Scales

Fate and Fire #1

by Amity Green

Tessa Conley isn't ready to go back home to Austin when her summer course in London comes to an end. She gets her wish as she steps into a new world of urban fantasy and mystery when she is transformed into a living gargoyle, complete with wings and a tail. Mostly human by day and gargoyle by night, Tessa is not alone in her new world with other gargoyles in the bookstore she now calls home. Bree, her best friend from Austin, is kidnapped and held in the UK. Tessa uncovers the mystery of her birthright, and learns what kind of monster she's become in order to save her friend... if she can survive the horror her new life holds in store.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy

ebook

First published June 1, 2013

About the author

Marie Whittaker is an award-winning essayist and author of horror, urban fantasy, children’s books and supernatural thrillers. Writing as Amity Green, her debut novel, Scales, the first in her Fate and Fire series, debuted in 2013, followed by Phantom Limb Itch in 2018. Her supernatural thriller, The Witcher Chime, was a finalist for the Indie Book Awards in 2017. She is the creator of The Adventures of Lola Hopscotch, which is a children’s book series concentrating on getting sensitive childhood issues out in the open between children and adults. Many of her award-winning short stories appear in numerous anthologies and publications. She is currently working on a new supernatural thriller, titled (working) Little Boy Lost.

Marie enjoys teaching about publishing, writing craft, and project management for writers. She works as Associate Publisher at WordFire Press and is Director of Superstars Writing Seminars, a world-class writing conference concentrating on the business of writing. Marie is a proud member of the Horror Writers Association and keeps steady attendance at local writer's groups. She is currently pursuing a certificate as a Project Management Professional.

A Colorado native, Marie resides in Manitou Springs, where she writes and enjoys renovating her historic Victorian home. She spends time hiking, gardening, and indulging in her guilty pleasure of shopping for handbags. She is fond of owls, coffee, and all things Celtic. A lover of animals, Marie is an advocate against animal abuse and assists with lost pets in her community.

Reviews

[John Dizon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scales by Amity Green is an enthralling adventure tale set in London where Texas-born Tessa Conley is attending a summer college course. Along with her friend Bree, the Austinites are loving every minute of it until they make a strange discovery. An antique bookstore proves fascinating to Tessa, and she lingers well after dark and finds herself locked in after closing time. It begins a mystical journey during which she is drawn into a brotherhood of shape-shifters. They are threatened by a dark force headed by a charismatic Scotsman bent on eliminating Tessa and her new friends. The author takes us along an action-packed journey that you won’t soon forget.

Green adroitly weaves a tapestry of Scottish history into her backstory that lends a captivating atmosphere to the novel. Kai, the major antagonist, is proud of his heritage in considering the Londoners as ‘lowlanders’. Only he and his colleague Hamish have a darker agenda in their campaign to eradicate Ezra, Osgar and Peter who are among the changelings who have gathered in Tessa’s defense. Tessa, an orphan, finds her metaphysical roots upon learning of the legacy of Lugh the sun god. She realizes her destiny as well as the crusade set before her in saving her friends and thwarting the menace of the demonic Tyrens once and for all.

For sword and sorcery fans and audiences looking for a fast-paced fantasy tale, Scales by Amity Green is one you won’t want to miss.

[Keep Calm Novel On · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author via Booktasters provided a copy of the ePub in exchange for an honest review.

Amity Green’s Young Adult Urban Fantasy Scales takes the reader on an original and unpredictable journey. Tessa has lived her life in an orphanage in Austin, Texas. She is spending a life-changing summer in London. As she is preparing to return home, Tessa visits a bookstore and her path changes forever.

Green creates a world set in London and in a castle in Scotland. The author’s attention to detail paints a picture of the setting and visually draws the reader in immediately. Shapeshifting gargoyles are truly original and Tessa is forced to come to terms with her new identity. Tessa’s voice is strong and convincing. Her occasional journal entries give insight into her private inner thoughts revealing her character with honesty. The secondary characters add depth to this read as well.

This action-packed page-turner explores the power of true friendship, family ties, and fantastical history. Tessa’s journey is far from over. Looking forward to the next installment in the trilogy.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scales was a book that certainly was a fun read; bookstore, gargoyles, London and Scotland. If you like urban fantasy and such things that I mentioned, it is a recommended read.

[Nina Schluntz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scales is your typical heroine origins story. And like all good origin stories, the main character is an orphan girl, coming of age and wanting to avoid the life fate has in store for her. Instead of her becoming a vampire, like most of these stories seem to go, she is a shape shifting gargoyle. A bit of originality—I can’t say I’ve read any other books about that. However, the book does follow the normal recipe a reader of young adult fiction has come to expect.

I will give the author credit, she is writing about what she knows. The author traveled and studied abroad, so low and behold, so is her character. This means the books is trustworthy in its facts. Nothing worse than an author writing about a country they have never visited.

The book didn’t emotionally pull me in, but the plot twists, upcoming reveals and secrets, are sure to keep any reader flipping the pages. I would say this book is marketed more toward young adults who enjoy fantasy novels. The con-play crowd are sure to enjoy this tale. So if that’s your thing, then you should def spice up your reading life by taking a break from dragons, zombies, and vampires—and give some gargoyles a try in “Scales.”

I received “Scales” for free from Sage’s Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review.

[emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scales is about a young woman, Tessa, who traveled to London for school. She finds a lot more than what she was expecting. A whole new world. Tessa is unexpectedly turned into a gargoyle in a local bookstore. Forced to leave everything behind, a dark force rises and takes someone dear to Tessa away. Tessa will discover secrets and horrors in this new world.

Scales is fantastic! I'm so happy I was able to read a well-written fantasy novel that isn't cliche. I would have never thought of a book about gargoyles. It is really cool to step into this new world that Tessa is brought into.

I felt Scales was very faced pace which I enjoyed because I was never bored. I felt that there is a great balance of good and evil in the book. I also love the relationship between Tessa and Bree. It showed true friendship because every obstacle Tessa faced, she pushed forward so she could save Bree. Ms. Green did an awesome job! Five stars!

[Fatma Alici · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main draw for me with Scales was the protagonist, Tessa. She has a strong personal well of strength which is evident in everything she does. In a first person style book the person talking has to be sympathetic, enjoyed, and admired by the person reading it. The entire book rests on them. Tessa does not fail this test in any way. I liked her from the first page, and I never stopped.

The plot moves smoothly, and the subtle hint of menace which slowly grows until just the right moment. The other characters are engaging, and well written. The descriptions are livid, and have almost a hazy, painters feel to them.

The only thing that throws me off is I'm uncertain motives of Ezra. His actions sometimes do not stack up with what he says, and does. However, he is still oddly charming. Overall, wonderful book from a new author.

reposted from Amazon.

[Robert Turnbull · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of this genre, but yet the book held my interest. The characters are interesting and a nice twist for this type of Gargoyle story.

[Jamie]

I just won this in a Goodreads giveaway! I am excited to soon receive it and start reading!
I will post a review when I finish it.

[Andrew Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not quite sure why I selected this book from the library, but as I read it I found that the subject matter was not my cup of tea.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a young girl, Tessa, who is studying abroad in England and unexpectedly turns into a gargoyle. She is faced with trying to figure out how to go day-to-day with this new life, figuring out who is good and who is bad, and who all are gargoyles and who are something else. There is a lot of history, myths, and mystery in this book and it made for a really good read. The characters were really interesting, especially Ezra. Peter was definitely my favorite. At first I thought the book was going to be all about Tessa getting used to her new life as a gargoyle and living at the bookstore, but surprisingly it didn't :) We got to travel to Scotland! There were only 3 things that were a little disappointing. 1) I would have liked to learn a little bit more about gargoyles through this story. 2) I felt like the last scene with the main bad guy, Kai, went by way too fast and (without giving too much away) too easy. To be such a powerful person, I feel that scene kind of made me question just how powerful he really was. I also would have liked to have learned a little bit more about his and Tessa's history together. 3) The final battle scene, although it was well written, again, I felt was just a little too "easy." It had extreme potential! I would start to get on the edge of my seat and then would find myself eventually saying, "Oh. That's it?" Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I give Scales 4 out of 5 stars. It was intriguing, fast paced, and full of mystery. I look forward to more work by this author.

[Patrick Tinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very happy with the way Scales reached out and grabbed me from the opening pages. Amity Green created a very lovable character in Tessa. As the story roles along Tessa goes from a confused and frightened young woman to a fearsome fighter who isn’t so willing to back away from conflict. Tessa experiences a life-altering change along the way and it strengthens her resolve. The setting is in present day London and Scotland. The city of London itself is surrounded by history and mystery.
This book is stocked full of characters with very interesting histories among them. Amity Green brings all of this to life. The writing is beautiful. It’s very hard to put this one down once this story starts firing on all cylinders. Although the book has 270+ pages I felt like there was so much being “told”. It is recommended to buckle in and hold on.
Scales in one hell of a great story. Amity Green certainly delivers. I am looking forward for more adventures with Tessa soon.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully written book of mystery, plot twists and secrets! Scales captivated me from the beginning to the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of the locations, the smells, the sounds, the sights, and the characters. You are easily taken along on an action-packed ride through London and Scotland. The easy flow of the storyline and the interaction between the characters kept me quickly turning the pages to read what happened next. All of the characters were brilliantly brought into the story. My only complaint is that I would have liked to learn more about the history between Kai and the main character, Tessa. While in the beginning of the story Tessa appears annoying and immature, that only helps you understand what a dramatic change she has undergone by the end of the book. I give Scales 4 out of 5 stars. I can’t wait to read the next book!

[Jill M. Erolin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful escape! I'm not much into the fantasy genre normally but I picked up another book by Ms. Green called the Witcher Chimes and I'm hooked on this author. Witcher Chimes is also on the fantasy side but I thought it was going to be more on the paranormal side which I enjoy but it was a lucky accident. Her heroines are right on point and not puppets to fate. Her ability to paint a picture made the book almost a travelogue and I really feel the need to go to London and Scotland. I'm not really going to write much about the story line because I personally do not want to know a lot because I like the story to be a surprise but I will give you this because it comes up quickly in the book- Gargoyles! I do believe gargoyles are going to be the new "It" creature and this book would make a great movie. This book is enjoyable so give it a shot.

[LJO · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the premise of this book was intriguing and unique, it really needed some editing and proofreading. Hopefully, the author has continued to tighten up her style, because I would be interested to read some of her newer work.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy paranormal romances and urban fantasies, Scales is a fun read styled just for you!

Read the rest of the review at http://www.ismellsheep.com/2018/08/bo...

[Wendy Bocock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was really disappointed in this book. Premise was intriguing, but story dragged, and was confusing.