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Bound in Scales
Scholar.Scientist.Sorcerer. Thief.For most of his adult life Alduce has kept to the shadows… until now.His passion to complete ‘The Atlas of Dragons’—the definitive guide to dragon lore—consumes him and he must emerge from the safety of his studies to face the world once more.After years of research he has discovered the secret to unlocking the fabled gateways, powered by a legendary lost metal known only as Flaire.Risking his life on an experiment fraught with danger, he embarks on an unimaginable journey to another world, where dragons are real.He will forge an unlikely new friendship and face the ultimate test to his humanity, changing his life forever.His voyage of self-discovery leads to lies, deception and betrayal that threaten to destroy everything he has strived to achieve.Will Alduce find the answers he seeks?Can he learn from his mistakes and find redemption? Or will he choose the path of destruction?
341 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 30, 2017
12 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Steven De Luca
3 books23 followersI live near Edinburgh, Scotland. Some of my favourite authors are Anne McCaffrey, David Gemmell, Raymond Feist, Philp K Dick and Brandon Sanderson. Too many to list! I've loved writing and self publishing my novel, "Bound in Scales" and learned so much from the process.
From an early age I was an avid reader and always believed I had a story to tell. I mentioned this to my friend, Chris... probably a lot. One day he said to me, "You keep telling me you have a book in you, why don't you just write it?" I accepted his 'challenge' and wrote a novel. A big novel. over 200k words. I looked at it as a practice run and I plan to revisit it. It needs some TLC and a lot of editing. However, I found I had a passion for writing and from the ashes of my previous work, rose the phoenix of my new story. I hope you like it.
From an early age I was an avid reader and always believed I had a story to tell. I mentioned this to my friend, Chris... probably a lot. One day he said to me, "You keep telling me you have a book in you, why don't you just write it?" I accepted his 'challenge' and wrote a novel. A big novel. over 200k words. I looked at it as a practice run and I plan to revisit it. It needs some TLC and a lot of editing. However, I found I had a passion for writing and from the ashes of my previous work, rose the phoenix of my new story. I hope you like it.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 1, 2018
very well written this book kept my attention from start to finish really liked the interaction of charractors looking forward to a sequal
December 27, 2018
This book was so far outside my comfort zone, it was unbelievable. Fantasy is not something I would normally pick up, but the blurb intrigued me. My knowledge of anything dragon-related comes from two sources - Edmund in Voyage of The Dawn Treader and Sleeping Beauty.
I was quite hesitant about reading this, but the character of Alduce drew me in, weaving his spells and isolation around me. I would look up and would be wondering why I wasn’t in a darkened laboratory, or soaring high with the wind buffeting my wings.
What stunned me about this, was the fact that as I was drawn further into the storyline, I stopped visualising the dragons as actual dragons, but they suddenly became people. They all had their own personalities, and I fell in love with Sunburst and Blood Rose and another burgeoning romance.
As much as I wanted to be like Amesthyst (the purple dragon), I definitely identified more with the characteristics of a yellow dragon (Sunburst) - placid, non-confrontational, but with a dark side. (Which dragon are you?)
What was also amazing about this book is the level of description the author brings onto the page. I could visualise the scenery and almost smell the blood and magic simmering on the page. Although there were some situations that I struggled to visualise - a dragon giving birth, for example. Perhaps not something I want to start Googling!
This is truly a magical debut from an author, who I can’t wait to read more from.
I will crawl back into my blanket fort/comfort zone, with my romance and historical books, but I will be taking this one with me.
I was quite hesitant about reading this, but the character of Alduce drew me in, weaving his spells and isolation around me. I would look up and would be wondering why I wasn’t in a darkened laboratory, or soaring high with the wind buffeting my wings.
What stunned me about this, was the fact that as I was drawn further into the storyline, I stopped visualising the dragons as actual dragons, but they suddenly became people. They all had their own personalities, and I fell in love with Sunburst and Blood Rose and another burgeoning romance.
As much as I wanted to be like Amesthyst (the purple dragon), I definitely identified more with the characteristics of a yellow dragon (Sunburst) - placid, non-confrontational, but with a dark side. (Which dragon are you?)
What was also amazing about this book is the level of description the author brings onto the page. I could visualise the scenery and almost smell the blood and magic simmering on the page. Although there were some situations that I struggled to visualise - a dragon giving birth, for example. Perhaps not something I want to start Googling!
This is truly a magical debut from an author, who I can’t wait to read more from.
I will crawl back into my blanket fort/comfort zone, with my romance and historical books, but I will be taking this one with me.
November 14, 2023
I've been caught unaware, when I started the book, I would not have suspected how it would develop.
I found part 1 interesting but at this point I was not truly engrossed either.
The beginning of part 2 felt a little weird, with the very first encounter feeling somewhat formal, but after this one it became more natural, more fluid.
But at some point it takes off as the protagonist is caught in consequences, good and bad, of deeds he had naively thought would be yet another study, the mere realization of a personal fantasy. But it was counting without deeper implications of his endeavour.
The moral dilemmas and internal battles, both of him and other protagonists are very well rendered, they are as much if not more than the plot itself, the matter of the dramatic tension of the book.
How prejudices come into play and can be overcome, and beyond prejudice difference, if used right, is a strength.
I found part 1 interesting but at this point I was not truly engrossed either.
The beginning of part 2 felt a little weird, with the very first encounter feeling somewhat formal, but after this one it became more natural, more fluid.
But at some point it takes off as the protagonist is caught in consequences, good and bad, of deeds he had naively thought would be yet another study, the mere realization of a personal fantasy. But it was counting without deeper implications of his endeavour.
The moral dilemmas and internal battles, both of him and other protagonists are very well rendered, they are as much if not more than the plot itself, the matter of the dramatic tension of the book.
How prejudices come into play and can be overcome, and beyond prejudice difference, if used right, is a strength.
February 6, 2018
Beautifully written story, lovely characters that grow on you and you feel invested in. There's a good pace to the book that keeps you turning the pages and wanting to find out what happens next. If you are a fan of fantasy you'll love this book, Steven manages to bring a fresh breath to the regular approach of dragon tales.
April 3, 2018
Fantasy is not my preferred genre so I didn't really know what to expect when embarking on Bound in Scales by Steven de Luca. A couple of hours later, I was like a newly hatched dragon emerging from an egg, blinking in an attempt to focus on the time when I managed to tear my eyes away from the page. There's magic in this book, that's for sure; it even made me forget about my morning cup of tea to the point that the tea was STONE COLD. Books have come close but have never succeeded in making me forget about my first cuppa of the day until Bound in Scales landed on my kindle.
Alduce is a bit of a loner, content with his own company he is writing an Atlas of Dragons and what better way to study these fine creatures than from within their midst. Using science and sorcery, Alduce adds shapeshifter to his repertoire as he transforms into magnificent black dragon, Nightstar. In the land of dragons, he befriends a yellow dragon named Sunburst and together the pair form a friendship that will be tested time and again.
With Alduce being a human, his thoughts and fears, hopes and dreams are completely relatable. When he becomes Nightstar, he is still the same person underneath and his whole character is part of who Nightstar becomes. With individual personal strengths and surprising insecurities, the dragons became characters I quickly began to care about, forgetting at times that they were beasts not people.
The whole story had me gripped from start to finish, from Alduce trying to keep his identity a secret from the other dragons to the battle with the evil Extractor who sees dragon blood as a valuable commodity. The writing is excellent as landscape and characters are described so vividly that I could easily visualise the intended scenes. I have to applaud the author for his amazing Northern Lights scene as the breathtaking beauty of this natural phenomenon is described with such reverence and clarity through Steven de Luca's outstanding imagery.
Harry Potter meets Game of Thrones in this fantastic debut from new fantasy writer, Steven de Luca. Remember that name as I'm sure we're going to be hearing a lot more about him. Don't be put off if fantasy is not your preferred genre, this is an extraordinary piece of pure escapism fiction and one that I will enjoy reading again...hopefully along with a sequel so we can continue the adventures of Alduce and Nightstar. Try something new and take a chance on Bound in Scales, you won't regret it!
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Alduce is a bit of a loner, content with his own company he is writing an Atlas of Dragons and what better way to study these fine creatures than from within their midst. Using science and sorcery, Alduce adds shapeshifter to his repertoire as he transforms into magnificent black dragon, Nightstar. In the land of dragons, he befriends a yellow dragon named Sunburst and together the pair form a friendship that will be tested time and again.
With Alduce being a human, his thoughts and fears, hopes and dreams are completely relatable. When he becomes Nightstar, he is still the same person underneath and his whole character is part of who Nightstar becomes. With individual personal strengths and surprising insecurities, the dragons became characters I quickly began to care about, forgetting at times that they were beasts not people.
The whole story had me gripped from start to finish, from Alduce trying to keep his identity a secret from the other dragons to the battle with the evil Extractor who sees dragon blood as a valuable commodity. The writing is excellent as landscape and characters are described so vividly that I could easily visualise the intended scenes. I have to applaud the author for his amazing Northern Lights scene as the breathtaking beauty of this natural phenomenon is described with such reverence and clarity through Steven de Luca's outstanding imagery.
