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A War of Stone and Scales: Volume 1 of Book 1 of The Anura Chronicles
Zammus Dre’ Suel, first degree navigator of the Mantis desires nothing more than to retire from his life at sea and marry his fiancé, but at the behest of his captain he is given a new assignment and embarks on his latest mission. During this enterprise, an incomprehensible force rips him from his world and inter-dimensionally transports him to an entirely different existence, one governed by dragons. Sophisticated, cultured and highly advanced dragons.
With seemingly no means of survival, Zammus has to reshape his understanding of everything he thinks he knows about reality if he is going to survive in this hellish waste where molten lava is sustenance, trees grow from krystal, gods roam in the flesh and everything it appears wants him dead.
To compound his dilemma, Zammus realizes that his presence is linked to a mysterious source hundreds of miles beneath the surface of this alien world, and as a result, he inevitably sets the forces of an unknown reality in motion. As Zammus tries to figure out how to survive and calibrate in this world of dragons, serpents and other predatory reptiles, the forces of nature and divinity torment and wrench him at every turn. He finds himself caught between new cultures, perilous scandals, and a merciless slew of never-ending battles.
All around gods watch, scheming in the background; pulling the infinite strings of divinity, intersecting lives and circumstances in a meticulous, sardonic array.
With seemingly no means of survival, Zammus has to reshape his understanding of everything he thinks he knows about reality if he is going to survive in this hellish waste where molten lava is sustenance, trees grow from krystal, gods roam in the flesh and everything it appears wants him dead.
To compound his dilemma, Zammus realizes that his presence is linked to a mysterious source hundreds of miles beneath the surface of this alien world, and as a result, he inevitably sets the forces of an unknown reality in motion. As Zammus tries to figure out how to survive and calibrate in this world of dragons, serpents and other predatory reptiles, the forces of nature and divinity torment and wrench him at every turn. He finds himself caught between new cultures, perilous scandals, and a merciless slew of never-ending battles.
All around gods watch, scheming in the background; pulling the infinite strings of divinity, intersecting lives and circumstances in a meticulous, sardonic array.
248 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2025
About the author
Samuel A. Zamor
2 books5 followersSAMUEL A. ZAMOR was born in the vibrant, tropical cultural art scene of Miami, Florida. He found his calling when he was six years old penning storybooks on the floor in his bedroom and has been writing ever since. He graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Editing, Writing, and Media and received his post-graduate in Technical Writing at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Canada. When Samuel isn’t writing, he is often conversing with his retinue of dragons, debating matters of sorcery and quantum physics, studying military history, hiking, playing guitar, reading comics, and building Gundam models and Metal Earth kits. He lives with his partner in California. To keep up with his book updates, follow his Instagram @sam.zamor.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 2, 2025
A War of Stone and Scales: Volume 1 Book 1 is an action-packed read. It follows former ship hand, Zammus, as he is transported into a world of dragons and fire.
I enjoyed the alternate world and the surrealism of its creatures and lore. It combines elements of dark fantasy with sci-fi, and it reminds me of dark fantasy movies from the 80s, with a strange world and a cast of quirky characters who have gutsy, down-to-earth moments.
I had a hard time keeping up with the setting, so I recommend paying more attention to the map to keep track. I personally like to sit in a world and its setting, but this book is more fast-paced as a heads up!
I enjoyed the alternate world and the surrealism of its creatures and lore. It combines elements of dark fantasy with sci-fi, and it reminds me of dark fantasy movies from the 80s, with a strange world and a cast of quirky characters who have gutsy, down-to-earth moments.
I had a hard time keeping up with the setting, so I recommend paying more attention to the map to keep track. I personally like to sit in a world and its setting, but this book is more fast-paced as a heads up!
April 30, 2026
A War of Stone and Scales: Volume 1 of Book 1 of The Anura Chronicles (which I'll refer to from here on as 'AWOSAS' for ease of reference) is the debut grimdark epic fantasy novel by author, Samuel A. Zamor. This first book will ultimately comprise four volumes, which will extend to a much larger series from there on.
Serving as our introduction to the vast, complex world and continent of 'Terra Draco', what makes the setting of AWOSAS so interesting is that it is one ruled and governed by dragons. And not your typical kind; but rather, those of a highly advanced, cultured, and sophisticated breed.
Inspired by fellow fantasy writers such as Glen Cook and George R.R. Martin, author Samuel A. Zamor weaves a story of political intrigue, enormous stakes, and the devastating consequences and fallout of war. The story kept me engaged and invested right out of the gate. Despite the narrative's complexities and vastness of setting, which can admittedly at times be a lot to take in, none of it ever detracts from the superb characterisation or worldbuilding. The story manages to create interesting scenarios that naturally keep you turning the page to see what happens next, interspersed with welcome bouts of sardonic humour and battles with awesome monsters.
The book opens with our lead human protagonist, Zammus Dre' Suel, a first degree navigator on a ship named the Mantis, coming across an unusual artifact in his marine explorations. This leads him to be ripped from our world and plunged into this far more dangerous one -- filled with intellectually and militaristically-gifted fire-breathing serpents.
Across the 200-odd pages, we meet powerful dragons (and other vicious fauna) - both friends and foes - that aid Zammus on his journey to finding a way home. But further still, Zammus comes to learn of an ancient power and prophecy that he is inextricably linked to. With everything on this hostile planet seemingly tried to end his life, this once highly-accomplished and decorated man finds himself at the very bottom of the food chain: struggling not only to survive, but to make sense of this alien world.
A real strength of AWOSAS lies in author Zamor's ability to bring an authentic militaristic and visceral quality to each of the battles and exhilirating scenes that he writes. You truly feel for Zammus as he tries to survive his surroundings while constantly being put through the ringer at every turn. Zamor's writing also comes across as extremely competent in the narrative's quieter moments of contemplation and reflection.
One of the aspects to AWOSAS I enjoyed the most, however, was in how the book efficiently plants you in the boots of Zammus Dre' Suel. You can truly feel his confusion and terror at every turn, as if you were right there in his boots with him. The structure of the novel plays against this notion well, as we see Zamor navigate his surroundings and move from conflict to conflict across the vastness of this amorphous, volcanic continent. It is a continent where no flora dwells, save for expansive forests made entirely of krystal; a world where the rivers flow not with water, but with molten lava. The setting in this novel is an extremely alien one, but it makes each encounter riveting and interesting to read!
Further to this is where the author's inclusion of maps, glossaries, pronunciation guides, and images of the various species are highly appreciated. I found myself turning to these resources often during my read-through, and they were incredibly helpful.
All of this is to say that this is about as perfect of a debut for a first-time author that I've seen. I can highly recommend checking out A War of Stone and Scales: Volume 1 of Book 1 of The Anura Chronicles and supporting the author.
Serving as our introduction to the vast, complex world and continent of 'Terra Draco', what makes the setting of AWOSAS so interesting is that it is one ruled and governed by dragons. And not your typical kind; but rather, those of a highly advanced, cultured, and sophisticated breed.
Inspired by fellow fantasy writers such as Glen Cook and George R.R. Martin, author Samuel A. Zamor weaves a story of political intrigue, enormous stakes, and the devastating consequences and fallout of war. The story kept me engaged and invested right out of the gate. Despite the narrative's complexities and vastness of setting, which can admittedly at times be a lot to take in, none of it ever detracts from the superb characterisation or worldbuilding. The story manages to create interesting scenarios that naturally keep you turning the page to see what happens next, interspersed with welcome bouts of sardonic humour and battles with awesome monsters.
The book opens with our lead human protagonist, Zammus Dre' Suel, a first degree navigator on a ship named the Mantis, coming across an unusual artifact in his marine explorations. This leads him to be ripped from our world and plunged into this far more dangerous one -- filled with intellectually and militaristically-gifted fire-breathing serpents.
Across the 200-odd pages, we meet powerful dragons (and other vicious fauna) - both friends and foes - that aid Zammus on his journey to finding a way home. But further still, Zammus comes to learn of an ancient power and prophecy that he is inextricably linked to. With everything on this hostile planet seemingly tried to end his life, this once highly-accomplished and decorated man finds himself at the very bottom of the food chain: struggling not only to survive, but to make sense of this alien world.
A real strength of AWOSAS lies in author Zamor's ability to bring an authentic militaristic and visceral quality to each of the battles and exhilirating scenes that he writes. You truly feel for Zammus as he tries to survive his surroundings while constantly being put through the ringer at every turn. Zamor's writing also comes across as extremely competent in the narrative's quieter moments of contemplation and reflection.
One of the aspects to AWOSAS I enjoyed the most, however, was in how the book efficiently plants you in the boots of Zammus Dre' Suel. You can truly feel his confusion and terror at every turn, as if you were right there in his boots with him. The structure of the novel plays against this notion well, as we see Zamor navigate his surroundings and move from conflict to conflict across the vastness of this amorphous, volcanic continent. It is a continent where no flora dwells, save for expansive forests made entirely of krystal; a world where the rivers flow not with water, but with molten lava. The setting in this novel is an extremely alien one, but it makes each encounter riveting and interesting to read!
Further to this is where the author's inclusion of maps, glossaries, pronunciation guides, and images of the various species are highly appreciated. I found myself turning to these resources often during my read-through, and they were incredibly helpful.
All of this is to say that this is about as perfect of a debut for a first-time author that I've seen. I can highly recommend checking out A War of Stone and Scales: Volume 1 of Book 1 of The Anura Chronicles and supporting the author.
September 16, 2025
I recommend everyone to step into the world of Terra Draco where only the strongest survive, where limits are pushed and where rules and laws hold no weight.
I have truly enjoyed embarking on the journey that "A War of Stone and Scales" has exposed me to. With each turn of a page there is a never a dull moment.
We start off roaming the seas stumbling across treasure where Zammus Dre Suel is met with his fate. Unannounced to him, there is a world filled with dragons and other reptilian races. A fight for not only survival, but peace for Terra Draco. Along the way not only discovering new friends and a mentor but also learning more about himself. Dragon slaying, surviving a battle Royale as well as being confined in prison not only tested him physically but mentally as well.
Samuel did a great did a great job setting the tone for the book. With the introduction of the Anura and responsibilities bestowed on the protagonist. The dialogue between the characters and imagery, it was as if I was a reading a script. I can almost picture all of the fight scenes as if I was watching a movie.
Some points in where there can some improvements would be the character and scene development. At certain points of the book there were some characters I felt as if they came out of nowhere. As well as the locations, I had some difficulties realizing that we have transitioned to another spot.
But all in all it was a wild ride of a read and I enjoyed every part of it. I am looking forward to the other three books to see how the story unfolds. And I highly recommend anyone who comes across The Anura Chronicles to do the same.
This book is a great read for anyone who enjoys adventure, action, and sorcery with an undertone of tongue in cheek humor.
As someone who doesn't usually gravitate to science fiction, it was a refreshing to read the juxtaposition between the mystic reptiles and humans. Though different in some ways, it is almost comical how similar we are as well, especially adding power and diversity into the mix.
"I don't know how or why, but you are are responsible for this. You have what I need. Within your body lies the key to his return"
I have truly enjoyed embarking on the journey that "A War of Stone and Scales" has exposed me to. With each turn of a page there is a never a dull moment.
We start off roaming the seas stumbling across treasure where Zammus Dre Suel is met with his fate. Unannounced to him, there is a world filled with dragons and other reptilian races. A fight for not only survival, but peace for Terra Draco. Along the way not only discovering new friends and a mentor but also learning more about himself. Dragon slaying, surviving a battle Royale as well as being confined in prison not only tested him physically but mentally as well.
Samuel did a great did a great job setting the tone for the book. With the introduction of the Anura and responsibilities bestowed on the protagonist. The dialogue between the characters and imagery, it was as if I was a reading a script. I can almost picture all of the fight scenes as if I was watching a movie.
Some points in where there can some improvements would be the character and scene development. At certain points of the book there were some characters I felt as if they came out of nowhere. As well as the locations, I had some difficulties realizing that we have transitioned to another spot.
But all in all it was a wild ride of a read and I enjoyed every part of it. I am looking forward to the other three books to see how the story unfolds. And I highly recommend anyone who comes across The Anura Chronicles to do the same.
This book is a great read for anyone who enjoys adventure, action, and sorcery with an undertone of tongue in cheek humor.
As someone who doesn't usually gravitate to science fiction, it was a refreshing to read the juxtaposition between the mystic reptiles and humans. Though different in some ways, it is almost comical how similar we are as well, especially adding power and diversity into the mix.
"I don't know how or why, but you are are responsible for this. You have what I need. Within your body lies the key to his return"
October 5, 2025
I would recommend The Anura Chronicles to anyone who loves dragons, epic battles, and stories where the main character truly grows and learns. It’s perfect for fantasy fans and readers who enjoy long, immersive adventures.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews