Robby. I would d!e for Robby's dad to make me pancakes. I would also d!e for Bambi.
Max, if you hit me with a "Good boy" one more time............ I'll continue to give you all my money. 🥵 LAWD.
Anyway. That is all.
November 14, 2023
the setting that was created with the various human and supernatural species is amazing: I love dragons, farle, vampires. Unfortunately, while reading, various imperfections stand out which ruin the story a bit.
the MCs have no depth and inconsistencies and the fact that there are too many time jumps (ie after 2/3 weeks) does not help to understand the building of their relationship or the ramifications of the story. some relationships seem to be created out of nothing, strong friendships born within… how many days? how many weeks? It is not clear, you find many plot holes.
in general also the side characters are not well developed, sometimes they appear out of nowhere and make little sense to the story (the father, the drag queen).
and then perhaps I read it wrong and didn't pay attention but it seems to me that the physical description of the MCs changes throughout the book (the color of their eyes and hair)
Having said this, I would have preferred the book to have been longer but with more developed parts to give added value to an intriguing and captivating story and a lot less YA vibes.
the MCs have no depth and inconsistencies and the fact that there are too many time jumps (ie after 2/3 weeks) does not help to understand the building of their relationship or the ramifications of the story. some relationships seem to be created out of nothing, strong friendships born within… how many days? how many weeks? It is not clear, you find many plot holes.
in general also the side characters are not well developed, sometimes they appear out of nowhere and make little sense to the story (the father, the drag queen).
and then perhaps I read it wrong and didn't pay attention but it seems to me that the physical description of the MCs changes throughout the book (the color of their eyes and hair)
Having said this, I would have preferred the book to have been longer but with more developed parts to give added value to an intriguing and captivating story and a lot less YA vibes.
October 30, 2023
Oh wow, this book was SO MUCH FUN! I'm a big fantasy romance fan, and as many of y'all know, I've been super into MM romance recently... how have I not read fantasy MM before now?! In any case, A Curse of Scales and Flame combines two of my favorite subgenres in a WILD ride that was fast-paced and funny, steamy and sweet. HIGHLY recommend this one!
In a fantasy version of modern Los Angeles, dragon shifters are dying from a mysterious curse. Damien Blackthorne, a fire dragon shifter, is desperately searching for a cure as the curse takes hold in his family, killing his mother and sickening his brother. While hunting down a lead at his friend's magic shop, Damien ends up running into Robby, a human who he immediately feels an intense connection to. Though he doesn't know why, Robby is being hunted by vampires, and Damien ends up saving his life twice before inviting him to stay with his family to protect him. As they spend more time together, they cannot deny their attraction to each other - but it's also revealed that Robby might be a part of a prophecy about the dragon curse. Can Damien save his family while also protecting Robby?
OMG y'all, not only is this awesome urban fantasy, but it's also really funny and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The world building was easy to follow (a must for me these days) and while the stakes might be high, the story didn't get bogged down in angst. It reminded me a ton of Zodiac Academy (but without all the bullying and insanity). I LOVED Robby and was highlighting all sorts of ridiculous things he said. And omg, I'm all about a protective dragon shifter, Damien was EVERYTHING. They are such a sweet couple and clearly soulmates from the moment they meet. The spice is hot too - although boo on Maddox for interrupting them not once but twice... And that ending?! OMG, I cannot wait for the next one, this series is going to be AMAZING!
I'm SO THRILLED I got this one as an ARC, I had an absolute blast speeding through this with my fellow hype girl Linds as a super fun buddy read. Fantasy-loving friends? You've gotta pick this one up, it is such a blast! A Curse of Scale and Flame is out on November 10, preorder it RIGHT NOW!
In a fantasy version of modern Los Angeles, dragon shifters are dying from a mysterious curse. Damien Blackthorne, a fire dragon shifter, is desperately searching for a cure as the curse takes hold in his family, killing his mother and sickening his brother. While hunting down a lead at his friend's magic shop, Damien ends up running into Robby, a human who he immediately feels an intense connection to. Though he doesn't know why, Robby is being hunted by vampires, and Damien ends up saving his life twice before inviting him to stay with his family to protect him. As they spend more time together, they cannot deny their attraction to each other - but it's also revealed that Robby might be a part of a prophecy about the dragon curse. Can Damien save his family while also protecting Robby?
OMG y'all, not only is this awesome urban fantasy, but it's also really funny and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The world building was easy to follow (a must for me these days) and while the stakes might be high, the story didn't get bogged down in angst. It reminded me a ton of Zodiac Academy (but without all the bullying and insanity). I LOVED Robby and was highlighting all sorts of ridiculous things he said. And omg, I'm all about a protective dragon shifter, Damien was EVERYTHING. They are such a sweet couple and clearly soulmates from the moment they meet. The spice is hot too - although boo on Maddox for interrupting them not once but twice... And that ending?! OMG, I cannot wait for the next one, this series is going to be AMAZING!
I'm SO THRILLED I got this one as an ARC, I had an absolute blast speeding through this with my fellow hype girl Linds as a super fun buddy read. Fantasy-loving friends? You've gotta pick this one up, it is such a blast! A Curse of Scale and Flame is out on November 10, preorder it RIGHT NOW!
November 15, 2023
I love Max Walker’s books. He brings beautiful, sexy and sensitive men to life. When I heard that he would be writing an Urban Romance with Dragons, I NEEDED to read it! And when I say needed, I mean with every atom of my being!!!!
A Curse of Scales & Flame is giving us magic, mythical creatures, a mysterious curse, and some incredibly HAWWWWWT spicy smut! Give me dragon shifters ANY DAY!!!
We come into the book immediately with Damian’s mother dying from a mysterious illness that is only killing dragons… one person at a time. He’s been searching for a cure with no luck and now, time has run out.
The first mystery is why is it only killing one singular dragon at a time. No natural sickness would attack that way. So how can you cure what you don’t understand.
When we meet Robby, he’s on the run from a group of vampires who are on a hunt. One human man can’t fight back three undead creatures, but he stumbles into the right place at the right time, being saved by Damian and his family.
While it isn’t love at first sight, there is zero angst between the men, which I kind of really loved. I need that from time to time in my romance. While the book itself is a race against time, trying to get answers where needed, the lust is undeniable and immediate. Which, in turn, leads to some really spicy scenes.
I don’t read enough Urban Romance, so when I do, they are always really special. This book takes place in an alternate version of Los Angeles, filled with an interesting magical system, and sexy characters. I can see what Max Walker is trying to create and I’m here for it!!!
I can’t wait for the next book.
A Curse of Scales & Flame is giving us magic, mythical creatures, a mysterious curse, and some incredibly HAWWWWWT spicy smut! Give me dragon shifters ANY DAY!!!
We come into the book immediately with Damian’s mother dying from a mysterious illness that is only killing dragons… one person at a time. He’s been searching for a cure with no luck and now, time has run out.
The first mystery is why is it only killing one singular dragon at a time. No natural sickness would attack that way. So how can you cure what you don’t understand.
When we meet Robby, he’s on the run from a group of vampires who are on a hunt. One human man can’t fight back three undead creatures, but he stumbles into the right place at the right time, being saved by Damian and his family.
While it isn’t love at first sight, there is zero angst between the men, which I kind of really loved. I need that from time to time in my romance. While the book itself is a race against time, trying to get answers where needed, the lust is undeniable and immediate. Which, in turn, leads to some really spicy scenes.
I don’t read enough Urban Romance, so when I do, they are always really special. This book takes place in an alternate version of Los Angeles, filled with an interesting magical system, and sexy characters. I can see what Max Walker is trying to create and I’m here for it!!!
I can’t wait for the next book.
November 7, 2023
What a wild (dragon) ride this book was! Dragons, marvels, shifters, fae, vampires and many other magical creatures, all roaming a modern day Earth. A mysterious curse, a group of queer folks trying to stop dragons from falling, an old vampires/dragons conflict gaining momentum, spice, love, death, grief, found family!! Also, look at that gorgeous cover.
What else could you want from a queer fantasy book? Uhm?! I think it's safe to say that I loved it.
Set in California, A Case of Scales and Flame, the first installment in the Magic and Marvels series, follows Damien and Robby on their crazy mission to stop an agressive and mysterious plague that's killing all dragons. Although they're complete strangers when they first meet, these two quickly develop a strong relationship that is bursting with mutual attraction.
The author managed to build such an amazing world in just a little over 300 pages, the writing is beautiful and descriptive, placing you right in the middle of everything, the vivid imagery being one of my favourite things. The pacing is perfect, in true Max Walker fashion, I was on the edge of my seat while reading the last quarter of the book.
This was so good, friends! And I can't wait for the next books in the series. I need more shifter dragons in my life. The book will officially be out in the world this Friday, November 10th. If you like fantasy and open door M/M romance, then this book is for you.
What else could you want from a queer fantasy book? Uhm?! I think it's safe to say that I loved it.
Set in California, A Case of Scales and Flame, the first installment in the Magic and Marvels series, follows Damien and Robby on their crazy mission to stop an agressive and mysterious plague that's killing all dragons. Although they're complete strangers when they first meet, these two quickly develop a strong relationship that is bursting with mutual attraction.
The author managed to build such an amazing world in just a little over 300 pages, the writing is beautiful and descriptive, placing you right in the middle of everything, the vivid imagery being one of my favourite things. The pacing is perfect, in true Max Walker fashion, I was on the edge of my seat while reading the last quarter of the book.
This was so good, friends! And I can't wait for the next books in the series. I need more shifter dragons in my life. The book will officially be out in the world this Friday, November 10th. If you like fantasy and open door M/M romance, then this book is for you.
November 19, 2023
I absolutely loved this book. I devoured it in one go. This is my first time reading the author but it definitely won’t be the last.
Romance collides with an epic quest to break a life threatening curse, all cradled in vivid world building where portals to other dimensions exist and creatures of lore live amongst us.
Max walker gives us amazing characters in Damien (a dragon shifter) and Robby who meet in less than ideal circumstances involving a rescue or two and there is an instant attraction that sparks which gave me all sorts of fated vibes. The story brings action, emotion and humour with loads of twists and reveals as this romance rages to an inferno and the two fight their way to saving the world and a HEA.
I laughed, swooned, teared up and bit my nails down to the quick. Wonderfully paced, Max Walker does a phenomenal job of weaving lore of creatures of old in a unique way, where power and magic and evil and villainy clash in this imagined world to create this epic tale of good vs evil and a Hero’s journey to an HEA. I could not put it down.
Highly recommend checking out this adventure of a story.
I loved Damien’s siblings and best friend too and I’m excited to see where this series goes next with the hint left at end.
Expect:
* Dragon Shifter x human
* Paranormal romance
* Opposites attract
* Protective MC
* Forced proximity
* Fantastic world building
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Swoon: ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Angst: ❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹
Humour: 🤣🤣🤣
Romance collides with an epic quest to break a life threatening curse, all cradled in vivid world building where portals to other dimensions exist and creatures of lore live amongst us.
Max walker gives us amazing characters in Damien (a dragon shifter) and Robby who meet in less than ideal circumstances involving a rescue or two and there is an instant attraction that sparks which gave me all sorts of fated vibes. The story brings action, emotion and humour with loads of twists and reveals as this romance rages to an inferno and the two fight their way to saving the world and a HEA.
I laughed, swooned, teared up and bit my nails down to the quick. Wonderfully paced, Max Walker does a phenomenal job of weaving lore of creatures of old in a unique way, where power and magic and evil and villainy clash in this imagined world to create this epic tale of good vs evil and a Hero’s journey to an HEA. I could not put it down.
Highly recommend checking out this adventure of a story.
I loved Damien’s siblings and best friend too and I’m excited to see where this series goes next with the hint left at end.
Expect:
* Dragon Shifter x human
* Paranormal romance
* Opposites attract
* Protective MC
* Forced proximity
* Fantastic world building
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Swoon: ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Angst: ❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹
Humour: 🤣🤣🤣
January 10, 2024
Mid. Romance had no tension or banter, it was so straightforward and boring and INSTANT like where is the slow burn? Cuz five pages ain’t it. Plot was so mid and it sailed through and I was bored for most of this.
April 11, 2025
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
This is the first book in the Magic and Marvels series by Max Walker, and I listened to it in audio format. There are two narrators, Simon Dornet and John Vertullo, representing the two different POVs, and that made it easy for me to determine whose viewpoint we were in at that point in the story. Both narrators had a great handle on the pacing and emotive aspects of this book. There are moments of great sorrow and terror, as the battles get bigger and more bloody. The pain of loss was definitely present for Damien; less so for Robby, though he does get some disturbing news about his own existence. The many characters were represented uniquely enough that I could tell they were different from both Damien and Robby.
I definitely enjoyed this book, though I struggled with some logical inconsistencies.
It’s a wild and creative premise that is likely to captivate fans of supernatural romance and/or urban fantasy. Some clunky storytelling aside, I would definitely read on to discover more about this world and see what happens next
Read Veronica’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
This is the first book in the Magic and Marvels series by Max Walker, and I listened to it in audio format. There are two narrators, Simon Dornet and John Vertullo, representing the two different POVs, and that made it easy for me to determine whose viewpoint we were in at that point in the story. Both narrators had a great handle on the pacing and emotive aspects of this book. There are moments of great sorrow and terror, as the battles get bigger and more bloody. The pain of loss was definitely present for Damien; less so for Robby, though he does get some disturbing news about his own existence. The many characters were represented uniquely enough that I could tell they were different from both Damien and Robby.
I definitely enjoyed this book, though I struggled with some logical inconsistencies.
It’s a wild and creative premise that is likely to captivate fans of supernatural romance and/or urban fantasy. Some clunky storytelling aside, I would definitely read on to discover more about this world and see what happens next
Read Veronica’s review in its entirety here.
November 7, 2023
I received this title as an ARC on Net-galley in exchange for a honest review. Thank you Max Walker for the copy!
I love fantasy books with dragons so I was so excited to read this book!
Years ago, a tear in the universe brought dragons, vampires, shifters, and a plethora of other magic beings into this world and now a curse was taking trying to take the dragons out. After the death of his mother and his brother falling will with the same sickness, Damien is desperate to break the curse affecting his people. He may have found the key to doing so in Robby, a human being targeted by vampires for an unknown reason connected to the person who placed the curse...
The Good
I loved the world-building in this book. Fantasy and modern aspects were integrated in fun and interesting ways. I liked the idea of the tear and supernaturals and humans being made to coexist suddenly and the effects that still had on society. This book was genuinely a fun read and I think the fun world-building and the fast pace played a big part of that. There was always something propelling the plot forward and it never dragged. Which ties into the romance aspect of the book. I liked both Damien and Robby and their relationship. I am critical of insta-love at times but I accept it in my fantasy/paranormal reads. Especially since with everything going on I think taking long pauses to make a slower burn would've made the plot drag out. The fast pace of the romance went well with the fast pace of the plot. It was never bored reading this book and I loved that feeling.
The Bad
Though I loved the fast pace, I have to comment on that it came at the price of deeper relationship and character development. There were enough sweet and spicy moments between Robby and Damien for me to understand why they liked each other and their connection, but emotional moments especially in the last act would've been much more heart-wrenching if there had been more depth to their relationship and their character arcs.
EDIT: After reader feedback, the author added two more chapters to the story which I thought were really great and I'm glad he added them. They helped develop the main and side characters a bit more and really made a minor time jump work much better.
Tropes:
— Dragon shifter
— Insta-love
— Forced Proximity
Horn Level: 3/5🌶️
Format: Ebook
The Rating
I give this book a 4/5🌟 rating. This was such a fun read! I absolutely devoured it!
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I love fantasy books with dragons so I was so excited to read this book!
Years ago, a tear in the universe brought dragons, vampires, shifters, and a plethora of other magic beings into this world and now a curse was taking trying to take the dragons out. After the death of his mother and his brother falling will with the same sickness, Damien is desperate to break the curse affecting his people. He may have found the key to doing so in Robby, a human being targeted by vampires for an unknown reason connected to the person who placed the curse...
The Good
I loved the world-building in this book. Fantasy and modern aspects were integrated in fun and interesting ways. I liked the idea of the tear and supernaturals and humans being made to coexist suddenly and the effects that still had on society. This book was genuinely a fun read and I think the fun world-building and the fast pace played a big part of that. There was always something propelling the plot forward and it never dragged. Which ties into the romance aspect of the book. I liked both Damien and Robby and their relationship. I am critical of insta-love at times but I accept it in my fantasy/paranormal reads. Especially since with everything going on I think taking long pauses to make a slower burn would've made the plot drag out. The fast pace of the romance went well with the fast pace of the plot. It was never bored reading this book and I loved that feeling.
The Bad
Though I loved the fast pace, I have to comment on that it came at the price of deeper relationship and character development. There were enough sweet and spicy moments between Robby and Damien for me to understand why they liked each other and their connection, but emotional moments especially in the last act would've been much more heart-wrenching if there had been more depth to their relationship and their character arcs.
EDIT: After reader feedback, the author added two more chapters to the story which I thought were really great and I'm glad he added them. They helped develop the main and side characters a bit more and really made a minor time jump work much better.
Tropes:
— Dragon shifter
— Insta-love
— Forced Proximity
Horn Level: 3/5🌶️
Format: Ebook
The Rating
I give this book a 4/5🌟 rating. This was such a fun read! I absolutely devoured it!
Check out my socials here for more reviews!
November 14, 2023
I haven’t read much fantasy in a long time and throughly enjoy a good queer romance so I figured my dive into the fantastical should have a gay undercurrent. Max Walker’s book, A Curse of Scales and Flame, follows Robby and Damian, human and dragon, navigate a mysterious illness that is causing dragons to die while also navigating each other (yes it is a spicy read!).
I really enjoyed exploring their relationship and their world but I do wish everything was more fleshed out. This is a quick read and simple fantasy which is really easy to pick up and power through, however as I was reading I kept finding myself looking for more world building and more depth to the characters we met. I wouldn’t have minded if there were 100-200 more pages even. Some parts felt rushed and I did feel like the love was instant and things resolved extremely quickly. For a fantasy this is a really accessible read but I couldn’t help but feel some of the story was sacrificed to keep it short and sweet.
Robby and Damian’s story, though, is still very engaging and fun to read especially if you aren’t big on extremely complex fantasy novels. Plus who doesn’t love a gay dragon. If you’re looking for a quick fantasy, gay dragoons, and 🌶️, look no further than A Curse of Scales and Flame.
3.75/5 (rounding up for Goodreads)
Taylor Swift Songs I Associate With This Book: Don’t Blame Me, Dress, End Game, Cruel Summer
Thank you Max for the arc! 🔥
I really enjoyed exploring their relationship and their world but I do wish everything was more fleshed out. This is a quick read and simple fantasy which is really easy to pick up and power through, however as I was reading I kept finding myself looking for more world building and more depth to the characters we met. I wouldn’t have minded if there were 100-200 more pages even. Some parts felt rushed and I did feel like the love was instant and things resolved extremely quickly. For a fantasy this is a really accessible read but I couldn’t help but feel some of the story was sacrificed to keep it short and sweet.
Robby and Damian’s story, though, is still very engaging and fun to read especially if you aren’t big on extremely complex fantasy novels. Plus who doesn’t love a gay dragon. If you’re looking for a quick fantasy, gay dragoons, and 🌶️, look no further than A Curse of Scales and Flame.
3.75/5 (rounding up for Goodreads)
Taylor Swift Songs I Associate With This Book: Don’t Blame Me, Dress, End Game, Cruel Summer
Thank you Max for the arc! 🔥
May 27, 2024
I generally enjoyed reading this book and I think the story was somewhat unique. However - the writing is not great. There are multiple errors or sometimes a missing word, or change of tense within a sentence. Aside from the actual sex scenes, which I’m not even going to get into, the romance was severely lacking as was the building of the relationship. It felt juvenile even though these are men in their late 20s, and the multiple weeks-long time jumps didn’t help.
I didn’t dislike this book and I *want* to give it a higher rating - but I just can’t excuse the writing issues.
I didn’t dislike this book and I *want* to give it a higher rating - but I just can’t excuse the writing issues.
July 25, 2024
2.5⭐️ i cannnot believe “pubes” was used THREE times during the same spicy scene. Despicable.
Writing in this sucked but story had good ideas. I found myself thinking about how i could make this better whilst reading and i feel like i shouldn’t have to do that
Writing in this sucked but story had good ideas. I found myself thinking about how i could make this better whilst reading and i feel like i shouldn’t have to do that
September 5, 2024
This was pretty mid, not gonna lie. The premise was there, but the delivery wasn't great. I did still enjoy the read, but it's unlikely I'll read the second book.
May 20, 2025
Adorable story of a mortal and his big bad dragon bo- ughh.. buddy💕
October 11, 2024
3.5 decent story theres just a few plot holes and one is so massive. Writing is good though
April 7, 2025
Fun and hopelessly romantic
April 4, 2025
i loved a curse of scales and flame the story was so fascinating and Damien and robby were such amazing characters you couldn't help but fall in love with
the journey has action magic dragons and intense moments and full of chemistry and perfect
it was different to what we normally get from max walker and he didn't fail to amaze Me it was amazing and beautifully written
the journey has action magic dragons and intense moments and full of chemistry and perfect
it was different to what we normally get from max walker and he didn't fail to amaze Me it was amazing and beautifully written
May 4, 2025
[4/5⭐️; Romance Con author]
For someone whose known to write cis gay male erotica: the world building and story was so freaking captivating. And Robby and Damien’s growth as people and a couple? It was chef’s kiss!
Docked it down a star though for some cringey-sounding wording that popped up from Robby.
HOWEVER, the next two books are on my TBR and I’m so excited to see where it goes! ❤️
For someone whose known to write cis gay male erotica: the world building and story was so freaking captivating. And Robby and Damien’s growth as people and a couple? It was chef’s kiss!
Docked it down a star though for some cringey-sounding wording that popped up from Robby.
HOWEVER, the next two books are on my TBR and I’m so excited to see where it goes! ❤️
April 12, 2025
Giving a second go
July 28, 2025
A kind of campy, very dramatic MM dragon romance. In this fantasy world, magical beings have integrated with humans after coming through tears that occur every 10 years. This story focuses on a curse that has been wrought upon dragon-kind in an attempt to wipe them out. One of the MMC's is Damien, a fire dragon who has lost his mother to the curse and is determined to figure out what the cause is before it also takes his youngest brother. In his quest to find a cure for the curse, he finds himself entangled with our other MMC, Robby. Damien feels a pull towards making sure the Robby is safe and wants to protect him. Which is good, because Robby has found himself the target of the vampires interest and it seems to have something to do with the curse. And as a human, he's pretty defenseless. The two of them end up spending a lot of time together and find that they feel complete when they're with the other, which leads to some spicy scenes for the reader. The story ends in a HEA for the MMC's and technically their story has come to a kind of conclusion, but the author sets the scene for the next book at the end of Robby & Damien's story. You could definitely stop at this one if you wanted to, but I feel like if you were to read subsequent books from this series, you'd need to start from the beginning to understand everything since it sets context.