Harry Potter meets Game of Thrones in this fantastic debut from new fantasy writer, Steven de Luca. Remember that name as I'm sure we're going to be hearing a lot more about him. Don't be put off if fantasy is not your preferred genre, this is an extraordinary piece of pure escapism fiction and one that I will enjoy reading again...hopefully along with a sequel so we can continue the adventures of Alduce and Nightstar. Try something new and take a chance on Bound in Scales, you won't regret it!
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
October 2, 2023
It's wordy at the beginning, perhaps indulgently so. I do think that, by the time the story hits its stride, it makes up for this and more. I think dipped again towards the end, but there is still so much to enjoy about how the concepts of draconity and plurality are handled in this story. There's a depth of understanding of the characters here that feels impactful.
March 23, 2019
While I was thinking of giving this four stars, the ending was so good that I just had to bump it up to five stars. With that said, there were some slow parts. The story was rich and deep.
February 14, 2019
A marvellous flight of imagination. It really gives an insight into the world of dragons, with parallels to our own world in the dragons' conflict with humans. The author has obviously lived with and among dragons for some time! Being self-published, there were a few problems with typos, formatting, etc, and the strange use of sans serif font (arial?) instead of an easier-to-read-serif, but these are small problems and should not stop anyone from giving this book a try. I hope there are more stories to come!
December 5, 2017
A book about dragons!
Wow! this book deserves 5 ***** and nothing less.
I can't delve too deeply into the plot due to spoilers, but needless to say the author has woven an entertaining and intriguing tale.
Full of suspense and wonder, and great attention to detail with some wonderful world-building!
The author has also created a very compelling character in Alduce. I really felt like I was inside his head, and completely understood his motivations...even though he might not have made the right decisions on more than one occasion; however, this is what makes his character arc so great.
The rest of the characters are well realised, and the dragons are vividly created and have distinctive voices that are clearly defined.
The author writes very well, with good descriptions and an easy to read prose style and he keeps the story moving along at a brisk pace with plenty of twists and turns along the way.
Some of the scenes brought back memories of reading The dragon riders of Pern series: by Anne Mccaffrey. De Luca makes great use of colour as well and paints each of the dragons with their own unique, characteristics and personalities.
Overall...a fantastically entertaining read that has left me hungry for more.
I will certainly be pre-ordering De Lucas next book as he has a unique voice in an overcrowded fantasy market.
Read this book and you will soon find yourself swept away to a land of dragons!
Wow! this book deserves 5 ***** and nothing less.
I can't delve too deeply into the plot due to spoilers, but needless to say the author has woven an entertaining and intriguing tale.
Full of suspense and wonder, and great attention to detail with some wonderful world-building!
The author has also created a very compelling character in Alduce. I really felt like I was inside his head, and completely understood his motivations...even though he might not have made the right decisions on more than one occasion; however, this is what makes his character arc so great.
The rest of the characters are well realised, and the dragons are vividly created and have distinctive voices that are clearly defined.
The author writes very well, with good descriptions and an easy to read prose style and he keeps the story moving along at a brisk pace with plenty of twists and turns along the way.
Some of the scenes brought back memories of reading The dragon riders of Pern series: by Anne Mccaffrey. De Luca makes great use of colour as well and paints each of the dragons with their own unique, characteristics and personalities.
Overall...a fantastically entertaining read that has left me hungry for more.
I will certainly be pre-ordering De Lucas next book as he has a unique voice in an overcrowded fantasy market.
Read this book and you will soon find yourself swept away to a land of dragons!
February 1, 2018
Such a fun adventure filled with amazing characters and magic, with great emotional ups and downs to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. I highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in Fantasy, especially dragons! The characters are extremely well-written and very likeable.
March 6, 2025
I got to say, this is a good book.
I love books where dragons are the MC and this book checks all of the boxes. The story line is amazing, and I love the characters. I also liked the info about different dragons placed in different parts of the book, it’s a good way to let the reader gain insight on the deferent aspects of each dragon. All in all i liked this book a lot and would recommend it to all dragon enthusiasts.
I love books where dragons are the MC and this book checks all of the boxes. The story line is amazing, and I love the characters. I also liked the info about different dragons placed in different parts of the book, it’s a good way to let the reader gain insight on the deferent aspects of each dragon. All in all i liked this book a lot and would recommend it to all dragon enthusiasts.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews