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A Curse of Scales and Flame

A Magic and Marvels Novel, Book 1

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A Curse of Scales and Flame

By: Max Walker
Narrated by: Simon Dornet, Jon Vertullo
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Summary

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.

©2023 Max Walker (P)2023 Tantor Media Action & Adventure Fantasy Literature & Fiction Paranormal Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Fiction Dragons Magic
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what an absolutely amazing story with fantastic performances from both narrators blending seamlessly. the world building and back story is excellent giving all the detail you'd need to fully buy into the world, with the story being fast pace enough with great twist along the way without feeling rushed or confusing. Yet another brilliant spicy MM romance from Max walker, definitely excited to see what the rest of the series has to offer. especially with previous books series by the author being some of the best book I've personally listen to or read.

YET another stella book

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I really wanted to enjoy A Curse of Scales and Flame, especially with its unique premise— a magical LA with dragons, vampires, and basilisks as public transport? That’s something you don’t see every day! Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite live up to the concept.

The story felt more like *telling* than *showing*, and I ended up feeling a bit detached from everything. There were time skips that made it hard to follow, and I found myself not really invested in the plot or characters. The romance, which was supposed to be central, felt forced, and the chemistry between the leads just didn’t feel natural. Even though the stakes were high (the end of dragonkind, no less!), the tone of the story often felt flippant, which made it hard for me to take things seriously.

On the plus side, the world-building had some cool moments— the dragons keeping their scales in human form was a fun idea, and I liked the blending of the real world with magic. But despite these intriguing elements, the relationships didn’t feel earned, and by the end, I was pretty bored because everything felt predictable.

Overall, it was a fine read but not a memorable one. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. If you’re someone who likes deep character connections and a solid, immersive plot, this might not be for you, but I’m still curious to see if the next book in the series does more with the potential here.

Great Premise, Weak Execution

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