I wasn't a fan of this author's overall writing style and story telling abilities. I'm not sure if it's because I don't really enjoy male fantasy authors or if it was something else. The story just felt like it was lacking. There is definitely spice in this book, with some descriptive scenes between Robby & Damien. However, there are many scenes in the story where the author teases the reader with the potential for a spicy scene and then it ends abruptly or gets interrupted by another character. It was very frustrating! If you're going to make it smutty, stick to that. But if you're going to have descriptive scenes but then decide to only add them sparingly, that's just rude. A female fantasy author would never. Not that she'd likely have a good grip of MM sex scenes like a male would, but still.
I also felt like there was a lot of holes in the story that I still have questions about after finishing the book. The author mentions the dragon family's dad a couple of times and has him pop up randomly, but it doesn't seem to actually serve a purpose and then doesn't go into that much detail about him. If he was going to be included as a character, I feel like more backstory on him would have been helpful. There's also a character named Starlight that's introduced and briefly mentioned again another time, but then we never see her again. I feel like if she was going to be brought up for a second time, it should have been for more time. Because why even bring her up at all the second time? There are several other examples of different plot holes, but I can't think of them right now.
I don't think it was a waste of time to read this book, but I won't be reading any of the others in the series. If there wasn't adequate spice in the first book, I seriously doubt it will get any better in the other books.
I wasn't a fan of this author's overall writing style and story telling abilities. I'm not sure if it's because I don't really enjoy male fantasy authors or if it was something else. The story just felt like it was lacking. There is definitely spice in this book, with some descriptive scenes between Robby & Damien. However, there are many scenes in the story where the author teases the reader with the potential for a spicy scene and then it ends abruptly or gets interrupted by another character. It was very frustrating! If you're going to make it smutty, stick to that. But if you're going to have descriptive scenes but then decide to only add them sparingly, that's just rude. A female fantasy author would never. Not that she'd likely have a good grip of MM sex scenes like a male would, but still.
I also felt like there was a lot of holes in the story that I still have questions about after finishing the book. The author mentions the dragon family's dad a couple of times and has him pop up randomly, but it doesn't seem to actually serve a purpose and then doesn't go into that much detail about him. If he was going to be included as a character, I feel like more backstory on him would have been helpful. There's also a character named Starlight that's introduced and briefly mentioned again another time, but then we never see her again. I feel like if she was going to be brought up for a second time, it should have been for more time. Because why even bring her up at all the second time? There are several other examples of different plot holes, but I can't think of them right now.
I don't think it was a waste of time to read this book, but I won't be reading any of the others in the series. If there wasn't adequate spice in the first book, I seriously doubt it will get any better in the other books.
October 30, 2023
Oh my heck this story was so much fun to read!! Listen when I found this book on my IG feed with its magnificent cover art, I knew I had to slide into those arc request forms and cross my fingers.
Seriously we have dragons, vampires, other magical beings, a basilisk style subway system, laugh out loud moments, and girl yes EVEN SOME SPICEEEE… I mean come ON!?
🐉 TROPES & THEMES 🐉
✔️ protective, slightly broody dragon shifter 🥹
✔️ forced proximity
✔️ a magical Los Angeles
✔️ a drag Queen legend named Starlight
✔️ gay dragons!!
✔️ curses, adventures, and action packed
✔️ the sweetest love story + 🔥 spice
✔️ HEA - open ended for MORE 😎
✔️ dual POV
✔️ literally the perfect binge worthy romantacy why are you still reading this and not the book smh (unless it’s not out yet then carry on)
Our story starts out with Damien rushing home to discover the mysterious sickness that has plagued the dragons has begun to take his mom’s life. His entire family is a special type of dragon family, a Rainbow Flight. Which, I’m sorry but I about cried all over my kindle this is so beautiful to me, ok?! 🥹
Devastated but adamant about finding the cure, Damien and his siblings meet with their friend Claire in her witchy store to discuss ideas when SUDDENLY Mr. sunshine barges through - Robby.
Now Robby is just your average, normal dude just trying to get by and decides to ask if Claire is hiring while he’s here, being weirdly chased by vampires suddenly. Damien is instantly interested and protected of this human male.
The rest of the story you must read to find out, so I’ll say that this book had everything I need for my romantacy check list. The story was refreshingly unique, and I had so much fun reading it! There were moments when I was laughing out loud from the situations or dialog, and moments when I couldn’t swipe my pages fast enough for answers. Max’s twist on LA and turning it into a literal magical place was so awesome and I loved seeing the ideas play out in my head! Seriously, imagine riding a BASILISK instead of the Marta?! HELLO?! That’s cool af.
The romance was so sweet, and I totally got fated mate vibes. Heck, even one of the chapters said fated mates so my “wee woo wee woo 🚨” was going off. The spice was super hot and sooo well written! I honestly could have read several more chapters of this couple and been over the moon!! I didn’t want the story to end!!
It definitely gave off a little bit of zodiac academy vibes with the lighthearted moments, the magical beings, and all the epic things in between. But gosh, this story is so special - you just can’t compare it to anything really! It’s in a league of its own!
I’m for sure a new fan of Max’s, and I can’t wait for more stories in this incredible magical world he’s given us!! 😍😍
Seriously we have dragons, vampires, other magical beings, a basilisk style subway system, laugh out loud moments, and girl yes EVEN SOME SPICEEEE… I mean come ON!?
🐉 TROPES & THEMES 🐉
✔️ protective, slightly broody dragon shifter 🥹
✔️ forced proximity
✔️ a magical Los Angeles
✔️ a drag Queen legend named Starlight
✔️ gay dragons!!
✔️ curses, adventures, and action packed
✔️ the sweetest love story + 🔥 spice
✔️ HEA - open ended for MORE 😎
✔️ dual POV
✔️ literally the perfect binge worthy romantacy why are you still reading this and not the book smh (unless it’s not out yet then carry on)
Our story starts out with Damien rushing home to discover the mysterious sickness that has plagued the dragons has begun to take his mom’s life. His entire family is a special type of dragon family, a Rainbow Flight. Which, I’m sorry but I about cried all over my kindle this is so beautiful to me, ok?! 🥹
Devastated but adamant about finding the cure, Damien and his siblings meet with their friend Claire in her witchy store to discuss ideas when SUDDENLY Mr. sunshine barges through - Robby.
Now Robby is just your average, normal dude just trying to get by and decides to ask if Claire is hiring while he’s here, being weirdly chased by vampires suddenly. Damien is instantly interested and protected of this human male.
The rest of the story you must read to find out, so I’ll say that this book had everything I need for my romantacy check list. The story was refreshingly unique, and I had so much fun reading it! There were moments when I was laughing out loud from the situations or dialog, and moments when I couldn’t swipe my pages fast enough for answers. Max’s twist on LA and turning it into a literal magical place was so awesome and I loved seeing the ideas play out in my head! Seriously, imagine riding a BASILISK instead of the Marta?! HELLO?! That’s cool af.
The romance was so sweet, and I totally got fated mate vibes. Heck, even one of the chapters said fated mates so my “wee woo wee woo 🚨” was going off. The spice was super hot and sooo well written! I honestly could have read several more chapters of this couple and been over the moon!! I didn’t want the story to end!!
It definitely gave off a little bit of zodiac academy vibes with the lighthearted moments, the magical beings, and all the epic things in between. But gosh, this story is so special - you just can’t compare it to anything really! It’s in a league of its own!
I’m for sure a new fan of Max’s, and I can’t wait for more stories in this incredible magical world he’s given us!! 😍😍
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