In a world that fears The Old Gods, Emma has nothing left to lose. Betrayed by the man she trusted with her body and heart, ruined in the eyes of her village, and facing a future of shame or exile, she chooses to jump off the cliff’s edge over a life of regret. But death does not claim her. Instead, she awakens in a hidden sea cave, bound by blood and ancient magic to two devastatingly beautiful dragon shifters who have slumbered for gentle, cerulean-eyed Kryos and fierce, emerald-eyed Hylas. Tied to her life force, the dragons are her only way out of the village that never wanted her and she is their only chance at freedom. As Emma flees with the very creatures her world now calls extinct and heretical, she must navigate a dangerous new a bond she never asked for, two males who awaken feelings she swore she would never trust again, and the terrifying truth that her “sacrifice” may have awakened far more than just two dragons. Some bonds can be broken. Some hearts are worth risking everything for. Sapphire Scales and Tears is the first book in the Dragon Scales and Hearts Saga, a lush, character-driven romantasy trilogy perfect for fans of emotional slow-burn, dragon shifter romance, and stories of healing after betrayal.
4⭐️ oh the romance in this ATEEEE. I truly think this was such a good set up to a series. It’s why choose with dragon shifters, an unexpected bond, with magic and the mmcs were down BADDD for the FMC. Plus, the writing was truly so so pretty and well done. I do wish there was more world building or even just a little more information about the dragon side of the mmcs and the gods. But other than that this was a solid why choose that focused heavily on the romance, and i ate it up!
Emma is desperate to escape her life after she was betrayed. Hoping to escape the shame and exile from her village, she decides to jump off a cliff and end it. However, she ends up in a cave which is home to two dragon shifters.
Kryos and Hylas are a bit wary at first, a little unhappy about the bond between them. However, while trying to figure out how to break the bond, they become protective of Emma.
I love the fact that Kryos and Hylas always ask what Emma wants to do. They constantly get her opinion and never once take her choices away. She's not used to being treated with respect and care.
Seeing Emma heal from some of her past trauma was reassuring. "Sapphire Scales and Tears" was such a quick read. It was also an amazing palate cleanser.
I truly enjoyed this from start to finish, that cliff hanger? Okay i need book two right now
I am utterly in love with my dragons & I’m hoping book two emma comes more into herself.
LOVE LOVE LOVE- i will say there no mf way i trust this village. Undoing the bond so others can try to have the dragons maybe..? I don’t know but I’ll throw down for my three babies 💅🏼🥊
⚫️Sapphire Scales and Tears draws you in from the first page. It’s got everything you want in a romantasy dragons, ancient magic, real heartbreak, and hope. Stella Novoa knows how to make you care about her characters right away. Emma, the main character, starts off reeling from heartbreak, but watching her grow and heal feels raw and honest. Novoa never rushes her story, so Emma’s transformation is believable. You root for her, and you feel every setback and every triumph.
⚫️Kryos and Hylas the dragon shifters are both memorable and have their own unique voices. The way their connections with Emma develop is sweet, sometimes tense, and always authentic. The romance builds slowly, so every glance and conversation matters. It never feels forced or like things happen just for the sake of drama.
⚫️The world itself is easy to get lost in. Novoa paints ancient gods, lost magic, and a world full of dragon myth in a way that feels vast but never overwhelming. Scenes in shadowy caves or sweeping landscapes are so well described you can almost smell the stone and feel the wind. It’s fun, it’s emotional, and it’s immersive.
⚫️But really, what makes this story stick is the emotional core. It’s about picking yourself up after being betrayed, finding light after loss, and figuring out where your true strength lies even if it’s where you least expect. The balance between character moments and high-stakes fantasy keeps things moving, so it’s hard to put down.
⚫️If you love stories driven by character, slow-burn romance, and all things dragons, give this book a shot. Sapphire Scales and Tears is a great series starter, and you’ll be left hoping for the sequel as soon as you hit the last page.
Definitely recommend this to anyone who loves magical romance and stories with heart.
You can put the words "why choose" and "dragon shifter romance" in the same sentence and I'm already interested. Thankfully, this one delivered.
Emma's life takes a devastating turn when she's betrayed by the man who promised her marriage. Faced with consequences she feels she can't escape, she makes a desperate choice and throws herself from a cliff.
Instead of finding death, she finds two sleeping dragons.
Apparently, all they needed was a proper sacrifice to wake them up. Oops.
Now bound together by blood, Emma and her dragons travel from village to village searching for a witch who might know how to break the bond tying their lives together.
🐉 SPOILER THOUGHTS BELOW 🐉
I really enjoyed this story right up until the ending. The central conflict revolves around finding a way to break the blood bond, but by the time we reach the final chapters, I found myself questioning why anyone would want to.
The relationship development worked for me, and once they accepted each other and committed to building a future together, the bond didn't feel like a curse anymore. So when the cliffhanger became:
💙 Kill Emma and break the bond 💙 Keep the bond and live happily with two devoted dragon shifters who are obsessed with her
...I felt like the answer was pretty obvious. 😂
Maybe book two will reveal consequences I'm not seeing yet, but from where I'm sitting? Leave the bond alone and go enjoy your dragon husbands.
My only other complaint is that I wanted more dragon shifting. Give me the scales. Give me the wings. Give me the giant fire-breathing lizards.
Overall, I had a great time with this one and I'm definitely curious to see where book two takes the story. 🐉✨
Emma has been treated terribly by men the whole of her life. And when they finally push her to the edge, she jumps, attempting to make the ultimate sacrifice. The gods notice, and bind her to two powerful dragon shifters, Kryos and Hylas. Dark-haired, fierce, and with the most vibrant eyes she’s ever seen, they vow to protect her, to love her, and to listen to her - something no one has ever done for her before. And they also vow to help her see what else the gods might want with her.
Y’all, I enjoyed this story! The elemental magic, the slow burn and why choose, the learning to trust, the learning to be brave and ask for what you want, and the spice, was great. This is a small book that you’ll fly through, and it’s book 1 in an unfinished series.
Thanks so much, Stella, for the gifted copy of Sapphire Scales and Tears! 💙
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ *Please check the content warnings before reading.
This is book 1 in the “Dragonscales and Hearts Saga” . It is a trilogy.
The author reached out to ask if I wanted to read her book.
Stella, thank you so much for sending me a physical copy. I wasn't sure if I’d enjoy it, as I’m primarily a dark romance reader.
It took me a little while to settle into the story once I started reading. The opening—specifically how Emma ended up in the cave—was a bit confusing for me, but the story itself hooked me almost immediately.
It is a truly wonderful and enjoyable book. It features two dragons who choose her after she has been betrayed.
The book has some great twists that you don't see coming, yet they fit the story perfectly. The spice level isn't very high, but I didn't miss it.
If you enjoy romantasy, I would definitely recommend reading this book.
I certainly plan to read the other two installments as well.
WELL THAT WAS A CLIFFHANGER!!! I need book 2 immediately please and thank you.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and i am so grateful to the author for sending me a copy! I ate it up!!
I think that the premise of this story is so interesting, and is executed really well! Also, Hylas and Kryon are deeeeeelicious, super tempting dragon shifters! WHY CHOOSE BABY!
I love the research into medieval life that has clearly been done by the author. I am such a history nerd, and seeing fact put into play makes me very happy.
I think that this would be a good book for anyone looking to be introduced to the romantasy genre. It's not too dark, there's magic, bonded mates. It is good!
Why have ONE sexy dragon shifter, when you can have TWO?
MFM She sacrifices her life and awakes in a cave to two men who happen to be dragon shifters.. and also our bond to her. They venture on a 5 Month journey of looking for a witch to learn more about Emma (FMC) and how the bond works with kryos and hylas. Kryos is an our gentle golden retriever and hylas is broody grump.
This is a slow BURN! but with mild/ (well written spice) and a hell of a cliff hanger
Such a fun, easy ‘why choose’ read! The banter was so good, especially Hylas. I absolutely loved the two MMCs and how well they complemented each other.
The FMC’s backstory was interesting at first, but the repetition started to make her a little insufferable, and there were way too many “I love yous”… we get it 😂.
Overall, a great palate cleanser when you want something easy with lots of tension and spice, without being plot heavy. 🌶️
I got this as a Goodreads giveaway. I'm not sure what I was expecting with this but it ended up being pretty fun and much more spicy than I thought it would. Fine by me! It could have been better with the MMCs actually explaining to FMC better instead of "just trust us" but overall I enjoyed their relationship and the book overall. Maybe we'll get some of that in the sequel
We all know that i’m a why choose girly, add dark fantasy to the mix and i’m sold and your new best friend!
I absolutely loved this book! While 3rd person POV may not be my usual go to, here it was great and i had absolutely no issue with falling in love with the story! I loved Emma, Hylas and Kryos!
I loved the dynamic between them and that Emma even if timid at first was trying to articulate her needs and wants. It was also so awesome to see her take charge when needed and when Hylas told her she could make decisions, that was the moment i fell in love with that grump!
I wasn’t 100% on board on the whole we need to dissolve the bond especially after they went and consummated it, but i also could understand the reasonings.
Overall it was an awesome read and i can’t wait for the next books to learn more about the characters and the world!
I really enjoyed this book but the cliffhanger omg I need book 2 now!!
Based in the year 1300, a lost women with nothing left to live for ends up blood bound to 2 dragons. She learns a lot about the world, about magic systems and about herself..
this was absolutely AMAZING. I loved how the author stayed in tune with the atmosphere of the book, the characters were great. The storyline has just enough depth and twists to keep you hooked for more. And the graphics? Come. Tf. On. I’m obsessed and can’t wait to finish the series. Absolutely recommend giving this a read!
I had a great time getting to know Emma, Hylas and Kyros. These dragons had the patience of saints and were ultimate consent kings. And Emma, sweet Emma, I love all of her growth through every mile they trekked through this book. I need to immediately buy the next books cause I am in love with these characters and seriously need to know what happens next!!
So good, I am in love with all of these characters so far and the fact that the first book left so many possibilities open for where their journey will take them is making me wish the other book was out already !
so far so good! i love that it wasnt tooo much of a slow burn. I love this why whoose dynamic so much. I would have loved a bit more depth in the dragon shifter lore and more description of their shifted personalities. i read it all in one evening tho so that says a lot!!
Sapphire Scales and Tears was such a fun read! 🐉💙 I absolutely LOVED the dragons, and the romance felt surprisingly natural and easy to get invested in. Emma was only slightly annoying at times 😂, but considering everything she went through, I was willing to give her some grace.
And the spice? The spice was spicing. 🔥🔥🔥
Now excuse me while I immediately go pick up book 2 because I NEED to know what happens next. 🐉💙📖
I really wanted to enjoy this one. In fact, I picked it up specifically because I have an ARC for Book 3 and hoped to continue the series. Unfortunately, by 66% I was still waiting for the story to truly begin.
The premise hooked me immediately: a betrayed FMC, two dragon shifters, an unusual bond, ancient magic, and a world that fears dragons. Early on, I found myself intrigued by the mysteries. How did she bond with two dragons? Where exactly are they going? What is the larger conflict?
The problem is that by the time I reached 66%, I still didn't have satisfying answers to many of those questions.
My biggest issue was the lack of plot progression. Much of the story felt like the FMC being shy and embarrassed while quickly becoming attached to two dragon shifters she barely knows. The romance moves incredibly fast, with bonding, marriage, kissing, and sex happening long before I felt any meaningful emotional connection had been established.
Unfortunately, once the relationship became physical, it felt like the book shifted almost entirely into spice. There seemed to be a new intimate scene every few pages, while the actual story, worldbuilding, and character development took a backseat. I kept waiting for a larger goal, conflict, or adventure to emerge, but instead found myself repeatedly asking:
*"Where are they going?"*
*"What's the objective?"*
*"Why is she so devoted to them already?"*
The chemistry is there, but chemistry alone isn't enough to make me believe in a romance. I needed more emotional development and more reasons to root for these characters beyond physical attraction and magical bonds.
This may work well for readers who primarily want a spice-heavy dragon shifter romance with a why-choose dynamic. Unfortunately, I went in expecting a romantasy with a stronger plot, richer worldbuilding, and a more developed romance.
Sadly, this one wasn't for me, and I decided to DNF at 66%.
**Cons:** - Minimal plot progression - Extremely rushed romance - Repetitive spice - Unclear stakes and objectives - Questions raised early on remained unanswered by my DNF point
**Final Rating: (DNF @ 66%)** *I wanted dragons and a story. Instead, I got dragons and spice.* 🐉💔📚
I won this kindle copy of Sapphire Scales and Tears by Stella Novoa from a Goodreads Giveaway.
**SPOILERS**
⭐️ ⭐️ 2/5 Overall 🌶🌶 2/5 Spice
Emma is in her mid twenties...🤣🤣 more like mid teens. For the love of all things holy STOP crying. 🙄 Hands down one of the worst FMCs Ive ever encountered. The dragons.... Kryos and Hylas... answer NO questions. 🙄 Typical male, trust us because we said so. The name "Little - witch/one/wife" hard pass ✋️✋️ Is she four to you guys? How is that name supposed to be endearing?? Made me feel like a toddler every time i read it. 🤮🤮 Which i guess the FMC could be with how she acts. Story line where?? I felt like each chapter was a rinse and repeat with occasional spice.
They all camped in the woods. She got overly anxious because someone breathed in her direction. They went into a town. People acted suspicious towards the three random people walking around with cloaks and veils. Men acted gross and weird towards the FMC. They left.
Repeat all of that ten times and you've read the book. Congratulations.
Other than flying one time, nothing is really done with the dragons. Also, they pretty much just use magic to fill cups with water and grow a couple of trees...